Bedell protected lead to win ‘96 crown

Thursday, Dec. 4, 1997 | 12:41 p.m.

In 1992, Chad Bedell made his first trip to Las Vegas' Thomas & Mack Center, fabled locale for the National Finals Rodeo. But he wasn't competing for a world title.

Long after the contestants had vacated the arena, Bedell was working, downing the NFR's peskiest steers. Any steer that trotted out of the arena untouched during the regular performance would fall to Bedell (it was Bedell's job to down any steer that had not been bulldogged during the go-round) some time that day -- though it would fall before 17,000 empty seats.

The only time Bedell works in front of empty seats at the Thomas & Mack Center now is when the audience is standing to applaud.

Bedell, competing at his third NFR, won the 1996 world steer wrestling championship in record fashion, earning a season total of $120,784. Bedell collected $80,057 of that during the regular season -- also a record for the event. He led the rest of the pack by $18,145 going into the Finals.

"It never hurts to have a lead," Bedell said. "You're never safe at the Finals -- anyone can win it -- but it never hurts to have a little cushion."

And Bedell needed that cushion. From the moment the opening bell sounded, the steer wrestling field chased the Jensen, Utah, cowboy -- particularly Wyoming bulldogger Todd Suhn. Suhn trailed Bedell by more than $30,000 at the start of the Finals. That's a big chunk of change to make up, even by NFR standards.

But in the third round, Bedell broke the barrier in what otherwise would have been a 3.4-second run.

The penalty crushed Bedell's chances of picking up a huge check in the average competition, and changed the race for the world title.

"When I broke the barrier, that kind of put the pressure on," Bedell said. "I started to worry a little then. Everybody started gaining ground and catching up. I just had to try to win money in the go-rounds and let everything fall where it was going to."

By the end of the ninth round, Bedell had a $28,299 lead on Suhn -- seemingly a comfortable advantage. But Suhn led the average competition, which was worth a huge $29,135 to the winner. Had the Finals ended after the ninth round, Suhn would have won the world title by $836.

In the 10th round, Bedell clocked a 3.9 second time to tie for second and third in the round. Suhn equalled that time but he broke the barrier and plummeted from his lofty perch atop the average standings. Bedell snagged the 10th-round buckle and walked away as bulldogging's biggest winner in 1996.

For Bedell, the championship marked the culmination of a turnaround that began with his 1992 "trip" to the Finals.

That year, Bedell earned nearly $22,000--he best season in his six-year career to that point.

In his career, Bedell had collected just $69,475.

He qualified for his first NFR in 1994, and hasn't missed a performance since.

But Bedell says his absence at the NFR during his first half-dozen years of PRCA competition doesn't mean he's improved his bulldogging that much. It just illustrates what it means for a rodeo cowboy to compete full time.

"It's just mainly being financially free to rodeo a little more," Bedell said. "I used to stay close to home. I worked during the week, rodeoed on the weekends and went to the big ones that I could. The last three years I've been able to stay gone a little longer and try and focus on staying on the road."

* World Titles: 1996 World Champion Steer Wrestler.

* Hometown: Jensen, Utah.

* Date of Birth: April 14, 1966.

* Height/Weight: 6-1/210.

* 1996 Earnings: $120,784.

* 1996 NFR Earnings: $40,727.

* Year Joined PRCA: 1986.

* NFR Qualifications: 3 (1994-96).