Etbauer looking to clean up in Las Vegas

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

Don't let Billy Etbauer fool you.

The 33-year-old cowboy may seem to be one of the most modest, unassuming guys you'd ever want to meet. He may say stuff like "I was just lucky," or "I just want to do my best every time I'm out there."

In reality, Etbauer has just got to be a closet spotlight fanatic. How else would you explain his performances at the National Finals Rodeo? How else do you explain the fact that Etbauer wins on average -- on average, mind you -- $63,377 every time he spends 10 days in Las Vegas?

Last year, Etbauer's NFR was only a little above par -- he earned $66,304 during the 10-round event -- but it was enough to clinch Etbauer's second world title. He earned a single-event record $190,257 last season, topping the $184,675 he earned in 1992. He also set an average record by scoring 805 points in 10 rounds. The old record, set by three-time world champ Dan Mortensen in 1994, was 791 points.

So Billy. How about those records?

"I guess it's neat, but it's something that you can't control," Etbauer said. "I don't even know what the records are. People have said there's records, but I haven't slowed down enough to know what they are."

Yeah. Whatever.

Etbauer of Ree Heights, S.D., came into last year's NFR with $123,953 in his back pocket -- the most a saddle bronc rider has ever earned in a regular season. Even so, Mortensen was nipping at Etbauer's heels. The Manhattan, Mont., cowboy earned $115,735 before the NFR, making the bronc riding competition one of the most anticipated two-man showdowns in recent memory.

And they did not disappoint.

Mortensen was bucked off during the second round -- effectively cutting him out of the lucrative average -- but continued to score well in the rounds. Meanwhile, Billy's brother Dan Etbauer made the title hunt a three-man affair by placing in the first five rounds. He won two of those rounds, and some wondered whether Dan might come close to breaking Billy's 1992 NFR earnings mark of $101,531.

But Dan missed his horse out in the ninth round, leaving Billy Etbauer alone atop the average board.

It was a spot Billy was familiar with. He won the average race in 1992, but rode only nine horses. In fact, Etbauer had never ridden all 10 horses during an NFR -- something he would have to do to win the title in 1996.

While Etbauer led the average race, worth $31,784 to the winner, Mortensen passed Etbauer in actual earnings by the ninth round and led Etbauer by about $2,500. If Etbauer was bucked off, he and Mortensen would have ridden nine horses each, making the average race much less of a factor in the race for the world title.

Etbauer had to ride. And he did.

He scored 78 points on Sankey Rodeo's Sheep Wagon to clinch the average victory and walk away with the world championship.

"Everybody was riding good," Etbauer said. "I was just lucky enough to hang in there."

Etbauer had to overcome more than cutthroat competition. He also battled a sore back most of the year, and sat out the final two months of the regular season, hoping it would heal.

"It took me four days to pick up little 10-pound Kord (Etbauer's newborn son)," Etbauer said. "I needed the couple of months that I had to get exercised and get back healthy where I could do this. I'm just glad it held together."

* World Titles: 1992, '96 World Champion Saddle Bronc Rider

* Hometown: Ree Heights, S.D.

* Date of Birth: Januuary 15, 1963.

* Height/Weight: 5-6/140.

* 1996 Earnings: $190,257.

* 1996 NFR Earnings: $66,304.

* Year Joined PRCA: 1988.

* NFR Qualifications: 9 (1989-97).