Rodeo champs will be honored Saturday

Thursday, Dec. 2, 1999 | 3:24 a.m.

Eight special athletes, all winners of the respective events at 1999 Original Coors Rodeo Showdown, will be honored on the arena floor Saturday during Original Coors Night at the 41st annual National Finals Rodeo at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Before another expected NFR sellout crowd of nearly 18,000, Roy Gifford of Coors will honor the athletes who won their events in the Original Coors Rodeo Showdown, in October at Phoenix's America West Arena.

The individuals to be honored Saturday night are: Scott Johnston, Deleon, Texas (Saddle Bronc), James Boudreaux, Cuero, Texas (Bareback), Tony Mendes, Jensen, Utah (Bull Riding), Blair Burk, Durant, Okla. (Calf Roping), Robbin Peterson, Bakersfield, Calif. (Steer Wrestling), Jake Barnes, Cave Creek, Ariz. and Cody Cowden, Merced, Calif. (Team Roping), and Sherry Cervi, Midland, Texas (Barrel Racing).

The Showdown, held for the eighth time this year, has an unique format where the top 10 point leaders in the year-long $1 Million-plus Original Coors Rodeo Chute Out Series, qualify to compete in a winner-take-all event which features three elimination rounds and a final go round.

A total of 54 rodeos across the nation were part of this year's Original Coors Rodeo Chute Out Series.

In picking up her second Showdown title in Phoenix, Cervi, who took home an event-high $8,562, is competing in this year's NFR along with fellow 1999 Showdown champions Johnston, Mendes, Burk, Barnes and Cowden.

Mendes, who won the Bull Riding title over a field which included seven of the top 10 leaders in the 1999 PRCA World Standings, had high praise for the tournament-style rodeo.

As a special tribute to their Showdown titles, each champion will receive a special, individually personalized sterling silver photo album to go along with the bonus money each received in October.