Sterling performance gives Norton gold buckle

Thursday, Dec. 2, 1999 | 4:08 a.m.

PRCA

Jerry Norton

World titles: 1998 Wrangler World Champion Bullfighter

Hometown: Mitchell, S.D.

Date of birth: April 17, 1968

Height/weight: 5-10, 190 pounds

1998 earnings: $55,168

1998 Wrangler Jeans ProRodeo Bullfight Tour Finals Earnings: $33,153

Joined PRCA: 1990

NFR Qualifications: 5 (1991, '94, '97-99)

In winning the first round of the 1998 Wrangler Bullfight Finals on Dec. 7, Jerry Norton more than tripled his total earnings from his three previous trips to the Finals.

But more importantly, he finally proved to himself that he belonged in Las Vegas at the Finals.

"I wasn't worried about winning checks or world titles or anything like that," Norton said. "I came here to fight bulls the way I know I can fight and make myself happy. All the money in the world and no personal happiness and it doesn't mean squat."

So, after winning his first world title in '98 and claiming a career-high $55,168 on the season, is the Mitchell, S.D., bullfighter finally happy?

"Yeah, I'm happy now," he said. "I'm happy with the way I fought bulls. I know I can fight that well here now."

While he admits he could have been happy without claiming the gold buckle, the 30-year-old bullfighter was ecstatic about his victory in one of the most electrifying bullfight finals in recent memory.

In a year when stock contractors provided arguably the best pen of fighting bulls in a decade or more, Norton won two rounds and placed in the remaining two to overtake Frank Newsom for the top spot in the world standings.

Newsom entered the '98 Finals with a $629 advantage over Norton, but his lead didn't last through the first round. Norton won the round with an 83-point fight against Harper and Morgan Rodeo's Electric and claimed the $10,201 payday. Newsom finished third in the round and was suddenly nearly $5,000 behind the new leader.

Norton surrendered the lead after placing third in the second round, but regained it for good with a stellar fight in the third round. He scored 84 points -- his highest total of the week -- against Beutler and Gaylord's No. 57 in the round and once again found himself on the stage at the Gold Coast hotel-casino to accept a go-round winner's buckle.

"When I was getting my buckle, Donny Sparks was behind the stage when somebody asked, 'Where you sitting?' and Donny said, 'Well, let's put it this way, everybody's in the van, but he's in the driver's seat.'

"I thought that was so cool," Norton said. "That's something I'll probably always remember."

But Norton didn't crawl into the driver's seat for good until the end of the Wrangler Bullfight Finals.

In the fourth and final round, Newsom scored 85 points to move into first place in the round with only Norton remaining.

"I knew if he won the round (which he did) then I had to be in the top three to win the world," Norton said. "Fortunately, everything worked out for me."