Monday, Dec. 6, 1999 | 11:04 a.m.
Scott Johnston failed to cash in Sunday's third go-round of the $4.4 million National Finals Rodeo at the Thomas & Mack Center, and slipped one spot to sixth place in the saddle bronc world standings in the process.
But when the 26-year-old Australia native walked off the arena floor, he had a grin plastered on his face that told everyone he was just happy to be in Las Vegas.
"It's just a blessing to be here, that's for sure," said the soft-spoken resident of DeLeon, Texas.
And Johnston is not exaggerating.
Thirteen months ago, Johnston was on a single-engine Cessna with four other people heading from Bozeman, Mont., to San Francisco when the plane apparently ran out of fuel and crashed in a field near Lodi, Calif.
"They're still looking over it," Johnston said about the cause of the crash. "We were supposed to have some (fuel) reserve left and the gauge said we had reserve left, but the pilot was trying to switch it over to reserve and power it back up but it just stayed out of fuel.
"He tried to find somewhere to land. If he had panicked and made a mistake, then we'd all be dead."
Also traveling on the plane were top rodeo competitors Marvin Garrett, his younger brother Mark Garrett, and Thad Bothwell.
Mark Garrett was praised as a hero for escaping the burning wreckage and pulling the other occupants to safety.
Johnston suffered a back injury that required him to have his fourth and fifth vertebrae fused together, but he returned to the rodeo circuit this year and qualified for his second NFR as the fifth-leading saddle bronc rider in the world.
Even in those terrifying moments leading up to the crash, Johnston said he never doubted that he would live to ride again.
"I never thought that," he said. "I always try to think when something bad happens, something good usually comes out of it. It brought me closer to God. I just kept praying and I knew that He would help me and get me back."
As a result of his ordeal, Johnston -- a father of three -- said he learned that rodeo is not the most important thing in his life.
"Rodeo is very important to me, it always has been, but I think God is more important," he said. "You're only here for a short time and you can't ride forever. Rodeo is good while you're here having fun, but you can only do it for so long.
"Faith and family is more important -- I'm going to have them longer than I'll have rodeo."
Although Johnston slipped one spot to sixth in the world standings following Sunday's third go-round, the 1996 PRCA Saddle Bronc Rookie of the Year is not giving up on capturing his first world championship.
After finishing tied for third and earning $6,558 in Friday's opening go-round, Johnston was shut out Saturday and Sunday and trails saddle bronc leader Dan Mortensen by more than $64,000 going into this evening's fourth go-round.
"I still think it's possible to get it, I've just got to keep doing my best, keeping my head screwed on right and we'll find out at the end one way or another," he said. "I've won a fair bit of money here and there's still a lot of money to be won."
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