NFR notes: Lajeunesse nears bareback title

Friday, Dec. 10, 1999 | 10:42 a.m.

Lan Lajeunesse of Morgan, Utah, closed in on his first bareback riding world championship Thursday night when he won his second go-round of the National Finals Rodeo and strengthened his lead in the NFR average.

But the 29-year-old Lajeunesse, who is making his first appearance at the Finals, isn't buying the polish for his gold buckle just yet.

"It's by no means a done deal," Lajeunesse said after riding Copenhagen Two Spot to a score of 83 in Thursday's seventh go-round. "It has been working out really good for me but we've still got three rounds to go and there's way too many good bareback riders still.

"We've just got to keep doing it every night and see what happens Sunday."

Although Lajeunesse came to the NFR 10th in the bareback riding world standings, he quickly moved to second with consistent rides in each of the first three go-rounds. After seven go-rounds, Lajeunesse leads all bareback riders at the NFR with $60,657.04 in earnings.

Although the prospect of him capturing the world championship in his first trip to the NFR continues to get better with each go-round, Lajeunesse refuses to think about the gold buckle until Sunday.

"I always had winning the world in the back of my head, but I came here just happy to be here and just to give it my best shot," he said. "I'm really trying not to let it (get into my head), but the closer I get, the more everybody wants to talk about it.

"I didn't come in here with any expectations other than to ride the way I know I can ride. I wanted to ride good for myself and, yeah, I wanted to make some money, but I mainly knew if I rode the way I can ride, the rest would come."

As has been the case in each of the first six go-rounds, Lajeunesse said he got a good draw in Copenhagen Two Spot.

"That's a really good horse -- kind of one of the few, if I could have hand-picked it, that's probably one I would have darn sure put my name on," Lajeunesse said. "He's just a great horse; he can carry you to first place or buck you off. If you do your part, he's going to do his part."

Bill Boyd of Olds, Alberta, Canada, finished second in the bareback go-round with a score of 80 aboard Skoal's Red Cloud. Jeffrey Collins took third with a 79 on Sheep Dog.

Other seventh go-round winners:

* Ricky Huddleston won the closest steer wrestling go-round of the NFR with a time of 3.30. Defending world champion Mike Smith took second at 3.40 seconds and Todd Boggust was third at 3.50. Smith earned $12,908.71 for the win and increased his lead in the world standings to $14,017.11 over second-place Brad Gleason. Mickey Gee finished out of the money in the go-round but remained the NFR average leader.

* Defending roping champions Speed Williams (heading) and Rich Skelton (heeling) won their fourth team roping go-round with a time of 4.30 and added to their lead in the world standings. Richard Eiguren and Bucky Campbell finished second at 4.90 while Jimmy Tanner and Brad Culpepper took third at 5.00.

* Steve Dollarhide won the saddle bronc riding competition Thursday night with a score of 83. Ryan Mapston was second with a 79 and Scott Johnston and Robert Etbauer tied for third with 78 points each. Five-time world champion Dan Mortensen finished out of the money but still remained atop the world standings.

* Cody Ohl won his third calf roping go-round of the NFR with a time of 7.00. Blair Burk finished second at 7.70 and Herbert Theriot was third at 7.90. Fred Whitfield took sixth in the go-round and saw his lead over Burk in the world standings slip to a mere $2,998.87; Ohl, the defending world champion, is third in the world, only $4,345.85 behind Whitfield.

* Mike White won the bull riding go-round with a score of 88 on Limited Edition and took over the lead in the world standings and well as the NFR average. Mike Moore was second with an 86 on Light Stand and Vince Stanton and Cody Custer tied for third with 85s.

* Sherry Cervi won her second go-round of the Finals with a time of 13.93. Defending world champion Kristie Peterson was second with a time of 14.05 and Rachael Myllymaki was third at 14.26.

* Lance Brittan won the fourth and final go-round of the 1999 Wrangler Bullfight Tour Finals and his first world championship. Greg Rumohr finished second and Mike Matt was third.

* DOYAL, SWENSON OUT: Bull rider Royd Doyal of Pittsburg, Texas, underwent surgery at University Medical Center Thursday morning to stabilize a lower cervical spine injury he received during Wednesday night's sixth go-round.

Doyal broke the C5 and C6 vertebrae in his neck, according to Dr. J. Pat Evans of the Justin SportsMedicine Team, when he was bucked head-first into the back of an open chute. Doyal, 27, remained at UMC this morning and is not expected to be released for several days, Evans said.

Another cowboy, bareback rider Eric Swenson, also has withdrawn from the NFR due to injury. During the first bareback riding go-round last Friday night, Swenson aggravated a split pelvis he suffered earlier in the year.

* NORTON LEAVES: Defending world champion bullfighter Jerry Norton withdrew from the 1999 Wrangler Bullfight Finals due to a family emergency.

Norton, of Mitchell, S.D., left Las Vegas for New York to be with his infant daughter, who is being treated for an undetermined illness at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, N.Y.

Mikayla Norton was born in September to Norton and his wife, April. The baby became ill last week and doctors have been unable to make a diagnosis.

* RODEO BINGO: A popular side attraction every night at Thomas & Mack is the Original Coors Rodeo Bingo. Nearly 10,000 prizes already have been distributed through the redemption center at the New Frontier Hotel.

Rodeo bingo winners receive prizes from Original Coors, Award Design Medals, the New Frontier, Gilley's Dance Hall and Resistol. Prizes can be claimed daily from noon to 6 p.m. or 9 p.m. to midnight.

Although nobody has won it yet, a black-out bingo is worth $100,000. With the four busiest go-rounds remaining, it appears very likely that last year's Rodeo Bingo record of 15,000 prizes will be topped.