Harris is back in the saddle

Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2000 | 10:18 a.m.

Chris Harris is enjoying his 10-day stay in Las Vegas this month, and it has little to do with the fact that he won the bareback riding go-round Monday night at the $4.5 million National Finals Rodeo.

Harris, 24, has a whole lot less on his mind this week than he did a year ago when, it seemed to him, his whole world had been turned upside down.

This time last year, the Arlington, Texas, resident was dealing with the death of his best friend, his mother's battle with cancer, and was recovering from a broken vertebra in his neck that he had suffered a year earlier.

As a result, Harris earned only $416 at last year's finals.

"Last year I came in and, mentally, I had a lot of problems and I didn't know how to take care of them, I didn't know how to face up to them," Harris said. "I buried my best friend, my mom had cancer ... they're not excuses for my riding because I rode like (junk).

"When I finally broke down, it was here and I really hit bottom and I realized there were a lot of things I had to go back and needed to take care of. I took care of those problems and I feel good to be here now. Hopefully I never have to go through a year of making $400 -- hell, I couldn't even have bought a plane ticket home."

Harris has been riding this week with an injured right hand that requires him to wear a specially constructed brace. He injured it two months ago and is scheduled to have surgery on his hand after the NFR. But you won't hear the personable cowboy complain.

"I feel good," he said. "The injuries I have, I've had them for a while so I'm ready ... and when you get here, if you're not ready, there's a problem.

"I think the key to any athlete -- you look at Joe Montana and all them guys -- they play hurt, it doesn't make a damn difference. You either ante up or you sit on the bench ... and I want to play."

With Monday's 84-point ride on Copenhagen Starlight, Harris jumped from 15th to eighth in the world standings and moved up to fifth in the NFR average with $20,355.68 after four rounds.

But Harris, the 15th and final qualifier for the 42nd annual NFR, isn't keeping track of the tote board this week.

"I don't even know what I've won," he said. "I'm not really in it for the money, I'm just here to have a good time and do what I love doing in my heart."

Harris said he adopted that philosophy after beating out Ken Lensegrav by $29 for the final NFR qualifying spot in bareback.

"Twenty-nine dollars -- an NFR ticket costs $29," Harris said. "When I found out I had made it I said, 'Thank God, thank God.' I feel sorry for Kenny, but he didn't even do a recount. Shoot, you've got (Al Gore) down there in Florida doing a recount and Kenny, he doesn't even call for a recount.

"Heck, I'm coming in dead last -- you've got no pressure on you, just go out there and ride. If you put pressure on you, you're a stupid bastard because you're already last; you might as well just have fun."

And for four nights in Las Vegas, Harris insists he is having a blast. He tied for sixth place in Friday's first round; failed to cash on Saturday; tied for third Sunday; and won his first go-round (and $13,133.46) Monday night.

"When I woke up this morning, my back was back in line and I felt good," he said. "The ride, on Copenhagen Starlight, it was kind of like playing chess: When they buck that good with that much action, you've just got to match them move for move and you'll end up winning some money."

And having a whole lot of fun.