Lajeunesse experiencing NFR deja vu

Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2000 | 10:29 a.m.

Lan Lajeunesse came into last year's National Finals Rodeo as a virtual unknown and left with the bareback riding world championship and the NFR average championship.

Through five rounds of this year's $4.5 million NFR at the Thomas & Mack, things are starting to look a little familiar for the 30-year-old resident of Morgan, Utah.

Lajeunesse won his first bareback go-round Tuesday night and moved from sixth to third in the world standings and trails Jeff Collins by $23,000 going into tonight's sixth round.

A year ago, Lajeunesse stood second in the world standings and was $34,000 out of the lead.

The only difference between this year and last for Lajeunesse is the fact that he is not leading the NFR average after five rounds. In fact, he isn't even close in the average after failing to score in Sunday's third go-round.

"I'm just looking at it like I'm starting to peak now," Lajeunesse said after scoring 89 on Kesler Rodeo's Order Up. "I missed that horse in the third round and that cost me, probably, the average and my best shot at the world.

"This (win) kind of took the monkey off my back; it's all or nothing ... I ain't got nothing to lose now. I've got to go for it now, like tonight, I was trying to let it roll and if I got bucked off, I got bucked off and if not, it's an 89 and I won the round."

Lajeunesse said he thought he had a chance to turn around his luck in the finals when he drew Order Up on Tuesday.

"I've been trying to get one of these (rides) all week and finally it worked out and I felt like I really had a great horse and rode good," he said. "That horse bucked; I mean I was just doing everything I could to make sure that I stayed on.

"There were a few things I would have liked to have improved, but I just had to let it roll and take what he gave me."

What he gave Lajeunesse was a shot to repeat as world champion this week -- a title he said he has enjoyed this year.

"Being world champion has been a little different as far as you've got more expectations to uphold," he said. "I was coming in last year and nobody much knew me and nobody really cared, I guess.

"This year, people expect more but I try not to let it bother me. It has been great but it hasn't been that much different to me. There's more press, more autographs and more recognition but as far as the rest of the year goes, it has just been another year."

Lajeunesse would like nothing more than to make this year another special one, but he realizes there is a lot more rodeo left before they hand out the championship buckles.

"There's a lot of great cowboys and a lot of rodeo left," he said.