Hancock signs up for title chance

Thursday, Dec. 7, 2000 | 10:23 a.m.

After missing last year's National Finals Rodeo by a mere $106, Cody Hancock came out this year more determined than ever to earn a trip to Las Vegas.

The Taylor, Ariz., native was the 15th and final bull rider to qualify for this year's NFR and the 25-year-old is making the most of his first trip to the finals.

Hancock won the first two go-rounds at the Thomas & Mack and vaulted from 15th to first in the world standings -- a spot he held until he was bumped to second place following a fifth-place ride Wednesday night.

"Any time you get a check in bull riding, you feel good -- especially here," Hancock said, expressing no bitterness over losing his lead in the world standings.

Just being in Las Vegas this week for the $4.5 million NFR appears to be enough for Hancock, who was so upset about missing last year's finals that he and his wife vacationed in Mexico instead of watching the event on television.

"It was hard to take," Hancock said of missing last year's NFR by the slimmest of margins. "You go down that fall run so hard and go to all those rodeos and spend all that money and gamble on making it. When you don't make it, it's a big letdown but I took it as there were only 15 guys that rode better than me.

"Still, I couldn't bear to watch (last year's NFR) on TV; my wife and I went to Cancun."

Although it hasn't shown in his performance, Hancock said he felt as if he had a bucking bull in his stomach as he prepared to make his first ride last Friday.

"I was scared to death," Hancock said. "That first round, I had the bucking bull of the year drawn and I had to be the first bull rider out ... yeah, I was dang nervous that first round."

But Hancock went out and posted the best score so far of the NFR -- a 93 -- and came back the next night with a 90 and another go-round win.

"It surprised me when I came here and won the first two rounds -- not that I didn't think that I could do good here, it was just that I won the first two rounds and was leading the world when I came in here 15th," he said.

"What was more surprising than what I did was what the guys who came in here leading it have been doing."

After his fifth-place finish Wednesday, Hancock is the only cowboy to ride five of six bulls and leads the NFR average by a comfortable margin.

Now that he has both an average title and a world championship in his sights, Hancock said he isn't about to alter his game plan for the remaining four go-rounds.

"I came in here 15th in the world, so I had nothing to lose," he said. "Anything I get from here on out is just gravy so I'm not going to change a thing; I'm going to keep going out after every bull and try to ride every bull."