Johnston puts plane crash behind him

Zack Hall

Friday, June 9, 2000 | 10:06 a.m.

It could have been worse for Scott Johnston.

Back in 1998, the world-ranked saddle bronc rider suffered a broken back when the plane in which he was a passenger crashed en route to a rodeo in San Francisco.

Fellow professional rodeo cowboys Mark Garrett, his brother Marvin and bull rider Thad Bothwell also were injured n the crash. The plane's pilot, Johnny Morris, eventually died from burns suffered in the accident.

If not for the heroic efforts of Mark Garrett, who pulled his brother and friends from the burning wreckage, Johnston might have come out worse than simply missing three months of rodeo to nurse his broken back.

After a long comeback, Johnston -- a native Australian -- appears to be back to full strength. He scored an 86 to win the saddle bronc first round at the Copenhagen Cup Finale Thursday night in front of an announced crowd of 4,520 at the MGM Grand Garden.

"I feel that God has healed me," Johnston said following his winning effort in the Finals, which caps a series of eight made-for-TV rodeos designed to bring the sport and its competitors more exposure. "I'm as healthy as I've ever been.

"Three months after the crash I was riding again, made the finals (National Finals Rodeo) here in Vegas that same year and ended up fifth in the world. It's a pretty good comeback, I'd say."

Johnston rode Wrangler Zipper -- a horse he had never ridden before Thursday -- to beat the event favorite, Billy Etbauer. Etbauer tied for third with a 79.5, which also qualified him for tonight's second round.

"When you win, it's always the next horse you get on where you're feeling kind of like you're unbeatable, I suppose," Johnston said. "It feels good in itself, and you ride better.

"I plan on staying here and having fun."

In other events, Gregory Potter, the top money winner this year on the bull riding circuit, won the first round with a score of 88.5. The only other rider to last the full eight seconds was Jesse Bail, who received an 84.5.

Bareback riding favorite Mark Gomes, who has won three tour events despite competing only on part-time, got off to a good start here by scoring an 85.5 to win the round.

"The Lord blessed me this year so much," Gomes said. "I haven't been rodeoing real hard, yet I seem to be out in front a little bit. That's the way I like it."

Twenty-year-old Cash Myers and Bryan Fields tied for the first-round lead in steer wrestling with a time of 4.6 sec.

Joe Beaver won the calf roping competition by completing his turn in 8.5 seconds, nine-tenths of a second better than Blair Burk, who finished second.

Sherry Cervi edged Janet Stover by two-hundreths of a second to win the barrel racing event.

The only top money winners to finish lower than eighth, the position needed to move to the second round, were team ropers Speed Williams and Rich Skelton. They finished ninth with a time of 33.8 seconds. Matt Tyler and Clay O'Brien Cooper had the winning time, a 5.4.

The second performance of the Copenhagen Cup Finals is set for 8 tonight at the Grand Garden.