NFR notebook: LaJeunesse extends his stellar run

Victoria Sun

Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2001 | 9:50 a.m.

The National Finals Rodeo has become Lan LaJeunesse's personal playground.

At least he has made it look that way.

The 1999 world champion bareback rider won the second and third go-rounds at the sold-out finals being held at the Thomas & Mack Center.

He added another first-place finish at the fifth performance, scoring an 89 on Night Jacket Tuesday night.

"I come here every year just taking it round by round and hoping I can just ride good and draw good horses," LaJeunesse said. "This year, I've drawn outstanding horses.

"Things have just worked for me, they've clicked. Every horse I've had has really bucked and for five rounds, you couldn't ask for any better."

With his third victory, the 31-year-old from Morgan, Utah, earned another $13,522.20 and leads the world standings at $151,750.81.

Bobby Mote is second in the world standings with $110,832.97. Mote and Clint Corey each scored an 87 to tie for second in the performance.

LaJeunesse also ranks first in NFR average with 426 points on five rides, which is significant because the NFR average champion will receive a $34,678 bonus.

LaJeunesse has his heart set on qualifying for the Olympic Command Performance Rodeo.

The Olympic rodeo will be held Feb. 9-11 at the Davis County Legacy Center in Farmington, Utah, in conjunction with the 2002 Winter Olympics. It will feature 40 of the best cowboys and cowgirls from the U.S. and Canada competing for $140,000.

The only ways for LaJeunesse to make it to the Olympic rodeo are to win the NFR average or win the world title -- two goals which are well within his grasp.

"It would mean a ton," he said. "My best friends and traveling partners have all made it -- Kelly Wardell and Larry Sandvick and Lucky Stegall -- and I want to be there bad."

With five performances left including tonight's sixth go-round, LaJeunesse is being careful not to think too far ahead.

"As much as I've won in the (first) five rounds, somebody else could win that much or more in the next five," LaJeunesse said. "We've got a long ways to go; I just feel like I've had a good start.

"If I can keep it up for the rest of the week, I'll be in good shape."

In other events Tuesday, steer wrestler Rope Myers won the performance with a time of 3.30. Myers has tied for first two other times and is first in the NFR average with a total time of 18.10 seconds on five head. He vaulted from 14th in the world standings entering the finals to second in the world standings with $105,520.08, behind leader Bob Lummus, who has $106.700.80.

It's a close race between Myers and Lummus, who is second in the average with a total time of 19.70 seconds on five head.

The team of Steve Purcella (heading) and Kory Koontz (heeling) continued to climb the world standings by tying for first in the go-round with Matt Tyler (heading) and Clay O'Brien Cooper to earn $12,104.55 per team. Purcella and Koontz are first in the NFR average with a total time of 30.50 seconds on five head. Purcella entered the NFR ranked 14th in heading and Koontz was 15th in heeling, but each has moved up in the world standings, to eighth and seventh, respectively. Richard Eiguren and B.J. Campbell moved to first in the world standings with $122,351.32 each.

Cody Ohl and Joe Beaver, last year's all-around cowboy champion, tied for first in calf-roping at 7.4 seconds. Ohl is leading the all-around cowboy world standings with $279,734.83, is first in the NFR average in calf roping with a total time of 42.2 seconds on five head and is first in the calf roping world standings with $205,341.64.

Barrel racer Janet Stover won her third consecutive go-round with a time of 13.80 seconds. Stover leads the NFR average with a total time of 69.72 seconds on five rides and is second in the world standings with $113,094.52, behind Kelly Yates at $128,721.55. Yates tied with Tona Wright for second in the performance with a time of 13.96 seconds.

Mike Moore won his first go-round of the finals with an 89-point ride on Passport on a night when there were only four qualified rides. Moore improved to third in the NFR average with 267 points on three rides and is now first in the world standings with $109,134.41.