Special section: Several new champs to be crowned

Thursday, Dec. 5, 2002 | 9:29 a.m.

Some familiar faces will be missing when the 44th Wrangler National Finals Rodeo kicks off its 10-day run Friday at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Four of the eight defending world champions -- including 2001 All-Around Cowboy and world calf roping champion Cody Ohl -- failed to qualify for this year's $4.8 million event.

Ohl, who captured his third world calf roping title and first All-Around championship in 2001, suffered torn ligaments in his right knee during the ninth go-round last year and did not return to the circuit until late August.

Other reigning world champions who did not qualify for this year's NFR include Lan LaJeunesse (bareback riding), Rope Myers (steer wrestling) and Janet Stover (barrel racing). LaJeunesse, from Morgan, Utah, missed qualifying in the top 15 in bareback by only $24.

Four cowboys, however, will be back in Las Vegas to attempt to defend their world championships, including Blue Stone (bull riding), Tom Reeves (saddle bronc riding) and the team roping duo of Speed Williams and Rich Skelton.

There promises to be several tight battles for world championship this year, but you can throw out the yearlong standings at the NFR. With tens of thousands of dollars up for grabs in every performance during the 10-day rodeo, a strong showing this week can vault even the 15th-place cowboy in any event into title contention.

In 1990, team roper Allen Bach came into the NFR in 15th place but roped his way to the championship. In 1992, Billy Etbauer posted the highest single-event NFR total in history when he won more than $100,000 en route to his first saddle bronc riding world title.

This year's closest battle is in steer wrestling, where Cash Myers leads second-place Bill Pace by a mere $396 and third-place Joey Bell Jr. by $746.

While not all of the events at this year's NFR are as close as steer wrestling, only one contestant -- legendary barrel racer Charmayne James -- is a clear front-runner to lock up a world championship. James, who won 10 consecutive world championships from 1984 to 1993, holds a $40,671-dollar lead over her closest pursuer, Kelly Kaminski.

Here is a look at some of the other championship battles that will be settled during the 44th annual NFR:

The 44th annual Wrangler National Finals Rodeo will run through Sunday, Dec. 15 at the Thomas & Mack. Each of the first nine performances is scheduled to start at 6:45 p.m., with the Dec. 15 matinee finale starting at 12:45 p.m.