Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Saddle bronc record broken again

Breaking the saddle bronc arena record at the National Finals Rodeo is starting to sound like ... well, a broken record.

Billy Etbauer, who first set the standard with a score of 90 at the Thomas & Mack Center in 1999, took it back on Tuesday night with with a 93-point ride on Cool Alley Dip.

"It's just something that needs to be broke," Etbauer said. "It just gets better every time that (breaking a record) happens."

Etbauer's effort broke the record that Dan Mortensen set at last year's NFR when he scored a 92.

"Chances are, it will be broke (again) tomorrow," said Etbauer, a four-time world champion from Edmond, Okla. "I'm just glad that everything came together. I'm very blessed."

Etbauer gave much of the credit to Cool Alley Dip.

"He was just outstanding," Etbauer said of his bronc. "I was just worried about staying down in there, keeping my feet going."

Other go-round winners Tuesday were Cody DeMers, Boulder, Mont., in bareback (90.5); Johnny Emmons, Grandview, Texas, in tie-down roping (7.7 sec.); Birch Negaard, Buffalo, S.D., and Luke Branquinho, Los Alamos, Calif., in steer wrestling (3.6 sec., tie); Wade Wheatley, Hughson, Calif., and Britt Bockius, Claremore, Okla., in team roping (4.6 sec.); Sherry Cervi, Marana, Ariz., in barrel racing (13.98 sec.); and Ryan Brown, Temecula, Calif., in bull riding (91.5).

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