Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2004 | 9:06 a.m.
SUN WIRE REPORTS
Paulo Crimber, a native Brazilian who lives in Haltom City, Texas, won his second consecutive round of bull riding Monday in front of 17,367 fans at the Thomas & Mack Center -- the highest-attended Monday in the 20 years of the event.
Crimber scored 92 points on Burns Rodeo's Black Sabbath and became the first cowboy since Scott Mendes in 1997 to open the Wrangler NFR with four successfully ridden bulls. Mendes went on to win the world title.
Crimber, 24, who is riding in his first Wrangler NFR one year after joining the PRCA, dances after he completes a qualified ride. So far, the fans in Las Vegas have seen plenty of his moves after the eight-second whistle.
Crimber needed to win $11,000 on the final weekend of the season just to qualify for the Wrangler NFR and is competing with an injured right hand that requires daily injections.
Only the top 15 contestants in each of rodeo's events qualified for the Wrangler NFR, which will crown world champions on Dec. 12. Competition resumes at 7 p.m. today with the fifth round.
Also Monday, reigning world bareback champion Will Lowe of Canyon, Texas, who led the world standings for virtually the entire season until Kelly Timberman of Mills, Wyo., passed him on Saturday, made his emphatic return to the pay window. His 90.5-point ride on Andrews Rodeo's Roly Poly put $14,778 in Lowe's pockets and was just one-half point off the arena record he set in 2002.
Lowe still trails Timberman, but the gap was closed to just $2,800.
"I kind of broke the ice," Lowe said.
Steer wrestler Luke Branquinho of Los Alamos, Calif., won his second round in three nights, downing his steer in 3.7 seconds. He strengthened his quest for a first world title by expanding his lead to nearly $40,000.
Team ropers Matt Tyler of Dennis, Texas, and Kory Koontz of Sudan, Texas, captured their first-round victory, doing so on the night's final run. They stopped the clock in 4.5 seconds, edging David Key of Caldwell, Texas, and seven-time world champion Clay O'Brien Cooper by one-tenth of a second. Key and Cooper, however, moved to the top of the standings in heading and heeling.
Tie-down roper Stran Smith of Childress, Texas, whose career was in jeopardy after a stroke nearly 18 months ago and surgery to correct a heart defect, remained a strong contender to win his first world title after winning Monday's round in 7.4 seconds. He trails leader Blair Burk of Durant, Okla., by just $6,500.
Other winners Monday were saddle bronc rider Rusty Allen of Lehi, Utah, who rode MJM Rodeo's Smokeless Cat Power for 88 points; and barrel racer Denise Adams Fea, who completed the cloverleaf pattern in 14.07 seconds.
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