Mote’s NFR ride gets him closer to World title

Associated Press

Monday, Dec. 8, 2008 | 10:33 p.m.

Bobby Mote closed in on the PRCA World Standings title with a record-tying bareback ride in the fifth round of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo on Monday.

Mote, of Culver, Ore., equaled the NFR bareback riding record set by Justin McDaniel and Will Lowe in 2007 with a 91.5 on Big Tex.

Mote moved closer to World Standings leader Steven Dent of Mullen, Neb., with the victory. Dent, who didn't place among the top six in round five, remains in first place with $177,671, just ahead of Mote with $166,379. Mote is the NFR leader with an aggregate of 431.5 on five rides and $41,736.

"Will and Justin set it last year, and they are great bareback riders who were on great horses," Mote said. "Just being in this arena is an honor.

"Getting to go on stage the other night (round two on Friday) with all the other world champion bareback riders, I had a hard time not crying a little bit. You go so long with your head down just to move forward, and you never do stand back and look and realize where you are."

Cimmaron Gerke, of Brighton, Colo., placed second with a 90.5 on Knight Rocket.

In all-around, World Standings leader Trevor Brazile of Decatur, Texas, is less than $1,000 away from clinching his sixth world title.

Brazile has $308,090, passing the $300,000 mark for the third straight season. He is first in the team roping average, 12th in the tie-down average and more than $124,000 ahead of second-place Steven Dent of Mullen, Neb., in the all-around.

If he wins his sixth gold buckle, Brazile will be tied with Larry Mahan and Tom Ferguson and one behind Ty Murray for most career world all-around titles.

In team roping, Garrett Tonozzi of Fruita, Colo., and Kinney Harrell of San Angelo, Texas, won their third 2008 NFR round with a time of 3.6 seconds, running their event-leading total to $50,300.

In steer wrestling, Stockton Graves of Newkirk, Okla., won round five with a time of 3.9 seconds. Graves is the average leader with an aggregate of 20.8 for five rounds and $36,483 at the NFR.

World Standings leader Luke Branquinho of Los Alamos, Calif., placed sixth in 5.1 and stayed in first for the fifth consecutive day. He also is second behind Graves with an aggregate of 21.4 and $39,302 at the NFR.

In barrel racing, Brittany Pozzi-Pharr of Victoria, Texas, won her second consecutive round at the NFR, this time in 13.80. World Standings leader Lindsay Sears of Alberta, Canada, who was second in 13.87, leads Pozzi-Pharr by just over $41,000.

In tie-down roping, Josh Peek of Pueblo, Colo., is still the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association standings leader with $156,475, but Hunter Herrin of Apache, Okla., who was third in 8.2 for round five, moved closer to the lead with $155,755. Peek stayed in front by finishing sixth in 8.9 and earning $2,704.

Herrin is the average leader with an aggregate of 42.6 for five NFR rounds.

Cody Ohl of Hico, Texas, took first in 7.3 and has won two NFR rounds this year.

In saddle bronc riding, Shaun Stroh of Dickinson, N.D., won round five with an 87.5 on Kool Toddy. Billy Etbauer of Edmond, Okla., still leads the world standings with $187,428 and Cody Wright of Milford, Utah, remains second with $171,964.

In bull riding, Wesley Silcox of Payson, Utah, took first with a ride of 89.5 on Crush Boss III. Standings leader Chance Smart of Philadelphia, Miss., remains in first with $179,917, just over $30,000 more than Bobby Welsh of Gillette, Wyo.