Team ropers Begay, Cooper take lead with 3rd win at NFR
LAS VEGAS (AP) Derrick Begay and Clay O'Brien Cooper took over the team roping world standings lead Monday night with their third win in five rounds at the National Finals Rodeo.
Begay, of Seba Dalkai, Arizona, and heeler Cooper, of Gardnerville, Nevada, who have now won rounds two, four and five, took the standings lead when they tied for first in a time of 4.0 seconds with header Coleman Proctor of Pryor, Oklahoma, and heeler Jake Long of Coffeyville, Kansas.
With their latest win, Begay and Cooper are now each first in the standings with $180,810 for Begay and $181,930 for Cooper.
''This is my 29th time here and this is the best start I've ever had,'' Cooper said. ''Derrick threw it a mile tonight and made a heck of a shot. We've got to keep grinding it out and doing our jobs. We just need to keep our heads down and keep making runs. The rodeo is only half over and there's a long way to go.''
Clay Tryan of Billings, Montana, and Jade Corkill of Fallon, Nevada, were first in the world standings for the first four rounds, but they did not place among the top six with a time of 12.3 and are now second with $169,266 each.
In bareback riding, four-time world and defending champion Kaycee Feild of Spanish Fork, Utah, just missed tying the Thomas & Mack Center record of 91.5 when he scored a 91 on Reckless Margie. Feild's second consecutive round victory allowed him to increase his slight lead over Steven Peebles of Redmond, Oregon, who tied for third with an 85.5 on Shady Nights.
Peebles entered the NFR in 14th place in the world standings but is now second after placing third in round one before winning the next three rounds (he tied Feild for first in round four). Feild leads the world standings with $208,002 while Peebles is second with $188,768.
Peebles leads the NFR aggregate standings with 421.5 points over five rides and is first among all NFR competitors with $95,356 in prize money. Feild is second in the aggregate with 411.5 points over five rides.
''I had a really good horse tonight, and I've been feeling the pressure from Steven and knew I had to go out and ride tough and do my job,'' Feild said. ''I knew I had an opportunity to go out and have a big ride, and having pressure on me and riding in Vegas is something I thrive on.''
In steer wrestling, K.C. Jones of Decatur, Texas, won his second 2015 NFR round with a personal-best time of 3.3 and moves up from seventh after four rounds to third in the world standings with $133,447.
The victory also was the sixth career win for the 44-year-old Jones.
Ty Erickson of Helena, Montana, who tied for fourth place in 4.1, held on to the world standings lead for his second straight round and now has earned $157,318. Erickson also is the NFR aggregate standings leader with a time of 19.1 over five rounds
Hunter Cure of Holliday, Texas, the 2013 world champion, remains in second with $137,015 even though he didn't place among the top six with a time of 4.20.
In saddle bronc riding, Jacobs Crawley of Boerne, Texas, remained in the world standings lead for a second straight round by placing second in round five with an 88.5 on Medicine Woman. He has now earned $193,324. Crawley also is the aggregate standings leader with 418.5 points over five rides.
Cody DeMoss of Heflin, Louisiana, placed fourth on Lunatic From Hell and stayed in second in the standings with $178,897.
CoBurn Bradshaw of Beaver, Utah, won for his second time at the 2015 NFR with a 90 on Wound Up. It was the first time anyone scored at least 90 points since round four of 2012, when Jesse Wright of Milford, Utah, achieved the feat.
In tie-down roping, Hunter Herrin of Apache, Oklahoma, took first place in the world standings away from defending three-time world champion Tuf Cooper of Decatur, Texas, when he placed second with a time of 7.7 and Cooper was unable to finish among the top six by not recording a time.
Herrin is first with $154,793 while Cooper has earned $154,130.
Caleb Smidt of Bellville, Texas, placed third in 8.5 and is the aggregate standings leader with a time of 40.9 for five head. Cory Solomon of Prairie View, Texas, placed first in 7.4.
In barrel racing, Lisa Lockhart of Oelrichs, South Dakota, remained the world standings leader by finishing third in 13.75 in round five.
Defending aggregate champion Lockhart has earned $231, 328 and takes over first in the NFR aggregate standings with a time of 69.43 over five rides.
Nancy Hunter of Neola, Utah, was victorious in round five in a time of 13.62, which is the fastest time at the 2015 NFR.
In bull riding, defending world and aggregate champ Sage Kimzey of Strong City, Oklahoma, increased his world standings lead by finishing sixth with a 77 on Grand Slam in round five.
Kimzey has earned $214,216 while Parker Breding of Edgar, Montana, stays second in the world standings with $169,477 after finishing fourth with an 82.5 on Salty Dog.
Cody Teel of Kountze, Texas, leads the aggregate standings with 321 points for four rides. Wesley Silcox of Santaquin, Utah, won round five with an 86 on Broken Arrow.
In all-around, Trevor Brazile of Decatur, Texas, leads the world standings with $355,973 in earnings in steer roping, tie-down roping and team roping. JoJo LeMond of Andrews, Texas, is second with $178,146 in team (he is the header), steer and tie-down roping.
