Jesse Wright wins saddle bronc title
LAS VEGAS (AP) - Jesse Wright edged Cody DeMoss by $797 in the saddle bronc season standings for his first world title, finishing fourth with an 80.5-point ride on Pedro on Saturday night in the 10th and final round of the National Finals Rodeo.
"I didn't have that great of a finals, but to come down to the end of it and to ride my horses and win the world title without being high up in the average (NFR aggregate) feels outstanding," Wright said. "I had a great regular season and everything panned out enough here for it all to work out.
Wright, from Milford, Utah, earned $226,887.
DeMoss, from Heflin, La., won the round with an 86 on Painted Feather and earned a $46,821 bonus by topping the NFR aggregate standings with 798.5 points for 10 rides.
Cody Wright led the NFR saddle bronc earnings race with $121,322. He was second with an 85 on Resistol's Top Hat, and finished second in the aggregate with 740.5 points for nine rides.
In bull riding, Cody Teel of Kountze, Texas, passed J.W. Harris of Mullin, Texas, in the final round to take the title. Teel earned $11,484 with the sixth-place NFR aggregate standings bonus to take the title with $201,978. Harris was second with $200,922. Both were bucked off in the final round.
Beau Schroeder of China, Texas, won the aggregate race with five rides for 423 points. Defending world champ Shane Proctor of Grand Coulee, Wash., won the round with an 86.5 on Squawk Box.
In barrel racing, 53-year-old Mary Walker of Ennis, Texas, won the season title in her first NFR, finishing sixth in 14.01 seconds. She earned $274,233, and finished with an event-best $146,941.
Carlee Pierce of Stephenville, Texas, won the round in 13.57.
In bareback riding, Kaycee Feild of Payson, Utah, repeated as the champion and aggregate standings winner by tying for third with an 85.5 on Scarlett's Web. Feild earned $276,850, and Will Lowe of Canyon, Texas, was second with $220,269. Feild is the first bareback rider to win consecutive titles since Lowe in 2006-07.