LAS VEGAS (AP) — Sarah Rose McDonald took over first place in the barrel racing world standings by finishing first during round seven of the National Finals Rodeo on Wednesday night.
McDonald, from Brunswick, Georgia, claimed first with $247,196 in the world standings by finishing first in a time of 13.67 seconds. After not placing among the top six in round one, McDonald and her horse, Bling, have placed in each of the last six rounds and have won three of them.
“I am not wanting to even think about that (the world standings lead),” McDonald said. “There are three more rounds to go here, and with this much money up each night anything can happen. I just need to concentrate on the run that I’ve got ahead of me.”
Previous leader Lisa Lockhart, from Oelrichs, South Dakota, fell to second with $246,982 after not finishing among the top six in 18.76 seconds in round seven.
Callie DuPerier, from Boerne, Texas, placed second in 13.87 and claimed the aggregate standings lead with a time of 98.1 over seven rides.
In bull riding, defending world and aggregate champ Sage Kimzey, from Strong City, Oklahoma, maintained his world standings lead by finishing fourth with an 85.5 on Hot N Ready in round seven.
Kimzey has earned $240,870, while Cody Teel, from Kountze, Texas, stayed in second in the world standings with $196,249 after finishing second with an 87 on Sharp Shooter. The placing allowed Teel to claim first among all NFR competitors with $113,231 over seven rounds.
Teel leads the aggregate standings with 492.5 points for six rides and is the lone rider with six successful rides. Kimzey is second with 410 points over five rides.
Ty Wallace, from Collbran, Colorado, won round seven with an 88 on Hard Knox. It was the second time that he finished among the top six at the 2015 NFR.
No bull rider has been a repeat winner, making it the lone event out of seven that can make this claim. Oddly enough, Kimzey has not been one of the seven winners so far after winning four rounds in 2014.
In bareback riding, four-time world and defending champion Kaycee Feild of Spanish Fork, Utah, won round seven with an 82.5 on Storm Cloud and increased his world standings lead over Steven Peebles of Redmond, Oregon, who placed fourth with an 80 on PTSD Power Play.
Feild has won three of the last four rounds this year and 20 for his career (ranks second behind Bobby Mote with 25). He leads the world standings with $234,232 while Peebles is second with $199,768.
“The last rounds are important, but each of these last rounds I have to go out and take care of business on the horse I have,” Feild said. “I have to put the pressure of the situation aside and mark my horse out and stay focused. As soon as you let other things affect you, that’s not what you want. You want a picture-perfect ride in your mind and nothing else.”
Peebles still leads the NFR aggregate standings with 581 points over seven rides. Feild is second with 566.5 points over seven rides.
In steer wrestling, Clayton Hass of Terrell, Texas, is back in the world standings lead after one round out with $168,642 after placing fourth in 4.1.
Previous leader Hunter Cure of Holliday, Texas, is now third in the world standings with $159,861 after tying for sixth in 4.5. K.C. Jones of Decatur, Texas, is now second with $163,062 after finishing second in 3.4.
Trevor Knowles of Mount Vernon, Oregon, became the NFR aggregate standings leader in the sixth round but lost it in the seventh when he didn’t record a time and dropped to 13th place. Seth Brockman of Wheatland, Wyoming, now leads the aggregate with a time of 31.7 over seven rounds after tying with Cure in round seven.
Tyler Waguespack of Gonzales, Louisiana, won his first-ever NFR round in a time of 3.2, which was just off the seventh-round record of 3.1, set by Matt Reeves in 2013.
In team roping, header Trevor Brazile of Decatur, Texas, and heeler Patrick Smith of Lipan, Texas, won round seven in a time of 3.6. It was their first 2015 victory and only the second time they placed among the top six.
Brazile also registered his 62nd round victory of his career in three events.
Header Derrick Begay of Seba Dalkai, Arizona, and heeler Clay O’Brien Cooper of Gardnerville, Nevada, remain first in the world standings with $180,810 for Begay and $181,930 for Cooper despite not placing among the top six in round seven.
Aaron Tsinigine of Tuba City, Arizona, stayed second in the header world standings with $169,710 while Ryan Motes of Weatherford, Texas, is third among heelers with $168,579. They did not place among the top six in round seven with a time of 12.90.
Header Coleman Proctor of Pryor, Oklahoma, and heeler Jake Long of Coffeyville, Kansas, are now the aggregate standings leaders with a time of 38.6 for seven rounds.
In saddle bronc riding, Cody DeMoss of Heflin, Louisiana, took over the world standings lead with $210,628 after finishing second with an 81.5 on Buck Owens.
Jacobs Crawley of Boerne, Texas, held the world standings lead for the previous three rounds but fell to second with $202,208 in the world standings after tying for fourth with a 79 on Ned Pepper.
Crawley, however, did move up in the aggregate standings, as he is first with 571.5 points over seven rides.
Rusty Wright of Milford, Utah, a 20-year-old NFR rookie, won his second NFR round with an 83 on Tip Off. He also was victorious in round four.
In tie-down roping, Matt Shiozawa of Chubbuck, Idaho, won with a time of 6.7, which ties him for the NFR seventh-round record with Brazile (2007) and Cody Ohl (2013).
“That’s great company (Brazile and Ohl) to keep,” Shiozawa said. “I feel I started as good, if not better (on Tuesday when he had a 7.9 score and didn’t place), and I had to make some mental adjustments as far as not making those mistakes. I missed one (Tuesday) because of mental mistakes.”
Defending three-time world champion Tuf Cooper of Decatur, Texas, remained in first in the world standings despite not placing among the top six with a time of 8.2.
Cooper is first with $169,784 while second-place Marty Yates of Stepenville, Texas, moves into second with $169,781 after tying for second in 6.9.
Caleb Smidt of Bellville, Texas, who placed fifth in 7.5, is the aggregate standings leader with a time of 56.2 for seven head.
In all-around, Brazile leads the world standings with $408,434 in earnings in steer roping, tie-down roping and team roping, clinched his record 13th all-around championship and 23rd gold buckle in round six.
Brazile is now seeking to become the PRCA’s first $6 million man in career earnings, as he now has earned $5,968,166.