This is the first year ever that the folks east of the Mississippi didn’t have to stay up half the night to watch the rodeo. I know I sure appreciated the two-hour difference, but I’m not a very good reference because I would have been up watching regardless of time. I hope the television ratings for the NFR blow out the top of the chart.
If next year’s Finals is in Las Vegas, I hope the PRCA has the jam to tell Vegas to start two hours earlier than they used to. What difference would it make to a city that is open 24 hours a day?
I also hear chatter about Breakaway Roping being included in the perf. I highly doubt that will happen because Vegas doesn’t want people at Thomas & Mack any longer than they have to be. They want the people out on the street spending money, that’s why they run their NFR like a fire drill. I couldn’t help but notice how relaxed the pace was this year as compared to Vegas and their go, go, go attitude. I’m not even a competitor, I’m just sitting in my rocking chair, but for me, it will be hard to go back to the rat race on the basketball court.
Now for Round 9 draw:
Orin Larsen will strap his bareback riggin’ on Cactus Black from the Stace Smith herd. Richie Champion will try Sankey’s Great Nation. Kaycee, Wyoming’s Cole Reiner has Calgary’s A-47 Arbitrator Joe. Wayne Vold’s 838 Mucho Dinero and 73 True Grit could well pack top-ranked Tim O’Connell and Kaycee Field to the pay window. They were both placed on in Round 4.
Zeke Thurston will match moves with Cracker Jack from the Sammy Andrews herd. Taos Muncy has drawn X-16 Wild Cherry — the Calgary bronc was in the re-ride pen for Round 4. Season leader Wyatt Casper has X-55 Xena Warrior from the Stampede. Lefty Holman will measure his rein on Vern McDonald’s 00 Double D.
Dustin Bouquet has Wayne Vold’s bull 522 Vertigo Spy and Denton Fugate will be looking for eight on C5’s Director’s Assistant.
Good Luck to all.