The Huntsville Item, Huntsville, TX

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April 4, 2009

Look out everybody, here comes Brazile

Brett Hoffman

Trevor Brazile’s bid for a record-tying seventh all-around world championship is starting to gain momentum.

The Decatur cowboy earned $9,506 at last weekend’s Walker County Fair Association Rodeo in Huntsville. He finished in the money in team roping, tie-down roping and steer roping on his way to claiming the all-around buckle at the Walker County Fairgrounds.

With partner Patrick Smith, Brazile won the third round of the team roping in 4.9 seconds. He won Round 2 of the tie-down roping with a rodeo-best time of 7.6 seconds and finished tied for third in the average in 27.8 seconds on three head.

In steer roping, he was second in the average in 33.1 seconds, a half-second behind winner Landon McClaugherty.

The lucrative weekend lifted Brazile’s all-around earnings this year to $43,476, second behind Clint Robinson of Spanish Fork, Utah, in the PRCA world standings by $4,509.

But the margin has dropped each week this month from $20,293 on March 2 to $17,359 on March 16, $11,309 on March 23, according to the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.

With all that in mind, it looks like it would take only one more good weekend for Brazile to take the lead. And once he gets the lead, he probably will keep it for good.

Brazile has won the last three all-around world championship gold buckles and six of the last seven. Roughstock cowboy Ty Murray holds the record with seven all-around championships (1989-94, 1998).

In the world standings released last week, Brazile is 14th among team roping headers, 16th in tie-down roping and fourth in steer roping.



Sears not concerned

Barrel racer Lindsay Sears has not won a big pile of money this season.

At this time last year, the defending world champion from Ropesville had just pocketed $61,500 for winning RodeoHouston, and she had a commanding lead in the world standings.

This season, the former Texas Tech star and her high-powered mare, Martha, have not won a larger rodeo, which pays $10,000 or more to the winner.

She has won smaller chunks of money, such as the $2,065 paycheck last weekend for winning the Walker County Fair Association Rodeo in Huntsville.

She’s also pocketed $8,250 by placing in multiple rounds at the March 3-21 Houston rodeo.

Sears, who also lives part time in Nanton, Alberta, ranks ninth in the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association world title race with $24,752 in earnings.

However, Sears isn’t all that concerned. She said winters can be slow, and Martha doesn’t really get warmed up until the summer, the time of year when there are far more rodeos that pay the bigger money.

“I’m a firm believer that the National Finals Rodeo is made from June through the end of August,” Sears said. “You can have zero money won at the beginning of June and still make the NFR. So, I don’t get worried about the winters although some people get excited about that time of year, but I tend not to. That’s because my horse prefers those big outdoor arenas and does well during those months.”

Sears is talking about competing in lucrative summer shows such as the Reno Rodeo in Nevada in June and the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo in Wyoming in July.



Mesquite rodeo opens

For the second consecutive year, the Professional Bull Riders will be a part of the Mesquite Championship Rodeo.

The rodeo begins its 52nd season Friday and the PBR’s Discovery Tour will be featured during the next three weekends. In addition to having the bull riding portion of the rodeo sanctioned by the PBR, the performances also will include bronc riding, team roping and cowgirls barrel racing.

Competition will be sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) on the April 24-25 weekend when tie-down roping and steer wrestling will be added to the schedule. For more information, visit www.mesquiterodeo.com or call (972) 285-8777.



Briefly

• Tuf Cooper of Decatur, son of 1980s world champion Roy Cooper, won the tie-down roping title last weekend at RodeoAustin.



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