Brett Hoffman
Trevor Brazile is working on winning two PRCA world all-around titles this month.
First, the Decatur cowboy is well on pace to earn a record-tying seventh world all-around title in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. He has a commanding lead in the standings and he’s expected to cruise to a historical title victory at the December Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. A seventh gold all-around buckle would tie the record held by Ty Murray.
Second, Brazile began working on what could be a record eighth world all-around title last weekend.
How can that happen?
Well, all PRCA-approved rodeos beginning Oct. 1, with the exception of the Oct. 9-17 Heartland Pro Rodeo Championships in Waco, count toward the 2010 title races. In other words, the 2009 and 2010 regular season overlap by about 2 1/2 weeks.
Brazile recognized all that and entered a small PRCA show last weekend in Rosenberg, about 35 miles southwest of Houston. He earned $3,383 after winning the steer roping title. He also was crowned as the rodeo’s all-around champion after competing in tie-down roping.
The bottom line is the $3,383 counts in the 2010 steer roping world standings. It also could help Brazile clinch world all-around title No. 8, provided that he wins No. 7 as expected.
Brazile also plans to enter other rodeos this month that will count toward 2010. One of them is the Oct. 14-17 NILE ProRodeo, a show in Billings, Mont., that traditionally pays well.
Meanwhile, Brazile also is closing out the 2009 regular season by competing in steer roping competition at this month’s Heartland Championships in Waco.
The Waco show features 30 contestants in each event who qualified after competing in a series of designated smaller rodeos throughout the year.
After the Waco rodeo concludes on Oct. 17, the top 15 in the world steer roping standings will advance to the National Finals Steer Roping, which is scheduled for Nov. 13-14 in Guthrie, Okla. The top 15 at all other events will qualify for the Las Vegas-based National Finals, which is scheduled for Dec. 3-12.
Brazile has clinched a berth to the National Finals Steer Roping. He’s also clinched berths to the Las Vegas nationals in tie-down roping and team roping.
In the PRCA world all-around standings, Brazile has a season total of $254,345. He’s more than $110,000 ahead of second-place Clint Robinson, as he seeks the record-tying seventh all-around gold buckle.
Lostroh hanging on — On the Professional Bull Riders circuit, Kody Lostroh maintained his lead in the Built Ford Tough Series world title although he was bucked off twice and gained no world title race points last weekend in Portland, Ore.
It was a dismal weekend for the PBR’s top three world title contenders, a group that also includes Guilherme Marchi and J.B. Mauney. Marchi was bucked off of his first- and second-round bulls. Mauney stayed on only his second-round bull and he gained little ground in the world-title race after getting thrown off in the finals.
With two regular-season stops and the 2009 World Finals remaining, Lostroh is ranked first in the standings with 11,225.75 points. Marchi is second with 10,263.75 and is Mauney is third with 10,253.25.
Sam Houston thrives — Sam Houston State finished second in the men’s team title race at the North Texas Community College Rodeo last weekend. It was the first of 10 regular season shows of the 2009/2010 regular season for the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association Southern Region. In the women’s team title race, Sam Houston finished fourth at the season-opening rodeo.
Pozzi riding tough — Brittany Pozzi, the 2007 world barrel racing champion from Victoria, is leading the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association National Finals Rodeo Qualifier standings and is headed to the December National Finals in Las Vegas. But she also has qualified for next month’s Canadian Finals Rodeo in Edmonton, Alberta. Last weekend, Pozzi won the barrel racing title and earned $9,750 at the Canadian Tour Championships in Calgary, Alberta.
Smith’s opportunity — Reigning world champion tie-down roper Stran Smith, who won the world title thanks to money won in at the Waco show last year, must now use the Heartland ProRodeo to get to the Las Vegas NFR to defend his title. Smith, in 17th place, trails 15th place Josh Peek by about $4,600.
Smith, a Childresss resident, has a great chance of moving into the top 15. Peek is not competing in the Waco rodeo. Jake Hannum, who is in 16th place, also has concluded his 2009 season.
