The Mark of Zero

No one could keep a seat very long in the bull riding tonight at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. A few came close to the eight-second whistle, most were gone in half that time. In the end, the best bulls there are in pro rodeo today proved to be too much for the top riders in our sport. A lot of frustrated cowboys dragged their ropes and bells back to the dressing room. Money that would have been doled out ($55,000) is now stacked in with the cash ($165,000) that will be paid out in the average round at the end of the finals.


One Wyoming cowboy managed to make a trip to the pay window after the fifth go-round. Casper team roper Jhett Johnson and partner Steve “Cheese” Purcella from Texas made a smooth 4.7 second run and picked up third-place money of $10,000 apiece.

A Nip of Tuckness

We gave you a small taste of the dazzling efforts by Meeteetse, Wyoming bullfighter Dusty Tuckness at the NFR earlier but now would like to expand that coverage. Here is a longer look at how a young fellow from a tiny town is making a huge impression on the rodeo world: