Omaha Shakes Out Top 15

The final numbers will take a few weeks to determine officially but as of this writing the money won by Casper’s Jhett Johnson team roping at the River City Roundup in Omaha is enough to fuel Jhett’s trip to the 2009 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. Johnson and partner Steve Purcella did not make any cash in the final rounds Saturday night but they still left Omaha with nearly $3,800 solidifying the #14 heeling hole for Jhett with only one major stop left in pro rodeo’s regular season.

Bobby Welsh of Gillette didn’t make any cash Saturday night either but he took home nearly $9,700 from the first two rounds in Omaha.

Saturday night’s final rounds were good to Kelly Timberman from Mills, WY. The 2004 world champ won more than $13K on two horses – almost $10,000 in one fantastic eight-second spur to score 89 points on a horse called Wise Guy:



Timberman left Omaha with $16,600 added to his 2009 regular season money bringing him to nearly $90K for the year.

Ryan Gray, who grew up in Cheyenne and Laramie, won the Omaha bareback riding championship and added a hefty $32,000 to his regular season take as a result.

We can’t leave Omaha’s finale of the Wrangler Tour playoffs without showing you the luminous Luke Branquinho. He won the steer wrestling tour title for the second year running with this dazzling 3.4 second toss:



Luke travels with Lance Creek Wyoming’s Jason Miller who did not make enough cash in tour rodeos this year to compete in the playoffs. At this writing it seems clear that Miller has been dropped out of his #15 spot by Blake Knowles who earned more than $13,000 in Omaha.