BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN
Round 2 of the 2021 Wrangler NFR was headlined by two repeat winners in bareback rider Jess Pope and steer wrestler Dirk Tavenner.
Additionally, reigning PRCA Tie-Down Roping World Champion Shad Mayfield won the first Go-Round of his career and barrel racer Dona Kay Rule won her third Go-Round in 12 career runs at the Thomas & Mack Center.
As for the the other two roughstock events, Parker Breding went 90 on Outlaw Buckers’ Lose Your Bones and Brody Cress claimed the win in saddle bronc with 87.5 points on C5’s Kitty Whistle.
In team roping, Brady Minor and Derrick Begay, one of the two NFR pairs who did not rope together in the regular season, won the Go-Round with a 3.9-second run.
BAREBACK RIDING
After winning the Average last year and Round 1 on Thursday, Jess Pope continued to dominate at the NFR. With his 89.5-point ride on Big Stone Rodeo’s Fired Up, he is now 12-for-12 and averaging 86 points per ride and three Go-Round wins in his career at the NFR.
Cole Reiner, who placed second in the round last night, is sitting second in the Average.
1. Jess Pope, 89.5, $26,997
2 Garrett Shadbolt, 88, $21,336
3. Cole Reiner, 86, $16,111
T4. Clayton Biglow, 85, $9,144
T4. Kaycee Feild, 85, $9,144
6 Taylor Broussard, 84.5, $2,177
JESS POPE’S 89.5-POINT RIDE
STEER WRESTLING
In the bulldogging, it was first time NFR qualifier getting it done again, this time by stopping the clock at 3.4 seconds. Tavenner has risen from No. 10 all the way up to No. 2 in the World Standings after just two nights.
World No. 1 Jacob Talley was second in the round with a time of 3.5 seconds and Riley Duvall, who split the round with Tavenner on Thursday night, was third with a 3.6.
Overall, six steer wrestlers were faster than four seconds flat.
1. Dirk Tavenner, 3.4, $26,997
2. Jacob Talley, 3.5, $21,336
3. Riley Duvall, 3.6, $16,111
T4. Jesse Brown, 3.7, $9,144
T4. Dakota Eldridge, 3.7, $9,144
T6. Scott Guenthner, 3.8, $2,177
T6. Curtis Cassidy, 3.8, $2,177
DIRK TAVENNER’S 3.4-SECOND RUN
TEAM ROPING
In the team roping, a new partnership didn’t look very new at all. Brady Minor and Derrick Begay were the fastest team on Friday night and as Minor said, they’ve both been doing this a long time, so there wasn’t too much adjustment.
“We prepared all our life (for this),” Begay added.
1. Derrick Begay / Brady Minor, 3.9, $26,997
2. Coleman Proctor / Logan Medlin, 4.2, $21,336
3. Clay Smith / Jade Corkill, 4.3, $16,111
T4. Andrew Ward / Buddy Hawkins, 4.4, $9,144
T4. Clay Tryan / Jake Long, 4.4, $9,144
6. Kaleb Driggers / Junior Nogueira, 4.6, $4,354
MINOR AND BEGAY’S RUN
SADDLE BRONC RIDING
On a tough night for the bronc riders, Brody Cress was the top cowboy with 87.5 points. Only three cowboys were marked 85 points or higher and six, including Stetson Wright and Wade Sundell, were bucked off. Cress is now within $18,000 of World No. 1 and reigning World Champion Ryder Wright.
Chase Brooks split second with Spencer Wright in the Go-Round on Friday, giving him almost $43,000 through two rounds.
1. Brody Cress, 87.5, $26,997
T2. Chase Brooks, 85.5, $18,724
T2. Spencer Wright, 85.5, $18,724
4. Ryder Wright, 84.5, $9,144
4. Zeke Thurston, 84.5, $9,144
6. Kolby Wanchuk, 83, $4,354
BRODY CRESS RIDES KITTY WHISTLE
TIE-DOWN ROPING
In a fact that should surprise just about every rodeo fan, Shad Mayfield had never won an NFR Go-Round until his 7.2-second run on Friday night.
“It was a long-time coming, hearing the roar of the fans was amazing,” he said. “I knew I had to gamble right there, I had a stronger calf, but that’s what I’m made for.”
Cory Solomon was second in the round and Haven Meged was third.
1. Shad Mayfield, 7.2, $26,997
2. Cory Solomon, 7.8, $21,336
3. Haven Meged, 8.2, $16,111
4. Tuf Cooper, 8.4, $11,321
5. Justin Smith, 8.6, $6,967
6. Hunter Herrin, 8.8, $4,354
SHAD MAYFIELD’S RUN
BARREL RACING
Dona Kay Rule became a fan-favorite in 2019 when she won two Go-Rounds in her first NFR at age 61. After missing last year’s NFR due a positive COVID-19 test, Rule returned to the Thomas & Mack Center with a Round 2 win on Friday.
1. Dona Kay Rule, 13.56, $26,997
2. Lisa Lockhart, 13.70, $21,336
3. Shelley Morgan, 13.73, $16,111
4. Stevi Hillman, 13.74, $11,321
5. Wenda Johnson, 13.77, $6,967
6. Jordon Briggs, 13.81, $4,354
RULE’S RUN
BULL RIDING
In his first NFR since 2018, four-time RAM National Circuit Finals champion Parker Breding went 90 on Loose Your Bones, a bull that got the better of him in late August.
“Man, he felt good and I did a little better job trying to stay with him this time,” Breding said. “He bucked m off pretty fast last summer.”
Only four cowboys rode last night, the other three were Sage Kimzey, Shane Proctor and Stetson Wright, all of whom are past PRCA Bull Riding World Champions.
1. Parker Breding, 90, $29,827
2. Sage Kimzey, 87.5, $24,167
3. Shane Proctor, 86.5, $18,941
4. Stetson Wright, 80.5, $14,152
BREDING’S RIDE
