2001 Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo

• DNCFR Semi's & Finals
• DNCFR Round 1 Results
• DNCFR Round 2 Results
• DNCFR Stock List
• DNCFR Payoff

1^st Go Round RESULTS

Pen:   Theoretically these were the 24 rankest or most difficult bulls… usually 22 pointers of more.  

Note:  Flight delays allowed us to miss the first performance.  Arrived in Pocatello at 4 AM… actually the best time to be here.  

They’ve gone back to using just two judges with one on the chute.  I heard that they plan to use two judges per event at the NFR.  What the judging program has failed to realize is that in the horse events the cowboys are expecting them to maybe NOT be full timer officials or even part time judges— and they want to pick them.  What the cowboys need to realize is that # 1 the judging program won’t EVER let them pick them… the judges get $4,000-$5,000 to judge it and it is considered a bonus for the full time officials. 

They also need to realize that that the arena is so small that judges often have lousy angles or get trapped in the corner.   They aren’t going to like using two.

It’s snowing in Pocatello Alaska which is somehow appropriate.  There were so many helmets in the second perf it looked like a snowboarder convention.

I pick on these judges a little -- just because I’m ticked off at the assignments…. These three are really good, but they are here and I can abuse them.   So how come I’m ticked off?   First of all, Overstreet should be judging the bull riding.   Second, Knowles is from Florida…. I have a bunch of Silver Spurs bulls at Montgomery which is a tour rodeo with a finals… he knows those bulls.

The full timer in Montgomery is Jade Robinson… one of the best… but see Jade is from OREGON…. and he knows THESE bulls   Next…. let's get out our Rand McNally…. Florida/Montgomery…. Pendleton/Pocatello. 

Now let’s check our air fare and rental car rates (they could’ve driven).    Then last night a bronc rider tells me that this weekend they are inducting Jade’s dad into the IDAHO’s rodeo hall of fame… one of the first three inductees.    So not only is the assignment financially irresponsible and not in the best interest of my event—it sucks from a human interest standpoint.  

Round 1

• 1.       Felipe Aragon        95               $ 4,510.64
• 2.       Cory Check           87               $ 3,382.98
• 3.       Jim Leatherberry    85               $ 2,255.32
• 4.       Rusty Patrick        83               $ 1,127.66
• ----------Beau Hill              78               $0

Rode 1 bull the 1^st perf and 4 the 2^nd.

Judges Order:    Rose        Knowles       Overstreet on back of chutes.  

Note:  The bulls in the second round for the most part are usually 20-21’s even though their bucking patterns differ.  It’s a chance to look at some bulls from smaller contractors that might have NFR potential.  Should be 10 rides this go round. These guys should come back in the third perf.

• Felipe Aragon                101 Border Patrol             Flying 5                  ( 95 23-24 )-2
  • 2000 Bucking bull of the year.  One of the best bull rides I’ve seen in a long time. Border isn’t a super rank bull but man he bucked hard and Felipe rode him perfectly.
  • 2^nd go round draw:   205 Scooby Doo  Russel   
• Cory Check                    381  Slks Brushpopper             Kesler                   ( 87 22-21 )-2
  • Bull turned back right there--away from Cory’s hand and bucked good.  Was shifting gears trying to well him but Check handled it with his free arm movement
  • 2^nd go round draw:    76  Dirty Dancer    Western.
• Rusty Patrick                 XOX Hollywood Squares          Rafter H (Hall)       ( 82 20-20 )-2
  • Judges liked this piece of junk better than I did.  Bull was just slinging his head and backing up in wild horse type spin.   Rusty rode him well and I guess the judges thought the bull was difficult.  From a performance standpoint he was a solid 17.   If Brushpopper was a 21 then this bull was a 14.  If Yellow Jacket was a 22 then XOX was a 10.
  • 2^nd go round draw:     70 Black Magic    Western
• Beau Hill                       666  Shiver and Shake            Kesler                   ( RR fell )
• 83 Universal                             Kesler                   ( 78 19-19 )-2
  • From might vantage point in ROW 14 it appeared that Shiver had his head down and Beau didn’t want to take him that way… eventually the bull went down on his belly—he never fought the chute. So when they came back to him the bull appeared to be leaning on the back side…  Beau got him straightened up and nodded.  Bull must’ve shifted to lean on the gate because he was off balance and fell over.   The reride bull turned back into his hand in the corner by the catch pen—Beau spurred him a little… he jumped out of it—went two—came again.
  • 2^nd go round draw:    62    Pinz 
• Judd Paul Leffew              K699 Chili Dog                     Beard                            ( 20-21  5.0 )-2
  • This isn’t a red bull … he’s a black white face muley… young… turned back away from Judd’s hand was bucking just okay…finally realized where he was… saw the barrel and took off—leaving Judd in the smoke out of his tailpipe.  Bull is supposed to really right but looked scared… just hauled it around the arena…ran from the bull fighters and hit the catch pen going 90 MPH.
  • 2^nd go round draw:   615   Franzen
• Matthew Weber               X10 Copen Midnight Oil          Beard                            ( 23+ 23  4.8 )-2
  • Not sure this bull was a 23 but he bucked good.  Mathew had him started… ended up hanging up away from his hand.   Walked out but it was one of those both arms around the healer type strolls.
  • 2^nd go round draw:   201 Downtown  Western
• Rex Malolo                     44 Bat Man                          Rafter H                         ( 21-23  3.3 )-2
  • Black white face bull with horns REALLY bucked hard… didn’t spin but he was bucking.   Beat Rex out of there bad but he had a 15 foot leap so it woulda been hard to stay down.  Rose first marked him a 20—then raised him to a 21.   Brain damage.
  • 2^nd go round draw:   8925  Pinz
• Mark Kuhn                     69 Freight Train                    Vold                              (22 22E  3.6 )-2
  • Don’t know where Knowles saw the E.  BIG Brahmer cross just was jumping and kicking like a bareback horse…tipped Mark into his hand…then turned back away from it.   Then he leaped and kicked way over his head—really impressed the crowd.  I wasn’t sure that the bull was intending on turning back until he got Kuhn rocked out of there.  Looked to me like he could sure go straight and keep on going all the way back to Pueblo.
  • 2^nd go round draw:   H33  Copen Yo Yo   Russell  
• Will Hines                      77 Skls Yellow Jacket             Flying 5                          (22-22  4.3 )-2
  • Bull turned back away from his hand and Will crossed over and welled himself.   Was dazed…. got walked on a little—the bull doesn’t hook… Healers packed him out.   
  • 2^nd go round draw:   Y2K    Franzen
• Kevin Clanton                 66  Skls King Kong                Rafter H (Hall)                ( 22 22-  4.3 )-2
  • Out of a left D—the bull bucked good.  Kevin had a good seat—had him started---don’t know why he bucked off. See… I COULDN’T see… there was a wrangler judge with a big BUTT… 5 photographers with BIGGER butts…. and several other BIG BUTTS who stood up during the bull riding.   Add to that the cotton candy some kid dropped on my hat and the coke his little brother kicked over on my seat….
  • 2^nd go round draw:   L57    Franzen
• Richard Stapleman           311 Why Not Minot                Vold                     ( 22+ 21+ ? )-2
  • The rankest bull out… turned back away from Richard’s hand and slung him.   Best day this bull has had in year’s and Knowles 21+ ed him.   Boiled peanuts have eaten away his brain.    This bull doesn’t hook but he SMOKED the Aussie bull fighter… big time freight train deal… total backflip land in a heap deal.  Got right up—must be a toughie.
  • 2^nd go round draw:   X96  Little Boss    Pinz 

Didn’t see any of the first performance:   These guys should get on their 2^nd bull in the fourth perf unless they traded.

• Jim Leatherberry             906   Young Gun                       Pinz            ( 85 21-21 )-1
  • Didn’t see it but the judges said he didn’t buck very well.  Thinking they said he might’ve fallen after the whistle.
  • 2^nd go round draw:   600   Hollywood    Burns.
• Christopher Novack          121 Tinker Bell                         Western                ( 22 20+  6.2 )-1
  • 2^nd go round draw:   171 Prime Time        Flying U/Rosser  
• Cody Hancock                 174  Cowboy                              Pinz                     ( 19 20+  5.0 )-1
  • Judges said he was common.
  • 2^nd go round draw:   577   Burns   
• John Constantinople         601 El Smacko                          Big Bend               ( 21-21  1.3 )-1
  • 2^nd go round draw:   110 Milky Way        Kesler
• Vince Stanton                  263 Try Some                       Western                ( 20 18 YUCK  4.4 )-1
  • Secret agents said he had too much flank… Mike Corey flanked him.
  • 2^nd go round draw:   4   Brookman 
• John Pinnt                      K78 Skls Unforgiven              Big Bend               ( 24-23 1.3 )-1
  • 2^nd go round draw:   121  Tinker Bell    Western
• Jason Brumley                K417  After Shock                  Big Bend               ( 22-22  1.9 )-1
  • 2^nd go round draw:   805   Rosser
• Jeff Boudreau                  76 Dirty Dancer                     Western                ( 21-21  5.0 )-1
• Blue Stone                      201 Downtown                      Western                ( 22-22  2.3 )-1
  • 2^nd go round draw:   T6   Flying U/Rosser   
• Thor Hoefer                    CT2 Skeeter                         Western                ( 20-24  3.5 )-1
  • 24?  Boiled peanut brain.
  • 2^nd go round draw:   444  Squirt   Burns  
• Philip Elkins                   K77  River Dance                   Big Bend               ( 23 23+  7.1 )-1
  • Wonder what the chute judge was doing during this ride… I asked him what the bull did… he said… “not much….just a couple and a big roll”… then I get the sheets…    Geez where was he looking?
  • 2^nd go round draw:   3  Flying U/Rosser