Postcard: 2007 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo
Las Vegas, Nev., December 16, 2007 -- The last time I was at the Thomas & Mack Center here, where I covered the show jumping and dressage World Cup finals in the spring, the competitors were wearing tall black boots with their white breeches and the silence in the arena usually was of pin-drop quality during their performances.
What a change I found on my return trip. For the past 10 days, the uniform has been jeans, cowboy boots and 10-gallon hats for everyone--even the spectators, who raise the roof as they cheer on their favorites.
While the show jumping and dressage World Cups were a huge success, the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR) is even bigger. It's twice as long as the World Cup, but my guess is it would have been a sellout at double its current 10-day run.
The NFR attracted 174,087 fans. It was the hottest ticket in a hot town; there wasn't an empty seat in the house as everyone plugged into cowboy (and cowgirl) mania.
I can tell you, they put on quite a show. In many cases, the outcome of the world championships was too close to call before the last go-round, but one title was decided early. Remember how they used to call Roy Rogers the King of the Cowboys? Well, if he were still around today, he'd have to pass on that title to the amazing Trevor Brazile.
article continues below|
|
Trevor won his fifth All-Around Cowboy title (for competitors participating in more than one event), and the "Triple Crown" by taking world championship honors in tie-down roping (formerly known as calf roping), team roping and steer roping (the latter is not contested at the NFR).
How does he top that, particularly since he and his wife, Shada, just had their first child, Treston.
Trevor's goal is to continue winning as much money as he can (he earned more than $425,000 this year, $100,000 more than in 2006, and more than $186,000 in the last 10 days), but I asked if his rodeoing will be affected down the road by the fact that he is now a father.
Listen: Trevor Brazile on what's going to happen to his career after becoming a father this year
Trevor is a heck of a nice guy. What he said after receiving his trophies on what he called "the greatest night of my life" reminded me of former football star Gale Sayers' quote, "God is first, my friends are second, I am third."
Stepping up to accept his awards, Trevor first thanked God, then his friends, noting they loaned him mounts when his star, Texaco, was laid off due to injury.
"If it wasn't for great friends and their horses, I wouldn't be here giving this interview about the calf roping right now," he said.
Jason Miller, the steer wrestling world champion who came from 13th place to take the honors, seconded Trevor's feelings about friendship in the rodeo world.
"The camaraderie in rodeo is different than any other sport," he said, noting one of his competitors, Lee Graves, helped him all week.
He added, "I helped a bunch of people all week long, too. It"s all about making money, but you want to see your friends win as much as you."
If there was any disappointment in the midst of triumph for Trevor, it came when he missed with his first rope in the final round of the tie-down. He felt that he had disappointed his fans, but it did show that this Super Texan is not a machine.
I had the chance to speak with the new world champion in bull riding, 22-year-old Wesley Silcox, who astounded me when I asked him why he rides bulls instead of horses.
"I've seen my brother get hurt too many times on horses. The bareback riders just take a beating," he said. Huh? Bulls are less dangerous than horses? You could have fooled me; I never saw a horse with horns. But the rodeo clowns do a good job of protecting the riders when they take a fall, which is often.
Wesley was incredible in the final round aboard Wolf Can Do, who just kept spinning but couldn't unstick him.
Brittany Pozzi-Pharr reigned in the barrel racing with her quarter horse, Stitch, to take the world title.
Listen: Barrel racing champ Brittany Pozzi-Pharr talks about her horse, Stitch.
Brittany did withstand a determined challenge from Canadian Lindsay Sears and her chestnut mare, Martha, who won an amazing five go-rounds but couldn't beat the world champion's consistency.
Listen: Lindsay Sears on what makes a good barrel horse
Lindsay, by the way, is quite the fashion maven, with a different outfit that sparkled and/or glittered every night. She favored the Catwoman look with sexy patent-leather-like tops, then changed into dresses for the post-show awards ceremony at the South Point Casino Hotel.
  |
