Brazile Boasts Cowboy Magic

By Staff Report February 1, 2011

Trevor Brazile smiled from ear to ear, pumped his fist to the crowd and walked out of the Thomas & Mack Center arena with his second Triple Crown in four years. The Decatur, TX, cowboy won the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo tie-down roping average and finished second with partner Patrick Smith in the team roping average to secure world titles in both events to go along with his record eighth all-around crown, which he clinched in Round 2.

In front of a sold-out crowd of 17,683, Brazile won his first tie-down roping average and first team roping gold buckle en route to becoming just the third cowboy in PRCA history to become a multiple Triple Crown winner. He joined ProRodeo Hall of Famers Jim Shoulders (1956–58) and Everett Bowman (1935, 1937) with that distinction and became the first contestant in ProRodeo history to earn $500,000 in a single season with his $507,921.

California riders had a strong showing at the event, the 52nd Annual, which took place Dec. 2–11 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. Of the eight Californians who qualified to compete at the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association championship, seven earned top 10 placings, and one—Luke Branquinho of Los Alamos—wound up fourth in the world standings for Steer Wrestling, as determined by the year’s earnings.

At the NFR event, Steer Wrestling was the most successful category for Californians, with three of the Golden State’s own cracking the top ranks. Billy Bugenig of Ferndale came in 8th, and 9th place was a tie between Branquinho and Ethen Thouvenell, Napa.

Team Roping also topped a two-fer, with Santa Margarita’s Caleb Twisselman turning in a 2nd-place performance as footer (with Keven Daniel of Tennessee) and Santa Rosa’s Broc Cresta, also a footer, taking 10th place as part of a team with Turtle Powell of Texas. On the distaff side, California girls did their home state proud with two top performers: Nellie Williams of Cottonwood came away with 8th place, and Christina Richman of Glendora tied for 10th (with Lindsay Sears of Alberta, Canada).

None enter the record books, like Brazile, who seemed to give every contestant something to dream about. “It means so much to me, because I think everything has got so specialized,” said Brazile, who now has a total of 14 world titles.

“Nobody shows up and does three events on the same horse anymore, because it’s so competitive. That’s why I work my tail off every year, because of the respect I have for my competition. I don’t take these championships lightly, because I know how tough the field was. I’ve been blessed.”

Brazile joined Bowman as the only cowboys to win Triple Crowns with two different event combinations, as his first trifecta came in the all-around, tie-down roping and steer roping four years ago. Brazile pocketed $211,509 at the Wrangler NFR, a PRCA record for the most money won at a single rodeo, and far more than the previous record of $149,099 he set in 2008. Because of those earnings, Brazile won the Wrangler NFR’s all-around title and also earned the inaugural Ram Top Gun Award, which included the keys to a 2011 Ram 3500.

Steer wrestler Dean Gorsuch, of Gering, NE, tied Bugenig for the Wrangler NFR average title on his way to his second gold buckle. He and Bugenig each took home $40,673 for the average split, and Gorsuch’s $93,774 in Las Vegas earnings propelled him from third to first place in the final PRCA World Standings.

Gorsuch—who won one round and placed in a total of six rounds—finished the season with $186,477, while Canada’s Curtis Cassidy was 2nd with $166,775. Trevor Knowles was 3rd, with $164,494, Luke Branquinho 4th, with $160,049, and Cody Cassidy finished the year in 5th, with $155,567. In all, $5.875 million was divvied up among the event’s winners.

In other PRCA news, the organization has just struck a deal for expanded cable television coverage. As a result of the agreement, coverage of the Wrangler Million Dollar Tour Gold rodeos will now reach at least 38 million homes in the United States through Dish Network channel 240, DirecTV’s channel 608 and a variety of cable networks that carry the Pursuit Channel, a new network featuring sports and outdoor activities.

The services will air top Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association events with a lineup of commentators that includes Jeff Medders, Butch Knowles and Charlie Diane.

In addition, ProRodeoLive.com, the Internet voice of professional rodeo, has expanded its live coverage for 2011 to include at least 12 premier events, including the 53rd annual Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.

ProRodeoLive’s winter rodeo Webcast schedule will launch with the final rounds of the award-winning San Antonio (Texas) Stock Show & Rodeo, Feb. 17–19, from the AT&T Center. San Antonio is a Gold Tour stop on the Wrangler Million Dollar Tour, presented by Justin Boots, and has been voted the PRCA Large Indoor Rodeo of the Year for the last six years.

For more information, visit http://www.prorodeo.com .

 

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