Rodeo champion wins in Las Vegas
Luke
Branquinho, Los Alamos, took third in steer wrestling
Dec. 22 in the 10-day National Finals Rodeo at the Thomas & Mack Center in
Las Vegas.
World
champion in 2004, Branquinho won the ninth and 10th
go-rounds to rebound from a slow first week at the championships. He won his
first 2007 NFR round Dec. 21 in a time of 3.2 seconds and stayed in contention
for the world title.
He
came back a day later to win the go-round in 3.5 seconds for a final total of
$151,680 in 2007 earnings, boosting him to third place.
Other
winners include Jason Miller of Lance Creek, Wyo., who won both the world and
aggregate steer wrestling championships when he finished in a three-way tie for
third place with a time of 4.8 during the 10th round.
Miller
was in first place in the world competition coming into the finale with
$178,767 and winning the aggregate in a time of 42.7 for 10 rounds during his
second NFR.
“I
didn’t make a great run, but I placed in the round, and that’s what I needed to
do in order to have a chance,” Miller said. “I think I could have made a better
run, but just like every night I wanted to get a good start and win something
in the round.”
Lee
Graves, Canada, who also tied for third Saturday night, finished second in the
world with $164,703.
Branquinho came into the NFR
with a first place rank in the world championships after winning the
Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association’s 2007 regular season title with
earnings of $109,526. This was his sixth NFR. In addition to his 2004 world
title, he finished second last year.