Redmond’s Peebles wins bareback riding at NFR
Redmond bareback rider Steven Peebles collected his initial first-place check here during the ninth round of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, marking an 84.5-point ride Friday night.
Peebles encountered a nerve-wracking experience after recording his score as the first rider to go, and then having to wait through 14 other riders to see if his marking would hold up.
It did, just barely, though. He held off Matt Bright by five-tenths of a point for the top marking of the night.
The score aboard Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Vitalix Hell’s Fire Hostage gave Peebles an $18,257 first-place check that pushed his earnings at the NFR to $32,097.
He had previously cashed two sixth-place checks during the third and fifth rounds and a split for second-place money in the sixth round.
He said he was pretty excited when he found out he drew the Cervi horse. “My traveling partner had that horse,” he said. “I was sure tickled to get him. And he worked out for me.”
The 2009 Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Bareback Riding Rookie of the Year has qualified for rodeo’s championship event four times.
Last year, he broke his leg and tore ligaments in his ankle at the NFR, missing much of the competition. This is the first time he earned a round win and the buckle that goes with it.
“I feel like this year is my best as far as my riding style,” he said. “I’m getting stronger riding here. I’ve fallen out of the average, though, so I am just riding to win each night.”
The final performance of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo starts at 6:45 p.m. on Saturday, where world champions and NFR champions will be determined.
