SPRINGDALE -- Louie Brunson stood on the bucking chutes and watched rider after rider get tossed to the dirt.
The Interior, S.D., cowboy knew that with his draw of Fire Lane on Thursday night in the saddle bronc riding competition, he could put up a high score during the Rodeo of the Ozarks in Parsons Stadium.
70th Rodeo of the Ozarks
At Parsons Stadium, Springdale
Thursday’s Results
Bareback Riding
Justin McDaniel^86
Jessy Davis^86
Taylor Price^77
Bill Tutor^67
Steer Wrestling
Tremain Debose^5.8
Ryan Swayze^7.1
Ted Gollaher^8.3
Eric Talley^20.2
Team Roping
Alley-Adcock^6.5
Spotts-Andrews^7.0
Parchman-Totty^7.2
Walters-Worley^7.4
Chapman-Mitchell^7.4
Saddle Bronc
Louie Brunson^83
Tie-Down Roping
Ken Bailey^8.5
Zeb Chapman^9.2
Jerome Schneeberger^9.2
Zachary Wilson^10.0
Bill Nelson^12.1
Barrel Racing
Bailee Snow^17.16
Rosie Bradley^17.38
Ari-Anna Flynn^17.44
Dallas Dewees^17.49
Kendra Dickson^17.56
Bull Riding
Casey Huckabee^86
Chad German^82
Fire Lane, part of the Stace Smith stock of top bucking horses, is a National Finals Rodeo veteran horse. And for two nights, only one competitor had made the full eight-second ride in this event.
"You draw a horse like that, it's like getting the prettiest girl at the dance," Brunson said.
So when the gate opened, Brunson was ready. With spurs flying and Fire Lane jumping high off the arena floor, Brunson held on tight to the rope and stayed in the center of the saddle for the full eight seconds, earning a score of 83 points, the highest mark so far in the rodeo's two days of action.
Brunson, who works full time as a ranch cowboy in South Dakota, estimates he competes in more than 100 rodeos each year. On Wednesday he was in Prescott, Ariz. Tomorrow he will compete in Wyoming.
"I've been doing this since high school, and professionally for the past eight years," he said. "Hopefully I can do this another 10-12 years."
Brunson has not reached the mecca of professional rodeo, the National Finals in Las Vegas. But this year, like every year, that is his goal. High best score ever in saddle bronc riding is 90, he said.
"It's early in the season," he said. "I'm going to give it my best go and see what happens."
Brunson, 28, has competed at the Rodeo of the Ozarks for the past 5 or 6 years, he said. He said makes it an annual trip to get a chance to take on the best horses in the world.
"This is a good rodeo, and Stace just makes it that much better," he said. "The horses here are all good, you just gotta do your part."
In the bareback event, it was a night for high marks as four riders lasted the full eighth seconds and two put up identical scores of 86.
Justin McDaniel of Porum, Okla., and Jessy Davis of Power, Mont., made their scores count. McDaniel rode Phantom, while Davis scored on Power Play.
Davis is another cowboy who made the long trip to Springdale after competing halfway across the country on Wednesday. Like Brunson, it was the draw of riding the top stock in the world that brought him to Springdale.
"When you draw a horse like that, you gotta do this," Davis said.
The final event of the night, bull riding, saw two riders reach the eight-second barrier. Casey Huckabee of Grand Saline, Texas, led the way with an 86 on Pacific Rim, and Chad German of Groesbeck, Texas, marked an 82 on Beowulf.
The Rodeo of the Ozarks will continue each night through Saturday's final show.
Sports on 07/04/2014