Brazile gets big money at two events despite injury

<i>Rodeo Insider</i> column

By BRETT HOFFMAN

Defending world all-around champion Trevor Brazile double dipped to pick up extra prize money.

The Decatur cowboy earned more than $11,000 at Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association shows Laughlin, Nev., and Huntsville, all within a week while nursing a lower-body injury.

In recent months, Brazile has nursed a nagging injury to the area where his left groin muscle is attached to his pelvis.

“My injury is getting a lot better and I’m practicing now,” Brazile said.

From January through March, Brazile entered mainly larger rodeos such as Fort Worth, San Antonio and Houston, shows that ran about two weeks but required a cowboy to make only three or four runs.

But during the week of March 26-April 1, he flew to and from rodeos in Laughlin and Huntsville.

“It was pretty smooth, working two rodeos,” Brazile said. “It wasn’t too bad.”

At the Laughlin River Stampede, Brazile earned $2,185 in team roping and $2,849 in tie-down roping. At the Walker County Fair and Rodeo in Huntsville, he pocketed $4,281 in tie-down roping and $1,756 in team roping.

Brazile was among numerous world-class competitors who entered the Huntsville rodeo, partially because its organizing committee put up extra prize money in tie-down roping, steer wrestling and team roping.

“I’ve always liked that rodeo,” Brazile said of the Walker County Fair and Rodeo. “You get to rope three head, the ground is awesome and the stock contractor, which was Stace Smith this year, has always cared enough to bring good stock for the timed-event competitors. The rodeo had some of the best sets of calves that I’ve seen this year.”

The Huntsville rodeo hired Stace Smith of Athens for the first time. Smith was named as the PRCA’s top stock contractor in 2004, 2005 and 2006 and he also commands respect from bronc and bull riders.

For example, the Huntsville rodeo drew famous roughstock riders such as former National Finals Rodeo qualifier James Boudreaux of Jasper, who finished second in bareback riding and earned $1,040.

In the weekly PRCA world standings released on April 2, Boudreaux ranked ninth in the 2007 bareback world-title race with $20,821.

In the world all-around race, Brazile led Colorado cowboy Josh Peek, $37,925 to $35,673.

Last month, Brazile more than proved that he’s on the mend by winning the Wrangler Timed Event Championship, an annual show in Guthrie, Okla., that features 20 world-class cowboys who compete in tie-down roping, steer wrestling, steer roping, team roping heading and heeling. Brazile won the title after turning in a record 25-run time of 281.7 seconds and earned $69,000.

Though the earnings from the Oklahoma show will not count in the PRCA standings, they will provide working capital he needs in a sport that requires even its stars to pay soaring livestock and road costs.

One tough cowboy

When Adriano Moraes won the Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Tour stop last weekend in Albuquerque, the defending world champion had three obstacles to overcome: a delayed flight that caused him to miss competing in the first round on March 30, the pain from landing in his head after jumping off of his bull on March 31 and a nagging back injury that persisted throughout the three-day show that concluded April 1.

But Moraes, a Brazilian who lives near Tyler, won the Ty Murray Invitational after turning the highest aggregate score and he earned $32,520. No one stayed on all four bulls, which gave Moraes the opportunity to win though he arrived too late to compete in the opening performance.

In the title race, Moraes edged Brazilian Guilherme Marchi, 265.50 to 265.25, after both men made qualified rides on three bulls.

“Riding is a struggle,” Moraes said. “To win you have to stay sharp, stay committed and pay attention to every single bull that you get on.”

Briefly

Former National Finals qualifier Cash Myers of Athens earned $1,745 after tying for first in the tie-down roping second round in Huntsville ... Jeff Chapman, another former NFR qualifier from Athens, earned $2,077 after tying for first in the tie-down roping first round in Laughlin, Nev. ... The Dogwood Classic PRCA Rodeo is April 13-14 in Palestine; the Angelina County Benefit Rodeo is April 25-28 in Lufkin and the Elder Dodge Henderson County PRCA Stampede is April 27-28 in Athens. The Lone Star Quarter Horse Show is scheduled Friday through Sunday at the Henderson County Fairpark Complex in Athens. The Mesquite Championship Rodeo in Mesquite, billed as the world’s most famous weekly rodeo, opens its 50th season Friday and Saturday.

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Brett Hoffman is a 20-year rodeo columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and a member of the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame.