Tuesday, December 07, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Dad's past plotted Elliott's future

Bull riding money leader inspired by father's rodeo career

CORRECTION -- 12/09/04 -- A story in Tuesday's Review-Journal incorrectly reported that Paulo Crimber is the only National Finals Rodeo contestant who also competed in the Professional Bull Riders World Finals a month ago. Cory Melton and Fred Boettcher also qualified for both.

By JEFF WOLF
REVIEW-JOURNAL

Dustin Elliott rides Andrews' Whop-Bo-La to an 84-point score and third-place finish Monday in the fourth round of the National Finals Rodeo at the Thomas & Mack Center. Photo by Craig L. Moran.

One afternoon as a kid, Dustin Elliott went looking for some of his dad's old clothes to wear outside to play. Little did he know he'd find a career tucked away in the closet.

"(My brother and I) were looking for some clothes to get dirty in when we found my dad's (rodeo) gear bag stuffed way back in a closet," said Elliott, the bull riding money leader in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. "When Dad got home, we asked what it was."

Elliott learned that his father, Wayne Elliott, rode bulls and bareback horses during the 1970s.

It would be several years before Dustin would ride his first cow and graduate to bulls by his freshman year in high school. After competing in college rodeo, it wasn't long before he picked up where his father's dream left off.

Elliott, a 23-year-old from Tecumseh, Neb., had a slow start in his first National Finals Rodeo, failing to cover his first three bulls over the weekend. But he rallied to score 84 points on Andrews' Whop-Bo-La for a third-place finish Monday before 17,367 at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Elliott won $8,818 to increase his season total to $152,067 and extend his lead over Matt Austin to $21,000.

For the second time in four nights, however, Paulo Crimber won a go-round. He rode Burns' Black Sabbath for 92 points to become one of only two riders to complete three 8-second rides in the NFR and he jumped to fifth in the world standings.

Crimber is the only bull rider this year to qualify for both the Professional Bull Riders finals held here last month and the NFR. It's a route Elliott plans to take next year.

"There's so much money over there (PBR) that a guy can't not want to give it a try," Elliott said. "I'm going to focus on rodeos still. There's nothing better than the NFR. This is the ultimate. There's something about the NFR that puts it at a level above anything else."

Elliott, two semesters shy of his college degree, would likely already be teaching health and physical education if he hadn't been bull riding professionally the past three years.

The childhood discovery of his dad's rodeo past has altered his course back to the classroom.

"My brother was older so he started in rodeo sooner and I just sat back and watched," he said. "It looked like fun and I thought I'd try it."

His dad was reluctant about his youngest son's current career choice.

"He knew all about the injuries and the life of rodeo, but it's changed since he did it," Elliott said. "Back in the '70s when he was doing it, you'd drink beer first and ride bulls second.

"Now there's so much money out here, it's more of a business. I'm endorsed by Jack Daniel's, but I might not have a drink for a month if I'm competing even though I can get it for free."

Elliott said he was relieved to complete his ride in the fourth go-round.

"I came in here wanting to ride 10 like everybody else," he said. "I'm confident, I knew I could ride that sucker."