Bull rider Steve Woolsey gets bucked off Wild Berry for a no score during the seventh go-round of the National Finals Rodeo on Wednesday at the Thomas & Mack Center. Photos by K.M. Cannon. Dustin Elliott, the 2004 PRCA world champion in bull riding, won Tuesday's round at the National Finals Rodeo on a night when former traveling partner Shane Drury was remembered in opening ceremonies. Drury died of cancer in October at age 27.

Focus.

It is an intangible that separates great athletes from the rest.

No one is showing a better knack for having tunnel vision in the National Finals Rodeo than 2004 bull riding world champion Dustin Elliott.

The 25-year-old from North Platte, Neb., is competing in his third consecutive NFR at the Thomas & Mack Center, and never was his concentration more necessary than on Tuesday night, when he won the go-round.

His thoughts were with former traveling partner Shane Drury, who died in October at age 27 after a four-year battle with cancer

Drury was one of 10 former NFR participants honored in opening ceremonies Tuesday night.

Elliott, the 2001 collegiate bull riding champion, has had other issues that made him pull the reins to keep his mind from wandering.

His wife, Cynthia, is pregnant with twins and due in March.

A year ago, his maternal grandmother had emergency surgery for a brain aneurysm.

A few days ago, his paternal grandfather was hospitalized with a bleeding ulcer.

Both have recovered, and Elliott has maintained his composure.

"When you're in the chute, you can't think about anything other than the bull," he said.

An eight-second ride is only the tip of a day's work at the NFR for a rodeo star.

He's frequently at Cowboy Christmas signing autographs at his sponsors' booths. After he won the sixth go-round Tuesday, Elliott was signing autographs with other winners after the rodeo. After a quick bite, he was off to the Gold Coast for the nightly awards presentations, where he presented his father, Wayne, with the gold buckle he had won a few hours earlier.

There might have been a little partying after the buckle ceremony, keeping him from going to bed until about 2:30 a.m., but he was up at 9 a.m. Wednesday to attend Benny Binion's Bucking Horse and Bull Sale at the Thomas & Mack.

"I wanted to see how it went because I'm starting to get livestock together," Elliott said.

Some riders are eager to know which bull they'll be paired with in the nightly blind draw for the following day's competition.

"I don't usually try to find out, but last night a (draw) sheet was floating around at the Gold Coast, so I looked," he said.

Maybe he shouldn't have. Elliott was bucked off Turnpike in 4.86 seconds Wednesday before 17,379 fans. The bull, which had been spinning right, faked left before going right again and throwing Elliott.

Elliott finished last year ranked fourth with $159,212. He began this year's NFR in seventh with $97,800 and has placed among the top six in three rounds for $25,927. He's third in the NFR aggregate standings and remains seventh in season standings.

His patience was tested Tuesday when his bull wasn't cooperative before leaving the chute.

"That bull was fighting the bucking chutes and wanted to sit down," he said. "He was leaning on me.

"I finally thought to myself, 'Stop. Slow Down.'

"It's all about making things right. Some guys get so anxious and worry about getting fined for taking too long. But a $250 fine is nothing compared to a $16,000 win."

Elliott has narrowed his vision even more since getting married three years ago.

His freshman year of high school was memorable for two reasons: It was when he began dating Cynthia and when he rode his first bull.

The couple is now expecting a boy and a girl.

"I guess we drew pretty good," he said of the luck bull riders always want in a draw.