Brazile settles all-around quickly

For the first time in five years, Trevor Brazile can devote most of his focus in the National Finals Rodeo on winning calf roping and team roping world championships.

Finally, he won't have to worry over the next week about what he has to do to win the all-around world title in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.

Brazile, 34, clinched his fifth straight and record eighth all-around title Friday night in the second go-round of the 10-day NFR at the Thomas & Mack Center before a crowd of 17,197.

Brazile earned $16,665 Friday in calf roping and team roping to move his season total in all events to $323,527. That put the championship out of reach for Canadian steer wrestler Curtis Cassidy, the only contestant who began the NFR with a remote chance of catching Brazile.

"I've got one (title) down, and a couple to go," Brazile said. "I've got a (calf) roping championship to win, and with the team roping, you never know. Patrick (Smith) and I were the high money-winners here two years ago, but we were the low-money guys last year. We're off to a good start."

The Decatur, Texas, roper finished second in team roping and sixth in the calf roping events.

The capacity crowd rewarded Brazile with a prolonged standing ovation.

"That's got to be the slowest victory lap I've ever done in my life, because I didn't want it to end," he said.

"It's a special night for rodeo, as well as my family. It really hasn't set in yet, and I don't want it to set in because I don't want it to end. I love this sport, I love to be able to make a living doing what I love to do and the winning is just a bonus."

With the all-around out of the way, Brazile can focus on maintaining his lead in calf roping and improving his team roping position when the third go-around begins at 5:45 p.m. today.

"It's pretty amazing," he said. "They told me I had a chance tonight, but Ryan (Jarrett) had made a good run right in front of me. I was out back getting my horse situated, and I heard everyone talking about it, and I thought, 'No way.'

"The fans and the sport are so great. They've followed me my whole career. It's a great night for rodeo, as well as for my family."

Winners in the second go-round were: Kaycee Feild (Payson, Utah), bareback; Luke Branquinho (Los Alamos, Calif.) and rookie Ethen Thouvenell (Napa, Calif.), tied in steer wrestling; Luke Brown (Rock Hill, S.C.) and Martin Lucero (Stephenville, Texas), team roping; Cody Wright (Milford, Utah), Fred Whitfield (Hockley, Texas) and Jerad Hoffstetter (Portales, N.M.), tied in calf roping; Kelli Tolbert (Hooper, Utah), barrel racing; and J.W. Harris (Mullin, Texas), bull riding.

■ INJURY -- Ryan Gray, the money leader in bareback riding, will miss the final eight go-rounds after he suffered a lacerated liver when he was stepped on by Beutler & Son Rodeo's Golden Dream. Gray, of Cheney, Wash., was transported to University Medical Center, where he was admitted for observation.