Peebles’ comeback effort ends in gold, knocks out defending champion Feild

Following the final round of a 10-round fight for the ages between bareback riders Steven Peebles and Kaycee Feild at the National Finals Rodeo, the challenger Peebles was the last cowboy standing Saturday night after knocking out the popular four-time defending world champion Feild at the Thomas & Mack Center.

The names of their horses said it all, as Peebles won the round on Pete Carr's Classic Pro Rodeo's Good Time Charlie, and Feild failed to place on Frontier Rodeo's Times Up.

Peebles claimed a share of his fifth-round win at the NFR with an 83.5-point ride to pocket $20,872 and clinch the average title with 832.5 points on 10 rides. His 10th-round check was the difference in his duel with Feild, who finished less than $11,000 behind Peebles in the world standings and took third in the average while falling short in his bid to match Joe Alexander's mark of five straight bareback riding gold buckles.

"I tried not to get any butterflies before I got on my horse, and I wanted to have a lot of energy and fight," Peebles said. "I stared at the horse and just kept saying to myself, 'He isn't faster than me, he isn't faster than me.'

"This entire NFR has been crazy and it's been up and down. One night I had a good chance to win it, then the next I didn't. Tonight, I just tried to mark the horse out and let him go and make it look as good as I could. This whole thing is so cool."

Peebles, who trailed Feild by $35,000 entering the night, finished with $314,140 in the world standings to $303,617 for Feild — who won four rounds — to claim his first gold buckle.

The 26-year-old from Redmond, Ore., also won the Top Gun award, along with a Dodge Ram truck, as the NFR's leading money winner with $234,054.

Not bad for a cowboy who broke his back in the third round of last year's NFR and almost died in July, when he suffered broken ribs at a rodeo that punctured an artery and filled his chest with blood. He barely made it to the hospital in time to save his life. Ignoring doctor's orders to sit out three months, Peebles returned to action six weeks later and rallied to qualify for the NFR in 14th place.

"I fought through a lot of injuries and a lot of pain this year, so to be standing here right now as the world champion has me speechless," he said. "There were times this season after my accident that I couldn't breathe because there was no air in my lungs, but I just kept moving forward and wanted this gold buckle more than everything."

Feild remains one gold buckle shy of tying his father, five-time world champ Lewis Feild, who recently was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer.

NOTE — The NFR sold out all 10 performances for the 29th straight year at the T&M, which had a total announced attendance of 170,966. The number was down from last year's record total of 177,565 because there were fewer seats after the arena was remodeled.

ALL-AROUND

Trevor Brazile added to his PRCA record collection when he clinched his 13th all-around world title Tuesday, bringing his gold buckle total to 23.

Brazile, who claimed his sixth steer roping world title in November, narrowly missed winning his third career Triple Crown when he took a time of 13.90 seconds in tie-down roping Saturday and settled for second in the world. The Decatur, Texas, cowboy placed fourth in team roping (header) for total earnings of $518,011, which broke his own single-season record. Brazile also became the PRCA's first $6 million man, surpassing $6 million in career winnings.

TOP THREE: 1. Trevor Brazile (Decatur, Texas) $518,011; 2. JoJo LeMond (Andrews, Texas) $261,281; 3. Caleb Smidt (Bellville, Texas) $257,777.

STEER WRESTLING

Hunter Cure won his second steer wrestling world title on the strength of his final round. The Holliday, Texas, cowboy tied for second with a 3.9-second run that pushed him to second in the average. He finished $30,000 ahead of Elko native Dakota Eldridge, who won the average with 45.60 seconds on 10 head but didn't place Saturday with his 4.3-second run.

WORLD CHAMPION: Hunter Cure

NFR WINNER: Dakota Eldridge

10TH GO-ROUND WINNER: Baylor Roche

TEAM ROPING

In a split world title, Aaron Tsinigine won his first gold buckle as a header and Kollin VonAhn won his second as a heeler. Tsinigine won the 10th round with a 4.1-second run with partner Ryan Motes to finish fourth in the average and edge Luke Brown by less than $3,000 in the world standings. VonAhn and Brown won the average as VonAhn beat Motes by $5,000 in the world standings.

The team of Junior Nogueira and JoJo LeMond — the 16th NFR qualifier who was a late replacement for the injured Jake Barnes — cost themselves the world and average crowns when they took a no time in the final round.

WORLD CHAMPIONS: Aaron Tsinigine (header) and Kollin VonAhn (heeler)

NFR WINNERS: Luke Brown (header) and Kollin VonAhn (heeler)

10TH GO-ROUND WINNERS: Aaron Tsinigine (header) and Ryan Motes (heeler)

SADDLE BRONC RIDING

Jacobs Crawley didn't win a round at the NFR, but he won the average and world titles. Crawley, who cashed seven checks en route to his first gold buckle, had 810.5 points on 10 rides. Five-time world runner-up Cody "Hot Sauce" DeMoss entered the NFR in the lead but finished fifth in the world.

WORLD CHAMPION: Jacobs Crawley

NFR WINNER: Jacobs Crawley

10TH GO-ROUND WINNER: Wade Sundell

TIE-DOWN ROPING

Brazile needed to top Caleb Smidt in the final round to clinch his 24th world title and third Triple Crown. It didn't happen. Brazile faltered with a 13.90-second run to fall to fourth in the average and Smidt tied for sixth with a 7.9-second run to win the average and his first gold buckle.

WORLD CHAMPION: Caleb Smidt

NFR WINNER: Caleb Smidt

10TH GO-ROUND WINNER: Tuf Cooper, Tyson Durfey

BARREL RACING

Callie DuPerier swept the board in her first NFR appearance, winning the average and world titles. The Boerne, Texas, cowgirl didn't win a round in Las Vegas but led the way with 140.41 seconds on 10 rides.

WORLD CHAMPION: Callie DuPerier

NFR WINNER: Callie DuPerier

10TH GO-ROUND WINNER: Sherry Cervi

BULL RIDING

Besides Brazile (all-around), Sage Kimzey was the only contestant to clinch the world title before the 10th round. The 21-year-old from Strong City, Okla., clinched the crown Friday to become the first bull rider ever to win gold buckles in his first two PRCA seasons. Kimzey finished second in the average with 578.5 points on seven rides.

"I want to be remembered as the best ever," he said. "To do that, I've got to win nine."

WORLD CHAMPION: Sage Kimzey

NFR WINNER: Cody Teel

10TH GO-ROUND WINNER: Wesley Silcox

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0354. Follow him on Twitter: @tdewey33.