Curley seizes average lead in saddle bronc

LAS VEGAS, Nev.

On Wednesday, Creighton Curley, from Allentown, Arizona, covered Rosebud Fryin Pan for 85 points for first place in the second round of the saddle-bronc competition at the Indian National Finals Rodeo at the South Point Equestrian Center.

“I didn’t know that horse too well but the guys behind the chutes were telling me all kinds of stories about him,” said Curley, who won back-to-back rounds.

“I just tried to stay positive,” he said, “doing what I needed to do to complete my ride.”

Coupled with his 87-point ride in the opening round, Curley is leading the average race by 14 points going into the third round. The 21-year-old cowboy has amassed 172 points with Kaden Deal a distant second with 158 points.

“It’s a pretty cool deal but I wasn’t really thinking about getting that far ahead,” Curley said. “All I wanted to do is cover all my horses.”

The third round of the INFR will be broken down over the next two days with the bottom half of the contestants competing in Thursday night’s performance. The top 11 performers in the rough-stock event and the top 16 contestants in the timed events will have their third draws on Friday night.

The short round is scheduled for Saturday night with the world champions being crowned.

Curley was not the only Diné contestant to seize an early lead in the average race. In fact, there were five others – Donovan Yazzie, Taniah Nez, Myles John, Latrell Long and Delvecchio Kaye – that took over the driver’s seat in their respective events.

In the tie-down event, Yazzie turned in another solid run of 10.49 seconds on Wednesday that placed him fifth in the round.

On Tuesday night, the defending world champion opened up the 43rd installment of the INFR with a first place run of 9.07 seconds.

“I’m hanging in there as much as I can,” Yazzie said. “I’m trying to be as smooth as I can without making a mistake.”

With the two runs, he leads the aggregate race with 19.56 seconds after Wednesday’s round. Nolan Conway comes in next with a 20.37 aggregate followed by Blair Burk (20.61) and Donovan’s son, Hiyo Yazzie, who has a 21.21 aggregate. Kenny Glasses is a close fifth with a 21.54.

Yazzie said he wants his son to beat him and win a world title but he’s going to stay the course and have Hiyo at least earn it.

Nez, meanwhile, heads the breakaway field with a 5.55 aggregate, which includes Wednesday’s fastest run of 2.45 seconds.

“I scored pretty good today,” Nez said. “I made sure his head got out of the chute. Everyone is telling me to rope aggressive and if I have a shot I need to take it.”

By taking her first shot, Nez left no doubt that she’s in a zone.

“I’m going to treat this like any other rodeo that I’ve competed in before,” Nez said, of not putting any extra pressure on herself.

“I am going to take it one calf at a time and my horse is working perfect,” she said of Skippen. “It’s all on him because all I’m doing is throwing my rope.”

With an aggregate of 10.35, Myles John and Ed Hawley have found the chemistry they need to stay in contention of a world title.

In the opening round the pair won the round with a 4.83, and in the second they added a 5.52 run, which placed them fifth overall in the round.

“We drew a good steer and we just made a good run,” John said.

With an aggregate of 11.14 seconds, the father/son combo of Derrick Begay and Victor Begay are a close second.

As the team’s heeler, John said his roping partner is turning some good steers, which makes his job that much easier.

“Ed is getting out of the barrier real good,” he said. “He rolls them out real nice, which allows me to heel the steer fast enough on my first shot.”

With two rounds left, John said he’s keeping things in perspective and not thinking too far ahead.

“I really don’t want to get all hyped up,” the six-time INFR qualifier said. “I’m just trying to take it one run at a time. We just have to keep making that same kind of run.”

With an 86-point ride in Wednesday’s performance, Kaye won the go-round. With that he moved up two spots to take over the lead in the bareback event.

In the opening round, he finished in a two-way tie for third place with a 78-point effort but his first place score on Darth Vader increases his chances at a world title as he leads the event by seven points.

“I had a lot better horse today,” Kaye said of his two scores. “I stayed close to the chute and I just did my job.”

As for the average, Kaye said he’s taking a laid-back approach. He said he’s not thinking about the average race.

“I’m just taking it one horse at a time,” he said.

Nonetheless, he’s making somewhat of a comeback after missing much of the 2018 season nursing several ailments.

“I had a lot of injuries and I just wanted to prove to myself that I can still do this,” he said. “I put a lot of hard work to coming back because last year I was taken out in the second round. This year I have a plan and I’m sticking to it.”

So far it’s working wonders for him.

As for Long, he is getting close to earning another INFR world title. In 2016, the Dilkon, Arizona, cowboy won the junior bulls and last year he finished as the reserve champion in that same event.

The Winslow High senior is looking to win his first world title in open bull riding.

In Wednesday’s round, Long rode Baby, a Crasco Bucking Bulls product, for a first place ride of 85 points.

“The bull I had today had more jumps in him than the one I had last night,” he said.

Long said Baby rode into his hand as his control impressed the rodeo judges.

“I feel more comfortable when a bull rides into my hand,” he said.

In the opening round he finished with a 72-point ride and he placed fifth overall in that round. With the two rides he has totaled 157 points with second place finisher T’Jay Allen trailing nine points back.

By covering two bulls, Long said it improves his chances at another world title.

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