LAS VEGAS — Luke Branquinho won his third world steer wrestling championship and third Wrangler National Finals Rodeo aggregate title Saturday night, finishing sixth in the 10th and final round with a 4.7-second run.
Branquinho, from Los Alamos, Calif., entered the final round in a three-way fight for the world and aggregate crowns with Jason Miller, of Lance Creek, Wyo., and Shawn Greenfield, of Lakeview, Ore. But Miller and Greenfield broke the barrier and received 10-second penalties.
Branquinho made $234,518 this season. In women’s barrel racing, Lindsay Sears, of Nanton, Alberta, won her second world championship with $238,064 by securing the $45,865 bonus that goes to the WNFR aggregate champion.
In team roping, header Turtle Powell, of Stephenville, Texas, and heeler Jhett Johnson, of Casper, Wyo., won their first world and aggregate championships after placing sixth in a time of 10.00 seconds. Powell earned $195,407,while Johnson made $197,112.
In bull riding, Shane Proctor, of Grand Coulee, Wash., won his first world championship with $238,249. He broke his arm in the round. Defending world champ J.W. Harris, of Mullin, Texas, was second at $209,361.
In saddle bronc riding, Taos Muncy, of Corona, N.M., won his second world championship with $249,914 after finishing sixth in the round with an 811⁄2 on Spring Planting. Jesse Wright of Milford, won the title with a record 8481⁄2 points for 10 rides. He earned a record $160,962 at the WNFR, which ranks second among all competitors. Wright’s brother, Cody, won the round with an 871⁄2 on Eight Ball.
In tie-down roping, Tuf Cooper, of Decatur, Texas, claimed his first world championship with $192,042 after finishing sixth in a time of 9.6.
Kaycee Feild, of Payson, the son of Hall of Famer Lewis Feild, secured the bareback riding crown in the ninth round. Feild won the WNFR aggregate title and the $45,865 bonus that goes along with it in round 10 with 10 rides for a record 8601⁄2 points. Justin McDaniel set the previous record of 859 points for 10 rides in 2008.
“Like I said, I wanted to come out here and dominate,” Feild said. “Beating the (aggregate) record wasn’t my goal coming in, but through the week I looked up the score and knew what I would have to do to beat it. So I kind of made that my goal.”
In all-around, Trevor Brazile, of Decatur, Texas, won his record sixth championship in the fifth round.
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