Holiday Earnings Move Bail
To Lead In All-Around Race

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Even before Jesse Bail won the all-around title at the College National Finals Rodeo in 2000, the rodeo world knew he would make waves in the professional ranks.

The waves are getting bigger: Bail won $33,456 over the past seven-day span, known as Cowboy Christmas, the second-highest total for the Fourth of July run by a PRCA cowboy ever. In 1999 Ty Murray set the record for Fourth of July earnings with $37,630.

Bail's conquest moved him past Cash Myers and into the top spot in the Jack Daniel's World All-Around Standings with $122,961 in season earnings to date. The week's work also moved the all-around hand into second place in saddle bronc riding and fourth place in bull riding.

In a week in which ProRodeo sanctions 38 PRCA rodeos in 19 states and two Canadian provinces from New Jersey to California, Bail won money at seven rodeos. The total for the Camp Crook, S.D., cowboy came from earnings in both the saddle bronc riding and bull riding. His biggest paycheck came from the Greeley (Colo.) Independence Stampede, where he earned $11,409.

The Fourth of July run is significant for cowboys because so many rodeos end during the week. Other than the USSTC Cup Finales and the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, no other single week has so much prize money up for grabs. Last year saddle bronc rider Glen O'Neill totaled an impressive $25,553. In 2002, O'Neill, of Didsbury, Alberta, Canada, raked in 29,734, second only to Bail.

At the timed-event end of the arena, Cash Myers roped in $18,365, the third-largest sum of the weekend. Myers won money both by calf roping and steer wrestling, his biggest wins coming in Greeley and Prescott, Ariz.

In team roping, seven-time world champions Jake Barnes and Clay O'Brien Cooper hit the road to earn $12,675, the highest among team ropers.

Calf roper Blair Burk, who earned $14,947 last year during Cowboy Christmas, pulled in $17,575 during the week. Burk roped calves from Ponoka, Alberta, to Prescott, Ariz., during the Fourth of July run to amass more than any other calf roper.

In bareback riding, Cleve Schmidt of Belle Fourche, S.D., pocketed $17,985 despite injuring his riding arm.

Fred Whitfield won money at only four rodeos over the fourth, yet earned $14,555. The calf roper from Hockley, Texas, won average titles in Ponoka, Alberta, and Oakley, Utah, to garner the bulk of his Cowboy Christmas earnings.

Joe Beaver, another perennial threat to the world all-around title, made $13,720 by team roping with Brad Culpepper and calf roping. Cowboy Christmas marked Beaver's return to the calf roping competition, which he avoided since March due to a leg injury.

In the all-around standings, Bail is followed by Cash Myers, with $116,123; Trevor Brazile, Anson, Texas, $88,930; Brent Lewis, Piñon, N.M., $60,343; and Robert Bowers, Brooks, Alberta, $52,066.

Standings by event:

Bareback riding: 1. Scott Montague, Wall, S.D., $45,934; 2. Forest Bramwell, Pagosa Springs, Colo., $45,819; 3. Wes Stevenson, Kaufman, Texas, 43,300; 4. Jared Lavergne, Ville Platte, La., $41,019; 5. Cody Jessee, John Day, Ore., $39,260.

Steer wrestling: 1. Joey Bell Jr., Salem N.J., $71,857; 2. Cash Myers, $62,680; 3. Sid Steiner, Bastrop, Texas, $40,692; 4. Todd Suhn, Brighton, Colo., $39,266; K.C. Jones, Las Animas, Colo., $36,585.

Team roping (headers): 1. Speed Williams, Jacksonville, Fla., $63,595; 2. Joe Beaver, Huntsville, Texas, $44,968; 3. Kevin Stewart, Glen Rose, Texas, $44,951; 4. Matt Tyler, Weatherford, Texas, $42,882; 5. Jake Barnes, Cave Creek, Ariz., $37,420.

Team roping (heelers): 1. Rich Skelton, Llano, Texas, $63,950; 2. Martin Lucero, Stephenville, Texas, $45,888; 3. Brad Culpepper, Ashburn, Ga., $45,886; 4. Wayne Folmer, El Paso, Texas, $42,882; 5. Kory Koontz, Sudan, Texas, $36,989.

Saddle bronc riding: 1. Dan Mortensen, Billings, Mont., $88,070; 2. Jesse Bail, Camp Crook, S.D., $82,741; 3. Rod Hay, Wildwood, Alberta, $62,492; 4. Glen O’Neill, Didsbury, Alberta, $58,604; 5. Tom Reeves, Eagle Butte, S.D., $56,869.

Calf roping: 1. Blair Burk, Durant, Okla., $89,123; 2. Fred Whitfield, Hockley, Texas, $71,673; 3. Trevor Brazile, $60,539; 4. Brent Lewis, Piñon, N.M, $50,459; 5. Houston Hutto, Del Rio, Texas, $49,575.

Barrel racing: 1. Charmayne James, Athens, Texas, $56,780; 2. Tammy Key, Ledbetter, Texas, $43,491; 3. Molly Powell, Sims, Mont., $39,325; 4. Danyelle Campbell, Washington, Utah, $38,075; 5. Kay Blandford, Sutherland Springs, Texas, $37,330.

Bull riding: 1. Cody Hancock, Taylor, Ariz., $53,782; 2. Johnny Chavez, Bosque, N.M., $43,944; 3. Justin Andrade, Grover Beach, Calif., $43,470; 4. Jesse Bail, $40,220; 5. Jason Legler, Eaton, Colo., $38,990.

Steer roping: 1. Guy Allen, Santa Anna, Texas, $22,984; 2. Trevor Brazile, $18,915; 3. Jason Evans, Huntsville, Texas, $18,231; 4. Rocky Patterson, Pratt, Kan., $16,352; 5. JP Wickett, Sallisaw, Okla., $12,137.