BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN
Clayton Hass had placed in just one round coming into Round Seven but he changed that Wednesday by putting together a 3.4-second run to claim the Go-Round.
One of the oldest bulldoggers in the field, the win came on Hass’ 37th birthday and it’s the first time he’s won a Go-Round on his birthday.
Hass said the key was taking a breathe and slowing himself down in the box.
“I’m a firm believer in breathing,” he said. “There’s times I’ll back in the box, and not even at just this rodeo, but normal rodeos, and things feel foggy. It’s because you ain’t breathing, you ain’t getting enough oxygen to your brain.......It’s funny because you’ll back in there and take a deep breath and pet your horse and then open your eyes back up and it’s like a big clear picture.”
HASS’ RUN
The Gold Buckle race continued to heat up Wednesday night as Jacob Edler overtook Stetson Jorgensen in the average. Edler has now placed in the last three rounds and has moved within $21,000 of Matt Reeves, who is eighth in the average.
Jorgensen is now third in the world and second in the average and Dakota Eldridge, who was second in Round 7, is now third in the average and second in the world. Eldridge and Hass have been riding the same horse, Benz, all year.
ELDRIDGE’S RUN
NFR STEER WRESTLING RESULTS
First Round: 1. (tie) Jesse Brown, Dakota Eldridge and Blake Knowles, 3.9 seconds, $20,872 each; 4. (tie) Jacob Edler and Stetson Jorgensen, 4.0, $8,885 each; 6. Jace Melvin, 4.1, $4,231.
Second Round: 1. (tie) Tyler Waguespack and Bridger Anderson, 3.8 seconds, $23,481 each; 3. Will Lummus, 4.2, $15,654; 4. (tie) Dakota Eldridge and Curtis Cassidy, 4.3, $8,885 each; 6. Clayton Hass, 4.4, $4,231.
Third Round: 1. Will Lummus, 3.5 seconds, $26,231; 2. (tie) Jacob Talley and Bridger Anderson, 3.6, $18,192 each; 4. Stetson Jorgensen, 3.7, $11,000; 5. (tie) Jacob Edler and Matt Reeves, 3.8, $5,500 each.
Fourth Round: 1. Jacob Talley, 3.4 seconds, $26,231; 2. (tie) Stetson Jorgensen and Jesse Brown, 3.9, $18,192 each; 4. Tyler Waguespack, 4.1, $11,000; 5. Dakota Eldridge, 4.4, $6,769; 6. Jule Hazen, 4.5, $4,231.
Fifth Round: 1. (tie) Jace Melvin and Matt Reeves, 3.9 seconds, $23,481 each; 3. Blake Knowles, 4.0, $15,654; 4. Jacob Edler, 4.1, $11,000; 5. Tyler Waguespack, 4.5, $6,769; 6. Will Lummus, 4.6, $4,231.
Sixth Round: 1. (tie) Stetson Jorgensen and Jacob Edler, 3.3 seconds, $23,481 each; 3. Jule Hazen, 3.6, $15,654; 4. (tie) Bridger Anderson and Jace Melvin, 3.7, $8,885 each; 6. Dakota Eldridge, 3.8, $4,231.
Seventh Round: 1. Clayton Hass, 3.4 seconds, $26,231; 2. Dakota Eldridge, 3.5, $20,731; 3. Tanner Brunner, 3.8, $15,654; 4. (tie) Jacob Edler and Matt Reeves, 3.9, $8,885 each; 6. (tie) Blake Knowles, Jacob Talley and Tyler Waguespack, 4.0, $1,410 each.
