BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN
Just hours before his 23rd birthday, Cole Reiner got quite the gift - his first career Go-Round win at his first career Wrangler NFR. He rode Flying U’s Lil Red Hawk for 87 points to win Round 6 and jump to fourth in the average.
Reiner likened his ride to an 8-second fistfight.
“My buddy Clayton (Biglow), he’s been on that horse a lot.....He kind of told me what was gonna go on, that she was gonna feel good but it was gonna be a fight all the way through and he didn’t lie a little bit,” Reiner said. “Really good feeling horse......You just gotta stay ahead of her and keep spurring.”
REINER’S RIDE
World No. 2 Kaycee Feild split second in the Go-Round with Tanner Aus as both men were 86.5 points. Orin Larsen finished fourth in the round to pick up his first check at the 2020 NFR and No. 1 Tim O’Connell made another trip to the pay window by riding Blessed Assurance for 85.5 points to split fifth with Chad Rutherford.
Feild is now in first in the average, leading No. 1 Tim O’Connell by just a half-point. Richmond Champion is third with 512.5 points on 5 head, putting him one point behind Feild and a half-point behind O’Connell.
AUS’ RIDE
O’Connell leads Feild by about $20,000 in the world standings.
NFR BAREBACK RIDING RESULTS
First Round: 1. Richmond Champion, 87.5 points on J Bar J’s Blessed Assurance, $26,231; 2. (tie) Mason Clements and Jess Pope, 87, $18,192 each; 4. (tie) Cole Reiner and Clayton Biglow, 85, $8,885 each; 6. Chad Rutherford, 84.5, $4,231.
Second Round: 1. Tanner Aus, 87 points on Hi Lo Pro Rodeo’s Wilson Sanchez, $26,231; 2. (tie) Kaycee Feild, Tim O’Connell and Leighton Berry, 86.5, $15,795 each; 5. Cole Reiner, 86, $6,769; 6. Winn Ratliff, 84.5, $4,231.
Third Round: 1. Kaycee Feild, 91.5 points on Calgary Stampede’s Xplosive Skies, $26,231; 2. Leighton Berry, 88, $20,731; 3. Richmond Champion, 87.5, $15,654; 4. Jess Pope, 86, $11,000; 5. Cole Reiner, 84.5, $6,769; 6. Mason Clements, 83, $4,231.
Fourth Round: 1. Tim O’Connell, 90.5 points on Fettig Pro Rodeo’s Pop A Top, $26,231; 2. Leighton Berry, 88.5, $20,731; 3. (tie) Clayton Biglow and Tilden Hooper, 86.5, $13,327 each; 5. (tie) Richmond Champion, Cole Reiner and Jess Pope, 85, $3,667 each.
Fifth Round: 1. Clayton Biglow, 89 points on Pickett Pro Rodeo Co’s Top Flight, $26,231; 2. Chad Rutherford, 88, $20,731; 3. Tilden Hooper, 87.5, $15,654; 4. Tim O’Connell, 87, $11,000; 5. Kaycee Feild, 86.5, $6,769; 6. Jamie Howlett, 86, $4,231.
Sixth Round: 1. Cole Reiner, 87 points on Flying U Rodeo’s Lil Red Hawk, $26,231; 2. (tie) Tanner Aus and Kaycee Feild, 86.5, $18,192 each; 4. Orin Larsen, 86, $11,000; 5. (tie) Tim O’Connell and Chad Rutherford, 85.5, $5,500 each
