John Franzen recalls Craig at Midnight’s first Go-Round win at the NFR and final trip of his career in Red Bluff

Powder River Rodeo’s John Franzen joined Western Sports Round-Up on Monday night to discuss the sudden death of eight-time NFR qualifying bareback horse Craig at Midnight.

Along with Steve Kenyon, he looked back at the gray gelding’s first NFR Go-Round win with Steven Peebles on his back in 2013.

“It was just the start of a great career. He was kind of unknown, I mean we had high hopes for him and he had a rough start at first. He was kind of hard to get out on in the chutes,” Franzen said. “He was pretty young still right here at this moment and for him to go there and have the trip he did and to win a Go-Round, it was pretty special.”

Franzen also weighed in on what ended up being Craig’s final trip, an 81-point ride by Wyatt Bloom in Red Bluff in April.

“He got really tough to ride over his last couple of years because he was really smart, he knew how to get those guys off their A-game and shift his weight when they would move as well,” Franzen said. “He was a magnificent horse we could always count on.”

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