He rode like he was not going to get another.

The second-year professional cowboy from Herriman stayed atop Poison Ivy for eight seconds to earn one of the biggest paydays of his career.

Two weeks after getting bucked off one of the rankest bulls in the Western Rodeo stock stable in Pendleton, Ore., Murphy, 20, was awarded 92 points for the ride in the championship round and won the bull riding event at the Wrangler Summer Tour Finale in Omaha, Neb.

"I didn't even last a second on [Poison Ivy] a few weeks back," Murphy said. "When I saw I had drawn him, I just wanted to ride him. I was feeling pretty good about it."

Murphy won $9,230 for winning the championship round and pocketed an event-high $13,543 at the three-day rodeo. Payson's Steve Woolsey also made the bull riding final and was second in winnings with $12,238, a payday that should ensure he qualifies for December's National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.

"The last time, [Poison Ivy] came out of the chute and reared and had me sitting back, and so, [Saturday night], I made sure I was over the front of him when he came out," Murphy said.

The only bull rider who leads Murphy in the ProRodeo World Standings, Matt Austin of Wills Point, Texas, was third in Omaha with $9,488 and will hold onto the overall lead.

Murphy and Woolsey, who was 10th in the World Standings before Omaha, both qualified for the ProRodeo Tour Championship Finale in Dallas Nov. 10-12.

Other Utahns In Omaha

Payson's Jess Davis also qualified for Dallas with his performance in bareback riding in Omaha, while Milford's Cody Wright was among the 12 who made it in saddle bronc riding.

Davis made just $431 in Omaha, tying for ninth, while Wright made $1,294 and made it to the semifinal round, where he earned a 74 and sixth place.

Riverton's Vickie Solmonsen was fifth overall in barrel racing with $3,881 in earnings but did not qualify for Dallas because she earned no qualifying points at the Winter Tour Finale in March. She set an arena record with a time of 14.17 seconds Friday, but it only lasted a few minutes because Brandie Halls of Carpenter, Wyo., broke it with a run of 14.16 seconds.

drew@sltrib.com