This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Las Vegas • Utah's qualifiers to the $6.25 million Wrangler National Finals Rodeo struggled during the third round Saturday night.
Of the six Utahns participating, only Jesse Wright of Milford earned a paycheck at the Thomas & Mack Center.
Wright posted a score of 79 in the saddle bronc event, which was good enough for fifth place. He earned $4,807.
Wright's two brothers did not place.
Cody Wright did not complete his ride. Although he remains No. 1 in the overall world championship race, he dropped to 15th in the NFR average standings. That eventually could cost him a chance to win the third world title of his career.
Jesse Wright completed his ride, but his score of 77 was not good enough to cash a check.
Meanwhile in bareback, Spanish Fork's Kaycee Feild and Morgan's Caleb Bennett posted identical scores of 78.5 points. Both failed to place in the third round.
Feild, in search of his third straight world championship, dropped to third in the National Finals average standings. Bennett is fourth.
In the bull riding, Payson's Steve Woolsey did not complete his 8-second ride for the second straight night after placing third on the opening round. —