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Las Vegas • Kaycee Feild moved to the brink of his third straight world bareback championship Thursday at the $6.25 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.
Feild, who is from Spanish Fork, Utah, won the eighth round at the Thomas & Mack Center with a score of 83.5 points. He earned $18,629.
After placing in six of the eight rounds — and winning twice in a row — Feild has pocketed $66,503 at the NFR. With two rounds remaining, he leads Bobby Mote of Stephenville, Texas, by more than $25,000 in the race for the world title.
Feild is trying to become the first bareback rider to capture at least three consecutive championships since Hall of Famer Joe Alexander won five straight between 1971 and 1975.
In saddle bronc, Jake Wright of Milford is also well-positioned to win a world title.
Wright won Round 8 with a score of 85.5 points. It was his fourth victory at the National Finals and bumped his week-long earnings to $87,436.
Wright leads Chad Ferley of Oelrichs, S.D., in the world championship race by $18,600. Wright's brother, Cody, is third after not placing in the eighth round. Another brother, Jesse, is fourth overall.
Meanwhile, Steve Woolsey of Payson, did not complete his eight-second ride in bull riding.