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Las Vegas • The world saddle bronc championship race is headed toward a photo finish.
Cody Wright of Milford, Utah, won the ninth round at the $62.5 million Wrangler National Finals Rodeo on Friday night at the Thomas & Mack Center.
Wright posted a score of 81 points, earned $18,629 and moved back into second place in the world standings behind his brother Jake.
Jake Wright failed to post a score in Round 9. Still, he leads the race for the world championship with season earnings of $175,534. Cody Wright is second with $172,873. Chad Ferley of Oelrichs, S.D., is third with $162,665.
Jesse Wright, another brother from Utah, is fourth with earnings of $143,505. But he fell from championship contention with a no-score in the ninth round.
Meanwhile, Kaycee Feild of Spanish Fork, posted a score of 77 in bareback and failed to place.
Still, Feild remains in command of the race for the world title. He has earned $186,581 this season. Second-place Bobby Mote of Stephenville, Texas, has earned $162,795.
If Feild simply finishes his ride in the final round on Saturday night, he will finish in the top-three in average and likely clinch his third straight world title.
Feild is trying to become the first bareback rider to win three consecutive world championships since Joe Alexander won five between 1971 and 1975.