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RODEO: Aussie cowboy moves to Utah, wins national title
This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2007, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

POCATELLO, Idaho - Saddle bronc rider Anthony Bello recently made the unusual move from Australia to the tiny northeastern Utah town of Oakley, and he is already moving into rare territory on the national rodeo circuit.

Bello won the national title in his event and the one-year lease on a Dodge pickup truck that comes with it on Saturday night as the Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo concluded at Holt Arena.

Bello rode Kool Toddy for 90 points in the final round and edged Milford's Cody Wright, who got 86 points aboard Queenie and earned $9,482 for the week. Wright won the semifinals with an 87 on Jumpin' Jack and was the biggest overall money winner of any event with $15,755.

Utah's Wilderness Circuit - which also includes Nevada and parts of Idaho - won the team title as well, collecting $74,574 to outdistance Texas ($66,049).

In barrel racing, West Jordan's Terri Wood-Gates was the big money winner, taking home $13,481, although Shali Lord of Lamar, Colo., won the title. Wood-Gates won the semifinal round with a 15.05-second run, but a downed barrel in the finals cost her the title.

Payson's Steve Woolsey won the bull riding semifinals with a 90-point ride on Rough & Ready, but Cooper Kanngiesser won the finals when he was the only cowboy to post an 8-second ride. Woolsey tore his posterior cruciate ligament, but returned Saturday night and finished in a tie with Kanngiesser for most money won in bull riding with $10,198.

Ogden's Dusty Morse won $2,637 in team roping and Ogden's Jake Hannum was second in money earned in tie-down roping with $6,526.

Anthony Bello, who lives in Oakley, road Kool Toddy for 90 points in the final round
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