Ex-Rebel increases NFR earnings

Nelli Williams is more familiar with the concourse of the Thomas & Mack Center than the arena floor where rodeo athletes are competing for $5.87 million.

The 22-year-old from Cottonwood, Calif., spent most of her time at the 2008 National Finals Rodeo selling raffle tickets to raise money for the UNLV rodeo club.

It didn't require a hard sell, considering Williams' Rebels team was the College National Finals Rodeo champion that year.

But she much prefers her vantage point this year at the Thomas & Mack.

Williams now enters the building at blazing speed on horseback, competing as one of the top 15 barrel racers in the world in her first NFR.

"Every kid who has grown up around rodeo dreams of being here," Williams said Tuesday night after riding in front of a crowd of 17,032. "You're always thinking about one day riding in the (National Finals Rodeo). Everyone wants to make it here."

She won $13,840 by placing second Thursday on opening night of the 10-day rodeo. It's the only check that Williams has won at the NFR, but she has earned more than six other riders and ranks eighth in the Professional Women's Rodeo Association season standings.

However, Tuesday's sixth go-round was Williams' worst at the Finals. After five flawless runs, her horse, Blue Duck, knocked over the third of three barrels on the cloverleaf-pattern course. That added a five-second penalty to their time of 14.26 seconds, leaving them out of the money.

"He just cut it too tight on the last one," Williams said.

The NFR rookie acknowledged that each night is another step in her development.

After winning two consecutive California state barrel racing championships, Williams went to UNLV on a rodeo scholarship to ride for coach Ric Griffith and train at the Gaughan family's Rockin' K ranch in northwest Las Vegas.

"UNLV had a great reputation for doing well in regional and national competitions," Williams said of the Rebels women's team, which also won the national title in 1999.

She spent two years majoring in business at UNLV before transferring last year to Chico State, an hour away from her Northern California home.

With guidance from her father, Sam, Williams took a selective approach to her rodeo schedule this year.

"We tried to pick rodeos where we thought Blue Duck would do the best, instead of trying to go to as many as possible," said Williams, in her third year of professional rodeo.

The plan worked as Williams earned six titles and $72,633, winning money in 38 of 50 events.

Contact reporter Jeff Wolf at jwolf@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0247.