Brazile clinches ninth NFR all-around championship

Bull rider Shane Proctor tried to inject some drama into the 2011 Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association all-around world championship race.

But everyone following the National Finals Rodeo -- and professional rodeo -- knew how the script would play out when the 10-day event at the Thomas & Mack Center opened on Thursday.

It was roper Trevor Brazile's year. Again.

The 35-year-old Brazile on Sunday clinched the most prestigious title in rodeo for the sixth consecutive year and a record ninth overall. He locked up the championship by placing second in team roping to earn $14,134 while Proctor was unable to win the afternoon's fourth go-round in bull riding before 17,094 fans.

Brazile, from Decatur, Texas, has won two more all-around championships than anyone else in the 75-year history of the PRCA. Legendary bull rider Ty Murray has seven.

Brazile has earned $305,582 this season, $167,808 more than second-place Proctor of Grand Coulee, Wash.

Last year, Brazile wrapped up the title in the second go-round.

"It's uncharted territory, and I'm just thrilled to have such a blessed year this year again," said Brazile. "It's just nice to have it done. ... To have it is a great feeling, and we'll go on from here."

Six rounds remain in the NFR, where Brazile is the only contestant among 119 to qualify in two categories -- team roping and tie-down roping.

His header effort with heeler Patrick Smith in team roping moved them to sixth in the 15-team field. Brazile did not earn money Sunday in the tie-down roping category, where he ranks fifth.

"To clinch it this early kind of lets a guy let his hair down in the single events," he said. "(Tie-down) roping isn't going as good as I wanted, but in team roping we've got an outside chance.

"I'm going to get as much (money) as I can. I'm a realist; it doesn't look good from where I'm sitting in (tie-down). In the team roping, we do have an outside chance."

Brazile earned his 15th world title at last month's national finals in Guthrie, Okla., when he won the steer roping category. On Sunday, he tied Jim Shoulders for second place in all-time titles. Steer roper Guy Allen holds the record with 18 championships.

"When I came into this game, I was one of the guys that was saying those records would never be broken," Brazile said. "To talk about Jim Shoulders, I said that's not going to happen in this new (specialization) era of rodeo. It doesn't seem real to me to reach that 16th title. My career has been more than I could ever dream it would be at this point."

Brazile's all-around lead was so large by midyear that he only needed to stay healthy for the engraving to begin on his 2011 gold buckle.

On Sunday, the engravers got to dot the "i" in Brazile.

Jeff Wolf is a freelance reporter. He can be reached at nitrorodeo@gmail.com or 702-406-8165.