NFR NINTH GO-ROUND SUMMARY

Rookie Tuf Cooper, 18, won Friday's calf roping go-round with a time of 6.7 seconds, the quickest of the National Finals Rodeo.

The son of Hall of Fame roper Roy Cooper, an eight-time world champion, remains in contention for the world championship.

Trevor Brazile, the younger Cooper's brother-in-law, sprained his right knee during calf roping but will compete tonight in calf and team roping.

Brazile sustained a grade 2 medial collateral ligament sprain when he stepped off his horse, according to JustinSports Medicine executive director Don Andrews. Brazile already has clinched his sixth all-around world championship.

Brazile's injury put a damper on Cooper's win, but the NFR rookie has heated up after failing to cash in the first three round. Since then he has finished in the money in five of the past six rounds.

"I've won a lot of rounds at the NFR when I was roping my (practice) dummy," he said. "I've been 6.7 here before -- in my head."

Cooper has earned $47,055 in the Finals and is third in the event standings. He has moved up to fifth in the world money. Stran Smith, Cooper's uncle, leads the event and is sixth in the world standings.

Hunter Herrin of Apache, Okla., took the lead in the world standings by placing second to earn $13,251 and increase his season total to $169,006. Herrin, however, is ninth in the NFR aggregate.

BAREBACK RIDING

Reigning world champion Bobby Mote of Culver, Ore., rallied by winning Friday's go-round -- his fourth victory of the NFR -- a night after an official's ruling nullified his ride in the eighth round.

"I'm going to dang sure go out and give it all I can," the two-time world champion said. "Both times I've won the world, I had to win the 10th round. You rodeo for 364 days and it comes down to a one-header."

Mote was scored for 88.5 points on Three Hills Rodeo's Peaches N Cream but wasn't able to gain much ground on top contenders Steve Dent and Justin McDaniel, who placed second and tied for third, respectively.

On Thursday, it was ruled that Mote did not have his feet in the proper starting position on his horse when they left the gate.

STEER WRESTLING

Luke Branquinho of Los Alamos, Calif., placed third in the go-round and nearly clinched his second world title. He earned $10,006 and has won $185,768 this year -- $29,000 more than Dean Gorsuch. Branquinho also is first in the event standings, and Gorsuch fell to fifth, 54 seconds behind Branquinho.

SADDLE BRONC RIDING

Cody Wright won the go-round by being scored for 85 points on Frontier Rodeo's Wild Bill.

BARREL RACING

Lindsay Sears of Nanton, Alberta, won her fourth straight go-round and fifth of the Finals, completing the course on Martha in 13.53 seconds, one-tenth off the arena record. The victory pushed her Finals total to $107,091 and season mark to $291,658.

BULL RIDING

After being shut out for six straight rounds, regular-season money leader Chance Smart of Philadelphia, Miss., placed second to increase his lead over J.W. Harris to $38,000. Smart hadn't cashed since tying for first place in the second round.

Although Harris was bucked off in the round, he maintains a lead in the NFR standings. Bobby Welsh placed sixth in the round and also will contend for the championship.

B.J. Schumacher completed his first eight-second ride of the Finals, scoring 89 points on Cervi & Guidry's Hot Diggity Damn. He edged Smart in the round by one-half point.

AGGREGATE PRIZE MONEY

The following payouts will be made to the top performers in each event (by total scores or lowest times) after tonight's 10th go-round, including equal money for team roping headers and heelers: 1. $42,999, 2. $34,886, 3. $27,584, 4. $20,282, 5. $14,603, 6. $10,547, 7. $7,302, 8. $4,056.

JEFF WOLF/LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL