Steady Adams back in saddle in team roping

If Randon Adams wasn't a team roper, he might be able to make a living handling dynamite, nitroglycerine or a surgeon's scalpel.

The Logandale native seemingly can't be rattled.

Adams and header Matt Sherwood of Pima, Ariz., started the National Finals Rodeo ranked first in team roping.

After sub-par runs the first two nights, they placed second the next two before two more disappointing outings seemed to end their quest for Adams' first world title and Sherwood's second in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.

Adams and Sherwood are back in the championship hunt after winning Friday's go-round before 17,784 in the Thomas & Mack Center. Tonight's final go-round begins at 5:45 p.m.

Adams could become the first native and resident of Southern Nevada to win a PRCA world championship.

For team ropers and contenders in the other rodeo categories except saddle bronc and barrel racing, the drama continues until tonight.

But saddle bronc rider Cody Wright of Milford, Utah, should get a good night's sleep after joining all-around champion Trevor Brazile and barrel racer Lindsay Sears as Finals competitors to wrap up 2008 championships.

Wright, 31, won the ninth go-round -- his third of the Finals -- to lock up his first world title in six NFR appearances.

"That's what I have been shooting for for a long time," he said. "It's a dream come true. It's been an awesome season.

"I don't keep track of the numbers (money totals), but I'm sure glad to win it," said Wright, a father of four. "My boy (Rusty, 13) can do the math. He's probably gotten ulcers over the deal.

"But I still would like to win the average title too."

The NFR's average -- or aggregate -- titles will pay a bonus of $42,999 to the top performer over the 10-day rodeo in each category and pay down to the eighth best.

Those payouts probably will determine world champions in bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping and calf roping.

Luke Branquinho has nearly guaranteed he will take his second steer wrestling championship back home to Los Alamos, Calif.

Brazile clinched the all-around world championship Tuesday and remains in contention in the calf roping and team roping events.

Sears won the barrel racing round Friday, a night after locking up her first world championship.

Adams, 26, and Sherwood, 39, jumped back into the team roping lead by winning Friday night's round with a time of 3.7 seconds to earn $16,766 apiece. Both moved to the top of the world standings with $162,254 in their respective heeler and header categories.

They got help when the team of Brazile and Patrick Smith, who started the night leading the NFR event standings, had their worst round with a time of 14.0

The winning effort by Adams and Sherwood moved them up two spots to sixth in the NFR standings, which would pay a $10,547 bonus.

"We try to go for first every time out, but sometimes it doesn't work out," said Adams, who won his only other NFR go-round in 2006. "There are a couple of us with a chance (at the championship). We'll have to see what happens with the (aggregate)."

Adams and Sherwood practiced for three days at his family's ranch north of Las Vegas off Interstate 15 before the Finals opened and returned this week for a few more workouts.

"It helped me a lot," Adams said. "My partner really didn't need the work; he's been great all week."

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