Back in the saddle

LAS VEGAS – Luke Branquinho got off to a fast start in his first chance to defend his 2004 world steer wrestling title in the National Finals Rodeo.

Branquinho, from Los Alamos, Calif., won the first round Thursday night with a 3.7-second run. He missed the second half of last season because a torn pectoral muscle.

“I walked around the arena before and they (other competitors) said (I would have) jitters, but I didn’t feel any jitters,” Branquinho said. “I just felt I needed to go out there and take care of business and try to defend a world title that I didn’t get a chance to defend last year.”

Trevor Knowles of Mount Vernon, Ore., and Gabe Ledoux of Kaplan, La., tied for second in the round with 4.1s.

Defending world champ Jeff Willert of Belvidere, S.D., won the saddle bronc with an 86 on Tokyo Massage. Billy Etbauer of Edmond, Okla., was second with an 83 and Rusty Allen of Lehi, Utah, took third with 82. Willert entered the NFR as the 11th-ranked saddle bronc rider.

“I was ready for the year to be over,” Willert said, “but now we have nine more rounds and I can’t wait.”

In bull riding, B.J. Schumacher of Hillsboro, Wis., won with a 91.5. Bobby Welsh of Gillette, Wyo., had a 90, and Cooper Kanngiesser of Zenda, Kan., and Dustin Elliott of North Platte, Neb., followed with 87s.

In bareback riding, Wes Stevenson of Kaufman, Texas, won with an 89 on Wise Guy. Defending world champion Will Lowe of Canyon, Texas, was second with an 85. Ryan Gray of Cheney did not place. His 78 on Fearless Warrior of the Calgary Stampede string was 11th in the go-round. It took an 80 to place in the top six.

In team roping, Travis Tryan of Billings, Mont., and Jhett Johnson of Casper, Wyo., placed first in a time of 4.3.In tie-down roping, Joe Beaver of Huntsville, Texas, won with a 7.7-second run.

Shelly Anzick of Livingston, Mont., won the barrel racing in 13.96 seconds.