December 9, 2010 -- Ohl, of Hico, Texas, won his fourth round in five nights and 40th of his career at the Wrangler NFR in Round 8 after stopping the clock in 7.2 seconds. That time was two-tenths of a second faster than Shane Hanchey's run and came a night after Ohl had a no-time.
Ohl is one only of three men - along with Billy Etbauer and Fred Whitfield - to earn more than $1 million at the Wrangler NFR alone, and he's not done yet.
"I'm a little mad at stubbing my toe last night, so I really had a little extra oomph in there to really capitalize tonight," Ohl said. "Last night, I missed, and my rope was a little too stiff. Tonight, I had it just a little too limber and got ahead of it. I kind of skipped (the rope) on that calf instead of roping it sharp, but (2009 AQHA/PRCA Tie-Down Roping Horse of the Year) Pearl cleaned it up like she always does."
Ohl trails Trevor Brazile in the PRCA World Standings $175,077-$153,325, but is 11th in the Wrangler NFR average. He has now earned more money in eight days in Las Vegas ($76,827) than he did during the entire regular season ($76,498).
"I got a little frustrated, and when I get frustrated, it seems like it really drives me to make a statement on the very next calf," Ohl said. "That calf, they were 10.9 on him, so I knew I had to put all the wraps on him. I had to do everything deliberately, and we ended up surviving."
The first tie in the bareback riding featured a pair of world champions. Three-time and reigning World Champion Bobby Mote spurred Growney Brothers Rodeo's Moulin Rouge for 86 points on the horse's final trip, and 2008 World Champion Justin McDaniel matched that score on Andrews Rodeo's Cool Water.
Both cowboys drew horses they'd had success on in the past, and they made the most of their reunions.
"I've had that horse a lot," Mote said. "She's from up in my circuit, and that's probably the eighth time I've been on her. I've never been on her when I thought I had her knocked out, because she bucks so hard. Tonight was her last trip, and it's an honor for me to be able to get on her."
McDaniel, of Porum, Okla., is no stranger to winning on Cool Water on a big stage.
"I had that horse last year in the third round and split that round with Jason Havens," McDaniel said. "Cool Water is a bucker and is the one I wanted in this pen. I barely got by him, but it worked out. It's finally good to get a big check, and I'm looking forward to these next two rounds."
Mote and McDaniel will both figure in the gold buckle battle. McDaniel leads the Wrangler NFR average and is sixth in the world standings, while Mote, of Culver, Ore., is second in the average standings and third in the world.
On a sad note, bareback rider Matt Bright suffered a lumbar fracture when Carr Pro Rodeo's Real Deal reared up in the chute and slammed him against the chute wall. He is out for the remainder of the Wrangler NFR and is expected to miss six to eight weeks of action.
After being held out of the pay window for four rounds, steer wrestler Jule Hazen broke through with his first Wrangler NFR go-round victory of his career (in his second appearance in Las Vegas) by stopping the clock in 3.6 seconds. The Ashland, Kan., bulldogger finished one-tenth of a second ahead of Canada's Cody Cassidy - on Canada Night - and two-time World Champion Luke Branquinho.
"I've been waiting my whole life to be sitting here talking about this," Hazen said. "This week has been tough, so to get that out of the way is a relief. I had a burden. It was just hanging over me, and I couldn't get rid of it. With that particular steer, it's one I had out in California when I was in a slump, and I ended up winning a round when I drew him. He's kind of slump-buster, I guess you could say."
Branquinho continues to lead the PRCA World Standings and is fourth in the average, while Billy Bugenig leads the average but is 10th in the world. Dean Gorsuch, the 2006 world champion, stands second in the average and third in the world and should have a say in who emerges with the bulldogging gold buckle in two days.
