Got the bull by the tail
Well, it was a steer, really. Steer Wrestler Wade Sumpter showed his determination when, after losing his grip on his steer, he grabbed the animal by the tail and hung on as it dragged him through the ring. Eventually, Sumpter managed to work his way back to the front of the animal, hold tight and fight it to the ground.
Completing the event ensures that Sumpter will still be considered for the average, paid out on Sunday afternoon. Luke Branquinho, who won the event in a time of 3.8 seconds, moved to within $10,000 of Sumpter in the steer wrestling world standings with his performance.
Speed Williams joking about winning and his roping strategy
"I would rather go down fighting than go down waiting," said Williams. "I can't promise anything will be the same tomorrow night, though. I black out sometimes."
Whiplash the cowboy monkey
If fans had yet to see him on YouTube, Whiplash the monkey made an appearance at the first round of the 2008 Texas Stampede. Whiplash is a tiny, black and white capuchin monkey whose animal-trainer owner has taught him to ride in a makeshift saddle while dressed in a miniature cowboy costume astride a border collie that is herding sheep.
As Whiplash, at one point, leaned over and touched the arena floor, nearly falling from his perch on the back of the dog, announcer Boyd Polhamus exclaimed, "Stay in the saddle, son!"
"He was trying to get him a dirt clod," Polhamus explained to the crowd. "He's a rock throwing monkey."
Ahead in the game
Josh Peek may not have been practicing much lately, but he came to the Stampede ready to rope and ride. The young tie-down roper says he hasn't been to a rodeo since Omaha in September, but that he was happy with his ride.
"I haven't even roped in competition since Omaha, Neb.," said Peek. "It's real easy to kind of get off your game a little bit and be a step behind when you're not practicing in the practice pen and training and stuff like that."
Peek took some advice from one of the men who works with his horses coming into the competition, and he said it put him in the right mindset to compete.
"Jack Pitts, one of my stallion guys, has been kind of mentoring me," Peek said. "He told me, 'Josh you can't go in there in the lead. You've got to go in there like you're $50,000 behind and you have to have this to win.'"
Josh is riding a 13 year-old gelding he bought from Jack McCue, that he says has "been the success behind everything." He leads the Stampede after winning Round One and is leading Trevor Brazile in the PRCA World Standings by nearly $50,000.