RENO - Firebird hadn't been ridden since the 2008 Xtreme Bulls competition prior to the Reno Rodeo.
That didn't bother J.W. Harris in the slightest.
The reigning world champion had already been aboard Firebird twice before and had a 95 in Washington to show for it. This time, Harris posted a 94 to win the bulls competition at the 90th annual Reno Rodeo on Saturday night at the Reno Livestock Events Center.
Harris finished with a two-ride total of 185 to beat out Steve Woolsey, who also had a 94 and a two-ride total of 177.
Lindsay Sears (barrel racing), Landon McClaugherty (tie-down roping), Dusty Hausauer (saddle bronc), Travis Tryan and Michael Jones (team roping), B.J. Campbell (steer wrestling, all-around) and Kaycee Feild (bareback) also won championships and received silver spurs.
Woolsey put the pressure on Harris with a 94 on the seventh ride of the night. After four straight riders failed, Harris brought the crowd to its feet with his wild championship ride.
"I couldn't have asked for a better bull," Harris said. "He doesn't do any tricks. He just jumps around and kicks. He's really good. This is the third time I've had him.
"This rodeo has been good for me. I've either done well in bulls or in the rodeo. I've gotten some good draws here."
Harris almost didn't make it until the end, but he hung on for dear life.
"He was trying to cut the corner on me," Harris said. "He was changing it up and trying to throw me off."
Harris earned $17,214 for his efforts.
The most heartwarming story has to be Sears, who suffered a broken fibula last weekend in a rodeo in Canada and uses crutches to get around when she's not riding.
Sears didn't miss a beat, clocking a time of 17.08 seconds aboard Martha for a three-round total of 51.11 to beat out Sue Smith, who had a final-round of 16.91 seconds for a three-round total of 51.32.
Sears suffered nerve damage along with the broken fibula. She said that surgery isn't planned unless the nerve doesn't heal. Her leg is broken in four places.
"It's not that painful," Sears told reporters. "The doctors are saying it will take six months for it to heal. As long as I don't hit a barrel or a fence again I'll be OK."
Sears admitted that she rides a little more cautiously.
"I had a little trouble on the first barrel," Sears said. I can't use my inside leg (left leg) like I should. She (Martha) knows. I know she knows."
Sears is headed to Colorado today and then back home to Canada for the Calgary Stampede. Sears will run on Martha in those two events.
Dusty Hausauer won his first pair of championship spurs in saddle bronc. It's especially rewarding for the Dickinson, N.D., native as he hopes to make it to the National Finals Rodeo again.
"Anytime you can do well at a big rodeo like this, it's great," Hausauer said. "Reno's rodeo is full of tradition and it's one that you dream of winning."
Hausauer scored an 86 for a three-ride total of 255. He beat Cody Wright, who had a final-round 90, by two points. Justin Arnold had a final-round 79 for a 245.
"Anytime you can do well at a big rodeo like this, it's great," Hausauer said. "Reno's rodeo is full of tradition and it's one that you dream of winning."
B.J. Campbell won his third set of Reno Rodeo spurs here. Campbell finished the steer wrestling atop the leaderboard with a total of 14.2 and also earned the all-around title by winning the most money for a cowboy in two events.
Campbell said he was going to give his spurs to his grandfather who lives east of Bishop.
In bareback riding, Kaycee Feild was a wire-to-wire winner. The Utah cowboy scored an 84 aboard With Doctor for a three-round total of 252. Steven Peebles had a final-round 88 for a 246. Casey Colletti also had a final-round 88 to finish third with a 244. Justin McDaniel and Heath Ford tied for fourth at 243.
Feild's father, Lewis, was a five-time world champion (all-around and bareback) who won silver spurs in Reno 24 years ago.
The family has a second set of silver spurs in it Utah home.
"I'm going to put them on the mantle above the fireplace next to my dad's," Feild said. "This (winning here) is probably in the top five. I always wanted to win this rodeo.
"It (the ride) was a little wild at the end. I'm happy with the way I rode here. I got three good draws here."
In team roping, Fallon's Jade Corkill and his partner Chad Masters fell short in their championship effort. Corkill and Masters entered the finals at 10.7 after two and a full second ahead of Travis Tryan and Michael Jones (11.8).
Tryan and Jones were timed in 5.0 on their third round, catching their steer very close to the chutes for a three-round total of 16.8. Masters and Corkill's steer was a runner, and it took a while to rope it (6.8). Corkill and Masters finished at 17.5.
"We had a pretty good steer," Tryan said. "We had seen him before and had a good game plan."
Corkill didn't return phone call calls from both rodeo officials and media asking for comments after his effort.
Landon McClaugherty came from eighth place to win tie-down roping with a third-round 8.7 and a total of 29.3, a full second ahead of Cody Ohl, who entered the championship round with a lead of 1.3 seconds. Ohl had a third-round 12.6 for 30.3 on three.