NFR ROUND 8

BY GARY TURNER .....gpturner62@msn.com

AS A VIET NAM VETERAN I REMAIN PARTIAL TO THE USA AND THE AMERICAN FLAG.....

HOWEVER ..........OPENING THE EIGHTH SESSION OF THE NFR FINALS ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT WAS A SPEEDING COVERED WAGON PULLED BY 4 EXTRAORDINARY HORSES WITH A CANADIAN LOGO AND A MAPLE LEAF ATOP.....THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY TWO COWGIRLS WITH FLAGS....THE CANADIAN FLAG WAS SET FORWARD AND A COWBOY CAME OUT AND SANG "OH CANADA"....I WAS SET FOR THE NIGHT.....IT WAS CANADA NIGHT AND ALTHO I SCOURED THE  PROGRAM FOR A CANADIAN PARTICIPATE...I DID NOT FIND ONE......HOWEVER IT DID NOT MATTER ....LOTS OF FANS LOVED THIS...ESPECIALLY ME........NEEDLESSS TO SAY ....THEN....THE AMERICAN FLAG WAS SET FORWARD AND A  PRETTY GIRL SANG THE NATIONAL ANTHEM........THEN THEY OPENED THE  RUN......

I STILL LOVE NUMBERS AND WHEN DOZENS OF RIDERS ENTERED THE ARENA ON HORSEBACK ...THEY WERE IN AND OUT SO FAST I DIDN'T HAVE A COUNT....FIGURING 105 FOR SEVEN EVENTS TIMES 15 PER EVENT..... BUT THE TEAM ROPERS WOULD HAVE 30...THATS 120.....FORMING A PERFECT BOX....THEN THERE WERE TWO CROSSING GUARDS AND MAYBE A DOZEN CELEBRITY TYPES INSIDE THE BOX AND THEY DID THE IN AND OUT IN FIVE MINUTES.....SPECTACULAR.....THEN THEY DID A WORLD CLASS RODEO PRODUCTION !

BOY THIS WAS GREAT TO SEE AND THEY HADN'T STARTED YET.

THE NFR IN ITS NEXT TO LAST YEAR IN LAST VEGAS PENDING NEW CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS REMAINS A PILLAR EVENT OF EVERYTHING  THAT HAPPENS IN THE BEST CITY OF THEM ALL.

NFR SO UNIVERSAL....I SAT NEXT TO A FAMILY FROM FLORIDA...A HE AND A SHE AND 3 GIRLS (BARREL RACING FANS)...FIRST TIME IN LAS VEGAS.....STILL DOING THE MATH....THATS FLYING FIVE FROM MIAMI TO  LAS VEGAS....ROOMS AND FOOD AND THAT PRETTY MUCH TIMES 18,000 FOR TEN NIGHTS IN LAS VEGAS......THIS IS MAJOR ECONOMIC IMPACT....THANKS FOR COMING.

ALSO MET A NICE YOUNG MAN FROM SEARCHLIGHT ...NEVADA.....HOME OF OUR SENIOR U S SENATOR.....COULD NOT HAVE BEEN A NICER PERSON.....BRING UP THE POINT OF THE CALIBER OF FAN AT THIS EVENT.   WHEN COVERING BOXING HERE ......OFTEN AS MANY AS 20 OFF DUTY POLICE OFFICERS WERE EMPLOYED FOR SECURITY (AND NEEDED)......NOT HERE...DID NOT SEE A POLICE OFFICER ALL WEEK.....NOT NEEDED.....ALL AMERICAN (AND CANADIAN) CROWD.....WELL MANNERED ...IN CONTROL....SAFE. 

I DID FIND A NEGATIVE OR TWO....AND ITS THE EXPLANATION OF THE  RULES AND MECHANICS OF THE EVENTS....OFTEN QUESTIONS COME TO MIND ABOUT RERIDES....PENALTIES AND SCORING AND I AM FIRST TOO ADMIT I DO NOT HAVE THE ANSWERS....I DO HAVE THE QUESTIONS.....I REALIZE WITH THE SPEED OF HOW FAST THEY RUN OUT THE CONTESTANS TIME IS LIMITED...BUT IN LEIU OF THAT AWFUL LOUD NOISE THAT IS PLAYED DURING THE CONTEST SOME CLARIFICATION OF THE OBVIOUS QUESTIONS COULD BE COVERED.....THERE IS NO CHARGE FOR MY INPUT ON HOW TO IMPROVE AN ALREADY GREAT EVENT.

CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF THIS .....THURSDAY NIGHT...... AMAZINGLY 3 BAREBACK RIDERS WERE THROWN OFF AFTER A WEEK WERE NEARLY NONE WERE...HUNTER CURE OF HOLIDAY TEXAS...3.8 ...TOPS IN STEER WRESTLING....TREVOR BRAZILE....THE WORLDS CHAMPION JUST SO GOOD AT WHATEVER HE DOES A 4.3 IN THE TEAM ROPING....IT REMAINS GREAT TO SOMEONE SO GO AT WHAT THEY DO.  JAKE WRIGHT OF MILFORD UTAH SADDLE BRONC WINNER ON THIS NIGHT....HE IS ONE OF THREE BROTHERS WHO COMPETE.....MRS WRIGHT HAVING MADE A SOLID CONTRIBUTION TO THIS YEARS NFR FINALS...TYE DOWN ROPING WON BY RYAN JARRET.....THIS AMONG MY FAVORITE EVENTS WITH HORSE SPEED...COWBOY SPEED....STRENGHT...TIMING AND LUCK BIG FACTORS....BARREL RACING ON THUSDAY SAW A GREAT NIGHT FOR THE BARRELS AS MANY FAILED TO REMAIN UPRIGHT...TYLER JACOB WHO RAN 13.37 AND 13.47....ON THE TWO PREVIOUS NIGHTS MANAGED TO KICK ONE OVER ON THIS TRIP.....AND THE BULLS HAD A GREAT NIGHT................ OPENING 8 AND 0 ....AND FINISHING 12 AND 3.

LOVE THE PROGRAM WHICH CONTAINS MORE NUMBERS THAN THOSE IN EINSTEINS HEAD....SO MUCH I DON'T HAVE TIME THE REST OF MY LIFE TO ABSORB IT BUT I AM WORKING ON IT.....LOVE THE HOME TOWNS OF THESE GUYS...ALWAYS HAVE AND ALTHO WE IN VERDIGRE NEBRASKA HAVE NEVER HAD A FINALIST.........VALENTINE, NEBRASKA DOES AND SO  DOES OELRICHS, SOUTH DAKOTA LESS THAN 90 MINUTES FROM MY HOME TOWN.....DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING BUT I TAKE MY OLD COWBOY HAT OFF THE PROGRAM STAFF AND THEIR BRILLIANT UPDATES.

TWO MORE ROUNDS TO GO.....SEE YA THERE TONIGHT.

102 A+ A+