North Platte, Neb. (June 16, 2017) – The lead in the bareback riding at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo in North Platte was set on Wednesday night, with Canadian cowboy Orin Larsen scoring 83.5 points.

But on Friday night, two cowboys, both ranked in the top ten in the PRCA’s world standings, moved into second and four place, after the third of four rodeo performances.

Bill Tutor, Huntsville, Texas, is ranked fifth in the PRCA’s world standings and made an 82.5 point ride aboard Beutler and Son Rodeo’s Bell Star, a five-year-old mare. “She was really good,” he said of the horse. “She kicked good, and gave you some hang time to show your capability. I was really pleased” with the ride.

Tutor, who is 25 years old, has more incentive than usual for rodeo this year. He finished the 2016 season in sixteenth place, one hole and about $1,500 from qualifying for what would have been his first Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, the super bowl of pro rodeo. Even though he didn’t make to the WNFR, being so close boosted his self-assurance. “I think, last year, coming so close gave me confidence, and that’s helped me a lot. Instead of showing up (at a rodeo) and hoping for the best, you show up, and you’re ready to win, you know you can win.”

Evan Jayne slipped into fourth place after an 81.5 point ride on Beutler and Son Rodeo’s Nutrena’s Rage, and he had to hustle to do it. “That was tough,” he said of his ride. “That horse is so little, for a guy like me, it’ shard to get a hold of her. Right out of the gate, she got me set off a little bit, and I felt like I was chasing the ride the whole time. I didn’t ride 100 percent, but she made up for it. She was snappy.”

Jayne, who makes his home outside of Dallas, is ranked seventh in the world standings. He’s competed at the WNFR in 2015 and 2016.

His world was nearly upended in February when he and his wife’s four year old daughter had a brain aneurysm. Jayne was about to get on his bareback horse at the San Antonio, Texas rodeo when his wife Kristin called; their daughter was to have surgery in the morning. He packed up his belongings and made the four hour trip back to Dallas with his traveling partner doing the driving. “I couldn’t even drive, I was so upset.” His daughter, who he calls “a survivor”, will make a full recovery but it will take upwards of a year.

Jayne grew up knowing he wanted to be a cowboy, but he went about it in a non-traditional way. He grew up in a small town outside Marseilles, France, vowing he’d get to the U.S. to be a cowboy. He became a foreign exchange student, and got lucky enough to be chosen by a rodeo family in Texas. They made sure he got some rodeo experience, taking him to rodeo schools and high school rodeo. After that, Jayne got a student visa and attended Sam Houston State University on a rodeo scholarship. That was in nineteen years ago, and he’s won over half a million dollars throughout his rodeo career.

Other fast times and high scores from the Friday night performance are steer wrestler Brett Gumb, Burwell, Neb. (5.4 seconds), tie-down roper Cade Swor, Winnie, Texas (9.4 seconds), saddle bronc rider Brody Cress, Hillsdale, Wyo. (84.5 points), team ropers Travis Warren, Mullen, Neb. and TW Wilson, Limon, Colo. (7.8 seconds) and barrel racer Britta Thiel, Belle Fourche, S.D. (17.52 seconds). In the bull riding, three men made qualified rides: Trevor Kastner’s 87 point ride leads the pack, with Pleasanton, Neb.’s Bart Miller coming in second (84 points) and Nate Perry with 73.

The final night of rodeo in North Platte wraps up on Saturday, June 17 when champions will be crowned and custom engraved buckles awarded to winners. The big rodeo parade takes place on Saturday at 12 noon; it is the official parade for Nebraska’s sesquicentennial celebration and will be aired live on the Gray Television stations across Nebraska (KNEP-Scottsbluff, KNOP and KNPL-North Platte, KGIN-Grand Island, KSNB-Hastings, KOLN-Lincoln, WOWT-Omaha.)

For more information, visit www.NEBRASKAlandDays.com.

Results, 3rd Performance June 17, 2016
North Platte, Nebraska – Buffalo Bill Rodeo

Bareback Riding
1. Bill Tutor, Huntsville, Texas 82.5 points on Bell Star; 2. Evan Jayne, Marseille, France, 81.5; 3. Chad Rutherford, Lake Charles, La. 80.5; 4. Wyatt Bloom, Bend, Ore. 77.

Steer Wrestling 2nd go round
1. Brett Gumb, Burwell, Neb. 5.4 seconds; 2. Coltin Hill, Blackfoot Ida. 6.8; 3. Riley Krassin, Lander, Wyo. 9.1; 4. Del Ray Kraupie, Bridgeport, Neb. 14.1.

Tie Down Roping 2nd go round
1. Cade Swor, Winnie, Texas 9.4 seconds; 2. Cody Nye, Alliance, Neb. 12.2; 3. Dane Kissack, Spearfish, S.D. 12.3; 4. Braxton Laughlin, Westlake, La. 23.0.

Saddle Bronc Riding
1. Brody Cress, Hillsdale, Wyo. 84.5 on Nutrena’s Little Angel; 2. Roper Kiesner, Ripley, Okla. 75.5; 3. Leon Fountain, Socorro, N.M. 74.5; 4. Triston Eklund, Valentine, Neb. 73.

Team Roping
1. Travis Warren, Mullen, Neb./TW Wilson, Limon, Colo. 7.8 seconds; 2. Peyton Holliday, Chouteau, Okla./Kingston Chang, Dodge City, Kan. 12.1; 3. Ty Daniel Haller, Decatur, Texas/Wesley Moss, Paradise, Texas 15.3; 4. Levi O’Keeffe, Mohall, N.D./Jade Nelson, Midland, S.D. 15.4.

Barrel Racing
1. Britta Thiel, Belle Fourche, S.D. 17.52 seconds; 2. Hailey Kinsel, Cotulla, Texas 17.63; 3. Carrie Sutton, Ashby, Neb. 17.94; 4. Carol Ruggieri, Pueblo, Colo. 18.13.

Bull Riding
1. Trevor Kastner, Sulphur, Okla. 87 points on No. 317; 2. Bart Miller, Pleasanton, Neb. 84; 3. Nate Perry, Elk City, Okla. 73; no other qualified rides.

** All results are unofficial.