LAS VEGAS - Letcher's Jill Moody had a memorable start to the National Finals Rodeo on Thursday.
The South Dakota cowgirl posted a time of 14 seconds in winning the first round of barrel racing. She also moved into third place in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association standings with $101,803.
Overall leader Brittany Pozzi-Pharr (Victoria, Texas) was second in a time of :14.01 during the opening round, upping her season earnings to $177,477.
Oelrichs' Lisa Lockhart placed sixth in barrel racing after a :14.31-clocking.
Cody Demoss, who is from Heflin, La., had an 85-point ride to win the first round of the saddle bronc. He moved from third to first in the overall standings with $127,474.
"Usually we just try to struggle through, and today that was just a really good horse," DeMoss said. "I'm just tickled pink. I'm ready to go now."
Belvidere's Jeff Willert and Edmond, Okla., cowboy Billy Etbauer, a Huron-native, tied for third. Both riders posted 84s. Jesse Bail of Camp Crook was 12th at 71.5.
Defending saddle bronc world champion Chad Ferley, of Oelrichs, got bucked off and did not post a score.
In bareback riding, Jason Jeter of Mansfield, Texas, won with 86.5 points on Coconut Roll. He returned to the NFR after having his five-year streak broken last year.
"I've never done it (placed first during the opening round of the NFR) before," Jeter said. "I hope I win the second round, too, because I've never won that before, either. I think that every round I've ever won has been the third round. I've won second in a bunch of rounds, and I think I have won four rounds and it's always been in the third round."
Rapid City's Scott Montague had a good ride, tying for third with a score of 84.5 on Good Time Charlie.
Wade Sumpter took the world lead in steer wrestling after a first-round victory. Sumpter, from Fowler, Colo., won with a time of 3.5 seconds to move from fifth to first in the PRCA standings with $109,677.
"You've always got a shot here," Sumpter said. "They give away so much money and you never know what's going to happen. You can come from a long way behind and win lots of money."
Highmore's Jake Rinehart competed in the event, but he was unable to post a time.
In bull riding, J.W. Harris of May, Texas, placed first with a score of 89 on Lights Out. Standings leader and defending champion B.J. Schumacher of Hillsboro, Wis., lasted 7.1 seconds on Savage Shaker and didn't score during the first round. His season's earnings total is $158,752.
The tie-down roping event saw Cody Ohl of Hico, Texas, place first with a time of :7.6. Trevor Brazile of Decatur, Texas, still has the season lead with $132,539, but he didn't place after a time of 13.9 in the opening round. Brazile is trying to become the first competitor since Roy Cooper in 1983 to win four gold buckles. He has already won the steer roping world championship, leads both the tie-down roping and all-around standings and entered the NFR 10th in team roping.
Travis Tryan of Billings, Mont., and Michael Jones of Stephenville, Texas, won the team roping in 4.3 seconds.
The second of 10 rounds will be contested today at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.
