LAS VEGAS (AP) Trevor Brazile's tie-down roping victory allowed him to claim his record 13th all-around world championship and 23rd gold buckle in the sixth round of the National Finals Rodeo on Tuesday night.
Brazile, of Decatur, Texas, who leads the world standings with $382,203 in earnings in steer roping, tie-down roping and team roping, knocked his closest competitor, JoJo LeMond out of contention with his tie-down roping win.
LeMond of Andrews, Texas, is second with $193,800 in the roping events.
Brazile helped his own cause for gaining a third gold buckle in tie-down roping by winning in a round six record time of 6.6 (breaking the mark of 6.9 shared by Matt Shiozawa and Marty Yates, both in 2014). He also was victorious in the opening round with a time of 6.8.
In total, Brazile now has 61 NFR round victories, including 17 in tie-down roping.
Brazile's brother-in-law, defending three-time world champion Tuf Cooper of Decatur, Texas, placed third with a time of 6.9. Cooper is first in the world standings with $169,784 while second-place Brazile has earned $161,209.
''I'm as pumped about the 6.6 as I was the all-around championship because I was close in the calf roping (tie-down roping world standings) and good in the average (aggregate standings),'' Brazile said. ''And usually the position I come in the all-around doesn't allow me to take chances and risks like that, but now I'm trying to win that calf roping world championship, and it takes that kind of stuff. When you're protecting a lead sometimes, you don't get to do stuff like that.''
Caleb Smidt of Bellville, Texas, tied for fifth in 7.8 and is the aggregate standings leader with a time of 48.7 for six head.
In steer wrestling, Hunter Cure of Holliday, Texas, the 2013 world champion, is now in the world standings lead with $157,745 after placing second in 3.6.
Clayton Hass of Terrell, Texas, won round six in a time of 3.5 and is now second in the world standings with $157,642. He also was victorious in round three after going winless as a rookie in the 2014 NFR.
''This is just like every other rodeo; we have to back in there and try and win first.'' Hass said. ''When I draw opportunities to win, I have to take advantage of it and win all that I can, and that's what I did tonight.''
Trevor Knowles of Mount Vernon, Oregon, who tied for fourth place in 4.3, became the NFR aggregate standings leader with a time of 25.8 over six rounds.
In bareback riding, first and second place in the world standings didn't change in round six as four-time world and defending champion Kaycee Feild of Spanish Fork, Utah, and Steven Peebles of Redmond, Oregon, didn't place among the top six. Feild scored a 72.5 on Dilly Bar while Peebles tallied 79.5 on Raggidy Ann. Feild leads the world standings with $208,002 while Peebles is second with $188,768.
Peebles still leads the NFR aggregate standings with 501 points over six rides and is first among all NFR competitors with $95,356 in prize money. Feild is second in the aggregate with 484 points over six rides.
Jake Brown of Hillsboro, Texas, won round six with an 85.5 on Painted River. It was the first time that Brown placed among the top six and earned a check at the 2015 NFR.
In team roping, header Aaron Tsinigine and heeler Ryan Motes of Weatherford, Texas, moved toward the world standings lead when they tied for first in a time of 3.9 with header Nick Sartain of Dover, Oklahoma, and heeler Rich Skelton of Llano, Texas, in round six.
Tsinigine is now second in the header world standings with $169,710 while Motes is third among heelers with $168,579. They are second in the aggregate standings with a time of 33.3 for six rounds. Header Erich Rogers of Round Rock, Arizona and heeler Cory Petska of Marana, Arizona, lead the aggregate in a time of 28.4 in six tries.
Header Derrick Begay, of Seba Dalkai, Arizona, and heeler Clay O'Brien Cooper, of Gardnerville, Nevada, are each first in the standings with $180,810 for Begay and $181,930 for Cooper. They did not record a time during round six.
In saddle bronc riding, Jacobs Crawley of Boerne, Texas, remained in the world standings lead for a third straight round even though he didn't place among the top six in round six with a 74 on Look Again. He has earned $193,324.
Crawley is now second in the aggregate standings with 492.5 points over six rides. He drops from first to second, as Wade Sundell of Coleman, Oklahoma, is now first with 493 points for six rides after placing third with an 80 on Rubels.
Isaac Diaz of Desdemona, Texas, won round six and gained his first-ever NFR victory in 46 rounds with an 83 on Vitalix Hell's Fire Hostage.
In barrel racing, Lisa Lockhart of Oelrichs, South Dakota, remained the world standings leader by finishing third in 13.92 in round six. The defending aggregate champion has earned $246, 982 and remains first in the NFR aggregate standings with a time of 83.35 over six rides.
Sarah Rose McDonald of Brunswick, Georgia, and Taylor Jacob of Carmine, Texas, tied for first in round five with times of 13.91.
In bull riding, defending world and aggregate champ Sage Kimzey of Strong City, Oklahoma, increased his world standings lead by finishing third with an 82 on Red Rocket in round six. Kimzey has earned $229,870 while Cody Teel of Kountze, Texas, moves into second in the world standings with $175,518 after finishing second with an 84.5 on Page Break.
Teel leads the aggregate standings with 405.5 points for five rides and is the lone rider with five successful rides.
Brett Stall of Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, won round six with an 87 on Gold Buckle. It was the first time that he finished among the top six at the 2015 NFR.
