LAS VEGAS (AP) Bull rider Sage Kimzey became the wealthiest rookie in the history of National Finals Rodeo after placing second during the fifth round Monday.
Kimzey, from Strong City, Oklahoma, broke Steve Woolsey's rookie earnings record for a full season (any event) of $197,646 when he earned $15,018 in round five to increase his world standings-leading total to $207,528.
Joe Frost of Randlett, Utah, and Kimzey claimed the top two places, respectively, in round five and now occupy the top two positions in the NFR aggregate standings.
Frost won round five with an 89 on Bottle Rocket. Kimzey placed second with an 87 on Hou's American Ride,
Kimzey leads the standings with 338 points on four rides. Frost is second with 329 points on four rides. They are the only two riders to complete four successful rides.
Kimzey leads the world standings with $207,528 while Trey Benton III of Rock Island, Texas, is second with $159,874 after finishing fourth with an 86 on Nashville. Frost is fourth with $123,500.
Kimzey is attempting to become the second bull rider to win the world championship during his rookie season. The only first-year rider to win a gold buckle was Bill Kornell in 1963.
In bareback riding, NFR rookie Richmond Champion of The Woodlands, Texas, won round five with an 88.5 on Dirty Jacket, the horse he rode for 91 points at Cheyenne Frontier Days. It was the first NFR win for Champion.
Dirty Jacket has the two highest-scored bareback rides of the season. Steven Dent of Mullen, Nebraska, rode Dirty Jacket on the second-highest scoring ride.
''I just wanted to mark him (Dirty Jacket) out good, and I knew the rest would take care of itself,'' Champion said. ''He's a great athlete, just incredible. In the chute, you can feel every muscle he's got. He's like a spring that's compressed. I've yet to be on another horse that feels like that.''
Three-time world champion Kaycee Feild of Spanish Fork, Utah, passed the $200,000 mark and is now in first place in the world standings with $200,274 after placing fifth with an 84.5 on Mucho Dinero during round five.
Steven Peebles of Redmond, Oregon, who was doctor-released out of the remainder of the NFR due to a mid-thoracic spine compression fracture suffered on Craig at Midnight in round three, remains second with $145,932. Austin Foss of Terrebonne, Oregon, is third in the standings with $143,405.
Justin McDaniel of Porum, Oklahoma, leads the NFR aggregate standings with 421.5 points for five rides after finishing third with an 86 on Trail Dust.
In steer wrestling, four-time world champion Luke Branquinho of Los Alamos, California, tied for fourth in a time of 4.2 and held onto first place in both the world and NFR aggregate standings.
Branquinho tops the world standings with $128,976 and leads the aggregate with a time of 19.10 over five rounds.
Nick Guy of Sparta, Wisconsin, who was first in the world standings before Branquinho took over the lead in round four, finished third with a time of 4.00 for round four. Guy is now second in both the world ($124,341) and aggregate (time of 22.10 for five rounds) standings.
Branquinho injured his right arm July 18 and was sidelined until the NFR's opening round. Despite being sidelined, Branquinho is now only $25,722 from becoming the seventh individual to win $1 million in career earnings at the NFR.
Trevor Knowles of Mount Vernon, Oregon, entered the NFR first in the world standings but now is third after finishing second in 3.90 for the fifth round. He has earned $123,066 in 2014.
Curtis Cassidy of Canada won round five in a personal-best time of 3.3.
In team roping, header Coleman Proctor of Pryor, Oklahoma, and heeler Jake Long of Coffeyville, Kansas, won round five in a time of 4.10.
Header Clay Tryan of Billings, Montana, and heeler Jade Corkill, of Fallon, Nevada, didn't place among the top six with a time of 11.40 but remained first in the world standings. Tryan and Corkill, the defending world champions, each have made $139,144 in 2014. They also are second in the NFR aggregate standings with a time of 39.30 for five rounds.
Header Jake Barnes and heeler Junior Nogueira, both of Scottsdale, Arizona, lead the NFR aggregate standings with a time of 33.60 for five rounds after placing fifth in round five with a time of 5.90.
In saddle bronc riding, Wade Sundell of Boxholm, Iowa, took first with an 87 on Son of Sadie.
NFR rookie Spencer Wright of Milford, Utah, who didn't place with a 78.5 on Maple Leaf in round five, remained in first place in the NFR aggregate standings with a score of 401.5 points for five rides.
Cort Scheer of Elsmere, Nebraska, who didn't place among the top six with a 72 on Big John, remains second in the standings with $139,499, very close behind leader Taos Muncy of Corona, New Mexico, who also didn't earn a check with a 79 on Roulette in round five.
Muncy remains first in the world standings with $141,437.
In tie-down roping, Adam Gray of Seymour, Texas, won round five in a time of 7.3.
Two-time world champion Tuf Cooper of Decatur, Texas, is first in the world standings with $164,652 and took over the lead in the aggregate standings with a time of 41.60 for five rounds after finishing fifth in 8.4.
Trevor Brazile of Decatur, Texas, didn't place among the top six with a time of 18.70 but remained second in the world standings with $131,854. Brazile dropped from first to fifth in the aggregate standings with a time of 51.10 for five rounds.
In barrel racing, Fallon Taylor of Whitesboro, Texas, increased her world standings-leading total to $195,834 after placing second in round five in a time of 13.85.
Lisa Lockhart of Oelrichs, South Dakota, with $173,261 in earnings after tying for third in 13.88, is second in the world standings and first in the NFR aggregate standings race with a time of 70.69 for five rides.
Taylor is second in the aggregate standings with a time of 75.11 for five rounds.
Michelle McLeod of Whitesboro, Texas, won round five in 13.66 and claimed her first NFR victory.
In all-around, Brazile, who secured his record-setting ninth straight all-around crown and 21st gold buckle in round three, has now earned $369,015 after placing fourth in team roping in 4.50 with header Travis Graves of Jay, Oklahoma, during round five.
