There were five former RodeoHouston steer wrestling champions in Super Series III — and Stockton Graves wasn’t one of them.
Perhaps he’ll be the next.
Coming off a title at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, Graves was the hottest bulldogger in the series, winning two go-rounds and finishing as the top money earner Wednesday at Reliant Stadium.
“I thought I’d been bulldogging pretty well,” Graves said. “I won San Antonio a couple weeks ago and that was a big win for me, so I’ve got things rolling a little bit and hopefully I can keep them rolling.”
Stockton was 4.7 seconds or better in all three rounds. He won the first go-round with a 4.5, posted a three-day time of 13.9 seconds and left with $7,750.
And he had to be good just to survive.
Brothers Cody Cassidy and Curtis Cassidy, the last two Houston champions, were in his bracket, along with former champs Wade Sumpter (2008), Jule Hazen (2007) and Ronnie Fields (2005).
Of the five champs in the series, only two moved on: Sumpter and Curtis Cassidy, the 2009 Houston winner. Cody Cassidy became the second defending champ eliminated before the semifinals.
Sumpter shared the win in the third go-round with Graves and finished second in the aggregate with $4,750.
Team roping header Turtle Powell, who won Houston last year with Cory Petska, joined barrel racer Sherry Cervi, who qualified in Super Series II, as the only reigning champs who’ve already advanced. (read more)
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