Oct. 17, 2011
LANCASTER, Calif. – While Luke Branquinho filled in a gap in his career rèsumè by winning the Ram California Circuit Finals Rodeo Oct. 14-16, he didn’t come any closer to making a decision on which horse to ride when he goes after his third steer wrestling gold buckle at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in six weeks.
Branquinho’s best horse, Spider Man, was sick last spring and again over the Fourth of July run, and while he was good enough to get Branquinho checks in all three rounds and the win in the average at the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds, he didn’t seem to have his full Spidey powers.
“I started using him again at Nampa (Idaho, in late July), and he wasn’t close to 100 percent,” Branquinho said. “Even now, he’s not 100 percent. I don’t want to go to the NFR with a horse if I have any doubts, and it’s definitely in the back of my mind.”
Branquinho is leaning toward using his second horse, Gunner, but he has other options for Las Vegas. He alternated using Les Shepperson’s horses, Dillon and Rocket, over the Fourth of July week and earned $16,203. He won the Greeley (Colo.) Independence Stampede on Dillon.
He’s got time to figure it out. For now, Branquinho is just going to relax at home in Los Alamos and enjoy the bump in confidence he got from this fifth win of the season. He’s going to compete in San Francisco this weekend, then skip Kansas City (where he won a year ago) to spend more time with wife, Lindsay, and sons, Cade and Jameson.
Oddly, it was his first win in the RCCFR to go with seven California Circuit year-end titles (2001-02, 2004, 2006-09) – equal to the record set by ProRodeo Hall of Famer John W. Jones Jr. (1984, 1990-91, 1993, 1995, 1997-98).
“It’s always great to win any place,” Branquinho said, “but it’s really nice to win this rodeo after so many years. I’ve qualified every year since 1999, and I’ve had so many chances. It’s nice to finally win the thing after 13 years.”
The other winners at the RCCFR were bareback rider Danny Webb (240 points on three head), team ropers Blaine Linaweaver and Jake Twisselman (19.3 seconds on three head), saddle bronc rider Mert Bradshaw (245 on three head), tie-down roper Ryle Smith (28.9 seconds on three head), bull rider Keith Roquemore (167 points on two head) and barrel racer Linda Vick (53.02 seconds on three runs).
Couretsy: http://prorodeo.com/Story.