Cowboy flips over performance

RENO- After securing a time of 4.8 seconds in Monday's steer wrestling competition of the Reno Rodeo, Johnny Silva jumped up and turned a cartwheel in the arena.

"I saw the clock when I got up then I got the gigglies," explained the steer wrestler from Cody, Wyo.

He earned the highest score of the evening, but it will be averaged in with his first run of more than 10 seconds.

"I drew a pretty good steer tonight," he said. "I doubt we'll place, but it made me feel good."

It made the rodeo clown Flint Rasmussen feel good, too.

"We need more of that in rodeo," he said.

Austin's Luke Lancaster didn't score.

Canadian Glen O'Neill received 85 points for his saddle bronc ride on Toddy Mountain, who is the son of Classic Toddy.

Billy Etbauer's leading 90-point ride was scored Sunday on Classic Toddy.

"(Toddy Mountain) is a horse that's been around a few years, he's a good draw," O'Neill said. "A lot of people say the horse is 50 percent of it.

"I think it's 60 percent of the ride. The better horse you've got, the better ride you make."

Jess Jones wasn't as fortunate. In his first-ever ride in the Reno Rodeo, the Spring Creek cowboy scored a disappointing 68 points in the saddle bronc competition.

He had a second chance in the bull riding competition but was bucked off before the buzzer.

However, his enthusiasm for the Reno Rodeo was not dampened.

"I'll come back every year they let me," he said. "It's always worth it."

Contact Teri Vance at tvance@nevadaappeal.com or at 881-1272.