Etbauer, 47, win Horse Heaven's saddle bronc

KENNEWICK — Rodeo is generally inhabited by cowboys and cowgirls young enough to bounce (sometimes literally) back from the occasionally bone-crunching physical demands of the sport.

Ropers and barrel racers rely on precision and consistency to get to the pay window. But rough stock cowboys who compete in the bareback, saddle bronc and bull riding events often must rely on young bodies and youthful powers of recuperation.

Every "roughie" who has been in the sport for any length of time will tell you, "It's not a matter of if you're going to get hurt, but when and how bad."

Youth is an overwhelming advantage in the rough stock events, and that is precisely what makes the 23-year year career of 47-year old Billy Etbauer remarkable.

Etbauer, who was a rookie on the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association circuit in 1988, before many if not most of his competitors were born, won the saddle bronc event on the final night of the Horse Heaven Round-up at the Benton Franklin County Fairgrounds on Saturday night.

Etbauer overcame the years and 16 other saddle bronc riders with an 83-point ride on Spring Blues, edging much younger cowboys Ryan MacKenzie (82) of Jordan Valley, Oregon and Shawn Morehead (81) of Bruneau, Idaho.

"I was able to work it pretty good," Etbauer said. "I had a nice horse to ride. It's nice to just hang in there and get one rode."

Etbauer politley declined to talk about his own ride until all of the saddle bronc competitors had completed their own rides.

"Sure, I like to watch the horses," he said. "But mostly I like watchin' everyone else ride. I rodeo with these guys day-in-and-day-out."

Even at 47, Etbauer declines to put a date on the time when he might hang up his spurs..

"I guess I haven't shown the time when I'll need to quit," he said. "I've been very blessed my whole career. I love what I do, and I try to have fun."

The event that seemed to attract the most interest from the big crowd Saturday was steer wrestling in which four Mid-Columbia cowboys were entered. Kelsey Anderson of Kettle Falls won Saturday's go-round in 4.3 seconds, but Chance Garner of Pasco placed third in 5.1 and Ryan Grenell of Kennewick was fifth in 5.6. Eltopia CowboyErik Johnson and Michael Stevens of Prosser both missed their steer.

Another veteran of the Washington State High School Rodeo Association won the bull riding Saturday. Coulee Dam High Schoo graduate Shane Proctor's 89 from Thursday held up to win the event, but Wenatchee's Garrett Wolf gathered himself in the secobnd half of his ride Saturday to score 84 points to win the go-round and pace fifth overall.

"He kinda broke out with two long jumpos," Wolfe said. "But as soon as he tunred back, I felt pretty good and got a good seat."

The barrel racing provided the deepest comeptition of the night. Marana, Arizona's Sherry Cervi, the current world stangins money leader, set the pace with a time 17.46 seconds on the first run of the night.. All eight compoetitors who followed Cervi broke 18 seceonds, but the finsl two riders, Sue Smith and Kelli Tolbert, each hit a barrel.

Cervi ended up in third place over all. Brenda Mays of Terrebonne, Oregon finished second Saturday and fifth overall.

Heppner's Seth Hopper won the tie-down roping in 7.9 seconds Saturday, good for third place overall. Jake Pratt of Ellensburg placed second Saturdat in 8.1 seconds.

Clay Tryan and Ravis Graves won the team ropiong in 4.5 seconds, edging youngsters Bryce Palmer of Walla Walla and Jake Michael Minor of Ellensburg who placed second in 4.9

Bareback riders had a good night. Seven of the eight riders entered lasted the eight seconds necessary to get a score. Brian Bain of Culver, Oregon scored 80 points to win Saturday go, one point ahead of fellow Oregonian Nathan Bayes of Adrian.

This story was originally published August 29, 2010 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Etbauer, 47, win Horse Heaven's saddle bronc."