Missouri Valley College graduate and Marshall resident Tim O’Connell has won back-to-back titles as the PRCA World Champion Bareback Rider. He currently is competing at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, and is in good position to three-peat.
According to prorodeo.com, the Zwingle, Iowa, native scored an 86.5 aboard a horse named “True Grit” during Round 6 of the 10-round event Tuesday night. However, he did not earn any prize money, finishing seventh. O’Connell won Round 3 on December 8 with an 88.5.
Round 7 is tonight, and O’Connell is scheduled to be riding a horse named “Girl Crush.” The final round is scheduled for Saturday, December 15.
Right now, O’Connell sits atop the overall standings- which, according to the website, combines total prize money with projected average payout. He has earned more than $227,000- about $7,500 more than the No. 2 rider. He is fourth in the average.