Missouri Valley College Rodeo head coach Ken Mason had good reason to be ecstatic Thursday night.

According to Prorodeo.com, three Valley cowboys finished 1-2-3 in the eighth round of the bareback-riding competition at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo taking place in Arlington, Texas.

Current senior Jesse Pope, a native of Waverly, Kansas, won the round with a score of 89 aboard “Xplosive Skies.” Valley grad and three-time World Champion Tim O’Connell, who is originally from Zwingle, Iowa, and is a current Marshall resident, finished second with an 85.5 on “Mr. Harry.” Tying for third was Valley grad and Granite Falls, Minnesota, native Tanner Aus- a former National Champion in the event- with an 85 on “Soap Bubbles.”

Pope now leads in the average at the NFR with a 681 in eight rides. O’Connell, who claimed world titles in 2016-18, is now second in the average at 675.5. O’Connell won Round 4. Kaycee Feild is third in the average at 671.0, with Aus climbing to fourth with a 664.5.

With his winnings from Thursday, O’Connell now has a little more than a $36,000 lead over Feild in the 2020 money standings. O’Connell has earned $212,183.63 to Feild’s $176,109.55. Aus is third with $142,802.42 earned and Pope fifth at $132,028.51.

Round 9 is tonight. Pope is scheduled to be aboard “Night Star”; O’Connell “Mucho Dinero”; and Aus “Painted Smoke”.

The final round is Saturday night.

Photo contributed: Tanner Aus (left), Tim O’Connell (center) and Jesse Pope.