Missouri Valley College graduate and Marshall resident Tim O’Connell has won back-to-back titles as the PRCA World Champion Bareback Rider and is looking to make it three-in-a-row at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas.
According to prorodeo.com, the Zwingle, Iowa, native scored an 86 to tie for fifth in the fifth round of the 10-round competition last night. Currently, O’Connell has one first-place finish which occurred in Round 3 on December 8, when he scored a 88.5.
In tonight’s Round 6, O’Connell is scheduled to ride the horse named “True Grit.”
The final round is scheduled for Saturday, December 15.
Also, O’Connell currently is atop the 2018 World Standings for bareback riding, holding a lead by about $13,000 over the next-closest cowboy. O’Connell will capture his third straight world title if he can finish the year with the most money earned after the Wrangler NFR.