By TED HARBIN
LAS VEGAS – His motor’s running now.
D.V. Fennell knew he’d have to overcome the nerves and commotion that comes with a first-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualification. Even though he’d never played on the biggest stage in the sport, he’s been around long enough to know its affect on the players.
“We’re just getting started,” Fennell said Friday.
Born in Utah, Fennell is an Oklahoma-raised cowboy now living in Neosho, Mo.
“I was more me today,” he said. “Yesterday, they ran in one of those nice horses under me. You make your first NFR, and you’re ready to nod your head on a man-eater, and she sat down and twitched her ears at me. Looking back I made a good ride yesterday, but it just didn’t fit right.”
During Friday night’s second go-round at the Thomas & Mack Center, the 36-year-old Fennell matched moves with the Stace Smith Pro Rodeos horse R.D. Mercer for 85 points, good enough to tie Wes Stevenson of Lubbock, Texas, for second place, four points behind round winner Kacey Field of Elk Ridge, Utah.
“That old horse wallowed around in there and plumb wore me out,” said Fennell, who pocketed $11,887. “I wanted a five-minute break, but he finally got out there just fine. That’s a great horse. You’ve got to tip your hat to Stace Smith on that one.”
R.D. Mercer in the past has been voted the best horse at the finals.
“Today I had one I knew, and I knew if I didn’t take the fight to this one, I was going to be digging sand out of my teeth,” Fennell said. “Yesterday I just nodded my head and it just happened. But I had my fighting pants on today.”
Fennell was raised in southeastern Oklahoma. After competing at Vernon (Texas) Regional College, he was part of the college championship team at Southwestern Oklahoma State University. Over his career, he’s traveled the rodeo trail with some of the best in the game. In the 1990s, he partnered with world champions Eric Mouton (1997), Mark Gomes (1998) and Jeff Collins (2000).
Over the past decade, he’s driven hundreds of thousands of miles with Justin McDaniel of Porum, the reigning world champ. He’s competed at small rodeos and large, ridden a rank bareback horse for 90 points just to win a $500 paycheck and spurred others for the big dollars in front of thousands of fans.
So qualifying for his first NFR at 36 years old is a matter of perspective.
“A good friend sent me a text message that says it all: ‘I’m here for God’s glory, so sit back and enjoy the ride,’ ” he said. “I’ve already gotten my $1,200 a day for being here, so anything else I get is just a bonus.
“If you asked me if this is one of the greatest things to ever happen to me when I was 19, I would’ve said yes. But now, there’s a not more important things in my life than rodeo. I’ve got a beautiful wife and two beautiful kids.”
But rodeo is how Fennell makes his living, and he knows the big bucks and the big stage of the NFR are where he can best take care of his family financially.
“As long as I’m rodeoing full time, I won’t miss thing again,” he said.
[...] LAS VEGAS – His motor’s running now. D.V. Fennell knew he’d have to overcome the nerves and commotion that comes with a first-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualification. Even though he’d never played on the biggest stage in the sport, he’s been around long enough to know its affect on the players. “We’re just getting started,” Fennell said Friday. Born in Utah, Fennell is an Oklahoma-raised cowboy now living in Neosho, Mo. “I was more me today,” he said. “Yesterday, they ran in one of those nice horses under me. You make your first NFR, and you’re ready to nod your head on a man-eater, and she sat down and twitched her ears at me. Looking back I made a good ride yesterday, but it just didn’t fit right.” (read more) [...]