LAS VEGAS — Miles City roper Haven Meged appears to be finding his groove at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.
After failing to place during the first four nights at the Thomas & Mack Center, Meged won his first go-round in tie-down roping Tuesday night, the second straight round in which he's placed.
Meged finished with a run of 6.9 seconds to win the round and claim a check for $33,687. Meged, the 2019 world champion and last year's average winner, took second place Monday night in Round 5.
Meanwhile, Circle-area native Lisa Lockhart also placed for the second straight night in barrel racing.
Lockhart and her horse Levee were timed in 13.72 seconds in Round 6, which placed them fourth to earn $14,127. Lockhart, of Oelrichs, S.D., also took fourth on Monday after failing to place in the first four rounds.
All-time great Kassie Mowry, of Dublin, Texas, had a blazing run of 13.25 seconds to win her third consecutive barrel racing round. It's so far the fastest time at this NFR.
Elsewhere, Melstone's Sage Newman collected his third check of the NFR with an 85.5 score in bareback riding aboard the Cervi Brothers' Mike Honcho, which earned fifth-place and $8,639. It was the third time Newman placed fifth in the first six rounds.
The Round 6 winner was Statler Wright of Beaver Utah, with a score of 87.5.
Bull rider Chase Dougherty, an ex-Montana State University cowboy from Canby, Ore., rode Big Stone Rodeo Inc.'s Cherry Bomb to an 85.5 score to finish in fifth and capture an $8,693 check.
The bull riding winner was Josh Frost of Randlett, Utah, who had a score of 90.
Columbus' Weston Timberman was first out of the gate in bareback riding in Round 6, and the Resistol rookie of the year came through with an 86-point ride atop Diamond G Rodeo's Good Girl. That was good enough for sixth place and a $5,433 check.
Stevensville's Richmond Champion scored 84 points on Korkow Rodeos' I Fly Plane but finished out of the bareback money in a tie for ninth place. The winner was Rocker Steiner of Weatherford, Texas, with an 89-point ride.
In steer wrestling, a 4.4-second run from Helena's Ty Erickson wasn't swift enough for a check in Round 6, and he placed seventh. Former Montana State rodeo team member Jesse Brown of Baker City, Ore., also placed outside of the top six with a time of 4.5 seconds.
Canadian Scott Guenthner was the go-round winner in steer wrestling with a run of 3.8 seconds.
In a team roping round that saw five sub-four-second times, header Brenten Hall of Jay, Okla., and heeler Kaden Profili of Jacksonville, Texas, prevailed with a clocking of 3.5.
The 2024 National Finals rodeo continues with Round 7 on Wednesday night at the Thomas & Mack Center.
