LAS VEGAS — Entering the 10th and final round at the National Finals Rodeo Saturday night, Luke Branquinho was in dog-fight in his attempt to take home a third world steer wrestling championship and third National Finals Rodeo aggregate title.
After his main competition, Shawn Greenfield and Jason Miller, broke the start barrier and received 10-second penalties, some of that pressure was relieved.
Branquinho, who was up last, knew he just had to make a clean run to capture the crown.
No problem.
Branquinho, a Los Alamos native and Santa Ynez High grad, finished sixth in the 10th and final round with a 4.7-second run to take home his third title.
“I pretty much put my whole life in to steer wrestling, that’s all I did,” Branquinho said Tuesday. “When that’s all you focus on all year long, it makes it that much more nice.”
But Branquinho didn’t spend too much time celebrating the victory, he was back home in Los Alamos, getting right back to work.
“We got home Sunday night, yesterday we had to run some steers in — pretty much business as usual,” Branquinho said. “Going to take a little time off this week, then start practicing again.”
Even though Branquinho has been winning world titles, he hasn’t outgrown Los Alamos or the Central Coast.
“I was born and raised here,” he said. “Charlie’s, the burger joint, has pictures up here of me and a plaque of me and the whole town is very supportive.”
Los Alamos has helped shape Branquinho into a world champion, but there’s a lot more people responsible for that as well.
“I attribute a lot of it to the family support that I have,” he said. “And also the horse power that I have. I’ve been lucky enough to ride some good horses.”
It isn’t a coincidence that Branquinho was riding the horse Gunner when he won the title in 2004.
“I was riding the same horse, Gunner from Montana, Jesse Peterson lets me ride him, I was riding him in ‘04 when I won it,” Branquinho said. “I have a better feel of how the horse is and what he’s gong to do every time.”
After Miller and Greenfield broke the start barriers, Branquinho wasn’t nervous about pulling off a clean run.
“I was more shocked, you just don’t expect that, that’s the last thing I ever expected,” he said of the faults. “I just had to make a clean run to win it.”
But Branquinho said he isn’t done with his hunt for world titles.
“Just trying to relax a little bit right now, it’s always in the back of your mind,” he said about winning another one, before adding, “In this business you have to win to make money. So if a guy wins world championships, he was one of the highest paid people. So winning is always in play.”
Branquinho made $234,518 this season. Second-place Greenfield finished with $178,420, and third-place Miller earned $177,455. At the NFR, Branquinho led with $146,779, and Greenfield was second with $98,798.
In the aggregate race, six-tenths of a second separated Miller, Greenfield and Branquinho after nine rounds, but Branquinho prevailed with a time of 41.9 for 10 rounds. Trevor Knowles of Mount Vernon, Ore., and Mickey Gee of Wichita Falls, Texas, tied for first in the round at 3.6.
“It’s a great feeling, guys work all their careers to win one and to win three is three times sweeter,” Branquinho added.
After his main competition, Shawn Greenfield and Jason Miller, broke the start barrier and received 10-second penalties, some of that pressure was relieved.
Branquinho, who was up last, knew he just had to make a clean run to capture the crown.
No problem.
Branquinho, a Los Alamos native and Santa Ynez High grad, finished sixth in the 10th and final round with a 4.7-second run to take home his third title.
“I pretty much put my whole life in to steer wrestling, that’s all I did,” Branquinho said Tuesday. “When that’s all you focus on all year long, it makes it that much more nice.”
But Branquinho didn’t spend too much time celebrating the victory, he was back home in Los Alamos, getting right back to work.
“We got home Sunday night, yesterday we had to run some steers in — pretty much business as usual,” Branquinho said. “Going to take a little time off this week, then start practicing again.”
Even though Branquinho has been winning world titles, he hasn’t outgrown Los Alamos or the Central Coast.
“I was born and raised here,” he said. “Charlie’s, the burger joint, has pictures up here of me and a plaque of me and the whole town is very supportive.”
Los Alamos has helped shape Branquinho into a world champion, but there’s a lot more people responsible for that as well.
“I attribute a lot of it to the family support that I have,” he said. “And also the horse power that I have. I’ve been lucky enough to ride some good horses.”
It isn’t a coincidence that Branquinho was riding the horse Gunner when he won the title in 2004.
“I was riding the same horse, Gunner from Montana, Jesse Peterson lets me ride him, I was riding him in ‘04 when I won it,” Branquinho said. “I have a better feel of how the horse is and what he’s gong to do every time.”
After Miller and Greenfield broke the start barriers, Branquinho wasn’t nervous about pulling off a clean run.
“I was more shocked, you just don’t expect that, that’s the last thing I ever expected,” he said of the faults. “I just had to make a clean run to win it.”
But Branquinho said he isn’t done with his hunt for world titles.
“Just trying to relax a little bit right now, it’s always in the back of your mind,” he said about winning another one, before adding, “In this business you have to win to make money. So if a guy wins world championships, he was one of the highest paid people. So winning is always in play.”
Branquinho made $234,518 this season. Second-place Greenfield finished with $178,420, and third-place Miller earned $177,455. At the NFR, Branquinho led with $146,779, and Greenfield was second with $98,798.
In the aggregate race, six-tenths of a second separated Miller, Greenfield and Branquinho after nine rounds, but Branquinho prevailed with a time of 41.9 for 10 rounds. Trevor Knowles of Mount Vernon, Ore., and Mickey Gee of Wichita Falls, Texas, tied for first in the round at 3.6.
“It’s a great feeling, guys work all their careers to win one and to win three is three times sweeter,” Branquinho added.
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