For The Yakima Herald-Republic

ELLENSBURG --Consistency is definitely the name of the game in rodeo. Riding consistently in the bareback riding, saddle bronc riding and bull riding means having a controlled ride and making it to the eight-second whistle.

In the tie-down roping, consistency is catching a calf, running down a rope and making a fast tie. In the steer wrestling, it means catching a steer by the horns off of the back of a running horse, and using strength and agility to bring the steer to the ground. If that's done consistently and quickly, it pays off for the cowboys.

Two of the most consistent team ropers in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association competed here at the Ellensburg Rodeo on Friday night. Speed Williams from Amarillo, Texas, and Rich Skelton from Llano, Texas, showed rodeo fans the consistency that has earned them six world titles.

With Williams doing the heading and Skelton heeling, they stopped the clock in 5.9 seconds, just six-tenths of a second off of their time in the first round of competition. The duo won that round, is currently in the lead in the second round and the aggregate standings. They definitely have a chance to add Ellensburg Rodeo buckles to their collections. They will very likely be among the leaders that qualify for Monday's ProRodeo Tour Round.

Williams and Skelton are 12th in the ProRodeo Tour Standings and would really like to keep earning points to secure a position at the upcoming ProRodeo Challenge where $500,000 in prize money is up for grabs. Doing well here will certainly help them accomplish that goal.

Bareback riding and saddle bronc riding scores neared the 90- point marking thanks in part to horses from across the border. Cleve Schmidt, from Belle Fourche, S.D., is at the top of the leader board in the bareback riding after scoring 87 points on Grated Coconut. In the saddle bronc riding, Fearless Warrior, took Jake Costello, from Dillon, Mont., to another 87 point marking. Both of these horses made the trip here courtesy of the Calgary Stampede Rodeo string from Canada.

"That horse was outstanding," Schmidt said. "I was really happy when I found out what I'd drawn. This is exactly what I needed and it couldn't have come at a better time." All of the animals that are competed on here are selected through a random draw. There were 16 other bareback riders that could have gotten the horse.

Schmidt is also in 12th place in the tour standings. Like Skelton and Williams, he needs to earn points if he wants to make the trip to Omaha later this month to compete at the Challenge.

The second performance of the Ellensburg Rodeo will begin at 1 p.m. today. Xtreme Bulls will begin at 8 p.m.

The following are current leaders after the first performance of the Ellensburg Rodeo on Friday.

Bareback Riding: 1, Cleve Schmidt, Belle Fourche, S.D., 87 points on grated Coconut. 2, Clint Cannon, Waller, Texas, 83. 3/4, Justin Foltyn, El Campo, Texas, and Larry Sandvick, Belle Fourche, S.D., 78.

Steer Wrestling: (second round) 1, Jeremy Hardin, Cochrane, Alberta, Canada, 4.6 seconds. 2, Lynn Nieveen, Crete, Neb., 5.7. 3, Carl Seiders, Adrian, Ore., 6.3. 4, Matt Pasco, Ashcroft, B.C., 6.8. (total on two) 1, Nieveen, 10.0. 2, Harden, 10.8. 3, Matt Pasco, Ashcroft, B.C., 12.1. 4, T. W. Parker, Wendell, Idaho, 13.8.

Tie Down Roping: (second round) 1, Rick Kieckhefer, Prescott, Ariz., 8.8 seconds. 2, Mike Johnson, Henryetta, Okla., 9.5. 3, Jake Hannum, Ogden, Utah, 11.6. 4, Speed Williams, Amarillo, Texas, 11.9. (total on two) 1, Johnson, 18.3. 2, Hannum, 21.6. 3, Williams, 23.8. 4, Kieckhefer, 24.1.

Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Jake Costello, Dillon, Mont., 87 points on Fearless Warrior. 2, Jermiah Diffee, Hatfield, Ark., 80. 3, Billy Richards, Cochrane, Alberta, Canada, 78. 4, Shane Moran, Dillon, Mont., 76.

Team Roping: (second round) 1, Rich Skelton, Llano, Texas and Speed Williams, Amarillo, Texas, 5.9 seconds. 2, Dave Inman, Colfax, Wash., and Ty Bowman, Cheney, Wash., 7.5. 3, Charlie Horky, Las Vegas, Nev., and Paul Mullins, Chatsworth, Calif., 10.2. 4, Shannon Frascht, Alva, Okla., and Nick Sartain, Yukon, Okla., 11.4. (total on two only one qualified team) 1, Skelton and Williams, 11.2.

Women's Barrel Race: (second round) 1, Sherrylynn Johnson, Henryetta, Okla., 17.19. 2, Cindy Woods, Newberg, Ore., 17.37. 3, Jolee Lautaret, Kingman, Ariz., 17.46. 4, Kelly Kaminski, Bellville, Texas, 17.47. (total on two) 1/2, Woods and Dolli Lautaret, Kingman, Ariz., 34.92. 3, Jolee Lautaret, 35.04. 4, Kaminski, 35.20.

Bull Riding: 1, Robey Condra, Dayton, Texas, 84 points on Flying Five Rodeo's Cowboy. 2, Blue Stone, Ogden, Utah, 82. 3/4, Billy Burt, Missoula, Mont., and Zack Oakes, Tonasket, Wash., 79.