Long No. 2 in bull riding

Adriano Long nodded his head, and the gate to the chute flung open. Out charged the large tan colored bull he rode upon. It tried with all its might to buck Long from its back. But with white knuckles, muscle strength and sheer willpower, Long was able to hold on even after the buzzer rang out.

Long's performance on Saturday landed him in second place for the Bull Riding competition overall during the 2013 Yuma Jaycees Silver Spur Rodeo at the Yuma County Fairgrounds.Long, with 80 points, trails Terrance Granger, who remained in first place with 84 points. Granger earned the top spot during his ride Friday night. He did not compete Saturday, but will return to the arena Sunday for a final showdown with Long.

In addition to Bull Riding on Saturday, many cowboys and cowgirls competed for a chance at glory in the dust and mud of the arena in other categories. The competitions included bareback riding, tie down roping, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, team roping, barrel racing and bull riding.

Some did well in front of the crowd packing the bleachers, while others fell short in their quest for championship belt buckles.

All in all, the competition Saturday was “really strong, really good,” said John Kissel, a rodeo expert who has both competed in and judged rodeo events in the past. “A lot of the guys have commented to me about this being one of the best rodeos in the Turquoise Circuit.”

The excellent showmanship combined with pleasant weather to draw a large crowd to the event, Kissel added.

“Today was a good turnout. It was sunny. It wasn't quite as cold as it was yesterday.”

The contestants will return Sunday at 1 p.m. to give all they've got for a win. The competition will be fierce, Kissel said.

“A lot of the guys, especially the ones that didn't do well in the first go round in the timed events, they know they have to be quicker. They are going to put the pressure on and let it all loose, and try to beat everybody. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.”

The last performance “is always the contestant's choice of when to compete because they know what they have to do,” Kissel continued. “So it should be a good performance.”

For more information about the rodeo, call Yuma Jaycees at 344-5451.

Chris McDaniel can be reached at cmcdaniel@yumasun.com, 539-6849 or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/YSCMcDaniel