PENDLETON – A pair of 86-point saddle bronc rides and several fine bareback rides highlighted the main performance Thursday at the Pendleton Round-Up.

The 93rd annual Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association event continues today at 1:15 p.m. with the finals Saturday.

Billy J. Etbauer of Ree Heights, S.D., turned in an 86-point ride on Surprise Package and Jesse Bail of Camp Crook, S.D., posted an 86 on Dippin’ Queeny as they share the lead in the saddle bronc competition.

“I’ve seen that horse quite a few times and I’ve always wanted to ride her,” said Bail, who’s currently in fifth place in the Jack Daniel’s World Standings. “The horse felt good and I felt good on her.”

Etbauer had won the saddle bronc riding world title four times and has qualified for the National Rodeo Finals in Las Vegas for the past 14 years.

“I knew (Surprise Package) was a good horse and I was just trying to take care of my end,” Etbauer said. “Luckily, everything came together.

“The ride was far from perfection, but it worked out.”

Five-time world champion saddle bronc rider Dan Mortensen turned in an 82-point ride and Rod Hay of Wildwood, Alberta Canada, also posted an 82-point ride. Mortensen and Hay share third place overall with Jared McFarlane, who rode for 82 points Wednesday.

“Everything you can win will help and hopefully I can come out (Saturday) and do good in the short round,” Etbauer said.

Lee Lantz of Molalla scored 83 points on Wagon Box for the best ride in the bareback competition and sits second overall behind Davey Shield, Jr., who posted 84 points Wednesday.

“I’ve never seen that horse before, but it felt real good,” Lantz said. “This is an awesome feeling and a win Saturday would be huge.

“It’s been hit and miss for me this year, but it sure turned around (Thursday).”

The bareback riding also featured a trio of 80-point rides from Clint Corey of Powell Butte, James F. Boudreaux of Cuero, Texas, and Brian Rush of Athol, Idaho.

Barry Kreikemeier of Douglas, Wyo., paced the steer wrestling competition with a 5.9-second run and Alexander Robertson of Milton-Freewater posted a run of 6.2 seconds in the slack performance for second place.

Frank Thompson of Cheyenne, Wyo., leads the overall steer wrestling standings with a combined time of 13.5 seconds.

The calves were tough on the tie-down ropers during the main performance with Ty Holly of Mount Vernon, posting the best time of 10.0 seconds – one of just four ropers to post a time.

Mike Johnson of Henryetta Okla., and Brent Lewis of Pinon, N.M., had runs of 8.8 seconds each in the slack performance.

Fred Whitfield, the Hockley, Texas cowboy and defending tie-down world champion, posted an 8.9-second run in the slack performance and leads the overall standings with a time of 17.5 seconds.

The top barrel racing time Thursday was by Tana Poppino of Cabin, Okla., with a run of 28.90 seconds followed by Linda Vick of Hesperia, Calif. Jolee Lautaret, a Kingman, Ariz., cowgirl, leads the first round of barrel racing with a Wednesday ride of 28.42 seconds followed by the defending Round-Up champion Charmayne James of Athens, Texas, with a time of 28.54.

Stone Cold shot out of the chutes and spun well for Mike Moore of Kankakee, Ill., who scored 82 points for the best bull ride performance of the day.

“I didn’t know that bull, but he went a bunch of different ways and it worked out for me,” Moore said. “This is a great rodeo and it would be great to win Saturday. Not just winning to try and qualify for the NFR, but this is a great rodeo to win to have on your resume.”

Moore is 17th in the world standings and with a win would edge closer to making a run at the NFR.

“I want to win real bad. Winning that saddle would look real nice in my living room,” Moore said with a laugh.

Bail turned in arguably the most thrilling bull ride, holding on despite Sweet Pea falling over on top of him. Taking the optioned re-ride, Bail posted a 72, but again optioned for a re-ride, only to get bucked off.

Cody Hancock of Taylor, Ariz., had the day’s second-best bull riding score with an 80-point ride on Snake, but all bull riders trail Wednesday’s top performer, Matt Austin, who posted 88 points.

Jarrett Blessing of Paradise, Texas, turned in an 11.1-second run to top the steer roping competition. Blair Burk of Durant, Okla., along with Randy Warnock of Maupin, shared second with 11.6-second runs.

Guy Allen leads the overall steer roping with a combined time of 26 seconds.

Joe McHaney can be reached at (800) 522-0255 (ext. 1-304) or by e-mail jmchaney@eastoregonian.com.