TUCSON, Ariz. – Don’t let his age fool you. At 45, Billy Etbauer can still ride with the best of them. The five-time world champion bronc rider out of Goodwell, Okla., won more than $9,500 and the title at the Tucson Rodeo after a two-round score of 167 points.

“It’s nice to have that,” he said. “It would be nice to keep it going through Houston.”

The win moved Etbauer to sixth place in this week’s world standings.

“I’m just blessed to still be able to do it,” he added. “I’ve been very fortunate and it’s been a lot of fun to go ride with these kids. Hopefully a guy can just stay healthy and keep riding better.”

Trevor Brazile continued to shine at Tucson. The five-time and current world all-around champion from Decatur, Texas, topped the field in calf roping at the famed rodeo – marking his third straight win there.

“It’s always been good to me,” Brazile said. “It seems like that if I’ve had a slow winter and once we get done at Tucson, we’ve got a little momentum leaving there.”

Brazile turned in a three-round time of 29.2 seconds to cash in for more than $6,000. He also claimed the rodeo’s all-around crown.

“The calves were pretty strong there – just like they always are,” he said. “They’ve got a long score, a long box and a huge arena and they just let them out and we get after them.”

Other Tucson champions this year include: bareback rider Tom McFarland of Wickenburg, Ariz., 171 points on two head, $7,403; steer wrestler Dean McIntyre of Wickenburg, Ariz., 15.7 seconds on three head, $7,973; team ropers Speed Williams of De Leon, Texas, and Allen Bach of Weather ford, Texas, 20.3 seconds on three, $4,966 each; bull rider Douglas Duncan of Alvin, Texas, 165 points on two head, $6,944; and barrel racer Lindsay Sears of Nanton, Alberta, 52.0 seconds on three runs, $6,979.

BUILT FORD TOUGH: The Brazilian bull riders are at it again. Robson Palermo picked up his first event win of the season and the third of his career. Robson turned in a total of 267.5 total points on three bulls in Baltimore Sunday, the 10th stop of the PBR’s Built Ford Tough Series Tour. The win added $52,025 to his season’s earnings.

“I’m very happy to win this event title,” said Palermo. “However, I can’t let it change me. I need to keep riding all of my bulls and next week is a new challenge.”

Palmero is working out hard this year and it is paying off for him.

“I’ve become all about my work,” he said. “I’ve added extra training to my schedule. I work out more and have been riding a lot of horses. I’ve also been going to a chiropractor for my lower back pain. I feel better and am healthier than I have been.”

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Butch Thurman of Pendleton, Ore., has covered professional rodeo for 28 years. His email address is butch@rodeosportsupdate.com.