Sellers captures bull riding title at State Fair
Missouri cowboy 2-for-2 in Oklahoma City

By Ed Godfrey

Published: September 23, 2006

Oklahoma City is becoming the favorite rodeo town of Missouri cowboy Travis Sellers.

After winning Bullnanza at the Ford Center earlier this year, Sellers made it two for two in Oklahoma City by capturing the bull riding title Friday night at State Fair Arena.

"This year (Oklahoma City) has been really good to me," Sellers said. "I always have a good time, and they always have really good fans here. I've been winning here, so I like coming back."

Sellers has been hot since Bullnanza in Oklahoma City, climbing to 12th in the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association world standings before Friday night.

"I have won a lot of rodeos this year. I fall off a few here and there, but I have won some good checks," said the Wentzville, Mo., bull rider. "This year has been great for me. I can't complain a bit."

For the first time, the State Fair Rodeo had a stand-alone bull riding event to kick off the annual rodeo. The top 12 bull riders in the long round Friday night immediately advanced to a championship short round.

Sellers, 23, won the long round with a score of 91 on the bull "Wild One" and was only one of four cowboys to have a scoreable ride in the short round. Sellers won $1,353 for having the top score in the long round and another $2,256 for winning the average.

His combined score of 173 bested runner-up B.J. Schumacher of Hillsboro, Wis., who won the short round with a score of 87 and posted an average of 168 on two bulls.

Matt Austin of Wills Point, Texas, last year's bull riding world champion and points leader again this year, was bucked off in the long round. The bull stepped on Austin but he was not seriously hurt.

Sellers also was injured, limping off the arena floor after his championship ride in the short round. Sellers said he strained a ligament in his knee that he had previously injured, but the pain couldn't stop him from smiling.

He will now try to make it three in a row for bull riding titles in Oklahoma City this year when he competes Sunday in the regular bull riding performance of the State Fair Rodeo.

"That's the plan," he said. "This is really the first year I have ever done any good in Oklahoma City, but once those bulls start on a roll for you, they don't quit. They treat you good."

The State Fair Rodeo begins today with a performance at 7:30 p.m. and concludes Sunday with a 2 p.m. performance.