SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Feb. 23, 2017) --- Bull rider Ty Wallace showed fans at the San Antonio Rodeo fan that he knows how to ride, but should work on his get off.

Wallace, from Collbran, Colo., was the only rider out of a 10-man field to last 8 seconds. He scored 90 points on D&H Cattle Company's bull, No Regrets, then as he was getting off, came down and the bull stepped on his leg. He was attended to by the Justin Sportsmedicine Team and with a lot of ice, will be ready to ride again on Friday night and two times on Saturday.

He won all the prize money -- $10,962, and has secured a spot in Saturday night's finals with total earnings of $13,813. Wallace is coming off the injured reserve and has ground to make up in the world standings.

I needed this really bad," he said. "I watched the first seven guys buck off. I told myself that this was a huge opportunity and I could make a statement that I was back if I just stayed on.

A pulled groin muscle gave him some chronic issues, but was injured so severely last July that he missed four months of competition. He went home to the family ranch and along with doing physical therapy spent a lot of time on the back of a horse. That time horseback was good for his soul as well as his groin.

"I think I'm stronger than ever," he said. "I enjoyed being at home and that made my comeback more meaningful. I'm just so glad to be back, and grateful for sponsors like Resistol and Tony Lama that have stuck with me. It means a lot to me to have their support."

Arizona Team ropers Erich Rogers and Cory Petska are looking for their second San Antonio victory. With Rogers doing the heading and Petska doing the heeling, they won the title here in 2014 earning $21,129. They stopped the clock in 4.4 seconds to win the round Thursday.

That added $4,277 to their previous earnings of $3,422. Rogers and Petska are now favorites to move into Saturday night's Final round here with total earnings of $7,699. They won the rodeo at the Fort Worth Stock Show Rodeo on Feb. 4 and are currently in the lead for the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association's world standings. The money they win in the AT&T Center will help increase their lead.

Another world standings leader that is having success here is steer wrestler Ty Erickson from Helena, Mont. Riding the steer wrestling horse of the year "Cadillac," Erickson stopped the clock in 4.1 seconds. He has won $7,128 so far and will be in the field on Saturday night.

Friday night's rodeo starts at 7:30 and will be the completion of Semifinals 2 where Finals round qualifiers will be determined.

By: Susan Kanode