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By ROY GRABER
Courier Editor

MOLINE -- Richard Griffith is making a habit of covering rank bulls and earning high scores.

Griffith, of the Arkansas City area, made an 87-point bull ride Friday evening at the Elk County Rodeo to tie for first place with Ty Clearwater of Fort Scott.

Griffith's win comes just several weeks after he made the winning bull ride at the Cowley County Fair Rodeo in Winfield. Both the Moline and Winfield rodeos are co-sanctioned by the International Professional Rodeo Association and the American Cowboys Rodeo Association, and some of the top competitors in both associations were competing at Moline. IPRA world standings leader

Nathan Tull, Shawnee, Okla., and ACRA standings leader Ryan Dirteater Muldrow, Okla., were both present, but Tull was only able to muster a 76-point ride, while Dirteater hit the dirt before the eight-second whistle blew.

Other bull riders to finish in the money were Pokey Self, Grove, Okla., who scored an 82 on Saturday evening, and Cody Stephens, Pierce City, Mo., who earned 81 points.

Also making the eight-second whistle with an 81 was Travis Buffington of Arkansas City. He finished in a tie for fourth.

Griffith and Clearwater not only had the highest scored rides in the bull riding, they also had the highest scores of the entire rodeo. The top score in the bareback riding was a 74, while a 72 was the winning mark in the saddle bronc riding.

The Elk County Rodeo is a 72-year tradition in Moline, although one tradition had to be broken this year. It is normally scheduled for July 3-4, but it was rescheduled this year because of flooding.

Above: Richard Griffth, of Arkansas City, tied for first place last Friday night at the Elk County County Rodeo after making an 87-point bull ride.