SandHills Stock Show and Rodeo Notebook

They haven’t roped together for two years, but eight-time world champions Speed Williams (header) and Rich Skelton (heeler) will be in the Coliseum tonight looking to start the year of well with strong performances. Williams is paired with four-time world champion Allen Bach, while Skelton will team with Derick Fleming.

Chad Ferley, the 2006 saddle dronc world champion, and Cody Hancock, the 2000 bull riding world champion, highlight the rough stock events, with Brody Bolton of Odessa scheduled to compete in saddle bronc as well after recovering from a broken leg.

>> Youth is served: Bull rider Stormy Wing is a senior in high school, but Wednesday night he was competing as a professional — and competing well.

Wing was aboard Blue Bell when the gates opened and eight seconds later, was still tied in atop the spinning animal en route to an 84-point ride.

That’s good enough for second place by two points to Seath Clause of Rock Springs, Wyo., who covered The WiddowMaker in the second session on Wednesday.

Clayton Savage of Cheyenne, Wyo., is third with 77 points, Shane Gordon of Fort Jones, Calif., moved into fourth with a 74-point effort, with Shawn Coleman (Springfield, S.D.) and Myron Duarte (Auburn, Wash.) tied for fifth with 73 points.

>> Cramming: Colin McTaggart, 22, finished 15th in the world last year in bull riding, making it to the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas for the first time in his three-year professional career.

The NFR is a 10-night competition held annual at the Thomas and Mack Center on the campus of UNLV.

It just so happens that McTaggart is a student at the university and was in class during the day before moving to the arena at night to compete.

>> Part Deux: Both the tie-down ropers and barrel racers began the second round of competition Wednesday night.

Fred Whitfield won the first go in tie down roping with an 8.0-second run on Monday in slack, with Trevor Brazile (8.4) second and Cody James (8.6 in third).

Through the cloverleaf, Cindy Wheeler of Fredericksburg earned the first-go victory with a 13.91-second run, the only sub-14 second effort in the round. Andrea Clark (14.02) and Reggie Crosby (14.06) were second and third, respectively.

Jodi Rush Cuccurullo of Carrollton served notice Wednesday that she is looking for second-go money as she posted a 13.98-second run.