March 24, 2008
Courtesy of the PRCA
 
B.J. Schumacher Wins RodeoHouston Second Year In a Row
 
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Last year, B.J. Schumacher’s victory and a $56,000 payday at RodeoHouston propelled him to the top spot in the PRCA World Standings for the remainder of the regular season. However, he faltered at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and lost the lead when it mattered the most.

Schumacher won’t mind too much when he doesn’t find his name at the top of the standings this week despite defending his RodeoHouston title with a $55,000 windfall. He’s just glad he turned his season around after earning just $8,699 heading into Houston, the PRCA’s richest regular-season rodeo with a $1.3 million purse.

“I wasn’t riding very well before I came here, and since I’ve been here I ended up second in Austin and won a little bit in Montgomery (Ala.), and that’s all been this week, so it’s finally turned around,” Schumacher said. “Hopefully it keeps clicking throughout the year like this.”
Schumacher rode Cervi and Guidry Rodeo’s Hot Diggity Damn for 92 points in the sudden-death Shootout Round at Reliant Stadium on March 22 to finish a single point ahead of Richard Echols and Dave Samsel and successfully defend his title.
 
Schumacher, who rode for Polaris during the 2008 Toughest Cowboy season, had to end his rookie run for Jäger Ranch early due to a knee injury after a bull feel on him during his match with Clovis Crane in St. Paul, Minn. on February 1.