REDMOND – It was a night of legends – some established and some perhaps in the making – Saturday during the second round of the 2004 Columbia River ProRodeo Circuit Finals at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds indoor arena.

Hometown legend Clint Corey, the 1991 world bareback champion and the defending reserve circuit champion, brought the capacity crowd to its feet with a stunning 81-point ride, only to be bettered by one point by longtime friend and travel partner, Matt Weishoff.

”There’s nothing better than having your buddy win with you, first and second,” said Corey, from Powell Butte. The cowboy was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame this summer.

Meanwhile, in the steer-wrestling competition, Alexander Robertson continued his winning streak from Friday night, taking the second go with a time of 4.1 seconds on his palomino gelding, Zeppelin, named after the classic British rock band.

Robertson, the 1998 Oregon state prep steer-wrestling champion from Redmond High, is the average leader with 8.3 heading into today’s final round, which begins at 1:30 p.m. Buster Barton of Walla Walla, Wash., finished second in the steer wrestling Saturday night with a 4.5, while Trevor Knowles, the circuit-standings leader with an unofficial $19,440, was third with a time of 4.6

Robertson and Zeppelin, who entered the circuit finals ranked 11th out of 12 competitors, also bested the pack Friday night with a 4.2.

”I’m having some good rounds out there and I’m drawing some good steers,” said Robertson, adding that he’s hopeful to continue his winning ways today and take the average title. But he’s waiting to see how the action plays out before he celebrates too much.

”There’s too many guys in there who could win it,” said Robertson, who lives in Milton-Freewater but is moving back to Redmond this month.

In the steer wrestling circuit-finals title race, Robertson’s win on Saturday unofficially puts him in seventh place in the standings with $9,157.04. The top two circuit-finals finishers in each event earn berths to the Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo, set for March 16-19, 2005, in Pocatello, Idaho.

Robertson said he hopes to earn an eventual DNCFR berth. Right now, though, he’s just happy to be riding Zeppelin, who he purchased last year. The horse suffered an injury in June and Robertson said he really missed competing with him.

”When he got injured, that took the wind out of my sails,” said Robertson, who borrowed a horse from fellow steer wrestler, Tony Currin. It helped him keep his hand in the action, he said, but competition just wasn’t the same without the palomino.

”I felt like I could have won a little more if I’d had Zeppelin,” said Robertson, 24, a rock fan who named his palomino partner after Led Zeppelin, in the hopes that one day, the horse would be as legendary.

”I want him to be the best and they’re the best,” Robertson said with a smile.

In the bareback-riding action, Weishoff said his draw, Homespun, is one of the best bucking horses in the world.

Homespun reared up coming out of the chute and then hugged the rail, jumping and bucking while trying unsuccessfully to rub Weishoff off. The Molalla cowboy had a rough dismount after the buzzer, hitting the ground hard, but was all smiles as his 82 flashed on the scoreboard.

”You don’t really notice it when you’re paying attention to business,” Weishoff said of his body’s brutal bashing into the arena’s rails – he actually caught a banner on the wall with his leg and ripped it off. The ride might have looked rough, but Weishoff said he loved it.

”That’s a good horse,” Wieshoff said. ”I’ve had him three times now and that’s the best trip I’ve ever had with him.”

Corey’s draw, Savvy Lady, is the daughter of a mare that Corey previously had won on several times in his career. He said he’s been hankering to draw Savvy Lady since she hit the rodeo circuit and was glad he finally got that chance Saturday.

”Tonight was no more of a perfect place than in front of my hometown crowd,” Corey said. ”I’ve always wanted to get on this baby of (No Savvy) because she looks like like (her mom) and bucks just like her. Her mom always had little moves out there, just like she did (tonight).”

Heading into Sunday’s final round, Corey is the average leader at 159 – he scored a 78 Friday night for third place. Weishoff is second at 157 and Joe Ketter of Roy, Wash., is third at 155. Ketter finished third Saturday night with a 80.

In the team-roping race, Mike Fuller and Brady Minor took first place with a time of 5.4 seconds, while Matt Funk and Dean Tuftin, average leaders after two rounds, finished second in 6.0. Funk, a header from Wenatchee, Wash., and Tuftin, a heeler from Prineville, won Friday’s round with a time of 5.7. Funk currently is eighth in the circuit standings, while Tuftin unofficially is fifth.

The Columbia River Circuit Finals is the culmination of 53 rodeos on the circuit, which includes Oregon, Washington and the portion of Idaho north of the Salmon River. Approximately 115 cowboys and cowgirls are vying for shares of $82,000 in prize money.

Any prize money won by competitors this weekend goes towards their world standings. The top 15 money winners in each event earn a berth to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, considered the world championships of the sport. The NFR is Dec. 3-12 in Las Vegas.