KEARNEY, Neb. - Despite its small-town feel, this southern Nebraska town boasted a Saturday night Touring Pro Division draw that read like a Built Ford Tough Series event.

Josh Koschel was the first up, immediately followed by Cord McCoy and former World Champion Kody Lostroh. Zack Brown and Jordan Hupp were among the first 10 outs.

Nebraska resident Dustin Elliott was in the draw, along with Josh Faircloth, Brendon Clark, Harve Stewart, Pistol Robinson and Matt Bohon. Dusty LaBeth and Dusty Ephrom came late in the draw, which was concluded by Travis Briscoe.

Yet the short round was dominated by lesser-known up-and-coming riders.

Eight of the 10 final riders, including event winner Chase Outlaw, have little or no experience competing at BFTS events, but they stood out among the more famous stars on a cold night in a town of barely 30,000.

Outlaw, 19, was the only rider to cover two bulls.

'He uses his spurs for what they're made for. He wasn't just shuffling his feet around.'

The Hamburg, Ark., native, the stepbrother of 2008 Rookie of the Year Reese Cates, made it back to the short round in the No. 1 spot with an 87.5-point effort in the middle of the of the long round.

Ring of Honor inductee J.W. Hart, who hauled several bulls to the event, has seen Outlaw a few times in person and has been impressed with his effort and mechanics each time.

Outlaw, a slightly stockier version of Brian Canter, had no problem making the adjustment and sliding back across when his bulls tipped him into his hand and spun away.

"He uses his spurs for what they're made for," Hart said. "He wasn't just shuffling his feet around."

In late October, Outlaw finished third at the ABBI Wild Card event in Las Vegas two days before the start of the PBR World Finals.

In Kearney, veteran riders Bohon and Elliott finished second and fifth respectively, while Tanner Byrne was third. Byrne is the younger brother of BFTS bullfighter Jesse Byrne. Chad VanAmburg finished fourth to round out the Top 5.

Outlaw, Bohon and VanAmburg will all be in Fort Worth, Texas, for the Cowtown Classic on Dec. 30 and 31.

VanAmburg is in the Friday draw that features Hupp, Clark, Faircloth, Brown and L.J. Jenkins, while Outlaw and Bohon are up on Saturday night along with Briscoe, Robinson, LaBeth, Ryan McConnel, Caleb Sanderson, Stormy Wing and Justin Koon.

The event takes place at the Cowtown Coliseum beginning at 7:30 p.m. each night.

(Photograph courtesy of www.facebook.com/pages/Professional-Bull-Riders-Touring-Pro-Division.)

NEWS & NOTES

PROCTOR RECOVERING: Shane Proctor underwent surgery Saturday afternoon to repair his broken left arm. Proctor, who won the PRCA world title a week ago, broke his free arm in the final round of the National Finals Rodeo. Doctors said the break was worse than first thought, and what was expected to be a one-and-a-half-hour procedure took four hours at a facility in Charlotte, N.C. Doctors used plates to stabilize the break, and afterward, Proctor's family said he is doing well. Proctor, 26, finished the BFTS as the ninth ranked rider in the world and is expected to be out eight to 12 weeks for recovery and rehabilitation.