CALDWELL — As Jesse Kruse slid into his saddle on the back of Burch Rodeo bucking bronc Sand to Stone, announcer Randy Corley stated that any rider wanting to make tonight's finals of the 75th annual Caldwell Night Rodeo needed to score an 83 or better.

No pressure for Kruse, though.

"Tell you the truth, no," the Great Falls, Mont., cowboy said of hearing Corley, "and even if I did, about all a guy can do is do his part and if it works, it works, and if it don't, it don't. That's part of rodeo."

It worked for Kruse who scored 85 points, putting him third in the round and into tonight's finals, which get under way at 8 and feature the top 12 in each event from this week.

"It feels great," Kruse said jokingly of his score after Corley's announcement, "it actually kinda makes me look like I actually mean to do it."

If anyone could, it's Kruse, who in his third PRCA season is having a dream year. He leads the saddle bronc world standings by nearly $26,000, having won $108,000.

The key for the Montana cowboy, who is poised to make his first National Finals Rodeo and could win his 14th rodeo of the year tonight?

"I'd say I've just been getting more consistent this year, and shoot, I was drawing well," Kruse said, adding that traveling partner Jake Hayworth, who has 11 years more experience than Kruse, "is doing great mentoring me and getting me where I need to be."

No place like Idaho

Few cowboys of late have enjoyed the success Royce Ford has in Idaho.

The Briggsdale, Colo., bareback bronc rider won a round at the CNR in 2006, won the Snake River Stampede in 2008, and earlier this summer he shared the first-round win in Nampa and pocketed nearly $8,000.

Friday he added to his Idaho winnings with an 87 to share the first-round win in Caldwell.

"There's something about this Idaho country, they like me and seems like I always get along pretty good in this country," Ford said.

Of course, he knew the night would be good when he drew Powder River Rodeo's Touch of Silver, the first horse he ever rode at the National Finals Rodeo back in 2003, scoring an 83.

"I was pretty pleased to have him here," Ford said, adding of topping his NFR mark by four points, "I think we both got a little better with age."

Injury update

The night started with a scare when a Caldwell Night Rodeo sponsor-flag bearer fell from her horse during the grand entry.

Though able to walk from the arena, she was taken to West Valley Medical Center with a concussion, a broken nose and a broken arm.