It’s crunch time for Jessy Davis.

The 33-year-old bareback rider from Power has five rodeos lined up this week with six more to follow next week.

“There is no rest for the wicked,” he said about what lies ahead.

The loaded schedule, he hopes, will help get him off the bubble. He’s currently 15th in the bareback standings in season earnings. The top 15 advanced at the end of the season to the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.

Davis hopes a good run during this stretch will move him up a few more spots and take some of the drama off of will he make it for a third-straight time, or won’t he. He’s been to the NFR five times total.

Thursday night he helped his cause a little bit during the first performance of the Northwest Montana Fair PRCA Rodeo at the Flathead County Fairgrounds. He was the fourth rider out in a field of five and turned in the top score — 81 points on Sno Cone.

Kyle Bowers of Calgary, Alberta, is second with a 77.

“That horse has been around the business, he knows rodeos better than me,” Davis said of Sno Cone.

“I did my part and he did his part.”

It was the second time Davis and Sno Cone were matched.

“Got on that horse a couple years ago and won a rodeo with 80 points,” he said.

“I did a little better this time.”

Davis left Canby, Ore., on Tuesday with the high-point ride, but did not fare as well on Wednesday in Caldwell, Idaho, “with a low score.”

Today he competes in Circle, travels to Billings on Saturday and then starts next week — Sunday — at Baker.

“I’m behind, I have to catch up,” he said.

A pulled-groin injury sidelined him for six key weeks in July.

“That’s a crucial time for rodeos,” he said.

“I’m getting better (healthy), starting to feel good, getting confident.”

Montana cowboys posted top times in two events during the first performance — Bode Scott of Pryor in steer wrestling (4.2 seconds) and Bill Parker and Jace Crabb, both of Billings, in team roping (7.1) — and the best score in another — Preston Louis of Browning in bull riding (75).

Montana cowgirl Tammy Thompson Ramsay turned in the fastest time — 18.15 — in barrel racing.

Canadian cowboy Zeke Thurston of Big Valley, Alberta, posted a night best 79 in the saddle bronc while Mike Johnson of Henryetta, Okla., was the final cowboy to go in tie-down roping and responded with a 9.5-second run to top that leader board.

The second performance of the rodeo is set for tonight at 7:30 p.m.

Northwest Montana Fair PRCA Rodeo

Flathead County Fairgrounds

Thursday’s Results

Bareback — 1. Jessy Davis, Power, 81 (Sno Cone); 2. Kyle Bowers, Calgary, Alberta, 77; 3. Logan Hodson, Telkwa, British Columbia, 71; 4. Nick Gutzwiler, Cheney, Wash., 70.

Steer wrestling — 1. Bode Scott, Pryor, 4.2; 2. Ty Erickson, Helena, 4.4; 3. Cody Cabral, Hilo, Hawaii, 4.8; 4. Nolan Conway, Browning, 6.2; 5. Hank Hollenbeck, Molt, 15.6.

Saddle bronc — 1. Zeke Thurston, Big Valley, Alberta, 79 (Bookmark); 2. Dustin Flundra, Pincher Creek, Alberta, 75; 3. Luke Butterfield, Ponoka, Alberta, 74; 4. Samuel Kelts, Millarville, Alberta, 73; 5. Brian Dawson, Wisdom, 71.

Team roping — 1. Bill Parker, Billings/Jace Crabb, Billings, 7.1; 2. Jason Carlson, Two Dot/Sam Levine, Wolf Creek, 7.4; 3. Nolan Conway, Browning/Dylan Johnson, Billings, 7.6; 4. Levi Simpson, Ponoka, Alberta/Ryon Tittel, Pueblo, Colo., 14.0.

Tie-down roping — 1. Mike Johnson, Henryetta, Okla., 9.5; 2. Nolan Conway, Browning, 10.7; 3. Hank Hollenbeck, Molt, 11.7; 4. J.C. Crowley, Poplar, 12.1; 5. Clayton Miller, Billings, 23.0; 6. Curtis Cassidy, Donalda, Alberta, 24.7.

Ladies barrel racing — 1. Tammy Thompson, Ramsay, 18.15; 2. Danna Whitford, Browning, 18.17; 3. Carmel Wright, Roy, 18.38; 4. Lauren Viles, Cody, Wyo., 18.39; 5. Whitney Levine, Wolf Creek, 23.12; 6. Tammy Carpenter, Kalispell, 33.67.

Bull riding — 1. Preston Louis, Browning, 75 (White Devil); 2. Jeff Askey, Martin, Tenn., 65.