"Amazing Race" Cowboys Keep Top Spot

(CBS)  Cowboys Jet and Cord came in first for the second consecutive week in Sunday night's South American leg of "The Amazing Race." Mothers and friends Monique and Shawne came in last and were eliminated.

Ahead with an early departure time, the cowboys sailed through a series of ranch-related challenges that seem made for their skills. In one, they had to play polo from a wooden horse; in another they had to lasso a bale of hay with a steer's head on it.

Photos: "The Amazing Race" 16

The only task to give them pause was poker; it took them several hands before they beat the gnome they were playing against. Their prize for completing the leg first was a 10-day trip to Patagonia.

This week's episode, which began in Chile, where a strong earthquake this week caused widespread death and destruction, was particularly poignant. In a brief spot inserted before a commercial, host Phil Keoghan mentioned the quake and urged viewers to send aid.

Both lawyers, Monique and Shawne lost most of their time trying to rope in the steer, before giving up and heading for the other task in the detour.

Throughout it all, they said they wanted to be positive role models for their children, and at the end they said they had accomplished that, even though they had made only three legs of the season's race.

Hobbled by what they said was food poisoning, Bret and Caite lost three hours at the start of the race for a hospital visit and, visibly haggard, tried to pull themselves together for the episode's adventures.

Nevertheless, they finished in seventh place, just ahead of detectives Louie and Michael, whose agility, endurance and cleverness may have some viewers wondering about their success at police work.

For all their bickering, Carol and Brandy came in third place, behind Steve and Allie. Joe and Heidi came in fourth; Jeff and Jordan are Team No. 5 and Dan and Jordan are Team No. 6.

Next week's episode takes the teams to Germany.