I went with the Bogen/Manfrotto 3221WN/488RC2. Rated at 13 lbs or so, I find it very stable for only $260. The 3221WN are not the lightest, smallest collapsing or the strongest, but I find that they meet a happy medium. Very strong and capable.

A lot of people opt for 3001/486RC2. But I wanted a taller tripod and one that was somewhat stronger. I assume that since you are on this forum you are interested in wildlife photography, and the 3221WN legs are geared toward that. They have padded grips, and rubber feet with retractable spikes. All of which I've found handy. I use a D70 with a 300f4 on here with good stability.

These are similar cheaper options also.
3021/488RC2

3021/486RC2

I think you will find many varying opinions, some will say my choice is to unstable, and some will claim it's overkill. Bottom line is you will need to decide how much you want to spend and where you want to use it and go from there.