EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a post for the Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo blog, which also can be found HERE.

Tyson Durfey left Oklahoma City last April with a nice paycheck, a new truck and a coveted title.

That was a lot to take from four days of competition during the 2011 Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. In fact, the Missouri-born Durfey used the confidence gained inside Jim Norick Arena to his benefit. What followed was a fifth straight qualification to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and a third title earned at the Canadian Finals Rodeo.

The end result was another fantastic year for the cowboy from Colbert, Wash., who finished the 2011 season as the fifth-ranked tie-down roper in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. He also won the tie-down roping in the Columbia River Circuit, which earned him a fourth trip to the RNCFR, scheduled for March 29-April 1 in Oklahoma City.

Can he repeat as champion? That will be decided in two and a half months.