LAS VEGAS – Ryan Jarrett put a nice finishing touch to his sixth trip to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.
Jarrett, the 2005 all-around world champion from Comanche, Okla., roped and tied his calf in 7.5 seconds to place fourth in the final go-round of the 2012 season. That $7,656 check, combined with the $11,484 he earned for placing in the average with the sixth best 10-round cumulative time, pushed Jarrett’s earnings to more than $51,000 at this year’s NFR.
“I had a really good calf in the last round,” said Jarrett, who grew up near Summerville, Ga. “I couldn’t complain about what all I had drawn all week. I had lots of chances to win money, and on a couple of them, I didn’t take advantage on it.
“I could’ve been a little faster in the round and made a few thousand more. You always want to do better, but I’ll take that.”
Jarrett finished eighth in the tie-down roping world standings with $125,849. He placed in four rounds, including a share of the sixth-round win with his good friend and traveling partner, Clint Robinson of Spanish Fork, Utah.
“Splitting the go-round win with my traveling partner was probably my biggest highlight this week,” Jarrett said.
He has seven qualifications to the NFR, six in tie-down roping and once in steer wrestling. He competed in both events in that magical 2005 season; he’s the only cowboy to have interrupted Trevor Brazile’s run of 10 all-around titles. It’s rare that cowboys qualify for the championship in multiple events, and proof came this year when Brazile missed the NFR in tie-down roping for the first time since 1999.
“It’s really hard to make it in two events,” Jarrett said. “To even do well in two events, it takes focus. Sometimes it gets in the way; sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes I go take one job and a time and complete them.”
During the regular season, he won six tie-down roping titles and three all-round crowns. Still, he continues to be one of the top ropers in the business, only missing the finals twice – he suffered a torn knee ligament in 2007 and finished the 16th in the standings a year later, one spot out of qualifying for the NFR.
“It takes a little luck to make it, but more so, you have to take advantage of the moments,” Jarrett said.