CLAREMORE, Okla. – It’s been 17 years since Steve Northcott last roped at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.

It’s about time he returns.

On Sunday night, he and his partner, Cale Markham, stopped the clock in 5.0 seconds to win the team-roping title on a damp final night of the Will Rogers Stampede PRCA Rodeo. A short-lived but heavy thunderstorm passed over Will Rogers Stampede Arena shortly before the rodeo was to begin, but the wet arena didn’t bother the winning tandem.

“I actually got here early enough that I came out to the arena and checked the arena,” said Northcott, 46, the 1996 world champion from Odessa, Texas. “The ground is really sandy, and I knew the weather was going to get bad. I still thought the footing was going to be good no matter how much rain it got.

“It was a little muddy in front of the roping box, but out where the run actually happened the arena was actually in great shape.”

Markham, a header from Vinita, Okla., got his rope on the steer quickly, turned the animal for Northcott, who stopped the clock on the run. Markham and Northcott were 6-10ths of a second faster than the runners-up, Jesse Stipes/Buddy Hawkins and Coleman Proctor/Billie Jack Saebens.

“Cale actually turned him where the ground is real good,” Northcott said. “It was a lot easier shot for me than it would have been in the mud.”

It’s a great way to kick start the new partnership.

“We started roping together at the Guymon (Okla.) rodeo the first of May,” he said. “We’re planning on roping all summer long and try to make the finals.”

That’s the perfect sentiment for a cowboy that decided to return to the rodeo trail after many years away from the game.

“For some crazy reason, I decided to do it again,” Northcott said.

He likes the idea of having a talented partner in Markham, who is about half his age but has a strong pedigree. Not only has the Oklahoma cowboy excelled at the local level, he also has qualified for the Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo in heading.

“I was that age one time, and I was awfully confident in my roping, too,” Northcott said. “To do good at the professional level, you’ve got to have one of those young kids in front of you, or it’s tough to do it.

“My goal is to make the National Finals Rodeo one more time, then maybe do it again.”

Will Rogers Stampede
Claremore, Okla.
May 27-29
Bareback riding: 1. Tim O’Connell, 84.5 points on Lancaster & Jones Pro Rodeo’s Hillbilly, $1,055; 2. Joel Schlegel, 84, $799; 3. Marvin Alderman Jr., 82.5, $575; 4. Zach Hibler, 77.5, $384; 5. Mark Kreder, 77, $224; 6. Anthony Thomas, 76, $160.0

Steer wrestling: 1. Jarek VanPetten, 4.4 seconds, $1,703; 2. Riley Duvall, 5.0, $1,481; 3. (tie) Travis Burgett, Chance Howard and Jon Ragatz, 5.2, $1,036 each; 6. Nick Guy, 5.5, $592; 7. Jacob Talley, 5.6, $370; 8. Mitchell Gardner, 5.7, $148.

Tie-down roping: 1. Jesse Hinkle, 8.3 seconds, $1,799; 2. Lane Jeffrey, 9.0, $1,489; 3. Caddo Lewallen, 9.2, $1,179; 4. Travis Rogers, 9.9, $869; 5. Jared Mark Kempker, 10.2, $558; 6. Clay Brown, 10.5, $310.

Saddle bronc riding: 1. Shade Etbauer, 85 points on Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo’s The Darkness, $1,256; 2. (tie) Colt Gordon and James Greeson, 84.5, $819 each; 4. Curtis Garton, 83, $457; 3. Dean Wadsworth, 80, $266; 4. Cody Anthony, 79.5, $190.

Team roping: 1. Cale Markham/Steve Northcott, 5.0 seconds, $1,622; 2. (tie) Jesse Stipes/Buddy Hawkins II and Coleman Proctor/Billie Jack Saebens, $1,304 each, 5.6; 4. Troy Boone/Kingston Chang, 5.8, $987; 5. (tie) Andrew Ward/Reagan Ward and Phillip McCoy/Justin Fox, 5.9, $670 each; 5. (tie) Casey Hicks/Braden Harmon, Payden Emmett/Justin Pruitt and Cole Sherwood/Steve Sherwood, 6.2, $165 each.

Steer roping: First round: 1. Rocky Patterson, 10.7 seconds, $1,166; Kim Ziegelgruber, 12.2, $874; 3. Marty Poppino, 12.8, $583; 4. Vin Fisher Jr., 13.0, $291. Second round 1. Chet Herren, 10.9 seconds, $1,116; 2. J. Tom Fisher, 11.3, $874; 3. Ralph Williams, 11.5, $583; 4. (tie) Ryan O’Rourke and Guy Allen, 12.1, $146 each. Third round leaders: 1. Guy Allen, 9.9 seconds, $1,166; 2. Rocky Patterson, 11.1, $874; 3. Brady Garten, 11.4, 583; 4. (tie) Lawson Plemons and Vin Fisher Jr., 12.0, $146. Average leaders: 1. Rocky Patterson, 37.7 seconds on three runs, $1,748; 2. Vin Fisher Jr., 36.0, $1,311; 3. Thomas Smith, 40.8, $874; 4. Tyrel Taton, 57.1, $437.

Barrel racing: 1. Emily Miller, 17.80 seconds, $1,625; 2. (tie) Stevi Hillman and Gretchen Benbenek, 17.83, $1,276 each; 4. Paula Mercer, 17.88, $1,006; 5. Tracy Nowlin, 17.89, $774; 6. Chelsie Shoop, 17.92, $619; 7. Sallye Williams, 17.94, $464; 8. Kyra Stierwalt, 17.98, $309; 9. Kyra Travis, 18.09, $232; 10. Savannah Pearson, 18.15, $154.

Bull riding: 1. Trevor Kastner, 87 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Resurrected, $1,659; 2. Lon Danley, 85, $1,257; 3. Brennon Eldred, 82, $905; 4. Clayton Joe Appelhans, 81.5, $603; 5. Elliot Jacoby, 81, $351. 6. (tie) Toby Collins and Trevor Reiste, 80, $126 each.