Monthly Archives: November 2011

We’re a little more than a week away from opening night at the 2011 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Have you booked your room? You still have time. http://www.mgmgrand.com/nfr/  

LAS VEGAS – When Tyson Durfey arrives in the Nevada desert next week, he’ll carry a trailer load of athletic talent, his and his horses’. He’ll also have a national championship, a third Canadian title and the dream of driving away from Las Vegas with the most coveted piece of hardware in the world of rodeo, the Montana Silversmiths gold buckle awarded to the annual world champion. Can he pull off the rare rodeo trifecta during the 2011 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo? He’ll have his chance over 10 nights against the best in the business. “It felt good to win the national championship and the Canadian national championship,” said Durfey, who was raised in a tie-down roping family near Savannah, Mo. “I’m a little bit further behind in the standings heading to the finals than I have been in the past. I wouldn’t say it’s completely out of my reach to win the world. My main focus going in there is to be roping tough, roping sharp and just let the winning take care of itself. “If the world championship happens, then it happens. If it doesn’t, I’m young, and I’m going to keep going at it.” Durfey, who turns 28 on Nov. 27, has qualified for the NFR each of the last five seasons. This is the third time the Colbert, Wash., cowboy will head to the City of Lights with a freshly earned Canadian Professional Rodeo Association title. In fact, Durfey was the first American ever to win a Canadian championship in 2007; he added another in 2009. “It was never really a goal to win a third,” he said. “My goal every year is to rope well. When the title happens, it’s like the first time every time. It was a great experience.” So was riding Big John, a horse now owned by Alwin Bouchard of Scandia, Alberta. “My dad and my brother trained Big John years ago, and I helped start him,” Durfey said “He’s a great horse I rode in Las Vegas in 2007, and I’ve known that horse for a long time.” Big John will return to Las Vegas for this year’s finale, too. Durfey will have Bailey, a horse on which he’s competed inside the Thomas & Mack Center before, and T.C., a horse owned by Frederico Werneck that finished in third place in the voting for AQHA/PRCA tie-down roping horse of the year. “I should be pretty horsed up the next couple of years,” Durfey said. “Great horses make great cowboys, so I’m hoping it works out.” The season has provided a mixed bag of results for the veteran roper, who early on found success in events that didn’t help him move up the money list for the world standings. One such event was the Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City, which Durfey won. “This spring, every single dime I won didn’t count for the world standings,” he said. “I won a lot smaller rodeos that I didn’t count for the standings, and I won the national title and a lot of jackpots. I was making money with my ropings, just not at the rodeos that count for the world title.” While the spring was a struggle, the summer wasn’t. In fact, each week that passed saw the Missouri-born cowboy moving up the world standings. Durfey pocketed more than $80,000 in ProRodeo and heads into the sport’s premier championship in seventh place. He’s $65,267 behind the leader, Tuf Cooper of Decatur, Texas, but the NFR features the biggest prize pool in the sport. Go-round winners will earn checks worth $17,885 each of the 10 nights, so that ground can be made up quickly. On top of that, the most consistent roper over the course of the championship will add $45,865 for having the best cumulative time. To put that kind of money into perspective, Durfey could move into the lead in the world standings if he wins the first four go-rounds. Money not only pays the bills for rodeo cowboys, it’s how points are tallied. The contestant with the most money won in each event at the NFR’s conclusion will be crowned world champion, which adds to the excitement and flavor of ProRodeo’s championship. “When I was younger, I’d let that pressure get to me more,” Durfey said. “As I’ve gotten older, I guess I’ve gotten more focused and more confident. Every win gives you a little bit more confidence. If you can take every win, you can just build your confidence over time. “I rely on what my capabilities are. I know my strengths and my weaknesses, and I know what I’m capable of. If I’m able to stay focused, stay relaxed and rope, the winning takes care of itself.” That attitude has afforded Durfey many opportunities, from his partnership with sponsors to being able to share his experiences as a tie-down roping clinician; in fact, Durfey has conducted roping schools in Werneck’s native home of Brazil the last few years. “The whole Brazil thing started with Fred,” Durfey said. “I met him at the NFR in 2007, and his English wasn’t very good. We really couldn’t communicate. Then when I met him again in 2008, his English was decent. We just got to be real good friends. Over the last few years, I learned Portuguese, so our relationship has blossomed. I was able to have some roping schools in Brazil, not with him but through him due to the fact that I could speak Portuguese.” Maybe teaching is a family thing; roping definitely is. Durfey’s father, Roy, has been training tie-down ropers and calf roping horses for decades. “I still call my dad at times, mostly when I’m working on horses and stuff like that,” Tyson Durfey said. “If I’m down and haven’t been winning like I think I should, I’ll holler at him. I have a small support group that I will talk to about my roping, getting information from people whose opinions I really respect,  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – The 2011 rodeo season was one of redemption for Matt Bright. Bright qualified for the 2010 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, and then he struggled with is bareback riding. As the gate opened for his eight-round ride, Carr Pro Rodeo’s Real Deal rared and slammed the Tennessee-born cowboy into the chute’s steel bars. Bright missed the remainder of ProRodeo’s championship event and the next four months of competition while his body healed. Since he returned to the arena, his focus has been on returning to the City of Lights and battling for the world championship. That targeted approach to bareback riding has paid off quite well for the Azle, Texas, cowboy, entering the rugged 10-round competition No. 11 in the bareback riding world standings – only the top 15 cowboys at the conclusion of the regular season qualify for the NFR. “A guy goes to the NFR wanting to make a statement, but I feel I’ve made a pretty good statement this year,” said Bright, a former standout on the University of Tennessee-Martin rodeo team. “I got to the NFR last year, and I didn’t ride very good and I didn’t have a good finals before I got hurt. Some people thought me making it that one year was a fluke. “I didn’t want to be one of the flash-in-the-pan kind of guys. I feel like I’ve made a statement this year with having to miss some of the year and still making the finals. Hopefully I can be successful through the finals.” Bright has earned $72,781 this year, a substantial living for most anyone. But unlike most other professional athletes, rodeo cowboys pay their own traveling expenses; they even pay an entry fee in order to compete. Oftentimes, expenses equal money earned, so a good finals is important to the bottom line. Dollars pay bills, but also they’re the points system in rodeo – the cowboy who finishes the season with the most money won in each event is crowned world champion. “You just have to look at it like 10 big rodeos,” Bright said, noting the fact that go-round winners will earn $17,885 each night. “If you go at it like you’re going to try to win 10 big rodeos, there’s so much money there that it can make a big difference. That’s the biggest payday you’ll get in one day. If a guy goes at it like he’s going to try to win first at this rodeo, then he’s giving himself a good chance every night. “I look at it like I’m at San Antonio one night; I’m at Denver another. Whatever the big rodeos are, I just stack them on 10 days like that. It’s the best approach for me.” Of course, he has the advantage of having been under the brightest lights of ProRodeo before, even if the experience was less than spectacular. “I guarantee it’s going to be a big help, because I’d never been to the NFR before,” he said. “The first time I’d ever been to Las Vegas was last year. It was really overwhelming to me. When I went, it was a complete culture shock. The first time I was standing behind the chutes two days before the first round, I was nervous then. I think this year, having seen all that stuff, I hope to be able to stay a little bit more calm and collected throughout the whole week.” How will Bright respond to climbing over those bright yellow chutes and onto the greatest bucking horses in the world when he suffered a broken back the last time he did so? “I’ve been to rodeos where I got hurt, and you go back the next year; it’s going to turn out different,” he said. “I don’t believe I’ve got bad luck at this rodeo or that rodeo. That could’ve happened at any rodeo throughout the year. It was just a fluke deal, and it happened to be in Las Vegas.” Besides, the NFR offers a purse of $6 million. If he’s qualified, the young cowboy wants to shine in the City of Lights and collect as big of a chunk of that cash as possible while he’s there. “When it comes down to Oct. 1 and you look at the world standings and see that you’re in the top 15 at the end of the regular season, that’s a pretty good feeling,” said Bright, 28. “That first year, knowing I made it, knowing that now I’m going to the NFR … that was pretty spectacular right there. “All the horses you get on at the finals are the horses you want to get on throughout the year. They’re the best horses in the business, and to know you get to get on them for 10 nights really gets your motor running even more.” Bright’s motor runs pretty hot most of the time. His father, R.A., rode bareback horses and bulls, and his mom, Yvonne, has competed in barrel racing. Younger brother Jacob, a former mixed martial arts fighter, works construction. “My dad’s done a little bit of everything in rodeo,” Bright said, noting that both his parents are also Tennessee born. “Actually I went to my frist rodeo when I was a few weeks old. I was born in the middle of the summer, and my dad was rodeoing pretty regularly. “With my brother, I always thought it was funny that my parents kids got into some non-traditional stuff. I always said he was the tougher one; horses aren’t going to hit you in the face.” Still, it takes someone quite tough to attach his hand to a rigging that’s strapped tightly around the chest of bareback horses. Bright began his rodeo career riding calves when he was 8 years old. He dabbled in team roping and steer wrestling, but his focus was on riding bulls and bareback horses. His prowess carried Bright to the University of Tennessee-Martin on a rodeo scholarship. “The whole reason I  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – The first time Stockton Graves swung his leg over a horse, his dreams were about those fabulous gold buckles awarded to the season’s world champions. The last time Graves swing his leg over a horse, the dream was the same. That’s just part of the life of a man who makes his living jumping off a perfectly good horse onto a sprinting steer in the world of rodeo. Oh, and he’s pretty good at it, too, qualifying for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo seven times in eight years as one of the top 15 bulldoggers in the world standings year after year. “I’m dang sure excited to be back in Las Vegas since I missed it last year,” said Graves, who last week was announced as rodeo coach at his alma mater, Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva. “Missing it last year sure set me on fire to do better this year. “I’m glad to be there because this is what we do for a living. When we started in Odessa (Texas) and Denver in January, we want to be in Vegas in December.” Graves finished the regular season 14th in the world standings. That’s great, because the NFR takes only the top 15 contestants in each event. But also it means he has an uphill battle if he’s going to place that gold buckle on his belt at the conclusion of the 10-day marathon in the Nevada desert. “I sure had high hopes at coming in to the NFR higher,” said Graves, who first qualified for the NFR in 2004. “I started off this season really good, then it kind of died off this summer. I didn’t win anything. I made a little bit of a change, and I ended up slipping in there.” Ask any cowboy or cowgirl who has aspirations of competing full time on the rodeo trail, and they’ll point to that Montana Silversmiths gold buckle as their primary focus. A competitor wants to be a champion, no matter the event. But the reality is that rodeo also is Graves’ business, and the Wrangler NFR offers the biggest prize pool of any rodeo all season. Las Vegas is where the world champions will be crowned, but $6 million in prize money will be dished out to the 119 competitors in the field. “There’s nothing like driving into Vegas and getting on Las Vegas Boulevard, driving down Tropicana and seeing the Thomas & Mack Center,” said Graves, who credits his relationship with Coats Saddlry, Purina and Rodeo Rigs for helping him manage the business of rodeo. “It’s an exhilarating rush knowing you made it. You never get to a point where that gets old. It’s what we love to do. If a guy doesn’t get a thrill from seeing the Thomas & Mack, then he just needs to quit. “The first time is the biggest thrill. You worked your whole life to get there, then that first time is definitely going to be more exciting than anything. I’m almost back to that point after missing a year. After not being there for two years, I think we’ll get pretty excited when we roll into town.” The excitement comes from a lifetime of living this dreams. Graves grew up in Ponca City, Okla., where his father, Jim, works for Conoco. But Jim Graves was a steer wrestler who taught his son the techniques of grappling a farm animal. Stockton Graves’ mom, Cheryl, is a nurse, but also she was a rodeo mom. “My dad and my mom hauled me around to all them junior rodeos and high school rodeos,” Stockton Graves said. “They did what it took to make me successful. They sacrificed a lot to make things good for me.” If his parents spoiled him, his sisters didn’t. Whether Jamie (Graves) Burger, Kaycee (Graves) Chambers or Royce (Graves) Leather were doing things around the house or building on their own athletic prowess, they made sure their baby brother worked for everything he got. Obviously it worked. “My sisters rodeoed through junior rodeo and a little more, but they were successful basketball and softball players,” Graves said. “They pursued that avenue.” It’s a pretty good thing Graves has pursued his. He’s an established veteran in the sport; all that’s lacking is that coveted world championship. “Rodeo is something I dedicated my life to,” he said. “We’ve worked hard. There’s a great camaraderie with the bulldoggers, and everybody’s friends. I’m friends with all those guys, and we all have a good family. It’s just good to be part of that family at the NFR. When a guy gets a chance to be there, you don’t want to waste it. You want to have as much fun as you can and enjoy it. It’s not going to last forever, and everybody realizes that.” Of course, it helps that he’s got a great partner in Gunner, owned by Jesse Peterson. “Luke Branquinho and I are going to ride him in Vegas, and I’m pretty excited about it,” Graves said. “He’s been to the NFR more than I ever have. He’s a great horse. He’s one of the top two or three horses at the NFR. It’s nice to be able to ride him going in there.” What’s also nice is having his fiancé, Crissi Loch, by his side, where she’s been for the last 11 years. The rodeo life means a lot of time on the road away from home, but those are the cards dealt to the couple. “She’s been a crutch for me throughout rodeoing,” Graves said. “It’s not easy on the spouses, with us being gone and staying gone. They definitely go through a lot. She does a good job, and she supports me a lot. That helps.” When Oklahoman Garth Brooks sang the song about rodeo, the lyrics spoke of the bulls and the blood, the dust and the mud. But there’s something special that beats in the chest of every elite contestant,  Continue Reading »

In a week, Stockton Graves will venture to Las Vegas to compete in the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo for the seventh time in his career. That’s proof that the cowboy from Newkirk, Okla., is one of the elite steer wrestlers in the sport. But further proof of his greatness came this past week when Graves was named rodeo coach at his alma mater, Northwestern Oklahoma State University. Graves was a standout in Alva. He won the Central Plains Region’s steer wrestling title twice and was a three-time qualifier to the College National Finals Rodeo; he owns the record for the fastest bulldogging time at the college finals, a 3.4-second run. “I am very excited about the opportunity to serve as the new head coach and coming back to Alva and Northwestern,” Graves said in a release issued by the Northwestern sports information office. “I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Northwestern and want to share that experience with the current and future members of the rodeo team. I’m pleased to be able to give something back to the university and the community.”

Today’s our Thanksgiving with my wife’s family, and there are so many things for which I’m thankful. No. 1, of course, is the presence of God in my life, but also I’m quite blessed with my family, from my wife, my girls and all those that are closest to my life. They’re my biggest supporters in my career; without them, I would never be able to do what I do.

LAS VEGAS – Much of Las Vegas changes dramatically in early December, when the City of Lights becomes better known as Cowboy Town in honor of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. The MGM Grand Hotel and Casino does more than dabble in the Western lifestyle for two weeks – the resort tackles the immense popularity of ProRodeo’s premier championship in typical MGM Grand fashion by continuing its rich tradition as the Home of Champions. With amenities that reach as far as the Wyoming sky, the MGM Grand has become a comfortable home to the greatest players in the sport. “My family and I stayed at the MGM last year, and it was the easiest that week has been on my family since we’ve been going to Vegas,” said Bobby Mote, a four-time world champion bareback rider from Culver, Ore., who has qualified for the Wrangler NFR 11 times in his career. “We stay at The Signature Towers, and you go in and out through a separate entrance. We were able to have our own kitchen. “Basically it was like a house. If you have a place like a house, then you have a place to reset yourself. That’s a big factor.” There are many factors for rodeo cowboys and cowgirls who are in Las Vegas competing for their share of the $6 million prize pool. This is a business trip, and partnering with the MGM has given each of the contestants that kind of feel. “They have a history of having the champions there,” said Will Lowe, a three-time world champion bareback rider from Canyon, Texas. “It’s one of the original casinos in Las Vegas, and it has the biggest sporting events. More than that, it’s one of the nicest places overall to be at in Las Vegas.” It’s no wonder there are 33 people representing 56 ProRodeo world championships who are making the MGM Grand their home while the best in the business battle for the most prized hardware in the sport, a Montana Silversmiths gold buckle given to each world titlist. “The MGM is great, and the people there really make you comfortable,” said Trevor Brazile, a 15-time world champion who owns a Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association record eight all-around gold buckles. Whether it’s a convenient “home” in the main hotel at the corner of Tropicana and Las Vegas Boulevard or a suite at The Signature, champions know what they get when they arrive at the MGM Grand. “This will be my first time staying there, and I’m very excited about it,” said Cody Whitney, a three-time Wrangler NFR qualifying bull rider from Asher, Okla. “Actually, last year we stayed at the MGM more than we did our own place because it was just so nice. “We get more area for my kids to run around, since they’re going to be cooped up in the room more than not. There are a lot of great things for the kids to keep them occupied for 10 days, and if I want to go play a little, I can. Last year we had a Crown Royal team meeting at one of the MGM’s restaurants, and the food was excellent. I’ll have to go back this year now that we’re staying there.” Whitney plans to stay in the main hotel, but fellow bull rider J.W. Harris and his family will reside in The Signature. A year ago, Harris’ wife, Jackie, gave birth to the couple’s first child, Aubrey, on Nov. 30, just two nights before the first round of the Wrangler NFR; the MGM Grand’s comfort became more of a necessity for the family than most who are in Las Vegas for the championship. “It’s just so nice,” said Harris, the three-time reigning world champion bull rider from Mullin, Texas. “Where we are in the towers, you don’t have to walk through the casino. You come back from the Thomas & Mack Center, and you don’t have to push the baby through the smoke and all that other stuff. There’s valet parking, and they make it comfortable. “They dang sure take good care of you. It’s like a home away from home.” Harris said those creature comforts were one of the reasons he was able to focus so much on the tasks at hand when it came time for the competition, when he was facing the nastiest bucking beasts in the business for 10 straight December nights. “When you’re there for two weeks and you have so many other things going on like taking care of your horses or doing appearances and all the other things that go into it, it’s nice to not have to worry about where you’re staying,” said Brittany Pozzi, a two-time barrel racing champion from Victoria, Texas. “They know my name and they know which rental vehicle I’m in. It’s very quaint, very refreshing.” Jason Miller, the 2007 world champion steer wrestler from Lance Creek, Wyo., isn’t new to the resort, but this is his first time with Team MGM Grand. He knows the benefits well, and he’s looking forward to a long relationship. “It’s close to the arena, and the restaurants are good,” Miller said. “Everything you want is right there in the MGM Grand. If the rodeo was at the MGM, you’d never have to leave. “It’s a great location, but not just for the rodeo. You’re right off the strip. If you want to do anything, you’re right there.”

My heart goes out to the families and friends of Oklahoma State University women’s basketball coach Kurt Budke, assistant coach Miranda Serna and Olin and Paula Branstetter, who died in a plane crash late Thursday afternoon. We’re less than 11 years removed from another airplane crashed on the Plains of eastern Colorado, killing 10 members of the OSU men’s basketball team family. Thursday’s tragedy not only hurts every orange-clad Cowboy and Cowgirl across this country, but also it serves as a reminder for those who died a decade ago. My heart breaks for those closest to it all, but I know the people in Stillwater well, and I know they’ll rebound well. They will honor those four friends with respect, and it will be powerful.

James Phifer, a PRCA photographer from east Texas, sent me a couple of photos today, and viewing those images got me to thinking about a few things. Over the course of my career covering rodeo, I’ve interviewed Trevor Brazile dozens of times. There are times the questions-answers become redundant because, well, we’ve done this a lot. But each time, Trevor is thoughtful, considerate and a great interview because of the things he says but also the way he says them. That’s one of the great things about it, in addition to his talent, his work ethic and his humbleness. He’s intelligent and presents his case very well; it’s a good lesson for all cowboys and cowgirls who make their livings on the rodeo trail, because good media coverage is GREAT for our sport. If you want to win a Montana Silversmiths gold buckle, you’ve got to outwork your competition but praise those men and women at the same time. It’s a fine art. On one of my contracts, I’ll get to visit with Trevor again on a piece about the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, the Home of Champions in Las Vegas during the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. In fact, 56 world championships will be represented by Team MGM during the 10 nights of ProRodeo’s premier event. That’s pretty impressive, and I’m pretty sure no other Las Vegas resort can boast the same thing. Now I just need to interview Trevor for this story, which I’ll be posting next week. I just need Trevor to give me a call. I hope he’s still got my number.

Keep an eye out for the Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo‘s website for regular information on the 2012 championship in Oklahoma City. I’ll be posting quick-hitting information until the RNCFR’s four-day run from March 29-April 1 at Jim Norick Arena on the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds. It’ll be an outstanding event, and we will do everything we can to provide you with insightful tidbits of information. Tell your friends about it, and make plans to be in Oklahoma City the end of March.

Trevor Brazile’s final run at the Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping wasn’t his fastest of the two-day, 10-round championship on Nov. 11-12 at the Lazy E Arena. It wasn’t the prettiest, either. But that 13.7-second sprint to the finish was efficient and accomplished a major goal for Brazile’s 2011 campaign, his third Steer Roping World Championship and the 15th Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association World Title in his stellar career. “I owe a lot of that success to San Antone,” Brazile said of the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, which initiated steer roping into its competition this season and provided one of the biggest purses of the season; Brazile won $24,060 there. “That was a huge win for me. I knew it going in. I prepared for that like I would a National Finals.” In fact, it was 25 percent of Brazile’s earnings this season, but it wasn’t the only win. He also earned Steer Roping titles at All-American ProRodeo Finals (Waco, Texas), Lea County Fair & PRCA Rodeo (Lovington, N.M.), Beef Empire Days PRCA Rodeo (Garden City, Kan.), Will Rogers Stampede (Claremore, Okla.), San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, SandHills Stock Show & Rodeo (Odessa, Texas), Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days Rodeo and the Butterfield Stage Days (Bridgeport, Texas). “I like to win every time I get a chance, therefore I don’t leave everything on one run,” said Brazile, 35, of Decatur, Texas. “I like to get my job done ahead of schedule. “Steer roping’s taught me to win money when you can, because there are more variables in this event than anything.” One of the variables was Two-Time Reigning World Champion Rocky Patterson of Pratt, Kan., who inched his way into the World Standings lead by winning the ninth go-round on Saturday night. After struggling to just two qualified runs during the first five rounds on Friday night, Patterson placed in four of five rounds Saturday, including the ninth-round victory. That pushed him ahead of Brazile by $173 heading into the final run of the 2011 season. Patterson was not in the average race – he finished ninth in the average with a cumulative total of 87.3 seconds on seven qualified times – so in order to claim his third straight Montana Silversmiths gold buckle, the Kansan had to win the go-round and watch Brazile fall to fifth in the aggregate race. Brazile was the second-to-last cowboy to go, just ahead of Patterson. When he raised his hands in the air and called for time, the World Championship was Brazile’s. “It just made it that much sweeter,” said Brazile, of Decatur, Texas. “There are things you remember, and I’ll remember that run because of that race, whereas you don’t remember it when it doesn’t come down to (that). “When your heart’s not that heavy on your last one, it doesn’t stick with you as long.” Most of the two-day championship didn’t sit pretty for Two-Time World Champion Scott Snedecor, but he got the job done the hard way. Snedecor, of Fredericksburg, Texas, was the only cowboy in the 15-man field to rope and tie down all 10 steers, claiming the aggregate title. It’s the second such award Snedecor has earned in his career. “Out of the 10 steers, I probably had seven of them that kicked me or tried to get up,” he said. “These steers were really good two weeks ago. I was on the wrong end of them.” Still, there is a nice new piece of hardware hanging from his belt. “An average title is the second best thing a guy can get in his career,” Snedecor said. “Other than a gold buckle, that’s the next step down. I’m fortunate enough to have two gold buckles and two average buckles.” In addition, Montana Silversmiths also created Go-Round Buckles for cowboys who excelled throughout the weekend. Snedecor failed to place in any round and his $15,231 was nice. But it was far from the biggest. In fact, six cowboys earned more money in Guthrie that weekend, led by Chance Kelton of Mayer, Ariz., who pocketed $28,615. Kelton placed in five go-rounds, including the win in the third, and finished second in the average race to Snedecor. Early on in the championship, it looked as though J.P. Wickett of Sallisaw, Okla., had a bulls-eye painted on the Average Title. Wickett won the first round with a 10.5-second run, and then finished second in the second (11.0) and third in the third (12.0). Then in a tough pen, he slugged through a 13.2-second run to win the fourth round. In all, he won $17,308 on opening night. All was great until that fifth go-round, when the steer got up after the trip. “That ticks me off,” Wickett said. “I really wanted to rope all five head tonight. I got in a little bit of a hurry, and I rushed the trip. That was my fault.” In a rare moment of success on Friday, Patterson won the second go-round with a 10.4-second run. That $5,077 check came in handy at the end, where Patterson finished second in the world standings with $87,642. Where others faltered, first-timer Kim Ziegelgruber of nearby Edmond, Okla., succeeded. He won the fifth round and placed five others. He finished fourth in the average race and earned $19,192 through the weekend. “I drew just right for that last steer,” Ziegelgruber told Marvin Olberding of ProRodeo Sports News. “I had the opportunity to free this horse up, and that was perfect for that last one. That steer kind of sat up when I roped him. I was nervous, because I put a wrap and a half on him.” Chet Herren of Pawhuska, Okla., came out on Saturday night with a vengeance, trying to make up for a rough opening night, where he had qualified times on just two runs and failed. He won the sixth go-round in 10.3 seconds, and then earned another Montana Silversmiths Go-Round Buckle in the seventh when he bested his traveling partners,  Continue Reading »

In looking back over the two days of the Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping, there were tremendous highs and lows throughout the competition. J.P. Wickett was as high as he could be through the first four go-rounds on Friday, winning two rounds and placing in two more, collecting more than $17,000 in the process. He added just $2,000 and change on Saturday; except for the final two rounds, where he had a 19.1 and a no-time, Wickett roped very well. I hope his reflection on the 2011 Clem McSpadden will be quite positive. Rocky Patterson made a great run for the world title on Saturday after struggling to just two qualified runs on Friday night. Patterson’s performance looked like this: second- and ninth-round victories, second place in the fourth and sixth, and third place in the seventh. His first night struggles pushed him out of the average, but Patterson fought through that to earn $21,385. Actually he surpassed Trevor Brazile heading into the final go-round. Of course, Trevor finished third in the average, so that ended Patterson’s attempt at three straight world titles. But it sure made for a lot of fun.

GUTHRIE, Okla. – Three times in his career, Trevor Brazile was the No. 1 man heading into the Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping. When he walked away from the championship, he did so with the Montana Silversmiths gold buckle given to that season’s world champion. The latest episode of this finely tuned act came Nov. 11-12 at the Lazy E Arena when Brazile earned his 15th Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association World Title. It came down to the final run of the final round of the two-day event. Over the course of the Clem McSpadden, two-time reigning world champion Rocky Patterson had propelled himself into the world standings lead heading into the 10th go-round – that marked the first time since March that someone other than Brazile had been No. 1 in the standings. Patterson, who knew he would not be able to earn money in the aggregate race, needed to win the go-round and see Brazile drop in the average. Brazile, though, posted a 13.7-second run, secured a third-place aggregate check of $9,231 and also another title “It just made it that much sweeter,” said Brazile, of Decatur, Texas. “There are things you remember, and I’ll remember that run because of that race, whereas you don’t remember it when it doesn’t come down to (that). “When your heart’s not that heavy on your last one, it doesn’t stick with you as long.” Brazile placed in four go-rounds and earned $19,538 inside the Lazy E. But only one cowboy was able to rope and tie down all 10 steers, two-time world champion Scott Snedecor of Fredricksburg, Texas. The $15,231 he earned for claiming the average title was the only one he received over the course of the 10-round competition. The steers on which he competed weren’t as favorable as he would’ve liked, and his final steer nearly got up on him a couple of times. “That steer … they missed him yesterday,” Snedecor said of Friday’s opening night of competition. “The fight was on holding him down.” It wasn’t the only steer Snedecor battled. “Out of the 10 steers, I probably had seven of them that kicked me or tried to get up,” he said. “These steers were really good two weeks ago. I was on the wrong end of them.” Still, there is a nice new piece of hardware hanging from his belt. “A (NFSR) average title is the second best thing a guy can get in his career,” Snedecor said. “Other than a gold buckle, that’s the next step down. I’m fortunate enough to have two gold buckles and two average buckles.” Brazile has his own trophy case, and it keeps expanding. Of course, he has tremendous talent, but he also uses a strong philosophy to winning titles. “I like to win every time I get a chance, therefore I don’t leave everything on one run,” he said. “I like to get my job done ahead of schedule. “Steer roping’s taught me to win money when you can, because there’s more variables in this sport than anything.”

Aggregate 1.    Scott Snedecor, Fredericksburg, Texas, 172.8 seconds on ten head, $15,231 2.    Chance Kelton, Mayer, Ariz., 116.5 on nine, $12,231 3.    Trevor Brazile, Decatur, Texas, 121.5, $9,231 4.    Kim Ziegelgruber, Edmond, Okla., 123.5, $6,231 5.    Cody Lee, Gatesville, Texas, 129.7, $3,231 6.    J.P. Wickett, Sallisaw, Okla., 103.8 on eight 7.    Chet Herren, Pawhuska, Okla., 110.7 8.    Jess Tierney, Hermosa, S.D., 135.5 9.    Rocky Patterson, Pratt, Kan., 87.3 on seven 10.    Will Gasperson, Decatur, Texas, 100.2 11.    Mike Chase, McAlester, Okla., 104.7 12.    Vin Fisher Jr., Andrews, Texas, 110.9 13.    Bryce Davis, Abilene, Texas, 75.8 on six 14.    Cody Scheck, Kiowa, Kan., 62.8 on five 15.    Ralph Williams, Skiatook, Okla., 80.9

1.    Cody Scheck, Kiowa, Kan., 10.4 seconds, $5,077 2.    Chet Herren, Pawhuska, Okla., 11.1, $4,077 3.    Mike Chase, McAlester, Okla., 11.3, $3,077 4.    Bryce Davis, Abilene, Texas, 11.4, $2,077 5.    Will Gasperson, Decatur, Texas, 13.3, $1,077

Two-time world champion Scott Snedecor won the aggregate championship at the 2011 Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping, the only cowboy to have roped and tied down all 10 steers. He’ll walk away from the Lazy E with $15,231; his only paycheck came with the average win, but I”m sure he’ll take it. It’s his second average title. We’ve still got more than half the runs to go.

Rocky Patterson is making a move for his third straight gold buckle by winning the ninth round, adding $5,077. It’s getting very, very interesting at the Lazy E Arena. Ninth Round: 1. Rocky Patterson, Pratt, Kan., 11.8 seconds, $5,077; 2. Bryce Davis, Abilene, Texas, 12.1, $4,077; 3. Chance Kelton, Mayer, Ariz., 12.3, $3,077; 4. Jess Tierney, Hermosa, S.D., 13.9, $2,077; 5. Will Gasperson, Decatur, Texas, 14.6, $1,077.

Cody Scheck didn’t win a dime Friday night, and in two go-rounds on Saturday, he has pocketed $8,654. He split the round win with Vin Fisher Jr., who earned just his third check of this weekend’s championship. Eight Round: 1. (tie) Vin Fisher Jr., Andrews, Texas, and Cody Scheck, Kiowa, Kan., 10.0 seconds, $4,577 each; 3. Trevor Brazile, Decatur, Texas, 11.0, $3,077; 4. Chance Kelton, Mayer, Ariz., 11.7, $2,077; 5. Kim Ziegelgruber, Edmond, Okla., 12.3, $1,077.

Rocky Patterson was the second cowboy to run in the seventh go-round, and he posted a 10.8. That held the lead through seven runs until Patterson’s traveling partner, Cody Scheck, posted a 9.6-second run. Their other traveling partner, Chet Herren, followed with a 9.5. That’s how they finished in the go-round. Collectively, they won $12,231 in the round. Seventh Round: 1. Chet Herren, Pawhuska, Okla., 9.5 seconds, $5,077; 2. Cody Scheck, Kiowa, Kan., 9.6, $4,077; 3. Rcky Patterson, Pratt, Kan., 10.8, $3,077; 4. (tie) Bryce Davis, Abilene, Texas, 11.4, $1,577; 5. Kim Ziegelgruber, Edmond, Okla., 11.4, $1,577

Chet Herren of Pawhuska, Okla., scored a 10.3-second run to win the sixth go-round. Herren has earned $11,231 so far. Sixth Round: 1. Chet Herren, Pawhuska, Okla., 10.3 seconds, $5,077; 2. Rocky Patterson, Pratt, Kan., 11.1, $4,077; 3. Will Gasperson, Decatur, Texas, 11.6, $3,077; 4. J.P. Wickett, Sallisaw, Okla., 11.9, $2,077; 5. Cody Lee, Gatesville, Texas, 12.5, $1,077.

The big winners from the 2009-2010 Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping didn’t fare too well Friday night at the Lazy E Arena. Two-time world champion Rocky Patterson, 2009 average champion Bryce Davis and 2010 average champion Cody Scheck had qualified times on five runs … combined. Patterson and Davis scored twice, while Scheck had just one qualified time.

Here are some images from behind the scenes at the Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping. Last night, announcer Justin McKee referenced the event as “The Clem McSpadden.” That’s very fitting, I think.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the recap from Friday’s first five rounds of the steer roping finals, which appears on the Lazy E Arena’s website. You can find it HERE, too. It was quite fitting that a couple of Oklahomans shared the spotlight Friday during opening night of the Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping at the Lazy E Arena. J.P. Wickett of Sallisaw was the night’s star by winning two of five go-rounds and placing in two more, pocketing $17,308. In the process, he moved from 15th to fifth in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association’s world standings. Kim Ziegelgruber, a first-time qualifier form Edmond, won the final go-round and is No. 1 in the aggregate race.  “This is my best start to a finals by far,” said Wickett, who serves as the contestant director for steer roping. “After last year, I knew I had to go after the rounds every time.” That worked very well until the fifth and final round of the evening. Wickett roped his steer cleanly, dropped it to the ground, but the animal got to his feet, resulting in a no-time. “That ticks me off,” Wickett said. “I really wanted to rope all five head tonight. I got in a little bit of a hurry, and I rushed the trip. That was my fault.” It probably hurt a little more that it was his final run of the night, but it doesn’t take away from his tremendous evening. Wickett won the opening round with a 10.5-second run, then followed it up with an 11.0 to be runner-up in the second round. He finished third in the third round with a 12.0, then won the fourth round in 13.2. “I like to see J.P. do good,” said 14-time world champion Trevor Brazile, the top cowboy in the all-around and steer roping standings. “No. 1, he’s a good friend of mine and was my team roping partner. When you team rope for that long with someone, you’re either good friends or you’re not friends at all. “He was a great partner, and he’s great for steer roping as our director.” Even with his no-time, Wickett is fourth in the aggregate with 46.7 seconds on five runs – the average winner at the conclusion of Saturday night’s final performance will earn an additional $15,231, so the consistency through 10 rounds is important to the ropers who make their living doing this. Not only that, but money counts as championship points – the cowboy with the most money won at the conclusion of the 2011 season is crowned world champion. Rocky Patterson of Pratt, Kan., has been that man the last two years. In fact, he owns the single-season earnings mark set last year with $101,685. Patterson scored the fastest run of the night to win the second round with a 10.4, but was saddled with three no-times. Sitting second in the world standings heading into the championship, Patterson will have to make a bold move on Saturday to earn his third gold buckle. Chance Kelton of Mayer, Ariz., won the third round in 11.5 seconds. He also placed in the first and fifth rounds. He has earned $11,231 so far. Ziegelgruber scored a 10.7 in the final round of the night; also he placed in three other go-rounds and has increased his annual earnings by $10,308. “Last year I embarrassed myself, and I didn’t want to do that again,” said Wickett, 42. “This year I worked hard at it. The last three weeks, it’s be a grind. You want to win, but I’m not a spring chicken anymore, so I have to work harder at it than I used to.” It worked pretty well Friday night.

Kim Ziegelgruber posted the third fastest run of the Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping to win the fifth go round with a 10.7-second run. After J.P. Wickett missed his steer, Ziegelgruber moved to the lead into the average. Fifth round: 1. Kim Ziegelgruber, Edmond, Okla., 10.7 seconds, $5,077; 2. Mike Chase, McAlester, Okla., 11.4, $4,077; 3. Chance Kelton, Mayer, Ariz., 11.5, $3,077; 4. Trevor Brazile, Decatur, Texas, 11.7, $2,077; 5. Bryce Davis, Abilene, Texas, 12.1, $1,077 Average leaders: 1. Kim Ziegelgruber, Edmond, Okla., 67.3 seconds on five head; 2. Scott Snedecor, Fredericksburg, Texas, 85.7; 3. Jess Tierney, Hermosa, S.D., 92.9; 4. J.P. Wickett, Sallisaw, Okla., 46.7 on four; 5. Chance Kelton, Mayer, Ariz., 48.4; 6. Trevor Brazile, Decatur, Texas, 51.8; 7. Cody Lee, Gatesville, Texas, 54.0; 8. Will Gasperson, Decatur, Texas, 60.7; 9. Chet Herren, Pawhuska, Okla., 39.8 on three; 10. Mike Chase, McAlester, Okla., 43.7; 11. Vin Fisher Jr., Andrews, Texas, 46.4; 12.      Ralph Williams, Skiatook, Okla., 55.8; 13. Rocky Patterson, Pratt, Kan., 23.9 on two; 14. Bryce Davis, Abilene, Texas, 25.4; 15. Cody Scheck, Kiowa, Kan., 16.7 on one.