PECOS, Texas – Don’t be upset with Scott Snedecor for being a little greedy.
With two West of the Pecos buckles already in his trophy case, he made a statement during Friday’s third performance that he’d like to win another. After making two solid runs during the morning session of competition, he secured his fastest run of the weekend, stopping the clock in 12.9 seconds. That moved him into the top spot with a three-run cumulative time of 44.7 seconds to take the aggregate lead.
“My day was OK,” said Snedecor, 49, a four-time world champion steer roper from Fredericksburg, Texas. “My first one ran me down (the arena) a ways, and I was 14 (seconds) on him; my second won came back, and he stepped right on me. By the time I rode to him, I had to kick back and get my trip and dropped the ball a little bit and was a little longer.
“I came back tonight with one that tried pretty hard, but I made a good run on him.”
He won his first world championship in 2005, then followed that with gold buckles in 2008, 2017 and 2018. He’s qualified for the Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping 22 times and is about to add a 23rd. Over that stretch, he has won the steer roping aggregate title three times. He finished last season second in the world standings was third heading into this week of rodeos.
“Pecos is one of the good rodeos, a good Texas rodeo,” Snedecor said. “It’s one of my favorite ones, because you run those cattle out there a ways. It’s more of a cowboy event in this big arena. You’ve got to read your steer while your running out them. Your horse has got to work good. It has great fans.
“It’s a fun rodeo.”
Horsepower is vital in all timed events, but having a good equine partner is critical in steer roping. The horse has to be equally athletic and strong to handle the type of pressure it faces in competition. Snedecor has a solid one in Goose, a 15-year-old bay gelding.
“This horse has been a blessing,” he said. “I got it from Shorty Garten, and he was a little green when I got him. It took me about a year of getting him going – I almost gave up on him two or three different times throughout the year, but my wife kept saying that I had to go through the green-horse deal, and he was pretty pea-hearted with I stated, but he’s turned out to be one of the best.”
When he’s not rodeoing, Snedecor trains horses, so working to make one better for himself is right up his alley.
“I do like that side of it,” he said. “It’s rewarding to see. Up in South Dakota last week, there were six horses that I started training. To see them go to that level and do good at that level is just icing on the cake for me, but I enjoy the horsemanship of it, the learning, the skills … everything about a horse.”
That mindset is why Snedecor is one of the best that’s ever played the game.
While he trusts horsepower, Josh Frost has to trust bull power. He knew he had that in full force by the time he arrived Friday in Pecos. He was matched with Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Bayou Bengal, the 2023 PRCA Bull of the Year. Frost, a four-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Randlett, Utah, made it the ride of the rodeo so far. The two titans matched moves for 90 points, and Frost owns the lead heading into Saturday’s final performance.
“I was pretty excited,” Frost said about match-up thrown together by random draw. “I’ve ridden him twice, and it was not in my favor the first time, and it was quick. The second time, I thought I had him figured out, and it was even quicker.”
At most rodeos Bayou Bengal enters the arena out of a right-hand delivery, meaning the animal moves to its right initially. There are only left-hand deliveries at Buck Jackson Arena, so Frost liked his chances.
“It changed it up a little bit, and it worked out in my favor,” he said.
West of the Pecos Rodeo
June 26-29
Bareback riding: 1. Leighton Berry, 87 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Fox Hole Gunner; 2. Tilden Hooper, 86; 3. Jess Pope, 85.5; 4. (tie) Ty Pope and Cooper Filipek, 82.5; 6. Cole Reiner, 81; 7. Tim Murphy, 80.5; 8. Mason Stuller, 79.5.
Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Jace Bland/Tyson Thompson, 6.1 seconds; 2. (tie) Pedro Egurrola/Cory Petska and Riley Kittle/Will Woodfin, 6.7; 4. Casey Tew/Cody Tew, 7.3; 5. Quisto Lopez/Jayden Cisneros, 7.5; 6. (tie) Clay Tryan/Blaine Vick, Cash Duty/Clay Green and Zane Murphy/Colten Tate, 8.1; 4. Coy Brittain/Michael Fortenberry, 8.7; 5. Clay Eggers/Joshua Smitherman, 12.6; 6. Nelson Wyatt/Jonathan Torres, 13.0; 7. Hagen Peterson/Chase Tryan, 13.9; 8. Jhett Trenary/Jake South, 15.3. Second round leaders: 1. Nelson Wyatt/Jonathan Torre, 6.2 seconds; 2. Peyton Walters/Brandon Gonzales, 6.7; 3. Lightning Aguilera/Lane Mitchell, 7.0; 4. Shad Mayfield/Faron Candelaria, 7.5; 5. Coy Brittain/Michael Fortenberry, 8.2; 6. Quisto Lopez/Jayden Cisneros, 8.4; 7. Casey Tew/Cody Tew, 8.6; 8. Zane Murphy/Colton Tate, 8.7. Average leaders: 1. (tie) Casey Tew/Cody Tew and Quisto Lopez/Jayden Cisneros, 15.9 seconds on two runs; 3. Zane Murphy/Colton Tate, 16.8; 4. Coy Brittain/Michael Fortenberry, 16.9; 5. Shad Mayfield/Faron Candelaria, 17.4; 6. Cash Duty/Clay Green, 18.1; 7. Nelson Wyatt/Jonathan Torres, 19.2; 8. Jace Brand/Tyson Thompson, 20.3.
Steer roping: First round leaders: 1. Mike Chase, 12.4 seconds; 2. Cole Patterson, 12.9; 3. Seth Schafer, 13.2; 4. Brodie Poppino, 13.4; 5. Cooper Mills, 14.0; 6. Scott Snedecor, 14.2; 7. (tie) Trenton Johnson and J. Tom Fisher, 14.4. Second round leaders: 1. Chet Herren, 12.2 seconds; 2. Dan Fisher, 12.3; 3. Logn Currie, 12.5; 4. Tony Reina, 12.6; 5. (tie) Thomas Smith and Martin Poindexter, 13.3; 7. Jarrett Blessing, 14.2; 8. Jett Fisher, 14.3. Third round leaders: 1. Cole Patterson, 11.2 seconds; 2. Doug Pharr, 11.3; 3. Shad Mayfield, 11.4; 4. Jason Burson, 11.5; 5. Vin Fisher Jr., 11.8; 6. (tie) Logan Currie and Scott Snedecor, 12.9; 8. Tony Reina, 13.5; Average leaders: 1. Scott Snedecor, 44.7 seconds on three runs; 2. Cooper Mills, 45.1; 3. John Bland, 46.7; 4. Tony Reina, 51.0; 5. Trey Wallace, 54.5; 6. Corey Ross, 57.6; 7. Mark Milner, 57.9; 8. Cole Patterson, 24.1 seconds on two runs.
Saddle bronc riding: 1. (tie) Jake Finley, on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Pretty Woman, and Sage Newman, on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Smoke on the Water, 86.5 points; 3. Tanner Butner, 85; 4. Clint Franks, 83; 5. Isaac Richard, 81.5; 6. Tom Webster, 81; 7. Blaise Freeman, 80.5; 8. (tie) Chase Brooks and Keene Justesen, 80.
Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. Chet Weitz, 9.2 seconds; 2. Monty Lewis, 9.3; 3. Tanner Green, 9.8; 4. Hunter Herrin, 9.9; 5. Tyson Arledge, 10.3; 6. Cash Hooper, 10.6; 7. (tie) Tyler Milligan and Sy Felton, 10.9. Second round leaders: 1. Gatlin Peck, 9.9 seconds; 2. Marcos Costa, 10.0; 3. Tyler Milligan, 10.4; 4. Hunter Herrin, 10.5; 5. Cash Hooper, 10.6; 6. Chet Weitz, 10.9; 7. Bryan Moon, 11.2; 8. Gio Piloto, 12.2. Average leaders: 1. Chet Weitz, 20.1 seconds on two runs; 2. Hunter Herrin, 20.4; 3. Cash Hooper, 21.2; 4. Tyler Milligan, 21.3; 5. Marcos Costa, 22.2; 7. Monty Lewis, 22.3; 7. Bryan Moon, 23.3; 8. John Douch, 23.9.
Breakaway roping: 1. Emilee Charlesworth, 3.1 seconds; 2. Hope Thompson, 3.4; 3. Jade Mitchell, 3.5; 4. Shelby Boisjoli-Meged, 3.8; 5. Kelsie Domer, 4.0; 6. (tie) Cheyenne Britain and Haley Sage, 4.2; 8. (tie) Bradi Good and Lucy Richards, 4.4. Second round leaders: 1. Rylie Smith, 2.7 seconds; 2. (tie) Jackie Crawford and Kayelen Helton, 3.1; 4. (tie) Haley Sage, Sarah Angelone and Tibba Smith, 3.2; 7. Kendal Pierson, 3.5; 8. (tie) Cheyanne McCartney and Rheagan Cotton, 3.8. Average leaders: 1. Haley Sage, 7.4 seconds on two runs; 2. Rheagan Cotton, 7.9; 3. Shelby Boisjoli-Meged, 8.0; 4. Haley Mason, 8.3; 5. (tie) Jackie Crawford, Sarah Angelone and Kaitlyn Harwell, 8.6; 8. Hope Thompson, 8.7.
Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Rowdy Parrott, 4.3 seconds; 2. Logan Mullin, 4.5; 3. Ben Mitchell, 4.7; 4. (tie) Logan Kenline and Tucker Allen, 4.9; 6. Ryan Nettle, 5.1. Second round leaders: 1. Don Payne, 4.0 seconds; 2. Bridger Anderson, 4.3; 3. Tucker Allen, 4.5; 4. Tyler Scheevel, 4.6; 5. Taylor Pavlovsky, 5.4; 6. (tie) Trace Harris and Justin Shaffer, 5.6. Average leaders: 1. Tucker Allen, 9.4 seconds on two runs; 2. Bridger Anderson, 9.8; 3. Rowdy Parrott, 10.9; 4. (tie) Ryan Nettle and Justin Shaffer, 11.0; 6. Logan Mullin, 11.4.
Barrel racing: 1. Keyla Costa, 17.62 seconds; 2. Londyn Ross, 17.83; 3. Jamie Olsen, 17.97; 4. Andrea Busby, 17.98; 5. Shy-Anne Jarrett, 18.07; 6. Shelley Morgan, 18.12; 7. Kylee Scribner, 18.15; 8. Margo Smith, 18.28; 9. Hailey Kinsel, 18.30; 10. (tie) Corley Cox, Katelyn Scott and Caley Walkoviak, 18.32; 13. Josey Suggs, 18.35; 14. Christine DeRenzo, 18.36; 15. Taylor Carver, 18.41. Bull riding: 1. Josh Frost, 90 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Bayou Bengal. 2. (tie) Creek Young and Cooper James, 86.5; 4. Bryce Jensen, 85; 5. Jate Frost, 81.5; no other qualified rides.