Saddle bronc rider Weston Patterson returneed to the pay window when his 86-point ride on Burch Rodeo’s Calico Color helped him finish in fifth place during Wednesday’s seventh round of the National Finals Rodeo.
(PHOTO BY GREG WESTFALL)

 

LAS VEGAS – Even though it’s in the desert, there can be some cold spells in the City of Entertainment.

Saddle bronc rider Weston Patterson has been part of one. After finishing second in the opening round a week ago, he went without a paycheck for five straight nights. When it’s at the National Finals Rodeo, that makes things even tougher.

“It feels good to get a check out of that,” said Patterson, who rode Burch Rodeo’s Calico Color for 86 points to finish fifth in Wednesday’s seventh round, worth $9,463. “It’s been pretty cold the last couple of nights. I’ve not been riding bad; I just haven’t been drawing the horses to get a check on.

“The horse I had (Wednesday) I’ve been on before. I got on him last summer in Sentinel Butte, North Dakota, and I was 86 there. I knew she was going to move pretty hard right out of (the chute) and just going to be really bucky, so I knew I had a chance to finally scrap something out of it, and I did.”

Cowboys are matched to their broncs via random draw, and while the horses are set in sections to make the competition as even as possible, there are several each night that are better than others.

“When you’re not drawing hot, it can really get to you, and I’ve been trying to lot let it get to me and just know every night’s a chance,” said Patterson, 24, of Waverly, Kansas. “When the drawing is not as good as you want, just keep making the best of it and do your job.”

Despite the dry spell, Patterson has earned $48,442 in Las Vegas, with $10,000 of that coming from the bonus that comes from qualifying for the NFR. He has increased his season earnings to $222,178 and sits 11th in the world standings.

It’s all part of the learning curve for the first-timer in Sin City, but he’s had a little help from a couple of traveling partners, fellow bronc busters Wyatt Casper, a five-time finalist who just missed advancing this season, and Kade Bruno, who is competing at his fourth straight NFR. Both have been boosting the young cowboy’s confidence.

“Kade’s been having a good week and has been riding good,” Patterson said. “He’s been very positive and just telling me to keep doing what I did all year. I’ve been talking to Wyatt about every day. He told me today, ‘I’ve been on both sides of the ball. I’ve been the guy that wins the average and second in the world, and I’ve been the guy that didn’t hardly get a dime out here. Just keep going at it; there’s a reason you made it out here.’

“Wyatt Smith, one of the coaches from Clarendon (Texas) College, called me today just to give me some positive feedback. I just have to remember that I’m here for a reason, and just because things aren’t going so hot doesn’t mean there’s anything bad about it.”

The NFR is a slugfest, and the bronc busters are being tested by the 100 best horses in the sport over 10 December nights in Las Vegas. There are times when he needs to clear his mind, and he takes advantage of his days to get things right mentally.

“I went to the Airbnb my girlfriend’s family has and just got away from the scene, went somewhere that’s a little bit quiet and just relax,” he said. “I feel like when I do that, it helps me prepare coming into the night and having my mind straightened and ready to go.”