Steer wrestler Rooster Yazzie jumped into the Lea County Fair and Rodeo lead with a 4.1-second run during Thursday’s second performance. Combined with his first-round run of 4.7 seconds, Yazzie has a half-second lead on the field.
(PHOTO BY PEGGY GANDER)
LOVINGTON, N.M. – If there’s a strong-but-silent type, Rooster Yazzie fits the bill.
He lets actions do his talking, and they had plenty to say Thursday at the Lea County Rodeo. He posted a 4.7-second steer wrestling run during the morning’s first round, then punctuated it with an exclamation point during the second performance with a 4.1 to move into the bulldogging lead with a two-run cumulative time of 8.8 seconds.
“We just ran our steers and did our best,” said Yazzie, 26, of Coyote Canyon, New Mexico. “I think I drew two of the better steers in the whole pen.”
His fastest run came on a steer that dealt a no-time in the first round. Yazzie and his hazer, Cimarron Thompson of Hobbs, New Mexico, had a game plan to help the steer be a little better. Thompson said the play went awry, but it worked in Yazzie’s favor anyway.
“He just stopped this morning,” Yazzie said. “My plan was just to get off and catch him.”
That’s putting things into the most simplistic of terms, but utilizing fundamentals is an important aspect of any athletic competition. NFL quarterbacks spend hours a day working on footwork skills and throwing motions, finetuning mechanics. NBA players work on proper shooting techniques and blocking out.
For bulldoggers, the first step is to have a horse that works well. Yazzi has that with Chief, a 13-year-old red roan gelding that gets him to steers in a hurry.
“I’ve had him for about six years, and he’s a big blessing to me,” he said. “We got him, trained him, and he’s been a natural ever since. Training horses is something you’ve got to do where I live, but it’s something I enjoy doing, too.
“I know he’s going to do his job, and he’s not going to leave me hanging.”
Yazzie is in a tie for fifth in the opening round and third in the second round. He’ll have to wait out two more days of competition to see where he lands in the final results, but he likes his chances in southeastern New Mexico. Any money earned in Lovington will go a long way toward his goal of winning the Turquoise Circuit, a regional competition made up of contestants and rodeos primarily from New Mexico and Arizona.
“The plan is to (eventually) make the NFR; hopefully it works,” Yazzie said. “You’ve just got to keep entering and drawing good. When I draw a good one, I need to use him.”
Lea County Fair and Rodeo
Lovington, N.M.
Aug. 5-8
Bareback riding leaders: 1. Leighton Berry, 89 points on Rafter H Rodeo’s Medicine Show; 2. Bradlee Miller, 88; 3. (tie) Garrett Shadbolt and Luke Thrash, 86.5; 5. (tie) Cole Franks and Lane McGehee, 85; 7. Colton Clemons, 84; 8. Waylon Bourgeois, 81.
Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Colten Leech, 4.2 seconds; 2. Tyler Waguespack, 4.3; 3. J.D. Struxness, 4.5; 4. Garrett Oates, 4.6; 5. (tie) Mason Couch and Rooster Yazzie, 4.7; 3. Cash Robb, 5.0; 4. Trace Harris, 5.8; 5. Darcy Kersh, 5.9; 6. Teel Sikes, 6.2; 7. Riley Duvall, 6.3; 8. Jake Holmes, 7.0. Second round leaders: 1. (tie) Jesse Brown and Justin Shaffer, 3.9 seconds; 3. Rooster Yazzie, 4.1; 4. (tie) Shayde Etherton, Riley Reiss and Cimarron Thompson, 4.3; 7. Landris White, 4.4; 8. Tyke Kipp, 4.6. Average leaders: 1. Rooster Yazzi, 8.8 seconds on two runs; 2. Cimarron Thompson, 9.3; 3. Landris White, 9.5; 4. Mason Couch, 9.7; 5. Tyke Kipp, 10.2; 6. Garrett Oates, 10.4; 7. (tie) Riley Reiss and Riley Duvall, 11.6.
Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. tie) Dylan Hancock, Max Mathis and Kyan Wilhite, 9.4 seconds; 4. Chris McCuistion, 10.1; 5. (tie) Blane Cox and Klay Kirkes, 10.3; 7. Cutter Pareo, 10.8; 8. Cade Wallis, 11.3. Second round leaders: 1. Kater Tate, 9.1 seconds; 2. Cade Wallis, 9.2; 3. (tie) Cole Clemons and Pecos Tatum, 9.4; 5. Jacob Walters, 9.5; 6. Quade Hiatt, 9.8; 7. Ty Harris, 10.0; 8. Cooper Martin, 10.4. Average leaders: 1. Cade Wallis, 20.5 seconds on two runs; 2. Kater Tate, 20.8; 3. Quade Hiatt, 21.7; 4. Klay Kirkes, 22.2; 5. Dylan Hancock, 22.5; 6. Pecos Tatum, 23.6; 7. Ace Reece, 24.9; 8. Chris McCuistion, 25.4.
Breakaway roping: First round leaders: 1. (tie) Rylee George and Sawyer Gilbert, 2.4 seconds; 3. Sequin Brewer, 2.6; 4. Hailey Schafer, 2.7; 5. Taylor Girvin, 3.0; 6. Kassidy Dennison, 3.1; 7. (tie) Emilee Charlesworth, Bailey Stringer and Timber Allenbrand, 3.3. Second round leaders: 1. Hali Williams, 1.9 seconds; 2. (tie) Quincy Sullivan, Kaydin Finan and Avery Landry, 2.4; 5. Bailey Bates, 2.5; 6. Claire Dale, 2.6; 7. Rylee George, 2.8; 8. Timber Allenbrand, 2.9. Average leaders: 1. Rylee George, 5.2 seconds on two runs; 2. Hali Williams, 5.4; 3. Sawyer Gilbert, 6.0; 4. Kaydin Finan, 6.1; 5. Timber Allenbrand, 6.2; 6. Avery Landry, 6.4; 7. Kassidy Dennison, 6.5; 8. Sequin Brewer, 7.2.
Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Weston Patterson, 87 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Medusa; 2. Tanner Butner, 85; 3. (tie) Darcy Radel and Wyatt Casper, 84; 5. Ira Dickinson, 82.5; 6. Tom Webster, 80.5; 7. Warwick Southern, 78.5; 8. Blake Steuck, 78.
Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Clint Summers/Jade Corkill, 4.6 seconds; 2. Derrick Begay/Colter Todd, 4.8; 3. Curry Kirchner/Tanner Braden, 4.9; 4. Brenten Hall/Wyatt Cox, 5.0; 5. J.C. Yeahquo/Logan Moore, 5.1; 6. (tie) Kolton Schmidt/Paden Bray and Aaron Tsinigine/Ty Romo, 5.3; 7. Kolton Schmidt/Payden Bray, 5.3; 8. Chad Masters/Joseph Harrison, 5.4. Second round leaders: 1. Derrick Begay/Colter Todd, 4.6 seconds; 2. Erich Rogers/Cory Petska, 4.8; 3. Chad Masters/Joseph Harrison, 5.1; 4. Wyatt Bray/Chris Young, 5.2; 5. Conley Kleinhans/Kyler Kanady, 5.3; 6. (tie) Wawa Ben Jr./Brandon Ben and Cash Fretwell/Faron Candelaria, 5.8 each; 8. Gavin Hershberger/Garrett Hershberger, 6.0. Average leaders: 1. Derrick BegayColter Todd, 9.4 seconds on two runs; 2. Chad Masters/Joseph Harrison, 10.5; 3. Gavin Hershbereger/Garrett Hershberger, 12.6; 4. Bryson Alder/Oliver White, 14.0; 5. Brenten Hall/Wyatt Cox, 15.6; 6. Wyatt Bray/Chris Young, 16.9; 7. Tanner Tomlinson/Wesley Thorp, 19.0; 8. Wawa Ben Jr./Brandon Ben, 22.1.
Steer roping: First round leaders: 1. Chet Herren, 11.7 seconds; 2. Clay Long, 11.9; 3. Scott Snedecor, 12.3; 4. Doc Shoemaker, 12.9; 5. Dustin Bassett, 13.1; 6. (tie) Connor McNeil and Erich Rogers, 14.4; 7. Quay Howard, 14.6; 8. Koe Wever, 16.1. Second round leaders: 1. Jarett Holliday, 12.0 seconds; 2. Ryan Rochlitz, 12.2; 3. (tie) Chet Herren and Cash Myers, 12.5; 5. Clint Buringa, 12.8; 6. John Clark, 13.9; 7. Slade Wood, 14.1; 8. Scott Snedecor, 14.6. Third round leaders: 1. Clay Long, 10.1 seconds; 2. (tie) Clint Buringa and Jarett Holliday, 12.0; 4. Troy Tillard, 12.4; 5. Tanner Stec, 12.5; 6. Chet Herren, 13.7; 7. Cash Myers, 13.9; 8. (tie) Scott Snedecor and Slade Wood, 15.5. Average leaders: 1. Chet Herren, 37.9 seconds on three runs; 2. Scott Snedecor, 42.4; 3. Erich Rogers, 47.4; 4. Slade Wood, 47.5; 5. Wade Shoemaker, 60.0; 6. Tanner Stec, 63.9; 7. Clay Long, 22.0 seconds on two runs. 8. Jarett Holliday, 24.0.
Barrel racing leaders: 1. Kim Squires, 17.54 seconds; 2. Kassie Mowry, 17.55; 3. Makenzie Mayes, 17.57; 4. Emma Parr, 17.61; 5. Whitley Sharp, 17.62; 6. Katelyn Scott, 17.70; 7. Mary Zabel, 17.99; 8. Bailey Stringer, 18.13; 9. Lisa Fernandez, 18.17; 10. Billie Harmon, 18.31.
Bull riding leaders: 1. Noah Lee, 90.5 points on Stockyards Pro Rodeo’s Firewater; 2. (tie) Clayton Sellars and Luke Mackey, 89; 4. (tie) Josh Frost and Cooper James, 88; 6. Robbie Taylor, 86.5; 7. Cimarron Rucker, 84.5; 8. Jake Gardner, 83.5.