2023 PRCA Media Guide - All Chapters

STEER ROPING

J. Tom Fisher Wins First Steer Roping Gold Buckle

This is a moment J. Tom Fisher replayed in his head thousands of times - having a chance to be the PRCA Steer Roping World Champion in Round 10. Well, the stage wasn’t too big for the Andrews, Texas, cowboy at the National Finals Steer Roping, Nov. 5 at the Kansas Star Arena. Fisher won Round 10 with an electric 9.5-second run, which set things in motion for him to win his first career gold buckle. Fisher earned $10,160 for the round victory and more importantly it allowed him to finish third in the average with a 111.2-second time on nine head to collect another $19,884. J. Tom finished atop the PRCA | RAM World Standings with $123,477. Reigning world champ Cole Patterson was second with $117,036. “This is a lifelong dream,”said Fisher, 37, fighting back tears.“This is the best day of my life. Vin (Fisher Jr., J. Tom’s brother) is an amateur mathematician and he had it figured that I needed to win like

third in (Round 10) and Cole not place and I had to stay third in the average. I knew I had a great steer because Cash Myers tied him in 9.7 (in Round 5). I just wanted to be a little off the barrier and just blast him on the ground and that’s the way it worked out.” Patterson, who went moments after J. Tom needed to finish third or better in Round 10 to claim his second world crown in a row. However, Patterson stopped the clock in 11.0 seconds, which tied for seventh in the round and out of the money. Patterson needed a third-place check or better in Round 10, since he was out of the average money. “This is just incredible,”J. Tom said.“I worked at this every day the last 20 years and this something you dream about, having a chance to win the round to win the world. You think about something like that every day. I’m just very blessed that this all worked out.” The coveted gold buckle was a long time

coming for the Fisher family. Father Dan, has 16 NFSR qualifi cations, Vin Jr. has 19 and J. Tom has 10. Finally in 2022, the family left with a gold buckle. Vin has been second in the steer roping world standings two times in 2015 and 2019 and Dan was reserve world champ in 1996. “Getting this gold buckle after all those (NFSR) qualifica tions in my family is incredible,” J. Tom said. “In the 1990s, you started off the year trying to be reserve because Guy Allen was going to win it and there was nothing you could do about it. So, this never seemed like it could be a reality until seven or eight years ago.” J. Tom was riding Gump, 20, a horse Vin had ridden at the NFSR in the past, including when he set the record for the fastest time in NFSR history with an 8.2-second run in 2020 at the Kansas Star. – Tracy Renck

PRCA ProRodeo photo by Rod Connor

Veteran steer roper J. Tom Fisher finally won the elusive PRCA Steer Roping World Championship in his 10th appearance at the NFSR.

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2023 WORLD CHAMPIONS