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Famer ByronWalker, Daniel’s friend. “He was almost like rodeoing with a rodeo clown. … I thought if he could get meaner he would win more.” From 1982-2009, Daniel earned a combined $582,589 in tie-down roping, steer wrestling and team roping and made five trips to the NFR for tie- down roping (1985-88, ’91). “The Circuit Finals was like its own NFR,” Daniel said. “For the pro guys it was right there with it. It was like a mini-National Finals and I really enjoyed it.” Instead of being just down the road from his home in Okeechobee, Fla., like it is today, the 1987 NCFR was held in Pocatello, Idaho, and Daniel hauled his horse, V.O., across the country for the inaugural event. “For a competition that big, you need to be on a horse you own,” Daniel said. “You had to have a strategy to go by, being as fast as you could but not breaking the barrier or getting a penalty.” There was $100,000 on the table and 30,000 spectators in the grandstands at the Idaho State University Minidome, March 18-21, 1987. “That building was bigger than any building I had ever been in,” Daniel said. “It was a huge arena, and I didn’t think it (NCFR) would ever leave Pocatello.” Daniel was out of the money in the first round, but he won the average in 21.8 seconds on two head thanks to winning the second round in 8.7 seconds. “They had all the world champions there and everyone went head-to-head,” Daniel said, comparing the format toThe American. “I think the crowd likes that head-to-head competition.” The champion was determined in the Wrangler Round, where Daniel finished nearly 10 seconds ahead of the pack. He posted a 9.7-second run while Troy Pruitt and Doug Clark tied for second in 19.1 seconds. Although the $3,357 he earned in Pocatello didn’t count toward the world standings, Daniel finished second in the world in 1986 and again in 1987. “The NCFR was huge and just kept getting bigger,” Daniel said. “(Winning) it felt better than Denver or San Antonio. Back in that era, San Antonio didn’t even give out buckles. Everything has made a step up since then.” Daniel’s quirks earned him a nickname from Walker’s wife, Mary, the 2012 Barrel Racing World Champion and five-time NFR qualifier (2012-16). “Mary gave him the nickname Baby Huey (a 1950s cartoon character) because that was what he was to us and that’s just the way he was,” Walker said. “D.R. probably didn’t get the respect he deserved from the other ropers for what he won since he was so darn big and strong. Shoot, he was about 6-foot-4, weighed 240 pounds and was just ungodly strong, but his (roping) style was very, very deliberate. He THE INAUGURAL NCFR FUNNY BUSINESS

was the epitome of ‘smooth is fast’ since he didn’t make any mistakes.” Walker knows talent. He was the 1981 Steer Wrestling World Champion and had 16 NFR qualifications (1977-87, 1991, 1997-2000), landing him a spot in the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2014. He and Daniel were part of the Dodge Team on the Winston Tour, and all the teammembers were given white hats. The low quality prompted Daniel to poke fun at their sponsor. “D.R. said they were 2X badgers instead of beavers because they were so heavy,”Walker said. “Nobody would ever tease a sponsor like that, but Jack (Lowry) just loved him for it. He bought us all silverbellies that were 200X, so we all thanked him.” Daniel worked as a stock contractor for unsanctioned competitions from 2003-10 and continued to compete until 2009. Now, the 56-year-old cowboy runs about 400 head of cattle and manages rental properties in the Okeechobee area. His wife, Paula, is a 4-H leader and their son, David Anthony, is attending college in Santa Fe, N.M., with plans to transfer to the University of Florida to pursue a degree in ag business. “It (rodeo) kind of rounds you up for who you are today,” Daniel said. “You meet a lot of people and probably keep up with a few, and when you see them again it’s like seeing an old family member.”

BIGGEST WINS • NFR average: 1986 • NCFR: 1987-88 • Southeastern Circuit year- end title: 1986-87, ’89 • Southeastern Circuit Finals Rodeo: 1989 • Arcadia, Fla.: 1993, ’98 • Denver: 1987 • Dodge City, Kan.: 1984 (AA), ’85 (TD) • Fort Worth, Texas: 1987 (AA), ’91 (TD) • Molalla, Ore.: 1988 • Montgomery, Ala.: 1987, ’89 • Oakdale, Calif.: 1988 (AA and SW) • San Antonio, Texas: 1987 (AA), 1989 (TD)

• San Francisco: 1991 • Sikeston, Mo.: 1986 • Springdale, Ark.: 1986

• St. Paul, Ore.: 1985 • Pueblo, Colo.: 1986 *All wins are for tie-down roping unless otherwise noted

Photo courtesy Paula Daniel D.R. Daniel, far right, runs cattle and manages rental properties in Okeechobee, Fla., along with his wife, Paula, and their son, David Anthony.

ProRodeo Sports News 4/2/2021

ProRodeo.com

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