PRORODEO Sports News - August 8, 2025

MANAGER'S MESSAGE

BLOOD, SWEAT & TEARS AND YEARS OF HARD WORK

C ompeting for a PRCA World Championship takes blood, sweat and tears, and years of hard work. It is not uncommon to hear cowboys say in interviews - after a rodeo win - that every dollar counts. That sounds cliché, but it is very true in PRORODEO. A quick PRCA history lesson is proof. From 1945-2024, there have been 10 world championship races decided by $64 or less. The list reads:

with the steer roping finals, in Clayton, N.M. Rodriguez, who was 18 years and 111 days old, is still the youngest world champion in PRORODEO history. He was inducted in the inaugural class of the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 1979 in Colorado Springs, Colo. He won four ca reer team roping world championships - 1959, 1960, 1962 and 1965. Rodriguez also won four National Finals Rodeo average titles in 1959, 1960, 1966 and 1973.

Rambo, meanwhile, who is considered one of the most versatile cowboys in the history of PRORODEO, was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 1989. Glenn, who won his last team roping world championship in 1967, was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2007. Winning PRORODEO World Championships by the closest of margins is definitely not a thing of the past. In 2020, when the NFR was held at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, because of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in the state

Scott Snedecor over Guy Allen, SR 2005 Bobby Berger over Tom Miller, SB 1979 Eddy Akridge over Buck Rutherford, BB 1954 Ted Ashworth over Dale Smith, TR 1958 Herbert Theriot over Joe Beaver, TD 1994 Jim Shoulders over John Hawkins, BB 1957 Larry Finley over Bud Linderman, BB 1947 John W. Jones Jr. over Joel Edmonson, SW 1988 Jimmie Cooper over Roy Cooper, AA 1981 Jim Rodriguez Jr. over Joe Glenn, TR 1959

$1.67 $5 $7

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

$13 $14 $18 $22 $31 $47 $64

8 9 10

The race between the far lesser-known steer roper Scott Snedecor and the Legend Guy Allen was certainly full of drama. Rather than take a deep dive on how that unfold ed 20 years ago - the powers that be at the PRORODEO Sports News will have much more on that historic race in November just before the 2025 National Finals Steer Roping Nov. 14-15 in Mulvane, Kan. That brings us back to the 1959 race, won by Rodriguez Jr. over Joe Glenn and Gene Rambo was third, $97 back, for the closest three-way race in history. The crazy part of Rodriguez Jr.’s performance is he became the youngest world champion in the history of professional rodeo when the 18-year-old Californian took top honors in team roping with earnings of $6,184. Paired with his mentor, coach and future father-in-law, Rambo, Rodriguez Jr., the header, placed three times with Rambo. In 1959, the team roping finals were held, along

of Nevada, Shad “Money” Mayfield had a tough NFR but managed to win his first world title. He claimed the tie down roping crown by $231 over Marty Yates. Fast-forward to the 2024 NFR at the Thomas & Mack Cen ter in Las Vegas, and Mayfield captured his second world title and first all-around championship by a mere $675 over Coleman Proctor. With more money available than ever at the 2025 NFR - $13,501,505 to contestants - every dollar will certainly matter to see who walks out of the Thomas & Mack Center with gold buckles.

TRACY RENCK Manager of Communications and Media

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