PRORODEO Sports News - July 12, 2024

COWBOY GRILLE WITH TANNER BARTH

How’d you get your start in rodeo? Cole: My dad and family were always around cattle growing up. Then I started going to junior ropings around the house and now here we are a handful of years later. When did you know you could make a career out of rodeo? Cole: I haven’t been in ProRodeo for long, but I wouldn’t say there has ever been a defining moment that I thought I made it. I would say whether it was going to happen, or it wasn’t I was always going to keep trying to make a career out of it. Why did you decide tie-down roping would be your event? Cole: I’ve always loved swinging a rope growing up and really anything to do with a rope. I’ve team roped a lot, but I’ve found that I like roping calves quite a bit more. Calf roping made more sense for me, and I liked it better I guess you could say. Did you do any other rodeo events growing up? Cole Clemons, 20, is taking the ProRodeo world by storm during his Resistol Rookie season. The Lipan, Texas, tie-down roper is just outside the Top 15 of the PRCA | RAM World Standings with $47,678 earned as of July 11. His biggest payday this season came at the Reno (Nev.) Rodeo, where he pocketed $11,439 for the second-place finish. Clemons is second in the Resistol Rookie of the Year race in tie-down roping.

COLE CLEMONS

Cole: In junior high I tried the saddle bronc and that didn’t go very long for me. I was not a huge fan. Then when I got to high school, I decided to mainly focus on just team roping and calf roping. Why did you decide to get your PRCA card this season? Cole: I circuit rodeoed on my Permit for one year and won the circuit. I felt like my buddy Riley Webb was going to kill me if I didn’t get in the rig with him this year. So, I decided to buy my card and go at it. What have you learned during your Resistol Rookie season?

Cole: I started out rough and felt like I was trying to do too much. So, I’ve dang sure learned a lot and it’s mostly been simple stuff. One of the biggest things is to win when you can and do the best you can on each calf you run. You have to get the most you can out of each rodeo. Who’s someone you look up to in the rodeo business right now? Cole: My favorite calf roper of all-time would have to be Trevor Brazile. The way he rode horses and the way he roped was like nothing I’ve ever seen before. So, I always tried to watch him, and I dang sure look up to him. What’s one rodeo you want to win before your career is over? Cole: I haven’t been to all the rodeos yet, but so far it would definitely be RodeoHouston. I got to rope down there this year and it was very cool. It would be awesome to win that rodeo someday. What’s your favorite movie?

Cole: My favorite movie would have to be Lonesome Dove . What’s your go-to restaurant before or after a rodeo? Cole: That’s an easy one for me, we are definitely stopping at Chili’s. You cannot go wrong with Chili’s. What’s the first vehicle you drove? Cole: It was a 2011 single-cab Toyota Tacoma. That vehicle was completely unreliable, but it got me a lot of places. Do you have a favorite candy? Cole: I would have to say that Airheads are my favorite candy. What do you enjoy doing when you’re not rodeoing? Cole: I’ve grown up hunting most my life and I love to hunt when I get the chance to. What’s your favorite holiday? Cole: The Fourth of July is my favorite holiday because there’s lots of good rodeos that pay well. What type of music do you like listening to? Cole: It depends on the hour really when it comes to my music selection. But I would say my favorite would probably be some old school music, Hank Williams Jr. is near the top of the list for me.

ProRodeo Sports News 7/12/2024

ProRodeo.com

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