ProRodeo Sports News | 2020 Year-End Edition | Dec.18, 2020

TIE-DOWN ROPING AVERAGE WINNER

Shane Hanchey won the average at the 2020 Wrangler NFR after placing in seven rounds and finishing with 83.1 seconds on 10 head. PRCA ProRodeo photo by Alaina Stangle

Veteran Performance

Record-holder Hanchey wins second average

BY AMBER BAILLIE S hane Hanchey is no amateur when it comes to knowing what’s required to do well at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. The 2013 Tie-down Roping World Champion and 2019 reserve world champion put on a steady

$195,991.

Hanchey credited his consistency to the horse he competed on, TJ, owned by Logan Bird. “I’ve had a lot of success on that horse,” he said. “I’ve won three Canadian titles on him and knew there was a good chance that I was going to win the average title because of how consistently I rope on

him and how easy he is to rope on.” The different setup at Globe Life Field, including the barrier being a foot longer in the arena, was a factor but not a crucial difference in success at the Finals, Hanchey said. “At the end of the day you just have to score, rope the calf around the neck and see where that puts you,” he said. “Competing at Globe Life was definitely an experience I will never forget. At first it wasn’t the same NFR, but it didn’t take long to catch on and be the NFR. It was really cool to be a part of history.” In 2013, Hanchey set the Wrangler NFR record for the fastest average in tie-down roping in 80.1 seconds on 10 head. “I felt like I roped as good as I could this week, and I was still three seconds behind my previous record,” he said. “I thought it was a great performance overall and won the aggregate by seven seconds.”

performance during the 10-day stretch toward the world title at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. Hanchey placed in seven rounds and concluded the Finals by winning his second average championship, finishing in 83.1 seconds on 10 head. “The end goal is always a gold buckle, but the second biggest thing I feel that you can accomplish in rodeo is winning the NFR, so to be able to do that twice is pretty cool,” said Hanchey, 31. After Round 6, the Sulphur, La., cowboy took the lead in the average after placing in four rounds and remained there for the rest of the competition. For a few rounds Cory Solomon and Marty Yates followed Hanchey closely in the standings, but by Round 10 Hanchey was seven seconds faster than the rest. He clocked an 8.0-second time during his final run to place fifth. If he’d placed fourth, he would have captured the world title. He earned $143,692 at his 11thWrangler NFR and finished third in the world with

ProRodeo Sports News 12/18/2020

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