ProRodeo Sports News - 2021 Year End Edition

HORSES OF THE YEAR

Best horses of the year honored

BY ALLY GALLAGHER, Special to ProRodeo Sports News A lthough they can’t give an interview, ProRodeo’s finest equine athletes’ actions speak for themselves, and the Purina Horse of the Year awards provide recognition to ProRodeo’s top horses. NITA WIN PLAYBOY “DRAGO” Team Roping Heeling Owner: Logan Medlin – Rider: Logan Medlin Key 2021 Accomplishments: Round winner at RAMNational Circuit Finals Rodeo (Kissimmee, Fla.), Sheridan (Wyo.) Rodeo, Rooftop Rodeo (Estes Park, Colo.), and Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days Rodeo. Why the horse is great: Drago “came in clutch” for Medlin and his partner, Coleman Proctor, this year, securing money at big rodeos toward the end of the season, resulting in both athletes qualifying for the Wrangler NFR. Medlin and Drago have been a team for five to six years now, and Medlin credits his horse with being forgiving and never having any surprises when it comes time to compete. Last year, Drago split the Horse of the Year title with Leo’s Highbrow “Sug.” Hear it from Logan: “He means a lot to me and my family. He’s been a blessing. He’s what I try to provide for my family on, and he means everything to me. He’s kind of been with me since the beginning of my career. Both times I made the Finals, the first two times I’ve made the Finals, he won Horse of the Year, it’s kind of cool that we’re both getting recognition when we started both of our careers together five or six years ago.” Key 2021 Accomplishments: Won the Rodeo Killeen (Texas), the Northern Pro Tour Team Roping (Ellensburg, Wash.), the Washington (Puyallup) State Fair Pro Rodeo, Rodeo de Sante Fe (N.M.). Co-champion of the West of the Pecos (Texas) Rodeo and the North Texas State Fair & Rodeo (Denton, Texas). Why the horse is great: This year will mark the sixth time Snow rides Annie at the Wrangler NFR, including the 2019 NFR, where Snow captured the average title. Snow bought Annie at just 4 years old, with 90 days of riding on her, and has been training and hauling her ever since. Now a reliable and consistent head horse for Snow, Annie is 12 years old and 15.2 hands tall. Hear it fromCody: “I pretty much rode her all year long. Everywhere I won she helped, you know… Like at Puyallup and Pendleton, she really was a big factor in letting me win big money at those two rodeos. She reacts to the steer exceptionally good, if one takes off she doesn’t overrun him. She lets me keep the rope tight and stuff like that. At Puyallup, you can lose a lot of time getting in the wall and she doesn’t, she keeps the rope tight the whole time.” SORT OF POPULAR “PARAGUAIA” Tie-Down Roping Owner: Marcos Costa – Rider: Marcos Costa Key 2021 Accomplishments: Won California Rodeo Salinas, the Tri- State Rodeo (Fort Madison, Iowa), the Missoula (Mont.) Stampede, and the Crossett (Ark.) Riding Club 73rd Annual PRCA Rodeo. Why the horse is great: When Costa got Paraguaia in late 2015, he didn’t know she would be the success she is now, but he took a chance. Paraguaia quickly settled into her role as Costa’s head horse, qualifying for and competing at three Wrangler NFRs and becoming the 2017World Champion. Whether a long or short set up, Paraguaia adjusts and performs well. She is 14 years old and 15.2 hands tall. Hear it fromMarcos: “I’ve been so blessed to have her. You know, before I had her I’d just make enough to pay the way. And Paraguaia, she’s IMA FRESNOS DEE “ANNIE” Team Roping Heading Owner: Cody Snow – Rider: Cody Snow

everything we got. Everything I won is on this horse. Three NFRs, one World Championship, every championship… And well, she’s pretty special because you can go to Cheyenne or Salinas, or you can go to a fast set up like Calgary or Thomas and Mack, and she’s the same. She’s the same, and she’s pretty special.”

DASHIN HAZE “TYSON” Steer Wrestling Owner: Curtis Cassidy – Rider: Curtis Cassidy and Jesse Brown Key 2021 Accomplishments: Curtis Cassidy: Won the Lake Havasu (Ariz.) Stampede, the Coleman (Texas) PRCA Rodeo, the Guy Weadick Rodeo (High River, Alberta). Split the win in Nampa, Idaho at the Snake River Stampede. Jesse Brown: Claimed two round wins and the average title at the RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo (Kissimmee, Fla.). Why the horse is great: Cassidy says Tyson’s versatility

Tyson

is his strength. At any given rodeo, Tyson could have six or more riders. He helped earn about $100,000 split between the cowboys lucky enough to compete on him at the Calgary (Alberta) Stampede alone. No matter where he is on the ProRodeo Tour, Tyson always performs under pressure. This is Tyson’s second consecutive year being named Horse of the Year. Hear it fromCurtis: “(Consistency) is one of the things that makes him one of the neatest horses out there. Like at Calgary in the first set of guys, we had five guys on him every day. And then he had four guys on the second set for ten days in a row, and he was as good for the first rider on the first day as he was the last rider on the last day. I honestly think that’s one thing that makes him so special, it sets him apart from all the other horses out there. He turns around, hits the corner, and he’s all business and does his job every time.” RBS BADGER “TIGGER” Steer Roping Owner: Cole Patterson – Rider: Cole Patterson Key 2021 Accomplishments: Won the National Circuit Finals Steer Roping (Torrington, Wyo.), Sandhills Stock Show & Rodeo (Odessa, Texas), Atoka (Okla.) Pro Rodeo, Cody (Wyo.) Stampede, West of the Pecos (Texas) Rodeo, Cheyenne (Wyo.) Frontier Days, Days of ‘76 Stand Alone Steer Roping (Deadwood, S.D.), and Gen State Stampede (Coeur D Alene, Idaho). Why the horse is great: Cole bought Tigger in March 2019 during his rookie season and says the pair learned together. His typically gentle and lazy demeanor doesn’t make him seem like a horse with speed, but he’s ready to go whenever he backs into the corner. At 16 years old, Tigger stands 15 hands tall and weighs 1,275 pounds. Hear it fromCole: “I’ve been around steer roping my whole life since my dad’s been steer roping since before I was born. I’ve seen a lot of good horses come and go but those extra special ones that you wouldn’t trade for anything, they don’t come around very often. If you get one or two in a lifetime, you better enjoy it while you have them because it’s not near as easy when you don’t have them. I definitely try not to take every ride for granted. It’s sometimes tough whenever you’re rodeoing and it’s day in and day out, but anytime I get to saddle that horse and get to compete on him, I try not to take it for granted because, I mean, I’m sure going to miss him when he’s gone.”

ProRodeo Sports News 12/17/2021

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