ProRodeo Sports News - August 18, 2023

Patience LEA COUNTY PRCA RODEO

LOVINGTON, N.M.

BY BRADY RENCK, Special to ProRodeo Sports News E verything about tie-down roping screams urgency. Start fast. Throw the looped rope in a blur. Dismount in a dash. In a timed sport, every blink matters. And yet, there is nuance that cannot be ignored that brings back the words of legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden. “Be quick, but don’t hurry.” This lesson in life and sports resonated with Cory Solomon as he shook a recent slump by winning the Lea County PRCA Rodeo in Lovington, N.M. Solomon, who turned 33 this month, clocked 18.1 seconds on two head to walk away with the title and keep his 10th qualifying bid for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo firmly in sight. “It was about drawing some pretty decent calves. The last few weeks had been pretty slow. I was drawing bad and even when I did draw well, I was overdoing things and pushing too hard and I kind of wasted a couple of good opportunities,” Solomon said. “When I got to Lovington, my goal was to stay behind the barrier. When roping fresh cattle, it takes a lot of patience. You have to show it. So, I was kind of at the point where I went back to the drawing board and focused on scoring first and that rodeo with the fresh cattle kind of set up perfectly for me.” Solomon’s resume remains thicker than a 1980s phone book. He is a regular on the sport’s biggest stage in Las Vegas – he has three straight NFR berths and counting -- and is coming off his best season. In 2022, he finished a career-best third in the PRCA | RAM World Standings, earning $265,303. The hardest part in sports sometimes is to follow up a great year. This season has not gone as smoothly, but it is a testament to Solomon’s talent and poise that he remains squarely among the top ropers. Humility is a driving force. “With (about) six weeks to go, I have been in better places and worse places,” Solomon said. “I am at the point now whatever calf I get, I need to focus on scoring. At least go get that average check and if somewhere along the way there is a big one, that will work. Where I am from, there are a lot of calf ropers. God gave me this talent to be out here to do this. And people around the world can see what I am doing, and think if I can do it, they can.” By his own admission, the season was cruising along with near perfection in the winter and spring. But he hit a rut, in part, because he was without his 17-year-old horse Play. Play dealt with an injury after RodeoHouston, but the pair is back together. “He does a lot of things naturally that I like,” said Solomon of the horse he bought from Brazil. “When he came back after Houston, we won Prescott (Ariz.). But I wasn’t really sure if he was good. But now I know he is. Now, we are locked and loaded and ready for this final stretch.” Cory Solomon slows down to speed up to Lovington victory

TOP SCORES TOP MONEY

EARNER Trey Kimzey ($6,687, bull riding) BAREBACK RIDING Kimzey

1. Richmond Champion ........... 88.5 pts. 2. Jess Pope ...................................... 87 3. Tim O’Connell ................................ 85 STEER WRESTLING 1. Laramie Warren ............ 8.0 sec. on 2 2. Remey Parrott .............................. 8.7 3. Joshua Hefner .............................. 9.0 TEAM ROPING 1. C. Masters/T. Yates ....... 9.8 sec. on 2 2. C. Summers/J. Long .................. 10.0 3. T. Baldwin/T. Luttrell ................... 10.9 SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Damian Brennan .................. 89.5 pts. 2. Logan Hay .................................. 88.5 3. Two tied at .................................. 87.5 TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. Cory Solomon ............. 18.1 sec. on 2 2. Trevor Hale ................................. 18.2 3. Dylan Hancock ............................ 18.3 STEER ROPING 1. Tanner Stec ................. 39.9 sec. on 3 2. Slade Wood ................................ 41.6 3. Taylor Santos ............................. 43.0 BULL RIDING 1. Trey Kimzey ............................ 89 pts. 2. Trevor Reiste .............................. 88.5 3. Deklan Garland ........................... 87.5

Peggy Gander photo

Veteran tie-down roper Cory Solomon received a late-season boost by winning the Lea County PRCA Rodeo in Lovington.

ProRodeo Sports News 8/18/2023

ProRodeo Sports News 8/18/2023

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