ProRodeo Sports News - August 20, 2021

LAWTON RANGERS RODEO LAWTON, OKLA.

Dale Hirschman photo Team ropers Clay Tryan and Jake Long look to make a clean run at the Lawton (Okla.) Rangers Rodeo Aug. 11-14. The pair won the rodeo with a 9.7-second two-head average.

Veteran team ropers pick up victory at Lawton rodeo Right on Track BY ALLY GALLAGHER T eam ropers Clay Tryan and Jake Long have been roping together since the 2019 National Finals Rodeo, and each year has concluded in a top 10 finish in the PRCA | RAMWorld Standings for both cowboys. “We drew two really good steers, which is kind of a theme anymore when you win first,” Tryan said. “It was a great set of steers and a pretty good setup for team roping. One of the best setups we’ve had all year, just as far as the steers are probably the best we’ve roped all year.” Steers aren’t the only animals important to team roping success. Every cowboy knows the horse he rides into the arena can make or break a run. Tryan is no stranger to horses who make a run great; he’s had two A recent win at the Lawton (Okla.) Rangers Rodeo helped move the two ropers into sixth in the world standings in their respective events.

SWEET WIN Josh Frost rode Chiseled, the 2020 Pendleton Whisky “Let ’er Buck” PRCA Bull of the Year, for 92 points in Lawton. The bull got the best of Frost at the Black Hills Roundup in Belle Fourche, S.D., earlier in the year, making this win extra sweet.

horses finish third in the race for the PRCA Team Roping Header Horse of the Year presented by AQHA. This year, he’s been working well with his newest mare, J. Lo. “She’s starting to get it figured out the more I rope on her. She did really good (in Lawton) and just kind of lets you win on anything that’s good,” Tryan said. “And that’s a good thing to have, (a horse) that just does the same thing every time that you can count on.” To win at Lawton, Tryan and Long secured a 4.5-second first-round win, contributing to their 9.7-second two-head average. As Tryan, a 24-year PRCAmember, continues in his career, he’s noticed how his event has changed for the better. “In team roping people are starting to throw their

whole rope, and they’re getting good at catching it,” Tryan said. “That wasn’t always the case, and now people are getting good at it. It’s amazing how far it’s come. … I honestly didn’t know if team roping would ever get as tough as it’s gotten, and it’s there now.” Better competition is making for better entertainment, too. An 18-time NFR qualifier and two-time world champion, Tryan said seeing full stands and performing for a crowd has made the 2021 season a memorable one. “The crowds have been great, and it’s always fun to make good runs in front of a good crowd,” he said. “It’s what they come to see, and it’s what we practice and work our whole lives to do.”

TOP MONEY WINNERS Clay Tryan and Jake Long ($5,668, team roping)

BAREBACK RIDING 1. Jess Pope ................ 90 pts. 2. Kaycee Feild ................... 89 3. Garrett Shadbolt .......... 88.5

STEER WRESTLING 1. Denard Butler ......... 8.0 sec. 2. Sam Goings ................... 9.3 3. Jarek VanPetten ............. 9.5

TEAM ROPING 1. C. Tryan/J. Long ..... 9.7 sec. 2. M. Theriot/J. Cooper ... 10.5 3. B. Webb/K. VonAhn ..... 11.4

SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Brody Cress ......... 87.5 pts. 2. CoBurn Bradshaw ....... 85.5 3. Jesse Wright .................. 85

TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. Bryson Sechrist ..... 8.3 sec. 2. Riley Pruitt .................... 8.5 3. Richard Newton ............ 8.6

BULL RIDING 1. Josh Frost ............... 92 pts. 2. Trey Benton III ............... 90 3. Trevor Kastner ................ 85

ALL-AROUND COWBOY Wyatt Muggli ($132, tie-down roping and team roping)

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Complete results/Page 59

ProRodeo Sports News 8/20/2021

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