ProRodeo Sports News - August 20, 2021

IN THEIR WORDS CLINT SUMMERS Brazile’s advice has heeler-turned-header on NFR path S ince I went to heading, it’s been a went back home, I went to working a lot harder. I’m not going to say I didn’t expect to have Clint Summers made his National Finals Rodeo debut in 2018 as a team roping heeler. He has a great chance to make

whole new challenge. It’s had its ups and downs, but for the most part it’s been pretty dang good. It’s been a fun adventure on figuring out how this heading goes. It’s been a pretty good year so far. I think there are a lot of opportunities for a great header. It seems like there are a lot of guys who can heel really good. There are a lot of guys who can head (too). I always headed a little bit where I’m from down in Florida (Lake City). You kind of head and heel. You don’t really do one thing down there. There are quite a few ropers, but not as many as in places like Texas. You grow up pretty much heading and heeling. I had always headed a little bit, so I felt like I could do it. Trevor Brazile said he’d help me. We’ve become pretty good friends. I heeled for Trevor in the Northwest four or five years ago. We became pretty good friends. He’d been after me telling me, ‘I’m not saying you can’t heel, but you need to head.’ He convinced me to do it. I told him, ‘As long as I have you behind me to help me and you’re going to stick with me, then I’m going to do it.’ Last year was a learning experience, it was a little tough. We left for the summer, and it was kind of a crazy year anyway. Everybody was at every rodeo. All the top guys were at every rodeo. I hate losing, but I guess the only way to get better is to lose. It kind of lit a fire. I didn’t do that great. I turned a few decent steers but not as many as I would’ve liked. When I

success this season. If I put my name down, I expect to win, and not in an arrogant way, but I put the time in and I feel like I try to ride and buy the best horses I can buy. I worked hard, I have great horses and a great partner. I felt like we were going to do well, I just didn’t know how well we Having been a heeler it gives me an advantage as a header. I headed so long I know what the toughest part of heeling at certain set-ups was. I try to make it as easy as possible now. I can kind of read it – I’m not going to say better – but I have a different outlook than a lot of guys because I did it for so long. The main horse I ride is J.V. (registered name Jubilant Version). He’s amazing. And my sponsors Wrangler, Resistol, Purina and Apex Coolers also deserve thanks. I’m getting married Nov. 6 to Brittany Adams. She’s fromNorth Carolina. We’re getting married at one of her family’s places. My parents, Darren and Pam, own four Badcock Home Furniture &more franchises. All my family roped a little bit, but nothing big time or serious, just like a hobby. I just got to doing it and had a cousin that did it well too. We took it more seriously. I played a little baseball growing up, but I chose to rodeo, and it’s my lifestyle. It’s what I do. I wouldn’t know what to do without it. were going to do.

the 2021 Wrangler NFR in Las Vegas in December as a header. At the suggestion of ProRodeo legend Trevor Brazile, Summers made the switch from heeler to header in 2020, and no surprise, it’s looking like sage advice. After finishing 46th a season ago, Summers was ninth in the PRCA | RAMWorld Standings as of Aug. 17 with $57,455. Summers is trying to lock up that second trip to the NFR, while his heeler, Ross Ashford, is trying to bank trip No. 1 to the Finals. Summers isn’t about to slow down until the regular season concludes Sept. 30, though he does have a wedding to attend – his own.

ProRodeo Sports News 8/20/2021

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