ProRodeo Sports News - Dec. 20, 2019

STEER WRESTLING AVERAGE WINNER

Steer wrestler Matt Reeves used consistent runs and two horses to win the average for the first time at the 2019 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. PRCA ProRodeo photo by Dan Hubbell

Not so Average Cowboy

Reeves overcomes horse issues to win aggregate

BY TRACY RENCK V eteran steer wrestler Matt Reeves didn’t walk away with a gold buckle at the 2019Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.

leave for Las Vegas.

“It was stressful when Rattle got sick,” Reeves said. “I rode my horse Roy, who is 11, for the first four rounds, and he didn’t do anything wrong, I just wasn’t getting the goes I felt like I needed.” That’s when Reeves summoned his friend, Jeremiah Moody, to see if he could bring Rattle, 7, to Vegas. “I took Rattle to the vet (Nov. 30),” Reeves said. “They thought they had it figured out and she got better pretty quick. They trotted her for a while for me (Dec. 7) and said she looked like she was ready. So (Dec. 8), a fella (Moody) left Stephenville (Texas) and was headed to Vegas anyway. He picked up Rattle in Lamesa (Texas) about noon and got to Las Vegas at 1:35 a.m. (Dec. 9), and I rode Rattle in Round 5. I was thankful I had someone I trusted to get her there. “It was a big blessing to have everything come together. I was tickled that Rattle got ready, and I thought she did really well. She gave me a comfort level because that was the horse I was planning on riding the whole time at the NFR, and I was able to do my job.” Reeves also praised his hazer, Kodie Jang. “He did excellent all week, and the haze horse worked good,” Reeves said. “We all did our jobs, and I was fortunate enough to win the average. It’s great. That’s the second-best buckle you can win.”

The Cross Plains, Texas, cowboy, however, did capture the second- best honor, winning the Wrangler NFR average for the first time in his career. Reeves, a seven-time qualifier for the Wrangler NFR (2007, 2009-10, 2012-13, 2016, 2019), won the average with a 48.4-second time on 10- head. He placed in four rounds, including a split for third in Round 7. “This is great,” said Reeves, 41. “That’s the best rodeo you can win. It’s very humbling. A lot of work goes into it and it is a great accomplishment.” Reeves earned $67,269 for winning the average and left theThomas &Mack Center with $103,641. Reeves finished sixth in the PRCA | RAM World Standings. “It seemed like a lot of work most of the week,” Reeves said. “I just had to get by. It wasn’t that I just wanted to get by, but I just had to.” Winning the average was the last thing on Reeves’ mind before the Wrangler NFR. His horse Rattle, the 2019 Steer Wrestling Purina Horse of the Year presented by AQHA, got sick right before Reeves was slated to

ProRodeo Sports News 12/20/2019

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