ProRodeo Sports News - Dec. 20, 2024

think I won the average until I came back around.” Angelone made a valiant charge at the world title winning Round 6 (1.9 seconds) and Round 10 (1.8 seconds) and she was gracious in defeat. Domer placed fourth in Round 6 (2.7 seconds); split third in Round 7 (2.3 seconds) with Angelone; was fourth in Round 8 (1.9 seconds) and was sixth in Round 9 (2.7 seconds). Domer was the top money earner at the 2024 NFBR with $35,721, followed by Angelone ($34,407) and Hali Williams ($34,192). Las Vegas events immortalized three National Finals Rodeo legends during their annual NFR Icons Tribute Luncheon on Dec. 6 at the Cox Pavillion. The 2024 Vegas NFR Icons were Joe Beaver, Rich Skelton and Speed Williams. Each was honored at the luncheon and subsequently on the dirt as banners with their names were unfurled in the rafters of the Thomas & Mack Center. In 1985, a 20-year-old Beaver won the PRCA Resistol Rookie of the Year award and entered the NFR in Las Vegas as the youngest tie-down roper. After 10 days of intense competition, he left Las Vegas with his first world title and the Thomas & Mack Center became known as “the house that Joe built.” Beaver would return to Las Vegas to collect four additional world tie-down roping titles and three world all-around titles. He was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2002 and serves as a rodeo commentator. “That’s a pretty special group with a lot of championships and a lot of time,” Beaver said of the banners hung alongside his. “There’s about another five or six that need to go up, but after that, I hope they don’t water it down just to have numbers hanging because that’s special.” Williams and Skelton put on a team roping clinic as partners from 1997 until 2004 that may never be matched again in Las Vegas. During that time, the duo racked up eight straight PRCA World Championships and won the average in 2001. In 1999, the pair won six go rounds at the NFR. Williams started roping at an early age and made his first NFR appearance in 1988 when he heeled with Casey Cox. After that experience, he went home and switched to heading. He is credited with starting a new style of swinging the rope in the box, and his style of catching lowered his times and won money. “To me it’s an honor because you know the people that came before us and the people that are going to come after us,” Skelton said. “I started out hoping to make the NFR once and it wound up turning into this, a fairy tale career. I couldn’t ask for more.” From Electra, Texas, Skelton made his first NFR appearance in 1990, heeling with Tee BEAVER, WILLIAMS/SKELTON HONORED AS NFR ICONS

Above, the NFR Icon banners of team ropers Speed Williams, Rich Skelton and Joe Beaver are unfurled during the Wrangler NFR. Below, from left, Skelton, Williams and Beaver speak to the crowd during the annual NFR Icons luncheon. PRCA ProRodeo photos by Hailey Rae

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ProRodeo Sports News 12/20/2024

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