ProRodeo Sports News - Feb. 7, 2020

NATIONAL WESTERN STOCK SHOW & RODEO

Gray’s win honors recently deceased friend For Kelsey BY MATT NABER T ie-down roper AdamGray is changing his buckle for the first time in 13 years. Gray dedicated his win at the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo in Denver to Kelsey Garrison the day after Garrison, 34, died of colon cancer.

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ALL-AROUND COWBOY Trell Etbauer, steer wrestling and tie-down roping, $2,639 BAREBACK RIDING

The pair were college roommates and travel partners during their rookie year in 2008. While Garrison opted for a silage cutting business, Gray made the decision to rodeo full time after winning the World’s Oldest Rodeo in Prescott, Ariz., while on his permit in 2007. “To this day, I’ve worn my Prescott buckle because every time I look at it it reminds me that if I hadn’t won Prescott I wouldn’t have won any more buckles,” Gray said. That single win sent Gray down a path worth more than $1 million in ProRodeo career earnings and five qualifications to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (2009, 2011-12, 2014, 2019). Garrison was cheering on Gray from the stands at the 2019Wrangler NFR. One month later, Garrison lost his battle with colon cancer. “It was heartbreaking,” Gray said. “He was the most fun-loving guy you could imagine. His personality was larger than life.” Garrison sold his horse to Blair Burk after his rookie year, but Garrison returned to ProRodeo competition as his work schedule allowed. His final ProRodeo tie-down roping win was the 2016 Pioneer Days Rodeo in Clovis, N.M. “We entered Denver together in 2018, and he still went to the rodeos he could

Etbauer

1. Mason Clements .................. 89.5 pts. 2. (Tie) Tim O’Connell .................... 88.5 Tanner Aus ................................. 88.5 STEER WRESTLING 1. Stetson Jorgensen ................ 4.0 sec. 2. Jesse Brown ................................. 4.1 3. Chisum Docheff ........................... 4.3 TEAM ROPING 1. C. Snow/P. Eaves* ................ 4.2 sec. C. Tryan/J. Long ........................... 4.2 3. G. Tonozzi/D. Davis ...................... 4.7 *Snow/Eaves win on average times. SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. (Tie) Rusty Wright* ................ 91 pts. Brody Cress .................................. 91 3. Hardy Braden ................................ 90 *Wright wins on average scores. TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. Adam Gray ............................ 7.2 sec. 2. (Tie) Tyler Milligan ....................... 7.9 Shad Mayfield .............................. 7.9 BARREL RACING 1. Carly Taylor ....................... 14.99 sec. 2. Jimmie Smith ........................... 15.07 3. Tillar Murray ............................. 15.11 BULL RIDING 1. Brody Yeary ......................... 83.5 pts. 2. Sage Kimzey ............................... 80.5 No other qualified rides

during his down time,” Gray said. “He found out one year ago he had colon cancer and died at 34.” Gray recovered from hip surgery in 2017 and made his fifthWrangler NFR qualification in 2019. “So, to be the old guy and win (Denver) makes me feel good,” the 36-year-old cowboy laughed. Gray’s first Denver win was in 2015, but this year featured a tournament format. “The tournament is sudden death, so it’s do or die and it’s not like you carry other times forward, so it takes safety-ing up out of the equation,” Gray said. Gray won the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo with a 7.2-second run in the final round and took home a $6,368 check. For Gray, the buckle might be more valuable. “I was just honored,” Gray said. “When I won it, I knew they would interview me (in the arena on camera), and all I could think of

Adam Gray (inset photo right) dedicated his tie- down roping win at the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo in Denver to his recently deceased friend, Kelsey Garrison.

was Kelsey and I wanted to share what I had been feeling all morning. No matter what we do in life, it doesn’t matter because the day comes when we are called home. It’s what we did, not who we are, and I wanted to share with everyone there. Now I’ll take my Prescott buckle off and wear the Denver one because it’ll remind me of him.”

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ProRodeo Sports News 2/7/2020

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