ProRodeo Sports News - February 23, 2018

In the Know

Joey Sonnier III rides Dakota Rodeo’s Mr. Feel Good at the

Guadalupe County Fair & PRCA Rodeo in Seguin, Texas, Oct. 12, 2017. William Kierce photo

Sonnier makes saddles when not rodeoing BY SCOTT KANIEWSKI J oey Sonnier III has an inside track when it comes to making saddles. The saddle bronc rider fromNew Iberia, La., knows how he likes his saddle to feel, so he can imagine how other cowboys want their saddles to fit. When Sonnier isn’t making saddles, he’s off riding broncs in the RAM Southeastern Circuit, and he’s coming off his best RAM Southeastern Circuit Finals Rodeo. The 38-year-old cowboy is heading to his first RAMNational Circuit Finals Rodeo in Kissimmee, Fla., April 5-8. It’s been a long time coming.

“I didn’t rodeo from 2004-14,” Sonnier said. “I made some bad decisions in life and let bad decisions take up 10 years of my career.” In 2014, Sonnier took his family to the MidWinter Fair & Rodeo in Lafayette, La. He’d always wanted to get back into rodeo full time, and being there with his wife, Michelle, and two of their children, he knew it was time to give it another shot. “It got me sparked up,” said Sonnier, who weighed 225 pounds at the time. He dropped 40 pounds to get in shape to ride, and it’s worked. In 2015, Sonnier purchased his first PRCA card in 12 years. Last season, he was sitting in the Top 20 until a torn groin in the summer damaged his chances to make a run at the Top 15 and a Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualification. The 2018 season has started off impressively for Sonnier. He won the second and third rounds at the RAM Southeastern Circuit Finals Rodeo in Davie, Fla., to win the average and nail down his first year-end circuit title. Sonnier took home $9,811 from the circuit finals. He finished the 2017 circuit with $24,677, more than $5,000 ahead of his nearest competitor. In 2016, Sonnier took home $30,864, the most he’s won in the last three

RELIEF IN RODEO While Sonnier’s goal in life was to make a career in rodeo competition, it took a detour while he overcame substance abuse issues. But come July, he’ll be five years clean.

ProRodeo Sports News 2/23/18

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