ProRodeo Sports News - February 8, 2019

Winning in Denver moved team roping header Clay Smith from 13th to first in the PRCA | RAM World Standings and heeler Jake Long from 11th to first in the heeler standings. Greg Westfall photo

Erickson rides Scooter to steer wrestling title Fresh off his fifth consecutive trip to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, steer wrestler Ty Erickson won his first Denver buckle after eight years of ProRodeo competition. “Man, what it comes down to in steer wrestling is the horsepower, and I’m so fortunate to ride Scooter,” Erickson said of the 2017 and 2018 PRCA | AQHA Steer Wrestling Horse of the Year, owned by his travel partners Tyler Pearson and Kyle Irwin. “The horsepower is everything, and when you have a guy like Tyler hazing it takes one of the factors out since you always get a good haze from him, and Scooter always gives you a chance to win.” Erickson tied for second in the first round and split first place three ways in the final round with 3.6- and 3.8-second runs, respectively. All told, his 11.9 seconds on three head was worth $10,024. “What I love about steer wrestling is I feel like all the steer wrestlers have great camaraderie and push each other to win,” Erickson said. “They are competitors, but they’re in the box helping us win as much as when I’m in the box helping them win.” The Montana cowboy tied for second in the average in Denver in 2017 in 13.0 seconds on three head. “I love coming to Denver and had good luck here, but never won it before, so I’m excited,” Erickson said. Erickson has come close to winning the world title, placing second in the 2017 world standings. With a Denver win notched off his to-do list, the 2019 season could shape up to be his year. “When you can win a rodeo like this, it’s confidence for the rest of winter and in this sport that’s everything,” Erickson said. Smith & Long catch Denver title A four-way tie for seventh place in the second round and tying for first in the final round helped team ropers Clay Smith and Jake Long come out a half- second ahead of their competition at Denver. “It’s a good way to start off the winter,” Smith said. “There’s a handful of major winter rodeos, and this is one of the biggest ones, so it’s good to get this under our belt this year.” Clocking in at 4.5 seconds in the second round and 4.4 seconds in the final round for 13.9 seconds on three head was worth $7,596 and bragging rights as the 2019 Denver team roping champions. “Denver is a good win to get,” Smith said. “It pays good, and it’s good to get the year off with a win like this.” Of course, their team roping victory couldn’t have happened without their equine partners. Smith rode his horse, Marty, and Long was riding Colonel, the 2018 PRCA | AQHAHeeling Horse of the Year.

“We drew three decent steers and were here early in the week, and it was looking fast,” Long said after the final round, “so we were aggressive on the first two and made a good run today.” This was Smith’s second time winning Denver, the first time being in 2016 with his former partner, Paul Eaves. As for Long, he came close in 2018 when he and Luke Brown placed second in the average. “This is a rodeo I’ve always wanted to win,” Long said. “We had a chance and I wanted to be more aggressive. It pays so good when you get that ball rolling.” Martin’s big payday in tie-down Tie-down roper Cooper Martin’s new ride, a horse named Shooter from Cade Swor, proved to be money well-spent when he won the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo. “He’s super easy, and he’s one of the better horses I’ve ever owned,” Martin said. “He lets me do my deal. That’s nice when there’s pressure.” Martin tied for fifth in the second round with 8.1 seconds and placed fourth in the final round in 9.5 seconds. Winning the average in 26.2 seconds on three head was worth $7,938 and his first Denver buckle. “I’ve never gone into Reno (Nev.) with more than $20,000, so this is a good boost,” Martin said. “This is the first short go I’ve made in a winter rodeo.” Although the winter run hasn’t traditionally been Martin’s prime time, the 21-year-old cowboy has competed at the Wrangler NFR the last two years. He ranked ninth in the world in 2017 and 13th in 2018. “We rodeo all year and go to 100 rodeos for a chance to get a little ahead at rodeos like this,” Martin said. “It’s a nonstop deal. I love rodeo, and that’s why I do it.” Laye clinches bareback win Bareback rider Clint Laye, 25, won Denver with 252.5 points on three head. He placed third in the first round with an 86.5-point ride and was two points behind leader Garrett Shadbolt heading into the final round. “That’s right where I want to be – in the middle of that – because the tougher the competition is, the tougher you will ride,” Laye said. Fittingly, his final draw was Calgary Stampede’s Added Money, the same horse Richmond Champion won the first round on with an 88-point ride. “When I looked at the short-go horses, he was the one I wanted,” Laye said. Laye’s 86.5-point ride in the final round gave him the one-point difference he needed to win the coveted Denver buckle and $8,601 as he claimed the average with 252.5 points on three head. “This is my first rodeo of the year, so my confidence will be up,” Laye said. “It puts a good cushion in the bank to hit my winter run, and just having the Denver title means a lot to me.”

ProRodeo Sports News 2/8/2019

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