ProRodeo Sports News - February 9, 2018

the standings,” Sherwood said. “There are a lot of good winter rodeos left. This was a great shot in the arm for us.” Woodard concurred with his partner. “These are the best guys in the world you are going up against, and to win a major event you have to have some things go your way and we did,” saidWoodard about his first career Fort Worth win. “Fort Worth is an hour from our home in Stephenville, and the history of that rodeo makes it such an honor to win it.” This was Sherwood’s second career victory at the Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show. He also took home the title in 2008 with Adams. Sherwood andWoodard each earned $8,909 in Fort Worth. The performance rocketed Sherwood up to sixth in the Feb. 5 PRCA world standings with $12,828. Woodard moved up to seventh with $12,099. “I feel healthy and heading is so competitive,” Sherwood said. “There are so many young guys who are good, and you have to be so aggressive, yet consistent. I still enjoy the competition. What is harder for me now than it ever has been is the work that it takes to stay here. I’ve got quite a few things going on at home, so to make time and go out every day and rope the dummy and work horses is more difficult now than it has ever been.” Woodard has qualified for the National Finals Rodeo 20 times (1976-90, 1993, 2006-08, 2011), but he acknowledged he must do things differently to compete at today’s highest level. “I went to a lighter rope and a little bit softer rope to help my swing speed, and that really helped,” Woodard said. If Woodard does qualify for the 2018Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, he would be 63, which would make him the second-oldest team roper to compete at the NFR. Carl Arnold qualified as a team header in 1962 at the age of 64. “Doing it now against guys who are 22 years old and super-fast is very tough, but that’s the goal,” Woodard said. “We want to try and rope for a world championship this year and Fort Worth is a step in the right direction.” Sherwood is a five-time qualifier for the WNFR (2006, 2008, 2011, 2015-16). “I’m just having a good time right now,” he said. “To me, I don’t focus on the gold buckle. I do this because I enjoy it. My goals are simpler and shorter. I try to score good and rope every steer the very best I can. If I can do that, by the end of the year we will be real successful.” Sherwood is riding a mare he trained, Murphy, 13. She is a sister to Nick, the horse Sherwood rode from 2005-15. “I actually sold Murphy to Riley Minor in 2014 and I just bought her back in April of last year,” Sherwood said. “It took me a little while to get back on the same page with her, but the last couple of months last year we were going good. And so far, this year, she has worked very good.” HORSEPOWER IS KEY

When Sherwood isn’t rodeoing, he’s at home in Pima, Ariz., with his wife of 25 years, Kim. They have seven children –Megan, 24; Cody, 23; Logan, 20; Jessica, 17; Porter, 16; and twin girls Aubrie and Ashlie, 13. He has one grandson, Houston, 1. “I have things going on at home and my kids are playing sports and I go down to the gym with them and do stuff, and there are just a million things always going on around here,” Sherwood said. Woodard said he would love to qualify on the horse he’s riding, Blue Berry, 10. “My son (Travis) and I trained that horse, we halter broke him, we did everything,” Walt said. “I won the world in 1981 on a horse called Tacky, and then I won the world in 2007 on Dudley. Both of those were great horses, but I think (Blue Berry) is better than those horses. This horse never makes a mistake. Secretly, after I won the championship at 52 years old, I wanted to see if I could do it when I was in my 60s and I wanted to do it on a horse we broke.” Travis, a team roping heeler, has made one WNFR appearance in 2015, finishing 14th in the standings with $99,519. Walt and Travis keep busy at home in Stephenville by putting on roping schools. “We have the Woodard Training Center, where we teach people how to rope, and Travis trains horses out of here, as well,” Walt said. “I work here a lot (at the Woodard Training Center) and that helps keep me strong. I’m an arena rat. I practice all the time and that keeps me sharp.”

World champion

team ropers, header Matt Sherwood, right, and heeler Walt Woodard, turned back the clock to win the South- western Exposition and Livestock Show champ- ionship in Fort Worth, Texas, with a time of 15.6 seconds in the three- head average. James Phifer photo

Bull rider Trevor Kastner won the three-head average with a 251.5-point score. It was Kastner’s second career Fort Worth win, his first coming in 2010. Kastner left town after earning $12,655. James Phifer photo

TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. Shane Hanchey ....... 27.3 sec. on three 2. Clif Cooper .................................... 27.9 3. J.C. Malone .................................. 28.4 4. Blane Cox ..................................... 28.5

BARREL RACING 1. Amberleigh Moore.. 49.32 sec. on three 2. Haley Kinsel ................................ 49.33 3. Kylie Weast ................................. 49.43 4. Carman Pozzobon ...................... 49.51

BULL RIDING 1. Trevor Kastner ....... 251.5 pts. on three 2. Tyler Bingham ............................ 248.5 3. Colby Hill ....................................... 231 4. Elliot Jacoby ...................... 171 on two

Complete results on Page 37

ProRodeo Sports News 2/9/18

ProRodeo.com

25