ProRodeo Sports News - January 25, 2019

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Prominent team ropers change partners for 2019 Switching Gears

BY TRACY RENCK W ith ProRodeo’s winter run underway, many team ropers devise plans to qualify for the 2019Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. That plan can involve switching partners – and that’s exactly what many prominent cowboys decided to do. Before winning world championships at the 2018Wrangler NFR in Las Vegas at theThomas &Mack Center, partners Clay Smith (header) and Paul Eaves (heeler) decided they would part ways. Now, Smith is roping with Jake Long and Eaves is with header Luke Brown, Long’s former partner. “I’m excited about it, and I think it is going to be good,” said Smith, who has roped with Long before. “We’re hoping we can win as much as we can, and it is going to be fun. Jake and I get along good, and we’ve had a decent amount of success already. We’re ready to get going.” Long agreed. “I’m excited (to be with Clay),” said Long, who has qualified for the Wrangler NFR eight times (2010-12, 2014-18). “He’s wearing the gold buckle right now, and he’s clearly proved he knows how to win and is the best guy going right now. I know if I do my job we will do well together.” Long will again be riding his horse, Colonel, who has won Team Roping- Heeling PRCA | AQHAHorse of the Year the last three years. “I think we both have great horses, he has a great horse in Marty and

I have Colonel,” Long said. “It is like being a race car driver with a nice race car, it makes your job easier. When you have the horsepower under you, it gives you a lot more confidence.”

Brown also weighed in about his new partnership with Eaves. “It’s going to be good,” Brown said. “I think all the switching was good for everybody, and I’m looking forward to 2019.” Likewise, Aaron Tsinigine and Trey Yates, who teamed to win the average at the 2018Wrangler NFR with a 69.6-second time on 10 head, have different full-time partners. Tsinigine, who won a world championship in 2015, is roping with Kyle Lockett. Yates, meanwhile, has teamed with JoJo LeMond. Tsinigine and Lockett began last season roping together, but Lockett decided to go home before the summer run. “We have roped a lot together, and I feel good about (roping with him in 2019),” Tsinigine said. “We won Denver last year and plugged along. Kyle was 15th in the world and has kids at home, and he decided to go home. Kyle has not been to the NFR since 2005. He’s been home taking care of his family, and it would be cool if I could rope with him at the NFR because he was my idol growing up. I grew up watching him rope at the NFR on TV. It would be nice if I rope with him at the NFR.” Lockett, who joined the PRCA in 1996, has qualified for the Wrangler NFR seven times (1997-98, 2000-03, 2005). Lockett, of Ivanhoe, Calif., finished a career-best second in the heeler world standings in 2002 behind ProRodeo Hall of Famer Rich Skelton. Skelton has teamed up with 2017

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ProRodeo Sports News 1/25/19