ProRodeo Sports News - January 25, 2019

$3,831. They didn’t compete together during the summer of 2018, but they both qualified for the circuit finals. “I called him and said, ‘This might be the last one and let’s finish it out like it started,’” Schwenke said. Mytty’s horse, Smarty, was just as familiar with the arena as his rider. “He’s a veteran like we are and is solid every time,” Mytty said. Schwenke rode a new horse named Frito that he bought specifically for his final ProRodeo endeavor. “I got this horse to try to make the (National) Circuit Finals Rodeo with after 50,” Schwenke said. “I’m 51 now and blessed to have that horse.” They placed fourth in the first two rounds in 7.6 seconds and 6.4, respectively. Placing third in the final round with another 6.4-second run sealed their lead in the average at 19.9 seconds on three head. “Oh, shoot, we’ve been there so many times that we went with the old ‘make three really good runs’ routine and it worked out,” Schwenke said. “That’s always been our strategy for the 30-some years we roped there. I’ve been there 24 times, and he’s been there 27 times, and that’s been our strategy. The building is hard to catch in. They get away from everyone.” Schwenke echoed that. “It’s a hard building to rope in and a lot of steers get away,” Schwenke said. Their Great Falls efforts were worth a collective $5,739 and a qualification to the RAMNCFR. “It’s great, it relieves a little stress on paying for that trip to Florida,” Mytty said. “We’re all going to go there and have some fun in Florida, but to get fromMontana to Florida is going to take all the money to get there.” It’s about 2,400 miles to Kissimmee from Schwenke’s home in Zortman, Mont., and 2,600 miles fromMytty’s home in Lolo, Mont., or about the same distance as driving from Los Angeles to New York City. “I think being older, I appreciate it more,” Schwenke said. “In the past, I expected to win it. This year I hoped I could, and when we did it was a blessing. This year I hoped to do my best and came out with a win and that made it even more special. At the end of your career, you appreciate things more. I soaked in the whole experience and really enjoyed it.” After the RAMNCFR, Schwenke is planning on taking a step back from intense competition. “We all want to win the world, but I never did that,” Schwenke said. “I was fifth in the world in 2005, my rodeo goals are complete, and I’m satisfied with my career. The best thing in the career are the friends, those are for a lifetime and I have them all over the country that I can call. The friendships are irreplaceable.” Mytty’s not necessarily calling it quits after the RAMNCFR, but he’s not really planning on taking his Great Falls success all the way to the Wrangler NFR. The 49-year-old was planning on competing for another year to try and qualify for the RAMNCFR at 50 years old alongside Kade Sherwood, a 21-year-old roper from Texas. “I’m a college rodeo coach for University of Montana and work in real estate too, so trying to hit the road is over for me,” Mytty said. “The circuit deal is something we strive to get to, but if a guy won $30,000 there he might think twice and try to make the NFR.”

RAMNCFR, but his first trip to compete in Kissimmee, Fla. His most-recent RAMNCFR was in 2011 in Oklahoma City. “The big thing was the past experience gave us confidence to know we had the ability to do it and succeed in doing it,” Mytty said, adding that he was happy to have qualified so many times. After all these years competing together, they continue to speak highly of the other’s contributions in the arena. “He’s heeled so many steers in that building that he knows where to get them heeled and he doesn’t get nervous in there and take a bad shot,” Schwenke said of Mytty. “Shane is a great header,” Mytty said. “We roped on and off for 30-plus years and roped so many steers together that we know what each other will do.” They occasionally missed a season roping together, but the majority of their PRCA roping has been together. “It’s always great to win with a friend,” Schwenke said. BIGTIME IN BIG SKY Before the RAMMCFR, Schwenke ranked 10th in the Montana Circuit standings among headers with $4,708 and Mytty was 13th for heeling with

Complete results on Page 45

SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Jesse Kruse ........... 247.5 pts. on three 2. Tyrell J. Smith ............................... 222 3. Chase Brooks ................. 168.5 on two 4. Sage Newman ............................... 160

TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. Bradley Chance Hays 30.2 sec. on three 2. Hank Hollenbeck ........................... 30.8 3. Bode Scott .................................... 34.3 4. Haven Meged ................................ 35.3

BARREL RACING 1. Tara Stimpson ...... 40.34 sec. on three 2. Carmel Wright ............................ 40.41 3. Heather Crowley ......................... 41.19 4. Casey Wagner ............................. 41.78

BULL RIDING 1. Parker Breding ....... 240.5 pts. on three 2. Connor Murnion .................. 85 on one 3. (tie) Payton Fitzpatrick ..................... 81 Casey Fredericks ............................. 81

ProRodeo Sports News 1/25/2019

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