ProRodeo Sports News - July 23, 2021

Macza’s Stevie Knicks in 2020 in San Angelo, Texas. He then had a 94-point ride on Frontier Rodeo’s Gun Fire inWeatherford, Texas, April 3. That trend is no different for athletes who compete in timed events. Already in 2021, two different sets of team ropers have put together 3.3-second runs, tying the world record that was set by Chad Masters and Jade Corkill at the 2009Wrangler National Finals. “This has been coming for a while now, the last couple years you can see how it’s gotten faster and faster,” Smith said. “I don’t know if it’s necessarily one thing or another that’s causing it other than there’s just more guys who rope really good. That’s just the fact of it, the average team roping is not your average team roping anymore.” Over the last few seasons, the number of cowboys joining the association straight out of high school has rose within the PRCA. Those around the sport say the athletes coming into rodeo right now have an advanced knowledge, compared to those in years past. “They are learning so much quicker, they have schools now, that they didn’t have back in the day for those cowboys,” Andrews said. “I think rodeo schools have taken a huge step over the last five years. They learn the fundamentals before they have the learn the way of hard knocks.” A handful of athletes are even comparing what rodeo is doing now, to what other sports have been doing for decades. “You know they’re not just letting kids get on these horses that they’re not ready for,” O’Connell said. “I think people in the sport are starting to look at what football does, what baseball does in camps, and how they’re developing young players. Rodeo is taking that approach now and starting to figure it out.”

But even with all the preparation, it still takes a combination of good fortune and the luck of the draw for any cowboy to put their name into the record book. “It’s a combination of things, it’s not just a great bucking horse, it’s a great cowboy, good ground, and a good matchup,” Marrington said. “It all sheds a light on what it takes to pull off one of those top-scored rides.” And they don’t see those record-breaking performances slowing down anytime soon in ProRodeo. “There will definitely be a 3.2-second run in team roping one of these days, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it doesn’t happen really soon,” Smith said. “The sport is evolving; we just have to roll with it.” “I’ve watched all of my record rides and I’ve seen where I can improve,” O’Connell said. “There’s room to improve on every single one of those rides, so that’s why I truly don’t believe the 94-point rides are going to stand in a couple of years. I believe they’re going to get broken here shortly.” “It’s a combination of things, it’s not just a great bucking horse, it’s a great cowboy, good ground, and a good matchup.” – KEITH MARRINGTON, Calgary Stampede

Clay Guardipee photo Clay Smith has broken many records over his career as a team roping header, he finished sixth in the PRCA | RAM World Standings in 2020.

ProRodeo Sports News 7/23/2021

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