ProRodeo Sports News - July 24, 2020

TORRINGTON, WYO.

‘Underdog’ Taton wins NCFSR Last Man Standing BY MATT NABER O ra Taton was up against a three-tier powerhouse during the final round of the 11th annual National Circuit Finals Steer Roping, July 20. Although Taton was out of the money for NCFSR RESULTS Finals 1. Ora Taton ................. 12.9 sec. 2. Vin Fisher Jr. .................... 16.1 3. Trevor Brazile ................. 22.0 No other qualified runs

the first six rounds, he found himself in the finals alongside Scott Snedecor, Vin Fisher Jr. and Trevor Brazile. Simply making it that far was cause for celebration, Taton said. “Those guys are good ropers, and for them to let me win it is pretty good,” said Taton, who turned 51 two days before winning the title. “I’ve always admired Scott’s roping, Vin can be in the average and fast, and everyone knows Trevor. I admire all three and look up to them. You can’t beat the way they do things. Scott is polished, Trevor has horsemanship and Vin has so much experience, so to beat them there, the feeling is beyond words for me, and ... I like to talk.” The NCFSR is a marathon followed by a sprint. The top eight in the average after the first six rounds advanced to the eight-man semifinals and the top four from the semis advanced to the finals. “I’ve always been known as roping in the

HISTORIC 3

The number of records that Scott Snedecor broke at the National Circuit Finals Steer Roping in Torrington, Wyo., July 19-20. Snedecor won $10,095 there to best the previous record by $2. He also set the six-head time of 67.6 seconds and the seven- head time of 79.1 seconds.

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average, and this concept of having to go fast after those six rounds makes this an all-around deal and hard to do because now in the semis and finals you have to be fast,” Taton said. Luckily, that’s where Taton’s horse shines. “I have to give all of my fast runs to him,” Taton said, referring to Spur, his 14-year-old American Quarter Horse that he bought from Stewart Hoar seven years ago. Going for 77.6 seconds on five head took the Rapid City, S.D., cowboy into the semifinals, where a third-place run of 13.5 seconds pushed him into the finals against three cowboys with a collective 29 world titles and 56 NFSR qualifications. “In the short round, I was the low man on the totem pole, and everyone knew it – even I knew it,” Taton said. “But sometimes the underdog has his day.” With a 12.9-second run in the finals, Taton became the first cowboy from the Badlands Circuit to win the NCFSR. Since his rookie year in 1987, Taton has twice qualified for the National Finals Steer Roping (2003-04), winning the average in 2003. He also placed in the average at the NCFSR several times and was runner-up to Rocky Patterson last year. “This (winning the NCFSR) is definitely the pinnacle,” Taton said. “Two wins stand out, the National Finals average in 2003 and Cheyenne (Frontier Days) that year too, and this is right there with them.” The win pushed him from 40th to 19th in the world standings. For Taton it’s worth more than that. “I don’t travel enough to make it every year, but if I can get a win and build on it, I ought to,” Taton said. “It’s always a feather in your hat (winning the NCFSR), so it might work out to where I get to go. It’s definitely on my mind now.”

PRCA ProRodeo photo by Clay Guardipee

ProRodeo Sports News 7/24/2020

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