ProRodeo Sports News - June 11, 2021

CRAZY Days COWBOY STORIES First-class trip lands Muncy in the money

BY TRACY RENCK T wo-time World Champion Saddle Bronc Rider Taos Muncy joined the PRCA in 2005, and the rodeo trail has produced many adventures for the Corona, N.M., cowboy. One of the wildest came in 2010 for the 11-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier when he was headed to compete at the Justin Boots Playoffs in Puyallup, Wash. Muncy and his brother-in-law and fellow saddle bronc rider Cody Taton had finished competing in Fort Madison, Iowa., when things began to unravel. “We were getting ready to leave Fort Madison, and we realized we had locked the keys in the trunk of the rental car,” Muncy said. “It took us all night to get the car open with a hanger because we didn’t want to damage the rental car. We were going to catch an early morning flight to Chicago and then to Seattle because I was up in Puyallup that night. “By the time we got in the car it was like two hours before our flight. We decided to drive to the rental car place and sleep for a little bit, and then return the car and catch our flight.” That plan was derailed when neither Muncy nor Taton’s phone alarm went off. “We woke up, and Cody was like, ‘We missed our flight,’” Muncy said. “We were in a panic, and I had drawn (Calgary Stampede’s) Knight Rocket in the long round at Puyallup, which was one of my favorite horses at the time. I wanted to get there because I knew that was a horse I could win money on. I was pretty disgusted because I thought I was going to miss Puyallup.” Taton frantically began looking online for another flight for Muncy. “We were in panic mode,” Taton said. “We

Cody’s phone. I had to call Cody and he had to run across the entire airport to get to my gate because he was taking a later flight. I thought I was doing all of this for nothing. They scanned my boarding pass fromCody’s phone, and I was the last person to get on the plane. “I felt bad for Cody because he had to do all that running to my gate, but then again I had never flown first class before. Instead of sleeping, I took advantage of being in first class and watched a movie.” Although Muncy was relaxing on his flight fromChicago, his arrival in Puyallup to compete was far from guaranteed because Seattle was about an hour from Puyallup. “I was supposed to land in Seattle about the time the rodeo was starting,” Muncy said. “I didn’t know if I could get to Puyallup fast enough. Cody had told me to go harass a taxi driver so he could get me there. I found a taxi driver, but he wouldn’t even go over the speed limit. I was telling him to pass cars, and he was just ignoring me. Then, when we did get to Puyallup, he wouldn’t drop me off at the right spot (the contestants’ entrance). I could hear the bareback riding was going on, and he dropped me off in front at the main entrance.” Then Muncy encountered another problem. “I had my credit card with me, but the

Kent Soule photo Taos Muncy rides Calgary Stampede’s Knight Rocket in Puyullap, Wash., in 2010.

With as many miles and hours that ProRodeo cowboys spend throughout their careers, they’re bound to stumble across some interesting sights. ProRodeo Sports News is bringing you some of those wild tales told by members of the PRCA.

cab driver said he would only take cash,” Muncy said. “I couldn’t believe it. I told him to hold on and I sprinted to a nearby gas station and got $200. I ran past the taxi driver, and I didn’t know what I owed him, but I threw the $200 in his window and took off.” The drama didn’t end there. “I ran through the whole fair at Puyallup and when I got there to the chutes, I needed some clothes to wear,” Muncy said. “All my luggage was with Cody. Thank God for Isaac Diaz and Steven Dent. They had everything waiting for me when I got behind the chutes. I had to borrow everything. I borrowed a shirt. I borrowed a vest. I borrowed boots. I borrowed Steven Dent’s saddle. My horse was loaded, and I got on.” Muncy’s wild trip paid dividends. He placed second in the long round with an 85-point ride on Knight Rocket and earned $3,236. Things got better when he placed fifth in the average to earn $906. In the finals, Muncy placed second for $7,310. He walked away from Puyallup with $11,452. “It was quite the day,” Muncy said.

jumped on the next flight to Chicago, but the trouble was finding a flight fromChicago to Seattle,” Taton said. “We were both looking online and couldn’t find anything. I frantically called our travel agent because I knew she could look faster than we could. As she was trying to find Taos a flight, the attendants on our flight were standing there looking at me telling me to turn off my phone because we were getting ready for takeoff. I told them to hold on. Our agent found Taos a flight to Chicago in first class for $1,400. I told her to use the credit card on file and book it.” Once in Chicago not much got easier for the weary travelers. “We get to Chicago (O’Hare) airport, and I ran all the way across to get to my gate,” Muncy said. “When I got to my gate, they wouldn’t let me check in because all the information about my flight to Seattle was on

ProRodeo Sports News 6/11/2021

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