ProRodeo Sports News - June 26, 2020

The Clovis, N.M., cowboy has also started team roping. “I want to go for the all-around world title,” said Mayfield, 19. “Since I won so much in the (tie-down roping) through the winter, I think if I can get $3,000 won (in team roping) that would put me in a pretty good lead in the all-around standings. With a lot of the big rodeos being shut down, I would have a huge chance to win the all-around if I can get that $3,000 won in team roping.” Competitors must earn at least $3,000 in at least two events to be eligible for the all-around title. Mayfield competed in team roping as a heeler at Cave Creek but didn’t win any money. Mayfield then team roped as a header with heeler Garrett Busby. They competed for the first time in Mesquite, Texas, June 20, but didn’t get a check. Mayfield and Busby are scheduled to rope together again at the Parker County Sheriff ’s Posse Frontier Days and PRCA Rodeo inWeatherford, Texas, and the Dinosaur Roundup Rodeo in Vernal, Utah. Both rodeos are scheduled for July 8-11. “Shad and I got to be good friends,” said Busby, 27. “We both came to the realization we team rope pretty good and nobody else wants to rope with us, so we might as well rope with each other. I met Shad at the rodeos, and he is

both have the same vision toward team roping. We are not necessarily calling ourselves team ropers, but we will enter if we are going to be there, and we do feel like we have a really good chance to win. We are not just doing it to have fun.” While $3,000 won in team roping is Mayfield’s goal, it’s not a stopping point. “We are going to try and win as much as we can,” he said. “If we start winning, we will keep going. If we start struggling, we will slow down and start practicing. I look forward to team roping for years to come, not just this year. We are working on it now and look forward to it in the future.” Winning two world titles in 2020 is something Mayfield took a moment to think about. “That would be huge to win both,” Mayfield said. “I never dreamed of ever winning the all-around. If that happened that would be great. That would be a dream come true because everyone looks up to Trevor Brazile (winner of a PRCA-record 14 all-around world championships). Everyone wants to win the all-around. “Eventually, I’m going to start (steer roping) also. I’m going to be doing it all. I want to steer rope in the future, just not now. Hopefully I will get the hang of (steer roping) this year, but if not, I will start doing it next year.”

always himself. I enjoy being around people like that. I let him know if he ever needed anything he could come to my house (in Brock, Texas) and stay. He stayed over the winter. I don’t think we had more than two or three conversations the first couple of months. He was going to a bunch of rodeos and winning a lot, and I let him do his deal.” Mayfield has mapped out a plan for his team roping. “We are not going to hit the big, big ones because they are tough, but we are going to go to get to all the little ones we can,” Mayfield said. “I always headed. I wanted to heel, but I never could find a good header for me. The best option I had was to head for Garrett, and he heels really good.” In team roping Mayfield is riding his horse Dillon, 14. In tie-down roping, he rides Wichita, 10, and Rampage, 11. “I’ve had Dillon a long time; I used to head on him when I was in junior high when he was younger,” Mayfield said. “He’s a good head horse. I just got (Rampage) about a month ago. I won Cave Creek on him and just won second on him in Mesquite (June 20).” Busby’s main event also is tie-down roping. He’s been going to (Shad’s father) Sylvester Mayfield’s place in Clovis, N.M., to get some tips. Sylvester qualified for the National Finals Rodeo in 1985 and ’87. “His dad has been helping me, and his dad and I became really good friends,” Busby said. “His dad and I got to talking one day, and he asked me, ‘What’s your heeling number, Texas?’ Texas is what he calls me. I’m 8-plus. He was like, why is Shad trying to heel if you’re an 8-plus? “Shad and I practiced for a few days in Clovis, and he realized we would be a good team. It just clicked. We figured we might as well enter (in team roping) if we are going to be at rodeos anyway.” Busby and Mayfield pushed the team roping venture aside during the Fourth of July. “There are so many rodeos we are trying to get to, and we didn’t want to foul each other up in (tie-down roping),” Busby said. “That’s another good thing about getting to rope with each other, we

Dan Hubbell photo Shad Mayfield finishes a round at the 2019 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Mayfield, a rookie last season, finished12th in the world standings with $127,075.

ProRodeo Sports News 6/26/2020

ProRodeo.com

39