ProRodeo Sports News, June 29, 2018

Cure claims another Reno title

BY MATT NABER F or the third time in his PRCA career, steer wrestler Hunter Cure won the Reno (Nev.) Rodeo. “I guess over the course of your career you see some places continue to be good for you,” Cure said. Cure’s first two times winning Reno came in 13.0 seconds on three head, first in 2013 and again in 2015. Coincidentally, every year he’s won Reno he went on to win the world title. This time around, Cure was part of a three-way tie for second place in the first round in 4.3 seconds. Although he didn’t place in the second round, he returned to the finals with a 4.0-second run, which placed him a tenth of a second ahead of the pack of bulldoggers with 13.6 seconds on three head. “I had the best steer in the round,” Cure laughed. “They had been 4.6 and 4.1 on him. That’s the happiest I’d been to have a steer in the short round. He stepped into me more than I anticipated, but he was every bit as good as promised on the ground.”

In addition to winning Reno three times, the 34-year-old Texan has made the Reno short round three additional times. He credits his good fortune in Reno to scoring, horse power and running cattle further. “This was the toughest short round I’ve ever been involved in here, but I had a better steer and did my job,” Cure said. Cure competed on his 9-year-old American Quarter Horse, Zooming Up Front, while his travel partner, Blake Mindemann, hazed for him. “When you come West, you can’t survive and make the NFR without the top end of the horses,” Cure said. “At a rodeo like Reno, you better have the best horses. He’s great in the box, scores and leaves flat. If a steer tries to come left, he does a better job of beating them to the left.” Before winning Reno, Cure was 28th in the PRCA | RAM 2018World Standings with $18,754. Winning a total of $10,465 at Reno boosted him to 20th with $29,218. Cure’s not letting the big win at Reno impact his approach to the summer run. “It just throws gasoline on the fire,” Cure said. “I’ll continue to hammer away. I’ve got 10 rodeos the week of the Fourth and five the week after.” would call it a blessing.” The 34-year-old Missouri cowboy credited his success to drawing good calves and the prowess of his horse, Nikko. “Nikko is on point better than ever, and I was more focused than ever before,” Durfey said. The 2016 world champion previously won Reno in 2007. After Reno, Durfey was planning on some family time at the Greeley (Colo.) Stampede and then more than 20 rodeos over the following weeks. “For me, the hardest part of rodeo is being away frommy family,” Durfey said. –Matt Naber

Durfey wins more than $13K in tie-down roping Tie-down roper Tyson Durfey extended his lead in the PRCA | RAM World Standings by winning $13,004 at the Reno (Nev.) Rodeo.

“Being in the lead and then getting this is icing on the cake, and I am very thankful,” Durfey said. “I’ve never been in this position before this time of the year, and I’m trying to not self-sabotage and just focus on the basics and be competitive with myself.” Durfey placed third in the first round in 8.6 seconds and tied for third in the second round in 8.3. He tied for first in the final round with an 8.6 to win the average in 25.5 seconds on three. “For me, it’s not about the money, it’s being the best athlete I can be,” Durfey said. “It will help in the standings and help feed my family. Some

ProRodeo Sports News 6/29/2018

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