ProRodeo Sports News - May 10, 2024

PRORODEO COWBOYS

Challenge met

BY JADE WILLIAMS, Special to ProRodeo Sports News J uggling college rodeo with a professional career can present unique challenges and recently Slade Wood learned that firsthand. Wood, a 21-year-old steer roper, is a two-time National Finals Steer Roping qualifier (2021 and 2023). The New Ulm, Texas, native is also an accomplished team roping header for Southwest Texas Junior College’s rodeo team – winning the 2023 College National Finals Rodeo with his partner/heeler Logan Moore. While roping at Hill College on April 26 in Hillsboro, Texas, his life became a little more complicated because he was slated to compete at the National Circuit Finals Steer Roping, which began the following day in Torrington, Wyo. After Wood/Moore competed in Hillsboro, it was a race against the clock and the weather for Wood to make it to the NCFSR. Speaking on the time constraints put on him and the less-than-ideal weather conditions, Wood said, “I was supposed to fly out Friday night after competing in Hill…the weather was so bad, they kept holding the rodeo up.” “They (the airline) ended up canceling and delaying a lot of flights; mine ended up getting delayed and I wasn’t going to be able to make it to the NCFSR,” Wood said. “I booked a new flight for Saturday morning (April 27) at 5:45 a.m. (out of Dallas).” The flight took off and landed in Denver – but that’s when his real adventure began. “I flew to Denver, got there, had a rental car ready, but being under (age) 25 does not make it easy to rent the car,” Wood said. “Long story short, I didn’t have the correct card on hand. They wouldn’t take a card number or take a debit card, and the rental place told me I was too (young) to provide a debit card.” With very few options left and running out of time to compete, Wood made a quick-witted decision. “My last option was an Uber to the Pilot Gas Station in Cheyenne, Wyo., then my friend picked me up there,” Wood said. “It was probably thirty minutes for the Uber to even get to the airport, it was snowing and raining; it took an hour and a half to get to the gas station, but the Uber driver was very friendly and helped me out a lot. . . . luckily he was up for it.” With the help of some close friends, his horse, Junior, which was the 2023 Nutrena Steer Roping Horse of the Year presented by AQHA, and some quick-wit to get a $170 Uber ride, Wood arrived at the National Circuit Finals Steer Roping on time – the event started at noon (MT) – with his horse by his side. Though not finishing with the ideal results at the NCFSR, Wood stayed positive. “It’s just part of it, you know; you want do good everywhere, especially at these things that pay so much money.” The highlight in Torrington for Wood was winning Round 6 on April 28 with a 9.4-second run. The run earned him $1,846. His time was the second fastest of the 2024 NCFSR. The silver lining in the adventures of Wood were he and Moore won the rodeo at Hill College and will be back to defend their national championships at the CNFR in Casper, Wyo., June 9-15 – and he is squarely in the mix to qualify for his third career appearance at the NFSR in November in Mulvane, Kan. “You just have to take it with a grain of salt and just move on if it doesn’t go your way, and if it ends up going your way, celebrate and be ready for the next one,” Wood said. Wood doesn’t let weather or age stop him from competing

Kristen Schurr photo

Slade Wood made his adventure of getting to the NCFSR worthwhile as he won Round 6 with a 9.4-second time and earned $1,846.

ProRodeo Sports News 5/10/2024

ProRodeo Sports News 5/10/2024

ProRodeo.com

ProRodeo.com

46

47