ProRodeo Sports News - May 14, 2021

IN THEIR WORDS WESTYN HUGHES Injury behind him, Hughes eyes return to NFR I t was finally good to get the Westyn Hughes was determined to make the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in 2020 after

the mentality I can’ t let one slip here, I’m limited, but when I don’t do well, I’m not near as mad as I used to be because I know I gave 100%mentally and leading up to the rodeo. Giving 100% physically was never a problem, but doing some of the minor details that’s what it really takes to win. Everyone at this level does the big things. What separates the guys who win a lot and the guys who win a little bit are the small details. I have two horses, one for shorter scores and a long-score horse. The horse I rode at the NFR and half the rodeos I was at last year is Iron, 14, owned by Cloy Swarren. The other is Gunny, 14. I keep him out here on the West Coast for longer starts and scores. He’s mine. I bought him from Josh and Ashley Foutch. The first part of the season was pretty rough. I went to 12 rodeos in a row and didn’t win a check. I think I’ve placed at the last 10 out of 11. Hopefully that gives me good momentum going into the summer. After Redding, I head to Cave Creek (Ariz.). It’s my third trip out there. I was fortunate to win it back in 2017. I like those rodeos out West. Last year, Cave Creek had an awesome committee to put everything on the line to give us something to go to. I feel we should go back and try and support them.

monkey off my back and get that first back number (at the Wrangler NFR). I’ve been working at it since 2016. I had a couple injuries and surgery in between. It finally all lined up and worked out for me. I had back surgery on Sept. 9, 2019.

finishing 2019 on the sidelines due to a back injury. The tie- down roper from Caldwell, Texas, followed through, qualifying for the $10 million rodeo in Arlington, Texas, and finishing the season with career bests in money won ($146,968) and overall finish (sixth in the PRCA | RAMWorld Standings). He won Round 8 at the NFR and earned $86,577 at the Finals. Hughes, 23, had to overcome two ruptured discs in his back to make those Finals. This season, he’s still rolling. As of May 11, Hughes was fifth in the world standings with $34,509. Hughes competes in the California Circuit and had won money at 10 of his last 11 rodeos heading into the Redding (Calif.) Rodeo.

It had been bothering me all year and it finally gave out on me at Kennewick, Wash. I was 11th in the standings at the time and had to sit back and watch. It makes it a little sweeter due to the bitterness I had to deal with early on. My back actually felt about 20 times better the moment I woke up from surgery. I was walking around 10 minutes after the surgery. I could barely walk in there that morning. The way 2019 ended drove me a ton because I also missed three weeks in July that same year. I was sitting really good, then had a doctor-release in July, had a good month in August, then in September it went out on me. Having to deal with all of it – my winning percentages were really good, I just couldn’t go to enough rodeos – I think it made me more disciplined because I realized I might not get to go to every rodeo throughout the season, so the ones I go to I dang sure have to make them count. I think what’s crazy is that honestly I have

ProRodeo Sports News 5/14/2021

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