ProRodeo Sports News - May 27, 2022

LIBERTY HILL, TEXAS.

RON ROSS MEMORIAL STEER ROPING

Ora Taton wins Ron Ross Memorial competition Cashing In BY TRACY RENCK V eteran steer roper Ora Taton had never competed at the Ron Ross Memorial Steer Roping. His first appearance, May 14-15 in Liberty Hill, Texas was quite memorable.

The Rapid City, S.D., cowboy won the average with a 69.2-seconds time on five head. Taton earned $9,042 at the event, including $6,239 for capturing the average. “It was one of those deals where it was very unexpected,” said Taton, 52. “To travel from South Dakota to Texas and win something like that against the guys I was roping against, it was just unexpected. I had never been there before, and I had a little money won already in the rodeos (this season) and this is one of the bigger ones we get to go to. My wife and I decided to come down here and we are going to spend a few days between this one (May 14-15) and the next one at Liberty Hill (May 19-21).” With his windfall financial performance in Liberty Hill, Taton moved up to fifth in the world standings. He is a two-time qualifier for the National Finals Steer Roping in 2003 and 2004 and he won the average in 2003 when he finished a career-best fifth in the world standings. Most recently, Taton finished 20th in the PRCA | RAMWorld Standings in 2020. That year he won the National Circuit Finals Steer Roping in Torrington, Wyo., beating newly-inducted ProRodeo Hall of Famer Trevor Brazile in the finals, along with four-time world champion Scott Snedecor. “It has been a while since I have been to (the NFSR),” Taton said. “I would love to go back to (the NFSR). But I don’t travel hard usually. I tell everybody if I don’t have money to go, I can’t go. If I don’t win something, I don’t get to play. This year is pretty different because early on down in Andrews (Texas) at their stand-alone roping I won some money and I got to go and I have been winning money at places. So, it has kind of been a different year because I usually don’t win this type of money this early in the year.” Taton was aboard his horse, Spur in Liberty Hill. “I believe he’s around 10 years old and he’s the only horse I have got right now,” said Taton, who won the NCFSR in 2020 in Torrington aboard that horse. “I bought him when he was around 5 years old. I was needing one and he looked like he would make one and my dad (Ralph) and I got him going and he’s turned into one we have liked. He’s one of those one in a million horses.” Although he has a solid spot in the world standings, Taton isn’t certain he’s going to make a push to make the 2022 NFSR. “Everybody tells you when you win money you have to keep going, but I have never done that,” Taton said. “It seems like I keep winning and everybody is telling me I need to keep going, but I’m not going to burn up a rig going everywhere and be gone, I just can’t do that. I’m going to go to a few of the others that I don’t normally go to like I would like to go to Pecos (Texas), and right after that is the Fourth of July run and there are a lot of ropings closer to my home (in Rapid City). But, I’m not going to burn the road up. I’m going to go and I’m going to have fun and be ready when I go.”

William Kierce photo

Complete results/Page 46

Veteran steer roper Ora Taton competes during the Ron Ross Memorial Steer Roping in Liberty Hill, Texas. Taton won the average and left town after earning $9,042.

ProRodeo Sports News 5/27/2022

ProRodeo Sports News 5/27/2022

ProRodeo.com

ProRodeo.com

28

29