ProRodeo Sports News - May 29, 2020

COWBOYS & ANIMALS

Fernando Sam-Sin photo

Ryle Smith stopped the clock in 8.9 seconds aboard Vacaro at Cave Creek (Ariz.) Rodeo Days to place third.

Roper Ryle Smith finding his way in new rodeo world Ryle’d Up

BY SCOTT KANIEWSKI R yle Smith hadn’t left the arena and his phone was already pinging with notifications. Smith had clocked a time of 8.9 seconds to take the lead at Cave Creek (Ariz.) Rodeo Days during the second performance. Plenty of friends and family had witnessed his run on either The Cowboy Channel or the PRCA on Cowboy Channel Plus App and were messaging him to say congrats. For Smith, it was a long time coming in a season that didn’t look too promising in February. The 33-year-old tie-down roper fromOakdale, Calif., lost his horse Trouble in a wreck at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo. Trouble is on

the mend and could be back over the next month. But Smith didn’t have a backup horse. It showed at San Antonio when he used another horse but failed to win a check on that one. Coming so soon after also having to watch the 2019Wrangler National Finals Rodeo on TV for the first time in four years didn’t make it any easier. “He was my best friend,” Smith said. “I made the NFR on him twice and rode him a lot. When I lost him, it was a big blow to me confidence- wise. I was unprepared, I didn’t have anything else.” RIDING TO THE RESCUE Smith made the NFR three consecutive years, 2016-18, twice aboard Trouble. But in 2019, Smith finished 27th, about $30,000 away from

ProRodeo Sports News 5/29/2020

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