ProRodeo Sports News - May 29, 2020

another NFR qualification.

After leaving San Antonio, Smith tried to qualify for The American in Arlington, Texas. He got close too while riding Vacaro, Rial Englehart’s horse. In those runs and his run at Cave Creek, where he again rode Vacaro, Smith could see Vacaro’s talent. “That horse delivered,” Smith said. “He’s a real horse. I feel like he’s a caliber that you could make the NFR on, so that gives me confidence.” Part of Vacaro’s learning ability is almost innate, Englehart said. “It’s really neat to have somebody of his (Smith) level compliment me on my horses and horsemanship,” Englehart said. “And I can’t take all the credit, Vacaro has been real easy from the beggining. He’s smart and catches on to everything.” Smith is taking Englehart, 23, on the rodeo road. The two get along well. And it’s a mutually beneficial relationship, with Smith riding Vacaro and Englehart learning the ropes. “Rial’s a rookie, so I’m taking him with me,” Smith said. “It’s a really cool story, because we’re family friends.” Englehart is enjoying the traveling time. “It’s a lot of fun,” Englehart said. “We’re real good friends as it is, and that makes it that much more fun to go to rodeos with him and practice with him. He’s helped me in that aspect too – how to enter, figuring out where to go. He’s definitely taught me a lot.” Smith kept plenty busy despite rodeos being shelved because of the pandemic. So busy, he didn’t practice much. “Not a lot (of practicing),” he said. “I’ve been so busy at home, I had things come up. I practiced two or three days for myself. I’ve been doing a lot of lessons, private lessons, for some kids, riding and training horses. I’m a dad and I’m a husband, so I’m running around being busy, and I’m not a good time manager anyway.” With more rodeos canceling or postponing, Smith has been able to plan things for weekends. “You get to appreciate all the stuff you do together (as a family),” he said. “When you’re rodeoing for a living and trying to make the NFR, it’s always the priority, our lives bend around it.” Up next, a birthday party for his daughter, Remy, who turns 3. “This will be the first time ever we probably won’t be able to rope (during her birthday),” Smith said. “So my mom and dad are going to come down for her birthday and we’re actually going to have a birthday party.” Still, Smith was eager to get back to rodeo. “I was a little nervous, really,” he said. “It felt unfamiliar, but it was a lot of fun. I caught a ride with some buddies. We played cards the whole way. It was like the good times we used to have. Being at home was good too, but it was fun to do the rodeo thing. It was good to see familiar faces.” He’s hoping to have plenty more rodeos to go to. But when the time comes for him to hang up his spurs on full- time rodeoing, he’s seen what might be. “I’ve been rodeoing for 10 years,” he said. “You’ve got to think about the next step and bridging out to where do you go next. ... I still really love rodeo and have accomplished a lot of stuff that I’ve wanted to, and I’m thankful for that. I just feel like this time has allowed me to realize that, hey, I can really handle it, not rodeoing. So far, it’s been all right.” PASSING THE TIME

ABOVE: Tie- down roper Ryle Smith holds his daughter, Remy, while standing with his wife, Nika. LEFT: Smith poses with friend Rial Englehart, owner of Vacaro, the horse that Englehart and Smith are competing on in tie-down roping. Photos courtesy Ryle Smith

ProRodeo Sports News 5/29/2020

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