ProRodeo Sports News - November 19, 2021

TEAM ROPING HEADER Best of the Best Egusquiza

QUOTABLE “I don’t know if everyone else thinks about it the way that I do, but one of things that I thought would be the coolest is to end the regular season in first. The regular season is over the whole year, a bunch of different set ups. It’s pretty cool to come out on top after the whole year and know that you had a really good season.” – Dustin Egusquiza

2021 TEAM ROPING HEADER STANDINGS

sitting at No.1 for first time

1. Dustin Egusquiza, Marianna, Fla.. .......... $147,516 2. Erich Rogers, Round Rock, Ariz............... 122,017 3. Kaleb Driggers, Hoboken, Ga.. ................. 119,330 4. Clay Smith, Broken Bow, Okla.................. 110,570 5. Clay Tryan, Billings, Mont.. ........................ 94,250 6. Tyler Wade, Terrell, Texas........................... 89,038 7. Cody Snow, Los Olivos, Calif.. ................... 79,677 8. Clint Summers, Lake City, Fla..................... 74,483 9. Brenten Hall, Jay, Okla.. ............................. 73,506 10. Rhen Richard, Roosevelt, Utah................. 71,545 11. Derrick Begay, Seba Dalkai, Ariz................ 70,893 12. Andrew Ward, Edmond, Okla.................... 68,842 13. Coy Rahlmann, Ellsinore, Mo.................... 63,926 14. Coleman Proctor, Pryor, Okla.................... 62,755 15. Quinn Kesler, Holden, Utah....................... 62,403

BY TANNER BARTH D ustin Egusquiza has been trying to prove himself in the sport of ProRodeo ever since he joined the PRCA in 2016. Now, five years later he’s a big step closer towards doing that as he’s headed into the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo as world’s No.1 man among team roping headers. It’s an honor that he holds in high regard. “I don’t know if everyone else thinks about it the way that I do, but one of things that I

FROM THE CHAMP

Headed into the final round of the Wrangler NFR last year, the team roping duo of header Colby Lovell and heeler Paul Eaves knew a PRCA World Championship was within arm’s reach. But it was going to take one of their best efforts of

thought would be the coolest is to end the regular season in first,” said Egusquiza, 26. “The regular season is over the whole year, a bunch of different set ups, and a lot of different money to be won. It’s pretty cool to come out on top after the whole year and know that you had a really good season.”

Lovell

Dustin Egusquiza finished seventh at last year’s NFR in Arlington, Texas. This season he heads into Vegas as the No.1 man among headers PRCA ProRodeo photo by Clay Guardipee

Center in Las Vegas.

when he needed it most has fueled his fire to get to where his is today. “It’s easy to lose the drive with what you want to do in rodeo and how successful you want to be when things aren’t going your way in the arena,” he said. “But I think finishing the season 16th, 17th, and just barely missing the Finals I think that’s what really lights a fire under a guy. “It makes you try harder and put everything you’ve got into it and really do good the next year. I think that’s what has help me the most honestly. The failure that I’ve been through helps me want it even more. Some guys may not look at failure that way, but I certainly do.”

the Finals. The duo put together a 4.4-second run to win the round and capture the coveted world championship gold buckles. “Man, it’s everything,” Lovell said. “You grow up roping your whole life wanting it. On the stage (for the Round 9 winner’s presentation) I was the only one without one (a world champion buckle) and I thought about that while standing there. You strive to be the best and strive to keep the confidence to think you’re the best. If you don’t think you’re the best then it’s hard to compete.”

This season Egusquiza earned $147,516, which is $25,000 ahead of Erich Rogers in the No. 2 spot. The Marianna, Fla., cowboy, was quick to credit his partner Travis Graves, who is a 13-time NFR qualifier, for the success they found as a duo during the 2021 season. “I have to give a lot of credit to my partner (Travis) he’s really easy to get along with even if something is going bad for a couple of weeks,” Egusquiza said. “He doesn’t make things harder, and I think that was one of the keys to our success. Whether you’re doing bad or doing good he’s always going to be there and always going to be ready to rope two feet.” This year will be the first time Egusquiza will head into the NFR as the PRCA regular season leader. He said while it’s a new feeling he knows there’s still a lot of work left to be done and nothing is guaranteed once you step foot inside theThomas &Mack

“You can go in No.1 and come out in 10th, I’ve seen it happen to guys before,” Egusquiza said. “So, it’s important to go into Las Vegas looking at it with a clean slate. Everyone is going in there with something to prove and all it takes is 10 good runs and you can come out as world champion. But I’mmore than excited for the challenge it’s going to present.” Last season at the Wrangler NFR in Arlington, Texas, Egusquiza finished seventh in the PRCA | RAMWorld Standings with $151,176, he’s nearly matched that number so far in 2021. He said coming up short on more than one occasion

ProRodeo Sports News 11/19/2021

WRANGLER NATIONAL FINALS RODEO

DEC. 2-11, 2021

ProRodeo Sports News 11/19/2021

58

59