ProRodeo Sports News - October 29, 2021

EDITOR’S LETTER TRACY RENCK Steer ropers ready to put on show at NFSR in Kansas

T he 2021 National Finals Steer Roping is fast approaching. The event takes Nov. 12-13 at the Kansas Star Arena with a purse of $447,500. One thing is for sure, there will not be a repeat champion. The King of Cowboys Trevor Brazile won the last two NFSR world championships to eight (2006-07, 2011, 2013-15, 2019-20). Brazile has retired from competitive competition and that opens the door for the likes of Cole Patterson, Scott Snedecor and Vin Fisher Jr. to snare a gold buckle. Since 2005, three cowboys have combined to win all the gold buckles – Brazile, Rocky Patterson (2009-10. 2012, 2016), and Snedecor (2005, 2008, 2017-18). The last time Brazile didn’t compete at the NFSR was in 2016 and that year Rocky Patterson was the champ. Snedecor acknowledged not competing against Brazile, who he finished second to a year ago, does offer a different wrinkle. “It doesn’t change my mindset (that Trevor will not be there),” Snedecor said. “But I did like the concept of when we got there it was one-on-one. It was me and Trevor pretty much. Not taking anything away from the other guys, but at the end of the day it was me and him and we knew that. It was a lot of fun. Through the years he was my main competition over and over here in the last 10 years and we both knew that going into that deal that we were supposed to be the last two standing.” With Brazile out, Snedecor is not changing his game plan. “I’m going in it just like he was still there,” Brazile said. “I’m going in

there to try and win what I can on every steer I run in that building. The building, the setup, everything is fun. The steers are conditioned good. The arena conditions are great. It’s just a fun setup for me. I just enjoy the atmosphere and the smaller, go fast, kind of deal. I really like it when you put me in a confined area right there in a pressure-packed situation. It is a lot of fun for me.” Vin Fisher, who heads to the NFSR for the 18th time, is aware of the Brazile factor as well. Fisher Jr., who is still searching for his first gold buckle, finished second to Brazile in the world standings in 2015 and 2019. “I had not really thought about Trevor not being there,” Fisher Jr. said. “I will say there have probably been times in the past where there was no doubt, I knew about Trevor being there because even some of the years he has beat me I went in a spot or so ahead of him. Having to watch him rope right before you (in Mulvane) is just …. He just dominates round after round after round after round. You definitely see that and maybe take a little more aggressive start. There’s no doubt he made you up your game every time he nodded. He was just a machine there. It didn’t matter where he was in the average, he was still going to tie fast steers.” Fisher Jr. is grateful he’s still qualifying and competing at the NFSR with the exponential increase in the purse. “Having that money to run at has made our Finals grow so much,” Fisher Jr. said. “When they upped the money in

Tracy Renck is the editor of the ProRodeo

Sports News . He previously served more than seven years as a media coordinator at the PRCA. He has three decades of experience in sports journalism with the last several consumed by Pro Rodeo.

2015, that was actually the year I went in first and man my lead was gone in two rounds. It completely changed the game of steer roping where you don’t have to go in first to the finals and you still have a great chance to win.”

ProRodeo Sports News 10/29/2021

ProRodeo.com

6