ProRodeo Sports News - October 30, 2020

wears me out just watching it.” Wright was right, Cress was just inside the arena door doing a warmup on par with what some might consider a full workout. “I have hip problems, so I need to get loose and feeling good,” Cress said. “I do more movements and stretches so my muscles don’t lose their explosion.” Each component to Cress’ routine has a reason and was developed with help from Shawn Ready with Justin Sportsmedicine. Cress also uses a Hypervolt to loosen up and band exercises to get the blood flowing. “It doesn’t take any longer than 20 minutes to do,” Cress said. “I don’t want to be lethargic, just want to get a bit of sweat going if I can. It helps me perform better.” Cress’ routine helped him win Cheyenne (Wyo.) Frontier Days three years in a row (2017-19). “When I first started, I was coming off wrestling and was intense and built it up, but that doesn’t work,” Cress said. “Now I mess around and have fun and try not to think about it. You need to relax a bit before you get mentally tired. If you sit and dwell on it, you’re mentally worn out before you get in the chutes.” Cress’ approach worked as he won the first two rounds to lead the

Durfey’s approach worked well in Rapid City, where he won the Tour Finale and collected $8,740 to finish 12th in the 2020 regular season and qualify for his 14th Wrangler NFR. “I call it my pregame prep, and it took me about 10 years to figure out,” he said. “It’s designed to keep my mind and body right before I go. When I was 20-23 years old, I had no idea what I was doing and thought you showed up and roped but didn’t realize there was a strategy to getting ready to compete. If you do it right, the sky’s the limit instead of worrying or having any doubt, but it took me 10 years to dial it all in.” Steer wrestler Jesse Brown has a more fluid approach to warming up that’s based on how he feels and the environment he’s competing in. “In slack, you’ll need a coffee or energy drink to get going in the morning,” Brown said. “My warmup is pretty basic. I’ll do a lot of stretching and pushups and jog a bit to get the blood flowing.” Horse-wise, Brown shares a mount with several bulldoggers, so they split up the pre-rodeo routine. “Here in Oregon, if it’s starting to get cold, you’ll take a jog, but if it’s hot you don’t since your shirt would get soaked,” Brown laughed. “In Canada, you stay under cover and try to stay as warm as possible just to survive.”

Jackie Jensen photo Rusty Wright takes a more relaxed approach to warming up at the Tour Finale but doesn’t skip the details when it comes to preparing his equipment before competing.

average going into the semifinals at Rapid City. He went on to finish third in the PRCA | RAMWorld Standings, scoring his fourth consecutive Wrangler NFR qualification.

TIMING IS EVERYTHING

On the timed-event side of the arena, it’s the same song but a different tune, as ropers and steer wrestlers prepare themselves and their horses for competition. “Mentally, it starts when you look at the draw and replay what you expect to get done in your run a thousand times in your head, so by the time you’re going into the box you’re ready,” steer wrestler Jacob Edler said. “Overall, that’s something you have to turn on and off in minutes. As soon as you get close to the rodeo grounds your brain starts working and you’re ready to be mentally sharp.” Edler will make his Wrangler NFR debut in December after finishing ninth in the regular season. For tie-down roper Tyson Durfey, the 2016 world champ, it’s a two-hour process that begins with saddling his horse and checking equipment, then checking the draw and making a game plan based on what’s known about his calf. “That’s when I start visualizing the run I want and the outcomes I could possibly have – the success and people telling me, ‘Great job,’ my wife being happy and all of that stuff, and I pair it with movement,” Durfey said. “I do a lot of stretching and jumping up and down. I like to stay moving, and the quickest way to stay optimistic is to keep moving around.”

Jackie Jensen photo Tie-down roper Tyson Durfey’s warmup routine prepared him and his horse to win the ProRodeo Tour Finale in September.

ProRodeo Sports News 10/30/2020

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