ProRodeo Sports News - Sept.15, 2023

WALLA WALLA, WASH.

WALLA WALLA FRONTIER DAYS

Multi-Talented

Santos headed back to NFSR after Walla Walla win BY JOLEE JORDAN, Special to ProRodeo Sports News B ecoming a top tier ProRodeo steer roper is likely not a retirement plan that Merrill Lynch would recommend but it makes perfect sense to Taylor Santos. The Californian-turned Texan is a two-time qualifier to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in tie-down roping (2019, 2021), but sees his second event as key to the long-term financial plan. “The closer I get to being done calf roping and rodeoing full time, I’m thinking I won’t have to get a real job,” Santos, 29, joked. “I can steer rope and maybe just have a part-time job.” Call it rodeo logic but it’s working for Santos, who roped his way to a pair of victories over Labor Day, clinching titles in both Ellensburg and Walla Walla, Wash., to put the nails into his third straight National Finals Steer Roping qualification. He earned $3,651 in Walla Walla, after taking the average win with 39.3 seconds on a trio of steers. “It was pretty good,” Santos said. “It was mainly circuit guys and a few bubble guys. We had three rounds and I placed in two of them. It was a good day of it.” After missing a check in the opening round with his run of 16.2 seconds, Santos strung together runs of 11.1 and 12.0 seconds in the final two rounds to pick up a pair of second place round checks. The Walla Walla earnings coupled with the win in Ellensburg landed him eighth in the PRCA | RAM World Standings and third in the Columbia River Circuit standings. “After Lovington (N.M.) I thought I probably had it made,” Santos noted of the NFSR. “I thought 42-43 thousand was probably good.” “Winning Ellensburg and Walla Walla solidified it,” he continued. “We only have four more steer ropings left (before the regular season ends on Sept. 30) so there’s not enough money left. I don’t think they can get me.” Steer roping may seem like an odd choice for a California cowboy, but Santos found his way to the event after being invited to compete in the Cinch Timed Event Championships, a 38-year-old event held in Guthrie, Okla., each March. Invited competitors match wits across five rounds consisting of steer wrestling, tie-down roping, heading, heeling and steer roping. “I was invited in December to compete at the 2020 Timed Event,” Santos explained of his first foray into one of ProRodeo’s oldest events. “I tripped a few steers in January 2020, trying to get ready.” Santos went on to win the CTEC that March, earning $100,000, and he was hooked. “COVID had everything shut down,” Santos said. “So, I bought a steer roping horse and went to Nebraska and South Dakota to the ammies because they have tripping. I didn’t rodeo that year, just went and learned how to trip and seasoned a couple of young calf roping horses.” While Santos has clinched his third NFSR berth, he’s not going to be back in Las Vegas roping calves in 2023. “I’m too far away,” he said. Santos is ranked 30th and will compete at a couple more rodeos in tie down to finish out the year. “I’m here in Abilene, I entered in case I was close enough, plus it’s two hours from the house.” “Then I’ll fly back up to Pendleton and go to Amarillo and Stephenville and call it a year.”

TOP SCORES

TOP MONEY EARNER Shad Mayfield ($9,244, tie down roping) BAREBACK RIDING

Mayfield

1. Cole Franks ......................... 85.5 pts. (Tie) Dean Thompson ................ 85.5 3. Kade Berry .................................... 85 (Tie) Chad Rutherford ................... 85 STEER WRESTLING 1. Tyler Waguespack ......... 8.4 sec. on 2 (Tie) Jace Melvin ......................... 8.4 3. Jesse Brown ................................ 8.6 TEAM ROPING 1. Rahlmann/Torres .......... 9.3 sec. on 2 2. C. Proctor/L. Medlin .................... 9.4 3. D. Begay/C. Todd ......................... 9.7 SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Kade Bruno ............................ 87 pts. (Tie) Wyatt Casper ........................ 87 3. Isaac Diaz .................................. 86.5 TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. Shad Mayfield ............. 16.1 sec. on 2 2. Ty Harris .................................... 16.5 3. Britt Bedke ................................. 17.7 STEER ROPING 1. Taylor Santos .............. 39.3 sec. on 3 2. Tanner Stec ................................ 43.5 3. John Clark ................................. 44.6 BULL RIDING 1. Josh Frost ........................... 88.5 pts. 2. Trey Benton III .............................. 88 3. Ky Hamilton ............................... 82.5

Complete results/Page 68

For PRCA steer ropers, the new season begins as the previous one ends and the NFSR will return to the Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kan., once again in mid-November, meaning Santos won’t be miss a beat as he continues to implement his financial plans.

Gini Roberge photo Taylor Santos struck pay dirt at the Walla Walla (Wash.) Frontier Days in the steer roping. Santos pocketed $3,651 after winning the average title with 39.3 seconds on three head.

ProRodeo Sports News 9/15/2023

ProRodeo Sports News 9/15/2023

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ProRodeo.com

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