ProRodeo Sports News - September 20, 2024

ABILENE, TEXAS

Lord caps significant week with win Worth the Wait BY ALEX RILEY Special to ProRodeo Sports News I t was a lengthy wait, but Eli Lord didn’t mind. On Sept. 9, the Sturgis, S.D., native completed both of his steer wrestling runs at the West Texas Fair and Rodeo in Abilene. The WEST TEXAS FAIR & RODEO

TOP SCORES

TOP MONEY EARNER Shad Mayfield ($6,217, tie down roping) BAREBACK RIDING

event, which had started three days prior, wasn’t scheduled to conclude for until Saturday, leaving Lord to wonder how he would ultimately finish. Of course, when going as fast as Lord did, there’s plenty of confidence that the result is going to be favorable. “It’s pretty hard to not feel good about being 6.8 (seconds) on two (runs). That’s by far the fastest that I’ve ever been on one and on two,” Lord joked. The breakneck pace proved to be unmatchable, with fellow steer wrestler Jace Melvin finishing a distance runner-up at 7.7 seconds on two head. A little familiarity from the outset put Lord in position for success. During his first run, he was paired with a steer he had previously seen from a slightly different perspective. Lord had worked as a hazer for another cowboy in a past matchup with the animal, so he had a fairly good understanding of how it would react once the gate opened. Coupled with the use of Gavin Soileau’s horse, that intel allowed him to post a time of three seconds flat to set an early tone. His follow-up run of 3.8 seconds later in the day created an aggregate total that proved too difficult for anyone else to catch. “When you draw good and you’ve got a good horse, you’ve just got to do your job. That was the two biggest parts of it honestly,” Lord said. The Abilene victory and $5,373 payday was just one part of a significant momentum-building week. In addition to the outcome in Texas, Lord also won the second go at the Pendleton (Ore.) Round-Up, while also picking up a small check at the Lion’s Dixie Roundup in St. George, Utah. All told, the week resulted in nearly $10,700 in prize money, pushing Lord into the top 30 of the PRCA | RAM World Standings. While he’s not in contention for a spot at the upcoming Wrangler National Finals Rodeo presented by Teton Ridge, Lord is hoping the strong finish to the 2024 regular season sets him up for the 2025 campaign. He’s already locked in for the RAM Wilderness Circuit Finals later this year, but hoping to keep building momentum for the coming indoor season. “I’m just trying to get enough won to get into the winter rodeos here coming up. Hopefully this last week can do that,” Lord said.

Mayfield

1. Tuker Carricato ...................... 86 pts. (Tie) Anthony Thomas .................. 86 3. Sam Petersen ............................ 85.5 STEER WRESTLING 1. Eli Lord ......................... 6.8 sec. on 2 2. Jace Melvin .................................. 7.7 3. Tyler Waguespack ........................ 7.9 TEAM ROPING 1. E. Rogers/P. Eaves ........ 9.4 sec. on 2 2. Riley Kittle/Will Woodfin ............ 11.1 3. Chad Masters/Wyatt Cox ...........11.8 SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Ira Dickinson ......................... 86 pts. 2. Sterling Crawley ........................ 83.5 3. Three tied at ............................... 82.5 TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. Shad Mayfield ............. 16.4 sec. on 2 2. Cash Hooper .............................. 16.8 3. Sam Lewis ................................. 17.2 STEER ROPING 1. Kelton McMillen .......... 33.0 sec. on 3 2. Neal Wood ................................. 33.7 3. Reo Lohse ................................. 34.4 BULL RIDING 1. Coy Pollmeier ........................ 85 pts. 2. Jace Trosclair ................................ 83 3. Jacob Carige ................................. 81

Complete results/Page 65

David Seymore photo

Steer wrestler Eli Lord clocked 6.8 seconds on two head to clinch the average title at the West Texas Fair & Rodeo in Abilene, Sept. 9.

ProRodeo Sports News 9/20/2024

ProRodeo Sports News 9/20/2024

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