PublicationProRodeo Sports News - February 22, 2019

IN HIS OWNWORDS: BLAKE SMITH BAREBACKER ZAPSWAY INTO CONTENTION

I enjoy being from a small town a lot. You know about everybody, and there are a lot of nice people in that small town. It’s like a big-time family, super-nice people. If anything happens to anybody, everybody knows about it. If anything happens to me with rodeo everybody knows about it. It’s kind of nice. A lot of town people keep track of how I’m doing. If I ever do something good, they post something up in the bar or where people are around. I’m going to Kissimmee for the second time. After that first trip, I learned just to do my thing. I put too much pressure on myself to do good. I just didn’t ride like me down there. I’m looking forward to competing with all those guys and for all that money, that’s the main thing, that and to get on good horses. It took quite a bit Bareback rider Blake Smith has plenty of supporters pulling for him to make his first Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. The 27-year-old is from Zap, N.D., a town of fewer than 300 people. In a town that small, it’s easy to know what other residents are up to, Smith says. As of Feb. 20, Smith was 14th in the PRCA | RAM World Standings with $14,349. He has an opportunity to add to that total with trips to The American Semifinals in Arlington, Texas, RodeoHouston, the RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo in Kissimmee, Fla., and Rodeo Austin (Texas) slated during March. In his three previous seasons of ProRodeo, Smith has never earned more than $30,000. But healthy and ready to go, he’s aiming to change that in 2019.

to get there this year. I had to really rodeo. It was awesome making it. I’ve been hurt about every year. My rookie year was the only year I wasn’t hurt. I’ve had a bunch of wrecks. Last year I didn’t get to start rodeoing until the end of May, early June, because I had shoulder surgery the year before. Then two years before that I fractured my back, tore my rotator cuff and dislocated my neck at a college rodeo. It’s like I’ve had only one full year of rodeo. Hopefully this year I’ll stay healthy. I’ve put more effort into my bareback riding in the last two years than I ever have. I went and worked for (ProRodeo Hall of Famer) Wayne Herman, the 1992 Bareback Riding World Champion who made the Finals 11 times. I worked for him, and we’d talk about bareback riding two to three times a week. We’d break stuff down. Then, I got a personal trainer to keep my physical shape a lot better. Hopefully that’ll keep me from getting hurt. I’ve tried to ride the spur board more. It (the next month) is so big. If I can have some luck at these next three – The American, RodeoHouston and Kissimmee – it’d be so good for me. I’m so happy with the start of the year. I had a great circuit finals (RAMBadlands Circuit Finals Rodeo) and a great early fall. It’s awesome. Usually I’m at the bottom, it’s kind of nice to be up toward the top.

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ProRodeo Sports News 2/22/2019

ProRodeo.com

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