PublicationProRodeo Sports News - March 22, 2019

ARCADIAALL-FLA CHAMPIONSHIP

Alex Caudle shares a moment with his daughter, Raelynn, and wife, Cheree. Photo courtesy Alex Caudle

Championship Rodeo the last several years, earned $2,443 for his performance. He already had a plan for the money. “That will buy more diapers,” Caudle said. Caudle and his wife of three years, Cheree, have a 15-month- old daughter, Raelynn. The family resides in Livingston, Ala., site of the University of West Alabama, about 50 miles from Tuscaloosa. Cheree is a breakaway roper. She teaches psychology and is an online admissions assistant at UWA. “I stay in a real small circle of where I go to rodeo because of the college,” Alex said. “We love it here (in Livingston). It is home.” Caudle bought his PRCA card in 2012 and had career earnings of $14,783 before this season. Although he’s competing on a limited basis, Caudle already has had a career-best season, earning $8,800. He earned $5,760 at the Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show in Fort Worth, Texas, which ended Feb. 9. “When Alex goes, he’s hard to beat,” said Zac Wilson, who was recruited by Caudle and won the 2013 tie-down roping national championship at the College National Finals Rodeo. GREAT RECRUITINGTOOL Competing at rodeos serves a dual purpose for Caudle. Yes, he can earn extra money, but he can also do some great teaching and recruiting while entered in rodeos. “I go and compete with guys who are on my team and they travel with me,” Caudle said. “I’m able to show guys where to go and how to enter, how to start and get out. Stuff like that will give them more of an edge.” Wilson, who had Caudle as a coach for four years, praised him. “He’s a good guy, and when it comes to his rodeo teams, he’s all business,” Wilson said. “He’s so positive, and he passes along a lot of winning ways. He really pushed me and helped me a lot with my roping.” Caudle also has a great understanding of the UWA rodeo team, since he competed for the Tigers from 2007-11 in tie-down roping and steer wrestling. He graduated in 2012 fromUWA with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Technology. “Once I graduated, I moved to north Georgia and lived with (PRCA tie-down roper) Tim Pharr,” Caudle said. “I was doing some recruiting for West Alabama, and then the coach that was there got fired. They hired me in August of 2013 when I was 24 years old. Coaching at West Alabama has gone well for me. I’ve had people in the program win six different region titles and I have taken people to the College National Finals Rodeo every year. “I also have been the Ozark Region Coach of the Year twice. I wanted to rodeo and be a cowboy, and I had to do something where I could get some insurance and pay the bills. This job was open. I have been blessed because not many people get to get up everyday and go to a job they truly love.” During the spring season, Caudle’s UWA teams have three more rodeos

before the 2019 College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyo., June 9-15.

LOOKINGAHEAD Caudle, who grew up 50 miles south of Livingston in Butler, Ala., plans on hitting the PRCA trail a little harder in 2019. “I’m going to go some this summer and go to the (Southeastern) circuit rodeos,” Caudle said. “I would like to try and stay in the top 50 (in the 2019 PRCA | RAM World Standings) this year.” Wilson knows Caudle can reach that goal. “I’ve seen him beat some of the best guys in the world,” Wilson said.

Complete results on Page 48

SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Cody DeMoss ........................ 89.5 pts. 2. (tie) Jesse Kruse ........................... 87.5 Brody Cress .................................. 87.5 4. Shane Proctor ................................. 87

TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. Alex Caudle ........................... 10.0 sec. 2. Jason Hanchey ............................. 10.7 3. (tie) Miles Ashton ......................... 11.2 Trae Adams III .............................. 11.2

BARREL RACING 1. Emily Efurd ......................... 17.48 sec. 2. Carly Taylor ................................. 17.59 3. Ericka Nelson .............................. 17.61 4. Nicole Love ................................. 17.69

BULL RIDING 1. (tie) Clayton Sellars ............... 87.5 pts. Daylon Swearingen ....................... 87.5 3. Corey Atwell .................................... 87 4. Two tied at .................................... 86.5

ProRodeo Sports News 3/22/2019

ProRodeo.com

33