The ProRodeo Sports News - April 19, 2019

CATCHING UP WITH ... RICKY CANTON

Fastest tie-down roper in history passes the ropes BY MATT NABER Out to Pasture Photo courtesy Ricky Canton Ricky Canton bought the calf he set the tie-down roping world record on, and now the calf is a family pet for Canton, his son, Coleman, and grandsons Case (held by Ricky Canton) and Canton.

“He (Rowdy) was just solid,” Canton said. “He wasn’t the fastest, but he let you win on good calves.” Canton and Rowdy were two-tenths of a second faster than the previous record of 6.5 seconds shared by Cody Ohl and Clint Robinson. It was also six-tenths of a second faster than Canton’s previous career-best of 6.9 seconds. Canton roped his calf on the third swing of his loop, then flanked it quickly as it spun toward him to the right. He dropped the calf and tied it to stop the clock faster than anyone in ProRodeo history. “When he threw his hands up, I said, ‘Maybe he is six-flat,’” laughed Joe Beaver, Canton’s longtime friend and a ProRodeo Hall of Famer. “They called it out, and I said, ‘I told you all.’ You couldn’t cut one-tenth of a

F ourteen years after setting the PRCA’s tie-down roping world record, Ricky Canton is enjoying his retirement from professional rodeo along with the calf he broke the record with. Though his record run of 6.3 seconds at the 2005 Strathmore (Alberta) Stampede was witnessed by only about 50 people at the slack performance July 29, 2005, many have heard about it. “I knew I was fast but didn’t know it was that fast,” Canton told ProRodeo Sports News recently. The Texas cowboy set the record on Houston Hutto’s 17-year-old horse Rowdy.

ProRodeo Sports News 4/19/2019

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