Sherwood, who said he and Adams entered 69 rodeos before the NFR (which is one short of team ropers' 70-rodeo limit) rode his 2006 Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association/American Quarter Horse Association Head Horse of the Year Nickolas on nine of their 10 steers at NFR '08. Nick, now 14, is Matt's go-to guy when the going gets tough. "Nick worked great all year," said Sherwood, who paid $600 for Nick as a yearling and made him himself. "We won the first round at the first rodeo of the year (Odessa) on him, and placed on the last steer of the year here at the Finals. He's just an awesome horse to ride."
Sherwood did bum a ride aboard Shain Sproul's gray horse in round nine, and they were 3.7 for the victory lap. "We'd roped ourselves into a horrible situation," Sherwood explained. "We needed a round win to keep our chances alive. Handsome was the do-or-die horse. I felt like I had a lot better chance of a no time on him, but a lot better chance of winning the round because he's so strong and finishes so good. That run put us in a whole different situation. It put us in the lead, so all we needed to do was maintain. That run made it to where Trevor couldn't beat me just by winning the average." (If that gray horse looked familiar or the name Handsome rings a bell, that's Chad Masters' old horse. Chad sold him to Wade Wheatley, who later sold him to Sproul.)
The Adams family is renowned for their horses. They raise, train and sell cutting and roping horses under the Western States Ranches Performance Horses banner. Randon's up at 6:30 every morning, and in the saddle by 7:15 a.m. Some of their current horse headliners include Destiny, the bay mare Stran Smith bought from them in 2007 and won the world on in 2008 (if she looks familiar, by the way, it's because three-time NFR tie-down roper Matt Shiozawa, who junior rodeoed with Randon, used to ride her). Cesar de la Cruz's sorrel ace Cimarron was Randon's backup horse before Cesar bought him.
And then there's Diesel, Randon's 10-year-old sorrel PRCA/AQHA Heel Horse of the Year the last three years running (his registered name is Baileys Cooper Doc). Randon bought Diesel when he was 5 and still pretty green. "Diesel's the best thing that ever happened to me," Adams said. "He's a huge athlete. He can really run and stop. He's a big part of my success. He's just awesome."
In 2009, Sherwood will head for 2008 PRCA Rookie Heeler of the Year Rhen Richard. I'm sure no one but Rhen's mom and me noticed that the NFR announcer who called him to center arena of the Thomas & Mack for his rookie buckle presentation called him Richard Rhen. I haven't even met Rhen, and I cringed. Sorry, kid. But I bet that announcer won't make the same mistake again on opening night in 2009.
Adams will ring in the new year with JoJo LeMond. And like so many of our other industry stars, including Barnes, Skelton and Kory Koontz, Randon's right thumb is a little shorter than the one on his left hand. "I cut my thumb off at a jackpot in Craig, Colorado when I was 13," Randon remembers. "When I pulled my glove off, my thumb was in it. They sewed it back on in Denver." It's about a thumbnail shorter than the other one, rows of railroad-track scars surround his hand and the dexterity on his roping hand is compromised. But Adams isn't about to complain.
"I'm really excited," said Adams, who's closing in on 100 trophy saddles and whose long list of titles includes the 1996 National Little Britches Rodeo Association breakaway and ribbon roping championships; the 1999 National High School Rodeo Association team roping title; and the 2000 NHSRA all-around championship (Randon roped calves, team roped, bulldogged and cut in high school). "This has been so intense. Last night (round nine) lit a fire under me when we roped that steer in 3.7. And tonight (round 10; December 13), when we stopped the clock with two feet and no barrier, we knew we won it. We needed to stop the clock clean today. I'm thrilled."
Matt's a big-time family man. Randon and his fiancée, Audrey Fuller, haven't started that chapter of their lives just yet. But that same family-first foundation is there to build on. In fact, Randon rang me up 24 hours after Sunday morning's World Champions Brunch to tell me one more time how much his family means to him.
"I haven't said enough about my mom and dad (Wes and Elizabeth)," he told me Monday night. "If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be where I am. My dad lives for us, and works so hard for us to have a great life and to be able to do what we want in life. I think he was more stressed than me all week. My mom is the mellow one. She holds us all together. We couldn't do it without both of them.
"This is a big family deal. I have four brothers-Austin, (2006 NFR header) Jay's real name is Jason, Dustin and Weston. We also have a sister, Brittany, and like Audrey, she helped me drive a lot this year. They all rope. Dustin's a big-time cutter. Weston runs our company in Utah. Austin ropes and cuts. Jay's been working with Weston up in Utah, and I think he's going to rodeo again in 2009. We're a very close family. And the only reason I'm where I am today is because of my family."
