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Do You Tie-On? Yes, I do anymore.

Association of Preference: World Series of Team Roping

Rope of Choice: I use a medium soft anymore. I use the Spyder and also the one Allen Bach endorses, the Smart Ropes.

Biggest Win: Pete Woolsey and I in Las Vegas split $90,000 in the No. 10 in 2010 at the World Series.

Best Horse You Ever Rode: The best horse I ever rode is the one I have now. He’s a horse that I got out of Stephenville. He’s about 12 years old and I still have him. He’s a real good one. I call him Rooster.

Favorite Roping: The finals of the World Series in Las Vegas. The last half-dozen years it’s been the best one.

Why You Rope: I was in my first roping when I was 8 years old—that was a lot of years ago. I was raised on a ranch/farm of my dad’s and it’s just something you do and I just kept it up. Eventually, the addiction takes over and you don’t have a choice.

Competition Philosophy: I would say my approach is to be in the moment. I’m not trying to rope against someone or trying to avoid mistakes. I’m just trying to be there and be focused and concentrate and just do the best I can. If it doesn’t work, so be it.

Real Job: I was a farmer, I guess, in Palo Verde, Ariz. I had some cows, too. I lease a feedyard out and I have a son-in-law that helps me with my farming anymore. I help out a little bit. I’m not very necessary, but I’m still there. Palo Verde is just a wide spot. It used to be a school and a store, but now only the school is still going. It’s not even a town anymore, but my granddad started it.

Claim to Fame: I don’t have one of those. I think for anyone to rope as long as I have, you have to have a lot of good fortune not to get hurt any worse than I have and you have to be able to heal up. I have no claim to fame, for crying out loud.

What’s it Mean to Be So Competitive At Your Age? This may sound silly, but I’ve been a person who tries to stay in physical shape ever since I was about 14 years old. I’ll be 75 in March. I’ve lifted weights forever. It’s a matter of all the self-discipline I can muster, which isn’t much sometimes.

Team Roping (heeler)
1. John Philipp, Washington, Texas $12,905
2. Kinney Harrell, Marshall, Texas 12,625
3. B.J. Campbell, Wickenburg, Ariz. 12,235
4. Patrick Smith, Midland, Texas 10,954
5. Ryle Whitford, Browning, Mont. 10,793
6. Broc Cresta, Santa Rosa, Calif. 10,182
7. Justin Copp, Justin, Texas 9,968
8. Joel Bach, Millsap, Texas 9,602
9. Clay O’Brien Cooper, Gardnerville, Nev. 8,962
10. Martin Lucero, Stephenville, Texas 8,381
11. Tyler Barton, Buckner, Ark. 8,190
12. Ryan Motes, Weatherford, Texas 8,043
13. Russell Cardoza, Terrebonne, Ore. 7,721
14. Kollin VonAhn, Durant, Okla. 6,968
15. Cole Davison, Madisonville, Texas 6,086
16. Cory Petska, Marana, Ariz. 5,933
17. Brandon Bates, Valley Springs, Texas 5,642
18. Larry Hammons, San Antonio, Texas 5,590
19. Kory Koontz, Sudan, Texas 5,339
20. Jake Long, Coffeyville, Kan. 5,298

All-around
1. Trevor Brazile, Decatur, Texas $21,202
2. Landon McClaugherty, Tilden, Texas 10,819
3. Ryan Jarrett, Comanche, Okla. 9,902
4. Clint Robinson, Spanish Fork, Utah 9,099

Bareback Riding
1. Wes Stevenson, Lubbock, Texas $27,193
2. Kaycee Feild, Payson, Utah 14,778
3. Winn Ratliff, Leesville, La. 11,384
4. Steven Dent, Mullen, Neb. 10,672
5. Caleb Bennett, Morgan, Utah 9,361
6. Jared Keylon, Uniontown, Kan. 9,164
7. Casey Colletti, Pueblo, Colo. 8,888
8. Will Lowe, Canyon, Texas 8,194
9. Ryan Gray, Cheney, Wash. 6,484
10. Chris Harris, Itasca, Texas 6,295
11. Caine Riddle, Vernon, Texas 5,250
12. Matt Bright, Azle, Texas 5,095
13. Tilden Hooper, Carthage, Texas 4,944
14. Heath Ford, Slocum, Texas 4,827
15. Bobby Mote, Culver, Ore. 4,819
16. Seth Hardwick, Laramie, Wyo. 4,807
17. Cimmaron Gerke, Odessa, Texas 4,648
18. Matthew Smith, Clinton, Miss. 4,482
19. Evan Jayne, Marseille, France 4,441
20. Richie Champion, The Woodlands, Texas 4,241

Steer Wrestling
1. Billy Bugenig, Ferndale, Calif. $14,073
2. Beau Clark, Belgrade, Mont. 13,698
3. Josh Peek, Pueblo, Colo. 12,223
4. Dean Gorsuch, Gering, Neb. 11,223
5. Curtis Cassidy, Donalda, Alberta 9,538
6. Justin Blaine Davis, Argyle, Texas 9,240
7. Termaine Debose, Anderson, Texas 8,959
8. Les Shepperson, Midwest, Wyo. 8,890
9. Ben Goodman, Beaumont, Texas 8,693
10. Jake Rinehart, Highmore, S.D. 7,653
11. Straws Milan, Cochrane, Alberta 7,537
12. Kyle Broce, La Junta, Colo. 7,360
13. Ethen Thouvenell, Napa, Calif. 6,744
14. Cody Harmon, Stephenville, Texas 6,673
15. Jake Shaw, Marshall, Texas 6,402
16. Ryan Jarrett, Comanche, Okla. 6,254
17. Ken Lewis, La Junta, Colo. 5,897
18. Casey McMillen, Redmond, Ore. 5,675
19. Trevor Knowles, Mount Vernon, Ore. 5,656
20. Tyler Waguespack, Gonzales, La. 5,602

Saddle Bronc Riding
1. Cody Taton, Mud Butte, S.D. $22,526
2. Cody Wright, Milford, Utah 17,513
3. Cole Elshere, Faith, S.D. 17,003
4. Jesse Wright, Milford, Utah 14,945
5. Cody DeMoss, Heflin, La. 11,032
6. Joaquin Real, Woody, Calif. 9,132
7. Jacobs Crawley, College Station, Texas 9,012
8. Jake Wright, Milford, Utah 7,630
9. Tyrel Larsen, Inglis, Manitoba 6,580
10. Bradley Harter, Weatherford, Texas 6,240
11. Kyle Thomson, Lundbreck, Alberta 5,734
12. Taos Muncy, Corona, N.M. 5,615
13. Curtis Garton, Kaitaia, New Zealand 5,213
14. Jesse James Kirby, Dodge City, Kan. 4,886
15. Jesse Bail, Camp Crook, S.D. 4,800
16. Hambone Hammons, Victoria, Texas 4,715
17. Chad Ferley, Oelrichs, S.D. 4,712
18. Townsend Prince, Livermore, Colo. 4,412
19. Jesse Kruse, Great Falls, Mont. 4,212
20. Andrew Counts, Stephenville, Texas 4,028

Tie-down Roping
1. Riley Pruitt, Gering, Neb. $18,052
2. Justin Maass, Giddings, Texas 15,405
3. Jake Hannum, Plain City, Utah 13,292
4. Jared Kempker, Eugene, Mo. 13,037
5. Shank Edwards, Tatum, N.M. 11,891
6. Houston Hutto, Tomball, Texas 11,357
7. E.J. Roberts, Stephenville, Texas 10,572
8. Jake Pratt, Ellensburg, Wash. 10,495
9. Hunter Herrin, Apache, Okla. 10,171
10. Adam Gray, Seymour, Texas 9,159
11. Fred Whitfield, Hockley, Texas 8,749
12. Cory Solomon, Prairie View, Texas 8,278
13. Blake Huckabee, Center, Texas 8,185
14. Jerome Schneeberger, Ponca City, Okla. 7,341
15. Codie Poe, Farmerville, La. 7,254
16. Jerrad Hofstetter, Portales, N.M. 6,363
17. Shane Hanchey, Sulphur, La. 6,228
18. Clint Carpenter, Wewoka, Okla. 6,015
19. Clint Robinson, Spanish Fork, Utah 5,698
20. Ace Slone, Cuero, Texas 5,629

Steer Roping
1. Chet Herren, Pawhuska, Okla. $7,913
2. Cecil Wilson, Boise City, Okla. 4,674
3. Trevor Brazile, Decatur, Texas 4,671
4. Jay Peters, San Antonio, Texas 4,651
5. Landon McClaugherty, Tilden, Texas 4,498
6. Tony Reina, Wharton, Texas 4,409
7. Buster Record Jr., Buffalo, Okla. 4,233
8. Cody Lee, Gatesville, Texas 4,120
9. Kim Ziegelgruber, Edmond, Okla. 3,666
10. Dan Fisher, Andrews, Texas 3,451
11. Guy Allen, Santa Anna, Texas 3,231
12. J.B. Whatley, Gardendale, Texas 2,447
13. Marty Jones, Hobbs, N.M. 2,150
14. J.P. Wickett, Sallisaw, Okla. 2,090
15. Ralph Williams, Skiatook, Okla. 1,764
Mike Outhier, Utopia, Texas 1,764
Vin Fisher Jr., Andrews, Texas 1,764
18. Mike Chase, McAlester, Okla. 1,499
19. Coy Thompson, Whitewood, S.D. 1,423
20. Bryce Davis, Abilene, Texas 1,418

Bull Riding
1. Cody Samora, Cortez, Colo. $26,090
2. Brett Stall, Detroit Lakes, Minn. 20,809
3. Seth Glause, Cheyenne, Wyo. 17,257
4. Trevor Kastner, Ardmore, Okla. 14,559
5. Cody Teel, Kountze, Texas 13,660
6. Trey Benton III, Rock Island, Texas 12,254
7. Douglas Duncan, Alvin, Texas 11,893
8. Paul Coppini, Kuna, Idaho 10,951
9. Brent Menz, Delta, Mo. 10,227
10. Jacob O’Mara, Prairieville, La. 10,205
11. J.W. Harris, Mullin, Texas 10,054
12. Tate Stratton, Kellyville, Okla. 9,843
13. Tyler Willis, Wheatland, Wyo. 7,971
14. Riggin Phillips, McKinney, Texas 7,773
15. Trent Cormier, Houma, La. 7,495
16. Cody Rostockyj, Hillsboro, Texas 7,448
17. Clayton Foltyn, El Campo, Texas 7,036
18. Bobby Welsh, Gillette, Wyo. 6,872
19. Logan Knibbe, Rockdale, Texas 6,725
20. Rankin Lindsey, Hillsboro, N.M. 6,635

*2012 Barrel Racing (through Feb. 13, 2012)
Barrel racing standings, provided by the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA), are unofficial, subject to audit and may change. Unofficial WPRA Standings are published by the PRCA as a courtesy. The PRCA is not responsible for the verification or updating of WPRA standings.
1. Brittany Pozzi, Victoria, Texas $31,258
2. Benette Barrington-Little, Ardmore, Okla. 27,281
3. Carlee Pierce, Stephenville, Texas 23,595
4. Nikki Steffes, Vale, S.D. 11,481
5. Paige Conrado, Hudson, Colo. 11,055
6. Callie Chamberlain, Colorado City, Texas 10,650
7. Aimee Kay, Bluff Dale, Texas 8,381
8. Shelley Morgan, Eustace, Texas 8,135
9. Morgan Figueroa, Bandera, Texas 7,774
10. Emily Efurd, Pittsburg, Texas 7,697
11. Pamela Capper, Cheney, Wash. 7,632
12. Linda Vick, Hesperia, Calif. 7,350
13. Trula Churchill, Valentine, Neb. 7,202
14. Kendra Dickson, Aubrey, Texas 7,160
15. Robyn Herring, Huntington, Texas 7,078
16. Kaley Bass, Davenport, Fla. 7,040
17. Jessi Eagleberger, Stringtown, Okla. 6,792
18. Jennifer Kent, Grand Cane, La. 6,299
19. Brenda Mays, Terrebonne, Ore. 6,299
20. Kay Blandford, Sutherland Springs, Texas 6,258

Manny Egusquiza Jr. answers Spin To Win Rodeo’s Facebook fans’ questions about his move into ProRodeo’s spotlight, his switch from heeling to heading just last year, and much more. If you’d like to have a pro answer your question next month, visit facebook.com/spintowinrodeo and join in the discussion.

Daniel Aylward: How did you make the decision to switch ends?

It’s kind of funny. Last year around November or December when everybody was trying to figure out who was going to rope with who, I’m really good friends with Tom Bourne. And we were both heeling, and we didn’t have anybody to rope with. He said, “Why don’t you just head?” I had a couple horses I could head on, so one thing lead to another. The first weekend we went, we won $4,500 at a circuit rodeo down here. And now I’ve got this other horse I’m riding now, and I got him over the Forth, and it’s been a blessing really. Everywhere I’ve been I’ve done really good. His barn name is Izzie. I give all the credit to him and the Lord. There’s no words to describe it. I still wake up every morning and pinch myself, I think it’s a dream.

Kaid Panek: Now that you have gotten off to a great start, what is key to keep the momentum going through out the year?

Just practice and keep working hard every day. I try to not take a break and keep practicing. Every time I don’t try to work at it or figure out another angle at winning, every day those top 15 guys are working harder to get better and find better horses and get an edge. So that keeps me going. I love to practice, I really do. I’m addicted to practicing. I read a lot of articles that Jake and Clay and Speed have written. They’ve been my heroes. And just reading their articles, I try to live their lifestyles on the East Coast. Right now as we’re talking I’m riding a horse to practice. It’s rained for a week straight, and it’s a little muddy, and everybody thinks I’m crazy. It’s a little wet, but I’m going to practice.

Pancho Ramirez: Manny, I’ve been expecting this for a few years already, but what made you make the leap from the Southeast to the national PRCA level?

Well, I really thought it was a joke the whole time, but I rodeoed around here all year last year. And at the US Finals Brad Culpepper asked me to rope. I thought it was a joke. I won the 15 Shootout that afternoon, and I texted him and told him I had some money to go on. I told Brad if I were going to go out there I was going to rope with a guy like him. I still kind of thought he was joking, but here we are. The jump is having the partner. I’m really good friends with Jimmy Tanner. Jimmy said there’s three things you’ve got to have to rodeo with them guys: You’ve got to have a good horse, a good partner, and a little bit of finances. I’ve got two out of the three. Finances, I’ve got to keep winning for that. I’m not taking anything away from anybody, and both associations are tough to begin with, but you’ve got to rope against the top 15 guys in the world at the ProRodeos. It’s like going to the Thomas & Mack every night. You’ve got to have the horsepower both ways, I don’t want to take anything away from the guys back here. They’ll kick your butt anytime they can.

Quick Brigance: How do you keep your roan horse working from rodeos to ropings?

He’s pretty much automatic. As long as I have him turned out and not cooped up in a stall or tied onto a trailer, he’s been a blessing. I’ve tried to get home and give him a couple days rest and score some on him, but I don’t have to really do that. I do it for my preference, not for his. He’s a pretty easy keeper and doesn’t require much maintenance. Just good alfalfa hay and good feed. My kids keep him exercised for me. (Cody is 8-years-old and heels, and Annemarie is 9-years-old and barrel races.)

Tiffany Mead: What is your strategy for building a successful new team to compete with the pros?

Not missing. That’s really what we talked about. We’re going to catch every steer we draw. If we catch every steer we enter at, we’ll catch them and make a qualified time and see what happens. Brad makes all the strategy, I just sit around and listen.

The two hail from the Blackfoot Indian Reservation in Montana. The road to Denver wasn't an easy one (literally) with challenges getting to the rodeo in the first place. Look for a feature story in our March issue, but for now, hear what these two young ropers have to say about the biggest win of their short careers.

Good horsemanship in breakaway roping allows you to make high percentage shots every time because you’re in the same position every run. Horsemanship allows you to give your horse consistent repetition so he gives you the same shot every time you come out of the box.

In breakaway roping, your start is almost everything because you’ve just got to be so fast. And the start you get depends on your level of horsemanship. Your horse has to be so good and still in the box, and you’ve got to have the feel to make that happen. You need to have your horse still and calm enough to leave in a straight line the second you drop your hand forward and hit the barrier strong.

When you’re riding your horses to the best of your ability, you’re keeping your horse between your bridle reins and your legs. You aren’t moving your hands much over his neck, but moving your horse with your legs instead. This increases your ability to control every part of your horse with your body position.

So much of your legwork involves where your hips and shoulders are. If you let your shoulders roll forward, you’ll get bent at the waist and take the weight out of your stirrups that you need for control and moment in throwing your loop. Your chest should be out and your shoulders back when you leave the box, tipping your toes slightly downward and moving your stirrup leathers back, with good weight in your stirrups. This all keeps your horse moving straight and forward, with steady momentum.

For more with Lari Dee Guy, visit LariDeeGuyRoping.com and read:

Ideal Characteristics in a Breakaway Horse with Lari Dee Guy

Keeping Your Rope Horse Fit and Fresh

Big Stops for Your Breakaway Horse

Native American cowboys have a rich history in American cowboy culture. Still today, Native American cowboys are making a big impact in the world of rodeo. Jackson Sundown, a Nez Perce, led the way. Today, Tee Woolman, Derrick Begay, Erich Rogers, Kenny McLean, Tom Reeves, Bud Longbrake, T.C. Holloway, Spud Jones and Sean Culver are leading the charge in the rodeo arena, and a young Doyle Lee just might be the future of Native American Cowboys. Find out all about them here.

Past: Jackson Sundown

The Native American culture has a long history in the rodeo arena, perhaps beginning most notably with Jackson Sundown. Jackson Sundown, whose Nez Perce name was Waaya-Tonah-Toesits-Kahn, or Blanket of the Sun, was a nephew of the famous Nez Perce leader Chief Joseph.

As teenager he was part of the Nez Perce Retreat of 1877, immortalized later in the movie, I Will Fight No More Forever. Sundown managed to escape into exile in Canada, where he lived until 1911.

Crossing back into Idaho, Sundown quickly gained fame as an all-around hand at the rodeos throughout the Northwest. He stood out in a crowd with brightly colored shirts, braids tied under his chin during rides and woolly chaps.

In 1911, he qualified for the final round of saddle bronc riding at the Pendleton Round-Up, the winner of which would be named the world champion. He rode against George Fletcher, an African American cowboy and John Spain, a white cowboy. Spain was declared the champion, but protests rang loud, the crowd favoring Fletcher’s ride.

Sundown made those same finals again in 1915, and again placed third and decided to retire. However, Alexander Phimister Proctor, who hired Sundown as a model for a sculpture at the time, persuaded Sundown to enter the saddle bronc riding one last time—and would even pay his fees. Sundown took Proctor’s offer, made the finals and in his range saddle, at the age of 52, rode a horse named Angel to the championship.

Sundown was inducted into the Rodeo Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy Museum, the Indian Rodeo Hall of Fame, the Cowboys of Color Hall of Fame, the Pendleton Round-Up Hall of Fame and the American Indian Athletic Hall of Fame.

Michelle Rezzonico took home some $121,000 alone at the World Series of Team Roping Finale in Las Vegas this past December. Michelle Rezzonico is the first female to win the World Series of Team Roping Finale, and we were excited to catch up with her after her big World Series of Team Roping #10 Finale win sank in.

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Association of Preference: I rope at the World Series of Team Roping and the USTRC ropings.

Rope of Choice: I use a Cactus Hypnotic from Cactus Ropes. I like it because it’s a little heavier. I hadn’t roped for a long time, so I grew up using a heavier, truer rope. I think it’s a 4-strand.

Biggest Win: It would definitely be winning the No. 10 at the World Series of Team Roping Finale in Las Vegas. My husband, Joey, and I also placed 7th at Las Vegas in the No. 11. [Rezzonico’s earnings for the weekend were a whopping $121,000. Together she and Joey won $142,000.] Joey and I also won third at the Wildfire Businessman’s roping in Salado.

What’s It Mean to be the First Woman to win that Roping? I haven’t roped for a long time and four years ago we were in Vegas for the finals and we went to the South Point to watch the roping. A friend of our won it, and I decided that was something I wanted to do. I thought I was too old to start roping again. But as a woman, I think with the number system we can rope competitively with men (and I love that) and I realized that your never too old to start back up at something you love doing.

Best Horse You Ever Rode: The horse that I roped on from the time I was 12 until I got married was a horse named Roanie. She probably wasn’t the best horse, but she was my first good horse. The best horse I’ve ever roped on was Cha-Cha, the horse I just won the World Series on. She’s coming nine and she’s not papered or anything, but bred well.

Favorite Roping: The World Series of Team Roping Finale is pretty obvious because you can gamble, shop and rope, what could be better than that? But I really like roping at Mormon Lake because a lot of the places I roped when I was younger aren’t around anymore. Mormon Lake is a roping from my childhood and it was always a fun weekend and still is.

Why You Rope: I love the feeling of having a horse in the pasture and the smell of horses. I’m kind of an adrenaline junkie. I’ve always been into sports and I’m a very competitive person. I have enough time to "really" do it now that the kids are grown. I also love seeing my friends at the ropings.

Competition Philosophy: I feel like when you practice you work on things. But when you go to a roping, you don’t think about it. It should be automatic. Your horse should be working and you shouldn’t be worried about anything. I love the short go, it’s like, “O.K., I’m good enough to make the short go, let’s go show off a little now.”

Real Job: I have an exercise science degree and I used to be a trainer for community colleges and Chase Bank. My husband and I were in the dairy business for a while but we got out of that and now we do hay sales. I help my husband with the books for our hay business.

Claim to Fame: It would be my boys, Joey and Taylor. Joey is in the insurance business and Taylor is a full-time college student.

Caide Roberts: How do you keep your mind in the game after winning so much money so quickly? And how do you not let all the winning get to your head?

Well, we did well so early in the NFR that I was real sound about not changing anything. We just kept doing what we were doing early, and we got into a good rhythm. As for about not letting all the winning go to my head, it’s more of a business, it’s just what we do. We were out there to win the money. When we did it early it let a little of the pressure off. We went out there to do that and by Round 6 we had $70,000, and we knew it was a good Finals already. It’s exciting and depressing both to move on to 2012. A lot of the guys have laughed about it; winning that much in 10 days and then driving into a rodeo that pays $3,000 a go round. But it keeps you motivated, too. We’ve already entered Denver. I’m ready.

Dustin Smith: How do you rope so fast and so consistently?

My horse gives me a shot fast regardless of the handle. I don’t worry as much about timing as loop placement. I’m basically wanting to place a trap at the end of the switch, and I put that loop down. Turtle makes the steer go in my loop; my job is to place the loop. People try to rope the steer; I just place a trap and when Turtle pulls him forward he goes in it.

Daniel Aylward: Do you always just focus on the right hind leg or do you watch the hips then the leg?

I watch the head catch go on and then I look at both hocks at the same time. I try to place my top strand right in front of the hock and the bottom strand on the ground.

Mark A. Hickey: What’s in store for your 2012 season?

I’m going to rodeo this winter. I have land leased and have some cows bought. So in the spring I’m going to be doing some ranch work and calving, and in the summer I’m going to go rodeo. Ranching is what I grew up doing, it’s what I’ve done my whole life and what my family does. It’s a peaceful life compared to rodeo. When you’re rodeoing, it’s nothing but deadlines and entries. And the ranching is just a lot slower pace. It’s hard work but it’s a different kind of work.

Lynne Peck: What horse are you riding now?

He’s a son of Freckles Playboy, and he’s 15 years old. He’s the most athletic, quick-moving horse I’ve ever ridden in my life. He takes care of so much. My job is to ride him to the cow. And he takes care of stopping. You can get tight on that horse instantly. He’s all business every run. Whether I’m practicing or the first round of the NFR, that horse is 100 percent every time. My 3-year-old calls him Tony the Tiger.

Alicia Kellech: What is your greatest inspiration?

I’ve always been motivated to rope every steer as fast as I possibly could. My long-term motivation has always been to be one of the best. I grew up watching tapes and films of Clay O’Brien and Allen Bach and I was motivated to be one of them. It’s never been about money. And I guess to some it up, I’m motivated to be the best whether I’m here ranching, I want to have the best cow herd around and when I’m rodeoing I want to have the best horses.

Corey Rose: What is your best memory from 2011 season, other than winning the World?

When Turtle and I won Reno. It’s one of the majors. Cheyenne, Reno and San Antonio. If you win one of those, you’ve won one of the biggest team roping rodeos there are.

Damon Rogers: What happened to your grey horse?

I was rodeoing in 2008 and didn’t make the Finals. I priced him high, and he was right there in his prime, and somebody paid it. I didn’t make the Finals that year and basically money was tight. I didn’t know if I’d get to go to the winter rodeos, and I had a lot of people ask about him, so I sold him. His name is Shooting Sugar.

Driggers falling at Pendleton

Photo by Dan Hubbell

Kaleb Driggers answers Spin To Win Rodeo’s Facebook fans’ questions about his first trip to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and what it took to get there. If you’d like to have a pro answer your question next month, visit facebook.com/spintowinrodeo and join in the discussion.

Rodrick Williams: What kind of horses does it take and what do you expect from them to get you where you are?
Most people ride horses that are really fast, but I just like a horse that really scores good, gives me a 110 percent and keeps going after I rope. I like them about 15 hands. I like a stocky horse, it seems like they can take it longer. If you’ve got one a little thicker, seems like they hold up longer.

Trisha Miller: Tell us about your foot injury at Pendleton. What was going through your head as your horse fell on you?
It happened so fast, I really didn’t even have time to think. When he started going down I started trying to get off but that didn’t happen. I thought that it was worse, but it ended up being OK. I can’t run because it isn’t strong enough yet, and I can rope and it only hurts a little bit. When I was laying there I thought it broke big bones, but it just broke my little bones. I honestly didn’t know how long it was going to be. All I could think was, “Dang I’m not going to get to go to the Finals.”

Chris Swinford: What was the turning point for your career that put you to the next level?
Probably when I bought my new horse, Champ. It was probably a year and a half ago. I had a good horse from before, and I liked him a lot. Champ has more speed and taught me how to rope on longer scores and made me a better partner. I still reach, but before I didn’t have the option of running close and catching and winning something. As far as jackpotting and stuff, I can use my horse and run them down now.

Raul Guzman: How did you feel when you found out you made it to the NFR this year?
It really hasn’t sunk in a lot yet. It’s starting to more and more now that it’s getting closer. (We talked to Kaleb a week before the NFR.) I will probably be a little nervous when I get there. I’m sure I don’t understand what it’s going to feel like. Honestly, I thought I had it made a long time before I actually did. It didn’t look like it was going to take near as much. Around Caldwell, Idaho, I had $60,000, and thought I was golden. It ended up taking $62,000. I was nervous after Puyallup. But after Omaha, I knew I’d had gotten in.

Christa Lane: What kind of advice can you give to others that are out there trying to follow their dreams?
I guess I didn’t really follow what I was supposed to do. I always wanted to rodeo. I didn’t graduate high school and go to college. I had the perfect opportunity to go rodeo, so I’d just say do what your heart tells you. You’re the only one in life that can make yourself happy. So do what you want. Always try to score good, and get a lot out of your horse. Don’t try to do it all yourself and use your rope to win. Get as much out of your horse as you can.

Bonnie Coleman Wolfe: How do you think qualifying for the NFR will change you or your career?
I think it will definitely earn me a little respect in terms of partners and sponsors. It will probably add something to my resume. It might give me a little more confidence that I didn’t have before.