Snedecor clinches world championship in final round of National Finals Steer Roping
HOBBS, N.M. -- Scott Snedecor won two rounds on the final night of the $250,000 National Finals Steer Roping and still did not know for sure until the 10th round -- and the 149th of 150 runs -- that he had clinched the second steer roping world championship of his career.
The gold buckle and the hand-tooled saddle were not his until two-time defending World Champion Trevor Brazile, aggressively going for the win, missed his steer in the 10th round, not just zeroing his earnings for the round, but also dropping him to second in the average standings.
If Brazile had won the round and the average while Snedecor remained sixth in the average standings, then Brazile would have claimed his third consecutive title at the Lea County Events Center by $65.84.
"I let other people do all the thinking about the final-round scenarios," Snedecor said. "I just went out to try to win the round. I figured if I did that, I'd be OK."
Even with Brazile eliminated on that penultimate run, Snedecor went for the win "for the fun of it" and missed his steer too, to give the two-day event something of an anticlimactic finish.
Snedecor, of Uvalde, Texas, ended up with $90,185, the third-highest single-season earnings total in steer roping history, while Brazile, of Decatur, Texas, was second at $83,424 and Vin Fisher Jr. of Andrews, Texas, was a distant third at $55,259.
Brazile could take consolation in having made the most money at this 50th annual NFSR ($40,192), winning a brand new trailer from Cowboy Rigs of Oklahoma and in extending the title chase just as far as was possible.
"There are no hard feelings," Brazile said. "I worked my backside off, I won the most money and I didn't leave anything behind. I left it all in the arena.
"I knew that just winning the average wasn't enough for me to win the world title, so I went for the win. If people have learned anything about me, they know if it's a matter of going for an easy average title or going for the world championship, I'm going for the championship.
"Taking it down to the 10th round to decide a title ... that's exactly how you want it to be."
Brazile has always been in the thick of the fight for the steer roping world championship. He has never finished lower than fourth in his 12 years of professional steer roping; apart from the two gold buckles in 2006-07, he has been reserve world champion seven times.
With his earnings in Hobbs, Brazile's all-around total is now at $270,770, giving him a lead of $104,157 over Josh Peek entering the Dec. 4-13 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. Brazile is qualified in team roping and tie-down roping at the Wrangler NFR, while Peek is entered in just the tie-down roping.
The NFSR average title went to 48-year-old J.D. Yates, who was the only competitor to rope all 10 steers after Brazile and two-time average champion Rocky Patterson both missed on their final attempts. Yates had a total time of 148.20 seconds.
"Ninety-nine times out of a 100, both those guys rope that 10th steer," Yates said. "I sure didn't think it was going to turn out that way. When I finished my run, I was feeling plenty satisfied to be third."
The Shaun Burchett Award for the fastest run of the competition went to Vin Fisher Jr. with his time of 9.30 seconds in the final round.
2. Cooper named Overal Rookie of the Year
Like his father Roy had done a generation earlier, Tuf Cooper made a dazzling debut in professional rodeo in 2008, not only becoming the first tie-down roping rookie since 1996 to qualify for the Wrangler Nationals Finals Rodeo, but earning $90,604 to win the Overall Rookie of the Year Award, presented by American Cowboy Coffee and Montana Silversmiths.
"This is awesome," Cooper said. "Ever since I was little I knew I wanted to rope, make the Finals and win a rookie award. It was pretty hard to do. Adam Gray had a pretty big lead to overcome. It was tough."
At the start of June, Cooper was in 30th place in the Crusher Rental PRCA World Standings about $20,000 back of Gray, but he strung together big wins at the Farm City Pro Rodeo in Hermiston, the Rancho Mission Viejo Rodeo in San Juan Capistrano and the River City Roundup in Omaha, Neb., the third round of the Ariat Playoffs, to launch himself into the top level of the sport.
It was a substantial accomplishment in a rookie class that proved to be so accomplished and talented. Many have close ties to ProRodeo stars and some are the offspring of rodeo royalty, growing up in the sport and around its legends.
Joining Cooper, who was also the tie-down roping rookie of the year, were Trell Etbauer, Goodwell, Okla., (all-around); Jared Smith, Ranger, Texas (bareback riding); Zack Cobb, Pampa, Texas (steer wrestling); Joel Bach, Millsap, Texas (team roping-heading); Rhen Richard, Roosevelt, Utah, (team roping-heeling); Kaleb Asay, Powell, Wyo., (saddle bronc riding); Douglas Duncan, Huntsville, Texas (bull riding) and Tim Abbott, Midland, Texas, (steer roping).
"I grew up junior rodeoing with a few of these guys," Cooper said, "and I think it's awesome there is so much young talent out here this year, and not just in first place in the rookies. There are some really good guys who didn't get as far this year, but have just as much talent."
The honorees will be recognized on Rookie Night at the 50th anniversary of the Wrangler NFR on Dec. 9 in Las Vegas. Representatives from American Cowboy Coffee, Montana Silversmiths and the PRCA will be on hand to present the awards to a proud group.
“It’s an honor to be with that kind of talent,” Richard said. “This year is probably one of the most-talented groups of kids we have had in a while. Most every timed-event guy had a chance to make the Finals, and Tuf (Cooper), he made the Finals, so that tells you what kind of kind talent there is.”
Cooper claimed the overall rookie title by a margin of $13,084 over runner-up Duncan ($77,520). Both contestants make their Wrangler NFR debut Dec. 4-13 in Las Vegas.
Cooper is the son of Shari Rivera and Roy “Super Looper” Cooper, an eight-time world champion and member of the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. Roy was overall rookie of the year in 1976 and went on to win the tie-down roping world championship that year.
Trell Etbauer is the son of Robert and Sue Etbauer. Robert was the world champion saddle bronc rider in 1990 and 1991, and Trell’s uncle is five-time world champion saddle bronc rider Billy Etbauer. Trell’s uncle Dan will be a pick up man at the Wrangler NFR this year and Robert, Billy and Dan all qualified for the Wrangler NFR in the saddle bronc riding from 1994 to1997. Trell finished the year with earnings of $42,965 competing in the steer wrestling, saddle bronc riding and tie-down roping. He also won the 2008 Linderman Award, along with rookie all-around honors.
Bareback riding rookie star Smith finished the year with $27,081. He picked up paychecks at several top rodeos, including Fort Worth, Texas, and Casper, Wyo., along with finishing second in the average at the Reno (Nev.) Rodeo behind two-time and reigning World Champion Bobby Mote. Smith won the second round at Reno, scoring 89 points aboard Big Bend Rodeo’s Shady Lady.
Cobb locked up the steer wrestling rookie title with a strong performance at the inaugural Heartland ProRodeo Series Championships, held Oct. 3-11 in Waco, Texas. Cobb won the challenge round and tied for first place in the final round of four. He finished the season with $34,533.
Team Roping Header Rookie of the Year Joel Bach is the son of Allen and Peggy Bach. Allen Bach is a four-time World Champion Heeler and has qualified for his 27th Wrangler NFR this year. Joel Bach, who led the rookie standings most of the year, began the season roping with Wrangler NFR veteran Cody Cowden and later roped with fellow rookie Paul Eaves. He finished the season with $38,816.
Richard claimed Team Roping Heeler Rookie of the Year honors by winning $41,160. Among his partners, he roped with two 2006 Wrangler NFR qualifiers, Nick Sartain and Jay Adams. Sartain and Richard won the average at the Reno (Nev.) Rodeo in June with a time of 17.6 seconds on three head and collected $10,909 apiece.
Richard was a National High School Finals Rodeo all-around and tie-down roping champion in 2007.
The Saddle Bronc Riding Rookie of the Year, Kaleb Asay, is the younger brother of Kanin Asay, the winner of the 2007 Dodge Xtreme Bulls Tour, presented by B&W Trailer Hitches, and a two-time Wrangler NFR qualifier. Kaleb ($21,069) edged Etbauer ($19,013) for rookie honors.
Duncan ($77,520) was able to edge another rising talent, Stormy Wing ($69,122), for the Bull Riding Rookie of the Year title. The two delighted rodeo fans and have the skills to be among those to watch in years to come. Duncan won the Dinosaur Roundup Rodeo in Vernal, Utah, and the Rooftop Rodeo in Estes Park, Colo., on his way to claiming Rookie of the Year honors.
Steer roping rising star Abbott burst on the scene with a win at the “Daddy of ’em All” Cheyenne Frontier Days and finished the season with $25,546 – ahead of the rookie field by $15,749. He broke his leg at the 2008 Heartland ProRodeo Championships in Amarillo, Texas, in October and missed the National Finals Steer Roping Nov. 14-15 in Hobbs, N.M. He was 11th in the Crusher Rentals PRCA World Standings at the time of the injury and finished 16th.
Protégé outdoes teacher at Dodge Columbia River Circuit Finals Rodeo
Two-time World Champion Bareback Rider Bobby Mote and his protégé Steven Peebles tied for first place in the Nov. 14-16 Dodge Columbia River Circuit Finals Rodeo in Redmond, Ore., with Peebles earning the trip to the Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo, presented by US Smokeless Tobacco, next April because he had a higher-scored ride than Mote.
Each man scored 248 points on three head, with Peebles coming back from a 78-point ride in the first round to score 85 points in rounds two and three. Mote's best score was an 84 in round two.
"It fet really good," Peebles told the Bend Bulletin. "I just wanted to set my goals high and see if I could pull it off. It feels really good to be able to compete with him (Mote) now and kind of stay up with him, even though I'm not nearly as good as he is. He makes me better."
Peebles trained at Mote's Culver, Ore., ranch while he was still in high school.
Ryan Gray of Cheney, Wash., who travels with Mote, Jason Havens and Brian Bain during the ProRodeo season, won the bareback riding season standings with earnings of more than $27,000.
The other Columbia River Circuit Finals average champions were: steer wrestler Blake Knowles; team ropers Jake Stanley and Justin Davis; saddle bronc rider Shawn Morehead; tie-down roper Nathan Steinberg; bull rider Tylee Lanham; and barrel racer Brenda Mays.
Hometown favorite Scott Miller, 32, won the saddle bronc riding at the Dodge California Circuit Finals Rodeo in Norco's George Ingalss Equestrian Center, Nov. 14-16, with 235 points on three head
Miller won two of the three rounds and placed in a tie for third in the other. He was the only competitor to complete all three rides. Joaquin Real was second with 153 points on two head.
"I've probably got a few years left in me," Miller said. "As long as I love doing it, I will still get on a horse."
The other champions at Norco were: bareback rider Tyson Thompson; steer wrestler Billy Bugenig; team ropers Blaine Linaweaver and Brandon Bates; tie-down roper J.D. Miller; bull rider Josh Verburg; and barrel racer Stacy A. Dial.
Upcoming PRCA Rodeos
Nov. 21 Dodge Mountain States Circuit Finals Rodeo, Denver, Colo., begins
Nov. 21 Citrus Stampede Rodeo, Inverness, Fla., begins
Dec. 4 2008 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo , Las Vegas, Nev., begins
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