RAPID CITY, S.D. --- Montana team roping fans were never prouder than when Travis Tryan and Matt Robertson became the first pair from Big Sky country to win a round at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo eight years ago.
At the time, Robertson, of Augusta, was just 19 and had been named that year’s PRCA Heeling Rookie of the Year. The rising superstar didn’t surface again, however, because he chose to go to college rather than remain on the rodeo trail.
Finally, in 2010, having spent the past few years at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas (for whom he won the 2007 national collegiate championship), Robertson is back with a vengeance – and it’s with a Tryan again, but this time on the opposite end. Robertson is heading for Travis and Clay Tryan’s young cousin, Chase, of Helena, who skipped the fall semester at Montana State University to live and rope with Clay in Texas.
Fresh off taking the lead in the second go-round at Fort Worth, Matt and Chase traveled to Rapid City and posted a 4.4-second run on their first steer to lead that round by nearly a half-second. A hard-running second draw gave them a longer 8.0-second time, but it was enough to land them second in the average race so far.
Another 4.4-second run by Erich Rogers and Monty Joe Petska is leading round two, but the most dominant team during slack in Rapid City was eight-time NFR qualifier Clay Tryan himself, and his new partner from Oklahoma, 25-year-old Travis Graves. Clay owns an NFR average title (2004), a heading world championship (2005), more than $1 million in earnings, and has broken or tied the NFR arena record twice. More recently, he missed rodeo’s Super Bowl in 2008 and finished a dismal 13th there last year. Graves missed rodeo’s Super Bowl last year after competing there in 2008 with Turtle Powell.
But the new pair came out firing at the PRCA’s first Silver Million-Dollar Tour stop in Rapid City, making runs of 5.1 and 5.2 seconds, respectively, to take the lead in the average by more than two seconds with 30 teams left to compete Feb. 4-6.
All timed-event contestants in Rapid City compete in two long rounds, with roughstock riders competing just once. In team roping, tie-down roping and steer wrestling, 54 have competed during slack, with the remaining contestants scheduled to perform in back-to-back performances starting Thursday at 7 p.m. The rodeo concludes Saturday, Feb. 6 with matinee and evening performances.
RAPID CITY, S.D. --- The following are leaders following team roping slack competition at the Black Hills Stock Show Rodeo, Jan. 31, 2010.
Team Roping: (First Round): 1, Matt Robertson, Augusta, Mont., and Chase Tryan, Helena, Mont., 4.4 seconds. 2, Joel Bach, Millsap, Texas, and Paul Eaves, Millsap, Texas, 4.8. 3, Clay Tryan, Billings, Mont., and Travis Graves, Jay, Okla., 5.1. 4 (tie), Shane Philipp, Washington, Texas, and Britt Bockius, Claremore, Okla., and Cody Graham, Everton, Mo., and Gabe Gwaltney, Carthage, Mo., 5.3 seconds each. 6, Mike Fletcher, Mineola, Texas, and Tommy Zuniga, Centerville, Texas, 5.4. (Second Round): 1, Erich Rogers, Round Rock, Ariz., and Monty Joe Petska, Turlock, Calif., 4.4 seconds. 2, Brandon Farris, Pocasset, Okla., and Ryon Tittel, Pueblo, Colo., 4.8. 3, Coleman Proctor, Pryor, Okla., and Caleb Twisselman, Santa Margarita, Calif., 5.0. 4, Jake Weddle, St. Joe, Ark., and Shawn Harris, Searcy, Ark., 5.1. 5, Clay Tryan, Billings, Mont., and Travis Graves, Jay, Okla., 5.2. 6, Cody Tew, Harlowton, Mont., and Jared Bilby, Bridgeport, Neb., 5.3. (Average): 1, Clay Tryan, Billings, Mont., and Travis Graves, Jay, Okla.,10.3 seconds on two head. 2, Matt Robertson, Augusta, Mont., and Chase Tryan, Helena, Mont., 12.4. 3, Jay Tittel, Pueblo, Colo., and Terry Selland, Berthoud, Colo., 15.4. 4, Tommy Edens, Gatesville, Texas, and Justin Hendrick, Rosenberg, Texas, 16.1. 5, Joel Bach, Millsap, Texas, and Paul Eaves, Millsap, Texas, 17.5. 6, Erich Rogers, Round Rock, Ariz., and Monty Joe Petska, Turlock, Calif., 4.4 seconds on one.
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