Former Tech star Gray qualifies for National Finals

The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association's and the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association’s 2019 regular season is almost over.

Some competitors have secured a berth in the Dec. 5-14 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas or the Nov. 22-23 Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping in Mulvane, Kan. Others are on or near the bubble and they are traveling relentlessly as they attempt to earn a National Finals back number.

In order to qualify for the National Finals, a competitor must finish within the top 15 in an event when the regular season concludes on Monday, Sept. 30.

With that in mind, world class cowboys and cowgirls aggressively competed last weekend in Amarillo, Texarkana, Ark., St. George, Utah, Springhill, La., Pasadena (Texas) and in other cities.

The Sept. 19-21 Amarillo Tri-State Fair & Rodeo drew an array of high-profile competitors. One of them was four-time National Finals qualifier Adam Gray, a former Texas Tech star from Seymour. He tied for first in the tie-down roping title race with a blistering time of 7.5 seconds and earned $2,425.

Gray also tied for fifth at the 75th Annual Four States Fair & Rodeo in Texarkana with an 8.0 and pocketed $678.

After all that, Gray has secured a trip to the 2019 National Finals. He was ranked 12th in the tie-down roping world standings released on Sept. 23 with $90,746. Gray’s last appearance at the Las Vegas championships was in 2014.

At the Amarillo rodeo, Gray tied for first with Shad Mayfield of Clovis, N.M. Mayfield also finished fourth at the Texarkana rodeo with a 7.9 and earned $1,461. Mayfield was ranked 15th in the tie-down roping (Sept. 23) standings with $83,644. The rookie is attempting to earn his first National Finals berth.

Four-time world champion Tuf Cooper, a Childress native who has homes in Decatur and Weatherford, clinched the steer roping title in Amarillo with a three-run time of 34.3 seconds, earned $4,571 and was the rodeo's biggest money winner.

Roping superstar Trevor Brazile of Decatur tied for third in the steer roping first round with an 11.2 at the Amarillo rodeo. He also tied for second in the third round with a 10.6. The 24-time PRCA world champion earned $2,208.

Brazile was ranked No. 1 in the PRCA’s steer roping world standings (released on Sept. 23) with $69,250. Texas Tech graduate Vin Fisher Jr. of Andrews, a 15-time National Finals Steer Roping qualifier, was ranked second with $58,970 after tying for third in the first round at the Amarillo rodeo and earning $872.

Cooper was ranked No. 3 with $54,847. Texas Tech graduate J. Tom Fisher, a six-time NFSR qualifier, was ranked No. 4 with $48,890. J. Tom Fisher finished second in the steer roping title race and earned $2,511.

Garrett Hale of Snyder, a 2018 NFSR qualifier, won the steer roping third round in Amarillo and pocketed $1,533. Hale was ranked No. 12 in the world title race with $37,037.

In saddle bronc riding at the Amarillo rodeo, 2014 world champion Spencer Wright clinched the title with an 89 on Stace Smith Pro Rodeos' Dreamliner. Other single event winners were bareback rider Taylor Broussard (89 points on Stace Smith Pro Rodeos' Mr. Harry); steer wrestlers Mike McGinn and Cody Moore (4.3 seconds); team ropers Chad Masters and Joseph Harrison (4.4 seconds); barrel racer Jill Wilson (17.59 seconds); and bull rider Trevor Kastner (90 points on Harper & Morgan Rodeo’s Pickup Man).

Meanwhile, Cody Snow, a former Texas Tech star from Throckmorton, and his partner, Cody Snow, clinched the team roping title at the Springhill PRCA Rodeo in Louisiana and each earned $1,576. Thorp was ranked No. 11 in the team roping heeling (Sept. 23) world standings with $84,714 and he has clinched a fourth consecutive NFR berth.

As the PRCA’s regular season closes this weekend, world class riders will compete in Stephenville, Kansas City, Mo., Omaha, Neb., San Bernardino, Calif., Mona, Utah, and in other cities such as Poway, Calif., and Mitchell, S.D.

College rodeo update

On the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association Southwest Region circuit, South Plains College finished second in the women’s team title race at last weekend’s Eastern New Mexico Rodeo in Portales, N.M.

The SPC team received help from former College National Finals qualifier Kaytlyn Miller, who finished second in goat tying and seventh in the break-away roping, and Clara Louise Barrington who came in second in barrel racing.

The Lady Texans finished runner-up at the Sept. 19-21 ENMU Rodeo with 195 points. Sul Ross State clinched the title with 230. Texas Tech came in fourth with 120. Texas Tech’s Bailey Marie Jay clinched the break-away roping racing title.

Tarleton State clinched the men’s team title with 500 points. Western Texas College finished second with 445, West Texas A&M finished third with 380 Texas Tech came in fourth with 370.

Texas Tech’s Hector David Palma and South Plains’ Daryan Ismael Dominguez clinched the team roping title. Western Texas’ Colten Fritzlan snared the bull riding title.

The ENMU Rodeo was the first of 10 Southwest Region shows scheduled for the 2019-2020 regular season. This weekend, Southwest Region competitors will ride in the Sul Ross State Rodeo in Alpine. The Texas Tech Rodeo is Oct.31-Nov. 2 in Lubbock.

Brett Hoffman, a Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame member, has reported on rodeos and horse shows for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram for more than three decades. Email him at bchoffman777@earthlink.net.