Lazy E Arena - Guthrie, Oklahoma

2009 PRCA World Champion Steer Roper - ROCKY PATTERSON

Tenth-Round Heroics Catapult Kansan

to World Title

Patterson Wins 1^st Gold Buckle with Strong Finish at

Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping

Click Here to Download Scoresheet - Rounds 1 thru 5 (Friday Night 11/13/09 Results)

Click Here to Download Scoresheet - Rounds 6 thru 10 (Saturday Night 11/14/09 Results)

GUTHRIE, Okla., November 14, 2009 – It took 15 tries playing on Steer Roping’s biggest stage, but Rocky Patterson of Pratt, Kan., was finally crowned World Champion on Saturday night after an eventful and dramatic Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping at the Lazy E Arena.

But it wasn’t easy. In fact, it came down to the last of the grueling 10 rounds of competition before Patterson was able to clinch his first gold buckle. Sitting second in the world standings and fifth in the NFSR average race, Patterson needed to win the final round and move up in average, based on the best cumulative time. Patterson did his part, posting an 11.3-second run.

The drama was intensified when two-time and defending champ Scott Snedecor of Uvalde, Texas, posted a 13.5, good enough for fourth in the go-round. But when Vin Fisher Jr. of Andrews, Texas, posted a conservative 16.6 and J. P. Wickett of Sallisaw, Okla., had a 15.0, Patterson moved up not one, but two spots in the average – third place in the average paid $11,322, while fourth was $7,956. The difference added up to Patterson finishing the season with $80,924, just $1,431 ahead of Snedecor.

“Scott is a great friend of mine,” said Patterson, who won the average titles at the NFSR in 1999 and 2001.

Patterson’s 10^th-round run was his third fastest of the two-day event, but it was his only round victory. Over the pressure-packed 10 go-rounds, he won $31,283. His previous best finish was a decade ago, when the average check propelled him to second in the world standings, and that happened in the Lazy E Arena before the finale was moved to Amarillo, Texas, in 2001, then to Hobbs, N.M., before returning home to Oklahoma.

“My dad is my biggest fan, and I lost him last year,” Patterson said. “Boy, am I glad to be back in a steer roping arena.”

While the World belongs to Patterson, the weekend belongs to third-generation national finalist Bryce Davis of Abilene, Texas, who was the only cowboy in the field to rope and tie all 10 steers, finishing in 137.9 seconds. His father, Jim, won back-to-back world titles in the mid-1980s, and his grandfather, Merle, was part of the field when the first championship was held in 1959. Bryce Davis earned his spot among the top 15 when he earned money in the Heartland Series finale in Waco, Texas, a month ago.

Bryce Davis - 2009 NFSR Average Champion

“I thought my last steer in Waco was tough until tonight,” said Davis, who needed just a qualified time to clinch the average title, the second most prestigious championship in the sport. “It’s surreal. It really hasn’t sunk in yet.”

Davis won the third go-round and placed in three others, collecting more than $31,000 for his weekend. The biggest money-earner in the field was first-time qualifier Chance Kelton of Mayer, Ariz., whose 110.3-second cumulative time on eight runs was good enough for second place in the average. Kelton won $38,928, with the lion’s share coming from his nearly $15,000 average paycheck. Still, Kelton won the fifth round and placed in four others.

Nine-time PRCA World Champion Trevor Brazile of Decatur, Texas – who owns the 2006-07 Steer Roping gold buckles – was atop the average at the midway point of the competition on Friday night. Overall, five of his 10 runs were faster than 11 seconds, but his Achilles heel came early on the second night when he failed to post a time in the sixth and seventh rounds. Even with that, he finished sixth in the average and won more than $26,500.

The 2009 Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping was presented by National Saddlery, with support from Wrangler, U.S. Smokeless Tobacco, Justin Boots, Boyd Gaming, Montana Silversmiths, the American Quarter Horse Association, Priefert Ranch & Rodeo Equipment, Cross Bar Gallery, Purina Mills, Kyler Cattle Company, Cactus Saddlery, the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, the Fairfield Inn & Suites – Edmond, Best Western – Edmond, and the Comfort Suites – Edmond.

The Clem McSpadden NFSR is a Lazy E Production. For more information on the NFSR or other Lazy E events, contact the Lazy E Arena, 9600 Lazy E Drive, Guthrie, OK 73044, (405) 282-RIDE, (800) 595-RIDE or visit www.lazye.com.

World Champ Rocky Patterson and NFSR Average Champ Bryce Davis

NFSR 2009 RESULTS

First go-round: 1. Trevor Brazile, Decatur, Texas, 10.1 seconds, $6,008.80; 2. Rocky Patterson, Pratt, Kan., $4,748.10; 3. Chance Kelton, Mayer, Ariz., 12.4, $3,585.30; 4. Vin Fisher Jr., Andrews, Texas, 12.5, $2,519.40; 5. Shane Suggs, Granbury, Texas, 12.9, $1,550.40; 6. Landon McClaugherty, Tilden, Texas, 13.8, $969.

Second go-round: 1. Cody Lee, Gatesville, Texas, 10.4, $6,007.80; 2. Patterson, 10.6, $4,748.10; 3. McClaugherty, 12.1, $2,585.30; 4. Bryce Davis, Abilene, Texas, and Dan Fisher, Andrews, Texas, 12.4, $20,34.90; 6. J.P. Wickett, Sallisaw, Okla., 12.5, $969.

Third go-round: 1. Davis, 10.5, $6,007.80; 2. Scott Snedecor, Uvalde, Texas, 11.5, $4,748.10; 3. Wickett and Chet Herren, Pawhuska, Okla., 11.6, $3,052.35; 5. McClaugherty, 11.9, $1,550.40; 6. Brazile, 12.1, $969.

Fourth go-round: 1. Brazile, 10.5, $6,007.80; 2. Leo Campbell, Amarillo, Texas, 10.7, $4,748.10; 3. Lee, 11.1, $3,585.30; 4. Neal Wood, Guy, Texas, 12.1, $2,519.40; 5. Vin Fisher Jr., 13.2, $1,550.40; 6. Patterson, 13.3, $969.

Fifth go-round: 1. Chance Kelton, Mayer, Ariz., 9.8, $6,007.80; 2. Dan Fisher, 10.3, $4,748.10; 3. Wickett, 10.4, $3,585.30; 4. Patterson, 10.5, $2,519.40; 5. Brazile, 10.9, $1,550.40; 6. Cash Myers, Athens, Texas, 11.4, $969

Sixth go-round: 1, Kelton, 11.1, $6,007.80; 2. Chet Herren, Pawhuska, Okla., and Wickett, 12.1, $4,166.70; 4. Vin Fisher, 12.8, $2,519.40; 5. McClaugherty, 13.4, $1,550.40; 6. Patterson, 13.9, $969.

Seventh go-round: 1. Campbell, 10.9, $6,007.80; 2. Myers, 11.8, $4,748.10; 3. Wood, 12.3, $3,585.30; 4. Herren, 12.4, $2,519.40; 5. Snedecor, 12.8, $1,550.40; 6. Davis, 13.6, $969.

Eighth go-round: 1. Snedecor, 9.2, $6,007.80; 2. Brazile, 10.0, $4,748.10; 3. Kelton, 10.2, $2,585.30; 4. Myers, 10.5, $2,519.40; 5. Davis, 10.7, $1,550.40; Vin Fisher, 11.2, $969.

Ninth go-round: 1. Vin Fisher, 10.2, $6,007.80; 2. Brazile and Myers, 10.5, $4,166.70; 4. Herren, 10.7., $2,519.40; 5. McClaugherty and Shane Suggs, Granbury, Texas, 11.6, $1,259.70.

Tenth go-round: 1. Patterson, 11.3, $6,007.80; 2. Kelton, 11.9, $4,748.10; 3. Myers, 13.2, $3,585.30; 4. Snedecor, 13.5, $2,519.40; 5. Davis, 13.7, $1,550.40; 6. Suggs, 14.5, $969

Average: 1. Davis, 137.9 on 10 runs, $18,972; 2. Kelton, 110.3 on 9, $14,994; 3. Patterson, 117.8 on 9, $11,322; 4. Wickett, 118.10 on 9, $7,956; 5. Vin Fisher, 118.30 on 9, $4,896; 6. Brazile, 100.5 on 8, $3,060.

World standings: 1. Rocky Patterson, Pratt, Kan., $80,923.29; 2. Scott Snedecor, Uvalde, Texas, $79,491.83; 3. Chance Kelton, Mayer, Ariz., $66,793.29; 4. Trevor Brazile, Decatur, Texas, $65,965.40; 5. Vin Fisher Jr., Andrews, Texas, $60,115.12; 6. Bryce Davis, Abilene, Texas, $57,952.61.

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NATIONAL FINALS STEER ROPING RETURNS “HOME”

Friday, November 13th, 2009

‘King of the Cowboys’

makes moves at the Lazy E

GUTHRIE, Okla., November 13, 2009 – In a sport where dollars equal championship points, Trevor Brazile is ProRodeo’s banker. On Friday night, the “King of the Cowboys” made quite a statement at the Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping presented by National Saddlery at the Lazy E Arena.

The Decatur, Texas, cowboy, who owns two Steer Roping gold buckles (2006-07), is closing in on his record-tying seventh All-Around World Championship in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. He won the first and fourth go-rounds and posted three times in less than 11 seconds – a 10.1, 10.5 and 10.9. He added $14,535 to his season earnings, moving from fifth to third in the Steer Roping world standings with $53,991.

Brazile also leads the all-important average race with a five-round time of 59.2 seconds, but he’s just 1.6 seconds ahead of the No. 2 man, Rocky Patterson of Pratt, Kan., a two-time Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping Average Champion. Patterson, who has qualified for the finale 15 times, placed in four rounds and earned nearly $13,000 on Friday alone.

“I came in about $15,000 behind Scott Snedecor for the World Title,” said Patterson, ranked second in the standings heading into Saturday’s final performance, which begins at 7:30 p.m. “I knew I needed to try to win some rounds early. I wanted to go at the rounds and stay in the average.”

Besides Brazile’s two round victories, Cody Lee of Gatesville, Texas, won the second round and the prestigious Colby Goodwin Award for his 10.4-second run, and third-generation NFSR qualifier Bryce Davis won the third round with a 10.5. First-time qualifier Chance Kelton of Mayer, Ariz., won the fifth round with the fastest run of the night, a 9.8.

Steer roping fans will enjoy all of the activities planned for the performances and in addition, the Senior National Finals Steer Roping will be held during the day at the Lazy E Arena from November 13-15. VIP ticket prices for each performance of the NFSR are $37, box seats $30, and general admission $20 pre-show. Children 12 and under are free in general admission. Call (800) 595-RIDE for complete details. A portion of the proceeds from the 2009 Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping will be donated to the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City and the OSU Foundation Clem McSpadden Endowed Chair in Agricultural Science.

Tickets are on-sale now and available at www.lazye.com, all ticketmaster outlets, by calling Ticketmaster (800) 745-3000 or by calling the Lazy E directly at (800) 595-RIDE.

Average through five rounds: 1. Brazile, 59.2 on five runs; 2. Patterson, 60.8; 3. Vin Fisher, 67.5; 4. Davis, 72,1; 5. Lee, 48.2 on four runs; 6. Kelton, 48.8.

World standings through five rounds: 1. Snedecor, $69,414.23; 2. Patterson, $62,624.49; 3. Brazile, $53,990.60; 4. Lee, $52,094.04; 5. Vin Fisher, 45,722.92.

Scott Snedecor has a busy week ahead of him. There will be interviews and announcements; business dinners and meetings; workouts and practices. Oh, and he’s going to try to win his third world championship gold buckle at the Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping presented by National Saddlery at 7:30 p.m. Friday, November 13, and Saturday, November 14, at the Lazy E Arena. He’s also going to try to fend off the rest of the 15-man field, made up of the very best steer ropers from the 2009 regular season who are all trying to get their hands on a big portion of the record $255,000 prize pool.

“I think there’s a target on my back,” said Snedecor of Uvalde, Texas. “The rest of those 14 guys have a goal of winning a world title, and I have won mine, so they’re going to come at me.” Snedecor is defending his title as the finale returns to its rightful home inside the Lazy E Arena, a complex built for steer roping. From 1984-2000, the arena near Guthrie, Okla., hosted the steer roping finals as well as many of the best known rodeo-related events. While Snedecor has played in the magnificent arena before, he has missed the opportunity to rope for the world title there – his steer roping finals qualifications all came after the championship moved to Amarillo, Texas, and Hobbs, N.M., starting with the 2001 season.

“I enjoy the Lazy E, and I’ve won a lot of money there at the team roping qualification they had there,” said Snedecor, 34, a 14-year pro. “I’ve also been part of the Timed Event Championship, where I own the arena record. I’ve had lots of fun, and I look forward to competing there this year.” There’s a lot of motivation for the reigning world champ, but there’s probably more for the field of elite competitors trailing Snedecor in the world standings. Veteran Rocky Patterson of Pratt, Kan., sits second, $15,026 behind the leader. Patterson will be competing at the NFSR for the 15^th time in his career.

“There’s one guy on my heels that’s never won the world title, so I know he’ll be coming after me,” Snedecor said. “Rocky’s got a little bit of ground to make up, but he can do it. He’s an exceptional roper who’s always been one of the top guys. He goes out and makes a good, solid run every time.” With go-round winners earning more than $6,000, there are plenty of opportunities for the field to converge on Snedecor’s lead. There’s also an $18,972 check that will go to the contestant who wins the average by haing the best cumulative score after 10 go-rounds.

“There are guys who can rope for the average, but I’ve never been one to do it,” Snedecor said. “In the years I’ve been to the finals, I’ve placed in the average once, and I won it. I just go at every one of the runs. I try not to do anything too crazy, but it’s in my blood to just go at them. I’ve always gone fast.” The chances he takes, as will others throughout the weekend of competition, is making a risky throw and possibly not scoring a time in one or more go-rounds. “I can’t take the safe round,” he said. “It’s just not in me.” That might make for some fun watching for the large crowd expected for the two nights of competition, which will feature five go-rounds each night. Winners will be announced after each round, and buckle presentations will follow each performance in the Ropers Cantina at the Lazy E. The after party will wrap up the weekend of festivities in the Cantina on Saturday night, and that’s when the average and world champions will be crowned.

The weekend would be put on right without recognizing the namesake, longtime Oklahoma icon Clem McSpadden, known as the voice of the Lazy E Arena. A resolution was unanimously passed to change the name of the event, to honor the late McSpadden, who served for many years in the Oklahoma Legislature and the U.S. House of Representatives while also building a reputation as one of the best announcers in rodeo history. He worked the steer roping finals a record 27 times, taking his last turn in 2000, the last time the event took place at the Lazy E. “I think this event came home where it belongs,” said Donna McSpadden, Clem’s widow. “I think it honors him because of the ropers who are part of this event and, I think, it’s because of Clem. “As an announcer, Clem drew you into it. He did not sell himself. He sold the product, and he believed in that product. He believed in the sport of rodeo, and he believed in this event.” Donna McSpadden speaks of her late husband with emotion. She knew how important the sport was to her husband, who was a contestant before he ever held a microphone. He served on the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association board and was the general manager of the National Finals Rodeo. He gave himself to the sport, and one of the greatest tributes, she said, is hearing people associated with the sport talk of Clem’s impact. “Clem was a timed-event person,” Donna McSpadden said. “He grew up a cowboy, a ranch kid, a ranch man. That carried over into what he did.”

If Clem were in the arena this weekend, he’d share his excitement with the crowd, knowing full well the enthusiasm displayed in the Lazy E Arena for the “King of Rodeo,” nine-time titlist Trevor Brazile, himself a two-time Steer Roping World Champion who has won six All-Around and one Tie-Down Roping World Titles. Brazile has also added six gold buckles from the Wrangler Timed Event Championship, a Lazy E-produced spectacular that is known as the “ironnman” of rodeo. Clem McSpadden’s presence will be felt over the weekend of festivities, and rightfully so. Besides his years in the announcing booth and all the other things he’s done for rodeo, he also penned two of the greatest pieces of worship ever announced before an event of any kind: “If This Flag Could Talk” and “Cowboy’s Prayer.”

Steer roping fans will enjoy all of the activities planned for the performances and, in addition, the Senior National Finals Steer Roping will take place during the day at the Lazy E Arena from November 13-15. VIP ticket prices for each performance of the NFSR are $37; box seats are $30; and general admission $20 pre-show. Children 12 and under are free in general admission. Group discounts are also available; call (800) 595-RIDE for complete details. A portion of the proceeds from the 2009 Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping will be donated to the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. The Lazy E is proud to support this institution for western preservation. Also, a portion of the proceeds will also benefit the Clem McSpadden endowed scholarship at Oklahoma State University.

The 2009 Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping is presented by National Saddlery, with support from Wrangler; U.S. Smokeless Tobacco; Justin Boots; Boyd Gaming; Montana Silversmiths; the American Quarter Horse Association; Priefert Ranch & Rodeo Equipment; Cross Bar Gallery; Purina Mills; Kyler Cattle Company; Cactus Saddlery; the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum; the Fairfield Inn & Suites, Edmond; Best Western, Edmond; and the Comfort Suites, Edmond.

Tickets are available at www.lazye.com, all ticketmaster outlets, by calling Ticketmaster (800) 745-3000 or by calling the Lazy E directly at (800) 595-RIDE. Tickets are on sale NOW!!

BACK TO OKLAHOMA’S LAZY E ARENA TO COMPETE FOR A WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP AND A RECORD $255,000 IN PRIZE MONEY

The top 15 Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) Steer Ropers return to the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Oklahoma to compete for the World Title and $255,000 in prize money at the 51^st Annual Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping (NFSR) presented by National Saddlery, this coming November 13^th and 14^th. New for 2009, the Lazy E, PRCA and the State of Oklahoma have added the late Clem McSpadden to the title of the year-end event to honor one of the greatest ambassadors of rodeo, steer roping, and as one of Oklahoma’s favorite sons.

The Lazy E Arena was built to host the NFSR in 1984 by E.K. Gaylord II. The Lazy E hosted this world championship event from 1984 until 2000. In 2001, the NFSR event moved to Amarillo, Texas for a 5-year run then made a 3-year stop in Hobbs, New Mexico. Officials at the Lazy E Arena could not be happier that this prestigious event has made its way back to Oklahoma. “The Lazy E is proud to again play host to the World Championship of Steer Roping back here in Oklahoma – the Lazy E was built specifically to host this event when the National Finals Rodeo was still in Oklahoma City,” said Tim Lanier, the COO and GM at the Lazy E. “It is a perfect fit and we are delighted to add Clem McSpadden to the title.”

After long discussions between the Lazy E and the PRCA, it was decided in April of this year to move the NFSR back to the Lazy E. Subsequently, the Oklahoma state Legislature unanimously passed a resolution to change the name of the event, to honor the late McSpadden, who served for many years in the Oklahoma Legislature and the U.S. House of Representatives while also building a reputation as one of the best announcers in rodeo history. He worked the NFSR a record 27 times, taking his last turn in 2000, the last year the event was held in Guthrie. McSpadden was also known as the “Voice of the Lazy E” as well.

The Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping presented by National Saddlery, will feature the top 15 steer ropers in the world who have qualified after competing all season at steer roping events across the country. Some of the stars anticipated to qualify for this years NFSR include the “King of Rodeo” – 9-time PRCA World Champion Trevor Brazile and Defending and 2-time PRCA World Champion Scott Snedecor.

As in years past and just like the National Finals Rodeo (NFR), the event will consist of a total of ten (10) full go-rounds to determine the PRCA World Champion and the final 2009 steer roping standings. On Friday night, November 13^th, rounds 1 through 5 will take place for a total of 75 runs. Then on Saturday night, November 14^th , rounds 6 through 10 equating to another 75 runs will determine who walks out of the Lazy E Arena with the PRCA World Championship gold buckle and saddle. In addition, like mentioned before, the purse at this year’s event will be a record $255,000.00 with the average winner earning a check for close to $19,000.00.

Steer Roping fans will enjoy all of the activities planned for the performances and in addition, the Senior National Finals Steer Roping will be held during the day at the Lazy E Arena starting November 13^th ending November 15^th. VIP ticket prices for each performance of the NFSR are $37…Box Seats $30…and General Admission $20 pre-show. Children 12 and under are FREE in general admission. Group discounts are also available…call (800) 595-RIDE for complete details. A portion of the proceeds from the 2009 Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping will be donated to the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. The Lazy E is proud to support this institution for western preservation!

The 2009 Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping is presented by National Saddlery, with support from Wrangler, U.S. Smokeless Tobacco, Justin Boots, Boyd Gaming, Montana Silversmiths, the American Quarter Horse Association, Priefert Ranch & Rodeo Equipment, Cross Bar Gallery, Purina Mills, Kyler Cattle Company, Cactus Saddlery, the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, the Fairfield Inn & Suites – Edmond, Best Western – Edmond, and the Comfort Suites – Edmond.