Kendra Santos has written about cowboys all her life, including longtime stints with the PRCA, PBR, BFI, WCRA, and The Team Roping Journal. She’s also mom to two Cinch Timed Event Championship cowboys, Lane Karney and Taylor Santos.

Tradition and Today’s Top Timed Event Titans Collide at 40th Annual Ironman

Posted on by Kendra Santos

Winning the first Timed Event Championship of the World ever held in 1985 was one of late roping revolutionary Leo Camarillo’s proudest career achievements. Camarillo struck again in 1989, and his 3.3-second TEC steer wrestling record set all the way back in 1986 still stands today. We roll into this week’s 40th annual Cinch Timed Event Championship knowing how proud The Lion was to have his name on that banner that will hang from the rafters of this fabulous Lazy E Arena for the rest of time alongside the rare few who’ve managed to climb and conquer the Timed Event mountain. 

“In my family, we were ropers first and ropers last,” Leo once told me. “But we took a lot of pride in gritting our teeth and bulldogging, too, not just to showcase ourselves, but also our horsemanship, technique and try. For me to go back to bulldogging country (Checotah, Oklahoma is the Steer Wrestling Capital of the World) and set a record that still stands is something I’ll go to my grave pretty proud of.”

That he did. And only 19 cowboys have laid claim to the title of Rodeo Ironman. There have been a handful of repeat champions. The great Trevor Brazile has won the prestigious Timed Event a record seven times. KC Jones, who at 56 is returning for another round in 2024 to show the young bucks how it’s done, owns five TEC buckles. Paul Tierney has four TEC titles; Jimmie Cooper and Daniel Green, three; and Kyle Lockett and Paul David Tierney join Camarillo at two titles each. 

But what we’ve seen in recent times—in today’s world of now predominantly single-event cowboy specialists, who will this year vie for $210,000 here—is that the list of cowboys capable of doing five-event battle has become increasingly rare as every event in rodeo today is tougher than ever before. It’s been Jess Tierney in 2017, Jordan Ketscher in 2018, Justin Thigpen in 2019, Taylor Santos in 2020, Marcus Theriot in 2021, Erich Rogers in 2022 and Cody Doescher in 2023. 

Cowboy King


“To me, the coolest thing about the Timed Event is that nobody goes into it without a weakness of some sort,” said Cowboy King Brazile. “Nobody rides into the Timed Event like they do every other event they enter throughout the year, because at this event you’re going to have to do some things you don’t have great comfort in doing. Part of who wins the Timed Event is about who handles being uncomfortable the best.”

Brazile’s 26 gold buckles put him in a league of his own in rodeo’s history books. How do those seven TEC titles rank?

“Those Timed Event titles mean a ton to me,” he said. “I’ve said throughout my career that I didn’t want to be labeled as anything other than a cowboy. The (world) all-around buckles and the Timed Event buckles mean the most, because of the versatility it takes to win both.”

What kind of cowboy wins the Timed Event, and the $100,000 champ’s check that goes with the coveted TEC title?

“Only a cowboy who’s really handy in all facets of rodeo, who’s also mentally tough, stands a chance,” Trevor said. “When you run 25 head in five events (heading, heeling, tie-down roping, steer wrestling and steer roping), a lot of stuff’s going to go wrong. It’s about who keeps rolling with the punches. I’ve had everything go wrong that possibly can at the Timed Event, just like everybody else. One of those years I won it, I took a 60 in the first event in the first round. You have to keep it all together in your head to be successful at the Timed Event.”

Older and Wiser 

Jones won his first Timed Event title in 1993, and his fifth in 2012. And hey, he was contending for another one last year before his steer rope broke in Round 4. 

“Heck, I wish I was 40 again,” Jones smiled. “I don’t care how old you are, you have to show up prepared. It’s 25 head, and you’re not going to draw at the top of the herd 25 times. You’re going to have to get by runners and whatever else they throw your way. 

“Nobody has ever lucked into winning the Timed Event. You better have some skills, and it’s a big mental game, too. Drawing up and down, and switching events so fast takes shifting your focus from event to event, and fast. You have to be able to react to all the curveballs that come your way. There are times you can make up some time, and other times when you need to just set up a run and stay steady. It all comes into play, including strategy and gamesmanship, at the Timed Event.”

Jones roped calves and heeled for Mark Simon at the 1991 National Finals Rodeo. He won the 1994 Bob Feist Invitational Team Roping Classic heeling for Kevin Stewart. How do his Timed Event titles stack up in the career of this equine dentist who’s worked on horses’ teeth for the likes of living rodeo legends Cody Ohl and Sherry Cervi?

“I love the Timed Event, it’s been good to me and I’m so thankful for that,” Jones said. “I didn’t always get to go rodeo the way I wanted to when I was younger. But I could always work a good share of the year and still go to the Timed Event. I always look forward to it, because it’s something big to work toward. I may be getting a little longer in the tooth, but I still have a few goals and dreams. I’m not done, and I’m not backing down.

“There’s a reason not many young guys win the Timed Event. It takes a long time to really get a foundation in each event, and there’s a lot of knowledge that you better have tucked in your head if you’re going to go win the Timed Event. If you only have one main event—like most guys today—you have to work your tail off to figure out the foundation and fundamentals in four more. And that’s not an overnight process.”

Patriarch PT

Paul Tierney was the 1979 world champion calf roper and the 1980 world champion all-around cowboy. He was victorious at four of the 29 Timed Events he competed in. 

“Getting to see cowboys compete in events they’re strong and weak in is part of what makes the Timed Event special to watch,” Tierney said. “We always talk about the mental game in our rodeo culture, and you get to see guys’ mental strengths and weaknesses at the Timed Event, too. There’s been an evolution at this event over the years. When the Timed Event first started, there were a lot of calf ropers and bulldoggers who had to learn to team rope to enter. The heeling is what eliminated a lot of guys back then. 

“Today, the Timed Event includes more team ropers who have to learn how to bulldog and steer rope to enter. That’s because team roping only became a standard event they have at every rodeo in recent times, and everybody ropes now. But they don’t all steer wrestle now, like we did 25 years ago. The steer wrestling has become more of a pitfall now than it was back in my day. That, and the steer roping.”

Tierney says the steer roping was his toughest event to tackle each year, because it was his weakest. That’s traditionally the 25th of 25 runs it takes to complete the Timed Event course. 

“All four years I won it, I was in the lead going into that last steer, and I was proud that I never failed to get my job done, even in my weakest event,” he said. “It takes a really disciplined person to win the Timed Event, and if you don’t have discipline, you will not be successful. Especially in 2024. Rodeo mode in my day and rodeo mode today are two very different things. These guys who rodeo today have to go so fast every time they nod their head. So you have to throw rodeo mode right out the window at the Timed Event now. This is not a one-header, and it’s not about winning go-rounds. The Timed Event is a marathon. It’s about making good runs, no matter what.

“I was always an all-around buff, and winning the all-around was my No. 1 goal. Larry Mahan and Phil Lyne were my heroes growing up, and I competed in six events at the College (National) Finals (Rodeo) one year. When I turned pro, I worked all three timed events (he roped calves, bulldogged and heeled), and steer roped when I could. Guys can be strong in even two or three events. But it takes five at the Timed Event, and that makes this event very special. These guys who compete at the Timed Event are the best all-around cowboys in the world. That’s why people come from far and wide to watch them compete. The cowboys who shine at the Timed Event are smart, strategic guys who outwork everybody. You have to be tough to win the Timed Event.”

Competition Junky 

Jimmie Cooper took the world all-around torch right after Tierney, in 1981. The dad of NFR team roping twins Jake and Jim Ross, and breakaway roping daughter, Jill Tanner, could not be more proud of his Timed Event accolades. 

“Winning the world all-around championship is the toughest thing there is to win, and the Timed Event Championship is right there with it,” Cooper said. “The Timed Event is on the same level as a world championship, and it gets respect because of that. I’m very proud to have won the Timed Event, and the list of guys who’ve won it is amazing. 

“I won that world all-around title the second year I rodeoed, and only rodeoed for seven years. When I quit rodeoing, the Timed Event really fit me better, because I didn’t have to stay out there on the road. I could really work toward that, and it gave me a lot of recognition without having to live on the road. The Timed Event took over a different season of my life, and I looked forward to going to the Lazy E to compete in it every year. Not all years went great, but those just lit a fire in me for the next one. We’re all competition junkies, and the Timed Event is right there with a world championship because of how hard it is to win.”

What do Timed Event champs have in common?

“Guys who win the Timed Event are consistently tough, and they can take the pressure,” Cooper said. “To perform at that level in five rounds of five events comes with a very high degree of difficulty. This isn’t a one-header where just anybody has a shot at success. And the Timed Event is one of a kind because of it.”

Missing in Action

There are two noticeably absent Cowboys who’ve been constant Timed Event contenders in recent times. Kyle Lockett’s a two-time TEC titlist, and is at 46 taking an injury time-out in 2024. Fellow Californian Lane Karney, who finished third last year and has several top-four finishes to his credit, raced home to his very pregnant wife, Jane, at Timed Event’s end last year to welcome their baby girl, Charlie, to the world and has since shifted his priorities. 

Lockett had a mishap at a match calf branding in November and, “I broke the long bone in my left shoulder, and haven’t been able to rope much since,” he said. “I did rope in the American qualifier (West Regional Finals) in Vegas the other day, but didn’t make it through. You can’t show up at the Timed Event thinking you’re going to half ass it and do any good. Running 25 head under those conditions—big arena, and big, fresh cattle over a long score—is no joke, and there aren’t very many people who can pull it off when they’re healthy. 

“The Timed Event separates the men from the boys, and I’m proud to be a part of its history. I love this event so much that if I had a chance to start all over again the morning after it ends, I’d stay every time. I’m planning on going back to the Lazy E and getting another W. I’m 46, but I can still do things 25-year-olds can do. 

“I got to be there to watch and compete against guys like Jimmie Cooper and Paul Tierney, and they beat us into their 50s. The best guys can win the Timed Event at any age, and there are actually advantages that come with more experience. When you’re running 25 head, you will be faced with things that have never happened to you before. An older, wiser veteran won’t panic when that happens, and that helps him react and get by things a young guy might not be able to handle.”

Since last year, the Karneys have launched a booming real estate business, and are laser-focused on that and their young family.

“It’s a brotherhood back there behind the Timed Event chutes, and I’ll treasure that feeling for the rest of my life,” said Lane, who’s big brother to 2020 TEC champ Santos, and will be his best man this fall when Taylor marries Paul’s daughter and 2020-21 Miss Rodeo America Jordan Tierney. “In today’s world of single-event cowboys, it’s pretty cool to compete alongside a group of guys who are willing to bear down and try it on in five events. I’m sure going to miss that Timed Event camaraderie, but have turned a page in my life, and am all in on the next chapter.”

“It’s a brotherhood back there behind the Timed Event chutes, and I’ll treasure that feeling for the rest of my life,” said Lane, who’s big brother to 2020 TEC champ Santos, and will be his best man this fall when Taylor marries Paul’s daughter and 2020-21 Miss Rodeo America Jordan Tierney. “In today’s world of single-event cowboys, it’s pretty cool to compete alongside a group of guys who are willing to bear down and try it on in five events. I’m sure going to miss that Timed Event camaraderie, but have turned a page in my life, and am all-in on the next chapter.”

Generation Next

Three-time TEC titlist Daniel Green joins Camarillo, Lockett, Santos and Ketscher in the category of Timed Event champs from California. Though Daniel has retired from Timed Event battle himself, he’ll suit up to serve as heading and heeling help for his son, Eli, in this year’s Junior Ironman, which will pay the winner $20,000. 

“I miss being back in my prime, and the ability to compete at that highest, maximum level,” Daniel said. “I miss the excitement that comes with competing at the Timed Event. That was a great time in my life, and to have that versatility and mental strength to deal with the things that don’t always go right in 25 rounds meant a lot to me. You have to let the tough stuff go, and keep moving forward at the Timed Event. 

“To win the Timed Event, you’ve got to be prepared physically and mentally, and you might need a break or two to go your way while you’re at it. Drawing the right steer or calf at the right time, or having the ball bounce your way when you need it to come in very handy at the Timed Event. There’s no way it’s all going to go perfectly over 25 runs, so being able to leave the bad stuff behind and go on to the next run is key. You can’t look back, and can only look forward. I never did well when I was trying to chase somebody, and trying to make things happen usually led to more mistakes. There will be bobbles in 25 rounds, but staying solid is the better bet at this event.”

Green has an inside joke with his breakaway roping friends that references the Timed Event champion banners that hang above this Lazy E Arena.

“I say, ‘If you want to be solid, rope them under Kyle’s banner,” Green grinned. “But if you want to win, you’ve got to rope them under my banner.”

Daddy Daniel is excited about Eli’s first hurrah in this arena that’s held such a special spot in his heart. The Junior Ironman is a 12-round contest—three each in heading, heeling, steer wrestling and tie-down roping. 

“This is Eli’s first year, and it’ll be pretty cool for me to get back in this building with him,” Daniel said. “It’ll be a pretty special occasion for our family for me to see my son doing something I loved so much. You can watch something all you want, but we’ll just have to see how he feels when he gets into it. With the rule change that an adult can help the kids, which is new this year, it’ll be that much more special and memorable to be down in the dirt with my son.”

Fab Five

Like everything else in rodeo, the Timed Event will become harder to win over time as every event gets tougher. The last five years are living proof of that fact, with Thigpen striking in 2019, Santos getting the win in 2020, Theriot coming out on top in 2021, Rogers proving he’s more than a header in 2022 and Doescher becoming the first home-stater ever to get the TEC win for Oklahoma last year. A little-known Timed Event trivia fact is that Mike Beers was the first TEC rookie to win the title in 1986, and Thigpen and Santos are just the second and third cowboys ever to follow suit. 

Thigpen and his wife were just starting to build a new house for their family when he hit the 2019 Timed Event jackpot.

“Maybe we won’t have to go to the bank for a loan now,” he beamed in the TEC winner’s circle.

Santos was coming off of his first NFR qualification in the tie-down roping in 2019 when he won $103,000 at his first Timed Event in 2020, just as COVID was shutting down rodeo with the rest of the world. 

“It makes me proud to carry on a great tradition started by legends like Leo Camarillo, who was a close family friend, and carried on by guys like the best there’s ever been, Trevor Brazile,” said Santos, who went to Brazile’s for a pre-TEC tune-up before his first one. “Timed Event contestants are the kind of cowboys who’d come in handy if you needed help on the ranch.”

Theriot just qualified for his first NFR heading for Cole Curry in 2023. 

“The Timed Event is the biggest, most prestigious event I’ve ever won,” he said at TEC 2021’s end. “There aren’t many chances to get it done, and only one guy wins it every year. People ask me what it takes to win it now that I know, and I tell them, ‘A lot of patience, concentration and just staying focused. I definitely feel like you have to be made for this event to win it.’”

Rogers has experienced about every emotion at the Timed Event, from the low of blowing out a knee bulldogging at the 2018 TEC, to finally finding the finish line in first place in 2022. 

“The Timed Event is one of the premier events a guy can go to to show off your talent and versatility,” Rogers said. “You’re taking on not only the toughest set of all-around cowboy competitors in the world, but the cattle they bring in for this event also. They’re big and strong and tough, too.”

Doescher’s Sooner State W meant the literal world to his family.

“This is life-changing for us,” he said. “We live in a single-wide, and we’re trying to get out of it because we’ve outgrown it with three kids. We’re trying to get a place either bought or built. This money couldn’t have come at a better time. We’ve never seen this much money at one time.”

There’s never a bad time for a windfall $100,000 win. And with a tip of the hat to 40 years of tradition, the 2024 Timed Event titans are here to make more history. 

Oklahoma’s Cody Doescher Pulls Off Cinch Timed Event First

Posted on by Kendra Santos

The 2023 Cinch Timed Event Championship winner’s circle was a happy place for Oklahoma’s own Cody Doescher. Lazy E Photo by James Phifer

He did it. Oklahoma City’s Cody Doescher won the 2023 Cinch Timed Event Championship, and kept the Ironman of Pro Rodeo crown in the Sooner State for the first time since this ultimate cowboy contest started at the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie back in 1985. It took Doescher 10 tries to take the $100,000 champ’s check home, and the 30-minute commute made it easy for family and friends to be there to cheer on their hometown hero. 

“This is by far the biggest win of my career,” beamed a breathless 32-year-old Doescher at event’s end. “I’m not rodeoing that hard anymore, so to even be here is a blessing. To come out on top is unbelievable.”

Before now, the biggest check of Doescher’s cowboy career was for $50,000, when he won the team roping at RodeoHouston heeling for Tommy Edens in 2011. The best news about that was a banner bank deposit. The bad news was that Houston was not sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association at that time, so the money didn’t count toward the world standings. 

Heading and tie-down roping are the two TEC events Doescher has worked the least.
Lazy E Photo by James Phifer

The financial fact that jumps off the page about Doescher’s Timed Event track record is that in nine previous appearances, his total CTEC earnings were $12,500. 

“I won a round last year, and have placed in some rounds over the years,” Doescher said. “But winning fifth one year was the only time I’d ever placed in the average before now.” 

Life-Changing Money

Doescher changed all that by dragging down a whopping $107,000 at this year’s 39th annual Cinch Timed Event Championship. After a slow start in Round 1, in which he finished 15th, Doescher rebounded with the Round 2 win, and second-place finishes in Rounds 3 and 4. He placed fifth in Round 5 to close the deal, but not before taking the air out of the building with a first-loop neck catch on his last steer roping run right there at the finish line. 

| View Full CTEC Results

When the red-dirt Lazy-E dust settled after 25 runs—five rounds each in heading, tie-down roping, heeling, steer wrestling and steer roping—Doescher’s 312.7 bested the 20-Timed-Event-titan field. California native Russell Cardoza, who now calls Oregon home, was the 2023 reserve CTEC champ at 321.7 on 25 for $25,000. 

Russell Cardoza finished third in 2022, and took it up a notch to second in 2023.
Russell Cardoza finished third in 2022, and took it up a notch to second in 2023.
Lazy E Photo by James Phifer

California’s Lane Karney, who’s big brother to 2020 CTEC titlist Taylor Santos, finished third for $15,000. Nebraska’s Riley Wakefield, who had an impressive showing at his first Timed Event, won $10,000 for fourth. Fellow CTEC first-timer Nelson Wyatt rounded out the top-five 2023 finishers to take $7,500 back to Alabama. 

Doescher’s Day Job

Interesting is that this year’s Timed Event top three don’t rodeo for a living, which after years on the road is something new for Doescher and Cardoza. Doescher has a family and a job now. He and his wife, Courtney, have three kids to raise in Paizley, 11, Rance, 7, and Holten, 2. 

“I’m a ring man, which means I stand there and take bids,” Cody said of his day job. “I work horse and car auctions all over the country. My auction career is taking off like crazy, and I’m staying super busy with that. I still have a goal to make the steer roping finals once we get a place bought. But for now, it’s about making money and providing for my family.”

It was perfect timing for this windfall win.

“This money is life-changing for us,” Doescher said. “We’ve outgrown the single-wide we live in, and have been looking to buy a place. I couldn’t ask for anything more right now.”

The Difference for Doescher

What was the difference that put him over the top in his 10th trip to the Timed Event?

“For me, it was the mental game,” Doescher said. “To win this thing, you’ve got to draw good, for one. For two, you have to be mentally tough and disciplined. Toward the end, Tyler Pearson told me, ‘Don’t let the moment control you. You control the moment.’ I just tried to relax, do my job and stay out of the moment until it was over. 

Lane Karney bulldogged in high school and college, and now jumps steers once a year at the Timed Event.
Lane Karney bulldogged in high school and college, and now jumps steers once a year at the Timed Event.
Lazy E Photo by James Phifer

“What he said really hit home for me after the calf roping, especially going into my three most comfortable events (heeling, steer wrestling and steer roping) right there at the end. That helped my mindset so much. My mind was so much different this year, and it’s unbelievable the amount of support I’ve gotten. The support system of family and friends I have, and the help they’ve given me is unbelievable.”

Now that Cody’s cleared the obstacles that stand between 25 runs and success, he’s in even more awe over what sets this event apart from all others.

“Guys have to get outside their comfort zones at the Timed Event,” he said. “You have to be mentally and physically strong. You have to be able to score, you have to have good horses, and you have to use your horses. This is not just a go-fast deal where you can get lucky. It’s 25 head over three days, and staying mentally strong that long has been a struggle of mine. I finally got it all put together.”

Horse and Human Helpers

Doescher rode Adam Hubler’s buckskin head horse in the heading; his own mare, Ginger, in the heeling; Kyle Myers’ calf horse, Casino; David Reagor’s bulldogging horse, Vanilla Ice; and his own steer horse, Holyfield. 

You’ll typically see Riley Wakefield in the tie-down roping at the rodeos these days, but he’s also a #9 heeler.
You’ll typically see Riley Wakefield in the tie-down roping at the rodeos these days, but he’s also a #9 heeler.
Lazy E Photo by James Phifer

In addition to the horses, there are the human helpers it takes to tackle the Timed Event. NFR heeler Douglas Rich headed and heeled for Doescher in the team roping, and Reagor lined his steer wrestling steers. 

Doescher didn’t take the lead until four rounds into the five-round CTEC marathon. 

“I just tried to stick to my game plan, no matter what,” he said. “I knew I had to stay aggressive and stick to my game, no matter what anybody else did. All I tried to do, start to finish, was my job.

“I wanted to relax, and not get frustrated or press unless I had to. The plan was to not beat myself, and to just go beat every steer and every calf, and do what I know how to do and not get too far out of my comfort zone. I wanted to rope aggressive, use my horses and be smart, all at the same time.”

Nelson Wyatt is trying to win a world team roping title this year, but he did it all at the Timed Event.
Nelson Wyatt is trying to win a world team roping title this year, but he did it all at the Timed Event.
Lazy E Photo by James Phifer

Lazy E Local

Doescher’s a lifelong local at the Lazy E. 

“This place is unbelievable,” he said. “I’ve been coming to the Lazy E since I was a little kid, and had a lot of success here when I was younger. I love the Lazy E. It’s like a second home to me.”

What did Doescher learn about himself at the 2023 Timed Event that he didn’t know before?

“I learned that I’m capable of being a lot more mentally strong than I thought,” he said. “I wanted to trust in the Lord, know that He’s got me and just be mentally stable.

“If I had to pick one word for this win, it would be ‘blessed.’ To see the names up there (on the past Timed Event champions banners) in the rafters of the Lazy E, and think that I’ll be up there amongst them, is an unbelievable feeling I’ve never had before.”

Cowboy Young Guns

This year’s Jr Ironman presented by WCRA, which is three rounds in four events—heading, tie-down roping, heeling and steer wrestling—was won by a familiar face to longtime Lazy E fans. Arizona’s Ketch Kelton set the new 107.4-second gold standard on 12 head en route to the $20,000 payday, which rewrites the record set by 2022 Jr Ironman Champ Clay Clayman, who won last year’s event in 111.2 seconds. 

| View Full Jr Ironman Results

Kelton was the cute little 5-year-old kid chasing cattle out on the paint pony a dozen years ago at the 2011 Timed Event. He’s the son of Chance and Tammy Kelton, and little brother to big sister Kenzie. Chance Kelton is a three-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo header, and five-time National Finals Steer Roping qualifier. He competed at the Timed Event 12 straight years, from 1999 through 2011. 

Ketch Kelton won his first Jr Ironman in record time.
Lazy E Photo by James Phifer

Missouri’s Clayman finished second only to Kelton in 2023, but the margin of victory was wide, with Clayman finishing 55.2 seconds behind Kelton at 162.6, after taking a 60 in the final round of heading. (buy ambient music)   

It was a tight, two-man fight most of the way in the Jr Ironman. Clayman topped Round 1, but Kelton stayed within striking distance at less than three seconds back in second. Ketch countered with the Round 2 win, and took the average lead over Clayman—barely—72.4 on eight run to Clay’s 73.7.

Texan Kreece Dearing topped Round 3, but Kelton took the wheel in the driver’s seat and never took his foot off the gas. He finished second in Round 3, and all told left the Lazy E $21,250 richer. Clayman earned $5,000 for his second-place finish, and Tennessee’s Conner Griffith cashed a $2,000 check for third in the Jr Ironman average. 

No stranger to the winner’s circle, Ketch is the reigning National High School Rodeo Association All-Around Cowboy. 

“This is my best win so far, because my dad came here and I always came here with him and wanted to be here,” said the 17-year-old high school junior, who competed in the Jr Ironman for the first time in 2023. “I love this event. Doing every event back-to-back-to-back makes it fun.”

Kelton’s Cowboy Village

Kelton headed and heeled on his horse Boone, roped calves on a Brent Lewis-trained horse, and bulldogged on Damian Padilla’s steer wrestling horse. World Champion Header Aaron Tsinigine headed for Kelton in the heeling, and two-time CTEC titlist Kyle Lockett heeled for him in the heading. World Champion Steer Wrestler Pearson, who sat out this year’s Timed Event to get healed up from a broken collarbone, handled Kelton’s hazing.  

Ketch attends a construction trade school in the mornings, and the Keltons rope as a family in the afternoons. Team roping is their main event, although switch-ender supreme Ketch can’t quite decide if he’d rather head or heel just yet. They rope a few calves when they can, and leave the steer wrestling to the high school rodeos. In addition to team roping—he’s heading for Denton Dunning this year—Kelton also enters the tie-down roping, steer wrestling and reined cow horse at the high school rodeos. 

Ketch says his next goal is to try and defend his NHSRA all-around title. The ultimate, he says, is to “just do what I love.”

“I love the Jr Ironman,” said Kelton, whose young cowboy life has been most influenced by his dad and Grandpa Willy Kelton, “who’s just always been there, and stays so positive. 

“I love the Lazy E, and this big, long score. I had a game plan coming in to just catch everything, and get ’em all knocked down with no penalties. We got it done, so that feels pretty good. I have no idea what I’m going to do with this money. But I guess that’s a pretty good problem to have.”

Expect the Unexpected

If there is one thing you can count on at the Cinch Timed Event Championship and Jr Ironman, it’s that anything can happen. The 2023 event had it all, from the impressive success of newcomers to broken ropes for KC Jones and Cole Patterson to witnessing World Champion Header Colby Lovell sprint the length of that 440-foot Lazy E Arena in hot pursuit of winning a grueling game of beat the clock with a salty steer wrestling steer. 

Colby Lovell’s toughness was tested at the Timed Event, and he refused to say die.
Colby Lovell’s toughness was tested at the Timed Event, and he refused to say die.
Lazy E Photo by James Phifer

We’ve all come to expect the unexpected from the cowboy gladiators handy and tough enough to take on the Timed Event. And that makes for great watching.

| Missed Watching the CTEC & Jr Ironman? Watch on Roping.com

Cinch Timed Event Warriors Ready for Lazy E Battle

Posted on by Kendra Santos

The 2023 Cinch Timed Event Championship is right around the corner, and the world’s most talented all-around cowboys will return to battle March 2-4 at the fabulous Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Oklahoma. These wildly talented and versatile warriors will go head-to-head grueling marathon style in five rounds of heading, heeling, tie-down roping, steer wrestling and steer roping to vie for the champion’s check of $100,000. No Western-world cowboy competition is more demanding or prestigious than this one. In the words of four-time Timed Event titlist Paul Tierney, who has two sons in the field again this year, “The Timed Event is a king of kings event.”

“Winning the Timed Event last year was a big, big deal to me—still is,” said 2022 CTEC Champ Erich Rogers of Round Rock, Arizona. “I’m kind of scared this year, like I’m up on stage and I’ve got to perform again. There are a lot of expectations for me to repeat. Do you know how hard it is to repeat at this event?”

World Champion Header Erich Rogers will wear back #1 when he tries to defend his 2022 Cinch Timed Event Championship title at the 2023 Ironman of Pro Rodeo in March. 
James Phifer Photo

This year’s Timed Event fans will be treated to a star-studded field that represents the 20 best all-around hands on the planet from Arizona, California, Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Wyoming and Canada. The Jr Ironman will run in conjunction with the CTEC, and showcase the talents of the rising stars of the rodeo world and feature 10 young guns from Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas.

“You don’t go to any other event and work that many events,” noted Rogers, who’s 36. “The Timed Event is one of a kind, and one of the most prestigious events of the year. It’s a battle between the top 20 all-around cowboys in the world who are handy with a rope and can wrestle a steer. We’re all pretty excited to be headed back to the Lazy E.”

The 2017 world champion header has been busy gathering all the help he needs, both horse and human, to tackle the Timed Event test. What he’ll ride in the steer wrestling and who will haze for him in that event is yet to be determined, but he plans to head on his gray mare, Elsa; heel on his 2023 rodeo partner Paul Eaves’ mare Jade; tie-down rope on one of Josh and Spencer Whipple’s horses; and steer rope on Lee and Cody Lee’s horse Balla. Logan Olson will head for Rogers, and Eaves will heel for him.

A couple of cowboys best known in the professional rodeo ranks as world-class headers will make their Timed Event debuts in March. Texan Colby Lovell is the 2020 world champion header, and Canadian Kolton Schmidt is a two-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo header.

Colby Lovell, shown here doing work at the 2022 Riata Buckle at the Lazy E, is excited to throw his name into the Timed Event hat for the first time in 2023. 
Andersen CBarC Photo

“I’ve gone to all the ranch rodeos, and have worked a lot of events my whole life,” said Lovell, 35, who lives in Madisonville, Texas. “I’ve always wanted to go to the Timed Event, but it’s always been during the ranch rodeo in Houston, and I always rode for my grandpa’s ranch down there. But I figured it was time to try the Timed Event. It’s kind of a bucket-list type thing.”

Lovell actually just started steer wrestling in December. Wyatt Carney’s been bringing him along in the bulldogging, and “I’ve enjoyed learning how to steer wrestle,” Lovell said. “I’ve never done it until now, but I’m putting in the work, so hopefully with a little luck I’ll be ready.”

Steer roping is relatively new to his repertoire, too. “But I’m fixing to really get after it for the next month,” Colby continued. “I head and heel all the time, and I roped calves all through high school and college.”

Most fans think of Lovell as a header, because of that gold buckle and seven NFR back numbers all from over on the heading side. But rodeo insiders know all about his heeling handiness.

“I grew up heeling my whole life until the first year I made it (the NFR in 2010) when I got to rope with Kory Koontz,” Lovell said. “The first time I ever left the house and got to be around guys who were great was with Kevin Stewart and Martin Lucero when I was 15. I was heeling for Justin Davis, and I went and amateur rodeoed with them. A lot of those rodeos were go-twice, so we swapped partners.

“But I like everything being on my shoulders heading. I feel like if I can be prepared, disciplined and have good horses, we will win. If I do my job enough times heading, it’s going to pay off. When we don’t win, I take the blame. I’ve been fortunate to rope with the best heelers in the world. It’s hard to trump that.”

Lovell plans to head on a horse he sold to a friend that they call Festus, heel on Eaves’ Guapo, tie-down rope on Gary Wells’ Kit Brooks and bulldog on Clay Clayman’s gray. He hasn’t yet selected his steer roping mount. Reigning World Champion Header Kaleb Driggers will head and heel for Lovell, who’s a ranch and rodeo cowboy. It’s no surprise that the wide open spaces of the world-famous 440-foot Lazy E arena suit his style.

“I love the Lazy E,” he said. “I’ve been going there forever, and love roping in that arena. I don’t want to miss the barrier there in the steer wrestling, but I like how cattle aren’t trapped and feel like they have a chance to get away. You really get to see good horses in a big arena like that.”

Schmidt’s a native of Barrhead, Alberta, Canada, but these days makes his home in Stephenville, Texas.

Kolton Schmidt, who won the 2021 Reno Open with Wyatt Cox, has twice headed at the NFR and is a CTEC freshman in 2023.
Andersen CBarC Photo

“The Timed Event is just something I’ve always wanted to do, and I’m not getting any younger, so it’s time,” said Schmidt, 28. “I grew up watching old Timed Event tapes, and always thought it was really cool. There’s so much that goes into competing at the Timed Event. It looks rewarding.

“And the horse side of the Timed Event is a big part of it. It takes so many good horses, and there are so many obstacles to overcome. When you make five runs in five events, you know it’s going to get bad at some point and you’re going to have to get through it and finish it off.”

Like all Timed Event titans, Schmidt has more experience in some events than others. His NFR heading back numbers speak for themselves.

“I’ve heeled a lot, and jackpotted heeling everywhere,” he said. “I high school, college and Canadian rodeoed in the tie-down. I bulldogged in high school and college, and entered a few Canadian rodeos in that, too.

“Steer roping is the event that’s new to me. I’m learning that, and am amazed by it. I love it. It’s something new involving a rope and a horse, and that’s something I don’t get to experience very often. Heeling might be the event I’m most nervous about going in, though. I used to be good at it, but now I haven’t done it in forever.”

Schmidt thought he had all his horses and help lined out, but, “I’ve had some hiccups come up in the last week. I’m getting it all figured out again now.” That’s pretty typical, and he, too, loves the Lazy E. Schmidt looks forward to going back for both the Timed Event and the 46th annual BFI on April 1.

Marcus Theriot is now best known as a professional header, but in 2021 the son of World Champion Tie-Down Roper Herbert Theriot proved he can do it all. 
James Phifer Photo

“The Lazy E is like a pasture roping,” smiled Schmidt, who’s heading for Jake Minor at the rodeos this year. “There are no boundaries. Everything’s wide open, which makes it a little wild and good watching.

“I think having the BFI at the Lazy E is awesome also. It’s definitely a change of scenario. We all grew up watching the BFI in Reno. But I like the big arena, the time of year it’s held now, that it’s closer to the house and pays great. There’s a lot to like about it.”

Rogers will wear back #1. Rounding out the 2023 Cinch Timed Event Championship field in order of finish from last year will be Clayton Hass, Russell Cardoza, Taylor Santos, Paul David Tierney, Haven Meged, Roger Nonella, Lane Karney, Cole Patterson, Marcus Theriot, Shad Mayfield, Tyler Pearson, Cody Doescher, Jess Tierney, Kyle Lockett, Seth Hall, Justin Thigpen, KC Jones, Lovell and Schmidt. Rogers, Santos, Lockett, Thigpen, Theriot, Jones and both Tierney brothers are past champions who know what it’s like to come out King of the Timed Event Mountain and take home that $100,000 check.

Taylor Santos is a two-time NFR tie-down roper and two-time National Finals Steer Roping qualifier. He entered his first Timed event in 2020, and came out on top. 
James Phifer Photo

The Jr Ironman is held during the TEC, and is three rounds in four events—heading, heeling, tie-down roping and steer wrestling. The champ’s check is worth a whopping $20,000. Missouri’s Clay Clayman will return to defend his 2022 title, and will be joined by Connor Griffith, Evan Bottini, Caleb Lake, Wyatt Williams, Jake Holmes, Dylan Hancock, Mason Appleton, Ketch Kelton and Kreece Dearing on the 10-young-gun roster.

The 2023 Cinch Timed Event Championship will feature five performances: Thursday, March 2 at 7 p.m.; Friday, March 3, 12 and 7 p.m.; Saturday, March 4, 12 and 7 p.m. The three Jr Ironman perfs will be held Thursday, March 2 at 5 p.m.; Friday, March 3 at 5 p.m.; and Saturday, March 4 at 5 p.m. Tickets are available at www.LazyE.com. See you at the E!

Missouri’s Clay Clayman will return to the Jr Ironman with hopes of defending the versatility crown he earned in 2022. 
James Phifer Photo

Erich Rogers Leaves Lazy E Champ of the 2022 Cinch Timed Event Championship

Posted on by Kendra Santos

The 2022 Cinch Timed Event Championship lived up to its wild, wonderful Ironman of ProRodeo self, and did not disappoint in the dramatic and sentimental storyline departments. To take it from the top, Navajo Nation cowboy sensation Erich Rogers earned his first Timed Event title in nine tries. Three-time CTEC Champ Daniel Green decided during his 25th trip to the Timed Event that it would be his last, and left it all in that Lazy E Arena before thanking the fans to one sweet final standing ovation. Missouri cowboy Clay Clayman ushered in a new era in the Jr Ironman by cashing the first-ever $20,000 champion’s check, thanks to a doubling down of the stakes by the World Champions Rodeo Alliance.

Erich Rogers celebrated his first Cinch Timed Event Championship win in 2022.
James Phifer Photo

Not Just a Team Roper

It was a long and winding nine-year road that led World Champion Team Roper Erich Rogers to the winner’s circle at the 2022 Cinch Timed Event Championship. He’d been close; his best before now being a third-place finish in 2019. But he’d also blown out his right knee in the bulldogging at the 2018 CTEC, a battleground blow that required major reconstructive surgery and rigorous rehab to recover from.

We’ve all seen Rogers rope, but have you seen him bulldog?
James Phifer Photo

“After all I’ve been through to be here makes this win even sweeter,” said Rogers, who’s 35 now and lives in Round Rock, Arizona. “The Timed Event is one of the greatest events ever. You don’t get to compete against the best 20 all-around cowboys in the world in five different events anywhere else in the world.”

Remember, 2017 World Champion Header Rogers was the reigning champ of the world when those Timed Event injuries took him out of the rodeo draw to fix his ACL, MCL and meniscus. But the 12-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier would not back down from the toughest, truest test that is the Cinch Timed Event Championship.

NFR steer wrestler Clayton Hass is an all-around hand and this year’s CTEC reserve champ. James Phifer Photo

“The Timed Event is one of the premier events a guy can go to to show off your talent and versatility,” said Rogers, who won this year’s CTEC with 311.3 seconds on 25 head; Clayton Hass, Russell Cardoza and 2020 Timed Event titlist Taylor Santos rounded out the top four Ironmen in 2022. “You’re taking on not only the toughest set of all-around cowboy competitors in the world, but the cattle they bring in for this event also. They’re big and strong and tough, too.”

Erich enlisted helpers and horses to tackle the 2022 CTEC. In the heading, he had his rodeo heeler, Paden Bray, on the back side. In the heeling, he brought in NFR header Logan Olson to spin his steers. Myles Neighbors hazed for him in the steer wrestling.

Rogers rode his own gray head horse, Elsa, in the heading, and Bray’s dun heel horse, Hugh. Rogers roped calves on Kenny Reeves’ little sorrel horse Nubs, and steer roped on Cody Lee’s buckskin that’s named after his wife, Lee Lee. Rogers (and Cardoza) bulldogged on Clay Clayman’s gray horse, Gus.

Rogers was running a flawless race—with no barriers, legs or any other major hiccups—until his very last run of the entire event in the steer roping. Every heart in the building stopped and skipped more than a few beats when Erich’s first loop failed to connect.

Russell Cardoza is an NFR heeler, and with skills in five events
placed third at this year’s Timed Event.
James Phifer Photo

“I split the horns,” he said. “By then, it was about getting a time. So when I missed, I was kind of in a panic and got myself into a speed jam. I roped that steer with my second loop, but when I laid the trip, he set up over on the wall. My rope got caught up between the saddle and the saddle pad, and I fell off backwards. I was in a bit of a storm, and my hamstrings were cramping up.

“I knew when I threw my hands in the air that I’d won it. That was one of the greatest feelings in the world after nine years of trying. But I ended the run on my butt and out of breath. There’s nothing easy about winning the Timed Event.”

At Timed Event’s end, Rogers and Bray drove eight straight hours to Houston to rope in their Super Series there, which started on Sunday after Saturday night’s grand finale at the Lazy E. Who did Rogers run into in the cowboy parking lot right off the bat at RodeoHouston but seven-time CTEC titlist and Timed Event King Trevor Brazile himself.

“Trevor told me, ‘Good job and congratulations,’” Rogers said. “Then I showed him the video of my last run, and he said, ‘Man, you really kept the crowd in suspense, didn’t you?’”

The sportsmedicine team kept Rogers’ right ankle taped, and ran the stim machine on his right arm and shoulder before the fifth and final Timed Event performance.

2020 Timed Event Titlist Taylor Santos won two rounds at this year’s CTEC
on his way to a fourth-place finish overall.
James Phifer Photo

“My whole right side stayed sore after I hoolihaned that (bulldogging) steer in the third round,” Rogers said. “My right shoulder and my right forearm were sore. I had shin splints. I hurt my right ankle about a year ago stepping off of the trailer ramp to get more hay to load our hay bags. I rolled my ankle, and it tends to stay a little sore. But the Timed Event’ll take it out of you even if you’re sound. The Timed Event tests your strengths and your weaknesses.”

The Timed Event tests your heart, too. Rogers wears a gold buckle. He and Bray won the 2020 NFR average, and the team roping at The American in 2021. How does this Timed Event title stack up in such a successful and storied career?

“Winning the Timed Event is right there at the top,” he said. “The Timed Event is one of the premier events in the world. This is right up there with winning a gold buckle and an American win. The Timed Event is just the sweetest event ever.”

The CTEC champ cashes a $100,000 check. In Rogers’ case, it was a grand total of $104,000, including a pair of second-place checks behind Cody Doescher in Round 2 and Taylor Santos in Round 4, respectively.

“The money’s great when you win the Timed Event, but this buckle says you’re the Ironman who competed in five events, outlasted everybody and succeeded,” Erich said. “It means something to me to prove that I can hang with the big boys. Heading’s what pays the bills and I’m a header by trade. But I’m a heeler at heart. And I don’t bulldog very often—only at the Timed Event, or at the Indian rodeos sometimes, if there’s an all-around trailer or added all-around money.”

Rogers, Aaron Tsinigine and Derrick Begay have been magnificent role models for the young cowboys and cowgirls of the Navajo Nation. Rogers’ Timed Event win will inspire kids to dream even bigger now, which also makes him proud.

“The mental part of the Timed Event marathon was the game changer for me,” Rogers said. “I mentally focused on one event and one run at a time, then went on to the next one. I didn’t get caught up in the whole mix or overthink things this time, and that really helped. One run at a time really is the way to go, and this is a win I will never forget.”

This is Where the Cowboy Rides Away

Twenty-five years and three CTEC titles later, Daniel Green called it a career
to one last standing ovation at Timed Event’s end in 2022.
James Phifer Photo

Daniel Green decided during the course of the 2022 Timed Event Championship that he was completing the CTEC course for the last time. The 10-time National Finals Rodeo team roper and three-time Timed Event Champ called it a career after his 25th and last Lazy E run at event’s end. He made a great steer roping run, then held his hands in the air a few extra seconds to savor the moment and share it with the crowd.

“When I won the Timed Event that last time in 2013, I was 40,” said Green, who’s 49 now. “I could still move, and had as much agility and quickness as I’ve ever had. Now I see what should happen, but my body’s just not getting there. I can feel that my athleticism is not where it was. I could continue, but I feel like I’m not as strong as I was.

“I’m going to be 50 in July. It’s OK to say, ‘Hey, I had a great run. What an honor to get to go that many times.’ The Timed Event is a kid’s game. It’s for athletes. Retirement has been on my heart for a while. I actually did it longer than I thought I would when I started. It’s been harder to get ready for it every year. And athletically, I don’t feel like I’m up to my own standard. It’s time to let somebody who’s hungry have my spot.”

Daniel’s also been extra busy at work since his dear dad, Vernon, died on May 5, 2021.

“Dad did all the bidding and ordered all the materials (for their VN Construction Company),” Daniel said. “I just did most of the work. Now that Dad’s gone, I have to handle his side of it, too, and line out all the subcontractors.”

Daniel just passed the test to become a general contractor on February 23 of this year, a couple weeks before the March 10-12 Timed Event. VN Construction is now Green Construction.

Before leaving the Fabulous Lazy E Arena for the last time, Green rode underneath his CTEC titlist banner and took the microphone. Above all, he thanked the fans. Then he high-fived forever Lazy E chute boss Delmar Smith, who’s 95 now, on his way out.

“The list is so long of people who made my 25 years at the Timed Event possible,” Daniel said. “Guys who helped me, people who let me ride their horses. The people here at the Lazy E have always been so gracious and nice to me. The sportsmedicine team that worked on me through the years, and are there to help all the contestants make a difference when we need it.

That moment Daniel Green threw his hands in air for the last time at the Lazy E.
James Phifer Photo

“I was emotional when I threw my hands in the air on that last run. What a blessing to go out with a good run. Saying goodbye was extremely hard. All the memories in that arena with those fans are extremely special to me. The Lazy E is also special to my family, because we’re originally from Oklahoma. The most prestigious wins in my career were right there at the Timed Event. The Lazy E rolled out the red carpet for me on my way out of that arena for the last time, and I’ll never forget it. I’m so glad my wife and kids were there with me. It really was the perfect exit.”

Green will go down in Timed Event history as one of the rare few who’ve struck more than once for the coveted CTEC win.

“The Timed Event Championship is the greatest event there is,” he said. “It’s the decathlon of rodeo. The ability to do more than one event—to get on different horses and do five different disciplines—takes a lot of versatility. The true cowboy comes out at the Timed Event. You cannot win the Timed Event without being a great cowboy. It’s the ultimate competition among world-class all-around cowboys, and they make it as hard as they can, because we compete on humongous, fresh, strong cattle.

Green will go down in rodeo history as a 10-time NFR team roper. The standout all-around hand ran his last bulldogging steer at 49 years old with Marty Musil on the hazing side.
James Phifer Photo

“Are you good enough and strong enough to complete this course that’s the truest test of an all-around cowboy? There’s a reason there have been very few Timed Event champions over the years. The skillset it takes to succeed at this event is rare. Then there’s the mental battle. Sometimes, the negative mental thoughts are overwhelming. But you have to be able to mentally and physically withstand whatever punishment comes your way. The most important run is always your next one at the Timed Event.”

Twice as Nice

Clay Clayman claimed the first $20,000 Jr Ironman champion’s check in 2022.
James Phifer Photo

After licking his chops the last two years as an alternate, Clay Clayman made it clear he belonged in the Jr Ironman lineup. Great timing, too, as thanks to the World Champions Rodeo Alliance stepping up as the presenting sponsor, the check presented to the Jr Ironman champ doubled to $20,000 in 2022.

“I pretty well set aside a month and a half just to practice for the Jr Ironman because of the $20,000,” said Clayman, who daylighted the field with 111.2 seconds on 12 runs to reservist Dawson Price’s 131.9. “There are a lot of places you can win $10,000, but $20,000 makes a couple years difference. I skipped out on some other events to get ready for this one, and it paid off. I have a truck I ordered that’s coming in a couple weeks, and I just bought a living quarters trailer, too. I needed this money.”

Clayman’s 19, and calls Highlandville, Missouri home. He qualified for the 2022 Jr Ironman with a strong showing at last summer’s inaugural World Championship Junior Rodeo right there at the Lazy E. Clay won both the steer wrestling and all-around titles at the 2021 WCJR. When it comes to his best event, Clay considers it a coin toss between the bulldogging and heeling.

Another highlight of Clayman’s young career is the 2021 National High School Rodeo Association team roping title he won heeling for Cooper Freeman.

Clayman, shown here heeling for 2022 Timed Event Champ Rogers,
brought in the big guns as helpers.
James Phifer Photo

“Winning high school nationals was awesome, because it’s hard to get through that event,” Clay said. “But this Jr Ironman win is my biggest win. I knew I could do every event, but I didn’t know if I’d be good enough. I haven’t won very many all-arounds, and that’s what my family’s always been about—my grandpas, uncles and dad have all been all-around cowboys. Their primary event’s been bulldogging, but they team roped and calf roped, too.”

Contestants at the Cinch Timed Event Championship compete in five events—heading, heeling, tie-down roping, steer wrestling and steer roping. Jr Ironmen do four of the five—all but steer roping. Clayman enlisted some all-star helpers at his first Jr Ironman. In the heading, Paden Bray heeled. In the heeling, 2022 Cinch Timed Event Champ Erich Rogers headed. Clay’s dad, John Clayman, hazed for him in the steer wrestling.

Clay’s Jr Ironman horse herd was mostly homegrown.

“I rode my grandpa’s sorrel horse Max in the heading, and my palomino horse Shorty in the heeling,” Clayman said. “We bought both horses as weanlings. My grandpa broke them, and my uncle started them in the roping. I bulldogged on my gray horse Gus. I jumped my first steer on him on December 17. I trained him and the hazing horse, Diamond. The Jr Ironman was Gus and Diamond’s third rodeo. I rode Mason Appleton’s bay horse Scooby in the calf roping.”

Clayman’s bulldogging horse, Gus, helped him win the Jr Ironman and
Erich Rogers win the Timed Event.
James Phifer Photo

Gus had a great week at the Lazy E. Clay won the Jr Ironman on him, and Rogers and Russell Cardoza finished first and third in the Timed Event on his back in the bulldogging. Clayman bought Diamond from Appleton, who’s his Chelsea, Oklahoma-based rodeo partner and was his main-man helper at the Jr Ironman.

“Talk about a team player,” Clay said. “Mason saddled for me, warmed up horses for me, cleaned stalls. I couldn’t have asked for better help. And we’ve already planned our circuit rodeos around this summer’s Cinch World Championship Junior Rodeo, because I want to be back here at the Jr Ironman again next year. The last week in July is already set aside for that.”

When it comes to career goals, Clayman hopes to one day compete in the Timed Event.

“I made the Great Lakes Circuit Finals in the team roping last year,” he said. “My goal is to also make it in the bulldogging this year. Mason and I are on our (Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association) permits this year. We want to make the circuit finals this year, so we can count it toward rookie of the year next year and go hard.

“I live four and a half hours from the Lazy E. This is the place, and I come here all the time. The BFI’s here now, too, and I’m heeling for Mason in that again this year. I love coming here. The Lazy E is awesome.”

View full results from 2022 Cinch Timed Event Championship and 2022 Jr Ironman presented by WCRA

Timed Event Titans Headed Back into Battle at the Lazy E

Posted on by Kendra Santos

The 2022 Cinch Timed Event Championship is set to take center stage March 10-12 at the world-famous Lazy E Arena. As this year’s Timed Event Titans prepare for battle—five runs in five events, heading, heeling, tie-down roping, steer wrestling and steer roping, in the hallowed red-dirt ground of that massive 160’ by 440’ arena—it’s the perfect time to take true, hard-core cowboy fans inside the belly of the beast that is the Ironman of Pro Rodeo. Oh, and how about announcing the fact that the Jr Ironman champ’s check just doubled while we’re at it?

Cinch Timed Event Warriors to Watch

These are the all-around hands who will take aim at the $200,000 on the line at the 2022 Cinch Timed Event Championship, including the $100,000 champ’s check.

*Cinch Timed Event Champion

1 Marcus Theriot*

2 Paul David Tierney**

3 Seth Hall

4 Lane Karney

5 Clay Smith

6 Roger Nonella

7 Erich Rogers

8 Haven Meged

9 Russell Cardoza

10 Daniel Green***

11 Jess Tierney*

12 Tyler Waters

13 Clayton Hass

14 Taylor Santos*

15 Justin Thigpen*

16 Kyle Lockett**

17 Cole Patterson

18 Cody Doescher

19 Tyler Pearson

20 Shad Mayfield

Defender of the Crown

Mississippi’s Marcus Theriot will be back in action at the Lazy E after a $104,000 showing in 2021.

Mississippi’s Marcus Theriot cashed the $100,000 Cinch Timed Event Championship check in 2021. James Phifer Photo

Mississippi’s Marcus Theriot cashed the $100,000 Cinch Timed Event Championship check in 2021. James Phifer Photo

“The Timed Event is the biggest, most prestigious event I’ve ever won,” said defending TEC titlist Theriot of Poplarville, Mississippi. “There aren’t many chances to get it done, and only one guy wins it every year. People ask me what it takes to win it now that I know, and I tell them, ‘A lot of patience, concentration and just staying focused. I definitely feel like you have to be made for this event to win it.’”

Father Time of the TEC

Tierney Family Patriarch Paul won the Timed Event four times, and was a 29-time Ironman warrior before making his last TEC appearance one month shy of his 60th birthday in 2012. James Phifer Photo

Paul Tierney knows a thing or three about the Cinch Timed Event Championship. He’s a four-time TEC titlist, and has two Timed Event champion sons in Jess and Paul David. Daddy Paul competed in 29 TECs, the last when he was one month shy of 60 years old in 2012.

“I’m kind of an all-around cowboy fanatic,” said Tierney, who’ll turn 70 on April 9, lives in Oral, South Dakota and will be cheering loud and proud at the Lazy E again in 2022. “Larry Mahan and Phil Lyne were my heroes growing up, and I rode barebacks, broncs and bulls in college. I competed in six events at the College (National) Finals (Rodeo) one year. I worked all three timed events once I got my (Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association) card, and winning the all-around was always my ultimate dream (Tierney was the world champion tie-down roper in 1979, and the world champion all-around cowboy in 1980).

“When the Timed Event came along, I thought, ‘This is a very true test of the all-around gamut.’ The cowboys who shine at the Timed Event are smart, strategic guys who outwork everybody. You have to be very tough to win the Timed Event, and horsepower and preparation are huge.”

Brothers in TEC Arms

Paul David Tierney is a two-time TEC titlist who’ll again do Timed Event battle alongside his big brother, Jess, who won the Ironman of Pro Rodeo in 2017. He’s steer roping here, but Paul David is best known on the professional rodeo trail as a header. James Phifer Photo

There are two sets of brothers in this year’s Timed Event field. In addition to Jess and Paul David Tierney, who were raised in South Dakota and now live in Oklahoma, California cowboys Lane Karney and Taylor Santos are also back in TEC action.

“Just being able to compete in the Timed Event is an honor,” said 2014 and 2016 TEC titlist Paul David, 32, who now has a short commute to Guthrie’s Lazy E Arena from Oklahoma City. “To be able to win it is even better. It feels pretty good, and $100,000 is a lot of money—life-changing money.”

“Timed Event contestants are the kind of cowboys who’d come in handy if you needed help on the ranch,” added 2020 TEC Champ Santos, who’s just coming off of his second National Finals Rodeo tie-down roping qualification and first National Finals Steer Roping appearance in 2021. “It makes me proud to carry on a great tradition started by legends like Leo Camarillo, who was a close family friend, and carried on by guys like the best there’s ever been, Trevor Brazile.”

California cowboy Taylor Santos is best known as a roper. The two-time National Finals Rodeo tie-down roper and National Finals Steer Roping qualifier won the 2020 Timed Event with hazing help from ProRodeo Hall of Famer Ote Berry, who will be back to help Taylor and his fellow Timed Event Titan brother Lane in 2022. James Phifer Photo

Noticeably Absent

KC Jones entered his first Timed Event in 1992, and has been a TEC mainstay ever since.

“I didn’t even get a sniff of it at that first one,” said Jones, 54, who now splits his time between his native Wyoming and Georgia. “They spanked me and sent me home. I went home and practiced, and came back a little more prepared.

When KC Jones won his fifth Cinch Timed Event championship in 2021, the winner won $50,000. The ultimate Ironman now banks $100 grand. Jones must miss this year’s TEC due to an injured pinky on his roping hand, but vows to be back in 2023 at the age of 55 and swears he’s still in his prime. James Phifer Photo

“A lot of guys who thought they were tough came to the Timed Event one time, and never came back. What people don’t understand until they’ve been there is, you might be going 500 miles an hour when you get off on a bulldogging steer in that 440-foot arena.”

Jones has five Timed Event titles to his credit, and has finished second six times.

“You’re not going to luck into winning anything at the Timed Event,” he said. “You might outdraw them in a round or two, but not on 25 head. So you better come with some skills.”

Sadly, Jones will have to sit this one out.

“I was floating the teeth on a broodmare, she reared up in the stall, and when she came back down she pinned me against a hay feeder on the side of the stall,” he explained. “When she came down on me, she bent the little finger on my right hand all the way back to my hand.

“I’ve won the Timed Event with the fingers on my left hand taped together, but this is my right hand. I just started swinging a rope again, but I can’t dally and pull back on a dally worth a hoot. The Timed Event’s tough enough when you’re sound. But I’ll be back and loaded for bear next year. I’m just now reaching my prime.”

The Timed Event can be a bit wild to watch from family cheering sections. Veteran Jones has a tip from his mom to all others.

“My mom won’t watch the Timed Event,” he grinned. “When I’m up, she goes to the women’s bathroom (at the Lazy E) and punches all the hand dryers, so she can’t hear anything. Then she goes back up to the grandstands and asks people how I did.”

Another Ironman sidelined this year is 2018 Timed Event Champ Jordan Ketscher. In 2019, he had to have ACL and meniscus repair surgery on his right knee after a misstep in the steer wrestling at that year’s TEC. He’s out this year with pec-muscle problems.

“I strained my right pec muscle in the bulldogging at the Timed Event last year,” said Ketscher, 32, of Squaw Valley, California. “Then I think I tore it all the way in the calf roping at Red Bluff (Round-Up later last spring). I’m sad not to get to go to the Timed Event this year. I’ve enjoyed the heck out of it, and I don’t think I’m done. It’s an event I still love, and I sure see myself going back again.

“Winning the Timed Event is definitely my career highlight so far. It’s a prestigious event, and being one of only 17 guys to ever win it is pretty special. That kind of money is a big boost, but being able to have that buckle forever is a big deal. It’s something I can always be proud of.”

TEC Rookies

There are three Cinch Timed Event first-timers in 2022, and they’re all world champions. Shad Mayfield won the world tie-down roping title in 2020, Tyler Pearson won the gold bulldogging buckle in 2017 and Cole Patterson is the reigning world champion steer roper.

“Just the thrill of being able to do all of the events at one time for an overall time is exciting to me,” said New Mexico native Mayfield, 21, who now lives in Lipan, Texas. “I’ve watched the Timed Event every year it’s been on TV, and wanted to get into it pretty bad. This event brings out the biggest and best in everyone.”

“The Timed Event has always been on a pedestal for me to watch,” added Pearson, 36, of Atoka, Oklahoma. “To be one of the guys competing in it—and to have a chance to have my name on one of those banners that hang over the Lazy E Arena—is a dream come true.”

Elder Statesman

When Daniel Green won his third Timed Event title in 2013, he took a knee of gratitude for having passed the TEC test yet again. At 49, Green will be back in the Ironman lineup in 2022. James Phifer Photo

At 49, Daniel Green is the oldest Timed Event Titan in this year’s field. The three-time TEC titlist is closing in on $300,000 in career Ironman earnings, and knows all about closing this deal.

“What it takes to win the Timed Event is a loaded question, because it takes so much,” said Green, who’ll be 50 in July and makes his home in the original Cowboy Capital of the World in Oakdale, California. “You’ve got to be on your game and compete good to stand a chance. You’ve got to be on good horses and have good help. And you’ve got to get in the hat and draw some decent cattle. You need the ball to bounce your way sometimes to have success at the Timed Event.

“There are so many variables that come into play when you’re making 25 runs in five events. And they make this cowboy contest as hard as they can. You have to score, the cattle are strong and you’re rolling from one event to the next. You can’t really get in a groove in any one event, because you’re on to the next one rapid-fire. I don’t know what they could do to make the Timed Event any harder than it already is. There’s nothing easy about the Timed Event.”

With each passing year, Green appreciates the fitness factor Timed Event prep and participation make mandatory.

“I think if I quit going to the Timed Event, I’d get old,” he said. “I run and do push-ups, and try to get my body in some sort of shape rather than round. I know I don’t have that many years left, and I think the Timed Event keeps my body moving and that’s keeping me younger. The minute I quit looking forward to the Timed Event and getting ready for it, I’m going to get old.”

Green’s last Timed Event win was in 2013, and he says it was as much a mental test as a physical one.

“I had to keep pushing all the negative thoughts out of my mind that try to creep in,” he said. “I had to mentally tell myself what I wanted to happen. It was like, ‘Hey, everything you set out to do is still out in front of you…let’s go. (Aderall) ’ You’ve got to cast away the negative thoughts and put your mind on a positive, ‘I’m here to win’ track. That can be easier said than done when you’re worn out. But the ‘poor me’ attitude will not help you at the Timed Event.

“This will be my 25th year competing at the Timed Event, and I’ve won it three times. That’s not a high percentage. But the most decorated rodeo cowboy ever (Brazile) has won it seven times. Even Trevor doesn’t have a high batting average at the Timed Event, and he’s a world champion in three events and made the NFR heeling.”

Jr Ironmen 2022

The boys are back in town, and the Jr Ironmen are getting a great big raise in Guthrie this year, with the total payout spiking from $20,000 to $30,000. Thanks to the World Champions Rodeo Alliance coming on board as the presenting sponsor, the big check that goes to the Jr Ironman champ has doubled from $10,000 last year to $20,000 in 2022.

1 Dawson Price

2 Tanner Meier

3 Jaylyn Hash

4 Clay Clayman

5 Briar Teague

6 Connor Griffith

7 Evan Bottini

8 Denton Good

9 Kolton Powell

10 Cayden Harmon

Briar’s Back

Defending Jr Ironman Champion Briar Teague of Rattan, Oklahoma—shown here heeling for Erich Rogers in 2021—is returning to the Jr Ironman roster in 2022. James Phifer Photo

Briar Teague took the Jr Ironman victory lap last year, and hopes to double down in 2022.

“More people know me now that I won the Jr Ironman,” said Teague, 20, who hangs his hat in Rattan, Oklahoma. “The recognition I got for that one win was pretty amazing. It paying twice what it did last year is going to be great. This is an event that’s just going to keep getting bigger and better.”

Cinch Timed Event Championship Weekend Schedule

Tickets to the 2022 Cinch Timed Event Championship can be purchased at www.lazye.com.

The five Cinch Timed Event Championship performances will be held as follows:

Performance 1, Thursday, March 10, 7:30 p.m.

Performance 2, Friday, March 11, 12 p.m.

Performance 3, Friday, March 11, 7:30 p.m.

Performance 4, Saturday, March 12, 12 p.m.

Performance 5, Saturday, March 12, 7:30 p.m.

After Parties: Nightly Upstairs in the Gold Buckle Cantina, 10:30 p.m.

Jr Ironman

Performance 1, Thursday, March 10, 3 p.m.

Performance 2, Friday, March 11, 9:30 a.m.

Performance 3, Saturday, March 12, 9:30 a.m.

By Kendra Santos

Kendra Santos has written about cowboys all her life, including longtime stints with the PRCA, PBR, BFI and The Team Roping Journal. She’s also mom to two 2022 Timed Event Championship cowboys, Lane Karney and Taylor Santos.

Facebook Instagram

Marcus Theriot Takes the Title of 2021 Ironman at the Lazy E

Posted on by Kendra Santos

The Cinch Timed Event Championship is in the books, and Mississippi’s Marcus Theriot rode the roller coaster to the end of the tracks for the biggest win of his young career. With 25 runs—five each in heading, heeling, tie-down roping, steer wrestling and steer roping—done in 322.4 seconds, Theriot won $100,000 and is just the 17th Ironman in the tradition-rich TEC’s 37-year history.

This 9.2-second tie-down roping run in Round 5 moved Theriot to #1 in the average. Lazy E Photo James Phifer

“I love this event,” said the five-year Timed Event veteran, who made his first appearance at 18 and is still just 23. “It’s not easy, and I’ve had my ups and downs this week, like everyone else. It’s finally over, and I’m finally where I want to be when it’s finished. I’ve been working harder than I ever have, and it paid off.”

Theriot earned eight national titles—four in junior high, two in high school and two in college—on his climb up the rodeo ranks. But this Timed Event title trumps them all.

“This is definitely #1—100 percent,” said Theriot, who enlisted heading and heeling help from Shay Carroll, and had Tyler Pearson on the hazing side. “I’m not sure if this is a tougher physical or mental test, but as sore as I am right now, I might be leaning toward physical. (https://norvado.com/)

“The Lazy E is so historic, and every time we come here, it’s for a big event. I’ve been coming to this arena since I was a little kid, and it’s still as big as it’s always been. I love the Lazy E.”

Tyler Pearson is one of many unsung heroes that helped this week. Lazy E Photo James Phifer

Theriot will celebrate tonight, then turn right around and head for cousin Cole Curry in tomorrow’s BFI here at the E.

Rounding out the overall top five finishers at this year’s Ironman were South Dakota’s Paul David Tierney, New Mexico’s Seth Hall, California’s Lane Karney and Oklahoma native Clay Smith. Arizona’s Erich Rogers won Round 5 tonight in 51 seconds flat.

Tonight’s opening included the unveiling of the Timed Event Championship of the World Ring of Honor, which now includes the late Leo Camarillo, Trevor Brazile, K.C. Jones, Paul Tierney, Jess Tierney, Paul David Tierney, Daniel Green, Mike Beers, Jimmie Cooper, Bobby Harris, Olie Smith, Kyle Lockett, Josh Peek, Jordan Ketscher, Justin Thigpen and Taylor Santos, and included a touching tribute to the late Leo “The Lion.” Jones and Paul Tierney are now tied at 29 for the most Timed Event appearances ever.

Tonight, we honored 16 Ironman Legends, including the one who started it all and the first to leave us, Leo “The Lion” Camarillo. Lazy E Photo James Phifer

See complete 2021 Cinch Timed Event coverage and results at LazyE.com.

BY KENDRA SANTOS

Kendra Santos has written about cowboys all her life, including longtime stints with the PRCA, PBR, BFI and The Team Roping Journal. She’s also mom to two 2021 Timed Event Championship cowboys, Lane Karney and Taylor Santos.

Facebook Instagram

Let’s Hear it for the Unsung Heroes at the Cinch Timed Event Championship

Posted on by Kendra Santos

Tonight’s the night we crown the 2021 Cinch Timed Event Championship winner! Oklahoma native Clay Smith struck for his second round win of the week, and with 48.4 seconds took Round 4 in the fastest five-run total thus far. With 265.8 seconds on 20 runs, Oregon’s Roger Nonella now leads the field heading into tonight’s Timed Event finale, Round 5. But regardless of who takes this year’s Timed Event title, there are some unsung heroes behind the scenes here at the Lazy E who deserve to be recognized for their unselfish hands in making it happen. Three such cowboys behind this year’s Timed Event Titans are Will McBride, Tyler Pearson and Hunter Cure.

McBride hauled three steer roping horses—8 Bills and Flaxy, plus brother-in-law Scott Saults’ Rocket—here from his home in Ogallala, Nebraska, and mounted past TEC champs Daniel Green, Jordan Ketscher and Justin Thigpen, and Jace Melvin. By the way, 8 Bills got his name because McBride bought him as a 5-year-old for $800 at the local sale barn 16 years ago.

Will McBride shoeing a hazing horse for Ote Berry and Taylor Santos out at the Lazy E barns at midnight last night. Kendra Santos Photo

“The reward of getting to know the guys I loan my horses to is worth more than anything money can buy,” said McBride, 56, who was out back at the barns at midnight last night shoeing the hazing horse ProRodeo Hall of Famer Ote Berry’s riding here to help California brothers Taylor Santos and Lane Karney (McBride refused payment). “I’m a guy who 20-25 years ago probably should have been here. This is a phenomenal event. They still let cattle out there, and use all of this big arena. The Timed Event is the ultimate cowboy contest.”

These aren’t their third-stringers these guys are offering other cowboys here. McBride’s placed on 8 Bills in the steer roping average at the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo three times and the Pendleton Round-Up twice, and won the National Circuit Finals Steer Roping on him in 2018. Thigpen rode Flaxy for the Timed Event win here in 2019.

Between the Jr Ironman and the Cinch Timed Event, Pearson of Atoka, Oklahoma, is hazing for 11 bulldoggers—Briar Teague and Chisum Allen in the Jr Ironman, and Marcus Theriot, Clayton Hass, Erich Rogers, Russell Cardoza, Kyle Lockett, Jordan Ketscher, Haven Meged, K.C. Jones and Tyler Waters in the Timed Event—here this week. Why?

Tyler Pearson and his right-hand man, Stetson, with their 2021 Timed Event horse herd. Kendra Santos Photo

“I wanted to come check it out, because I want to try and enter the Timed Event next year,” said 2017 World Champion Steer Wrestler Pearson, who brought bulldogging horses Tubby and Brother, and hazing horses Finny and Olaf with him. “I brought a couple of young hazing horses out here that are good, but haven’t been to any rodeos yet. This was good for them. I’m not here for the money. I like helping guys out, and it’s good to get these young horses out while I’m at it.”

Cure won both of his 2013 and 2015 world steer wrestling championships on the back of his prized horse Charlie. Old Charlie’s been coming through with flying colors for Smith in the bulldogging here at the E.

Hunter Cure and Charlie helped Clay Smith get the Round 4 win. Lazy E Photo by James Phifer

“Charlie’s 22 now,” Cure said. “He’s got the heart to still be out there rodeoing, just not the wheels anymore. But he’s perfect here. We’ve been working on Clay’s bulldogging since January, and that’s when I started legging Charlie up, too.

“I’ve enjoyed helping Clay here this week. We’ve both had some success in the arena, so there’s a mutual professional respect there. That relationship has grown into a friendship outside the arena, too. Clay called me when he left this event unsatisfied last year. Glad I could be here to help.”

BY KENDRA SANTOS

Kendra Santos has written about cowboys all her life, including longtime stints with the PRCA, PBR, BFI and The Team Roping Journal. She’s also mom to two 2021 Timed Event Championship cowboys, Lane Karney and Taylor Santos.

Facebook Instagram

Teague Holds On to Lead to Take 2021 Jr Ironman Title at the Lazy E

Posted on by Kendra Santos

Briar Teague closed the deal on the 2021 Jr Ironman the hard way here at the Lazy E today. The Rattan, Oklahoma, teenager won Rounds 1 and 2, and it was a good thing, as Round 3 was a bit rocky and he ended up needing that buffer. Teague opened the third and final round with a 7-second heading run and a 13-second tie-down roping run. It was all about stopping the clock after that. Then he had to rebuild in the heeling, and missed his bulldogging steer. But Teague did not quit. He ran the length of the 400-foot Lazy E Arena to try and get that last steer thrown. The buzzer beat him, but he got it done anyway. And the crowd went crazy. With 200.4 seconds on 12 runs, Teague was able to hold off reserve champ Jaylyn Hash, who finished with a close 201.2 on 12.

“I thought a 60 (no time) was second,” managed an exhausted Teague at event’s end. “I just had to knock that last steer down is all that was going through my head. (xanax online fara reteta) Then I missed him. It’s a big relief that it worked out the way it did. This is winning it the hard way.”

The Ironman comes down to horsepower. Teague rode his own horses in 3 out of 4 events. Lazy E Photo James Phifer

Teague won $11,500 for first in the average and the Round 1 and 2 wins.

“I’ll rodeo with this money,” he said. “To be recognized at this level is amazing. That I was able to do my job good enough to win it is the main thing. For the Lazy E to put an event of this caliber on for young guys who might be future Timed Event contestants is outstanding.”

Teague rode his own horses—Rolex, Cat and Vegas—in the heading, tie-down and heeling, respectively. World Champion Header Erich Rogers headed for him in the heeling, and Briar’s best buddy, Jessen James, heeled for him in the heading. Teague rode World Champion Steer Wrestler Tyler Pearson’s bay bulldogging horse Tubby, and Pearson hazed for him.

The Lone Star Ropes Jr Ironman Top Horse Award went to Hash’s steer wrestling horse, Cooper.

Another Round 3 highlight was Guthrie, Oklahoma’s own Dawson Price setting a new 3.9-second Jr Ironman record in his hometown here today.

See complete Jr Ironman and Cinch Timed Event Championship results and coverage at LazyE.com.

Hall Wins Round 3 and Theriot Takes Overall Timed Event Lead

Posted on by Kendra Santos
After 15 head Hall is one second out of the lead for the aggregate. Lazy E Photo James Phifer

What a difference a day makes. Just ask Clay Smith, who’d been dominant through two rounds and held the overall Cinch Timed Event Championship lead after four of five events in Round 3. Then Smith missed his trip twice in the steer roping event at evening’s end to take a dreaded 60. The result was game changing, as New Mexico native Seth Hall took the Round 3 victory lap, and Mississippi’s Marcus Theriot took the overall Timed Event lead.

“My favorite run of the first 15 was that steer roping run tonight, because that’s the fastest I’ve ever been,” said Theriot, who was 14.5 in the steer roping, and is now 197.7 in three rounds of five events. “My heeling run tonight was a little sketchy. That steer stepped on my rope and tried to take it away from me. I didn’t think I was going to get a dally.

With the conclusion of Round 3, Theriot is leading the aggregate with a 197.7. Lazy E Photo James Phifer

“It feels good to be closer to the finish line than where I started today, but we’re just barely over halfway done. I’ve been here enough times to know that anything can happen here at the Timed Event.”

Hall won Round 3 after wrapping up five runs in 56.9 seconds.

“I’m excited that I finished my course tonight to the best of my ability,” Hall said. “I left some stuff on the table the last couple rounds. Getting that last steer tied down tonight for the round win felt good. That run was hard.”

Hall borrowed Chance Kelton’s renowned palomino steer horse Bullseye for the Timed Event, and Hall heeded Kelton’s advice when he picked the horse up.

“Chance told me, ‘Take your time over there,’” Hall smiled. “My good friend Robert Ansley’s been telling me, ‘Slow down to be fast’ all my life. I guess I kind of listened. The game plan for tomorrow is to just catch my cattle and not get in a hurry.”

Haven Meged and Lane Karney picked up the other two Round-3 paychecks. Rounding out the top five in the overall average behind Theriot heading into Round 4 tomorrow are Roger Nonella, Hall, Paul David Tierney and Smith.

For complete Timed Event Championship results, visit LazyE.com.

BY KENDRA SANTOS

Kendra Santos has written about cowboys all her life, including longtime stints with the PRCA, PBR, BFI and The Team Roping Journal. She’s also mom to two 2021 Timed Event Championship cowboys, Lane Karney and Taylor Santos.

Facebook Instagram

Timed Event Rookie Tyler Waters Wins Round 2 at the Lazy E

Posted on by Kendra Santos
Jumping 11 steers in his life and Tyler takes home round two. Lazy E Photo James Phifer

When Ohio native Tyler Waters got the call to compete at his first Cinch Timed Event Championship, he had a whole lot of hustling to do. The horseshoer, who currently hangs his hat in the Cowboy Capital of Stephenville, Texas, had never jumped a bulldogging steer, and had to find helpers and horses for all five events. He’s since borrowed every horse he’s riding here, and this afternoon won Round 2 in 53.9 seconds.

“I’m riding Brother Loud’s bulldogging horse (Tyler Pearson is hazing), Tanner Green’s calf horse, Willy Gasperson’s steer roping horse, and Travis Kiehne’s head and heel horses,” said Waters, 33, who has Jade Corkill helping him at both ends in the team roping. “The heel horse (Pepto Blue Lena) is the dad to the head horse (Preto).”

Lazy E Photo James Phifer

The fact that anything can happen at the Timed Event was on full display here at the Lazy E today. Justin Thigpen was winning the round after the heading, tie-down and heeling, then his bulldogging steer got away. That gave Erich Rogers the lead in the round after the steer wrestling, but then he burned two loops in the steer roping.

“Every event here is a tide turner,” Waters said. “I went 110 (seconds) yesterday, then cut that in half today just by relaxing. All I did today was just try to not overrun myself.”

Russell Cardoza, who’s competing here this week with two new hips, finished second in Round 2 with 58.0 on five. Clay Smith continues to lead the pack in the overall 2021 Cinch Timed Event race with 120.3 seconds on 10 head. Roger Nonella, Marcus Theriot, Seth Hall and Paul David Tierney are now second through fifth after two rounds.

See complete Cinch Timed Event Championship and Jr Ironman results at LazyE.com.

BY KENDRA SANTOS

Kendra Santos has written about cowboys all her life, including longtime stints with the PRCA, PBR, BFI and The Team Roping Journal. She’s also mom to two 2021 Timed Event Championship cowboys, Lane Karney and Taylor Santos.

Facebook Instagram