My challenge is to give you some sense of the fascination and excitement I felt when attending my first Wrangler Timed Event Championship March 5-7, 2010, in Guthrie, Okla., in the limited space available, so here goes!
Winding through country roads off I-35 north of Oklahoma City, one finds the 300-acre Lazy E Arena and Ranch a sight to behold with its miles of white fences, 6,800 person seating capacity arena that is the largest indoor arena measuring 160 feet by 440 feet. Stalls 10-by-10 feet number 584 with 20 acres of lighted and paved parking, the µfacility it has first class amenities including a modern sound/audio/visual system, full-service bar, large dance floor, concession stands and booth space, not to mention the luxurious accommodations for the horses standing at stud. Built in 1984 to host the National Finals Steer Roping, it has served as the home of the “Iron Man Championships” since that year. Choosing not to park his rig between the spacious barns with stalls, K.C. found a gentle hill south of the barns (that required lots of leveling) but gave him a view of the Canadian geese arriving at the pond with melodious honking reminiscent of his days in Colorado.
The Timed Event Championship was developed by Lazy E to determine the best all-around timed event cowboy in the world by providing competition in five events—heading in the team roping, heeling in the team roping, tie-down calf roping, steer wrestling and steer roping. The contestant with the fastest times in all five events wins the prize money and other awards. For five action-packed performances — 25 head of stock in three days — 20 competitors including son K.C. made a run at the $150,000 purse with $50,000 for the average which paid to eighth places and $10,000 for the fastest round which paid to sixth place.
The field of contestants was diverse and impressive with 33-year old Trevor Brazile, Decatur, TX, heading the cast—a cowboy who owns 11 PRCA world championship buckles and the only contestant to win the Wrangler Timed Event Championship six times. Other WTEC champions present were two-time winner Daniel Green of Oakdale, Calf., 52-year old Jimmie Cooper from Monument, N.M., three-time champion, Kyle Lockett, Visalia, Calif., 2005 champ, the “other” K.C. Jones from Burlington, Wyo., four-time champion, and most amazing to all of us, 57-year-old former World Champion Paul Tierney who has won the WTEC four times. Rounding out the list were 14 other contestants, many veterans, some rookies who were mostly in their 30s and 40s although Steve Duhon, a steer wrestler from Sonora, Tex., was another contestant in his 50s.
Hats off to Josh Peek, Pueblo, two-time PRCA Reserve All-Around World Champion, who placed twice in the fast rounds and pocketed $58,000 as the 2010 WTEC Champion with a 315.2 second average on 25 runs. Throughout the five performances, the able announcers, Bob Feist and Charlie Throckmorton, kept warning us fans that the competition would be determined on the last steer tied down in the steer roping competition in the last event just as in previous years, and that proved to be true. Peek changed leads throughout the competition with K.C. Jones of Burlington, Wyo., and Brazile who moved into the top spot after 23 head. In the steer wresting, Brazile had a tough steer, suffering a 60-second time, the equivalent of a no-time at the WTEC. Peek threw his steer in 4.1 seconds and took the lead with one event remaining. Jones was second and tied his steer in 18 seconds for 343.0 on 25. Peek needed to be 46.1 for the win and clocked an 18.4 to cinch the title.
Jones finished second in the average for $25,000, while Jo Jo Lemond, Andres, Tex., (whose wife gave birth during the competition) was third at 358.3 seconds for $15,000. Brazile claimed fourth with 364.9 for $10,000 and fifth was Chance Kelton of Mayer, Ariz., 367.6 for $7,500. Kelton also had the fastest round with 48 seconds in the second go for an additional $10,000. Fan favorite Tierney placed 9th in the average, just out of the money. Lemond with partner Randon Adams, Logandale, Nev., broke the WTEC team toping heading record with a 4.5 second run besting a 5.1-second run made in 2002 by B.J. Campbell.
K.C. made all six of us Las Animas fans present very proud of his showing at 16th in the average. He had determined to honor his dad by using “Woody” his calf roping horse, albeit Woody’s first competition, and we were excited when they produced a 12.3 in the fifth round. K.C. also determined to practice hard, then go to Guthrie and have a good time — a goal he also accomplished. He is indebted to traveling partners Clayton Morrison, Sheridan, Wyo., who served as his hazer and Clayton Haas, Terrell, Texas, who headed for him. World Champion and friend Patrick Smith of Lipan, Texas, caught all five heel loops and friend from Granbury, Texas, Shane Suggs’s loan of the steer roping horse made his performances possible. Countless other friends from the Decatur area provided practice cattle and chute help time. Will he accept another invitation? He’s not sure as its difficult to fit practice time for steer wrestling in — let alone four other events, but he said it was lots of fun.
As for me, I found the three-hour performances nerve wrecking since every 20th contestant he was up! Daughter-in-law Gayle and I soon learned that snacks, restroom breaks, etc. had to be accomplished before the performances as the action was too intense to leave even once. We wrote down over 1,000 times on the convenient day sheets provided which included each time in all five events for all 20 cowboys, round averages and running total averages — a daunting challenge.
The tension mounted each performance as fan attendance increased until by Saturday night and Sunday final go, parking was virtually nonexistent. Serving as a vacation for many, hotels were filled and much of the parking area was occupied by RVs and trailers with fans that had arrived for the dinner and calcutta Thursday night and stayed til the exciting end. It was an event like none other, and one I highly recommend you attend sometime in your rodeo travels.
Results and highlights can be found at www.lazye.com and fans can watch a special on “Beyond Rodeo Show with Susie Dobbs” on Wednesday, April 29, at 12:30 p.m. Central and 10:30 p.m. Central. Many fans including Sis Kelly at home were able to listen live on the web at ProRodeoLive.com. Fans can also re-live all the runs at the WTEC on DVD by ordering the entire show from www.RodeoVideo.com.
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My challenge is to give you some sense of the fascination and excitement I felt when attending my first Wrangler Timed Event Championship March 5-7, 2010, in Guthrie, Okla., in the limited space available, so here goes!
Winding through country roads off I-35 north of Oklahoma City, one finds the 300-acre Lazy E Arena and Ranch a sight to behold with its miles of white fences, 6,800 person seating capacity arena that is the largest indoor arena measuring 160 feet by 440 feet. Stalls 10-by-10 feet number 584 with 20 acres of lighted and paved parking, the µfacility it has first class amenities including a modern sound/audio/visual system, full-service bar, large dance floor, concession stands and booth space, not to mention the luxurious accommodations for the horses standing at stud. Built in 1984 to host the National Finals Steer Roping, it has served as the home of the “Iron Man Championships” since that year. Choosing not to park his rig between the spacious barns with stalls, K.C. found a gentle hill south of the barns (that required lots of leveling) but gave him a view of the Canadian geese arriving at the pond with melodious honking reminiscent of his days in Colorado.
The Timed Event Championship was developed by Lazy E to determine the best all-around timed event cowboy in the world by providing competition in five events—heading in the team roping, heeling in the team roping, tie-down calf roping, steer wrestling and steer roping. The contestant with the fastest times in all five events wins the prize money and other awards. For five action-packed performances — 25 head of stock in three days — 20 competitors including son K.C. made a run at the $150,000 purse with $50,000 for the average which paid to eighth places and $10,000 for the fastest round which paid to sixth place.
The field of contestants was diverse and impressive with 33-year old Trevor Brazile, Decatur, TX, heading the cast—a cowboy who owns 11 PRCA world championship buckles and the only contestant to win the Wrangler Timed Event Championship six times. Other WTEC champions present were two-time winner Daniel Green of Oakdale, Calf., 52-year old Jimmie Cooper from Monument, N.M., three-time champion, Kyle Lockett, Visalia, Calif., 2005 champ, the “other” K.C. Jones from Burlington, Wyo., four-time champion, and most amazing to all of us, 57-year-old former World Champion Paul Tierney who has won the WTEC four times. Rounding out the list were 14 other contestants, many veterans, some rookies who were mostly in their 30s and 40s although Steve Duhon, a steer wrestler from Sonora, Tex., was another contestant in his 50s.
Hats off to Josh Peek, Pueblo, two-time PRCA Reserve All-Around World Champion, who placed twice in the fast rounds and pocketed $58,000 as the 2010 WTEC Champion with a 315.2 second average on 25 runs. Throughout the five performances, the able announcers, Bob Feist and Charlie Throckmorton, kept warning us fans that the competition would be determined on the last steer tied down in the steer roping competition in the last event just as in previous years, and that proved to be true. Peek changed leads throughout the competition with K.C. Jones of Burlington, Wyo., and Brazile who moved into the top spot after 23 head. In the steer wresting, Brazile had a tough steer, suffering a 60-second time, the equivalent of a no-time at the WTEC. Peek threw his steer in 4.1 seconds and took the lead with one event remaining. Jones was second and tied his steer in 18 seconds for 343.0 on 25. Peek needed to be 46.1 for the win and clocked an 18.4 to cinch the title.
Jones finished second in the average for $25,000, while Jo Jo Lemond, Andres, Tex., (whose wife gave birth during the competition) was third at 358.3 seconds for $15,000. Brazile claimed fourth with 364.9 for $10,000 and fifth was Chance Kelton of Mayer, Ariz., 367.6 for $7,500. Kelton also had the fastest round with 48 seconds in the second go for an additional $10,000. Fan favorite Tierney placed 9th in the average, just out of the money. Lemond with partner Randon Adams, Logandale, Nev., broke the WTEC team toping heading record with a 4.5 second run besting a 5.1-second run made in 2002 by B.J. Campbell.
K.C. made all six of us Las Animas fans present very proud of his showing at 16th in the average. He had determined to honor his dad by using “Woody” his calf roping horse, albeit Woody’s first competition, and we were excited when they produced a 12.3 in the fifth round. K.C. also determined to practice hard, then go to Guthrie and have a good time — a goal he also accomplished. He is indebted to traveling partners Clayton Morrison, Sheridan, Wyo., who served as his hazer and Clayton Haas, Terrell, Texas, who headed for him. World Champion and friend Patrick Smith of Lipan, Texas, caught all five heel loops and friend from Granbury, Texas, Shane Suggs’s loan of the steer roping horse made his performances possible. Countless other friends from the Decatur area provided practice cattle and chute help time. Will he accept another invitation? He’s not sure as its difficult to fit practice time for steer wrestling in — let alone four other events, but he said it was lots of fun.
As for me, I found the three-hour performances nerve wrecking since every 20th contestant he was up! Daughter-in-law Gayle and I soon learned that snacks, restroom breaks, etc. had to be accomplished before the performances as the action was too intense to leave even once. We wrote down over 1,000 times on the convenient day sheets provided which included each time in all five events for all 20 cowboys, round averages and running total averages — a daunting challenge.
The tension mounted each performance as fan attendance increased until by Saturday night and Sunday final go, parking was virtually nonexistent. Serving as a vacation for many, hotels were filled and much of the parking area was occupied by RVs and trailers with fans that had arrived for the dinner and calcutta Thursday night and stayed til the exciting end. It was an event like none other, and one I highly recommend you attend sometime in your rodeo travels.
Results and highlights can be found at www.lazye.com and fans can watch a special on “Beyond Rodeo Show with Susie Dobbs” on Wednesday, April 29, at 12:30 p.m. Central and 10:30 p.m. Central. Many fans including Sis Kelly at home were able to listen live on the web at ProRodeoLive.com. Fans can also re-live all the runs at the WTEC on DVD by ordering the entire show from www.RodeoVideo.com.
