One of the “crowning glory moments” of the recent National Finals Rodeo we attended occurred not when son K.C. won money or his wife Gayle had a top sales day at the gift show booth or hubby and I “beat the traffic” getting to Thomas and Mack. No, it was the moment we, along with 22 relatives of his, watched traveling partner Zack Cobb receive his Rookie of the Year Award for Steer Wrestling on Thursday night. All of K.C.’s traveling partners, friends and rodeo acquaintances we’ve met or hosted overnight become special, “second sons” to us, but none quite like Zack has become to us.
Fresh out of college at Canyon, Texas, and originally from Pampa, Texas with high school and college rodeo triumphs, Zack is several years younger than K.C. and has shown a deep appreciation for the mentoring and competitive advantages he received from K.C. in his quest for the Rookie award. It’s not uncommon in the rodeo world for up and coming contestants to seek out a veteran experienced cowboy and ask for help in breaking into the “big time.” So Zack’s request one winter day in mid-Texas to come “practice with you” was typical of the questions K.C. and others often receive. K.C. has many mentors to thank for the help he received during his beginning years, not the least of which was world champion Byron Walker who K.C. traveled full time missing the finals by only a few dollars that season. He’s always happy to return the favor to others.
When Zack approached K.C., little did he realize he would need to pass an unspoken test in order to prove his worth as a full-time traveling partner. Veterans like K.C. feel it’s futile to spend time and effort trying to help a wannabe who doesn’t really have his heart in it and is not willing to give it everything they’ve got and then some! With humble beginnings much like K.C.’s, Zackunderstood how hard K.C. had worked to get where he was today. Zack was a reliable house guest sharing expenses and clean-up duties, and he conscientiously took care of the horses, arena, practice equipment and practice cattle as if he had paid for it all himself. Rising each morning, willing to do whatever was required regardless of the lack of sleep or tiredness in his body, he listened, practiced, learned and gave of himself 110%. In return K.C. did all he knew how to bring Zack’s skills up to the level needed to make rodeoing a full-time career. It’s a fine line between a “master (mentor)/peasant (learner) type of relationship, and one where two buddies daily do their utmost to make the other’s life better. Zack and K.C. forged the latter type of bond.
K.C. called us one day early in the mentoring relationship remarking that Zack was such a “good kid” to have around the place. He was always willing to do anything and everything K.C. asked. Just that day K.C. had mentioned to him and the other young guys around that they needed to dig a trench to the bottom of the arena to bury a water line for the steers. Zack’s reply was, “If you’ll just let me keep hanging around here, I’ll dig a moat around your place if that’s what it takes.” Later, during their overnight stays at our home, I often noticed Zack anticipating what it was K.C. needed and quietly going about that task without any kind of prompt—an indication of their strong relationship.
The late spring rodeos in Texas found Zack aboard “Mean Green,” as K.C.’s semi is affectionately called. Even though Zack’s body was often tired and sore from all the practice and weight training, he was happy to get in and go “down the road.” By May, when we traveled to the Guymon, Okla., rodeo to watch “K.C. and the boys,” we were assured Zack would be a regular in the rig and had been coached into the prestigious position of hazing for K.C. throughout the season.
There were two others who joined the rig, another veteran and another rookie, and together the foursome entered and traveled to 100 rodeos throughout the season. Although PRCA rules will count only 70 rodeos toward final national finals world standings, contestants can enter as many rodeos as they wish but must designate when entering if the rodeo is to be “official” or “unofficial.” K.C. and the other veteran, Dru, did all the entering and handled all the decisions and problems with call-backs, draw-outs, trade-outs and the complicated business of making a travel schedule work with what the PRCA system had drawn for them. With the newly initiated “Heartland” series where PRCA was promoting smaller rodeos by requiring contestants enter at least 30 Heartland rodeos to make the Heartland Finals, each day was met with decisions about why, when and where to rodeo.
A further challenge to overcome was the “limited entry” system of some bigger rodeos where only the top 35, 50 or whatever can enter a rodeo, which meant that at times Zack and the others had to somehow get to a different rodeo than K.C. entered. But they had saved up their money for this experience, and they bought airline tickets when necessary, split fuel costs, paid mount money and entry fees, caught rides with others to and from the rig and made their way down the road.
Near the end of the season, Zack was behind in the rookie standings by $5,500 dollars and K.C. was barely hanging onto his 15th place rank with the other two travelers having gone home. The two made the decision to drive 18 hours straight to two California rodeos to see if they could improve their earnings, and it was a grueling three days indeed. Although each won some money, it was not quite enough, and the Heartland Finals in Waco October 4 was all that was left to save them. K.C. needed a win or at least to have a couple of competitors ranked below him not do well to secure his 15th spot (the latter occurred). Zack needed to win enough to move into the first place, which he did with a $12,000 plus total paycheck. A couple of very happy cowboys called us that night after Waco to give us the good news! Not only was K.C. making the NFR with Zack as his hazer, but Zack had climbed into the top of the world standings so the limited entry problem would be solved for the 2009 season. Zack ended 31st in the world at the end of the NFR which is something in itself!
So it was with great pride that I flashed my press pass badge at the portal attendant at Thomas and Mack that Thursday night so I could scoot down the 30 steps toward the arena floor to snatch a photo of Zack as he received his prestigious buckle from the PRCA VIPs who ceremoniously gave each a heartfelt handshake. They undoubtedly wondered, as we did, if they were shaking the hand of a future world champion. I yelled at Zack to look my way (he hadn’t taken his eyes off the buckle) and froze his happy smile for eternity with my digital camera. Wearing my “K.C. and the Boys” t-shirt given me by his family, I’m sure the people in the gold-buckle seats thought I was his Mom as I proudly hollered and waved, and that’s okay. Besides Zack’s Mom and Dad and all 22 relatives in attendance, I doubt there was anybody more proud than us Joneses, especially K.C. I’m sure he felt much like a parent or at least a school teacher or Olympic coach to see the one he’d brought along the journey reach the highest honor!
So here’s to Zack and all the rookies who received awards at the NFR and all those whose journey is just beginning. Hats off to you!
