Kansas had strong representation at the recent National Finals Steer Roping in Guthrie, Oklahoma.
Two-time world champion Rocky Patterson, Pratt, went into the finals in second place with the intent to move up one notch and continue his two-year championship streak.
But, tough luck in the first of ten go-rounds lowered those chances when Patterson failed to make a qualifying run.
Prospects dimmed even more for Patterson when he only ended up with two times on the first five head of steers to be roped during the first day of competition, knocking him out of the average race.
After receiving the second Colby Goodwin Award of his career for winning the second round, Patterson’s third-round steer was tricky on the ground, getting one leg out of position and compromising Patterson’s tie. The steer ultimately kicked out of it, before the judge finished his six-second count to make the run official.
That run was not the one that stuck in the Patterson’s craw, though. Two rounds later, Patterson laid down what he thought would be an 11-second-flat run that would end his night on a high note.
“I thought I had that one tied down so tight I could go get the truck, bring it in here, and he’d still be tied,” Patterson said.
Much to his discouragement, the steer broke free almost immediately after Patterson remounted his horse, resulting in his third no-time of the night.
That average money turned out to be crucial as world leader Trevor Brazile, Decatur, Texas, actually found himself in second place in the world standings for the first time since January, trailing Patterson when they entered the tenth go-round.
Neither cowboy placed in the final go-round, but because Patterson was out of the average race, Brazile, who finished third in the average qualifying on nine head, went on to become this year’s world champion, his third such title. The $96,700 in winnings is his career-best in the event.
Scott Snedecor won the second national steer roping title of his career with a time of 172.8 seconds on 10 head, the only roper to quality on all of his steers.
Patterson, who ropes off of his horses called LT and Six Pack, collected the world championship in both 2009 and 2010.
However, the Oklahoma competition was far from all bad for the Kansas cowboy.
Checks totaling $21,385 were collected by Patterson bringing his year-end total to $87,642, high enough for the runner-up recognition.
Patterson won the second go-round and again topped the ninth go-round, while placing second in rounds four and six, and ranking third in the seventh go-round.
For the average tally, Patterson had a total time of 87.3 seconds on seven qualified runs to rank ninth, which did not pay any prize money.
Last year, Patterson set a steer roping record with total winnings of $101,685, making him the first steer roper to earn more than $100,000 in a single season.
A 17-time qualifier for the National Finals Steer Roping, missing only in 1996, Patterson won the average at the finals in 1999 and 2001.
An agriculture instructor and rodeo team coach at Pratt Community College, as well as being a rancher, Patterson has won $836,674 in his professional rodeo career.
He was named steer roping rookie of the year by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association in 1993.
Cody Scheck of Kiowa went into the steer roping finals ranked ninth, and, after collecting three go-round checks, showed up in the year-end standings in the same spot with $47,708 in his billfold.
Scheck won the tenth go-round in a time of 10.4 second, good for $5,077, after splitting first place in the eighth go round with a 10-second flat run worth $4,577.
His fastest time of the rodeo was 9.6 seconds, only good enough for second in the seventh go-round.
This was Scheck’s third National Finals Steer Roping qualification. Last year, he placed in three rounds on his way to winning the average title, which moved him from 12th to sixth in the final world standings.
Working at a feedlot in Kiowa while studying to get an insurance license, Scheck’s lifetime earnings on the professional rodeo circuit now total $172,373.
Interestingly, Scheck does most of his roping on a 10-year-old gelding called FBI, that he bought from Patterson, who was his rodeo team coach during college and is now his part time traveling partner.
At least two other important figures at the National Finals Steer Roping this year have close Kansas ties.
Serving as the announcer was Justin McKee, an Edna native now living on his ranch at Lenapah, Oklahoma.
A successful PRCA steer roper in his own right, McKee won a go-round at the Cheyenne Frontier Days a few years go. He’s also consistent in the team roping event.
McKee grew up as an auctioneer in his family’s sale barn, served as president of the Kansas FFA Association and now raises bucking bulls.
However, McKee is probably recognized most readily as the voice of the Professional Bull Riders on the weekly syndicated television broadcast.
Haley Schneeberger, a native of Abbyville and daughter of rodeo contractor Bronc Rumford, served as secretary for the National Finals Steer Roping.
It’s a job Schneeberger does, along with frequently serving as a timer, at major rodeos throughout the country.
Recognized several times as secretary of the year by the PRCS, Schneeberger has been nominated for that prestigious award again this year. She’s the wife of Jerome Schneeberger, 11-time calf roping qualifier for the National Finals Rodeo.
Although he won’t be competing at Las Vegas this year, Jerome Schneeberger won the calf roping at the recent American Royal Rodeo in Kansas City, moving him into the lead of the PRCA standings in that event for 2012.
Noteworthy also is Bronc Rumford who serves as chute boss for the National Finals Rodeo December 1-10, in Las Vegas.
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