Final standings weren’t quite as hoped, but the father and son cowboys from Pratt still lighted the steer roping scoreboard.
Going into the National Finals Steer Roping (NFSR) at Mulvane, Cole Patterson was ranked first in regular season standings.
His dad Rocky Patterson, four-time world champion steer roper in his 26th time at the NFSR, was ranked 14th.
At conclusion of the two-day, 10-round Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) finale, Cole was fourth while dad Rocky placed 13th.
Cole won Round Five in 9.4-seconds worth $9,155, and Rocky tied for first in Round Two with 10.3-seconds worth $8,366.
In three rounds, one, two and four, Cole placed sixth, each worth $1,579. Rocky was also fourth in Round Eight, worth $4,420, and fifth in both Rounds five and six, each worth $2,841.
Cole was third in the average with 143.4-seconds on nine steers roped and tied worth $17,917.
In the yearend tallies, Cole won a total of $87,405, while dad Rocky collected checks worth $46,406.
The $7-million cowboy Trevor Brazile became an eight-time steer roping world champion in dramatic fashion at the NFSR.
Brazile needed to rope a steer in Round Ten to win the world title and the average. That’s exactly what Brazile did like he’s done so many times before in his legendary career.
The Decatur, Texas, cowboy clocked 12.4-seconds in Round Ten to win his record 26th career NFSR gold.
Brazile finished the yearend standings with $117,459, to edge runner-up Scott Snedecor’s $110,779. Brazile earned $69,072 at the NFSR.
“If you don’t go do your job and you don’t execute, somebody else is the world champ,” said Brazile. “Once they told me what I was doing, that was it. I just went and made my run. I want everybody to know that my thanks go to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He blessed me so much.”
Brazile placed in six rounds at the NFSR winning the average with a time of 124.5-seconds on 10 head. His eighth steer roping gold buckle goes with the ones he won in 2006-07, 2011, 2013-15 and 2019.
The eight steer roping gold buckles are second on the all-time list behind only ProRodeo Hall of Famer Guy Allen’s 18.
Average placings: 1. Trevor Brazile, 124.5/10, $27,347; 2. Scott Snedecor, 110.9/9, $22,632; 3. Cole Patterson, 143.4/9, $17,917; 4. Vin Fisher Jr., 89.8/8, $13,202; 5. Tuf Cooper, 125.2/8, $8,487; 6. Garrett Hale, 84.8/7, $4,715.
Steer roping world standings (unofficial): 1. Trevor Brazile, $117,459; 2. Scott Snedecor, $110,779; 3. Vin Fisher Jr., $105,514; 4. Cole Patterson, $87,405; 5. Jesse Tierney, $70,103; 6. Tuf Cooper, $61,559; 7. Landon McClaugherty, $57,408; 8. Garrett Hale, $57,182; 9. Billy Good, $55,750; 10. J. Tom Fisher, $53,178; 11. Chet Herren, $46,942; 12. Thomas Smith, $46,570; 13. Rocky Patterson, $46,406; 14. Cody Lee, $39,491; 15. Roger Branch, $28,149.
“I’m a competitor, and I like to compete,” Kansas cowboy Rocky Patterson insisted. “It’s more of a personal challenge.”
Cole, like his father, has roped since he was little. And, also like his father, he grew up with both horses and cattle, practicing on the family ranch.
But unlike his father, Cole grew up with a steer roping champion, the only one from Kansas.
“Dad has done it to the highest level for a long time,” Cole said. “He knew if I didn’t want it myself there was no need for me to do it.
“Steer roping was all I ever wanted to do,” Cole continued. “In this sport, you can’t really let your highs get too high or your lows get too low.”
For both cowboys, going to the steer roping championship is like going to the Super Bowl. They both hope to qualify again next year.