ALVA, Okla. – Perry Dietz has had some big wins in his rodeo career, but few have been as timely as his tie-down roping win Sunday, March 4, in Garden City, Kan.
“It meant a lot, because it bumped me up to second in the region,” said Dietz, a senior on the Northwestern Oklahoma State University rodeo team. “The top three in the region go to the college finals.”
Dietz, an agriculture business major from Cleo Springs, Okla., roped and tied two calves in 17.9 seconds to win the Garden City Community College Rodeo. He now has 310 points for the 2011-12 Central Plains Region season with just four rodeos remaining and is just 20 points behind the standings leader, Chant DeForest of Western Oklahoma State College.
While qualifying for the College National Finals Rodeo is a goal, Dietz’s priority is winning the region. He knows it will take consistency and the right approach to accomplish both this season.
“You’ve just got to keep going at them,” he said.
Dietz began riding horses when he was 3 years old and has been roping since age 7. He’s competed ever since and has fared well. Of course, Oklahoma is a hotbed for young roping talent. That experience growing up prepared him for the rigors of the Central Plains.
“You’re only as good as you’re competition, so that helps a lot,” Dietz said. “There are about 70 kids from the 21 schools in the region, and they’re all pretty tough.”
Dietz expects to graduate in December, but he has some other dreams he’d like to see along the way.
“I’d like to fill my PRCA permit this year,” he said, referring to the process in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association by which competitors must earn $1,000 on their permit before being allowed to become a card-holding competitor. “That would be nice to have.”
Dietz wasn’t the only Northwestern cowboy to score points for the Rangers. Clint Kindred placed fourth in steer wrestling. He is ranked 10th in the region; teammate Kyle Irwin is second in the region with 430 points.
The men’s team finished ninth in Garden City, while the women finished fifth.
Dusta Kimzey scored 100 points in the all-around, placing in breakaway roping and goat-tying. In all, six Northwestern cowgirls placed in the rodeo – Kari Cable (fifth) and Chelsey Kleinvachter (ninth) in barrel racing; Katie Hansen (third), Kimzey (sixth) and Karly Benzie (tied seventh) in breakaway roping; and Lauren Barnes (second) and Kimzey (fifth) in goat-tying.
Heelers Dustin Searcy (first) and Tanner Braden (second) continue to lead the heeling standings as the teams compete at the Fort Scott (Kan.) Community College Rodeo this weekend. The men are fourth and the women sixth in the regional standings.