DODGE CITY, Kan. – Speed Williams owns eight world championships. Coleman Proctor would like to win one.

If Thursday night is any indication, the two might be able to do it together sometime. Williams and Proctor turned in a 4.4-second run to take a commanding lead in the second round of team roping at the Dodge City Roundup Rodeo.

“This is just a dream come true,” Proctor said of roping with Williams, a Llano, Texas, cowboy who won eight straight heading gold buckles from 1997-2004. “It’s a great opportunity for me. I can’t believe, still, that I get to.”

Williams has slowed down some over the years. In fact, he hasn’t qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo since 2008. But he’s dipping his toes in the water again, and he’s taken Proctor along for the ride on a month-long stretch on the rodeo trail.

“He hasn’t lost a step, and it’s been a great time,” said Proctor, 26, of Pryor, Okla. “We’re going to go this week, and next, then we’re going to go home for a while.

“He’s going to try to win the world next year; I’m just going to try to rope good enough to keep my job. Next year I plan to go hard again. Ideally, if I get to rope with Speed again, I’ll go really hard.”

Williams has qualified 15 times for the NFR, ProRodeo’s year-end championship event that takes place over 10 December days in Las Vegas. Proctor hasn’t played on the big stage just yet, but he’s got the fever. Roping with one of the greatest to have ever played the game will do that.

Two years ago while competing as a header, Proctor and partner Jake Long of Coffeyville, Kan., roped in the George Strait Team Roping Classic.

“The only reason I started heading was so that I could head for Jake,” Proctor said. “He started roping with somebody else, and this winter, I went back to heeling. I was burned out on heading, so this is a nice break from that.”

Williams and Proctor were saddled with a no-time during the first round on Thursday morning, and their shot at the Roundup title went with it. Still, they’re in position to collect good money in the second-round payout. Of course, there’s still the dream of winning Dodge City some year.

“I won the golf tournament one time, but that’s the only buckle I’ve gotten out of here,” Proctor said. “We had a no-time this morning, so we were strictly going for the go-round.

“This is a good set of steers. This rodeo did great again. This is one of my favorite rodeos to go to, so, yeah, I’d love to win it.”

Dodge City Roundup Rodeo
Dodge City, Kan.
July 31-Aug. 5
Bareback riding leaders: 1. Matt Bright, 84 points on J.K. Rodeo’s Little Brother, 84 points; 2. Seth Hardwick, 83; 3. Heath Ford, 81; 4. Justin McDaniel and Kyle Brennecke, 80; 6. Richie Champion, 70; 7. Jared Keylon, 78; 8. (tie) Wes Stevenson/Will Lowe, 77.

Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Billy Bugenig, 3.7 seconds; 2. Seth Brockman, 3.8; 3. Wade Sumpter, 4.2; 4. Sean Mulligan, 4.5; 5. Nick Guy, 4.7; 6. Kyle Whitaker, 4.8; 7. Tanner Bruner, 4.9; 8. (tie) Tyler Pearson and Trell Etbauer, 5.0. Second round leaders: 1. Jake Rineharat, 3.6 seconds; 2. Billy Bugenig, 3.6; 3. Teddy Johnson, 4.6; 4. (tie) Kyle Broce and Blair Jones, 4.7; 6. Dakota W. Eldridge, 4.9; 7. Shawn Mills, 5.0; 8. Clay Mindemann, 5.1. Average leaders: 1. Billy Bugenig, 8.0 seconds on two runs; 2. (tie) Kyle Whitaker and Blair Jones, 10.1; 4. Seth Brockman, 10.6; 5. Charlie Howell, 11.6; 6. Royce Johnson, 14.7; 7. Trell Ebauer, 18.6; 8. Sean Mulligan, 19.2.

Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Caleb Schmidt/Joel Bach, 4.9 seconds; 2. (tie) Scooter Nolen Jr./Tim Ross and Blaine Linaweaver/Matt Garza, 5.8; 4. Turtle Powell/Dugan Kelly, 5.9; 5. Jeremy Mascorro/Kyle Stamps, 6.1; 6. (tie)  Keven Daniel/Chase Tryan and Brian Dunning/Toby J. Mentzer, 6.3; 8. Joshua Torres/Jonathan Torres, 6.4. Second round leaders: 1. Speed Williams/Coleman Proctor, 4.4 seconds; 2. (tie) Keven Daniel/Chase Tryan and Garrett Tonozzi/Kinny Harrell, 5.1; 4. Turtle Powell/Dugan Kelly; 5. (tie) Blaine Linaweaver/Matt Garza and Tyler Schaufer/Shay Carroll, 5.9; 7. Caleb Smidt/Joel Bach, 6.4; 8. Joshua Torres/Jonathan Torres, 6.9. Average leaders: 1. Turtle Powell/Dugan Kelly,11.2 seconds on two runs; 2. Caleb Smidt/Joel Bach, 11.3; 3. Keven Daniel/Chase Tryan, 11.4; 4. Blaine Linaweaver/Matt Garza, 11.7; 5. Scooter Nolen Jr./Tim Ross, 12.8; 6. Joshua Torres/Jonathan Torres, 13.2; 7. Jeremy Mascorro/Kyle Stamps, 17.7; 8. Bobby Baize/Byron Wilkerson, 18.4.

Saddle bronc riding: 1. Sterling Crawley, 84 points on Harry Vold Rodeo’s Table Talk; 2. Cody Martin, 81; 3. Bradley Harter, 80; 4. Taos Muncy, 78; 5. (tie) Cody Taton, Ty Atchison and Lucas Wilson, 77; 8. (tie) Ryan Bestol and Jesse Bail, 76; 10. (tie) Jesse James Kirby, Cody Angland and Jacobs Crawley, 74.

Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. Clayton Shaw, 8.5 seconds; 2. Colt Carter, 8.8; 3. (tie) Justin Maass and Riley Pruitt, 9.1; 5. Blake Eliason, 9.4; 6. (tie) Chris Neal and Trevor Thiel, 9.6; 8. Ace Slone, 9.8. Second round leaders: 1. Justin Maass, 8.1 seconds; 2. Riley Pruitt, 8.6; 3. Ace Slone, 8.7; 4. Caleb Smidt, 9.4; 5. Trell Etbauer, 10.6; 6. J.D. McCuistion, 11.5; 7. Clayton Shaw, 11.6; 8. Chris Neal, 12.3. Average leaders: 1. Justin Maass, 18.2 seconds on two runs; 2. Riley Pruitt, 17.7; 3. Ace Slone, 18.5; 4. Clayton Shaw, 20.1; 5. Chris Neal, 21.9; 6. David Moore, 25.6; 7. Blake Eliason, 28.0; 8. Adam Gray, 30.4.

Barrel racing: First round leaders: 1. Kaley Bass, 17.12; 2. Hayden Segelke, 17.14; 3. Benette Little, 17.25; 4. Sharin Hall, 17.34; 5. Tammi Pettis, 17.36; 6. Jeanne Anderson, 17.39; 7. (tie) Sabrina Ketcham and Christy Loflin, 17.43; 9. Sally Young, 17.44; 10. Sherri Dean, 17.46. Second round leaders: 1. Hayden Segelke, 16.95 seconds; 2. Kaley Bass, 17.04; 3. Kyra Stierwalt, 17.06; 4. (tie) Christy Loflin and Sara Withers, 17.14; 6. Micah Samples, 17.19; 7. Tammi Pettis, 17.24; 8. Angie Meadors, 17.33; 9. Paige Conrado, 17.39; 6. Sherri Dean, 17.45; 7. Kim Schulze, 17.46; 8. Sandy McElreath, 17.57; 9. Sally Young,, 17.60; 10. Reiney Hatch, 17.75. Average leaders: 1. Hayden Segelke, 34.09 seconds on two runs; 2. Kaley Bass, 34.16; 3. Chjristy Loflin, 34.57; 4. Tammi Pettis, 34.60; 5. Micah Samples, 34.82; 6. Sherri Dean, 34.91; 7. Sara Withers, 34.93; 8. Paige Conrado, 34.96; 9. Kim Schulze, 35.02; 10. Sally Young, 35.04; 11. Angie Meadors, 35.15; 12. Casi Conrad, 35.26.

Bull riding: 1. Nevada Newman, 89 points on Four L & Diamond S Rodeo’s Cowboy Crusader. 2. Josh Koschel, 85; 3. Buck Moon, 81; 4. Kanin Asay, 80; 5. Tim Bingham, 74; no other qualified rides.