GUTHRIE, Okla. – Over the last eight years, just three men have laid claim to the title of World Champion Steer Roper.
With just one month left in the 2013 regular season, all three are in position to be part of the 2013 championship event, the Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping, set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 8-Saturday, Nov. 9, at the Fabulous Lazy E Arena in Guthrie.
Three-time and reigning World Champion Rocky Patterson of Pratt, Kan., has a strong hold on the No. 1 spot in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association world standings, having earned $62,933 through the end of August. His lead is about $11,000 over the No. 2 cowboy, Patterson’s traveling partner Chet Herren of Pawhuska, Okla.
“When you’re talking about Trevor Brazile, Cody Lee and Chet Herren, any lead’s a good lead, but no lead’s good enough,” said Patterson, who won gold in 2009-10 and last year.
Another three-time World Champ, Trevor Brazile of Decatur, Texas, sits in the No. 3 spot, just $3,000 behind Herren, while Cody Lee of Gatesville, Texas is fourth with $47,998. Brazile, a 17-time World Champion who owns a record 10 PRCA All-Around titles, earned steer roping gold in 2006-07 and 2011. He and Patterson are joined by two-time titlist Scott Snedecor of Fredericksburg, Texas, who is 12th on the money list with $29,892; Snedecor won his gold buckles in 2005 and 2008.
“I think a lot of our steer roping fans that’ll be at the finals in Guthrie are older, and they have a connection with steer roping because it’s one of the oldest events and it’s one of the first events in rodeo,” Patterson said. “They like to see good horses work and see good cowboys rope.”
They’ll get that chance the second weekend of November, when the brightest stars in the sport converge on the Lazy E Arena. Only the top 15 cowboys on the money list at the conclusion of the regular season qualify for the Clem McSpadden NFSR, where they’ll compete for the largest purse in the sport. With just four weeks remaining in the regular season, cowboys will be pushing hard to qualify for the NFSR, which will crown the first World Champion of the 2013 season.
The Lazy E is the perfect facility to host the Clem McSpadden NFSR. The arena was built in 1984 and was completed in time for that year’s championship. It has been event’s host for most of the last 30 years.
“When I was a kid, I got to go to the Lazy E and watch the National Finals Steer Roping,” said Patterson, a 19-time finalist who qualified for the first time in 1994. “I always had a desire to rope at the finals, and that always included the Lazy E.
“Amarillo was a great host, and Hobbs did well for steer roping, but to me, the steer roping finals belong at a place like the Lazy E.”
Steer roping fans will enjoy all of the activities planned for the performances and in addition, the Senior National Finals Steer Roping will take place during the day at the Lazy E Arena on Nov. 8-9. VIP ticket prices for each performance of the NFSR are $40 … Box seats $35 and general admission $23 pre-show. Children 12 and under are free in general admission. Group discounts are also available … Call (800) 595-RIDE for complete details. A portion of the proceeds from the 2013 Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping will again be donated to the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City and the Clem McSpadden Endowed Chair at Oklahoma State University. The Lazy E is proud to support these institutions for Western preservation.
Tickets will be on sale Sept. 25 at www.lazye.com, all Ticketmaster outlets, by calling Ticketmaster (800) 745-3000 or by calling the Lazy E directly at (800) 595-RIDE. Call early for the best seats possible for this world championship.