FORT WORTH, Texas – Much has been made about John Douch’s relationship with ProRodeo Hall of Fame cowboy Joe Beaver, who has mentored the young tie-down roper for the last decade.

But Douch is making a name for himself by himself, roping at a high level since he turned pro five seasons ago. The Resistol cowboy from Huntsville, Texas, has given himself an opportunity to rope for $100,000 during Sunday’s final performance of The American, set for noon at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Douch roped and tied his calf in 7.46 seconds to finish third in Friday’s first round at Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth. He and nine other tie-down ropers will compete Sunday, and the winner will walk away with the top prize.

In the rodeo’s unique setup, there were 10 cowboys that earned an exemption by finishing among the top 10 in the 2021 PRCA world standings; Douch finished 10^th. The remaining ropers in Friday’s field came through a series of qualifying events. Should any of the qualifiers win the top prize Sunday, they will be in the mix for the $2 million side pot.

While that’s not possible for the Resistol cowboy, he knows there’s a great chance to pocket some important money.

Two seasons ago, he battled hard through the rigors of the rodeo season. He traveled across the country chasing his gold-buckle dreams, only to fall just shy of qualifying for the NFR. Last year, he crossed the finish line, finishing the regular season 15^th, less than $700 ahead of the 16^th man on the money list.

He did well enough at his inaugural run in Las Vegas to move up five spots in the standings, and he further cemented himself as one of the best young tie-down ropers in ProRodeo.