LAS VEGAS – Coleman Proctor tried to change things up a bit in his seventh trip to the National Finals Rodeo.
He’s only placed in the first go-round one other time, and that came six seasons ago. He and his partner, Logan Medlin, stopped the clock in 5.6 seconds to finish sixth on Night 1 in Sin City. It was worth $4,664 to each and gave them a jump-start on the biggest event in ProRodeo, which features a purse of $1.4 million.
Proctor has done well over the years at the championship, but he’s also seen struggles. That’s just part of the game. There’s an intense amount of pressure that is packed in the final 10 nights of the rodeo season.
“People don’t realize the amount of stress it takes getting ready to come out here,” Proctor said on social media Thursday morning. “(It’s) not only just the practice (but also) all the people who give their time so we can do this, Steph, her mom, my mom, all the family.
It takes a village. Cowboys will travel ten of thousands of miles each year in order to make a living. It’s costly, but contestants are following their dreams. Some may even just break even financially through the regular season in order to qualify for the NFR, so now is a chance to make a significant profit.
Last December, Proctor and Medlin each earned more than $106,000 in 10 nights. It may have been a financial windfall, but it was needed and necessary. It also paved the way for the duo to return to the Nevada desert. Now that he’s established himself as an NFR veteran, he knows what it takes to keep his mind and body ready for each night’s rounds.
“It’s funny how much of a routine I get (in), which is important, especially out here,” Proctor said. “You’ve got to keep rested. I try go lay down, (but) I usually don’t sleep.”
He’s still rested and ready when it comes time for him to rope. He is fifth in the world, and he understands just what it takes to move up in the rankings.