PRYOR, Okla – When Coleman Proctor qualified for the National Finals Rodeo for the first time a decade ago, he was on Cloud 9, an exhilarating feeling he’d only dreamed about.
So many things have changed over time, but there’s something familiar for the Pryor team roping header as he prepares for his ninth trip to ProRodeo’s grand finale, set for Dec. 5-14 at Las Vegas.
“I was just talking to Jake (Long) the other day about this,” he said of the heeler who grew up in Coffeyville, Kansas, and has been a close friend since their early days in the saddle. “He’s been there now 14 years and I’m going for the ninth time, but we’re still just two little kids roping the Fast Lane (roping dummy) that just wanted to make it once.
“It’s still a dream come true, and I still get just as excited the first day of October when you know you’ve made the finals. I think about the smell of the dirt on that arena floor. It’ll still give me butterflies in my stomach and make the little hair stand up on my arms.”
Proctor’s eloquence is unbridled, as is his passion for roping. His personality shines, whether he’s in the spotlight or just working around his place near Pryor, a home he shares with his wife, Stephanie, and their daughters, Stella, 7, Caymbree, 5, and Sterling, 7 months.
“My support system has gotten bigger,” said Proctor, who was raised in Miami, Oklahoma, and attended Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College and Northwestern Oklahoma State University on rodeo scholarships. “It’s fun, because the older two have grown up at the finals, and that’s really cool to me. I personally never went to the National Finals until I made it, and my kids have grown up in the seats of the Thomas and Mack, which is really special to me. Stella and Caymbree are old enough now that they understand what we’re trying to do.
“Every night whether I break the barrier or I miss or I was late or something that happened that I didn’t win, that doesn’t matter to them. Stella knows if we win the round, we’re getting a limo and going to the South Point.”
The rewards for success in Sin City are grand. Go-round winners will pocket nearly $34,000 for each of the 10 days of the championship. They’ll also head to the South Point Casino and Spa for the nightly go-round presentation, where they will be awarded a Montana Silversmiths trophy buckle and other trinkets while being honored before a packed crowd in the showroom.
“Last year about Round 3, Stella was so mad because we hadn’t got that limo yet,” he said. “I’m like, ‘Baby, believe me, I’m mad, too, but we’re going to keep trying for it.’ For me, and I think anytime you have kids, you want to be able to lead by example. One day they’re going to pursue their dreams doing whatever they want to do, and I want to have been an example. That’s big to me as a father.”
His love for the girls in his life is important for Proctor. It’s why he’s gone a good part of the year chasing his dreams. Rodeo is how he makes a living, and he’s done pretty well at it. He collected $155,790 team roping during the regular season and heads to the Nevada desert fourth in the heading world standings.
But there’s much more to the Oklahoma cowboy. Two and a half years ago, he picked up another trade: Steer roping. By adding that event to his repertoire, Proctor has increased his odds of making money at many rodeos across North America. In fact, he won nearly $43,000 in single steer roping and finished the year 17th in the world standings, just two spots shy of qualifying for the event’s championship that took place in early November.
Along the way, he added the steer roping title in Dalhart, Texas, and earned several all-around crowns, including major events in Cheyenne, Wyoming; Pendleton, Oregon; and Dodge City, Kansas. What’s bigger yet is that he’s in contention to win the all-around world championship; he is third on the money list in that category with nearly $186,000 in dual-event earnings.
“Growing up in Oklahoma, I’ve always wanted to rope steers,” said Proctor, who credits a great deal of his success to his sponsors, Lonestar Ropes, Justin Boots, Wrangler, Purina, CSI Saddlepads, Signature Equine, Coats Saddlery, SpeedRoping.com, Southern Welding, Heel-O-Matic, Community Coffee, Signature Quarters, Professional Choice, Red Dirt Hat Co., Western Legacy Co., Compete Equine Performances and KK Branded.
“I think it’s the most cowboy event there is. At the finals, there was a lot of money available, which I think is great because that’s an event that’s needed a boost for a long time. That is the hardest event to learn how to win at.”
It’s difficult to become victorious in every rodeo event, and he knows that as well as anyone. When he arrives in the Nevada desert, he and his heeling partner, Logan Medlin of Tatum, New Mexico, will try to get their hands on a big share of the $12.5 million purse available.
“Logan and I are going to do it again next year, so that will be five years that we’ve been together,” Proctor said. “A lot of teams don’t stick together that long anymore, but we have a rock-solid partnership, a great understanding of each other and great chemistry. I think those are huge ingredients when it comes time for roping for a gold buckle.
“We still work at it just as hard as we did the first year we went there. We live seven hours apart, and we’re in the arena two to three days every week through the month of November. It’s a priority for us, and the grind that we go through now sets the tone for the whole year.”
It also lines the tandem up for success once they make runs inside the Thomas & Mack Center, the NFR’s home since 1985. It’s where the world champions will be crowned, and Proctor is in position to walk away from Las Vegas with two Montana Silversmiths gold buckles. Those are the ultimate goals for men who compete in this sport, and it takes a great year and an amazing 10 days in December to make it happen.
For the first time in a long time, there are no cowboys in the all-around race competing in multiple events at the NFR. Utah cowboy Stetson Wright has had a stranglehold on the all-around for the past five seasons in saddle bronc riding and bull riding, but he’s missed this season because of injuries. That opens the door for five others to jump into the most coveted title in the sport, with Proctor being one of them.
“Anytime you’re up with that kind of money and you have a team event, we’re focused on making the best run with the steer that walks in the chute every night,” Proctor said. “I most definitely know the all-around’s in the balance. That was part of the vision when I started getting ready for steer roping for the 2022 season.
“I said, ‘I’ve got to get a lot better at this, because we’re going for the gold buckle this year in the all-around.’ This might be the only chance that a guy has until Stetson comes back, so it’s big to take advantage of this opportunity.”