PECOS, Texas – When the winter and spring were a little colder than usual, team ropers Andrew Ward and Jake Long were eager for the calendar to change into the summer.

Despite an unusually mile night temperature-wise during Wednesday’s opening performance, Ward and Long got hot and own the second-round and aggregate leads at the West of the Pecos Rodeo.

“We are pumped to make a good run and maybe win something at this rodeo,” said Ward, 34, a five-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Edmond, Oklahoma. “We don’t know what (the rest of the field) is going to do (over the next three days), but we went out in the lead. That’s fun.”

Yes, it is. They roped their first steer in 7.6 seconds during the opening round Wednesday morning. They stopped the clock in 6.1 seconds to take the second-round and average leads, while also putting a bullseye square on their backs for the rest of the competition to target.

Both men are outside the top 40 in their respective disciplines, and they know getting on a roll this time of year can be beneficial. In an sport where dollars equal championship points, the goal is to finish the regular season among the top 15 on the money list to advance back to the NFR. Both have excelled there. Ward, a header, won the NFR aggregate title in 2021 while roping with Buddy Hawkins; Long, a heeler, won the same crown this past December while competing with Clint Summers.

“I think our styles go well together,” said Long, a 14-time NFR qualifier from Coffeyville, Kansas. “We’ve had a slower start than we were anticipating, but it feels like we’re catching our rhythm. We’ve been making good runs and putting some runs together.”

The timing is right. While this is the “World’s First Rodeo,” there are move contestants in the mix at this year’s festival than most recent years. Why? The volunteer committee that organizes the annual event increased its share of the purse, nearly double to $20,000 per event. Those dollars are mixed with contestants’ entry fees to make up the total payout.

“This is a big arena, and if you’re not on the right end of the (randomly drawn) cattle, it can be tough,” Long said. “But the committee really put the money up this year and became a tour rodeo, so now it’s a rodeo you don’t want to miss.”

There was more to Long’s day in Reeves County. When he arrived in this west Texas desert town, he was met with muddy conditions – a rarity for this neck of he woods. He got stuck, and committee chairman Clay Ryon McKinney not only pulled him and his rig out of the mud at 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, but he also gave them a home and RV hookups for the day

“Getting stuck in the mud is something I didn’t ever think would happen in Pecos, Texas,” Long said. “Clay really opened up his hospitality to us, so we got to get some good rest, and I guess the good lucked rubbed off.”

Good roping or good luck, the tandem will take it.

“The steers play a humongous part in this,” Ward said. “If you draw strong, it’s hard to recover. The barrier (the steer’s head start) is real long – I think it’s 24 feet with a 20-foot box, and it’s a hand-pulled barrier – so the cows are running. When you get one that lets you catch up and beat them like we did, it’s nice.”

Just like the summer, Ward and Long are heating up at just the right time.

West of the Pecos Rodeo
June 25-28
Bareback riding: 1. Bradlee Miller, 87.5 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Chrome Molly; 2. (tie) Darien Johnson and Garrett Shadbolt, 83; 4. Gavin French, 78; no other qualified rides.

Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Cyle Denison/Lane Mitchell, 6.6 seconds; 2. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 6.8; 3. Manny Egusquiza Jr./Walt Woodard, 6.9; 4. Clint Summers/Jade Corkill, 7.4; 5. Tyler Wade/Wesley Thorp, 7.5; 6. Andrew Ward/Jake Long, 7.6; 7. Clint Summers/Jade Corkill, 7.8; 8. Peyton Walters/Tyson Thompson, 8.3. Second round leaders: 1. Andrew Ward/Jake Long, 6.1 seconds; 2. Zane Thompson/Chad Mathes, 6.4; 3. (tie) Jaxon Hill/Jessen James and Brenten Hall/Kaden Profili, 6.9; 5. Tyler Wade/Wesley Thorp, 7.5; 6. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 7.6; 7. Clint Summers/Jade Corkill, 7.8; 8. Peyton Walters/Tyson Thompson, 8.3. Average leaders: 1. Andrew Ward/Jake Long, 13.7 seconds on two runs; 2. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 14.4; 3. (tie) Brenten Hall/Kaden Profili and Jaxon Hill/Jessen James, 14.6; 5. Tyler Wade/Wesley Thorp, 15.0; 6. Clint Summers/Jade Corkill, 15.2; 7. Zane Thompson/Chad Mathes, 15.5; 8. Peyton Walters/Tyson Thompson, 17.1.

Steer roping: First round leaders: 1. Jess Tierney, 14.6 seconds; 2. Laramie Allen, 17.4; 3. Ryan Rochlitz, 18.4; 4. Seth Schafer, 19.3; 5. Jody Rowland, 22.5; no other qualified times. Second round leaders: 1. Laramie Allen, 12.5 seconds; 2. Seth Schafer, 14.3; 3. Neal Wood, 14.6; 4. Ryan Rochlitz, 17.3; 5. Rowdy Bond, 18.0; no other qualified times. Third round leaders: 1. Neal Wood, 11.2 seconds; 2. Seth Schafer, 12.4; 3. Jess Tierney, 12.8; 4. Laramie Allen, 15.0; 5. Evan Allard, 16.6; no other qualified times. Average leaders: 1. Laramie Allen, 44.9 seconds on three runs; 2. Seth Schafer, 46.0; 3. Neal Wood, 25.8 seconds on two runs; 4. Jess Tierney, 27.4; 5. Ryan Rochlitz, 35.7; 6. Evan Allard, 16.6 seconds on one run; 7. Rowdy Bond, 18.0; 8. Jody Rowland, 22.5.

Saddle bronc riding: 1. Cash Wilson, 83 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Miss Texas; 2. Shorty Garrett, 82.5; 3. Darcy Radel, 81; 4. Joe Macqueen, 78; 5. Dawson Hay, 76; 6. Warwick Southern, 74; no other qualified rides.

Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. Marty Yates, 8.8 seconds; 2. Tyson Durfey, 9.2; 3. Jett Barrett, 9.3; 4. Ike Fontenot, 9.4; 5. John Douch, 10.4; 6. Riley Istre, 10.6; 7. Travis Staley, 11.0; 8. Paden Bray, 11.1. Second round leaders: 1. Lane Livingston, 8.9 seconds, $3,929; 2. Bradley Bynum, 9.0, $3,416; 3. Sterling Smith, 9.7, $2,904; 4. Tyson Durfey, 10.2, $2,391; 5. (tie) Riley Istre and Marty Yates, 10.6, $1,623 each; 7. Ike Fontenot, 11.7, $854; 8. Cory Solomon, 11.9, $342. Average leaders: 1. (tie) Tyson Durfey and Marty Yates, 19.4 seconds on two head each; 3. Bradley Bynum, 20.7; 4. Ike Fontenot, 21.1; 5. Riley Istre, 21.2; 6. Jett Barrett, 21.5; 7. (tie) Lane Livingston and Cory Solomon, 23.3.

Breakaway roping: First round leaders: 1. Grace Felton, 3.4 seconds; 2. Samantha Fulton, 3.5; 3. (tie) Josey Murphy and Madalyn Richards, 3.7 each; 5. Cadee Williams, 3.8; 6. Haiden Thompson, 4.0; 7. Lari (tie) Dee Guy and Ali Norcutt, 4.1; 9. (tie) Lauren Hopkins and Lucy Richards, 4.2. Second round leaders: 1. Taylor Raupe, 2.8 seconds; 2. Suzanne Williams, 3.3; 3. Jayce Davison, 3.4; 4. Haiden Thompson, 3.6; 5. Bradi Good, 3.8; 6. (tie) Kayelen Helton, Lari Dee Guy and Cadee Williams, 4.0; 9. Danielle Lowman, 4.1; 10. Madalyn Richards, 4.9. Average leaders: 1. Haiden Thompson, 7.6 seconds on two runs; 2. (tie) Taylor Raupe and Cadee Williams, 7.8; 4. Lari Dee Guy, 8.1; 5. Madalyn Richards, 8.5; 6. Bradi Good, 10.3. 

Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Boyd Sawyer, 6.8 seconds; Second round leaders: 1. (tie) Cody Harmon and Wade Steffen, 4.9 seconds; 3. Ty Cochrane, 5.7; 4. Clay Hurt, 7.6; 5. Boyd Hanagriff, 7.9; no other qualified runs. Average leaders: 1. (tie) Wade Steffen and Cody Harmon, 4.9 seconds on one head each; 3. Ty Cochrane, 5.7; 4. Boyd Sawyer, 6.8; 5. Clay Hurt, 7.6; 6. Boyd Hanagriff, 7.9.

Barrel racing: 1. Ginger Billingsley, 17.26 seconds; 2. Alyssa MacDonald, 17.44; 3. Gracen Harman, 17.55; 4. Sharin Hall, 17.58; 5. Bristan McCarley, 17.59; 6. Helen Nowosad, 17.69; 7. Katie Halbert, 17.70; 8. Kassie Mowry, 17.71; 9. (tie) Millie Marquart and Dena Kirkpatrick, 17.79.

Bull riding: 1. Ky Hamilton, 85.5 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Bootlegger; no other qualified rides.