Pushing the Barrier by Speed Williams – April 2014

Pushing the Barrier by Speed Williams

Just last month there was a rodeo, RFD’s the American, held where cowboys and cowgirls could compete for up to $1,000,000. Each event consisted of the top ten in the world, five contestants who qualified, and then one or two exemption contestants who were invited.

Because Randy Barnard gave a few exemptions in the American, we got to see Charmayne James run barrels, Dan Mortensen ride a bareback horse, Ote Berry wrestle steers, and Joe Beaver and Fred Whitfield rope calves. Randy couldn’t choose between Jake, Clay and I (Rich was already qualified) so he invited us to rope with partners of our choice.

The top ten in each event could win $100,000. However, one of the qualifying or exemption contestants was eligible to win the $1,000,000. There’s no way to describe what it was like to be entered in a one-day rodeo at Cowboy Stadium with an opportunity to win $1,000,000. I can only hope the sport of rodeo can continue to grow.

What Randy Barnard and RFD TV did was create a way for anyone, in any event, without being one of the top ten in the world, to win $1,000,000. Ironically, the event with the least amount of contestants paid the $1,000,000. A kid named Richard Champion beat the top ten bareback riders in the world and became a millionaire in one day.

If you’re a team roper that is consistent, it’s definitely worth the effort to attempt to qualify for the American and be eligible to win a million dollar.

The PRCA has renegotiated their contract with Las Vegas Events and in 2015 the rounds will pay $30,000 per night and the average will pay close to $90,000. This means contestants have a chance to win $200,000 to $300,000 at the NFR in ten days. These advances in rodeo pave the way for guys to eventually win a million or two a year in the sport of rodeo.

That gives me hope that my kids have a chance for this sport to grow and the opportunity to win a lot of money.

What’s new with me: We’ve had a big change at the speedroping.com arena. We have been working on my wife’s heeling for four years now and she has some very nice heel horses.

Recently I told her I have two head horses I don’t need since I’m not going to rodeo this summer. I wanted her to ride them and see how she got along.

Jennifer won second in the Wildfire All Girl roping with 299 teams. As a #5 heeler she usually heels in the #10 and #9. But she also heads extremely well and there’s a lot of money to be won in the #13, #12, and #11 ropings.