7-21 Pages for Bryan

Top Timed-Event Winner
Dan Hubbell photo
Smidt tops timed-event chart with $30,199
BY TRACY RENCK
TOP TIMED-EVENT
1. Caleb Smidt, TD ................... $30,199
2. Kaleb Driggers, TR1 ............... $26,540
Junior Nogueira, TR2 ............. $26,540
4. Kyle Irwin, SW ..................... $24,504
5. Levi Simpson, TR1 ................ $22,649
Jeremy Buhler, TR2 ............... $22,649
7. Tanner Milan, SW ................. $22,554
8. Riley Minor, TR1 ................... $21,081
Brady Minor, TR2 .................. $21,081
10. Clay Smith, TR1 .................. $20,742
Paul Eaves, TR2 .................... $20,742
Gifts were a plenty for tie-down roper Caleb Smidt
during the 2017 Cowboy Christmas.
The 2015 world champion won $30,199 during
the wild rodeo run.
“Man, things went really well for me,” Smidt said. “I
think what really helped me is the horsepower I had.”
Smidt’s performance wasn’t far off of tie-down roper
Shane Hanchey’s single event, timed-event Cowboy
Christmas record of $32,293 in earnings, which was set
in 2016.
Smidt was able to stuff his Cowboy Christmas
stocking by riding his bay horse, Pockets, who is 10,
and Iron, 7. Iron is a sorrel horse who belongs to Walter
Johnson and is ridden by Smidt and eight-time Wrangler
National Finals Rodeo qualifier Justin Maass.
“I pretty much rode Pockets everywhere and he was awesome,” Smidt said. “It was great to also have Iron because
everywhere I rode him he did his job. I drew good at the rodeos and I had a lot of chances to win and I took advantage at
most of them.”
Smidt also rode Pockets at the 2015 WNFR, where he doubled up as the WNFR average winner and world champ.
He split the Round 3 win and placed in seven other rounds to win his first WNFR average title with a time of 80.70 seconds
on 10 head and capture his first world championship with $242,354.
Smidt’s biggest earnings during the Cowboy Christmas run came at the Greeley (Colo.) Stampede, Cody (Wyo.)
Stampede and the World’s Oldest Rodeo in Prescott, Ariz.
He cashed in a $9,802 payday in Greeley – all in tie-down roping – and also took all-around cowboy honors thanks to
competing in team roping.
Smidt then earned $9,475 at Cody by splitting first place with Sterling Smith as each recorded 7.7-second times. He
added another $6,274 at Prescott – $3,463 for winning the two-head average with an 18.1-second time – while aboard Iron.
“I wanted to win every rodeo I entered during Cowboy Christmas, but Cody was probably the biggest one-header of
the year,” Smidt said. “There were 100 and some guys entered there, so to split that and win almost $9,500 was cool.
“I think the only time I ever did good at Prescott before this year was when I won a round in team roping there in
2015. This time, Iron was really good, and when you draw good and ride a good horse, it makes things a lot easier. When I
left Prescott, I didn’t think I was going to win first because I was a little longer on my second run than I wanted to be, but I
was fortunate and ended up winning.”
Smidt has had decent Cowboy Christmas runs in the past – highlighted by his 2015 trip when he won $18,994.
“I’ve never had a run like I had this year,” Smidt said. “I didn’t try and go to 12-15 rodeos, I just eased around to the
good ones and made sure I had my good horses there and did the best I could at the rodeos I went to. I figured that was
a better plan than getting on planes and flying all around and getting to as many as I could and being tired. I was able to
capitalize on that approach.”
The winning binge by Smidt stretched his lead in the all-around July 11 WEATHER GUARD® PRCA World
Standings with $109,767 and moved him into the top spot in the tie-down roping world standings with $101,117. A year
ago, Smidt finished sixth in the final world standings.
“It’s good to have a lead, but the NFR pays so much now, it’s pretty much anybody’s game,” Smidt said. “I think during
Salt Lake and Spanish Fork (Utah) and Salinas (Calif.), that third week of July is going to change things a lot. Just because
I’m winning right now doesn’t mean I can take it easy and ease into the NFR. We’re going to keep rodeoing and hopefully
my horses will keep working well and I can build on my leads. Everybody out here has talent and can rope. All it comes
down to is whose horses are working the best and who draws the best calves.”
Smidt is leading the all-around race, by virtue of team roping with heeler B.J. Dugger.
“We’ve been team roping everywhere and it hasn’t been near as good as the calf roping, and hopefully we can get
things turned around here,” Smidt said.
While venturing down the PRCA trail, Smidt does find comfort in the fact that his wife, Brenna, who he married
in November of 2013, and 16-month old son, Cru, get to spend time with him while he’s traveling. The couple lives in
Bellville, Texas.
“They are out here with me, so it’s a lot of fun and something we really enjoy,” he said.
“When you’re doing good, it is a lot more fun and you just try and enjoy every moment of it. I just want to try and
win first every time, and if I can’t do that, I want to do good at a lot of rodeos and I’m going to keep chasing them and keep
roping them and see where we end up at the end of the year.”
ProRodeo.com ProRodeo Sports News 7/21/2017 33