Professional team roper Erich Rogers hits another milestone, wins BFI

WINDOW ROCK

Erich Rogers can now scratch off the Bob Feist Invitational off his bucket list.

The Round Rock, Ariz., team roper won the prestigious event on Monday at the Reno Livestock Events Center in Reno, Nev., with partner Cory Petska.

The winning pair roped six steers in 42.83 seconds and split the top prize of $120,000. They won the event despite not placing in the first five rounds.

“It was on high my list because it is one of the biggest premier roping in the world,” Rogers said in a telephone interview about the BFI. “To win it is a great feeling to have. Everybody that ropes wants to win that event.”

Before this year, Rogers said his best finish was in 2013 when he finished second at the $500,000 event that invites only 100 elite ropers.

In addition to Rogers, the Diné contingent also fared well with Tuba City cowboy Aaron Tsinigine and Seba Dalkai, Ariz., team roper Derrick Begay placing in the top four.

Tsinigine lost the title with partner Ryan Motes by nearly two seconds as the pair turned in an aggregate of 44.74 seconds. They split the second place prize of $84,000.

“Aaron and Ryan did an outstanding job,” Rogers said. “My hats off to them. They had a good roping and they had a tough time in the first round but they battled and they came back to the short round.

Begay, meanwhile, finished fourth overall with a time of 46.39 with partner Clay O’Brien Cooper as the pair split $33,000.

“Derrick roped soundly with Clay O’Brien,” Rogers said, while adding that this was the first time they all made the short round the same year.

“We all did good and we won some money,” he said.

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