Becenti proves he has the right stuff for the pros
Navajo Times | Ravonelle Yazzie
Tie-down roper Erik Becenti ropes his calf during Saturday night’s performance of the Eastern Navajo Fair. Becenti placed second in the AIRCA-sanctioned rodeo and the following day he won the NNRA rodeo in Crownpoint.
CROWNPOINT
Making the transition from the junior rodeo to the Indian professional ranks took some time for Erik Becenti.
The Brimhall, New Mexico cowboy felt that he “wasn’t good enough,” so he took a year off before he bought his INFR card last season.
“I put in a lot of practice and slowly I started to build my confidence,” Becenti said.
That confidence was on full display as the 21-year-old cowboy captured the tie-down title at the NNRA-sanctioned Eastern Navajo Fair on Sunday with a winning time of 12.18 seconds. (In the AIRCA rodeo, he placed second.)
“I thought I broke out,” Becenti said of Sunday’s run. “I knew my calf was going to run and I just tried to get out pretty good.”
Becenti said he didn’t know much about his draw so he relied on his abilities to get it roped and tied. And although he did bobble on his tie, Becenti emerged as the winner, besting some of the top tie-down ropers in the NNRA ranks.
“I wasn’t sure if that 12-second run was going to hold,” he said.
This was Becenti’s first win at the Eastern Navajo Fair and now he has his sights on finishing out the season strong.
“Hopefully this win will get my confidence going,” he said.
In the steer wrestling event, Mulholland Well, New Mexico cowboy Matthew Jodie seized two titles winning both the AIRCA and NNRA rodeos at the Eastern Navajo Fair.
On Sunday, Jodie dropped his steer in 4.53 seconds as he finished ahead of Mexican Springs, New Mexico cowboy Brandon Bates, who clocked in at 5.05 seconds.
“This is sweet,” Jodie said of being a double winner. “I drew a couple of good steers and I used them.”
Highway 264,
I-40, WB @ Winslow