‘I’m real excited’: Young cowboy qualifies for back-to-back world finals

WINDOW ROCK

After a successful summer run, Nevada cowboy Tater Nez will compete in two world finals next month.

Nez, who is Diné and Walker River Paiute, earned qualifications for the Junior World Finals Rodeo (JWFR) in the senior bareback and saddle bronc events in Fort Worth, Texas.

The Yerington High freshman also got invited to compete in the International Miniature Bullriding Association (IMBA) World Finals in Mesquite, Texas.

The JWFR is scheduled for Dec. 2-8 at the famed Cowtown Coliseum while the IMBA World Finals is slated for Dec. 7-12. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the JWFR was moved from Las Vegas, Nevada, to Texas.

“I’m going to have a busy schedule but I’m real excited,” Nez said in an interview with the Navajo Times. “It’s going to be very competitive.”

Despite the pandemic, Nez was able to stay active in the rodeo scene by competing in the West Coast Region of the Junior Roughstock Association.

In that association, the 15-year-old cowboy finished as the bareback region champion, which covers California, Oregon and Washington states. In the saddle bronc, he was the reserve champion.

“I’m pretty proud of him,” his dad, Shawn Nez, said. “We traveled a lot of miles throughout the western region, trying to qualify at different events.”

Shawn said the western region consisted of five rodeos with a series of rodeos taking place in Lakeview, Oregon.

“That’s a six-hour drive from here (in Yerington) and we hit that series once a month,” the Nez patriarch said. “Tater ended up winning at a couple of them and that’s how he qualified.”

Of the two events, the younger Nez said he wasn’t sure if he would make the world finals in the saddle bronc.

“It took awhile for me to get qualified because I was sitting in third place,” Tater said, as this will be his first-ever qualification at the JWFR.

As for the IMBA, Tater will be making his second consecutive trip to the world finals in hopes of having better results.

“I made the world finals last year but I didn’t do too good,” he said. “I got bucked off my first two bulls so I didn’t make the short go.”

At last year’s finals, Tater said he had a chance to cover his draws but his bulls got the upper hand late in the ride.

“They just made too big of a move,” he said. “Those bulls can turn back and they’re just really fast.”

As a third generation cowboy, Tater said his path to rodeo was an easy one.

“I’ve always like it because I’ve seen my dad and my brother (DeLane Nez) rodeo,” he said, adding that he qualified for the Indian National Finals Rodeo in the junior bulls last October.

Shawn said that he’s elated that Tater has chosen to keep the family legacy going.

“You know I’ve tried to push him in the cowboy direction,” he said of Tater, who also excels on the basketball court. “It makes me proud that he wants to go forward with this because I believe he has the talent and the drive to be a champion.”

Verjean Manygoats, Tater’s mother, is equally happy that her son chose to rodeo.

“He’s been doing this since he was three years-old,” said Manygoats, who has roots in the Tuba City area. “He started out riding sheep and ever since then he’s been working so hard at it.

“This year he had a lot of competition and I’m just happy to see him go out there and come home with something,” she added. “I’m surprised he got qualified because, man, it was pretty tough.”

With the two world finals taking place on back-to-back weeks the family is seeking donations to cover the cost. Shawn said he’s anticipating their trip to Texas to cost roughly $4,000.

“I’ve done some 50/50 raffle on social media to raise money,” Tater’s dad said. “We’re also putting together sponsorship letters to different businesses in our community.”

Manygoats said she’s also doing her part as she has set up a fundraiser account on her Facebook page: Manygoats Verjean.

“It will be nice for him to have sponsors,” she said. “As parents we just try to do what we can. To help gather money I’ve done some fundraising by selling Indian Tacos.”

To donate go to: https://www.facebook.com/donate/621912115167100/621913471833631/

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