Sitting pretty: Derrick Begay, Colter Todd takes over team roping standings

ALBUQUERQUE

One year ago, the circumstances were quite different for Derrick Begay and Colter Todd.

The PRCA team ropers were on the bubble to make the 2024 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo with Begay making the prestigious event while Todd had to sit it out.

Fast forward 12 months later, the two Arizona cowboys sit atop the world standings with $163,849 won as the 2025 regular season will end in two weeks with a handful of rodeos. Of that total, the pair won $65,000 at Rodeo Houston during the winter rodeo season for the 2025 season.

“I roped with Colter at the last rodeo of the year in San Bernadino and all I had to do was catch for him to make (the NFR) and I missed,” Begay said. “He ended up 16th and I ended up roping with Johnathan Torres at the finals.

“I felt bad for not getting him in there,” he added. “And so, this year, I wanted to come back, thinking that I’m going to get him there. It’s nice knowing that I did that.”

Todd, who hails from southern Arizona in Willcox, acknowledged that he was somewhat disappointed that he did not make the finals last year.

“You can’t say you’re not bummed, but I was super happy with the guys that made it,” Todd said. “They needed to make it, and they deserved to make it. I was just glad that Begay got in. I wanted him to do good and win.”

With Todd not making the NFR, Begay teamed up with Torres last year and the pair ended up second in the average as they roped nine of 10 steers for 65.10 seconds.

The year before that, Begay won the 2023 average race with Todd at finals.

“Making the finals is obviously the end goal,” Todd said. “If you go all year, you want to make the finals but I’m old enough to know that sometimes it doesn’t work out, especially if you don’t rope good.

“Last year, I didn’t rope good towards the end,” he continued. “This year, I haven’t either but winning Houston kind of gives you a pretty good cushion. It’s like an insurance policy to help you get through.”

Begay agreed while noting the payouts at Rodeo Houston is like no other.

“We won $65,00 and that rodeo pays so much,” he said. “It pays more than any other rodeo, so it’s almost not fair. It gives anybody who wins it a big head start, but it was a nice win.”

With that lucrative payout, it allowed both cowboys to ease their schedule during the hectic summer months.

“We got to stay home a little bit more,” Begay said. “We didn’t have to go as hard this year, so it’s been a fun year. But nothing’s changed – every time we get entered; we try to do the best we can.”

On Sunday afternoon, the pair moved into the top spots of the PRCA world standings as they collected $3,708 for winning third at the New Mexico State Fair at Tingley Coliseum in Albuquerque with a 4.0 run.

“This rodeo has been going on for as long as I can remember,” Begay said. “This is one of the bigger rodeos right here at the end of the season. There’s two weeks left after this, so there’s a lot of guys that come here needing a win.

“This is one of my first time I’ve come here not really needing the win because usually I’m at the bottom of the top 15,” he added. “But anytime you rodeo, you want to do good.”

Todd says he was just glad that he was able to catch for Begay as the pair finished behind event winner Lightning Aguilera and Wyatt Cox, as the winning team posted a 3.5 run. With a 3.9 effort, Kolby Krieger and Michael Fortenberry placed second.

“I was glad to catch this steer today,” Todd said of the third-place run. “I’ve been home, and I haven’t been roping good. It’s one of the last rodeos of the year so I’m glad to catch.

“It’s like helping my friend,” he added. “I don’t know if that makes any sense to anybody but it’s always hard if you think you let your friend down, so I was glad to catch two feet. We get to go home at least happy about doing our jobs today.”

The duo plans on competing in one more rodeo for the 2025 regular season when they’ll head to the North Dakota Roughrider Cup in Mandan, North Dakota on Sunday.

“It’s a big rodeo in Mandan,” Begay said. “It’s a one-header and they are supposed to take the top 30.”

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