Veteran steer-wrestler grapples his way to the top

Team roping champions capture title despite shaky run

LAS VEGAS, Nevada

With no signs of letting up, Mulholland Well, New Mexico cowboy Sheridan Jodie captured his second Indian National Finals Rodeo world title.

He won his first title in 2006 and with the entire Jodie clan in attendance at the South Point Equestrian Center in Las Vegas it made good sense for him to win another saddle.

As one of the those rodeo athletes getting up there in age, Jodie’s aggression and enthusiasm were on full display during the weeklong event.

In the opening round, he placed fourth overall with a 4.99 run. In the next round, he finished second with a 4.52 run as those two runs helped him take over the driver’s seat.

In last Friday’s third round performance things got a little tricky with some of the other contestants turning in good runs. Nonetheless, he stayed in contention with a seventh place run of 5.47 seconds.

That run gave him a 1.07 second lead over eventual all-around champ Quinton Inman. In the finale both cowboys added a little drama in the race to finish as the world champion.

Inman started it off by recording a blistering 4.25 run that gave him a 20.30 aggregate of four heads. Jodie then capped the night by doing the Oklahoma cowboy better by recording a 4.23 run on Saturday night.

Besides Jodie, the team roping combo of Ed Hawley and Ty Romo captured their second world crown as well on Saturday night. In 2012 both cowboys won their first title together.

“Winning that first one was pretty sweet but this one is right up there,” said Romo, who also won the Tour Rodeo with a whopping $24,686.

With just under 17 seconds to play in their final draw, Romo said there was more pressure to be under that than it was to be a little faster. That proved to be the case as the pair turned in a not-so-pretty 13.88 run with Romo catching a leg.

“That steer was not very good and we tried to make the best of it,” he said.

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