Treaty Day PRCA Rodeo
Fans light a fire for team-roper Begay
(Special to the Times - Donovan Quintero)
Derek Begay ropes the steer and begins to turn it for his heeler Saturday night at the Dean C. Jackson Memorial Arena in Window Rock.
By Quentin Jodie
Navajo Times
WINDOW ROCK, June 9, 2011
As one of the first Native Americans to make the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, Begay received some rock star treatment at the Dean C. Jackson Memorial Arena in the final performance of the 2nd Annual Treat Day Celebration & PRCA Rodeo on Saturday night.
This came even before he performed as the three-time Wrangler National Finals qualifier could feel the weight of the nation on his shoulders. But after he and roping partner Cesar de la Cruz turned in a sizzling run of 4.6 seconds, the pressure seems to have subsided, like there was nothing to it for Begay and Cruz.
"It was the last performance and we were the last team out so the pressure was there," Begay said. "Even before the rodeo I had a lot of pressure on myself coming into here because it's Window Rock and it's on the reservation. I mean ninety-nine-point-nine percent of the fans were Navajos who were watching me so there was that added pressure."
Nonetheless, Begay managed to stay grounded even as the pressure mounted.
"It kind of gave me the chills there for a little bit," he said of the warm reception, "but it also lit a fire under me."
Afterwards his roping peers had nothing but positive things to say as current PRCA team-roping leader Chad Masters compared him to a rock star as Begay was mobbed by fans at the south end of the arena.
"He's just a step above everyone else," Masters said. "He's more or less the guy to beat and anytime I can come second to him, it means I've done good. Everyone around here seems to like him.
"I can't get that kind of attention back home," the Clarksville, Tenn., cowboy added.
Over the years, Begay says he's been called many things, but a rock star?
"I don't know about that," Begay said. "I've been around the rez my whole life and I really don't think of myself as a rock star. But I think for (the other PRCA ropers), they see firsthand the support I have here among the Natives and with it being a hometown rodeo it got a little crazy there at the end.
"That's why they think I'm a rock star," he said.
It didn't help his case that the Seba Dalkai, Ariz., cowboy was swarmed with autographs and picture requests for more than 20 minutes before the Navajo Times got a chance to interview him.
"A long time ago, I was one of those kids getting autographs from the professional cowboys who made it to Window Rock," Begay said. "It's a little weird that the tables are turned now, but it's all for the fans.
"They're the reason why I do this," he said.
As for his partner, Begay said he's been roping professionally with de la Cruz for two years now, but their paths crossed many years ago when they competed in the Arizona Junior Rodeo Association.
"We both grew up from rodeo families and I've known Derek for a long time," de la Cruz said. "He used to heel for me and he was a fierce competitor."
Even though their roles have changed, de la Cruz said, "He's still like that today."
Now it's Begay who sets the pace as the team's header while de la Cruz cleans up the back end of the run.
"I just react to what he's doing," de la Cruz said.
But both agree that their roping styles compliment one another.
"I've been roping with Cesar for a long time now," Begay said. "We just have a lot of confidence in our roping, but I think the rhythm that we have works."
His pro career didn't exactly start that way though. Three years after graduating from Winslow High School, Begay bought his PRCA card in 2004 and spent all of his time heeling.
"First of all, I just started out as a roper," Begay said. "I really didn't know what direction I was headed into. When I was growing up I heeled a lot and for the first three, four years I heeled in the circuit rodeos.
"It's kind of tough to be a heeler out there," he said. "I have a lot of cousins that heel and one day I went to heading and from there on I just stuck with it."
Looking back, Begay said he initially struggled to get his start. But it was de la Cruz's uncle - Victor Eros - who called him up one day to rope in a few circuit rodeos. That summer of 2007 was when Begay felt like he belonged as he and Eros won a round at the prestigious Reno Rodeo, the fourth richest on the PRCA tour.
"After that we just kept entering and winning and my career just kind of took off from there," Begay said.
Of course, the 26-year-old cowboy credits his family for the support and encouragement he's received. Begay is the son of Victor Begay and Myrtle Begay. He also has two sisters, Jaime and Brittany.
"They help me out a lot," he said. "They'll pretty much drop anything they're doing. It's a good feeling to have that family support."
And although he has made a successful living as a professional team roper, there is nothing boastful about him.
Instead Begay remains humble which is why - rock star or not - he was there paying his dues by signing a few autographs.
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