Two days ago, I ran into Chad Masters right after his first run on BFI Monday.

“Nothing like running through the barrier and catching your horse’s tail in the first round of the biggest roping of the year,” he said. “It felt like that run would never end. I just wanted to get out of the arena before I fainted, puked, or fell off.”

But the true champs never say die. They regroup and they rally. Two-time Champ of the World Masters and Joseph Harrison just bounced back at Reno Rodeo slack with a 4.9-second run to take the Round 1 lead.