Texas’ Jeff Anderberg and New Mexico’s Butch Whitten came from fourth callback and made a 6.96-second run to move them to the top of the leaderboard at the #12 USTRC/WSTR Finale Qualifier held at the Cinch National Finals of Team Roping. 

They won the average with a time of 30.93 seconds on four head, worth $17,520, and qualified for the 2019 World Series of Team Roping Finale. 

“It was one of the toughest #12 short rounds I think I’ve ever seen,” Whitten said in awe. “We drew a good steer in the short round. Jeff just got it on him pretty quick. Everybody above us had to be 6 too but we just lucked out and won it.”

In high hopes of winning some money, Anderberg and Whitten were just trying to place somewhere in the top three to secure a spot for the WSTR Finale. 

“After that it was pretty awesome. I told Jeff after the third high call roped, ‘Jeff, I guess were going to Vegas next year.'”

Whitten, owner of Whitten Construction, noted that he and Anderberg were entered in the #12 Shoot-Out but Whitten couldn’t seem to catch for him in that roping. He definitely got that sorted out when it came time for the #12 Dual Qualifier. 

“We’ve been to two or three ropings this year and it was pretty awesome to win with Jeff. In fact in the first roping in the #12 right before it, I never caught a steer for Jeff. It was sweet revenge.”

Whitten was heeling on a horse he calls Cash that he rides just about everywhere he goes. 

“I’ve had him for nine years. He’s a 12-year-old, and he’s been good to me,” Whitten said.