Coleman Proctor and Logan Medlin won the fifth round of the 2021 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo with a 3.8-second run, worth $26,996.97 a man.
The run was a much-needed strike for the duo who had tough luck earlier in the week with a no-time in Rounds 1 and 4.
“That steer has big horns, and Andrew Ward and I both got a neck on him now,” said Proctor, 36, from Pryor, Oklahoma. “He’s got the prettiest set of roping horns. If he was a Mojo, you would buy him. He kind of stepped off to the right and he was kind of laying down in the chute a little bit. I didn’t know how hard he’d leave the box, so I was still wanting to get a roll at him but I missed it just a touch. He steps off to the right, and this was a heavier pen of steers and he was lighter framed. I was trying to not let him whip too far down the pen where I couldn’t put him back together leaving the corner, which is so important out here. When I was caught in the V with a neck shot, I was trying to take my time through the turn.”
Proctor stayed on SCR Sporties Playgun, aka Heisman, the same 2008 bay gelding he won The American on with Ryan Motes in 2018. The gelding is by the great Playgun and out of the Haidas Little Pep mare, Haidas Sportie.
“Heisman is working better than he’s ever worked,” Proctor said. “Our run sets up a little different than what I’ve done with him in the past. Billie Jack and Motesy both kind of wanted him to hit the end of it and come back toward the corner. With Logan, I’m trying to square them off and go more across the pen. We’ve been really working on coming out of the turn and getting finished.”
Medlin, of course, was on his two-time AQHA/PRCA Horse of the Year Nita Win Playboy, who he calls Drago. Drago is by High Caliber Kurtis out of the Freckle Image mare, Nita Win Freckles.
“Drago’s really good at getting down the arena and he’s fast and he can get to where I want them to be,” said Medlin, 30, of Tatum, New Mexico. “I heel better if I can push down the arena and get square behind them. Drago will curl his head out of the way and give you a throw no matter what.”
The round saw top average teams stumble, with Clay Smith and Jade Corkill and Kaleb Driggers and Junior Nogueira both taking a plus-10 for a barrier, while Andrew Ward and Buddy Hawkins added 5 seconds for a leg.
“I was watching from the head box trying to see the start, and it started out really tight and tough, but then pretty soon you had a few key teams like Clay Smith and Driggers break a barrier,” Proctor said. “At the NFR, your job is to nail the start and make the whole life a lot easier.”
Despite a leg in Round 5, Ward and Hawkins moved to the lead in the average with a 28.80 on five head. Driggers and Nogueira dropped to third in the average with a 32.90 on five, but lead the PRCA World Standings with $183,759.78 and $198,144.88 won, respectively. Rhen Richard and Jeremy Buhler, who were second in the round with a 4.0, are leading the NFR earnings race in the team roping with $69,654.60 won each. TRJ
Placings:
1. Coleman Proctor and Logan Medlin, 3.8, $26,996.97 each
2. Rhen Richard and Jeremy Buhler, 4.0, $21,336.32 each
3. Clay Tryan and Jake Long, 4.1, $16,111.10 each
4. Cody Snow and Wesley Thorp, 4.3, $11,321.31 each
5. Erich Rogers and Paden Bray, 9.2, $6,966.96 each
6. Quinn Kesler and Joseph Harrison, 9.5, $4,354.35 each
Full Results:
778 Tyler Wade and Trey Yates NT (lost heel rope)
775 Clay Tryan and Jake Long 4.1
762 Cody Snow and Wesley Thorp 4.3
766 Clay Smith and Jade Corkill 4.2 + 10
770 Erich Rogers and Paden Bray 4.2 + 5
760 Kaleb Driggers and Junior Nogueira 4.7 + 10
774 Dustin Egusquiza and Travis Graves 5.9 + 5
759 Quinn Kesler and Joseph Harrison 4.3 + 5
764 Coy Rahlmann and Douglas Rich NT
763 Andrew Ward and Buddy Hawkins 4.4 + 5
767 Coleman Proctor and Logan Medlin 3.8
793 Derrick Begay and Brady Minor NT
777 Rhen Richard and Jeremy Buhler 4.0
776 Clint Summers and Ross Ashford NT
771 Brenten Hall and Chase Tryan 5.4
