The brothers-in-law team of Radley Day, 35, and Taylor Williams, 31, won the 2019 Montana Pro Rodeo Circuit Finals Rodeo and came back with a vengeance to win the 2020 Montana Pro Rodeo Circuit Finals Rodeo at the Majestic Valley Arena in Kalispell, Montana, Jan. 15–16, 2021.
Day and Williams were the only team to rope three head. They roped their steers in a total time of 25.2 seconds, worth $2,225 a man.
“It was really cool to be able to do that,” Williams said. “To do it against the group of guys that are in the Montana Circuit makes you feel fortunate.”
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“My mindset going in was to just jackpot all three steers. The first two, for sure, and then see what we had to do,” said Day, who is married to Williams’ sister, Ashley. “If I did my job, I had a lot of confidence that Taylor would do his and we’d have a better chance at getting back. That was my plan the first year and it worked. This year, the situation was a little different—bigger building. It just worked out.”
They knocked down their first two steers in 13.6 seconds and drew a steer in the third round that had yet to be caught, but they captured the steer in 11.6 seconds, worth $371 a man, to win the average.
“They missed him in both goes and he went left,” Day said. “I guess Taylor wanted to keep him straighter and give him more room. He started left and then kind of took off to the right and he was getting away from me. I knew I just had to catch him. I roped him right at the back fence. It was a clean run. Taylor did his job.”
Day and Williams rode full-sister mares by Frenchmans Bullet, out of Beanie Baybe Chic, that the Williams family raised. Day rode J-Lo, an 11-year-old bay mare that his father-in-law owns.
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“She scores as good as anything and runs hard and flat,” Day said. “She has a pile of try. I’ve had access to her whenever I wanted her. I started riding her about a year ago, consistently.”
Williams heeled on the younger of the two mares, a 9-year-old called Baybe.
“I ride several of them, but she’s the best one that I’ve got, so it’s pretty simple: When I go to something like that or a bigger World Series roping, that’s what I’m on,” Williams said.
To top off the year, Baybe also had great success in the Montana Breakaway Roping Circuit with his wife, Joey, on board.
“We’re pretty proud of her this year,” Williams said. “My wife won the year-end Montana Circuit Breakaway on her. She didn’t compete on her at the circuit finals, but she competed on her all year at the rodeos.”
Full Results:
First round:
1. Brady Tryan and Justin Viles, 5.4 seconds, worth $1,483 each
2. Radley Day and Taylor Williams, 6.6 seconds, worth $1,112
3. Delon Parker and Ryan Zurcher, 7.4 seconds, worth $742 each
4. Shawn Bessette and Matt Robertson, 11.7 seconds, worth $371 each
Second round:
1/2. Caden Camp and John Bell, 5.8 seconds, worth $1,298 each
1/2. Dustin Bird and Sid Sporer, 5.8 seconds, $1,298 each
3. Jace Johnson and Chase Gauger, 5.9 seconds, worth $742 each
4. Radley Day and Taylor Williams, 7.0 seconds, worth $371 each
Third round:
1. Brady Tryan and Justin Viles, 4.7 seconds, worth $1,483 each
2. Jace Johnson and Chase Gauger, 5.2 seconds, worth $1,112 each
3. Caden Camp and John Bell, 5.9 seconds, worth $742 each
4. Radley Day and Taylor Williams, 11.6 seconds, worth $371 each
Average:
1. Radley Day and Taylor Williams, 25.2 seconds on three head, worth $2,225 each
2. Brady Tryan and Justin Viles, 10.1 on two head, worth $1,668 each
3. Jace Johnson and Chase Gauger, 11.1 seconds on two head, worth $1,112 each
4. Caden Camp and John Bell, 11.7 seconds on two head, worth $556 each
