Clay and Jake Smith have amassed some major wins in their first year and a half in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and in the Open jackpots, including Clay’s win at the Wildfire Open to the World.
But the two got their first taste of big money when they won both the #13 Preliminary and #13 Shootout at the USTRC’s Cinch National Finals of Team Roping in 2009, and Clay still wears that buckle.
“That was the win that decided which way we were going,” Clay, the eldest of the brothers, said. “Before that, I’d been heeling and Jake was the header.”
At the time of their US Finals win, Clay was 17 years old and Jake was 15.
“The year prior, I’d headed at the high school rodeos, and I caught about three of 15,” Jake elaborated, with a chuckle. “Every time we’d go to the US ropings, we’d enter the #15 with me heading and Clay heeling, and the #13 with him heading. But after we did good then, we decided Clay should head and I should heel.”
And they’ve stuck with that plan ever since. The win, worth about $120,000 between the two brothers in the two ropings, built their indoor arena and set them up to launch their careers in a big way.
“I made every short round in every roping I entered that week,” Jake said. “It just started out good like that. On our fourth steer in the #13 Shootout, I roped the steer’s front legs but I ended up smooth. It was like we were meant to win it.”
Clay and Jake Smith have amassed some major wins in their first year and a half in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and in the Open jackpots, including Clay’s win at the Wildfire Open to the World.
But the two got their first taste of big money when they won both the #13 Preliminary and #13 Shootout at the USTRC’s Cinch National Finals of Team Roping in 2009, and Clay still wears that buckle.
“That was the win that decided which way we were going,” Clay, the eldest of the brothers, said. “Before that, I’d been heeling and Jake was the header.”
At the time of their US Finals win, Clay was 17 years old and Jake was 15.
“The year prior, I’d headed at the high school rodeos, and I caught about three of 15,” Jake elaborated, with a chuckle. “Every time we’d go to the US ropings, we’d enter the #15 with me heading and Clay heeling, and the #13 with him heading. But after we did good then, we decided Clay should head and I should heel.”
And they’ve stuck with that plan ever since. The win, worth about $120,000 between the two brothers in the two ropings, built their indoor arena and set them up to launch their careers in a big way.
“I made every short round in every roping I entered that week,” Jake said. “It just started out good like that. On our fourth steer in the #13 Shootout, I roped the steer’s front legs but I ended up smooth. It was like we were meant to win it.”
