Clay Clayman is in the driver’s seat of the 2022 JR Ironman presented by the WCRA at the Lazy E Arena, leading the event with an aggregate time of 76.0 seconds on eight head through two rounds.
Clayman won his second-straight go-round with a time of 35.6 seconds on four head, just 1.9 seconds ahead of Dawson Price. Price is also second behind Clayman in the aggregate with a time of 97.7 second on eight head.
Reigning NHSFR Champ Clayman Leads 2022 Jr. Ironman After Round 1
“It was a little prettier today,” Clayman, 19, of Highlandville, Missouri, said. “I didn’t hickey a horn in the heading and did a better job for Paden (Bray). I won the round, and then in the calf roping I had a slower one that was going to come left so I wanted to dang sure be late, so I was really late. When I figure-eighted a front leg, that helped because I knew he couldn’t get by me that way. I got him up and tied him down.”
Clayman, a National High School Rodeo Association heeling champ, also made the fastest run of the go-round in that event behind World Champion Erich Rogers with a 7.3-second run.
“In the bull dogging I had a steer I didn’t like,” Clayman said. “I got a little narrow go, but it all worked.”
For Clayman, who comes from a family of NFR and circuit finals hands and has excelled at the junior rodeo and ProRodeo circuit level, the CTEC is an opportunity to explore the events he works less frequently.
“It explores your weaknesses,” Clayman said. “I’m not a calf roper and don’t head very often. It’s easy to get into a rhythm heeling and the bull dogging, and I’m used to it. All the time I’m the last bull dogger and first team roper back to back. But not very often do I have to calf rope and head, too.”
Clayman’s helping out his helpers, too, with Rogers borrowing his bull dogging horse for the Cinch Timed Event Championships, making a 6.9-second run in Round 1.
Clayman enters the third round of the Jr. Ironman Saturday at 9:30 a.m. high man back, a position that’s not necessarily his favorite.
“Normally I like being the underdog, because I can do what I always do and be as fast as I can on that steer. When you have, say, 19 seconds to bull dog a steer, that plays with you. But that’s OK. We’ll adjust,” Clayman said. TRJ
