Andrew Duncan, of Stephenville, Texas, and Kail Brunson, of Plainview, Texas, made the most of a draw, winning the Hot Heels #9.5 Shootout at the 2026 Cinch USTRC National Finals with a 32.07 on four head, worth $54,200.
Duncan, 22, originally from Murray, Kentucky, needed another run in the #9.5 and drew Brunson, 19.
They opened with a 7.01 and followed it with an 8.21, with Duncan riding “Swagger,” a horse he picked up from Heath Campbell that gave him a chance every run. A 6.35 in the third round put them in control.
“I just went and caught them,” Brunson said.
Coming back high call, the pressure was there.
“I was a little bit nervous,” Duncan said with a laugh.
The short round didn’t come easy.
Trying to stay safe on the barrier, Duncan nearly got outrun and found himself at the end of his rope.
“I knew I had 32 foot of it,” he said. “So I just kept going.”
Once he got it on, Brunson—riding “Anchor,” an 8-year-old grade bay he got for free—had to finish a steer that wasn’t ideal.
“I was going to run him to the end of it,” Brunson said.
The 10.50-second run wasn’t pretty, but it got the job done.
For Duncan, it was a chance to capitalize on an opportunity.
“I’m very happy—just blessed,” he said.
For Brunson, who won this same roping on the heel side in 2024 and didn’t have to pay an entry this time because it was a draw, it was a little simpler.
“It is better than no money,” he said with a laugh.
Not bad for a team that met by chance.
