Fryar and McClanahan Win The #11 Boehringer Ingelheim World Series of Team Roping Finale

Texas’ Hondo Fryar and Luke McClanahan hung on to their second call-back position from the first rotation coming into the short round, where they roped their last steer in 7.70 seconds to win the #11 Boehringer Ingelheim World Series of Team Roping Finale with a time of 31.88 seconds on four head, worth $282,000.

“I was nervous, or maybe I was excited,” McClanahan said. “I’ve made the short round and all the pump and circumstance before, but I told him I don’t know if I’m nervous or excited. I’ve been in the position, at-large, where you’re sweating bullets to see if you’ve made the short round and this was a lot better. I was in my room and didn’t even make it to the team roping (of the NFR).”

Fryar and McClanahan might have been just a tad bit nervous, but after they roped their short round steer, the run sort of faded from their minds.

“I don’t remember the short round,” Fryar said. “I just didn’t want to wave it off. I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, what if I hit this one right in the butt.’ I thought I was going to wave it off with those small horns.” 

When Fryar and McClanahan were stopped by Troy Shelley in the holding pen, they weren’t quite sure what to think as they were ready to just grab their ropes and head to the stalls. 

“We were getting our ropes and they were telling us to hold on,” McClanahan said. “I was headed to the parking lot to unsaddle.”

When it came time to be awarded the many prizes Fryar’s wife, Audra, was no where to be found. 

“I don’t rope with my phone so I haven’t even talked to her (Audra) yet,” Fryar said. “I imagine she’s somewhere going crazy, planning where she’ll go shop.”

McClanahan found a stranger to borrow a phone to make the anticipated call to his wife, Rochelle.

“I borrowed a girls phone to call my wife and I don’t think she believed me,” McClanahan laughed. 

Fryar turned all four steers for McClanahan on a big, powerhouse grey gelding named Scrappy, 16. The horse scored sharp and ran hard to help Fryar spin steers and give his partner a good shot. 

“I bought him from a buddy of mine,” Fryar said. “I’ve had him about five years. My buddy trained him as a 2-year-old.”

McClanahan rode a 14-year-old buckskin mare he calls Angel that has been his go-to horse for the World Series of Team Roping Finale for the past few years. 

“My uncle, Charlie Davidson, off the Stirrup Ranch, raised her,” McClanahan said. “I think I’ve brought her out here to rope on seven times.” TRJ