Jake Smith and Nicky Northcott ran their last steer in 4.3 seconds in the sudden-death finals July 19 to win the NFR Open team roping title and pocket $16,000 a man in Colorado Springs.
Although Smith, 33, and Northcott, 19, don’t rope together during the year, Northcott edged out Smith’s regular season partner Douglas Rich for the Wilderness Circuit year-end title, pairing the two up at the NFR Open.
It was a familiar situation for Smith. Last year, Smith qualified for Colorado Springs under similar circumstances and split of second and third with Jonathan Torres.
This time, Smith and Northcott made the most of it.
They started Bracket Two with a 5.5-second run, placing third for $1,500 a man. Smith knew before he backed into the box that they had a steer they could use.
“I had a video of my steer, and my steer was amazing,” the Broken Bow, Oklahoma header said. “I caught the cow, went five and went to the lead. Then two of the last three teams got me, so we ended up winning third, which was fine.”
Smith and Stephenville, Texas’ Northcott returned with a 6.0 in the second round, again placing third for another $1,500 each.
“We had an OK steer,” Smith said of Round 2. “I was late—way later than I wanted to be—but made it work. Nicky was up there, and he heeled him fast.”
Their 11.5-second time on two head advanced them third from Bracket Two into Saturday night’s clean-slate finals.
The pace was already set by the time Smith and Northcott backed in the box. Garrett Tonozzi and Trey Yates had posted a 4.6, and Jhett Trenary and L.J. Yeahquo ran one in 4.7. With strong teams left to run after them, Smith and Northcott could not afford to play it safe.
Smith got the start he needed, reached and set Northcott up to finish the run in 4.3 seconds.
“That was the most important thing—I got a great start right there, and everything came together,” Smith said. “Nicky heeled him amazing—he does that a lot.”
Northcott kept his assessment of the title-winning run simple.
“We had to be 4.5 to win it, I think,” Northcott said. “Jake did a really good job, and we ended up being 4.3 in the final round.”
The run held through the remaining teams, giving Smith and Northcott the $13,000 sudden-death payday. Combined with their two bracket checks, they left Colorado Springs with $16,000 apiece, their first national circuit championships and guaranteed spots into the ProRodeo Playoff Series Finale in Puyallup, Washington.
The win also came just hours after Smith had tough luck at Cheyenne Frontier Days. Instead of carrying the mistake with him to Colorado Springs, Smith used it as a lesson in keeping the same attitude through both sides of rodeo.
“We’re going to win, and we’re going to lose at times,” Smith said. “But our attitude has to be the same no matter what.”
Smith rode More Guns Less Roses, his 2015-model sorrel he calls “Guns”, at the NFR Open. Guns gave Smith confidence heading into a one-header where he did not know whether the win would require just catching or pulling off a shot.
“That sorrel is an amazing horse,” Smith said. “I couldn’t do anything like what I do without that horse. He’s good in a lot of different setups. In a situation like this, where it’s a clean slate and one header, you never know if you have to run them down and catch or if you have to go four. That horse is pretty good to let me do whatever.”
Northcott rode Tequila Dual, the 16-year-old palomino he calls “Cabo.” Northcott bought Cabo shortly before the 2025 Bob Feist Invitational and, after spending much of last season learning the gelding, now considers him his a-string.
For Smith, the NFR Open title was the turnaround to an otherwise up-and-down day—and another reminder that the wins are only an added bonus.
“This deal is just a cherry on top,” Smith said. “It’s just something the good Lord lets me do.”