NFR header Nelson Wyatt was getting set to rope at a ProRodeo in Jackson, Mississippi, when he got the call less than two weeks before the first Cinch Timed Event Championship round on March 2, that he would have the chance to compete for $100,000 at the Ironman.
“I’ve been trying to get in for the past five years or so,” Wyatt (29) said. “I’m so excited—I’ve watched it for years and it’s a great event. Now, I’ve got some work to do.”
He set up a plan of attack immediately on that Saturday, February 19 and was gearing up to practice on Sunday morning.
“I’m going to go tie calves with Luke Potter,” Wyatt said as he finished breakfast that morning. “Then we’re going to Clay Long’s to work on my steer tripping. We’ll tie, then he’s got a practice horse he said I can run some on.”
Those runs will be the first steer roping attempts in Nelson Wyatt’s lifetime.
“Growing up, I chutedogged, then bulldogged, tied calves and heeled steers,” Wyatt explained. “When I got to college, I picked up heading, competed in everything at the college rodeos and amateur rodeos, I still tie calves and enter sometimes, but I’ve never actually tripped steers.”
Wyatt’s time to prepare for the TEC will be even more limited due to making the Semifinals in San Antonio and entering the Lone Star Shootout the week before heading to the Lazy E Arena.
Spare the steer roping, locating the right horsepower is at the forefront of Wyatt’s concerns. He’s locked in his ProRodeo head horse, Colt, and Tydaniel Holler’s heel horse so far. He’s also using popular pick Kody Woodward for a bulldogging horse and haze. He also knows that his parents, Allen and Aleta will be cheering him on from the stands all weekend long.
At press time, Wyatt is fresh off a win in his set in San Antonio with heeler Justin Davis and second in the PRCA world standings with $24,312.58 won.
Wait…Who is Wyatt Replacing at the CTEC?
Wyatt will be replacing world champion tie-down roper Shad Mayfield in the lineup. Mayfield has been battling a hip injury since the 2022 NFR and chose to take extra healing time while balancing his busy ProRodeo calendar.
“It’s a great honor to be selected for the Cinch Timed Event Championship and it’s been an extremely hard decision to make,” Mayfield said. “I hope to be considered for an invite in the future. I hated to have to release, but I’m excited for Nelson. I bet he’ll do a great job out there!”
Watch the archived 2022 Cinch Timed Event Championship footage and 2023 Livestream March 2-4 here.
