As the team roping representative to the PRCA board of directors, Matt Sherwood has been working toward tweaking the details of the way rodeo is run to benefit the cowboy. He’s worked with committees to institute more situations where ropers are up in back-to-back performances or slacks to reduce their travel. He was also instrumental in switching from a three-loop to a two-loop format at the Wrangler NFR.
Now, he’s working toward changing the way two-header rodeos are paid out for the team ropers.
“In the past at a two-head rodeo, both rounds and the average pay the same,” Sherwood explained. “What we’re going to do now is pay the average time and a half. Instead of a $2,000 go-round, it’ll be a $1,750 go-round and a $2,500 average. We’re going to try to make it where it rewards guys more for catching two steers in five seconds than one steer in four. We hope it’ll help the rodeo committees and it will reward guys who draw a runner and go catch him. It helps reward guys who go catch their steers and place in the average.”
The challenges of getting what Sherwood characterizes as a near unanimous initiative pushed through the PRCA aren’t few, but he feels like the change will be worth the effort.
“I feel like every year it gets a little better,” Sherwood said. “It’s frustrating dealing with the PRCA because everything has to go through the right channels. They have rules and guidelines to make sure it does, and that’s probably the right process. The PRCA has to put it on the books and let the board vote on it. But I enjoy being director and visiting with other contestants to try and make the sport better.”
