High school senior Stran Morris paired up with PRCA heeler Dustin Searcy to win the #15.5 six-header at the Wildfire Roping, held the last two years in Hamilton, Texas’ Circle T Arena.
The high-call team of Morris and Searcy were 43.67 seconds on six head, worth $11,000.
“I didn’t do too good on our fourth one,” Morris said. “I threw a little too much and had a lot of slack and took me a while to get him turned, but after that it was all right. Dustin is consistent and will clean up my messes for me.”
Searcy has been heeling behind Morris for years, as the two grew up 15 minutes from each other and Morris’ dad works with Searcy’s mom.
“I’ve known him since he was a little bitty kid,” Searcy said. “Since I’ve been living in Texas, when I go home, my dad doesn’t keep steers anymore. So I’d go over and rope with him and his family.”
Morris plans to attend college and college rodeo after finishing school this spring, and Searcy is rodeoing in 2019 with PRCA team roping director Manny Egusquiza.
Morris rode a mare named Nikko his family raised out of a Colonel Freckles mare out of a Tyree Drifter stud of Cudd Quarter Horses. Searcy, who also won third with Jaxson Tucker, was aboard his stand-out heel horse Rio that turned heads this December in Las Vegas under the direction of Wesley Thorp.
[READ MORE: Thorp Taps Searcy’s Rio for Round 1 of 2018 NFR]
“I gave him a month off after the NFR,” Searcy said. “Thorp took him to the Circuit Finals and did good, but he got a break. Since December, obviously going out there and everybody seeing him, my phone blew up for a little bit. But he’s a pretty special horse, so I’m going to hang onto him for a while.” TRJ
FULL RESULTS:
1. Stran Morris’s and Dustin Searcy, 44.67 seconds on six head, $11,000
2. Levi Lord and Logan Moore, 44.81 seconds on six head, $7,500
3. Jaxson Tucker and Dustin Searcy, 47.08 seconds on six head , $5,300
4. Jarrett Freeman and Colton Johnson, 47.40 seconds on six head, $3,000
Fast Time Round 1
1. Eric Owens and Reagan Ward, 6.74, $1,000
Fast Time Round 2
1. Jaxson Tucker and Clay Futrell, 5.61, $1,000
Fast Time Short Round
1. Josh Love and Shain Sproul, 6.24
