ProRodeo’s team ropers are making MAJOR partner changes for the 2023 spring rodeo run, with six major swaps worth noting.
Clint Summers and Jake Long: Summers, who’s one of the few NFR switchenders in history, will pair his team of top-tier head horses with Long’s quick throwing style to create a traditional, rock-solid partnership. Summers, 31, from Lake City, Florida, has $5,395 won on the year having roped with World Champ Cory Petska leading up to this swap. Twelve-time NFR heeler Long, 39, from Coffeyville, Kansas, has $21,867 won after rodeoing with Clay Smith the last two years—sitting 12th in the world as of April 10, 2023.
Clay Smith and Coleby Payne: This duo has jackpotted together this winter, and this will be Payne’s first chance with a world champ after getting Lightning Aguilera to the NFR last year and finishing 21st in the world himself. Smith, 31, of Broken Bow, Oklahoma, has already won Odessa and Denver this year and has $21,867 won at 11th in the PRCA world standings. Payne is 24th in the world with $16,932 won roping mainly with Aguilera.
Tyler Wade and Wesley Thorp: These two have long been great jackpot partners and kicked off their run together with a win this past weekend in Athens, Texas at Watson Production’s Ariat World Series of Team Roping Open qualifier, worth $7,080 for a time of 35.77 seconds on five head. Wade, 30, of Terrell, Texas, is 21st in the world with $17,129 after rodeoing all winter with Travis Graves. Wade has five NFR qualifications under his belt—most recently in 2022 with Trey Yates—where he won an impressive three NFR go rounds. The 2019 World Champion Thorp, 27, from Throckmorton, is straight off a California Circuit Finals win with Cody Snow, after his seventh NFR appearance in 2022. Thorp is No. 8 in the heeling world standings with $30,589 won.
Cody Snow and Jade Corkill: Snow, 26, of Los Olivos, California, picked up three-time gold buckle-winner Jade Corkill for the 2023 season. Snow—No. 7 in the world with $30,589 won already—doesn’t live far from Corkill in Stephenville, Texas, and they’ll get plenty of jackpot reps in together. Corkill, 35, originally from Fallon, Nevada, has won $2.5 million in his 18-year PRCA career and has $4,450 earned in 2023.
Keven Daniel and Travis Graves: Keven Daniel, 43, of Franklin, Tennessee, last made the NFR in 2012 but has been hammering the Southeast Circuit and the IPRA ever since. After qualifying for The American Rodeo’s Contender Semifinals in 2023, he’s currently outside the top 50 but as $7,231 won and is stacked with horsepower to make a run at a Finals qualification this year. Graves, 39, from Jay, Oklahoma, finished seventh in the PRCA world standings in 2022 with Dustin Egusquiza and won $202,505 on the season. The 14-time NFR qualifier has 21 years experience in the PRCA and is 31st in the 2023 PRCA world standings with $13,527 won. TRJ
