Coleman Proctor and Billie Jack Saebens jumped to the number-four spot in the PRCA World Standings with $29,100.99 won after banking $23,015 each at the San Antonio (Texas) Stock Show & Rodeo.
Proctor and Saebens started out their week in San Antonio (Texas) in Bracket 2. They roped their first steer in 4.8-seconds for first in the round, their second steer in 5.9-seconds for fourth in the round and their third steer in 4.2-seconds for first in the third round, which qualified them for the semifinals after banking $5,351 each in their bracket.
“Billie and I got the ball rolling early and won the first round, fourth in the second round and won the third round so our accumulative money from our first bracket gave us a pretty good chance when we got to the semifinals,” Proctor said. “We got in with $5,300 I think, so we were sitting second going into it already so our semifinals in our bracket looked promising that even if we didn’t catch we might be able to get to the finals off of what we had done on our earlier performances. It’s a neat concept to me because every steer matters.”
Proctor and Saebens broke Kaleb Driggers and Jade Corkill’s 3.8-second arena record run from 2012 with a 3.7-second run in round two of the semifinals worth $4,459 each.
“I roped a leg in the first round of semifinals to win the day money,” Saebens said. “We had to dang sure win some day money to come back to the finals in the second round. We drew the steer that Luke Brown and Jake Long were 4.7 on the night before. He was strong and kind of went to the right and hit real fast. We planned on just making a good run and it got fast. Coleman did a good job and it all came together.”
“That was really cool because I think that Kaleb Driggers is probably the greatest header that we’ve seen in a long time and I remember when he went 3.8 at San Antonio and it was unreal—unbelievable,” Proctor said. “Then when you have a youngster like Cody Snow who goes 3.8 early at San Antonio and he’s also one of the fastest headers that I’ve ever seen. So when you recognize two guys like that you’re kind of in awe of how fast they can go and when you go out there and beat their record, that was really special to me. Honestly, it was just great heeling. We had a great steer, and he handled really fast. A lot of guys spun steers just as fast as I did but I think the difference was that Billie Jack heeled him so fast, it got tight so fast. He just brought the run together. So really, Billie Jack is the reason why we broke the arena record.”
Proctor and Saebens tied Bubba Buckaloo and Joseph Harrison in the final round with a 3.9-second run. Fortunately, Proctor and Saebens had more money won going into the final round to win the average.
“We came into the final night and had a great steer and made a pretty good run on him and split the round,” Proctor said. “Even though we split the last steer we had more money won going into the final round than the team that we ended up splitting with so that gave us the title.”
Proctor was onboard Dillinger, a horse that he got from Jennifer Williams. Saebens started off the week on a new mare named J-Lo that came from J.D. Yates, then switched to his black gelding, Kevin.
“The team that wins the rodeo, their horses get recognized, too,” Proctor added. “I was on Dillinger. He has been awesome all winter and has been giving me opportunities everywhere I’ve been. Special thanks to Brazos Valley Equine Hospital because without them I wouldn’t be able to ride him, and with out him I don’t know if I would have won as much as I have so far.”
“I rode a new horse that I just bought in the first four rounds, in the first bracket we were in and in the semifinals and then I got on Kevin for the last two,” Saebens said. “Kevin was a little bit sore. The vet said that I could ride him, but I just got this mare that J.D. Yates sent down for me. I rode her and I liked her pretty good. I wasn’t sure on how I was going to get along but when Kevin went sore I just kind of decided if I was going to try one then that would be the best place to do it.”
Proctor has been close to winning this rodeo multiple times but every year something has hindered his success until this year.
“Jake (Long) and I won second there the first year I headed. Man, I’ve wanted to win that sucker every since I first went to it with Justin Turner a long time ago. I think one year we got a leg to win it and then the first year Jake and I roped together in the new format, we made it to the finals round and I missed to have a chance. We should have won it that year in 2014. I’ve been there three or four times with chances to win it and hadn’t come through. So it was a dream come true to win it this year. There’s three or four rodeos that a guy wants to win and that’s my favorite rodeo of the year, is San Antonio. My wife and daughter were there to see it so it was just really special.”
After roping in this rodeo for numerous years both Proctor and Saebens don’t let their nerves get the best of them.
“I really wasn’t nervous,” Saebens said. “I just kind of felt that we were going to do good from the beginning and just kind of trusted that and just roped.”
“At this point in the game you learn to use nerves as a way to stay focused,” Proctor added. “When I do get a little nervous I’m always excited so when I do get nervous I really use that energy to help myself focus. When you’re making this a living you have to learn to focus yourself and don’t let it be an obstacle, try and use it as a weapon.”
Full Team Roping Results courtesy PRCA: Bracket 1. First round: 1. Riley Minor/Brady Minor, 4.6 seconds, $2,378 each; 2. Trevor Brazile/Patrick Smith, 4.9, $1,784; 3. Bubba Buckaloo/Joseph Harrison, 5.1, $1,189; 4. Bart Brunson/Jason Duby, 5.5, $595. Second round: 1. Trevor Brazile/Patrick Smith, 5.1 seconds, $2,378 each; 2. Bubba Buckaloo/Joseph Harrison, 5.7, $1,784; 3. Tanner Baldwin/Tanner Luttrell, 6.0, $1,189; 4. Paul David Tierney/Cesar de la Cruz, 6.5, $595. Third round: 1. Andrew Ward/Reagan Ward, 4.7 seconds, $2,378 each; 2. Bubba Buckaloo/Joseph Harrison, 4.8, $1,784; 3. Cody Tew/Clay O’Brien Cooper, 6.2, $1,189; 4. Bart Brunson/Jason Duby, 9.3, $595. Semifinal qualifiers: 1. Bubba Buckaloo/Joseph Harrison, $4,756 each; 2. Trevor Brazile/Patrick Smith, $4,162; 3. (tie) Riley Minor/Brady Minor and Andrew Ward/Reagan Ward, $2,378 each.
Bracket 2. First round: 1. Coleman Proctor/Billie Jack Saebens, 4.8 seconds, $2,378 each; 2. Cory Kidd/Cole Davison, 5.5, $1,784; 3. Tyler Wade/Rich Skelton, 5.7, $1,189; 4. Brady Tryan/Nano Garza, 6.2, $595. Second round: 1. Tyler Wade/Rich Skelton, 4.7 seconds, $2,378 each; 2. (tie) Brady Tryan/Nano Garza and Keven Daniel/Brad Culpepper, 5.4, $1,486 each; 4. Coleman Proctor/Billie Jack Saebens, 5.9, $595. Third round: 1. Coleman Proctor/Billie Jack Saebens, 4.2 seconds, $2,378 each; 2. (tie) Tyler Wade/Rich Skelton, Ty Blasingame/Trey Yates and Rhen Richard/Quinn Kesler, 4.4, $1,189 each. Semifinal qualifiers: 1. Coleman Proctor/Billie Jack Saebens, $5,351 each; 2. Tyler Wade/Rich Skelton, $4,756; 3. Brady Tryan/Nano Garza, $2,080; 4. Cory Kidd/Cole Davison, $1,783.
Bracket 3. First round: 1. Erich Rogers/Cory Petska, 5.0 seconds, $2,378 each; 2. Clayton Hass/John Robertson, 5.3, $1,784; 3. Logan Olson/Matt Kasner, 10.9, $1,189; 4. Adam Rose/J.W. Beck, 21.3, $595. Second round: 1. Erich Rogers/Cory Petska, 4.8 seconds, $2,378 each; 2. Blake Texeira/Monty Joe Petska, 5.1, $1,784; Kelsey Parchman/Cody Hogan, 5.2, $1,189; 4. Clayton Hass/John Robertson, 5.3, $595. Third round: 1. Erich Rogers/Cory Petska, 4.2 seconds, $2,378 each; 2. Garrett Rogers/Russell Cardoza, 4.9, $1,784; 3. Kelsey Parchman/Cody Hogan, 5.0, $1,189; 4. Clayton Hass/John Robertson, 9.4, $595. Semifinal qualifiers: 1. Erich Rogers/Cory Petska, $7,134 each; 2. Clayton Hass/John Robertson, $2,973; 3. Kelsey Parchman/Cody Hogan, $2,378; 4. Garrett Rogers/Russell Cardoza, $1,784.
Bracket 4: First round: 1. Jake Cooper/Logan Medlin, 4.3 seconds, $2,378 each; 2. Aaron Macy/Wyatt Cox, 4.6, $1,784; 3. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 4.8, $1,189; 4. Luke Brown/Jake Long, 5.0, $595. Second round: 1. Jake Orman/Will Woodfin, 4.3 seconds, $2,378 each; 2. Joshua Torres/Jonathan Torres, 4.9, $1,784; 3. Clay Ullery/Levi Lord, 6.1, $1,189; 4. Jr. Dees/Tyler McKnight, 6.4, $595. Third round: 1. Luke Brown/Jake Long, 4.1 seconds, $2,378 each; 2. Aaron Tsinigine/Kyle Lockett, 4.7, $1,784; 3. Aaron Macy/Wyatt Cox, Jr. Dees/Tyler McKnight, 14.0, $595. Semifinal qualifiers: 1. (tie) Luke Brown/Jake Long and Aaron Macy/Wyatt Cox, $2,973 each; 3. (tie) Jake Cooper/Logan Medlin and Jake Orman/Will Woodfin, $2,378 each.
Bracket 5: First round: 1. Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp, 3.8 seconds, $2,378 each; 2. Chad Masters/Travis Graves, 4.4, $1,784; 3. Clay Tryan/Jade Corkill, 4.6, $1,189; 4. Nelson Wyatt/Trace Porter, 4.7, $595. Second round: 1. Nelson Wyatt/Trace Porter, 4.4 seconds, $2,378 each; 2. Charly Crawford/Clint Summers, $1,784; Jesse Stipes/Tyler Worley, 4.8, $1,189; 4. John Alley/Clark Adcock, 14.6, $595. Third round: 1. Dustin Egusquiza/Kory Koontz, 4.0 seconds, $2,378 each; 2. Clay Tryan/Jade Corkill, 4.5, $1,784; 3. Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp, 5.9, $1,189; 4. Levi Simpson/Jeremy Buhler, 7.6, $595. Semifinal qualifiers: 1. Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp, $3,567 each; 2. (tie) Nelson Wyatt/Trace Porter and Clay Tryan/Jade Corkill, $2,973 each; 4. Dustin Egusquiza/Kory Koontz, $2,378.
Semifinals:
Bracket 1. First round: 1. Trevor Brazile/Patrick Smith, 4.8 seconds, $4,459 each; 2. Cory Kidd, 5.1, $3,344; 3. Aaron Macy/Wyatt Cox, 5.4, $2,230; 4. Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp, 14.8, $1,115. Second round: 1. Cory Kidd/Cole Davison and Bubba Buckaloo/Joseph Harrison, 4.4 seconds, $3,902 each; 3. Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp, 4.9, $2,230 each; 4. Aaron Macy/Wyatt Cox, 5.2, $1,115. Finals qualifiers: 1. Cory Kidd/Cole Davison, $9,029 each; 2. Bubba Buckaloo/Joseph Harrison, $8,658; 3. Trevor Brazile/Patrick Smith, $8,621; 4. Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp, $6,911; 5. Aaron Macy/Wyatt Cox, 6,317.
Bracket 2. First round: 1. Nelson Wyatt/Trace Porter, 4.0 seconds, $4,459 each; 2. Erich Rogers/Cory Petska, 4.5, $3,344; 3. Brady Tryan/Nano Garza, 4.6, $2,230; 4. Luke Brown/Jake Long, $1,115. Second round: 1. Coleman Proctor/Billie Jack Saebens, 3.7 seconds, $4,459 each; 2. Luke Brown/Jake Long, 3.9, $3.344; 3. Garrett Rogers/Russell Cardoza, 4.0, $2,230; 4. Riley Minor/Brady Minor, 4.1, $1,115. Finals qualifiers: 1. Erich Rogers/Cory Petska, $10,479 each; 2. Coleman Proctor/Billie Jack Saebens, $9,810; 3. Luke Brown/Jake Long, $7,432; 4. Nelson Wyatt/Trace Porter, $7,432; 5. Brady Tryan/Nano Garza, $4,310.
Finals: 1. (tie) Bubba Buckaloo/Joseph Harrison and Coleman Proctor/Billie Jack Saebens, 3.9 seconds, $13,206 each; 3. Nelson Wyatt/Trace Porter, 4.2, $7,546; 4. Trevor Brazile/Patrick Smith, 4.8, $3,773. Champions: Coleman Proctor/Billie Jack Saebens, $23,015 each.