Logan Allen and Trent Vaught had never roped together prior to the 2024 Great Lakes Circuit Finals, but they walked away with the average title Nov. 16, a first for the Iowa and Arkansas men.
Allen, 38, and Vaught, 30, roped three steers in 19.1 seconds to pocket a total of $8,060 after placing in every round. The 2024 trip to Louisville, Kentucky, was Allen’s first in the team roping, but he’s qualified 14 times in the saddle bronc riding and three times in the bull riding. When Saturday night rolled around, a sold-out show with 14,000 people in the stands, the realization kicked in.
“I was more just anxious because I was sitting there, we were last out because we were high team, and I wished I could just go,” Allen said. “Then everybody goes in front of us and it gets a little closer, and I’m looking at the bucking chutes, watching everybody saddle, and I’m like, I wish I was saddling the dirtiest, rankest bronc right now because I’m way more comfortable there.”
On the contrary, Vaught’s made the trip to Freedom Hall four times in the team roping, and it’s a relief to finally add the title to his resume.
“It took me four years,” Vaught said with a laugh. “It’s exciting to get it done. The people and victory laps make it exciting. I think it’s a lot of fun getting to do it in front of more people.”
Smooth gets the win
Allen and Vaught didn’t rope together during the regular season, but they both made it as individuals 12th in the standings. Knowing that dropping coils and being 4.0 wasn’t going to be their run, they aimed to start the week off with a solid, clean run they could build off for the aggregate.
“I knew we were going to be first out the first night, and Chance—my brother-in-law who works for me—we would rope steers all day every day on colts,” Allen explained. “And then we’d get on our good horses, and I’d head for him and we’d run three steers, basically just a little mock setup. I’d say, ‘OK, I’m first out, I know it’s going to be point of the shoulder at minimum,’ and so we’d practice it. I would just always say, let’s get our first steer down. I knew if I went to Louisville first out, got our first steer down in some kind of 6.0-second run, it would set up something good for the rest of the week.”
Allen and Vaught kicked off the circuit finals Nov. 14, with a 6.2-second run to split third, fourth and fifth in the round for $733 a man. They kept things rolling with a 5.4 in Round 2 to win second in the round and $2,198 each. They entered Round 3 first in the average and drew a steer that stepped left.
“I think it worked out great because it didn’t let Trent relax,” Allen said. “He had to get up there and heel him before we got into the wall. He heeled the crap out of him. It took our mind from just being clean to we had to be aggressive and get him.”
They won fourth in the round with a 7.5 for $733 a man to clinch the average for $4,396 apiece.
“It’s the best it’s been since I’ve been there, but the steers were also better, so that makes the roping better too,” Vaught said.
Louisville Horsepower
Allen rode two horses in Louisville: Two Jumps and Mac. Having two solid horses allowed him to be more strategic and choose his horsepower based on their draw. Two Jumps got the call in Rounds 1 and 3, and Mac came in clutch in Round 2 on a softer steer.
“On Two Jumps, I didn’t want to see neck rope and then the next night come back and ask him to see halfway out,” Allen said. “The third night, if we were sitting good in the average, I knew I wasn’t going to have the slow one since we already had him; I was going to have to see neck rope again. I still wanted to ride Mac—he’s the one that got me there, so part of me was like, you deserve to go. I just thought I’d keep him for a longer score and then keep the other one for a little bit quicker, and it ended up working out.”
Vaught’s 10-year-old gelding Gunner got the call on the heel side each night.
“He’s really my only good one,” Vaught said. “He is just easy, stays free and keeps his feet moving. He doesn’t ever cheat me.”
See ya in July
Allen and Vaught will rope together again next July at the NFR Open in Colorado Springs, a rodeo Allen didn’t think he’d make again after swapping ends of the arena. For Vaught, it’s an opportunity of a lifetime.
“it’s a big opportunity to go up against the best and see where you line up,” Vaught said.
