Erich Rogers isn’t one to back down from a fight, especially when it comes to the toughest cowboy competition known to man: the Lazy E Arena’s Cinch Timed Event Championship. 

Rogers, who has competed at five Cinch Timed Event Championships, tore his MCL, ACL and meniscus in the third round of the steer wrestling at the 2018 event. But that isn’t dampening his excitement for the 2019 edition of the cowboy’s ironman. 

[RELATED: Reigning World Champ Erich Rogers Sidelined by Major Knee Injury]

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“I can’t miss the greatest event there is all year long,” Rogers, who has earned $16,500 in his Cinch Timed Event Championship career, said. “People try to remind me what happened. But that’s last year, this is this year. I was on the verge of winning that son of a buck if I didn’t mess up. I’m going to try them on this year. I’m going to do good. I’ve got a brace. I’ve got everything lined out and I’m in better shape than last year.”

Rogers’ injury came as he was coming up the left wall, trying to be really aggressive on his steer that had eluded Shay Carroll in Round 2. But as he started to slide, his right foot stuck the dirt along the wall and hyperextended his knee, causing the damage.

“It was a simple mistake,” Rogers, who underwent surgery March 30, 2018, to repair his knee, said. “I’m going to take that jump again—you’ve got to. You can’t be thinking about what happened. You’ve got to keep doing what you’re doing to win the event. When it all comes to it, it’s mind over matter and reacting to the situation you’re in.”

Rogers has been going to the gym with his sister and brother-in-law, and, while he admits his knee isn’t the same as it used to be, he’s confident it’s getting stronger the more he works out. 

At this year’s Cinch Timed Event Championship, Rogers will again have his 2018 NFR heeler Clint Summers roping both ends. Ote Berry will haze and provide the dogging horse, and Rogers will ride Paden Bray’s heel horse, Slider. Rogers will tap steer roper Cody Lee for his tripping mount. He will ride his own head and calf horses. 

The Cinch Timed Event Championship runs March 8 through March 10, 2019, at Guthrie, Oklahoma’s Lazy E Arena. The Team Roping Journal and the Lazy E are giving away VIP experiences to rodeo’s Ironman competition lucky winners who sign up here.