Cody Snow and Paul Eaves got the win at this year’s new tournament-style National Western Stock Show in Denver, besting Clay Tryan and Jake Long in a tie-breaker to win $3,919 a man.
[READ: National Western Stock Show Debuts New Tournament-Style Pro Rodeo Format]
The National Western Stock Show & Rodeo changed its format, so ropers ran two head to advance to a semifinals round that took the top 24 teams with the fastest time on two. From the semifinals, the top four teams in each bracket moved on to Sunday’s championship round.
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They tied Tryan and Long in the finals with a 4.2-second run, but Snow and Eaves’ 10.3 seconds on the first two steers bested Tryan and Long’s 10.5, determining the tie-breaker.
“It’s a great rodeo,” Snow, the 2019 Wrangler NFR Average Champion, said. “I made sure I got out—that was my main goal—and then I wanted to as aggressive as I can without taking a dumb shot.”
[READ: Eliminate Wasted Motion with Cody Snow]
[READ: Inner Strength with Paul Eaves]
They roped their first two in 5.3 and 5.0 seconds, and their semifinals steer in 5.7 second, worth $2,552 a man, securing their spot in the finals.
“We just had to catch to make it back and make a clean run,” Snow said. “We did that on the first two and had good steers. We completed the course. We felt comfortable catching here by the last one.”
“I didn’t really do a good job on any of them coming to today [Sunday],” Eaves, 2018 World Champion Heeler, added. “I didn’t rope very aggressive and just caught. We should have won money in our set and we won a little bit last night. I wish I would have roped a little more aggressive coming to it.”
[READ: Bit Pick with Cody Snow]
[READ: The BENEFITS of a team roping Warm-Up Routine with Cody Snow]
Snow rode his 12-year-old buckskin mare, Ima Fresnos Dee, more so known as Annie.
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“If we have to go catch, she lets me do that no problem and if we have to go at them, she stays out of my way. You could go be 4.2 on her or I can go be 8 on her tomorrow and not have to practice on her or score. You don’t find that in a lot of horses. I’m super blessed to have that mare right now.”
Eaves pulled-back on an 8-year-old sorrel he calls Garfield.
“I was on a horse that I bought about a year and a half ago from Joseph Harrison,” Eaves said. “I really haven’t rode him. I rode him at Odessa (Texas) and the WCRA deal in Guthrie (Oklahoma). It’s kind of really the first year that I’ve used him. He did good for me.”
After pocketing a total of $6,471 a man, Snow now takes an early lead in the 2020 PRCA world standings with $13,340.86 in earnings, and Eaves jumped to third in the heeling with $8,081.74.
“It’s really exciting for me,” Eaves said. “I didn’t have any money won coming here. To do good with a new partner, and all, that is probably more important than money, really.”
Full Results:
First round: 1. Spencer Mitchell/Cesar de la Cruz, 4.4 seconds, $3,173 each; 2. Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins II, 4.6, $2,759; 3. Kade Smith/Levi Tyan, 4.7, $2,345; 4. Brenten Hall/Chase Tryan, 4.8, $1,931; 5. Clay Tryan/Jake Long, 4.9, $1,517; 6. (tie) Blake Teixeira/Kasper Roy and Charly Crawford/Logan Medlin, 5.0, $897 each; 8. (tie) Dawson Graham/Dillon Graham, Kellan Johnson/Carson Johnson and Coy Rahlmann/Ryan Von Ahn, 5.1, $92 each.
Second round: 1. Nelson Wyatt/Levi Lord, 4.1 seconds, $3,173 each; 2. Travis Bounds/Joe Roderick, 4.2, $2,759; 3. (tie) Tucker Menz/Boogie Ray and Joshua Torres/Jonathan Torres, 4.3, $2,138 each; 5. Steven Duby/Jason Duby, 4.5, $1,517; 6. Ty Blasingame/Cody Hintz, 4.6, $1,104; 7. Jeff Flenniken/Tyler Worley, 4.7, $690; 8. (tie) Paul David Tierney/Cody Doescher, Clay Ullery/Tyce McLeod and Peyton Holliday/Carl Sweazea, 4.8, $92 each.
Progressive First round: 1. Garrett Tonozzi/Dustin Davis, 4.6 seconds, $3.403 each; 2. Rhen Richard/Jeremy Buhler, 6.0, $2,552; 3. Steven Duby/Jason Duby, 6.1, $1,701; 4. Turner Harris/Jade Nelson, 6.2, $851.
Progressive Second round: 1. Paul David Tierney/Cody Doescher, 5.0 seconds, $3,403 each; 2. Brenten Hall/Chase Tryan, 5.5, $2,552; 3. Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins II, $1,701; 4. Spencer Mitchell/Cesar de la Cruz, 9.4, $851.
Progressive Third round: 1. Clay Tryan/Jake Long, 5.2 seconds, $3,403 each; 2. Cody Snow/Paul Eaves, 5.7, $2,552; 3. Coy Rahlmann/Ryan Von Ahn, 5.8, $1,701; 4. Kolton Schmidt/Hunter Koch, 6.0, $851.
Finals: 1. (tie) Clay Tryan/Jake Long and Cody Snow/Paul Eaves, 4.2 seconds, $3,919 each; 3. Garrett Tonozzi/Dustin Davis, 4.7, $3,099; 4. Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins, 4.8, $2,552; 5. Brenten Hall/Chase Tryan, 8.9, $2,005; 6. (tie) Paul David Tierney/Cody Doescher and Kolton Schmidt/Hunter Koch, 9.9, $1,185 each; 8. Coy Rahlmann/Ryan Von Ahn, 19.1, $365.
Champions: Cody Snow and Paul Eaves
