Hayes Smith and Jason Duby made it count at St. Paul’s (Oregon) Cowboy Christmas major, pocketing $8,792 a man after winning the average with a 9.7 on two head.  

Smith and Duby first cracked out as a team at the Music City Rodeo in Nashville back in May and, since then, snuck away with some cash in Elko, Nevada, and placed in the first round at Reno. But their biggest win as a team came from one of the pivotal stops in the Northwest with St. Paul, a win that moved them to sixth in the Columbia River Circuit with $9,398.83 for Smith and $8,791.95 for Duby.  

 “I don’t know that I’ve missed St. Paul since I’ve had my card, to be honest,” Smith, 32, said. “It’s the first rodeo that the entries open for over the Fourth—most teams plan their schedule around St. Paul.”  

Smith and Duby got started in St. Paul July 2 and kicked off their trek in the famous Christmas trees with a 5.2-second run. 

“We were up the second day,” Duby, 34, said. “Our set of cattle, they were really good. We watched [the steer] go that morning—we knew he was good.” 

Thanks to a shorter barrier and good cattle, they got by their first one with a few bobbles, then came back to tie with NFR cowboys Jr. Dees and Coleby Payne for fifth in the second round with a 4.6 for $1,898 apiece. 

“They shortened the barrier this year,” Smith explained. “That makes the steers better—or at least makes them seem better. It’s really hard to catch two over there it seems like, I don’t think I’ve ever done all these years.”

The team gladly welcomed the win after an admittedly slow Cowboy Christmas run. The two steers caught in St. Paul were the only two they completed the course on during the cowboy holiday, but they made them count.  

“It’s been a little slow for us, but he lives about an hour from me,” Smith said. “We are really good friends—it just works.” 

Tools of the Trade 

When it comes to tools of the trade, the Oregon natives kept it consistent with their horsepower.  

Smith rode his good horse “Hitman,” the 19-year-old gelding who has gotten the call at some big rodeos in the past. A year ago, Hitman took the victory lap with Smith in Cheyenne with then-partner Justin Davis. 

Duby called on 14-year-old mare “Darcie,” registered as Dusty Eyed Darcie, for St. Paul. 

“I’ve had really good luck on her in St. Paul the last few years,” Duby said. “I wasn’t planning on taking her at all. We are pulling an embryo off of her. We picked her up from the vet, took her to St. Paul and I rode her.”  

The Show Goes On 

The Columbia River Circuit guys just wrapped up at the slack at the Daddy of ’em All, July 7 where they were 9.9 seconds to make it back to the performances.  

They’ll head next to the Sheridan WYO Rodeo slack Wednesday morning before heading home briefly prior to the California Rodeo Salinas.   

Here is the Columbia River Circuit schedule for the next few weeks: