Nelson Wyatt and Levi Lord, who roped as NFR freshman in 2020, are on a team roping high after winning the 2021 edition of the Guymon (Oklahoma) Pioneer Days Rodeo on April 30-May 2, where ropers scored behind a hand pulled barrier.
Wyatt, of Clanton, Alabama, and Lord, of Sturgis, South Dakota, have a consistent run put together, which showed as they made three aggressive runs on muleys. They roped three head in 21.3 seconds to win the average, worth $3,416 a man.
“It’s our third year roping together,” said Lord, who earned a total of $26,810 after winning the Gold Buckle Beer Open and winning the short round fast time at the Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team Roping just days earlier. “I think we were both ready to win something. We’ve had heck at the rodeos since San Antonio. Coming off the US Finals, we were excited to get up there. Besides the California run, it’s kind of the first spring rodeo, getting back outside. They always rope the muleys up there, so that’s fun and different. We ended up having a good one and made a good run on the first one and won the round. From there, we could just catch the next two and ended up winning the average.”
Wyatt and Lord split the round win in a three-way tie with Coleman Proctor and Logan Medlin and Clay Tryan and Jake Long with a 6.3-second run, which paid $1,980 a man.
Nelson Wyatt: 2017 Heading and All-Around Resistol Rookie of the Year
“The first one, me and Nelson both were ready to win something,” Lord said. “Our muley was really good. He wasn’t a walker, or anything. He kind of started off trotting and took off right at the line and we just made an aggressive run, which puts you ahead over there.”
The second round got quick as teams were battling it out for a fast-time check. Wyatt and Nelson stuck with their plan of staying in the average and roped their second steer in 7.2 seconds, which was too long to place in the round.
“The second round got tough because there were just enough guys, I guess, that had a little heck on their first one, so they were going at them,” Lord said. “There was a lot of good runs.”
They slipped into earning some round money on their third one, splitting seventh with Tryan and Long with a 7.8-second run, worth $347 a man.
“We came back on our third one and we knew it was just kind of up to us and maybe one other team that were pretty tight on two. Other than that, we had a pretty good lead,” Lord explained. “We were roping a little more on defense in the last round. We still wanted to stay aggressive, and we had a good one on our third one. He just walked all the way to the line. I just let him out until Nelson went and then we chased him down.”
Heeling Fresh Muleys and Winning the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo with Levi Lord
While Wyatt was seen heading on his iconic grey head horse, Lord was heeling on his 7-year-old bay he calls Pauly, a horse he saw in the Mountain States Circuit in 2020 and ended up in Paul Eaves’ rig.
“I always kind of keep my eye out for one that I think looks the same as the ones I ride,” Lord said. “I saw [a roper in Colorado] riding him at the circuit rodeos up there and I ended up liking him. I called him in the middle of summer and Paul had actually just bought him.
“After the [NFR] finals, I had a little bit of money and just texted Paul. He said that he liked him, but he was maybe a little too small for him and wasn’t his No. 1 horse. He let me come try him and he fit me just about as good as I thought he would. I like a smaller horse and more short-strided. Paul was just wanting something a little bigger and maybe a little stronger. I’ve ridden him pretty much everywhere since the finals. I don’t know if he’s the best horse, but he’s been a winner. He’s been doing pretty good for me.”
Now that Wyatt and Lord have some money to their names, they are ready to take the next month easy to regroup and prepare for what seems to be a “normal” ProRodeo season.
“The next month is just circuit rodeoing and there will be some good jackpots around the house,” Lord said. “They just put the Sports Book out up to July and it looks like it’s going to be a pretty normal year, maybe even more than normal. The middle of June, we’ll be in Reno for the BFI and the rodeo.”
After the weekend, Wyatt is 17th in the PRCA world standings and Lord is 15th with $14,017.75 each.
Full Results
Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo
Guymon, Oklahoma
First round:
1/2/3. Coleman Proctor and Logan Medlin, 6.3-second run, worth $1,980 each
1/2/3. Nelson Wyatt and Levi Lord, 6.3-second run, worth $1,980 each
1/2/3. Clay Tryan and Jake Long, 6.3-second run, worth $1,980 each
4. Caleb Smidt and Trae Smith, 6.7-second run, worth $1,386 each
5. Lane Ivy and Jim Ross Cooper, 6.8-second run, worth $1,089 each
6. Kaleb Driggers and Junior Nogueira, 6.9-second run, worth $792 each
7. Ryan Jarrett and Marty Yates, 7.1-second run, worth $495
8/9. Jade Schmidt and Jade Nelson, 7.2-second run, worth $99 each
8/9. Erich Rogers and Paden Bray, 7.2-second run, worth $99 each.
Second round:
1. Tyler Hobert and Chase Boekhaus, 5.4-second run, worth $2,277 each
2/3. Tate Kirchenschlager and Cole Davison, 5.7-second run, worth $1,832 each
2/3. Lightning Aguilera and Shay Dixon Carroll, 5.7-second run, worth $1,832 each
4. Miles Baker and Zack Woods, 5.9-second run, worth $1,386 each
5. Casey Hayes and Brandon Bates, 6.0-second run, worth $1,089 each
6. Coy Rahlmann and Douglas Rich, 6.1-second run, worth $792 each
7. Casey Hicks and Steve Orth, 6.7-second run, worth $495 each
8/9. Cody Hilzendeger and Dustin Harris, 6.8-second run, worth $99 each
8/9. Colby Lovell and Paul Eaves, 6.8-second run, worth $99 each.
Third round:
1. Lightning Aguilera and Shay Dixon Carroll, 4.7-second run, worth $2,277 each
2. Tate Kirchenschlager and Cole Davison, 5.7-second run, worth $1,980 each
3. Chris Francis and Cade Passig, 6.0-second run, worth $1,683 each
4. Kal Fuller and Coleby Payne, 6.6-second run, worth $1,386
5. Cale Markham and Cody Doescher, 7.0-second run, worth $1,089 each
6. Caleb Smidt and Trae Smith, 7.1-second run, worth $792 each
7/8. Nelson Wyatt and Levi Lord, 7.8-second run, worth $347 each
7/8. Clay Tryan and Jake Long, 7.8-second run, worth $347 each.
Average:
1. Nelson Wyatt and Levi Lord, 21.3 seconds on three head, worth $3,416 each
2. Clay Tryan and Jake Long, 21.5 seconds on three head, worth $2,970 each
3/4. Dawson Graham and Dillon Graham, 23.5 seconds on three head, worth $2,302 each
3/4. Tate Kirchenschlager and Cole Davison, 23.5 seconds on three head, worth $2,302 each
5. Chris Francis and Cade Passig, 24.6 seconds on three head, worth $1,634 each
6. Caleb Smidt and Trae Smith, 25.2 seconds on three head, worth $1,188 each
7. Cale Markham and Cody Doescher, 25.3 seconds on three head, worth $743 each
8. Kal Fuller and Coleby Payne, 26.4 seconds on three head, worth $297 each.
