Tyler Wade and Tyler McKnight are currently winning the Western Stampede in West Jordan, Utah with a 4.6-second run.
Kaitlin Gustave: How is Cowboy Christmas going for you?
Tyler Wade: It’s going better than the last three. I haven’t done good in the last couple years. You just take it for what it is and keep running them.
KG: Have you done well anywhere else?
TW: No, I missed at Belle Fouche (South Dakota) and Livingston (Montana) and Knightrider (Tyler McKnight) missed at Cody (Wyoming). We got turned out at Red Lodge to make sure that we got to Cody. We haven’t run very many.
KG: Why are you riding Fonzie over Bunny?
TW: They’re just so different that if you’re going to ride one then stick to it and get all the kinks out on it. If I draw a runner then I should ride the bay or if I draw a loper then I should ride the paint. It really doesn’t matter which one that I ride. My plan is to just stay on it and get a rhythm going. The steers handle different on each horse, it’s a different score for each one of them. Unless I need to swap, I’m probably going to just stay on the bay, but I don’t really like to swap too much.
KG: What do you think has been hurting you guys at the rodeos?
TW: I think it’s crucial out here. At Belle Fouche there’s a third run and some people are going to get the third run. We were at the front last year. It took a low 4 to place and this year it looks a little softer—I don’t know if it’s going to end up like that. Their roping older steers—they don’t have one for everybody. Every time we do have a rerun—I hit the barrier at Livingston and we had a real strong one at Cody. It’s kind of just been back and forth. I don’t worry about it. If we haven’t won anything we could still go win $20,000.
KG: Who would you say is having the best Fourth run?
TW: I try to stay in my own lane. I’ve jackpotted enough before and looked at people and tried to go what they’re doing and looking at the people and try to win as much as they’re winning—really not trying to take care of myself, worried about what place I’m going to win, so-and-so. I have this new deal where I just go to each rodeo and beat each steer and take it for what it is. Count it up when it’s all over. I think that when I don’t stay in my lane good enough then I start trying to make stuff happen.