Two rodeos into its season, the Fort Hays State University rodeo team now has a cowboy in the regional standings.
After a strong performance at the Pratt Community College Rodeo this past weekend, Oct. 1-3, senior Cody Pratt now sits seventh in steer wrestling in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association’s Central Plains Region standings.
Pratt finished third in the average at the rodeo with a time of 9.9 seconds on two head.
He had a time of 4.4 seconds in the long-go round and 5.5 seconds in the short-go round, the finals round.
After a rough 2009-2010 season, Pratt said it felt good to do well early in the season.
“Like anything, it helps to try to get something rolling at the beginning in hopes that you can keep it going for the rest of the year,” Pratt said.
Without a good horse, it is hard to make a good run.
Pratt gives all the thanks to the horse he borrows from fellow rodeo team member, sophomore Blair Jones.
“He’s a great horse, has lots of speed and is consistent,” Pratt said.
In the calf roping, a mishap at the barrier kept junior Cory Hatcher from making the short-go when he failed to give his calf the full head start, which added 10 seconds to his time of 10.2.
Besides breaking out of the barrier, Hatcher said he felt good about his run.
“I had a lot of bobbles on the ground, but other than that and breaking out, I did everything the way I wanted,” Hatcher said.
“My calf was really slow and was really good on the ground.”
As for next weekend’s rodeo, Hatcher has high, yet simple expectations.
“I just want to be as fast as I can on the calf I draw,” he said.
Two Fort Hays cowgirls made solid runs in the goat tying but finished just shy of the top 10 that make it back to the short-go.
Sam Tenpenny, freshman, was just a few spots out of qualifying for the final round with her run of 9.2 seconds. Closely behind her, senior Jenna Rolland had a 9.5 second run.
Sophomore Kadie Hays had solid and consistent performances in her two events, catching her calf in 4.5 seconds in breakaway roping and stopping the clock in 17.55 seconds in barrel racing.
Also in barrel racing, graduate student Katrina Van Diest just missed the final round with a run of 17.21.
In calf roping, junior Ty Rumford was a couple seconds from qualifying for the short-go with a time of 12.1 seconds.
The team starts its next rodeo today through Saturday in Durant, Okla., for the Southeastern Oklahoma State University Rodeo.
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