Young cowboys Laye, Taypotat aim to make names for themselves
A couple of kids from Canada — Clint Laye and Ty Taypotat — won first and second in the bareback riding last weekend at a rodeo in Texas.
It was just a little one in the community of Helotes, about 20 kilometres northwest of San Antonio.
It put up a purse of $2,800 added in each event.
Laye, from Cadogan, Alta., won first with an 82-point ride that paid $1,114. Taypotat, from Regina, was 78 points to pick up $867. Get used to it. The travelling partners haven’t established any far-reaching goals. They only insist they’re on the trail to “make a name for ourselves. That’s what it’s all about.
“It’ll take some time until the guys (obviously their rivals and the judges with the pencils) know who we are,” added Taypotat.
The wolves got a look at Laye three weeks ago at Corpus Christi, Texas, where he finished seventh with a score of 78 points for $706.
A week later, they saw Taypotat split second at a Wrangler Tour Rodeo in Clovis, Calif., with a snappy 84-point ride on a wild little black outlaw that was worth $3,472.
Laye is just 18-years-old, fresh out of the novice ranks and a new student at Odessa College in Texas.
Taypotat, 20, qualified for his first Canadian Finals Rodeo in his rookie season last November at Edmonton, and competed at his first American rodeo last month at Logandale, Nev.
Laye was also at the CFR, competing in the novice ranks.
“We talked at the CFR and I knew he’d be going to school at Odessa in January,” Taypotat explained. “We made a little plan to meet up in April and start travelling together.”
While he spent the rest of the winter working on rigs in the oilfield to build his bank account, Laye spent the Christmas holidays at home, hunkered down on his computer taking courses to academically qualify for the college rodeo season.
They finally got together last month.
Laye not only filled his permit by placing at five rodeos for $3,141, enabling him to buy his pro card, he won first at three of five college rodeos and qualified for the College National Finals Rodeo at Casper, Wyo., in June.
And, he completed and passed his first year of college studies.
Laye, who only needed to win $1,000 to fill his permit, didn’t take out his pro card until this week. So, nothing of what he’s won shows up in the world standings.
Taypotat, on the other hand, has earned $4,511 and he’s ranked 44th in the world.
This weekend, Laye, pro card in his wallet, and Taypotat will work three rodeos in east Texas — at Jasper, San Augustine and Mineral Wells.
“Then we drive all the way back for rodeos at Luxton and Falkland next week (in B.C.) and Grande Prairie the week after,” said Laye.
“And hopefully we get done