Skelton, partner boost NFR earnings to $33,212
When Rich Skelton entered the media room at the Thomas & Mack Center after he and team roping partner Nick Sartain won their first round at the National Finals Rodeo on Tuesday night, someone jokingly said to him, “It’s about time,” to which Skelton replied with a straight face, “Yeah, no kidding.”
Eleven years removed from winning the last of his record eight straight team roping world titles with former partner Speed Williams, the 49-year-old Skelton still expects to win every night.
“If you don’t expect to have success, I think you need to retire,” Skelton said.
Skelton and Sartain turned in a 3.9second run to split the sixth-round win with Aaron Tsinigine and Ryan Motes and pocket $23,481 apiece, boosting their NFR earnings to $33,212 and their season earningsto$117,290.Thevictoryalsoextended Skelton’seventrecordforroundwinsto36.
“Thisisfun.Winningnevergetsold.The money’sevenbetter,”hesaid.“Youcantell when you’re getting old. It felt to me like we were 2. We’d only won about $10,000 before tonight, and with this much money upthat’snothing.I’mgladtogetinonsome of the big action tonight.”
ThewinwasespeciallysatisfyingconsideringSkeltonwasseriouslyinjuredinaroad accident May 15 in Llano, Texas, where he lives. The tractor Skelton was driving was rear-ended and tipped over by a car that had been rear-ended by a truck pulling a livestock trailer. Skelton was launched throughthetopofthecanopyofthetractor asitwasknockedonitsside,andhelanded on his head in a ditch about 30 feet away.
Skelton, whosuffered bleeding on his brain,wasairliftedtoaRoundRock,Texas, hospital, where he was put in a medically induced coma.
“Itwasascarydealforacoupleofdays,” Sartainsaid.“Afteracoupledays,wewere thinking things were going to be all right. Prayer and positive thinking goes a long way. If you don’t think it does, it does.
“Hedownplaysit,butIwasrealworried. We’ve been friends a long time.”
Said Skelton: “I just basically got a concussionoutofthedeal.Iwashurtforabout a month, and it kind of worked out. I got healed.”
After waiting six weeks for the bleeding on Skelton’s brain to dissipate and for him to be medically cleared, the team got back on the rodeo trail and qualified for their third straight NFR together.
Skelton said the accident made him appreciate things more.
“When something like that happens, it makes you evaluate everything,” he said. “I have an 11-year-old daughter and a wife, and it makes you put everything in perspective.”
Sartain, 36,was wearing a button bearing the words “Prayers for Jake Barnes” to showhissupportfortheseven-timeworld championteamroper,whosufferedbruising and bleeding on his brain and a broken anklewhenhishorselandedonhimduring a practice run before the NFR.
“Everybody in the rodeo industry is all good friends. You’re around each other as much as your family, and I heard (Barnes) made it home,” Skelton said. “His injury and my injury are kind of similar. Both of ushadalittlebloodonthebrain.Hopefully he gets healed up as quick as I did.”
Barnes won his seven gold buckles with Clay O’Brien Cooper, who at 54 has won threeroundsatthisNFRwithpartnerDerrick Begay to take over the top spot in the worldstandingsfromtwo-timedefending world champs Jade Corkill of Fallon and Clay Tryan.
“Don’t waste your time worrying about Clay O’Brien Cooperbecausehe’sthebest there’severbeenorthereeverwillbe,”Sartain said. “If he’s 100, if hecanstill pick his shoulder up, he’s gonna beat you. That’s what’s gonna happen.” And what about Skelton? “Sameway,”Sartainsaid,grinning.“It’s pretty awesome roping with him. I was gettingoutofhighschoolwhenhewaswinninghischampionships.Ilookeduptohim alot.Nowtogettobeoutherewinningwith him is kind of a dream come true for me.”
NOTES — Trevor Brazile clinched his record 13th all-around gold buckle and record23rdcareerworldtitleinstyle,winningtheroundintie-downropingwithhis personal-best NFR time of 6.6 seconds, which was one-tenth of asecond off Cody Ohl’s NFR record of 6.5 seconds. “I’m as pumped about the 6.6 as I was the allaround championship,” said Brazile, 39. “I’vegotmyeyesonanother(goldbuckle). I’mthinkingit’sgoingtobeafunraceincalf roping.” Brazile, with $382,203 in total winnings this year, trails Tuf Cooper, his brother-in-law,bylessthan$9,000intiedown roping. ... Less than $428 separate the top three steer wrestlers in the world standings: Hunter Cure, Ty Erickson and Clayton Hass, who won the round with a 3.5-second run. — Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.comor 702-3830354. Follow him on Twitter: @tdewey33.