Three UW rodeo students will be competing against the best in the nation at the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) this next week.
Both Tylor Bond, petroleum-engineering senior, and Brady Dinwoodie, geology senior, are advancing to the CNFR for the third time in their careers. Bond qualified in steer wrestling while Dinwoodie will compete in the saddle bronc riding. Brit Ellerman, recent business administration graduate, qualified for the second time in team roping.
“What I’m looking for is for these three guys to come out on top,” George Howard, UW rodeo head coach, said. “They are all totally capable – they are as good as it gets right there.”
Throughout the fall and spring the UW rodeo team competes against other teams in the Central Rocky Mountain Region, which is compromised by 13 schools. The top three competitors in each event advance to the CNFR, which is held in Casper, where 11 other regions are represented.
Most notable, Dinwoodie led the region in the saddle bronc riding by a significant margin of double the total points of any other rider. He guaranteed himself a spot in the CNFR by the second rodeo this spring, Howard said, adding that competitors are often trying to edge each other out until the last rodeo.
“I just tried to stay positive even when things weren’t going good and keep doing things consistently until everything started to fall back into place,” Dinwoodie said.
Bond slipped by in third overall in the region, which was unexpected after what many people thought was a season ending injury to his knee.
At the first rodeo this spring, Bond tore his ACL, MCL and lateral and medial meniscus. After sitting out two rodeos, Bond said he decided to keep competing due to the fact his knee could not be hurt worse and it was his last year of college rodeo.
Competing on a blown out knee forced him to return to the basics of steer wrestling, Bond said. Even so, it is still risky as steer wrestling involves dropping down from the horse onto a steer while both animals are running at full speed.
“Basically I just had to break it down to 100 percent fundamentals, and if I was lucky and fast then I made a good run,” Bond said. “I just had to break everything down and go back to the basics to try and get by.”
Although it was not his smoothest season, Ellerman said he managed to pull off a win in the last spring rodeo, putting him in first place for team roping headers in the region.
Ellerman has grown up in a roping family, and the pressure of larger and professional rodeos like the CNFR is something he has learned to deal with, he said.
“The biggest thing anywhere is just staying out of your own way and letting yourself rope and have fun doing it,” Ellerman said. “More than anything, staying confident and embracing the moment and having fun with it.”
All three teammates agreed their goals are to remain levelheaded and to stay consistent which they said will hopefully result in a win in their events.
Often the determining factor of having a good run depends on the quality of stock, Howard said. Whether it is drawing for a saddle bronc or a roping cow the varying personalities of each animal is unpredictable.
“The biggest concern is drawing good, quality stock, making it even for these guys to compete on, and if that’s the case everyone else is in trouble,” Howard said.
The CNFR begins Sunday and will continue through next Saturday.
