The Round Up

Issue date: 4/2/07 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Alicia Cardoza

Media Credit: Josh Bachman

Media Credit: Josh Bachman

By Richard Reyes

Sports Reporter



Aggie Dean Daly scored 151 points for a second place finish in the New Mexico State rodeo team's first bronc riding competition on Saturday.

Daly and teammate Tanner Crofts were the only NMSU riders in the competition along with 14 other riders, including professionals and amateurs from outside New Mexico. Luke Leist was among the visiting competitors, taking first place just one point ahead of Daly. Matt Oros placed third with 149 points, while Riley Strauss placed fourth with 140 points.

"There is a lot of team ropings, calf ropings and barrel races around here, but there's not a whole lot of rough stock riding, so we decided to put this together," NMSU rodeo coach Jim Dewey Brown said.

Daly and Leist scored the highest single round point totals of the competition at 79-out-of-100. The 100 points are split between two judges who each award a maximum of 25 points for the bucking animal and the competitor during the eight-second ride.

While the competition depends largely on a rider's skill, the horses' personalities also have a significant effect on the outcome of a ride.

"Different horses take different amounts of rein," Brown said. "Some horses go left, some go right, they all buck differently, so it's varied. It also depends on the rider. Some riders might be tired or banged up from a competition a week earlier while others are healthy and on top of their A-game."

Brown said he hopes to make the competition an annual event and eventually make it bigger with more sponsorship and more participation, which is very likely considering how much progress Brown has made in his five-year tenure as rodeo coach. Although the rodeo program has been around since 1942, Brown is the first person to be named coach to the team.

"We have gone from 20 to about 80 members," Brown said. "We are getting more recognition in the community and region because we are winning and bringing home titles," including a team roping award at the College National Finals Rodeo.

In the coming years, Brown hopes to continue their success with a team national title.

At maximum capacity with 80 members, Kelly Stephens was brought in as assistant coach for the women.

"The big reason why we got Kelly to help with the women is because, with being so large, it's hard for one person to do alone," Brown said.

Managing 80 students all together is a difficult feat, but Brown said not all of the students practice together. Many members spend time at home practicing and usually begin their training at an early age.

"It starts when they are little, like 4 or 5 years old," Brown said. "Some kids grew up with a rope in their hands. It depends on their family and what they want to do. Some have roots in bronc riding through their dads."

The saddle bronc riding event was just a, "fun get together," according to Brown, but the rodeo team has a larger event planned for April 27-28, called the Tough Enough to Wear Pink College Rodeo. The event will take place in the lot south of Memorial Stadium and will feature seven schools from the region. Aside from the competition, the event will feature entertainment for people of all ages including tailgating and a battle of the bands.

"We're trying to get this thing kicked off so I urge people to come to the rodeo in April, it is going to be quite the production," Brown said.

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