{"id":2087,"date":"2012-12-11T13:44:56","date_gmt":"2012-12-11T18:44:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/equestrianinfluence.com\/horsehappenings\/?p=2087"},"modified":"2020-01-14T12:25:30","modified_gmt":"2020-01-14T17:25:30","slug":"shepperson-hopes-to-follow-in-his-fathers-gold-buckle-winning-footsteps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/equestrianinfluence.com\/horsehappenings\/shepperson-hopes-to-follow-in-his-fathers-gold-buckle-winning-footsteps\/","title":{"rendered":"Shepperson hopes to follow in his father\u2019s gold buckle-winning footsteps"},"content":{"rendered":"

LAS VEGAS \u2013 Les Shepperson need not look far to be reminded what a gold buckle looks like.<\/p>\n

The 34-year-old steer wrestler\u2019s father, Frank, won the world championship in that event in 1975 and might just be wearing that gold buckle in Las Vegas as you read this.<\/p>\n

In front of a sixth-round record-setting crowd at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas on Tuesday, Shepperson put himself in position to give the family a second gold buckle. Shepperson and Gabe Ledoux each brought down their steer in 4.0 seconds, sharing the sixth-round victory at the Thomas & Mack Center.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt would mean everything; that\u2019s been my whole life\u2019s goal growing up,\u201d said Shepperson, from Midwest, Wyo. \u201c[My father won] before I was born, but I\u2019ve seen pictures and old videos and stuff. He\u2019s always shared stories.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Officially, the $16,343 won by Shepperson Tuesday night leaves him in eighth place in the world standings, trailing world leader Luke Branquinho by $35,750. But Shepperson, who entered the 10-night rodeo in 11th<\/sup>\u00a0place, leads the average race \u2013 which pays $46,821 to the winner \u2013 with a six-head time of 25.0 seconds.<\/p>\n

With Branquinho in eighth place in the average, Shepperson rose to become a favorite after six nights, though the race will almost certainly come down to the final night on Saturday.<\/p>\n

Ledoux helped his cause in similar fashion. Like Shepperson, the 32-year-old put together five solid runs to start the NFR, but he was looking to get tapped off.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had placed a little bit down in the rounds the last couple nights and it felt good to win a round, and split it with Les. I needed the money,\u201d Ledoux said. \u201cYou\u2019ve just got to go win everything you can. It\u2019ll be fun. I try not to [look at the standings]. That doesn\u2019t determine anything. You just try to go win.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ledoux came to the NFR ranked eighth in the world, and is currently second in the average behind Shepperson.<\/p>\n

For the second consecutive night, the first bareback rider to nod his head and start his ride went on to win the go-round.<\/p>\n

Leesville, La., cowboy Winn Ratliff rode Kesler Rodeo\u2019s Star Burst to 83.5 points to begin the sixth performance and it held up to top the field by one point.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just an awesome feeling to have the opportunity to come here and then win the sixth round,\u201d Ratliff said. \u201cMy mom said, \u2018This is the one; we\u2019re going to the South Point [to collect the go-round championship buckle]. I\u2019ve been real hesitant to think I\u2019d win, just taking it one horse at a time and not get antsy about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The favorite to win a second gold buckle in a row is Kaycee Feild. The Payson, Utah, cowboy shared second place with three other cowboys in Round 6 and holds a $37,941 lead over three-time World Champion Will Lowe.<\/p>\n

The 25-year-old Feild, who joined the club of ProRodeo cowboys with $1 million in career earnings on Tuesday night, also leads the NFR average race in bareback riding.<\/p>\n

Most of the other races are far murkier at this point.<\/p>\n

In team roping, Trevor Brazile \u2013 who clinched the world all-around championship for his 17th<\/sup>\u00a0gold buckle on Monday night \u2013 and Patrick Smith lead the world standings and finished second in the sixth round, but they\u2019re sixth in the average race.<\/p>\n

That lead belongs to Chad Masters and Clay O\u2019Brien Cooper, who have caught six steers in 43.9 seconds. Colby Lovell and Russell Cardoza are further back in the world standings, but rank third in the average and won the go-round with a 3.5-second run.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I heard everybody yelling that Colby was good at the barrier and I saw his loop go around the horns that fast, I was just thinking, \u2018Rope two feet,\u2019\u201d Cardoza said. \u201cI think my eyes lit up pretty big when I saw his rope go on.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s still too early to worry about the average,\u201d Lovell said. \u201cI don\u2019t want to do anything dumb by any means, because we\u2019re still in the average, but if I get that kind of start and they\u2019re right there, then you have to go for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The race for the saddle bronc riding gold buckle remains intriguing, as well. Jesse Wright leads the world standings ahead of Wade Sundell, who shared the sixth-round victory (84 points on Classic Pro Rodeo\u2019s Lori Darlin) with Taos Muncy (84 on Stace Smith Pro Rodeo\u2019s Flaming Desire).<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was a big deal tonight, because last night I stubbed my toe and missed an opportunity,\u201d Sundell said. \u201cI was embarrassed a little bit last night, because I thought that horse made me look kind of stupid. Today I was ready for some revenge and really went after that horse.\u201d<\/p>\n

To muddle the race even more, Cody DeMoss is the only bronc rider to post a score on each of his first six rides and leads the average with 472.5 points.<\/p>\n

In tie-down roping, Ryan Jarrett and Clint Robinson \u2013 a pair of cowboys who rank in the top 10 in the world all-around standings \u2013 shared the go-round title with 7.2-second runs.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoth of those horses that Ryan and I used were mine, and we\u2019re best friends,\u201d Robinson said. \u201cWe rode together all year long, so it\u2019s a pretty neat deal to split a round on those horses.\u201d<\/p>\n

Neither Tuf Cooper, who leads the world standings by less than $6,000, nor Justin Maass \u2013 who ranks second behind Cooper\u00a0 \u2013 placed in Round 6. Maass is third in the average race, while Cooper and five-time World Tie-down Roping Champion Cody Ohl are tied for fifth.<\/p>\n

In similar fashion to the tie-down roping, the top two bull riders in the world did not post a score in the sixth round, so there was no change between three-time World Champion J.W. Harris and NFR rookie Cody Teel, who are separated by\u00a0 a little more than $7,000.<\/p>\n

Beau Schroeder, another NFR rookie, had already placed in three rounds and added a go-round buckle to his accomplishments by riding Frontier Rodeo\u2019s Feeling So Fly for 89 points.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure there\u2019s a party and everybody is excited right now,\u201d the China, Texas, cowboy said. \u201cIt\u2019s a town of about 1,400 people and there\u2019s only one stoplight, so if you blink, you\u2019ll miss it. I didn\u2019t like the last two days, because I didn\u2019t have my phone blow up at all, but tonight I hope it rings off the hook.\u201d<\/p>\n

Schroeder has moved from 12th<\/sup>\u00a0to fourth since the start of the NFR and leads the average race with 343.5 points on four rides, 7.5 better than Seth Glause.<\/p>\n

Barrel racer Mary Walker not only continues to lead the race for the Ram Truck Top Gun Award \u2013 given to the top earner in any one event at the NFR \u2013 but she snared the world standings lead from Brittany Pozzi. While Carlee Pierce won the round in 13.51 seconds, Walker finished second and holds a $12,869 lead in the race for the gold buckle.<\/p>\n

The 17,375 on hand Tuesday set a new attendance record for the NFR\u2019s sixth round. The races will continue to take shape in Round 7, which begins at 6:45 p.m. Wednesday night.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>54th annual Wrangler National Finals Rodeo<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sixth round, Dec. 11, 2012<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bareback riding:<\/strong>\u00a01. Winn Ratliff, Leesville, La., 83.5 points on Kesler Rodeo’s Star Burst, $18,257; 2. (tie) Kaycee Feild, Payson, Utah; Bobby Mote, Stephenville, Texas; \u00a0Caleb Bennett, Morgan, Utah, and Steven Peebles, Redmond, Ore., 82.5, $9,423 each; 6. Jessy Davis, Power, Mont., 82.0, $2,945; 7. Brian Bain, Culver, Ore., 81.5; 8. Casey Colletti, Pueblo, Colo., 81; 9. Wes Stevenson, Lubbock, Texas, 80; 10. Justin McDaniel, Porum, Okla., 78.5; 11. J.R. Vezain, Cowley, Wyo., 77.5; 12. Jared Keylon, Uniontown, Kan., 76; 13. Steven Dent, Mullen, Neb., 74.5; 14. Matt Bright, Azle, Texas, 73; 15. Will Lowe, Canyon, Texas, 72.<\/p>\n

Steer wrestling:<\/strong>\u00a01. (tie) Gabe Ledoux, Kaplan, La., and Les Shepperson, Midwest, Wyo., 4.0 seconds, $16,343 each; 3. Bray Armes, Gruver, Texas, 4.1, $10,895; 4. Ethen Thouvenell, Napa, Calif., 4.2, $7,656; 5. Luke Branquinho, Los Alamos, Calif., 4.3, $4,712; 6. Todd Suhn, Hermosa, S.D., 4.4, $2,945; 7. (tie) Matt Reeves, Cross Plains, Texas, and Beau Clark, Belgrade, Mont., 4.6 each; 9. K.C. Jones, Decatur, Texas, 4.8; 10. Billy Bugenig, Ferndale, Calif., 5.9; 11. Casey Martin, Sulphur, La., 7.9; 12. Wade Sumpter, Fowler, Colo., 8.9; 13. Dean Gorsuch, Gering, Neb., 14.9; 14. (tie) Trevor Knowles, Mount Vernon, Ore., and \u00a0Tom Lewis, Lehi, Utah, NT.<\/p>\n

Team roping:<\/strong>\u00a01. Colby Lovell, Madisonville, Texas\/Russell Cardoza, Terrebonne, Ore., 3.5 seconds, $18,257 each; 2. Trevor Brazile, Decatur, Texas\/Patrick Smith, Lipan, Texas, 4.1, $14,429; 3. (tie) Keven Daniel, Franklin, Tenn.\/Chase Tryan, Helena, Mont., and Spencer Mitchell, Colusa, Calif.\/Dakota Kirchenschlager, Stephenville, Texas, 4.2, $9,276 each; 5. (tie) Travis Tryan, Billings, Mont.\/Jake Long, Coffeyville, Kan., and Erich Rogers, Round Rock, Ariz.\/Kory Koontz, Sudan, Texas, 4.3, $3,828 each; 7. Kaleb Driggers, Albany, Ga.\/Jade Corkill, Fallon, Nev., 4.4; 8. Chad Masters, Cedar Hill, Tenn.\/Clay O’Brien Cooper, Gardnerville, Nev., 4.7; 9. Derrick Begay, Seba Dalkai, Ariz.\/Cesar\u00a0 de la Cruz, Tucson, Ariz., 8.8; 10. Clay Tryan, Billings, Mont.\/Travis Graves, Jay, Okla., 9.2; 11. (tie) Dustin Bird, Cut Bank, Mont.\/Paul Eaves, Millsap, Texas, and Turtle Powell, Stephenville, Texas\/Dugan Kelly, Paso Robles, Calif., 9.6 each; 13. Brock Hanson, Casa Grande, Ariz.\/Ryan Motes, Weatherford, Texas, 14.0; 14. (tie) Luke Brown, Stephenville, Texas\/Martin Lucero, Stephenville, Texas, and Charly Crawford, Prineville, Ore.\/Jim Ross Cooper, Monument, N.M., NT.<\/p>\n

Saddle bronc riding<\/strong>: 1.\u00a0(tie) Wade Sundell, Boxholm, Iowa, on Classic Pro Rodeo’s Lori Darlin, and Taos Muncy, Corona, N.M., on Stace Smith Pro Rodeo’s Flaming Desire, 84 points, $16,343 each; 3. Cody Wright, Milford, Utah, 82, $10,895; 4. Jesse Wright, Milford, Utah, 81.5, $7,656; 5. Sterling Crawley, College Station, Texas, 81, $4,712; 6. Isaac Diaz, Desdemona, Texas, 80.5, $2,945; 7. Bradley Harter, Weatherford, Texas, 79.5; 8. Cody DeMoss, Heflin, La., 78; 9. Cody Taton, Corona, N.M., 77; 10. (tie) Jacobs Crawley, College Station, Texas, and Jake Wright, Milford, Utah, 75.5 each; 12. Cort Scheer, Elsmere, Neb., 66.5; 13. (tie) Chad Ferley, Oelrichs, S.D.; Cole Elshere, Faith, S.D., and Tyrell Smith, Cascade, Mont., NS.<\/p>\n

Tie-down roping:<\/strong>\u00a01. (tie) Clint Robinson, Spanish Fork, Utah, and Ryan Jarrett, Comanche, Okla., 7.2 seconds, $16,343 each; 3. Adam Gray, Seymour, Texas, 7.8, $10,895; 4. Cody Ohl, Hico, Texas, 8.3, $7,656; 5. (tie) Monty Lewis, Hereford, Texas, and Houston Hutto, Tomball, Texas, 8.5, $3,828 each; 7. Justin Maass, Giddings, Texas, 9.7; 8. Cory Solomon, Prairie View, Texas, 10.6; 9. Shane Hanchey, Sulphur, La., 12.7; 10. Fred Whitfield, Hockley, Texas, 13.7; 11. Hunter Herrin, Apache, Okla., 14.4; 12. Matt Shiozawa, Chubbuck, Idaho, 17.3; 13. Tuf Cooper, Decatur, Texas, 18.1; 14. Bradley Bynum, Sterling City, Texas, 20.8; 15. Clif Cooper, Decatur, Texas, NT.<\/p>\n

Barrel racing:<\/strong>\u00a01. Carlee Pierce, Stephenville, Texas, 13.51 seconds, $18,257; 2. Mary Walker, Ennis, Texas, 13.76, $14,429; 3. Lisa Lockhart, Oelrichs, S.D., 13.79, $10,895; 4. Kaley Bass, Kissimmee, Fla., 13.90, $7,656; 5. Benette Barrington-Little, Ardmore, Okla., 13.93, $4,712; 6. Brenda Mays, Terrebonne, Ore., 14.16, $2,945; 7. Nikki Steffes, Vale, S.D., 14.29; 8. Christy Loflin, Franktown, Colo., 14.57; 9. Christina Richman, Glendora, Calif., 14.73; 10. Lindsay Sears, Nanton, Alberta, 18.86; 11. Lee Ann Rust, Stephenville, Texas, 19.02; 12. Brittany Pozzi, Victoria, Texas, 19.07; 13. Trula Churchill, Valentine, Neb., 19.17; 14. Kelli Tolbert, Hooper, Utah, 23.74; 15. Sherry Cervi, Marana, Ariz., NT.<\/p>\n

Bull riding:<\/strong>\u00a01. Beau Schroeder, China, Texas, 89 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Feeling So Fly, $18,257; 2. (tie) Trevor Kastner, Ardmore, Okla., and Seth Glause, Cheyenne, Wyo., 80, $12,662 each; 4. Kanin Asay, Powell, Wyo., 78, $7,656; 5. (tie) J.W. Harris, Mullin, Texas; Cody Teel, Kountze, Texas; Trey Benton III, Rock Island, Texas; Ardie Maier, Timber Lake, S.D.; Tate Stratton, Kellyville, Okla.; Cody Samora, Cortez, Colo.; Cody Whitney, Sayre, Okla.; Shane Proctor, Grand Coulee, Wash.; Clayton Savage, Casper, Wyo.; Tag Elliott, Thatcher, Utah, and Brett Stall, Detroit Lakes, Minn., NS<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

LAS VEGAS – Les Shepperson need not look far to be reminded what a gold buckle looks like. The 34-year-old steer wrestler’s father, Frank, won the world championship in that event in 1975 and might just be wearing that gold buckle in Las Vegas as you read this.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2112,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[52,2044,98],"tags":[788,85,115,328,83,457,789,367],"class_list":["post-2087","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-events-magazine","category-magazine","category-western-events-magazine","tag-les-shepperson","tag-nfr","tag-prca","tag-prorodeo","tag-rodeo","tag-trevor-brazile","tag-winn-ratliff","tag-wrangler-national-finals-rodeo"],"yoast_head":"\nShepperson hopes to follow in his father\u2019s gold buckle-winning footsteps - Horse Happenings<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/equestrianinfluence.com\/horsehappenings\/shepperson-hopes-to-follow-in-his-fathers-gold-buckle-winning-footsteps\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Shepperson hopes to follow in his father\u2019s gold buckle-winning footsteps - Horse Happenings\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"LAS VEGAS – Les Shepperson need not look far to be reminded what a gold buckle looks like. 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