World Champion Shane Hanchey jumped into the thick of the PRCA’s top 15 tie-down ropers with a clutch Cowboy Christmas win at the Greeley (Colorado) Stampede, worth $6,934 for the average and another $1,639 for his 8.3-second short-round-winning run.
Hanchey didn’t win anything in the go-rounds with an 8.5 in Round 1 and 8.4 in Round 2, coming back to the short round ninth call—but with only six-tenths separating him from first call.
“I wanted to get close to the barrier and make a good run,” Hanchey, 33, of Sulphur, Louisianna, said. “I was hoping and praying for third. But I kept sneaking by guys. I was eighth call the year I won Cheyenne, and I didn’t think I’d win that rodeo then, either.”
Horsepower
Hanchey’s new horse, 11-year-old Stylish Bugsy, is loving the outdoor setups the summer run provides. He started winning in California, placing in a round at Red Bluff and winning Clovis, keeping it rolling through a win at the Guymon (Oklahoma) Pioneer Days.
“It took me longer than expected to get with him,” Hanchey said of the horse he bought from NFR tie-down roper Adam Gray. “Honestly, once he realized what I was going to do each time, his confidence grew just like mine did. When I went out there this spring, we went out there to get accustomed to the setups for these rodeos.”
Implications
The Greeley win has Hanchey 12th in the world with $47,496 won, and he’s en route to a check in Oakley, Utah, as of June 30, as well.
“These kids go so fast,” Hanchey said. “I’ve been trying to be more assertive, not necessarily more aggressive. Like last night, two years ago, I don’t know if I’d have put a wrap and a hooey on that calf in the short round. I’m taking more chances on calves that I wouldn’t have in years past.”
‘Assertiveness’
Hanchey’s spent plenty of time at home in the practice pen, too, refining his ‘roping assertiveness’ on a practice horse, Korn.
“He came from my brother, and he’s 24,” Hanchey said. “He’s worth a story, honestly. My brother trained him when he trained Reata. He thought he’d be the first horse he’d sold for $100,000. He ended up being a lunatic in the box. He’d literally jump out of the box. But, he’s the best thing that’s every happened to my roping. I get realistic gos like at the rodeos on him. And I can practice making intentional, assertive runs. I get started getting over my horse’s left ear more and being more aggressive, making sure all the small things were crossed off the list.”
Full Greeley Stampede Tie-Down Roping Results:
First round: 1. Tuf Case Cooper, 7.9 seconds, $4,623; 2. (tie) Chance Oftedahl and Justin Smith, 8.0, $3,718 each; 4. (tie) Tanner Green, Caleb Smidt and Marty Yates, 8.2, $2,211 each; 7. (tie) Monty Lewis, Lane Livingston and Shad Mayfield, 8.3, $469 each.
Second round: 1. Ty Harris, 7.3 seconds, $4,623; 2. Brush Minton, 7.5, $4,020; 3. Taylor Santos, 7.7, $3,417; 4. Matt Shiozawa, 7.8, $2,814; 5. (tie) Colten Wallis and Riley Mason Webb, 8.0, $1,909 each; 7. (tie) Beau Cooper, Shad Mayfield, Caleb Smidt and Cory Solomon, 8.1, $352 each.
Finals: 1. Shane Hanchey, 8.3 seconds, $1,639; 2. Taylor Santos, 8.9, $1,356; 3. (tie) Shad Mayfield and Riley Mason Webb, 9.0, $932 each; 5. Ty Harris, 10.3, $509; 6. Beau Cooper, 20.4, $283.
Average: 1. Shane Hanchey, 25.2 seconds on three head, $6,934; 2. (tie) Taylor Santos and Shad Mayfield, 25.4, $5,578 each; 4. Riley Mason Webb, 25.6, $4,221; 5. Ty Harris, 26.8, $3,316; 6. Beau Cooper, 37.0, $2,412; 7. Cory Solomon, 37.1, $1,507; 9. Tuf Case Cooper, 16.4 on two head, $603.
