In the final two weeks of the 2024 Resistol Rookie of the Year race, Cole Clemons and Bryce Derrer battled it out, with Clemons claiming the title, finishing $4,430 ahead of Derrer.
Cole Clemons’ path to becoming the 2024 Resistol Rookie of the Year was nothing short of a rollercoaster, starting with a rough patch in late 2023 before a pivotal second-place finish in San Angelo sparked a turnaround. By the season’s end, Clemons had fought his way to the No. 14 spot in the world standings, earning $103,417 and securing both his first National Finals Rodeo qualification and the coveted Resistol Rookie of the Year title.
Throughout the highs and lows of the 2024 season, one thing remained consistent for Clemons—his unwavering determination to chase his lifelong dream of competing at the NFR.
Getting Started
Growing up in Shelby, Florida, there weren’t many people who roped calves near Clemons—except Jason Hanchey, brother of PRCA World Champion, Shane Hanchey.
“I was real young when I started roping with Jason,” Clemons said. “He got me going, taught me how to swing a rope, and showed me the basics. I probably wouldn’t have gotten into it as much as I did if Jason hadn’t been right there in Okeechobee. We lived in the middle of nowhere, but we had an arena and some calves. I watched a lot of videos, went to a few clinics, but that was really about it. Not many people rope in Florida.”
It wasn’t until his freshman year of high school that Clemons realized he wanted to rope calves for a living.
“I was really small, which I still am, and I struggled a lot,” Clemons said. “I got tired of losing, so I said, ‘I’m going to figure this out.’ I started going to Texas to the junior ropings my freshman year, and that’s when I started to have some success.”
By his sophomore year, Clemons was determined to get better. He worked tirelessly, and slowly but surely, things started to fall into place.
Overcoming Challenges
Heading into his junior year, Clemons still faced a significant challenge when it came to his size.
“My junior year I was small,” Clemons said. “I mean, I’m still small; I’m only 5 foot 8 inches. I weigh a buck 50 now, and in my junior year, I was smaller than that. I knew if I wanted to be any good at it at the next level that, I was going to have to figure out how to flank big calves.”
Clemons didn’t let his size hold him back. His determination paid off, winning the National High School Finals calf roping title in his junior year, then finished second his senior year.
“I watched a lot of videos, and I broke them down,” Clemons said. “I did a lot of trial and error. I would sit in that practice pen at midnight and watch videos of Shane Hanchey and some of those smaller guys like Trevor Brazile. I would literally have a calf tied off to the post and I would try it and eventually stuff started clicking.”
A Rocky Start to the 2024 Season
Reflecting on his 2024 season, Clemons admits it wasn’t smooth sailing at the start.
“In October of last year, I had a pretty rough start,” Clemons said. “I went to the Texas Circuit Finals and didn’t do any good. I probably went to eight or nine rodeos and didn’t win anything.”
Despite his hopes for a strong year, it wasn’t shaping up the way he envisioned. However, a second-place finish at San Angelo gave him a much-needed boost—in the standings and mentally.
“I think I had around $16,000 or $17,000 won after that,” Clemons said. “Then I went to California and won a little, but I was still barely in the top 50. Then I won good in Reno. After that, it got pretty good for a while, but it was still off and on all summer.”
Clemons split the Reno Rodeo win with Shane Hanchey, taking home $11,439 in the rounds and average.
September Struggles and the Final Push
The final month of the regular season was particularly challenging for Clemons, knowing he had an NFR qualification on the line.
“I didn’t win anything,” Clemons said. “I think I won two checks in all of September. It was hard being on the bubble for that long, not winning, and seeing everybody get closer and closer to you.”
Despite the whirlwind of the season, Clemons is taking it all in stride.
“It’s a dream come true,” Clemons said. “It still hasn’t really sunk in that I’ve achieved what I’ve dreamed about my whole life.”
Bubble Watch
While some might closely monitor the standings, Clemons took a more relaxed approach—at first.
“I wouldn’t say that I watched the standings very closely,” Clemons said. “I’d check them once a week after the weekend to see what happened. I wasn’t really worried about it; you can’t change what other people are winning. But towards the end of the season, I almost liked looking at it.”
As the season neared its end, he found that looking at the standings began to fuel his drive. “It started making me mad,” Clemons joked, “so I thought maybe that would help me win something.”
Good Ole Joe
The heart of Clemons’ success has been his horse, Joe, the grade blue roan gelding he rode all year.
“When I got him, he had been rodeoed on a little, so he was seasoned,” Clemons said. “When I bought Joe, I hadn’t even started amateur rodeoing yet. But over time, we got each other figured out. Everything I’ve ever won has been on Joe, and he’s a big part of why I am where I am today.”
Preparing for the NFR
As Clemons looks ahead to the NFR, he’s focused on preparation and staying grounded.
“When I got home, I didn’t do much for a few days,” Clemons said. “I tried to go on vacation to Florida but had to leave because of the hurricane. Now I’m back working horses and starting to practice again. I’ll probably practice at home most of the week and go to Northside in Fort Worth on the weekends to prepare. The setup at Northside is similar to the Thomas and Mack, so it’ll help me get ready.”
And as for who he’s riding at the NFR?
“As long as Joe has four legs underneath him, I’m riding him in Vegas.”