The Utah team walked away with $230,000 after going 28.79 seconds on four head.
Spanish Fork, Utah's Brady Pitchford and Clint Robinson were crowned champions of the Ariat World Series of Team Roping #13.5 USA Haulers Finale, taking home $230,000 for their four-head average of 28.79 seconds.
Longtime friends and former traveling partners, they've shared plenty of miles and memories.
"I used to rope calves and rodeo," Pitchford said. "I went with Clint a little bit; he helped me out a bunch. Then I got bad knees and bad hips and started team roping more and training some horses and doing the young horse deal."
Five-time NFR qualifier Robinson agreed there's nothing better than winning with friends.
"Shoot, it's great to win with him," Robinson said. "His father-in-law is one of my best friends; when I moved down to Spanish Fork, his wife was like a little sister to me. Me and him are buddies, so it's great to win with guys you like."
Their first steer—a little paint—set the tone.
"We're five teams away and out back they loaded the steers and there's this little pink-nosed white steer, a little paint," Pitchford recalled. "Short end to the story, we get that one. We were 6-something. I said, we are meant to win this roping because of that steer right there."
"I saw the steer and thought it looked pretty good," Pitchford added. "I don't know how I got out, but like you said, it was just meant to be."
With runs of 6.35, 7.72 and 6.73 seconds, the pair stayed solid heading into the short round.
"Clint had to put his helmet on and go to work back there," Pitchford said of their second steer.
"He knows me, just keep them in front of me and I will try to heel them," Robinson added.
From second high call, their 7.99-second final run sealed the deal.
"We got the three hardest ones down, so I just wanted to see the steer and go catch him and let Clint clean them up," Pitchford said.
"I knew I was catching two feet," Robinson said with a grin.
Pitchford rode Vogue, an 8-year-old bay mare by Regal Eagle out of a First Moon Flash mare.
"She's a good horse, she's got a lot of try," he said.
Robinson rode G Wagonn, a 6-year-old red roan stallion by Metallic Malice out of Miss Badger Uno, owned by McColee Land & Livestock.
"He's just a good-minded horse that lets me win," Robinson said.
With both sides tied to the Riata Stallion Incentive, the team knows the impact the program has on the industry.
"We can go start promoting these horses a little bit more," Robinson said. "It's making good horse flesh. When people see us winning on good-minded horses, it's easy to go sell horses."
"If you ride a good horse, it gives you the leg up," Pitchford added. "I don't know how you could come here and not want to ride a really good horse."
