The largest #10.5 in team roping history happened Dec. 11.
Texas' Chance Hanna and Dalton G. Miller took home $362,000 for their 32.44-second run on four head to win the record-setting Ariat World Series of Team Roping #10.5 YETI Finale.
"It keeps it affordable, no doubt," 36-year-old Hanna joked. "My wife's got it earmarked for something, I'm sure."
"I'm at a loss for words," said 25-year-old Miller. "It's just really, really great. I mean, I was high callback last year and nothing went right; my header ended up splitting the horns but this year, it happened."
"We've roped together at home a bunch," said Hanna. "I asked him to rope earlier this year. He's kind of the guy you want because he's not going to take them very far and if you get it on them halfway or better, you're going to have a chance to win this deal."
With wives, families and friends watching, the duo celebrated the highest-paying #10.5 roping in history.
They started in Rotation 1 with three eight-second runs—8.34, 8.15 and 8.40.
"I was just trying to be aggressive all day," Hanna said. "Give him a good handle and get him moving; that was the main focus. Be aggressive, be on the barrier and just make good practice-pen runs."
"I blew the barrier out on our second one," Hanna added. "I thought I broke it."
"It was just another steer," said Miller. "Just get them caught and you're going to get paid. It's just two feet."
From third high call, they made their fastest run of the day—7.55 seconds—to seal the win.
"I was nervous; he wasn't," Hanna said.
"I seen everybody started tugging on them and I was like, yeah, it's my turn," Miller said with a $362,000 grin. "They're going to regret doing that."
"I knew it when the flag dropped that we were winners," Miller said. "That's why I was doing the whole hat rattling and choice words and everything. It was great."
"It's nice to come compete," Hanna added. "Just let your hair down and try to make four good runs; that was our plan."
"I wanted to win," Miller said. "It was a long time coming."
Both rode borrowed horses. Hanna headed on Flip (Ben And Jerrys), a 6-year-old bay gelding by Chics Loaded Gun out of Steppin Out Diva.
"Cade Rice trained that horse," Hanna said. "He really stepped up."
Miller heeled on Dunny (Nifty Gypsy Pine), a 17-year-old gelding owned by Hanna's family.
"I didn't think my truck was going to make it out here so I called Chance," Miller said. "I knew they had a good horse I knew if I got a chance to ride a horse like that, it was going to make my job way easier."
