Day three of the Ariat WSTR Finale XV put New Mexico team
ropers center stage. Clay Acuna, originally from New Mexico and now residing in
Dublin, Texas, and his partner Johnny "Mad Cat" Salvo, from Las Cruces, New
Mexico, put together four runs in 29.72 seconds to take home $206,000 in the
YETI #13.5 division.
"Being honest, I don't remember much of it," Acuna said of
their short-round run. "We just backed in there and did the same thing we'd
done on the other steers."
With a total $1,168,000 up for grabs, the pressure was on.
The winning duo was fifth call back and watched from the warm-up pen as the top
four teams all went out with a no-time.
"We had so many friends back there," Acuna recalled. "I
tried to FaceTime my wife right there and everyone was screaming and hollering.
You have such a great support system here at the World Series."
Acuna originally qualified with New Mexico's Bode Baize, but
a recent number bump for Baize meant he was on the hunt for a new Finale
partner, and who better than an old junior rodeo pal.
"He's 'Johnny Loop' to me," said Acuna, 36, laughing. "His
name was 'Loop' on his spurs. He was this little punk kid running around with
an upside-down visor, roping everyone. We've ran a thousand practice steers
together."
Recently unemployed and with his second child due in late
February, Acuna's split of the $206,000 will go a long way. He and his wife decided
to forego the 20-plus hour road trip, so he flew to Las Vegas solo and borrowed
a horse from Bode's brother, Bobby Baize.
"Bob's always got good horses," Acuna said. "I jumped on this
morning for the first time and ran a burn steer. I ripped a hole in my pants
and thought, 'So that's how this day is going to go.' But Rene [Cervantes] and
I came back second high call in the #13 Heartland. I decided they were good
luck and I've kept them on all day."
Bobby Baize purchased the 12-year-old grey gelding,
registered HB Skattyjoe Hancock, from Kaleb Driggers this year and won $27,000
on the horse he calls "Ice Nation" in the Priefert #14.5 Finale the day before.
Salvo was aboard a 6-year-old CD Royal- and Pepto Boonsmal-bred
gelding, registered as TS Royal Flush. "Spade" for short, the sorrel gelding
has been with Salvo since he was a 2-year-old.
"I bought about 10 horses from Todd Hedrick up in Michigan a
few years back," said Salvo, a hay broker by trade. "All of the sudden, I
realized he was the only one I had. He's kind of my baby now. He's pretty
special."
Even though they couldn't get together before coming to Las
Vegas, Acuna and Salvo individually put in the time in the practice pen.
"I've been roping here at Martin Lucero's place a bunch,"
Acuna explained. "He and Manny [Egusquiza] tore down the chute and set it up like
this one for me and brought in some fresh steers. It's huge to have guys like
that to practice with. It's made a world of difference for me."
"Usually, I come and place way down," added Salvo, who also
won more than $10,000 in the #15.5 outdoor qualifier produced by Mathew's Land
& Cattle. "I think I was in a little bit of shock. I've practiced with
everyone in the states of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. I think I'll use the
money to start a house and an arena of my own."
#13.5 Finale Results
Average
# Time Header Heeler Amount
1 29.72 Clay Acuna Johnny Salvo $206,000
2 30.34 Travis Nickolson Guy Chomistek $160,000
3 30.37 Teddy Kreger Wesley Barlow $112,000
4 30.41 B Rad Lands Boogie Ray $86,000
5 31.39 Chance Cherry Sam Garside $74,000
6 31.57 Richard Newton Josh Patton $66,000
7 31.78 Granger Insco Tanner Nall $56,000
8 32.37 Erik Jackson Timothy Rutar $47,000
9 32.43 Daren M Sims Jessy Remsburg $38,000
10 32.78 Caroline Taylor Calvin Taylor $38,000
11 33.12 Cody Graham Chantz Banks $29,000
12 33.26 Ray Siggins Cesar Ochoa $29,000
13 33.49 Francisco Cruz Dugan Kelly $10,000
14 36.29 Cassidy Boggs Cody Tew $10,000
15 36.32 Richard Nolen Ernie D Bacon $6,000
16 36.81 Clay Deen Cooper Robertson $6,000
17 36.82 Kyle Roberts Ellis Yates $6,000
18 37.27 Tyler Riggan Chase Massengill $6,000
19 37.78 Bailey Kretschmer Casey Cummins "$6,000
20 38.42 Jim Estill Bill Finks $6,000
21 39.69 Zach Crofoot Bobby Roberts $6,000
22 21.67 Garett Smith Jeff Wadman $6,000
23 22.2 Dustin Garcia Jake Cobb $6,000
24 22.27 Ryan Readmond Zalin Arritola $6,000
25 22.45 Lou Stuart Cody H Christensen $6,000
26 24.9 Robert W Murphy Rob Black $6,000
27 26.16 Bob Herrington Reno Gonzales $6,000
28 26.19 Colby Simmons James Hicks $6,000
Consolation Rot 1 Average
# Time Header Heeler Amount
1 21.32 Cody Thornton Colton G. Thomas $10,500
2 21.39 Shad Beebe Travis Ericsson $8,500
3 22.38 Karl Rios Robert Roberson $6,500
4 22.55 Davin Booty Matt Wilson $5,000
5 23.31 Dana Markham Cale Markham $4,500
#13.5 Finale Results
Consolation Rot 2 Average
# Time Header Heeler Amount
1 21.5 JW Baucom Josh Little $10,500
2 21.79 Eric Dunn Tyler Senior $8,500
3 22.2 Jim Randle Dally Curtis $6,500
4 22.33 Josh Debord Joe Ross Jameson $5,000
5 23.34 Matthew Barnes TyDaniel Haller $4,500
Consolation Rot 3 Average
# Time Header Heeler Amount
1 21.38 James Winders Ashton Walden$10,500
2 22.38 Cody Mullens Tanner Beauchamp $8,500
3 23.35 Troy Herring Rocky Ross $6,500
4 23.49 Mike Row James Watson $5,000
5 23.77 Shaysea Alba Levi Gallego $4,500
Fast Time Rot 1
# Time Header Heeler Amount
1 5.34 Travis Xavier Brinan Varian $6,000
Fast Time Rot 2
# Time Header Heeler Amount
1 5.8 Daniel Dunham Tripp Johnson $6,000
Fast Time Rot 3
# Time Header Heeler Amount
1 5.72 Richard Nolen Ernie D Bacon $6,000
