The Ariat WSTR Finale (opens in a new tab) XVI YETI #13.5 Champions Dex Maddock (opens in a new tab) and Rob Webb (opens in a new tab) are proud of where they’re from and proud to represent their great state of Idaho in Las Vegas (opens in a new tab). The cowboys teamed up this summer to rope at their local WSTR (opens in a new tab) qualifiers and knew they had what it would take to come out on top at the South Point Arena. The duo stopped the clock with a time of 29.65 on four steers worth $228,000 of the division’s $1.3 million-dollar payoff.
“Rob is always cool as ice,” said Maddock. “He’s my first partner at all of those 13s. When he calls and asks me to rope, I can’t ever turn him down.”
Maddock learned to rope from his dad who had learned to rope just out of high school. His dad made a living as a custom hay farmer and Maddock followed in his footsteps making a living with his hands both as a farrier and riding outside horses. One day while shoeing for a client he got the opportunity to jump on a horse that was having some issues in the box.
“I climbed on him and got him working in there pretty quick,” Maddock recalled. “I was getting ready to head to Arizona for the winter and the gentleman, Matt Telford, asked if I’d be interested in working with him. He said he had a bunch of young horses he was going to have to sell or send them somewhere to ride.”
Without hesitation Maddock went to work riding and training for Telford’s 5 Livestock in Filer, Idaho, and a successful partnership was born.
On the back end, Webb, who normally heads, was born and raised a fifth-generation rancher and cowboy in Wendel, Idaho, and now resides in Gooding with his wife, Courtney.
“I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for her turning steers for me,” said Webb who owns and operates his own fencing company.
Coincidentally Maddock and Webb are both riding black mares who are both failed barrel prospects.
“She is the reason I’m here,” Maddock said of the 11-year-old mare who goes back to Genuine Doc. “I call her Aberdeen. I got her two year ago to tune up and sell. I wasn’t sure about her at first but the more I rode her the better and better and got and I decided I needed to have her.”
After her previous owners decided she wasn’t going to make a barrel horse, Webb tried to rope calves on the 8-year-old mare he calls Cinnamon.
“She does not like roping calves,” he laughed. “I think she does like being a rope horse though.”
With a baby on the way Maddock is looking forward to buying a house with his split of the payout while Webb plans to pay down some of his mortgage and possibly build a shop. Both cowboys are also quick to thank their families for all of their support as they continue to work hard on both their personal and roping careers. TRJ
READ: Webb and Williams Catch a Wilderness Circuit Win (opens in a new tab)
