ProRodeo Sports News - Nov. 22, 2019

DECEMBER 5-14 LAS VEGAS

Team ropers Ty Blasingame, right, and Kyle Lockett teamed up for the first time at RodeoHouston and won the rodeo. Now, Blasingame and Lockett are headed to the Wrangler NFR, Lockett with header Erich Rogers and Blasingame with heeler Travis Graves. Photo courtesy Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

in RodeoHouston, Feb. 25-March 16. Blasingame, by placing second in San Angelo, also was able to enter RodeoHouston because Tsinigine had previously qualified for RodeoHouston before competing in San Angelo. That opened a spot for the second-place finisher from San Angelo. With Tsinigine already teamed with someone else and Bates not qualifying for Houston, Blasingame and Lockett teamed up at Houston. After getting a chance to compete for life-changing and season-changing money in Houston, Otero and the newly formed Blasingame/Lockett team seized the moment. Their RodeoHouston wins earned $50,000 to count toward the PRCA | RAMWorld Standings for Otero, Blasingame and Lockett. That money helped boost them in the PRCA | RAMWorld Standings and keyed their berths to the Wrangler NFR. Otero won the Houston finals with an 8.5-second run. Add the $13,263 he earned in San Angelo to the $50,000 he won in Houston and Otero was on his way to his first Wrangler NFR. “I had never done that well at Houston, and everything worked in my favor,” Otero said. “I couldn’t believe it when I won it. It was a huge relief, and I knew it gave me a great chance to make the NFR.” Blasingame and Lockett took top honors at RodeoHouston with their 5.0-second run in the championship shootout. “This was crazy and a once-in-a-lifetime dream,” Lockett said. “It was a fairy-tale deal the way everything lined up as far as winning San Angelo to then going to Houston and winning it. I don’t think you could have written things any better.” Lockett had been to the Wrangler NFR seven times (1997-98, 2000-03 and 2005) and is on his way to No. 8 after Houston. Blasingame and Lockett’s performance in Houston was even more remarkable because they had never roped together before that rodeo.

“It was pretty crazy,” Blasingame said. “We kind of knew each other’s styles, and it worked. We meshed really well. It was life-changing for sure when we won. It was awesome and unreal and the biggest rodeo I had ever won in my life.” Lockett concurred with Blasingame. “Ty did a great job getting good starts every night and spinning them,” Lockett said. “It is a big ol’ arena and a fun place to rope. We drew some good steers and made six cleans runs. Things were clicking and in the last run everything came together. It was darn-sure life-changing to have $50,000 count in the world standings. I think it is awesome that that happened. Some people get upset that somebody is going to make the Finals off one rodeo, but I think it is cool that they do it.” Blasingame made his lone appearance at the Wrangler NFR in 2010, finishing 14th in the world standings. Blasingame will rope with Travis Graves at this year’s Wrangler NFR. Lockett, meanwhile, will rope with Erich Rogers, the 2017 world champion header. Lockett’s best finish in the team roping heeler world standings was second in 2002, finishing $11,884 behind ProRodeo Hall of Famer Rich Skelton. Lockett’s life has changed drastically since his last appearance at the Wrangler NFR. Lockett married his wife, Leigh, in 2006. They have two daughters – Shayla, 13, and Georgia, 11 – and two sons – Sutton, 9, and Blevins, 6. “I had no plans of trying to make the NFR (since 2005),” said the Visalia, Calif., cowboy. “I just go to California Circuit rodeos and normally go to Reno (Nev.) and Pendleton (Ore.). Now, my kids are old enough, and they understand that I’m going to the NFR, which is exciting and I’m excited to get to rope for all that money. The last time I went, I wasn’t even married and I didn’t have any kids.”

ProRodeo Sports News 11/22/2019

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