ProRodeo Sports News - April 20, 2018

RAM NCFR

Floyd continues 2017 momentum Steer wrestler Chason Floyd brought a bulldogging title back to the Badlands Circuit after muscling up for a 4.2-second run during the April 8 short round at the RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo in Kissimmee, Fla. PRCA ProRodeo photo by Kent Soule

BY NICK CICERE I n terms of his rodeo career, the past year has been a whirlwind for steer wrestler Chason Floyd. After qualifying for his first Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in December, the South Dakota cowboy rode into the Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee, Fla., with a chance to maintain his successful surge at the RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo. He didn’t disappoint. On the strength of an 8.8-second, two-head average, the 28-year-old managed to sneak into the RAMNCFR short round with a 4.8-second run in the semifinals as the last cowboy in. During the April 8 short go, Floyd found his groove. Clocking in at 4.2 seconds in his final run, Floyd squeaked ahead of fellow steer wrestler Bridger Chambers by one-tenth of a second to win his first RAMNCFR title. “It’s a bucket-list thing,” Floyd said. “Everybody wants this. I mean, it feels good. It’s awesome that it counts for the world standings and to get a good start and to see what this year brings.” This year has brought a reminder that Floyd is among the best steer wrestlers in the world. With a win at January’s Rodeo Rapid City (S.D.) already on his early season résumé, Floyd picked up a $17,057 check for his work in Kissimmee, and as of April 16, he was sixth in the 2018 PRCAWorld

Standings with $33,946. He understands how crucial it is to grab a large payday when the opportunity presents itself. “It’s important because there aren’t a lot of rodeos this time of year,” Floyd said. “This time of the year, we usually try to get home in April and May and be home with our families. So, when you can sneak off to these and get qualified for this rodeo and have good luck, it really means a lot. My family is down here, we just had a baby. He’s only 2-and-a-half-months old, so he got to watch his first rodeo. It was awesome, it was like a vacation, so this is just icing on the cake.” If winning the RAMNCFR was the icing on the cake, then having his 2-month-old son, Nevada, in attendance at his first rodeo was like the lighting of the candles. Floyd choked up when mentioning how surreal it was to win with his newborn son in the crowd. “Pull a tear for me because I just want him to be proud of me,” he said. The mania of qualifying, and succeeding, at his first Wrangler NFR has certainly turned the calendar for Floyd. For a guy who wasn’t sure where rodeo would take him, he’s more than satisfied with a career most cowboys would envy. “Heck, I was 28 already last year when I qualified and I was starting to kind of wonder if I was doing the right steps,” Floyd said. “Just to see my career, it’s been unreal this past year. Hopefully it will continue, but if it were to end tomorrow I wouldn’t regret a thing.”

ProRodeo Sports News 4/20/18

ProRodeo.com

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