IHP - Marcos Costa Blog

@MarcosCosta

Marcos Costa

#Name: Marcos Costa #Born: 24.12.1990 - Parana, Brazil

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#PRCA World Titles Won: 2017 Tie Down Roping #PRCA Career Earnings: $830,092.00

• Photos by Bee Silva

@Mr. Bezerro, the “Talent Scout” Back in 2004 When he was fourteen years old, Costa attended a horse clinic held

by Mr. Bezerro (which means “calf” in Portuguese), who was a cow horse trainer in São Paulo.

He was what we can describe as a talent scout, because when he saw this young boy horseback riding he understood that he had a talent.

Mr. Bezerro asked if he wanted to go live at his ranch to learn roping and training skills.

This was the first big opportunity Costa had… and he took it straight away!

@USADreamin’ In March of 2013, Stran Smith — along with Tuf and Clif Cooper — went to São Paulo to teach at a roping clinic, Costa was there in first line!

Stran immediately noticed something special about Marcos: he saw a world champion caliber roper.

In November 2013, Marcos moved to Texas to live with Stran’s family.

In 2015 he qualified for his first NFR.

2010 A

MAGIC

YEAR

In 2010, Costa won everything in all the Brazilian Circuits—all the Rodeo Associations, the Nationals, the Congress, the Four-Year-Old Futurity.

@FirstSurgery In January 2011, while competing at Guararema Roping, he had his first accident. He needed surgery and a seven-month stop.

That year, whoever got the most points after six months of the Union Cup Championship (of which Guararema was part) would win a free trip to the United States to attend the PRCA National Finals Rodeo, and with much sadness in his heart, Costa saw his dream vanish.

But he came back stronger than ever in July of that year and at the first roping he entered he stopped the clock at 6.7 seconds (at the time, the National record).

Since then, he has undergone five right knee surgeries.

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#Curios • One of six children • At first, he wanted to be a bull rider, then he started to rope calves and never quit • As he turned seventeen, he couldn’t rope with the juniors anymore. He had to rope with the big-time guys #Repost from Marcos Costa Atleta Facebook Page

2017 - When the Dream Came True Marcos Costa becomes the first Brazilian to win the Tie-Down Roping title

By October of 2017 he earned a spot at the NFR and entered in Vegas in fourth place in the Standings.

With the help of his horse “Paraguay”, a very fast mare who dominated the calves on the rope so Costa could just flank and tie without any other worries, after Round 9, he moved to second in the projected World Standings.

At the time of the final round, Stran [Smith] figured out that to win the Gold Buckle Costa had to win Round 10.

For the records, the last calf Costa drew had already had three runs. One of the contestants tied her in 24 seconds, the other two exited the arena with no-times.

But this round was a happy ending for the Brazilian who tied that calf in 7.8 seconds winning the Round, the Average, and the World Championship.

Click here to watch 2017 Wrangler NFR Round 10 Highlights

“Just a dream to rope.

I always loved roping calves. ”

#Paraguay

Pouraguaja, aka “Paraguay’ AQHA registered name Sort Of Popular (Popular Resortfigure x RR Quick Bernice), trained by Barber Performance Horses, and co-owned by Costa and Fred Werneck was the 2016 PRCA/AQHA Reserve Horse Of The Year.

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• In 2018 Costa married Professional Barrel Racer Keyla Polizello • Costa and Sweet As Time (aka "Flea"), the 2015 PRCA/AQHA Tie-Down Roping Horse Of the Year, were on the cover of the December 2015 America's Horse magazine • Costa and Junior Nogueira (6x Wrangler NFR Qualifier and 2016 PRCA All-Around World Champion), both Brazilian, are very close friends

Click here to watch Marcos Costa interviewed by his mentor Stran Smith for WranglerNetwork.com

PRCA Career Highlights* • 2020 Highlights Waller County Fair & Rodeo Texas Champion • 2019 Highlights Ogden Pioneer Days Champion Coleman PRCA Rodeo Champion, Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show & Rodeo Champion, 101 Wild West Rodeo Champion, Dillon Jaycees PRCA Rodeo-Montana's Biggest Weekend Champion and New Mexico State Fair & Rodeo Champion • 2018 Highlights Fort Bend County Fair & Rodeo Champion All American ProRodeo Finals Co-Champion • 2017 Highlights Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Round 10 Champion with a 7.8-second run taking also first place in the average with an 81.3-second time on 10 head.

PRCA Tie-Down Roping World Champion with a end of the year earnings of $317,421. He also won the RAM Top Gun honor by earning $195,519, the most by any single-event competitor at the 2017 WNFR. National Western Stock Show and Rodeo Champion West of the the Pecos Rodeo Champion Strawberry Days Rodeo Champion Parker County Sherriffs Posse Frontier Days and PRCA Rodeo Champion Wrangler Champions Challenge presented by Justin Boots Champion Cassia County Fair & Rodeo Champion Ram Texas Circuit Finals Rodeo Co-Champion Wrangler Champions Challenge presented by Justin Boots Champion Four States Fair & Rodeo Champion

@AboutStranSmith • Son of Clifton Smith, a Texas cowboy who roped for a share of the

$50,000 National Finals Rodeo purses in Dallas in 1960 and Los Angeles in 1962 • 11 x Wrangler National Finals Qualifier (1995,1997-2001, 2004-2005, 2007-2008, 2010) • 2008 Tie-Down Roping World Champion • Married with Jennifer Douglas Smith, 1995 Miss Rodeo America, TV correspondent in the western and equine industry, designer and consultant in the Western fashion industry • Three children: Stone, Scout, and Selah • Legendary Topofthemarket "Topper," undisputedly the best rodeo calf roping horse of the past quarter century, owned by calf ropers Roy Cooper, Trent Walls and ultimately by Smith, was a two-time PRCA/AQHA Horse of the Year, in 2003 and 2005

Click here to watch Stran Smith’s # RODEOHOUSTON interview • 2016 Highlights Won Round 2 and placed in five rounds to rank ninth at the Wrangler NFR, finished second in the World Standings with $208,927 Rodeo Austin Champion Home of Champions Rodeo Champion Four States Fair & Rodeo Champion Redding Rodeo Champion Challenge presented by Justin Boots Champion Horse Heaven Round-up Wranglers Champions Challenge presented by Justin Boots Co-Champion Oakley Independence Day Rodeo Co-Champion Four States Fair & Rodeo Co-Champion • 2015 Highlights Placed in three rounds at his first Wrangler NFR World’s Oldest Rodeo Champion Clark County Fair & Rodeo Champion Old Fort Days Rodeo Champion Walla Walla Frontier Days Champion Finished 11th in the World Standings with $148,073 • 2014 Highlights Justin Boots Playoffs Champion Dinosaur Roundup Rodeo Champion Finished second in the rookie standings to John “Catfish” Brown after breaking his left ankle on his first run at the Pendleton Round-Up in September. Finished 31st in the World Standings with $39,672 *According to PRCA.com stats

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