Inside Champion Moments

The Champions

EMOTIONS WERE STILL RAW WHEN THE NEWLY-MINTED 2021 WORLD CHAMPIONS ARRIVED IN THE THOMAS & MACK CENTER MEDIA AREA MOMENTS AFTER RECEIVING THEIR GOLD BUCKLES.

BY BRIAN HURLBURT

A WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP AND GOLD BUCKLE are the pinnacle in the sport. On December 11, in front of a packed house, eight World Champions and an AllRound Cowboy were crowned with all the pomp and circumstance that comes with the accomplishments.

When the champs exited the stage, they headed to the NFR media center where the emotions of this 10-day test of resilience, focus and fortitude were released for all of those within an ear and eye shot to witness.

The mostly-private celebration is always exciting, provoking, and inspirational and yes … fun.

The world champs are met by family and friends, and more than a few hugs and pats on the back are passed around. Joyful tears and smiles are everywhere, and, if truth be known, a deep sense of relief is felt.

There is no greater test in sports than the 100 or so rodeos necessary to qualify for the NFR and then 10 straight days competing against the best at the NFR, on the greatest stock in the world. Then once it’s over, it’s a dream realized.

Here is what the champs had to say in those meaningful moments just after collecting their buckles:

“THERE'S NO OTHER ARENA LIKE LAS VEGAS. THAT'S THE FIRST THING THAT COMES TO MY MIND PLUS HEARING THE FANS NEVER GETS OLD. THE MOMENT FOR NUMBER SEVEN WAS SOMETHING SPECIAL. NOBODY DOES RODEO QUITE LIKE LAS VEGAS AND IT FEELS GOOD TO BE BACK HERE. I’M THANKFUL AND GRATEFUL.”

– Sage Kimzey, 7-time bull riding champion

SEVEN FOR SAGE

There are not many better numbers in Vegas than seven.

“There’s no other arena like Las Vegas,” Kimzey said. “That’s the first thing that comes to my mind plus hearing the fans never gets old. The moment for number seven was something special. Nobody does rodeo quite like Las Vegas and it feels good to be back here. I’m thankful and grateful.”

Kimzey’s ultimate goal is to eclipse Don Gay’s record of eight world titles. God willing, he stays healthy, that could happen in 2023.

“I’m gonna relish this gold buckle for about a week and enjoy some time with the family, have Christmas and then it’s onto the journey for number eight,” Kimzey said. “Once the work starts, it never stops.”

The biggest moment for Kimzey came in round 10.

“Stepping up tonight with 17,000 people going crazy would be the one moment that sticks out,” Kimzey said. “It kind of came down to it and it was put up or shut up. Either stay on and be the world champ or get bucked off.”

Kimzey delivered with a little Vegas luck and a lot of Sage skill while overcoming a down year in 2020. For the first time in his career, he didn’t win a world title. The NFR being relocated to Texas due to the Covid-19 pandemic and a turbulent year led to the disappointment.

Everyone wants to forget 2020, especially Sage.

“The year of 2020 can be summed up in one word: Covid," Kimzey said. "It was a whirlwind of a lot of up and downs. I started 2020 out probably as hot as I’d ever started a season out. Everything was rolling, but a bull flipped on me in San Antonio and I needed ankle surgery and then, boom, the world stops due to Covid.

“It was an interesting year. I learned a lot. It changed our schedule and lifestyle drastically, like it did for so many people. I was not motivated coming back off my injury and there was a lot of variables at play For some reason, I really didn’t care about rodeo like I usually do. I sat down and talked about it with my wife and told her

Driggers and Nogueira

PHILLIP KITTS. PHOTO: 31

before we went to Texas, ‘I’m not going to win the world.’ I went in to the 2020 NFR number one, but I just felt like it was not in the cards. There was a certain peace over me about the whole thing.”

Fortunately, 2021 went much better in Vegas at “home.”

FINALLY GOES WRIGHT

All-Around and saddle bronc world champion Stetson Wright is still in search of a clean sweep when it comes to the Wrangler NFR, but that will have to wait another year. Stetson has the Wright stuff, but the last time anyone won two events in rough stock in the same year was 1958 by a cowboy named Jim Shoulders.

In 2020, Wright claimed the bull riding and allaround titles and was hoping to win saddle bronc, bull riding and all-around in 2021. The trifecta didn’t happen, but winning two out of three, two years running puts him on the right track.

And claiming his first saddle bronc world title meant that he is now officially in the Wright family business.

“There’s zero disappointment about not winning all three,” Wright said. “I didn’t realize how incomplete I felt not winning a saddle bronc world title until they handed it to me this year. My dad, my brothers, my uncle, they all won a saddle bronc world title and I always wanted that as well. Even though I won it, I still feel like I am not as good as them, but I am happy with the way it went and I’m pretty satisfied.”

CALEB’S BIG THREE

Caleb Smidt is one of the best to ever tie-down a calf, and he proved it once again by winning a third world title after

winning in both 2015 and 2018.

No one comes to work better prepared than Caleb, but he believes there was also a higher power at play.

“I’m just blessed, you know?” Smidt said. “You can’t do this without Jesus and he’s been with me this whole week. I am just blessed to have the success that I had and my family pushing me to be better each and every day.”

The most intense moment for Smidt came during the ninth go-round when things didn’t go as planned, but he still managed a sixth-place finish

“Well, I figure when I caught that calf’s tail last night and it dang near came off – that was the most challenging time, but it all worked out,” Smidt said. “I Just had to overcome some adversity. When things don’t go right, you have to keep pushing forward. You also have to learn to forget about it and move on to the next calf, the next day.”

FAMILY TRADITION FOR BRIGGS

Jordon Briggs went from 50th in the world rankings in 2020 to the 2021 world champion barrel racer. Her accomplishment now puts her just three world titles behind her mother, Kristie Peterson, a member of the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame.

As ole Hank sings, “It’s a family tradition.”

There is a long line of World Champion Barrel Racers with great horses. Scamper, Skipper, Babyflo and Sister come to mind. The Brigg’s have two – Bozo and Lil Jet. Briggs rode Lil Jet to the her first world title in 2021 while her mother rode Bozo for many years, as has Briggs.

“I just can’t believe God gave me that amazing horse,” Briggs said. “She’s a lot like Bozo and we have two amazing horses in our family. I’m just so grateful to win, especially in the time of the world right now. This is a big

Steve Spatafore. PHOTO:

Tyler Waguespack

deal because the world needs rodeo. I’m so grateful to the Cowboy Channel so people at home can turn on the TV and see people who think like they do and work as hard as they do. To be on this platform is very special.”

DYNAMIC DUO

For team roper and heeler Junior Nogueira, winning a world title was nothing new, but earning a gold buckle in team roping was. For Kaleb Driggers, Noguiera’s header, it was his first world title.

Nogueira won an All-Around world title in 2016, but never won a team roping world title. In 2021, the two celebrated with a solid 10 performances. Winning a world title was well worth the wait.

“We won the fourth round and that was probably a big steppingstone for us to come into the latter half of the week,” Driggers said. “We had placed in the first three rounds and then we won the fourth round and that pumped us up. When I made the mistake in the seventh round, we had to get it together and finish strong. We’d been in this position a lot of times. We just needed to pull through this time. We failed earlier in the week and in the past, but this year we had a good groove going.”

REMARKABLE GOLD

Bareback rider Kaycee Feild goes for, and wins, lots of gold. He earned buckle number six in 2021. Kaycee’s mentor, coach and father was Lewie, a 5-time world champion and Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame inductee who sadly was taken from Kaycee and his family in 2016. After a couple years of getting the family business in order and dealing with injuries, Feild has been on a roll and won back-to-back titles in 2020 and 2021.

“It’s all about grit and determination,” Feild said. “I’ve been here several years and I’ve competed in this arena 120 times and still the emotions that you feel, the electricity you feel in this arena, is like nothing anywhere else. And to come from Texas back to Vegas is special. My dad won the first world championship held here in Las Vegas, and so to come back here again and for me to be the first world champion after a weird year like last year, that’s what comes to mind; doing something remarkable, just like my dad.”.

TYLER’S REDEMPTION

Kaycee Feild

“MY DAD WON THE FIRST WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP HELD HERE IN LAS VEGAS, AND SO TO COME BACK HERE AGAIN AND FOR ME TO BE THE FIRST WORLD CHAMPION AFTER A WEIRD YEAR LIKE LAST YEAR, THAT'S WHAT COMES TO MIND; DOING SOMETHING REMARKABLE, JUST LIKE MY DAD.”

– Kaycee Feild, 6-time bareback world champion

Waguespack wasn’t biting on the those who had buried him following a disappointing second round where he finished 14th.

“After the second round I had guys come up to me, not guys who compete, because they all know how it is out here, but I had people in the stands come up and pat me on the back and say, ‘Man, that’s tough luck, you have to come back again next year,’” Waguespack said. “And I remember turning around and saying, ‘No, I’m gonna put my foot it on the gas and I’m gonna get back into play and be in position to win.

“Well, I put my foot on the gas because I knew I couldn’t afford to just safety up in any run. I had eight runs where I had to go all out. Every time I had to get as much money as I could and I was fortunate enough to grab a check in all eight after that second round.”

GILBERT’S CLEAN SWEEP

Sawyer Gilbert won the world title and also the average during the Wrangler National Finals Breakaway Roping competition. It was close between Gilbert and Shelby Boisioli, who had the world lead through the first nine rounds before a no time proved to be a dagger.

Consistency paid off. Gilbert roped all 10 head and that was enough to win the world title by $2,197. She was the only roper to have a clean national finals event.

“One of my strengths is I can always catch,” Gilbert said. “I told myself even if I broke a barrier to get all 10 roped. This means the world to me … I knew I could do it and just wanted to catch that last calf. This has been a dream before I even knew it was possible on this big stage. I am so honored and glad to get it done.”

Sage Kimsey

A DREAM WAS REALIZED FOR 2022 MISS RODEO AMERICA HAILEY FREDERIKSEN.

BY PATRICK EVERSON

IN MANY BIG EVENTS ACROSS THIS COUNTRY, winners are often asked: "What are you gonna do now?"

The inevitable answer: “We’re going to Disney World!”

It was a little different – but no less satisfying – for Hailey Frederiksen after she bested 30 of her state rodeo queen peers to win the 2022 Miss Rodeo America Pageant.

In the midst of the 2021 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, there was no time for Disney World. But there was time to eat.

“I had an 8-ounce filet mignon. I told my parents, ‘I want a big, juicy steak,’” Frederiksen said, while noting she didn’t get any more carried away than that. “No drinks, but I was starving, and my parents asked me what I wanted, so I said I want steak. You know: Beef, it’s what’s for dinner.”

It was a well-deserved steak dinner after a two-year process that led to Frederiksen claiming the crown. She won the Miss Rodeo Colorado title in 2020, but due to the pandemic, there was no Miss Rodeo America Pageant in December 2020.

“When I won Miss Rodeo Colorado, I just wanted to represent Colorado well,” Frederiksen said.

Instead, all of the 2020 state winners continued their roles for 2021, then headed to Las Vegas in December to vie for Miss Rodeo America 2022 honors. Frederiksen said she couldn’t have anticipated what began two years ago ending with a crown and flowers.

When Dec. 5 arrived, the day of the Miss Rodeo America Pageant, the field was whittled down from the original 31 and Frederiksen remained in the running for the title. Then Frederiksen advanced to the final top 10 and then the final five contestants, but by that point, Frederiksen wanted God’s bigger picture to include that final step, the one in which the Miss Rodeo America crown is transferred from 2020-21 honoree Jordan Tierney to the head of this rodeo queen from Wellington, Colo.

Her vision was finalized and she received the crown from Tierney.

“It was a humbling moment and very satisfying,” Frederiksen said. “I knelt down crying. I couldn’t believe I’d just won the title. It’s a moment I’ll never forget. I’m beyond humbled and grateful for this opportunity.”

Frederiksen’s main objective in 2022: to be the inspiration that Tierney and so many other Miss Rodeo Americas have been to her as she’s pursued her dream. In all, there have been 66 dating to 1956.

“I just want to be that inspiring light for other people,” Frederiksen said. “I wouldn’t have gotten into rodeo queening without being inspired by others. I love to talk, and I’m deeply passionate about what I represent. I’m excited to express that passion with everyone I meet.”