WSTR Pads Ropers Pockets in Las Vegas

The World Series of Team Roping (WSTR) converged in Las Vegas, Nevada, for the Ariat WSTR Finale XV, December 4 through 11, 2021. For eight days ropers from around the world competed at the South Point Arena & Equestrian Center for more than $14 million in cash and prizes.

After the 2020 cancellation due to COVID-19, ropers returned with the same enthusiasm as they have for the last 15 years. Champions were crowned in eight major Finale divisions from the Open down to the #8.5. Friday, Dec. 10, marked the richest divisional roping in history when the #9.5 Ariat WSTR Finale XV paid out $2.26 million dollars plus prizes. Bud Swagel, from Dewey, Arizona, and Mike Foster, of San Tan Valley, Arizona, roped four steers in 35.65 seconds to finish first in the average, worth $352,000 cash payout.

“I’m not a guy who goes and makes 6- or 7-second runs,” Swagel said. “I told myself, ‘Just go out and go to your spot.’ Once we made the short round, I decided I wasn’t going to let any of this this bother me—not the money, nothing. I’m going to go out there and rope every steer, look at my spot and handle my cattle. I had turned three steers in the #10.5 [Finale,] so I was confident in that.

This year’s Ariat WSTR Finale added three more qualifying divisions for ropers to nab 2022 Finale spots and bank more money than ever while in Las Vegas. The additional lineup included a $192,000 #13.5 Ariat Heartland and a $223,200 #11.5 Ariat Heartland. Lastly, the #14.5 Bloomer Qualifier Series division was the first of its kind— designed to pair a higher-fees event with the high caliber of the Bloomer brand—and it paid out some $123,000, including a firstplace check of $28,000 to Montana’s Miles Kobold and Texas’s John Folmer for their time of 28.54 seconds on four head.

“We kicked the Bloomer Roping series off in Las Vegas to highlight the quality of the roping we aspire to create,” Ty Yost, WSTR president, said. “Going forward, any producer can have one Bloomer Roping per event, and that producer can designate which division that is. It’s a high-quality product for ropers in every division, with higher fees and a higher reward.

Over the course of the last two years, team roping has remained a constant—a sport that can thrive and adapt even in the toughest of times. Thousands of amateur team ropers once again vied for incredible payouts and recreational ropers from many walks of life filled their pockets—already looking forward to converging once again for the Ariat WSTR Finale XVI in in Las Vegas, Dec 3-11, 2022.

Ariat WSTR Finale XV Las Vegas, Nevada - Dec. 4-11, 2021 South Point Arena & Equestrian Center Top 5 Average Winners Finale Divisions For Complete Results Visit WSTRoping.com

Gold Buckle Beer Open (Top 5)

1. Riley S Minor & Cory Petska / 31.76 on 5 / $77,000 2. James Arviso & Cooper Freeman / 33.92 on 5 / $55,000 3. Garrett Rogers & Chris Young / 34.27 on 5 / $42,000 4. Cutter Machado & John Chaves / 36.14 on 5 / $31,000 5. Cash Fretwell & Jesse Hines / 37.66 on 5 / $16,000

#14.5 Priefert Finale

1. David McCallister & Pedro Maestas / 28.41 on 4 / $150,000 2. Tyler Tryan & Denton Parish / 29.21 on 4 / $114,000 3. Jaxon Booth & Colton Brittain 29.47 on 4 / $80,000 4. Radley Day & Britt Williams / 30.35 on 4 / $58,000 5. Bobby Baize & Kevin Lozares / 30.88 on 4 / $54,000

#13.5 YETI Finale

1. Clay Acuna & Johnny Salvo / 29.72 on 4 / $206,000 2. Travis Nickolson & Guy Chomistek / 30.34 on 4 / $160,000 3. Teddy Kreger & Wesley Barlow / 30.37 on 4 / $112,000 4. B Rad Lands & Boogie Ray / 30.41 on 4 / $86,000 5. Chance Cherry & Sam Garside / 31.39 on 4 / $74,000

#12.5 Ariat Finale

1. Copie Dickson & Shane McCall / 29.66 on 4 /$228,000 2. Lance Horner & Coy A Thompson / 30.54 on 4 / $176,000

Rodeo Roundup

3. Josh Johnson & Kent Haley / 31.36 on 4 / $125,000 4. Matthew Sanchez & Tyson Charley / 31.54 on 4 / $94,000 5. Shaysea Alba & Jason Olson / 31.83 on 4 / $84,000

#11.5 Priefert Finale

1. Joshua Comeaux & Rickey DeCuir / 31.52 on 4 / $260,000 2. Kyle Dalgliesh & Brendan Fisk / 32.87 on 4 / $200,000 3. Jim Randle & Teddy Nobles / 33.71 on 4 / $142,000 4. Shawn Felton & Dean Martin / 33.88 on 4 / $106,000 5. Clarence T Sanchez & Milnor Lucero / 34.42 on 4 / $95,000

#10.5 YETI Finale

1. Ty Crouch & Clay D Alexander / 32.72 on 4 / $326,000 2. Casey Lambert & Cooper Bradshaw / 35.07 on 4 / $252,000 3. Vale Robles & Pablo Robles / 37.26 on 4 / $178,000 4. Tracey Cearley & Trey Shivers / 37.76 on 4 / $134,000 5. John Harshbarger & Evan Leiber / 37.8 on 4 / $119,000

#9.5 Ariat Finale

1. Bud Swagel & Mike Foster / 35.65 on 4 / $352,000 2. Greg Kesler & Nash Nelson / 37.84 on 4 / $272,000 3. Charlie Johnston & Ryan Marks / 38.27 on 4 / $192,000 4. Bo Thomas & Trey Vargas / 39.18 on 4 / $144,000 5. Nate Easterday & Doug Rutan / 39.63 on 4 / $128,000

#8.5 Resistol Finale

1. Mac Fairey & Tyrel Campbell / 37.04 on 4 / $244,000 2. Chase Hulme & Denton Hulme / 39.5 on 4 / $189,000 3. Gabe M Volf & Chris Orr / 41.45 on 4 / $133,000 4. Tammy Lewis & Justin Darby / 42.81 on 4 / $100,000 5. Mary Beth Koehn & Randy Koehn / 44.19 on 4 / $90,000 ▫