BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN
There wasn’t a tie-down roper in America who consistently stopped the clock faster than Caleb Smidt. The two-time World Champion’s average time of 9.13 seconds was more than nine-tenths faster than the second-place cowboy Tuf Cooper.
That consistency helped Smidt reach his eighth NFR as the fourth-ranked cowboy in the PRCA Tie-Down Roping World Standings, about $49,000 behind No. 1 Shane Hanchey.
Unlike some cowboys near the top of the standings, Smidt was not powered by any big wins, instead, he avoided long droughts without a check.
In April, he placed in San Angelo and Montgomery in addition to a round win in Clovis. He also third at the San Angelo Cinch Chute-Out.
SMIDT’S 7.4-SECOND RUN AT CINCH SHOOTOUT
From June to August, Smidt had at least three runs every month that paid him at least $2,000. Smidt spent basically the entire season in the Top 5 and reached as high as No. 3 in the World Standings after the 4th of July.
In June, he won a round in Reno, the Average at the Crooked River Roundup (Oregon) and finished second at Rodeo of the Ozarks (Missouri). All three of those performances paid him at least $5,000.
SMIDT AT RODEO OF THE OZARKS
Then, in July, he won the Black Hills Roundup and the Big Fork Summer ProRodeo and placed at the Sitting Bull Stampede and Central Wyoming Fair all in the first two weeks of the month. All four of those runs were 8.5 seconds or faster and the one that paid the most was his win in South Dakota ($4,965). He closed out the month with a fourth place finish at the Preston Night Rodeo (Idaho).
Finally, in August, he won a round at the Lea County PRCA Rodeo (New Mexico) and then that same weekend, finished in the Top 3 in two Kansas rodeos. He won the Wild Bill Hickok Rodeo with an 8.3-second run and was 8.7 to take third at Kansas’ Biggest Rodeo. He also placed at two rounds in the Caldwell Night Rodeo (Idaho), as well as rounds at the Gooding Pro Rodeo (Idaho) and Yellowstone River Round-Up (Montana).
Overall, Smidt won more than $65,000 in July and August combined.
In 2021, Smidt’s 36 runs of 8.5 seconds or faster and 11 Go-Round wins were both career highs.
RELATED:
Defending World Champion Shad Mayfield enters 2021 NFR No. 3 in PRCA Tie-Down Roping World Standings
Shane Hanchey looks to cap impressive 2021 season with second World Title
Nutrena Horses of the Year presented by AQHA announced
