BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN @PRORODEOBRETT
Derrick Begay is making his 10th NFR appearance and at 40-years-old, he is the second-oldest header in the field.
His experience will be needed come NFR time as he is roping with Colter Todd, 39, who is making his first NFR appearance since 2008.
The pair roped together all regular season and proved to be a prolific one as Todd sits No. 3 in the Heeling World Standings and Begay is No. 5 on the head side.
BIGGEST PAYDAYS
Pendleton Round-Up, $16,932
The pair’s highest paying win of the year came in Pendelton where they placed in all three rounds, including second in Round 2 and third in the Finals. Tehir aggregate time of 17.6 seconds was a half-second better than Jake Clay/Tyler Worley.
Cinch Playoffs Governor’s Cup, $12,500
Begay/Todd placed in two rounds at the season finale in Sioux Falls, collecting $2,500 for fourth in Round 1 and $7,500 for second in Round 2. They earned an additional $2,500 for making, but not advancing, out of the Semifinals.
Greeley Stampede (Colorado), $7,332
Begay/Todd finished with a win at one of the last PRCA Playoff Series Rodeos during 100 Rodeos in 100 Days and started with a win at one of the first. They were 16.9 seconds on three in Greely to sew up an Average win that paid $5,868.
FASTEST RUNS
Magic Valley Stampede (Idaho), 3.9 Seconds
As part of stretch where Begay/Todd made three straight runs worth more than $1,000 at three different rodeos, they won the Magic Valley Stampede in Filer. The one-head PRCA Playoff Series Rodeo netted them more than $4,000.
Oakley Independence Day Rodeo (Utah), 4.0 Seconds
The pair’s best run over Cowboy Christmas snagged them a second place finish in Oakley City. They were also 4.2 in Livingston, Montana over the same weekend.
NOTABLE WINS
Clark County Fair and Rodeo (Nevada), 8.8 Seconds on Two
At one of the early season PRCA Playoff Series Rodeos, Begay and Todd made a quick move with a Round 1, which allowed their 13th place finish in Round 2 to be good enough to get them the Average win. They won more than $6,600 at the April rodeo.
Guymon Pioneer Days (Oklahoma), 21.9 Seconds on Three
Less than a month after the Clark County win, Begay/Todd struck for another PRCA Playoff Series win, this time handling the tricky start in Guymon. They finished second in Round 2 to add almost $2,000 to their season earnings while another $3,300 came from winning the Average.
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