Back in 2019, Paden Bray fulfilled his goal of winning the Resistol Rookie title, thanks in large part to his lifelong friend and team roping partner, 12-time NFR qualifier Erich Rogers.
Since 2010, Rogers has been a big brother figure to Bray because he was always helping around his house. Later, Bray went to work for Rogers, starting out by helping as a stall boy. His tasks varied but all revolved around ensuring the care and readiness of Rogers’ horses. Eventually, Bray competed at a few jackpots with Rogers, and the two were unstoppable.
“He gave me a chance, and I give him a lot of thanks for that. If it wasn’t for that opportunity, I probably wouldn’t be sitting in this chair today,” Bray said. “To heel for a World Champion my rookie year, that was when it was time to grow up and start being a big boy.”
There was no better partner for the rookie cowboy than Rogers.
"(Erich) didn’t really have a rookie year, so he was pretty adamant that we were going to get both titles, but we only got one of them,” Bray said. “That’s what made it so sweet because I didn’t make the Finals that year, so winning Resistol Rookie of the Year was the highlight of my year.”
Fast forward, Bray has competed three times at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. As a veteran cowboy, Bray serves as a mentor to future cowboys in the sport of rodeo and says his rookie year was the foundation of everything he has accomplished in the PRCA.
“Your run is good enough. Trust it. The OGs are the ones that don’t change anything. They just stay rock solid and catch steers no matter what,” Bray said. “Trust your instincts.”
