BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN @PRORODEOBRETT
At 38 years old, there’s not much Buddy Hawkins hasn’t seen in the rodeo world, especially with six previous NFR qualifications. This year, however, will look different for the veteran. After four successful years roping with his brother-in-law Andrew Ward—including four consecutive Top 10 finishes and an NFR Average Championship—Hawkins now enters with a new partner, aiming to climb higher from the No. 12 position.
Ram Prairie Circuit Finals, $4,566
In the lone rodeo in the 2024 season that Hawkins roped with Ward, they finished third in Duncan, Oklahoma. That included being a part of a three-way split for the Round 3 victory to shore up their spot.
RodeoHouston $53,625
Teaming up with new partner JC Yeahquo in 2024, the duo quickly reaped the rewards of their decision, claiming a win in Houston. After finishing third in Super Series IV, they were the fourth and final team to qualify from Semifinal 2.
On Championship Sunday, they brought their A-game. A 6.2-second run put them second in the Championship Round, followed by a 4.8-second run—their fastest of the rodeo—which earned them the Shootout victory by four-tenths of a second.
This win proved pivotal in Hawkins’ bid for a fifth consecutive NFR, contributing nearly half of his season earnings.
101 Wild West Rodeo, $2,237
After Houston, Yeahquo and Hawkins picked up solid checks in Mercedes, San Angelo, Vernon, Claremore, and Kansas City before returning to the winner’s circle in Ponca City, Oklahoma. A 4.3-second run earned them the victory at the early June event, winning by eight-tenths of a second.
St. Paul Rodeo, $7,828
Yeahquo/Hawkins’ best Cowboy Christmas finish was in St. Paul, where they were 5.4 and 5.0 seconds to be seventh in Round 2 and fourth in Round 1. As is often the case, though, their average score was greater than the sum of its parts and their two-head time of 10.4 seconds was good enough for third and $4,955.
The success there, as well as a third-place finish at the Western Stampede, helped soften the blow of six no times over the Fourth of July.
Snake River Stampede, $6,243
Just two weeks after St. Paul, Yeahquo and Hawkins took a different approach to the average game in Nampa, Idaho. They posted a 3.9-second run to win Round 1, then followed up with a 4.5 in Round 2. Despite a 10.6 in the Finals, they still finished sixth in the Average.
Sheridan County Fair and Rodeo, $2,254
The win on July 27 in Gordon, Nebraska was the pair’s lone triumph that month and it came courtesy of a 5.4-second to win the one-header by one tenth. It would prove to be their second-to-last win of the season, with the final one coming in their last rodeo of the season in Decatur, Texas on Sept. 28.
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