Books don’t close ‘til March 1 on the Bob Feist Invitational, but this year’s calcutta is
already looking to be a nail-biter. Which team, on March 29, would you bet will win the
biggest one-day prize in professional team roping? Here are some tantalizing early
entries.
Of course, the defending champs. Can you honestly count out Driggers and Nogueira
for a first-ever BFI three-peat, a year after they set the six-head BFI average record
over the 19-foot score at the Lazy E? Nobody’s ever won this thing three times in a row.
If they do win The Feist again, they’ll become the all-time money leaders.
Not to say that 2018 champs Chris Francis and Cade Passig can’t repeat. They’re
entered together, but so are BFI heavyweights Luke Brown and Buddy Hawkins, who’ve
won a staggering $372,847 in collective BFI dollars over the years. Brown – our No. 2
all-time winningest BFI header – is almost always in the short round, but hasn’t won the
BFI since he and Jake Long did it nine years ago. Buddy actually hasn’t won it since
2014 – unless you count the Reno Open he claimed with Andrew Ward in 2022.
We’re also super excited about the team of Ketch Kelton, who is apt to make us all start
calling the Lazy E “the house that Ketch built” – and former NFR average winner Paden
Bray. Another new team we’re loving are the Colorado cousins. Horse trainers Tate and
Dakota Kirchenschlager will partner up and be riding supreme horseflesh, no doubt.
On the subject of amazing rope horses, watch out also for Tanner Tomlinson with
Coleby Payne. Tomlinson is known for his late, great NFR average-winning horse Blue
and also for owning the 2020 BFI champion head horse Marshall, while Payne rides
Coon – the defending PRCA/AQHA Heel Horse of the Year.
But still, has anybody learned as much about winning the BFI as the son of the BFI’s
winningest hand? Tyler Tryan was about 5 the last time his dad Clay won the BFI, and
at 19 now, will spin for Levi Lord. Trey Yates was 14 the last time his own dad, J.D. won
the BFI, and will back in the boxes next to Tee McLeod this year. But of course, another
son of a BFI champ, Nicky Northcott, will make things interesting heeling for Clay Smith
this year (Smith split $100,000 at the ’24 BFI as reserve champ with Coleby Payne).
Finally, the BFI loves to pay Andrew Ward and Jake Long, but never has had them in
the same winner’s circle together. This year, the defending PRCA world champs are
contenders as partners. They are rodeo royalty, but so are Clint Summers and Jade
Corkill, who’ve each won December’s 10-header in Las Vegas and are each also royally
mounted.
Every year, team roping’s greatest showcase gets better watching. Stay posted
for more new teams in a couple of weeks when books close!