Allen ropes in record 17th world title

Guy Allen started his rodeo career hoping to win just one world title.

On Sunday, Allen shouldered past perhaps the most famous rodeo cowboy of all time, winning his 17th Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association world championship.

Allen finished second in the average of the PRCA National Finals Steer Roping on Sunday in front of about 900 fans at the Amarillo National Center. The second-place showing gave him the steer roping season title and broke Jim Shoulders' 44-year-old record of 16 PRCA world season titles.

"This feels so good, I don't know what to say," Allen said. "I started this just wanting to win once. I never dreamed that something like this could ever happen. It's humbling to break a record. Jim Shoulders is probably the greatest cowboy of all and I never dreamed I'd ever be in this position."

Allen tied the all-time record in 2001 at the National Finals Steer Roping. Last year Allen finished third. This year Allen piled up $73,669.69 in steer roping prize money. Trevor Brazile was second with $64,320.79 and Scott Snedecor took third with $55,388.69.

Ora Taton from Rapid City, S.D., won the National Finals Steer Roping title, successfully capturing all 10 head with an overall time of 159.7 seconds. Allen, from Santa Anna, roped nine head with a time of 120.0 seconds to take second. Decatur resident and former West Texas A&M performer Brazile roped nine in 130.3 seconds to finish third in the event and second in the season points.

"Trevor made me work," Allen said. "It was still up in the air at the end and I had to make sure I roped the last one."

Allen entered Sunday's show with a $4,425 lead over Brazile in the season standings. Allen needed to stay in front of Brazile in the National Finals overall standings to ensure he won the season title.

But Allen's fortunes turned on the eighth go-round when he started the round by recording a no time. Brazile waited through 14 cowboys for his chance to take the lead and maybe derail Allen's championship aspirations.

But Brazile's steer did not stay down and he also posted a no time in the eighth round.

"That was a pretty low feeling to sit there knowing Trevor had a chance to win it all," Allen said.

"But Trevor had his steer get up and he had some trouble the last two head. But he still put a lot of pressure on me. He made me go out and rope them."

In the last two rounds, Allen posted a 13.3 and a 12.7. Brazile managed a 16.0 and a 17.7. He needed two shots to take down his steer in the final go-round.

"They didn't have the best steers here. It's a shame because this is the National Finals," Brazile said. "I got a bad draw. They threw in a couple of extras there at the end they culled from the herd and I didn't get very good ones."

Allen picked up go-round money twice on Sunday.

He placed third in the sixth go-round, fourth in the 10th and tied for first in the seventh. Brazile picked up second-place and fourth-place money in the sixth and seventh go-rounds, respectively.

Allen entered the final go-round solidly in third place and ahead of Brazile by 5.3 seconds.

"I knew I had at least fourth place. When (Mike) Chase went out I knew I was up to third. I just needed to go out and let my horse Jeremiah do the work," Allen said. "Trevor had his get up on him once so I had a little time to make sure."