Monday, March 06, 2006

FIRST TIME EVER – THE WRANGLER TIMED EVENT CHAMPIONSHIP IS DECIDED BY OVER-TIME

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Shayla Givens
(405) 282-3004
arena@lazye.com

GUTHRIE, Okla., March 5, 2006 – He’s Back!

At one of the classic Wrangler Timed Event Championship events in history, Trevor Brazile proved why he is considered the current “King of the Cowboys” during the 2006 event held at the Lazy E Arena.

In the event’s 22-year history, no competition had ever ended in a tie for first place. That is exactly what happened during the Lucchese Boots Final Round when three-time WTEC Champion Trevor Brazile from Decatur, Texas and four-time WTEC Champion K.C. Jones from Hawk Springs, Wyoming tied with 337.3 seconds after competing on twenty-five head of livestock over 3 grueling days of competition. The result was over-time.

If a tie should occur, the rules state that the two cowboys would “match” each other in a five-head competition and compete on each others cattle from the fifth round. After the stunned crowd settled, Brazile and Jones, two WTEC titans matched each other with Brazile ending up the champion with a time of 50.5 seconds compared to Jones’ 75.4.

“This is probably the most special,” said Brazile when asked about his other titles. “The way it happened, I could not have wrote it any better.”

The win secured many new WTEC titles for Brazile – the record holder for the most money won at a WTEC competition ($72,000), the highest career WTEC earnings to date ($398,500), the newest member of the Four-Time Champion Fraternity (which includes Jones and Paul Tierney from Oral, South Dakota), broke his own Arena-Record set last year for the fastest go-round (43.5 on five head) for a three-thousand dollar bonus, and became the only winner of a WTEC Tie-Breaker (defeated Jones for the Championship).

Brazile, who has won three Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association All-Around World Championships, won his first WTEC title in 1998, then finally found his groove again during the three-day runs in 2003 and 2004. The two seemed to be a good fit, given the fact that Brazile is the first cowboy in ProRodeo history to qualify for the National Finals in each of the four roping disciplines – steer roping, tie-down roping, heading and heeling. At this year’s WNFR, Brazile was the front-runner going into the All-Around race only to be upset by Ryan Jarrett from Summerville, Georgia this past December in Las Vegas. Of note, Jarrett competed for the first time at this year’s WTEC and finished in a respectable eight position earning him $3,000.

The 2006 version of rodeo’s “Iron-Man” competition had many story lines. Perennial WNFR qualifier Cash Myers, from Athens, Texas jumped out to the early lead in the competition. But a few slips in the third round cost Myers the lead and eventually the title. Those “slips” provided the opening for past WTEC Champions which included Tierney, Jimmie Cooper of Monument, New Mexico, Jones, and last year’s champion Kyle Lockett from Ivanhoe, California to emerge as front-runners during the marathon-type event.

After taking a no-time / 60 second penalty in the first run of the event, Brazile quietly won three rounds and pulled himself back into the competition. In what seemed like an impossible feat, Brazile battled his way back to take a 30-second lead going into the steer-wrestling event during the final performance.

“I never wanted to take a sixty right off the bat, but looking back it was a blessing in disguise. It enabled me to go a little harder at the rounds,” Brazile said.
In the steer-wrestling event (the only event that Brazile does not compete at full-time), he missed his steer on his first try then re-mounted his horse and gave chase eventually throwing the animal in 43.0 seconds. The lead was gone. Jones held serve during his steer roping run to put the pressure back on Brazile. Brazile backed into the box needing a 15.0 second run to win the event. The result was a 15.1 and a tie after twenty-five head.

After the tie-breaker match, Jones would take home a hefty second-place paycheck of $25,000, Tierney finished third worth $15,000 and Lockett would place fourth for $10,000.

“You always think about what you could have done different,” Jones said. “You just hope to learn from your mistakes and come back a little more ready next year.”
In another aspect of the WTEC, the Fastest Rounds are paid for the entire event. Brazile collected another $19,000 (First, Second and Fifth) for his efforts in combination with his bonus for a grand total of $72,000. A complete detail of the WTEC results can be found on the final page of this release or at www.lazye.com/arena.

The top 20 timed event cowboys in the world were invited to compete at this 22nd annual event held at the fabulous Lazy E Arena. The WTEC is considered as one of pro rodeo’s most unique events and is a true test of versatility and stamina. Each contestant is required to compete in all five timed events: tie-down roping, steer roping, heading, heeling and steer wrestling.

The event was developed by the Lazy E in 1985 to determine the best all-around timed event cowboy in the world — the man who could stand out in more than his specialty event, the man who could be consistent in all five timed events. Today’s professional rodeo cowboys no longer compete in multiple events, but specialize in one possibly two. This event attracts the biggest names in the rodeo industry that represent 28 World Championship titles, in addition to thousands of fans from across the country.
The Wrangler Timed Event Championship is sponsored by Wrangler in conjunction with Pepsi Cola, Lucchese Boots, Bud Light, Jack Daniels, Priefert Manufacturing, Hot Heels, U.S. Smokeless Tobacco, News 9, and the Holiday Inn Hotels and Suites.
For more information on the Wrangler Timed Event Championship, or other upcoming events, contact the Lazy E Arena, 9600 Lazy E Drive, Guthrie, Oklahoma 73044, visit our Web site at www.lazye.com or call (800) 595-RIDE or (405) 282-RIDE.

WRANGLER TIMED EVENT CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS

Average Standings (After 25 Head Over Five Performances)
1. Trevor Brazile, Decatur, TX, 337.3 +(50.5 on 5 Head tiebreaker), $50,000; 2. K.C. Jones, Hawk Springs, WY, 337.3 + (75.4 on 5 Head Tiebreaker), $25,000; 3. Paul Tierney, Oral, SD, 348.6, $15,000; 4. Kyle Lockett, Ivanhoe, CA, 370.5, $10,000; 5. Cash Myers, Athens, TX., 386.3, $7,500; 6. Jimmie Cooper, Monument, NM., 412.5, $5,000; 7. Jim Locke, Miami, TX., 430.3, $4,500; 8. Ryan Jarrett, Summerville, GA., 437.1, $3,000.

Fastest Round Standings
1. Trevor Brazile, Decatur, TX., 43.5 seconds, $10,000 (Arena record $3,000 bonus); 2. Trevor Brazile, Decatur, TX., 47.4, $6,000; 3. K.C. Jones, Hawk Springs, WY., 48.2, $5,000; 4. Jimmie Cooper, Monument, NM., 52.3, $4,000; 5. Trevor Brazile, Decatur, TX., 53.9, $3,000; 6. Paul Tierney, Oral, SD., 56.4, $2,000.

Total Money
Trevor Brazile, Decatur, TX., $72,000; K.C. Jones, Hawk Springs, WY., $30,000; Paul Tierney, Oral, SD., $17,000; Kyle Lockett, Ivanhoe, CA., $10,000; Jimmie Cooper, Monument, NM., $9,000; Cash Myers, Athens, TX., $7,500; Jim Locke, Miami, TX., $4,500; Ryan Jarrett, Summerville, GA., $3,000.

*Trevor Brazile won $3,000 bonus for breaking the go-round arena record of 44.6 seconds that he set in 2005

No comments: