Team Ropers Electric at Buffalo Bill Rodeo

by Jim Bainbridge | Jun 21, 2014
By Ruth Nicolaus/for the Buffalo Bill Rodeo

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. – As lightning bolts flickered across the sky, a pair of team ropers at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo produced some electricity of their own.

Ty Blasingame and J.W. Borrego turned in the fastest time of the night and took the lead with a 5.0 second run in the second go-round.

The Colorado duo, the winners at this year’s RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo, placed second in the first go round (5.4 seconds) and are in the lead in the average, the fastest time in two runs.

“We had a steer that stopped last night, and he was kind of an eliminator, so we made a game plan,” said Blasingame said, who waited a bit before roping him, letting the steer get a little farther out.

“I just let him out there a little bit extra, and roped him, and J.W. did a great job of heeling him after he set up, so it was a good game plan.”

For Blasingame, his game plans in North Platte have served him well. The Sugar City, Colo. man won the team roping in 2010 with heeler Josh Fillmore and again last year with Matt Zancanella.

It’s a good reason to love North Platte, he said with a laugh. “I love this rodeo. The good set-up, the good hospitality, people are awesome here, and they have good fans.”

The two have roped together, off and on, since they were youngsters in Little Britches Rodeo and high school rodeo, and this year, are competing in the Mountain States Circuit (Colorado and Wyoming) and at bigger regional rodeos.

“We go hard,” Blasingame said. “We’re going to go quite a bit over the Fourth (of July.)”

As youngsters, J.W. was the header and Ty was the heeler, but lately they’ve switched ends. “We thought that was a good way to go,” Blasingame said. “I couldn’t catch very many,” he said, laughing, “and he (J.W.) can’t handle one,” at the heeling end.

Other leaders from the Friday night performance were bareback rider Seth Coursen, Casper, Wyo. (75), steer wrestler Brent Sutton, Onida, S.D. (5.0 seconds), tie-down roper Bryson Sechrist, Apache, Okla. (12.3), saddle bronc rider Chase Miller, Edmond, Okla. (78), and barrel racer Hope Delaware, Atwood, Colo. (17.78). No bull riders made the eight second buzzer.

Courtesy of PRCA