Cole Patterson has Solid Day 1 at NFSR to Stay in Position for Another Gold Buckle
By: Tracy Renck
MULVANE, Kan. – The quest for gold buckle No. 2 is still in line for steer roper Cole Patterson.
Patterson, who had a record-setting regular season earning $118,515, was solid on Day 1 at the National Finals Steer Roping, Friday night at the Kansas Star Arena.
Patterson placed in three rounds, including winning Round 2 (12.2 seconds), and earned $21,722 to stay atop the PRCA | RAM World Standings with $143,237.
“It was Ok,” said Patterson, 28, about his first day. “I have had better days, but I dang sure have had worse. I kind of messed up a little bit in that fourth round (he received a no time). I was setting good in the average after three and I kind of let one get away there. It is part of it. You can’t get too down or too up at this place because it is 10 rounds. You have to stay levelheaded, and I just got in a little bit of a hurry in that fourth round, and I should have done a better job setting that steer up.
“It is all right. We have five more (Saturday) and I like where we are at.”
Patterson, who won his lone gold buckle in 2021, earned the most of any of the cowboys in the first five rounds. Scott Snedecor, a four-time world champion, moved up one spot in the world standings to second with $111,255. He earned $18,218 Friday.
Cody Lee ($103,392) dropped from second to third in the standings, followed by Jess Tierney ($99,949). Tierney won the second most money Friday with a $21,371 payday.
The Top 15 steer ropers in the PRCA are vying for a world championship and a share of the record $500,000 purse. The 2023 NFSR concludes at 7 p.m. (CT) on Saturday and will stream live online on the PRCA on The Cowboy Channel Plus App.
“The draw is going to be pretty important (Saturday),” Patterson said. “You never know how the steers are going to fall, but for the most part they are pretty similar in all the pens. I thought I just kind of drew right in the middle of them (Friday night). Nothing too bad and nothing too great. Hopefully (Saturday) we will pluck a few good ones out of there and I will be pretty aggressive at the beginning of (Saturday night) and go ahead and try and put some more points on the board before they start giving out that average money. Nine (head) usually gets a good check in the average but I don’t want to leave anything up to chance.”
Patterson rode Tigger during the first four rounds and then in Round 5 he switched to Dunny.
“They were both about the same and now I’m just as confused for (Saturday night) as I was coming into (Friday night),” Patterson said.
When Patterson won Round 2, he also captured the Colby Goodwin Award. The Second Go-Round Award is given in honor of the late Goodwin, who passed away after being injured during the ninth round of 1999 NFSR.
“This is an award I’ve always wanted to win ever since I have been coming here (to the NFSR),” Patterson said. “I have just not ever done well in Round 2, so I’m really happy to get this win.”
Rocky Patterson, Cole’s father, leads the average with a 64.4-second time on five head. Rocky, is a four-time world champion (2009-10, 2012, 2016). Tierney (66.3 seconds on five head); Lee (69.05 on five head); and Slade Wood (80.1 on five head) round out the top four in the average. Cole is fifth at 49.4 seconds on four head.
The average is a key factor in the gold buckle chase as it pays $30,349 for first; second ($25,116); third ($19,884); fourth ($14,651); fifth ($9,419); and sixth ($5,233).
“Of course, it feels good to be leading the average, but they don’t pay it on five head,” said Patterson, who is making his 28th appearance at the NFSR. “I ran pretty good steers (Friday night). I avoided some of those landmines.”
Rocky was riding Luke, 15, on Day 1. He earned $15,941 Friday.
“I just need to try and keep getting times and win more in the rounds,” Rocky said about his plan for Saturday.
Other round winners Friday were Garrett Hale (Round 1, 11. 9 seconds and Round 4, 9.3 seconds); Taylor Santos was the Round 3 champ in 10.3 seconds and Chet Herren claimed the Round 5 title with a 10.1-second run.
Courtesy of PRCA.