For the Record: National Finals Steer Roping

With $425,000 on the line at the Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping, every round is a chance to win $9,155 for the fastest run.

The higher the stakes, the higher the level of competition, and this is made evident in the NFSR’s records. The NFSR has had numerous homes since it started in 1959, but most of its records were set after moving to its current home in Mulvane, Kan., in 2014.

The winner of the average receives an additional $27,347 when the two-day, 10-round shootout concludes, making it possible for a cowboy to win $118,897 if he makes a clean sweep at the 2020 NFSR.

The closest anyone has come to winning all 10 rounds was Arnold Felts at the 1993 NFSR when he won six rounds in Guthrie, Okla.

Payouts have drastically increased since Felts’ record run. Cody Lee set the record for most money won at the NFSR in 2016 when he earned $69,651.

Trevor Brazile set the NFSR record for the 10-head average in 2015 with 111.3 seconds.

Rocky Patterson set the record for most money won in a single year for steer roping in 2016 with $143,350.

Tuf Cooper set the record for the most money won in a single season before the NFSR in 2018 with $89,427.

Outside of the NFSR, the fastest steer roping time at a ProRodeo competition is 7.7 seconds, achieved by Cody Scheck in Fort Smith, Ark., in 2012.

The following are the NFSR’s round records, most of which were set at the Mulvane arena unless otherwise noted.

Round 1
9.2 seconds
Cash Myers (2006 in Hobbs, N.M.)

Round 2
9.1 seconds
Scott Snedecor (2014)

Round 3
8.9 seconds
Rod Hartness (2005 in Amarillo, Texas)

Round 4
9.2 seconds
Trevor Brazile and Guy Allen (1999 in Guthrie, Okla.)
JoJo LeMond (2017)

Round 5
8.3 seconds
Guy Allen (2016)

Round 6
8.3 seconds
Tuf Cooper (2018)

Round 7
8.6 seconds
Guy Allen (1996 in Guthrie, Okla.)

Round 8
8.3 seconds
Cash Myers (2006 in Hobbs, N.M.)

Round 9
9.0 seconds
Trevor Brazile (2001 in Amarillo, Texas)

Round 10
8.3 seconds
Jess Tierney (2015)

Courtesy of PRCA