Jared Fillmore Leads 2020 Team Roping Heeling Permit Standings
Team roping heeler Jared Fillmore filled his permit and solidified his position at the top of the 2020 PRCA | RAM Rodeo Permit Standings with a $25,000 check for placing second at The American in Arlington, Texas, March 8.
Partnered with Colby Lovell at the time, the duo posted a 4.61-second run in the Shootout round of The American. Two days later he began his ProRodeo rookie season, but the COVID-19 pandemic put that on pause until the end of May.
“It (the permit standings) wasn’t really in my thoughts, but I saw that and felt good about it,” said Fillmore, 20. “My goals were on bigger things than that, but it was kind of cool. I didn’t grow up around rodeo, so for it being my very first year doing rodeo ever, to be able to have the success I had was a big blessing and pretty awesome.”
When competitions resumed, the Utah cowboy partnered with Casey Tew, and they held their own against teams often found at the National Finals Rodeo. Some of their summer run successes included picking up $1,593 at the Ute Stampede in Nephi, Utah, and $1,403 at the Douglas County Fair and Rodeo in Castle Rock, Colo.
“It (COVID-19) put a stop to what I had going after The American and definitely had a big effect on what I had going,” Fillmore said. “But, no matter how hard it is or how bad it gets, the person who never quits will end up on top.”
Despite having a significantly stunted rookie season that really didn’t start until June, Fillmore finished fifth in the PRCA | Resistol Rookie Standings for team roping heeling with $3,583.
Although he won The American on a horse called Jingles, he finished the season on Scooter, a 5-year-old American Quarter Horse gelding.
“He’s a little bit bigger and a little bit faster and has some athletic ability that helped me with my game a little more,” Fillmore said.
Fillmore is gearing up for full-time competition in 2021 with his eyes on qualifying for next year’s NFR.
“It (finishing at the top of the permit standings) gives a little insight on what it takes to win, to win more than I ever have and helps me prepare for what I am going to have to do to accomplish the goals that I have,” Fillmore said.
Courtesy of PRCA