PRCA Steer Wrestler Laine Herl Wins Rodeo Corpus Christi
By Tracy Renck
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – When steer wrestler Laine Herl left Rodeo Corpus Christi in 2017, he was empty-handed.
That wasn’t the case in 2019 for the Goodland, Kan., cowboy in his appearance at the rodeo, as he captured the biggest win of his career at the ProRodeo Tour stop.
Herl, with a 12.2-second time on three-head, won the average, and he couldn’t erase the smile from his face.
“I had three good steers and I was able to get the job done,” said Herl, 25. “I knew what I had to do (in the third round). I was the last guy out and I just made sure I caught him. I got up and saw my time, and it was very exciting.”
Herl also was quick to praise Nitro, the horse he was riding. Nitro is owned by Dru Melvin, Herl’s hazer.
“I’ve been riding his horse for close to a year, and he gave me three good goes,” Herl said. “The horse worked really well, and Dru set them up and left them there for me.”
For his performance, Herl earned $5,641 and scored points for the ProRodeo Tour. Before this season, Herl earned $38,341 in his PRCA career through his first four ProRodeo seasons. He earned little this season until Sunday.
“This here in Corpus Christi is my biggest win,” Herl said. “It’s a huge confidence boost. There were a lot of tough guys there who were making good runs, and I was right there with them and it was fun.”
Herl won the first round in 3.6 seconds, tied for fourth in the second round with reigning world champion Tyler Waguespack (4.2 seconds) and made a business-like run in the third round (4.4 seconds) to claim the title.
“It’s a good start for me to get these points, and there are a lot more of these rodeos to earn more points,” Cooke said.
Herl is no stranger to rodeo. He grew up around the sport as his father, Jon, was a PRCA steer wrestler.
“I was always around rodeo, and it was something I always wanted to do,” Herl said. “I spent two years rodeoing at Western Oklahoma State College in Altus. Then, I spent two years at Northwestern Oklahoma State University, and now I’m out here on the trail.”
Other winners at the $271,406 rodeo were all-around cowboy Landon McClaugherty ($4,844, tie-down roping, team roping and steer roping); bareback rider Tanner Aus (90 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Full Baggage); team ropers Tanner Tomlinson/Ty Arnold (14.1 seconds on three head); saddle bronc rider Zeke Thurston (87.5 points on Dakota Rodeo’s Covergirl); tie-down roper Seth Cooke (28.4 seconds on three head); barrel racer Dona Kay Rule (31.35 seconds on two runs); steer roper McClaugherty, (63.9 seconds on four head); and bull riders J.W. Harris (90.5 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Lookin’ Up) and Garrett Tribble (90.5 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Footloose).
For more coverage of Rodeo Corpus Christi, check out the May 3 edition of ProRodeo Sports News.
Courtesy of PRCA