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Rookie Dalton Walker Wins Cave Creek Steer Roping

CAVE CREEK, Ariz. – The sport of rodeo is naturally unpredictable.

It’s a sport where just about anything can happen on any given day.

May 23 was steer roper Dalton Walker’s day.

The Texas rookie outlasted a star-studded field to win the steer roping at Cave Creek Rodeo Days with a 63.0-second time on three head.

The rodeo, which concludes May 24, is the first PRCA-sanctioned rodeo since rodeos were halted in the middle of March because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This win gives me a great confidence boost,” said Walker, 20. “I was sitting third in the (Resistol) Rookie of the Year standings, and I knew I needed to step it up. This will help me out to get going.”

Walker, who was the only cowboy to rope three steers, earned $1,318, which will put him atop the steer roping rookie of the year standings.

“I just wanted to go get all three of them tied, and consistency paid off for me,” Walker said. “Riding in that box on my third one I knew who had two down. It was Cole (Patterson, last year’s steer roping rookie of the year), Vin Fisher Jr., who has made it to the NFSR I don’t know how many times, and Laramie Allen. I was trying to catch my breath. I was getting nervous. I told myself to just go rope and see what happens, and it worked out.”

In the third round, Walker was the ninth to go from a field of 42 ropers.

“I knew if I tied my last one, I would get a check, and then I won,” Walker said. “This feel great.”

It was Walker’s second career PRCA steer roping win, his first coming at the Elgin (Ore.) Stampede last July. Walker grew up in Abilene, Texas, but is now living in Liberty Hill.

“I team rope (as a header), (tie-down rope) and steer wrestle, but I moved to Liberty Hill and am living with Corey Ross,” the 6-foot, 180-pound Walker said. “I was working for him and he got me into steer roping. I’m handy with a rope and athletic, and I was already doing three events, so I figured I would add another. I travel with Corey, so it makes doing steer roping easier because I don’t have a team roping partner or a bulldogging horse right now.”

Walker was riding Sherman in Cave Creek. Sherman is owned by Ross.

“I have ridden Sherman a bunch, and I won Elgin on him last year,” Walker said.

In the Cave Creek Legacy Steer Roping Robby Ritchey claimed the win with a 35.8-second time on two head.

“It was great to win and this is my (Legacy Steer Roping) win,” Ritchey said. “I just drew a couple of good steers. I didn’t have a lot of nerves. I didn’t realize I won until after I was done the road a pretty good ways.”

Ritchey rode his horse, Hollywood for the win.

Courtesy of PRCA

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