Shad Mayfield Chasing All-Around Title
Tie-down roper Shad Mayfield has been amazing in the arena in 2020.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic forced a halt to ProRodeo, Mayfield was nearly unstoppable.
When Cave Creek (Ariz.) Rodeo Days restarted rodeo the weekend of May 22-24, Mayfield picked up where he had left off, winning there in 8.5 seconds.
Mayfield leads the 2020 PRCA | RAM World Standings with $138,365.
“This year has been crazy,” Mayfield said. “This winter I won dang-near every rodeo I went to except Jackson, Miss.”
Last season, as a rookie, Mayfield made his NFR debut, finishing 12th in the world standings with $127,075.
The Clovis, N.M., cowboy has also started team roping.
“I want to go for the all-around world title,” said Mayfield, 19. “Since I won so much in the (tie-down roping) through the winter, I think if I can get $3,000 won (in team roping) that would put me in a pretty good lead in the all-around standings. With a lot of the big rodeos being shut down, I would have a huge chance to win the all-around if I can get that $3,000 won in team roping.”
Competitors must earn at least $3,000 in at least two events to be eligible for the all-around title.
Mayfield competed in team roping as a heeler at Cave Creek but didn’t win any money.
Mayfield then team roped as a header with heeler Garrett Busby. They competed for the first time in Mesquite, Texas, June 20, but didn’t get a check.
Mayfield and Busby are scheduled to rope together again at the Parker County Sheriff’s Posse Frontier Days and PRCA Rodeo in Weatherford, Texas, and the Dinosaur Roundup Rodeo in Vernal, Utah. Both rodeos are scheduled for July 8-11.
“Shad and I got to be good friends,” said Busby, 27. “We both came to the realization we team rope pretty good and nobody else wants to rope with us, so we might as well rope with each other. I met Shad at the rodeos, and he is always himself. I enjoy being around people like that. I let him know if he ever needed anything he could come to my house (in Brock, Texas) and stay. He stayed over the winter. I don’t think we had more than two or three conversations the first couple of months. He was going to a bunch of rodeos and winning a lot, and I let him do his deal.”
Winning two world titles in 2020 is something Mayfield took a moment to think about.
“That would be huge to win both,” Mayfield said. “I never dreamed of ever winning the all-around. If that happened that would be great. That would be a dream come true because everyone looks up to Trevor Brazile (winner of a PRCA-record 14 all-around world championships). Everyone wants to win the all-around.
“Eventually, I’m going to start (steer roping) also. I’m going to be doing it all.”
To read more about this story, check out the next issue of ProRodeo Sports News at ProRodeo.com on June 26, 2020.
Courtesy of PRCA