Steer Wrestler Kyle Irwin Keeps Things Rolling at Rodeo Austin
AUSTIN, Texas – Ever since December, ProRodeo life has been very good to steer wrestler Kyle Irwin.
On Dec. 10, Irwin won the Wrangler National Final Rodeo average for the first time in his career with a 46.1-second time on 10 head. He earned $151,537 in Las Vegas and finished third in the PRCA | RAM World Standings with $249,892.
And things got even better for Irwin on March 24.
The Robertsdale, Ala., cowboy clocked a 3.5-second run to win his playoff round before a sellout crowd Friday night at Rodeo Austin.
“Coming into (Friday) the last time was 5-flat and Landris White jumped out and was fast at (4.1 seconds) and then a couple of other guys were fast before I went,” said Irwin, 32. “They were saying 4.2 (seconds) was the cut, so I knew the gloves were off and I had to take a chance. The horse I’m riding scores so good and Curtis (Cassidy, Irwin’s hazer) is going to do his job and I just had to hit the barrier and the steer picked its head up and it worked.”
Irwin was aboard Tyson, the three-time Nutrena Horse of the Year presented by AQHA in steer wrestling from 2020-2022.
“It all came down to the start (Friday night),” Irwin said. “Wags (reigning world champion Tyler Waguespack) usually doesn’t miss a steer and Gavin (Soileau) normally doesn’t (miss) and (Cody) Cabral broke the barrier and had bad luck. Those things usually don’t happen, so you have to be fast, I like this set-up and I had to take a chance.
“I rode Tyson at the NFR (in 2022), and I will ride him all this year. It has been a fun winter. Tyson reminds so much of Scooter (the PRCA | AQHA Horse of the Year in steer wrestling in 2017 and 2018). I knew Scooter was going to do his job and I know Tyson is going to do his job and that takes about 60 percent of things out of the equation for me. Now if I just go do my reps and what I’m practicing at home things should come together.”
The playoff round of the Playoff Series rodeo concluded Friday and the top eight playoff round finishers in each event will move on to the finals at 7 p.m. Saturday, which will be broadcast on The Cowboy Channel and The Cowboy Channel Plus App.
“Last year was my best NFR and it was great,” said Irwin, a six-time NFR qualifier. “It was a huge momentum shift coming into this spring and I’m just having a blast. I would love to keep my momentum going (Saturday) in Austin.”
When Irwin isn’t traveling down the PRCA trail he keeps plenty busy with his family with life as a dad.
Irwin and his wife, Randa, have sons, Tripp, 6, and Spike 2; and daughter, Ellie, 4.
“Tripp has a junior rodeo (March 25 in Milton, Fla.) and I told him I will win my rodeo if you win yours,” Irwin said. “He is calf riding, running barrels and running poles. He’s a huge fan of JB Mauney and Stetson Wright. I don’t know, I need to shift him toward the chute dogging, but right now he loves bull riding.”
Other contestants who advanced to the final round with their performances Friday were bareback rider Leighton Berry (89 points on Beutler & Son Rodeo’s Bar Talk); team ropers Jeff Flenniken/Tyler Worley (5.6 seconds); breakaway roper Martha Angelone (2.2 seconds); tie-down roper Cory Solomon (7.7 seconds); barrel racer Jordon Briggs (14.78 seconds); and bull rider Tyler Bingham (85.5 points on Andrews Rodeo’s Shockazooloo).
In a related note, superstar bull rider Mauney was injured in the chute, while aboard Beutler & Son Rodeo’s Bracket Buster. Mauney was returning to action for the first time since he was injured in the chutes in the Championship Round at RodeoHouston, March 19.
Courtesy of PRCA