‘No pressure’: Mayfield in hunt for tie-down roping title — NFR DAY 2 PHOTOS
You wouldn’t have known Shad Mayfield was the defending all-around world champion given the way he celebrated after he won his tie-down roping go-round Thursday night at the National Finals Rodeo.
Even though Mayfield won rodeo’s top title, he didn’t celebrate any go-round victories and had to squeak out the all-around title on the final night in 2024.
So his celebration on the first night of the 2025 edition of NFR has been built up for over a year.
“Last year, I made 10 runs, I didn’t get to celebrate one time because I didn’t feel like I made a good run,” Mayfield said after his go-round win on the first night of NFR on Thursday. “That’s been built up for a long time. When I made the run and heard the crowd and saw the clock, all I could do was let loose everything that’s been built up.”
Mayfield, 25, isn’t in the all-around title battle this year, but is chasing his second tie-down roping world title. He entered NFR second in the tie-down roping standings in what is turning into a two-man race between Mayfield and two-time defending champion Riley Webb.
Mayfield set the tone on Thursday night, posting the fastest tie-down roping time of 6.8 seconds to earn the go-round win on the first night of NFR and picked up $36,668 in earnings.
On Friday, Mayfield picked up another win to get within $2,000 of Webb for the lead. Mayfield added $29,177 in earnings for his go-round win.
That kept the Clovis, New Mexico, native second in the standings with $332,154.60 in earnings and is right behind Webb ($333,761.68). Webb did not receive any earnings Friday.
“Two go-round wins off the bat is very fun,” Mayfield said Friday. “I just feel comfortable and I feel like myself.”
Mayfield shared the go-round win in a three-way tie with Dylan Hancock and Marty Yates, as the trio all posted a time of 7.8 seconds each Friday.
“I had no pressure on me,” Mayfield said. “I’ve backed in here last year and previous years and feel like I’ve had all the pressure in the world on me. When I backed in here (Thursday), I felt like I had nothing to lose, no pressure.
“I felt like I was at home making practice runs.”
2024 ‘wasn’t me’
Mayfield has a knack for delivering during the summer months, but sometimes cooling off later in the year. Before his run Thursday, Mayfield said he felt some nerves, but just “went for it.”
“I told myself in round one, ‘You got to come out with a bang and apply the pressure and tell them that you’re here,’” Mayfield said Thursday. “It’s more for myself. I need to go back in there and prove to myself that you could do it and that’s what I did.
“To have that moment right there, it means a lot to me. I feel like it’s going help me let loose in here.”
Mayfield has won at 10 events in 2025. He said he felt like he could have won “a lot more,” but feels he is in a good spot entering NFR this year with a different approach from last year.
“Last year’s NFR, that wasn’t me,” Mayfield said. “I was roping for the average and that’s not my style. I feel like I’m a go-round roper.
“My dad (two-time NFR qualifier Sylvester Mayfield) always told me if you win every round, that means you win the average. I’m just trying to go at them one calf at a time.”
‘Do my job’
Mayfield won the 2020 tie-down roping title. Webb has been the standard, winning the last two tie-down roping titles. Mayfield finished second to Webb last year by less than $24,000.
With a “nothing to lose,” approach — as Mayfield put it — he said he isn’t worrying about chasing Webb or his other tie-down roping competitors.
“I feel like I’m just roping against myself. I feel like the only guy that can beat me is myself,” Mayfield said. “I’m not worried about any other ropers. As long as I’m back in there and my head’s on right, I can go out there and do my job and the numbers will take care of themselves.”
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.
Allen jumps to 2nd in steer wrestling
The steer wresting world title is anybody's game. The overall standings took another shakeup after the second night of the National Finals Rodeo.
Tucker Allen, making his second appearance at NFR, won the steer wrestling g0-round with a time of 3.6 seconds Friday night at the Thomas & Mack Center.
"It was unreal," Allen said of his run. "I had a good steer and got a good start and tried to keep it simple and do my job. This is my first round win (at NFR) and this is something you dream about as a kid."
Now Allen, who picked up $36,668, in earnings, jumps to second in the steer wrestling standings ($197,535.43) behind Will Lummus ($223,745.39).
"I'm just going to keep going at each round like it's the last one of the week and let the chips fall where they may," Allen said.
Allen entered NFR fifth in the standings and was less than $45,000 behind Lummus. With his win on Friday, Allen jumped from seventh to second over five-time steer wrestling champion Tyler Waguespack, who won Thursday's go-round and is now third. Allen finished 11th on Thursday and did not receive any earnings.
There are eight rounds left in NFR and the top 13 in the steer wrestling standings are separated by just over $91,000.
Allen finished 11th in last year's standings. At NFR in 2024, he placed in two rounds. Allen said the biggest lesson he learned from last year is be OK with failing.
"Just to be more aggressive, be willing to take more risks and be willing to fail," Allen said of what he learned. "With that comes greater rewards. I was willing to fail to do good."
This year Allen has won five events. He's used a message said by NBA legend Kobe Bryant that "it's worth winning big even if you have to fail big" to have success at NFR.
"I'd rather fail big than never even try," Allen said. "That's something I got to be willing to take and I learned that by failing. You're going to win big eventually."
Other go-round winners
Rocker Steiner, Weatherford, Texas, in bareback riding (88 points).
Jake Smith, Broken Bow, Oklahoma, and Douglas Rich, Herrick, Illinois in team roping (3.9 seconds).
Damian Brennan, Injune, Australia in saddle bronc riding (90 points).
Hailey Kinsel, Cotulla, Texas, in barrel racing (13.53 seconds).
Stetson Wright, Beaver, Utah, in bull riding (89.5 points).
Alex Wright Review-Journal
