Roper battles to keep NFR streak alive

If one were to summarize Shane Hanchey’s career at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, it might be one shining moment, followed by many happy returns.

Hanchey won the 2013 tie-down roping world championship at the Thomas &Mack Center. This year, he qualified for his 16th consecutive trip to rodeo’s Holy Grail, adding to his legacy of consistency.

But he had to fight for this one, reaching deep into his resolve — and wallet — to keep the streak intact.

Hanchey didn’t clinch the 15th and final NFR qualification spot until the last week of the regular season. A $4,000 payday at the Governor’s Cup in Sioux Falls, S.D., gave him a bit of breathing room, but still left the door open for Quade Hiatt to overtake him.

But as a former baseball infielder — one of his travel ball teammates was former Las Vegas 51s standout Gavin Cecchini, who made it to the big leagues with the New York Mets — the Louisiana cowboy knew how important it was to cover all the bases.

So he chartered a private plane for a rodeo the next day in San Bernardino, Calif., hoping to pad his lead.

He didn’t place. But when Hiatt’s calf didn’t stay down for the required six seconds, Hanchey locked into the 15th slot by a mere $1,600. Over the long haul of a season, that’s roughly equivalent to the coins found in one’s couch cushions.

“I knew if I didn’t do any good at Sioux Falls, that I probably needed to get over there,” said Hanchey, who invited steer wrestler Gavin Soileau — outside the NFR looking in at the time — to join him on the flight to California.

“(Soileau) was $925 out of 15th when we got to San Bernardino, and he ended up second in the rodeo and made (his first) NFR, and I ended up making the NFR. So it was worth the $30,000 jet ride.”

Bagging the bucks

As the cowboys and cowgirls saddle up for the 40th installment of the NFR in Las Vegas, there perhaps is no better authority to comment on its growth than Shane Hanchey.

For starters, there’s the astronomical rise in prize money. During Hanchey’s rookie NFR in 2010, winning one of the 10 rounds was worth about $17,000. This year, nightly winners will pocket $36,668 from a total purse of $13.5 million.

“So that’s more than double in the 16 years since I’ve been out there,” he said, adding that media coverage of the NFR has multiplied almost as dramatically.

“It was a big deal in 2010, 2011, 2012, but the coverage is even better now with The Cowboy Channel, and how that has (attracted) sponsors and stuff like that.”

Hanchey, whose wife, Taylor, is a two-time NFR qualifier in barrel racing, said the first thing a potential sponsor used to ask was: How many times would the cowboy — and thereby the sponsor’s name — appear on TV. Hanchey’s answer: If he had a good year and made the NFR, probably 10.

“Now, I’m on The Cowboy Channel probably 200 days of the year,” he said. “And there’s a bigger spotlight on the National Finals now, with social media and all these other platforms to showcase the event.”

Back in the days when ESPN broadcast the NFR, it sometimes was difficult to keep up with the action in prime time, especially for rodeo fans back east, Hanchey said.

Hanchey said as a youngster growing up in Sulphur, La., he would sometimes have to stay up to 1 a.m. to catch the calf roping from Las Vegas.

“My mom would set the VCR, because nine times out of 10, I’d fall asleep,” he said.

Where legends are made

One thing that hasn’t changed since the NFR moved from Oklahoma City to Las Vegas four decades ago is tie-down roping’s propensity for producing legendary performers.

After Don McLaughlin, Dean Oliver and Roy Cooper — nicknamed “Super Looper” — dominated the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s, respectively, a new set of young guns emerged. Joe Beaver, Cody Ohl, Fred Whitfield, Trevor Brazile and Tuf Cooper, Roy’s son, each controlled the sport for multiple years.

It’s a trend that continues to this day, with the meteoric rise of 20-year-old Riley Webb.

Having already amassed record earnings of $475,000 during the regular season, the Texas talent is well on his way to a third consecutive world championship, which hasn’t happened since Roy Cooper won five in a row preceding the NFR’s move to the desert.

Hanchey understands a second gold buckle likely isn’t in the cards for him, at age 36.

“There’s a lot of money to be won … but there’s not good odds coming from 15th to win it,” Hanchey said.

Even if he goes on a run like last year, when he tied for third place over the 10 rounds and finished fifth in the season-long world standings, it might not be enough to overtake Webb.

“He’s kind of a step above everybody else right now,” Hanchey said. “He’s on a trajectory like Patrick Mahomes. When you see Mahomes in a playoff game, you’re not like ‘Are (the Chiefs) going to win?’ It’s more like they’re going to cover by how many. That’s kind of how I feel about Riley.

“I’m a little partial to him, not because of how great a roper he is, but because he really is a great kid, and he’s got his head on straight. I’m telling you, he’s liable to win 10 in a row. He’s just got that kind of game.”