Just two weeks into their partnership, Texans Caleb Mitchell and Ryan Motes came tight on the title every team roper dreams of. Mitchell and Motes won it all at the 32nd edition of the Bob Feist Invitational Team Roping Classic, hauling home the $149,410 lion’s share of the richest one-day open roping in the world’s $700,000-plus in cash and prizes.
“This is something I’ve wanted to do since I was young,” said Mitchell, a BFI freshman from Charlotte, Texas. “I grew up in a trailer park roping dummies. I didn’t get my first horse until I was a 16-year-old high school sophomore. This is the greatest day in my career. Hopefully, it’s just the beginning and not the end.”
Mitchell, 26, and Motes, 28, stopped the clock six times in 45.49 seconds to top the 2009 BFI and leave the Reno Livestock Events Center with the cash and the second-to-none BFI champs’ prize line. In addition to the loot, Mitchell and Motes rode away with Running P saddles and breast collars, Gist Buckles donated by Dodge Rodeo, B&W Trailer Hitches and U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co., Schnei-der three-piece buckles sponsored by Coors Original, Boot Barn and Classic Ropes, and Justin full-quill ostrich boots. The BFI, Cactus Ropes, Team Equine LLC and Wrangler again awarded the winning team a $10,000 cash bonus, and 1 Bar 3 presented a $5,000 cash bonus to the winners.
Motes is the son of 1977 Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association World Champion Team Roper and 1981 BFI Titlist David Motes, who won the roping when Ryan was just a baby. “This win will help him his whole career,” said Proud Papa Motes. “This is worth a lot of confidence to Ryan, and it’s more exciting for me than if I won the roping.”
Ryan Motes lives in Weatherford, Texas, with his wife, Courtney. “I’ve been coming here since I was little,” said Motes, who cut off half his thumb last October when he pantyhosed a steer and a coil came tight as he was headed down to the horn to dally. “This has been the big one since I was born. Bob does a great job of putting it on, and the cattle were great this year. Everybody dreams of winning the world and the BFI. One down, one to go.”
BFI Champs Mitchell and Motes topped the 100-team field that this year represented 16 states. They were 7.15, 7.95, 7.66, 7.40, 7.34 and 7.99 seconds on their respective steers to beat out BFI reservists Derrick Begay and Cesar de la Cruz by just under a second. Arizonans Begay of Winslow and de la Cruz of Tucson earned $95,060 in addition to the reserve champs’ prize package that included Coats Saddles, Skyline Silversmiths buckles donated by Boot Barn, Purina Mills Inc. and Wells Fargo Bank.
The third-place team of Dustin Bird and Caleb Twisselman bagged $61,110 for their total time of 47.26 seconds, and were followed in fourth place by a pair of past BFI champions, Tee Woolman and Kory Koontz, who roped six in 48.21 for $30,555. Wrangler Jeans and Shirts pumped $6,500 in bonus bucks into the Wrangler Round in addition to BFI short-round money. Wrangler also annually outfits BFI contestants and staff. NFR heeler brothers, B.J. and Bucky Campbell, were the 14th high call in the 15-team Wrangler Round. Their 5.7-second final run was worth $9,500.
The owners of the Best BFI Head and Heel Horses received Lazy “L” Saddles and CSI Pads. BFI officials gave the nod for the Best BFI Head Horse to Begay’s 14-year-old sorrel horse Swagger. The Best BFI Heel Horse in 2009 was Ryan Motes’ Starbucks, an 11-year-old sorrel horse his family raised out of one of his mom’s (Danny) mares.
“You need a horse that’ll score and run up there every time and not cheat you at this roping,” Begay said of his unregistered long-score specialist. “A horse needs to give you a good go every time at a six-steer average like this. The main part of team roping these days is the head horses, especially at this roping with the long score and hard-running steers. I’m excited.”
Motes’ American Quarter Horse Association-registered CD Starbucks is the one he rode at the 2007 Wrangler NFR. “He’s cool,” Motes said. “Everybody who rides him gets along with him and wins on him. He’s just easy. You can head, heel and ranch on him. He does it all, and I love him. This is a tough setup. This horse scores good and runs. He’s fast, and he never cheats you. It’s especially neat to win this, because everybody’s on his good one horse at this roping.”
Mitchell rode his 8-year-old gray horse Gaucho. “The head horse is everything here,” he said. “To have one that’ll score, run free and just let me catch is just what I needed. He’s not a world beater, but he’s honest and he never cheats me.”
Classic Ropes and B&W Trailer Hitches awarded Mr. Roping Show, Tyler Magnus, and seven-time World Champion Team Roper Clay O’Brien Cooper a $2,000 bonus for being the team that finished just out of the average race in seventh place. Magnus and Cooper roped an awesome roping, after drawing runners all day long. Nick Sartain and Kollin Von Ahn roped the second fastest steer in BFI history, a 4.79-second scorcher in round five, to cash the $2,000 Fast Time bonus sponsored by Justin Boots, Priefert, Silver Legacy and Coors Original. Sartain and Von Ahn also won the second round with a 5.57-second run. A BFI Fast Time honorable mention also goes out to Ty Blasingame and J.W. Borrego for striking back-to-back in rounds three and four in 5.23 and 5.04 seconds. The 4.46-second BFI Fast Time record was set last year by Coleman Proctor and Jake Long. Champion’s Choice buckles were again awarded in every round.
The “BFI 32 Club” is alive and well. Team roping icons who haven’t missed the BFI books in 32 years include Allen Bach, who won the 1979 BFI with Brian Burrows; Denny Watkins, who won it with David Motes in 1981; Mike Beers, who won the 1987 BFI with Dee Pickett; and Walt Woodard, who topped last year’s BFI with Clay Tryan.
The BFI is “Open to the World,” and held in conjunction with the “Wildest, Richest Rodeo in the West,” the million-dollar Reno Rodeo, which this year runs June 18-27. Announcers Bob Tallman, Reed Flake, Ross Wagner and Lane Santos-Karney called the BFI action, and Harry Rose and Philip Murrah flagged the roping. Steve Branco and Danny Martinez served as the line judges. Flying T Cattle Company of Carrisa Plains, Calif., provided the cattle, which were run over an 18-foot score and out of a 19-foot box. Rodeo royalty on hand to assist BFI Producer Feist in the awards presentations included Miss Reno Rodeo and Miss Rodeo Nevada Andi Lynch, Miss Rodeo California Ashley Hoffmann and Miss Rodeo Helldorado Lindsay Dreyer.
The Silver Legacy Resort Casino is the official headquarters of the BFI. Other major sponsors of the 2009 BFI included Wrangler, Justin Boots, Dodge Rodeo, Priefert Ranch Equipment, Cactus Ropes, Champion’s Choice Buckles, Coors Original, Purina Mills, Running P Ropes and Saddles, Classic Ropes, U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co., Coats Saddlery, Team Equine LLC, B&W Trailer Hitches, Cactus Saddlery, Mark Elston of Wachovia Securities, Lazy “L” Saddles, 1 Bar 3 Productions and Ropers Sports News. The BFI welcomed Boot Barn and Resistol Hats as major sponsors in 2009.
Complete BFI ’09 results are posted online at bobfeistinvitational.com. In-depth coverage of this year’s BFI will appear in the July issue of Ropers Sports News and will be featured on The Roping Show on RFD-TV. BFI fans also were able to listen to this year’s action live via ProRodeoLive.com. BFI ’09 DVDs can be ordered through Rodeo Video by calling 800-331-1269. BFI photos can be ordered by calling Kirt Steinke at 208-739-2416.
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