The 2020 PRCA World Champion tie-down roper Shad Mayfield is just $1,867 in steer roping earnings away from having a near-$100,000 lead in the PRCA’s All-Around World Standings race.
Mayfield, 23, enters the summer run with $135,798.64 in tie-down roping earnings—a $42,900 lead on second-place Ty Harris. But the Clovis, New Mexico cowboy just picked up $1,133 at Coleman, Texas’s PRCA Rodeo for a second-place, 13.3-second run in Round 1 of the steer roping—getting him ever closer to the $3,000 the PRCA requires cowboys win in a second event to be eligible for the All-Around race. Mayfield also team ropes, and he placed fourth at Clovis, New Mexico’s Pioneer Days Rodeo earlier this spring, for another $1,222 in potential All-Around money when he entered as a walk-up replacement to head for Faron Candelaria.
If and when Mayfield hits the $3,000 mark in either the team roping or the steer roping, he’ll officially enter the All-Around standings, jumping nearly $100,000 ahead of current leader and fellow NFR tie-down roper Brushton Minton, who’s got $45,846.30 won on the year.
“I mean Stetson (Wright) is the only guy who will ever win the All-Around as long as he’s healthy because he’s so competitive in the bronc riding and the bull riding,” Mayfield said. “Since he’s been hurt, I’ve been trying to get my name in there. Most of my money will be coming in from one event. But a guy can have a good Finals and see what happens.”
Wright, 24, has $9,984 won after being out since the 2023 NFR with a hamstring injury. The $2.3 million bull rider and saddle-bronc rider has eight PRCA World Titles, including the last five All-Around gold buckles.
Mayfield has earned $1,105,386 in his PRCA career, finishing third in the PRCA world standings in 2023.
Steer Roping Horsepower
Mayfield first started steer roping to prepare for the Cinch Timed Event Championship two years ago, but now he’s more serious than ever about the event.
“I got me a steer roping horse, and I’m entering as much as I can,” Mayfield said. “I bought a horse from Slade Wood that’s 17. We call him PacMan. He didn’t want to sell him, but I said, ‘Sell him to me, let me ride him, and then put him on your trailer and you can ride him if you want and if I can, I will ride him too.’ It’s important to have a good horse, and he’sreallygood. He’s strong so he can bust any steer and as soon as I can get there to tie, he stops.”
Necessary Adjustments
Mayfield can sure get the necks—a skill that’s less than ideal in the busting.
“A lot of my throws have been neck shots,” Mayfield admitted. “It’s a habit from calf roping. In calf roping, when a calf steps right, that’s the best throw to take. When a steer steps right, that’s the worst throw to take, and I get the neck doing it. It’s a totally different swing, and it’s taken some getting used to. Team roping, it’s easy to get the horns, but Coleman (Proctor) says the same thing. He’s a header, he gets the neck steer roping.”
Steer ropers, though, are a tight-knit bunch, and they’ve all jumped in to help Mayfield learn the ropes.
“I was talking to Scott Snedecor today, and he said you want your rope behind you in a way,” Mayfield explained. “With heading and calf roping, you want it to be up in front of you. He said you almost sit on your butt and get the horns.Clay Long, Billy Good, Scott Snedecor, they’ve all tried to help me. They’re the nicest guys to be around.”
Mayfield’s check at Coleman came with a left-handed tie—something he’s been working hard at improving.
“My groundwork has gotten a lot better,” Mayfield said. “I used to be a lot worse at left-handed tying, but I got some steers at the house and I’ve been working at it.”
Summer Plans
Mayfield will enter the steer roping everywhere he can, so long as it doesn’t interfere with his chance at a gold buckle in his main event.
“As long as I get to them, I will try to go. Prineville, Oregon, Sheridan, as many as I can get to,” Mayfield said. “I don’t know if I can get to Cheyenne, because it’s over the Calgary short round. I’m dang sure going to try to win $1,800 more before prime summer time. I told my new team roping partner, Faron, he can enter us some places this summer, so we entered Pecos in the team roping, and we’ll enter Pendleton and Cheyenne and the good rodeos to see if we can’t get some all-around titles.”
