Sparks takes two titles at SWOSU

ALVA, Okla.  –  Northwestern Oklahoma State University cowboy Hazen Sparks has been waiting on his turn to pounce.

It came this past weekend at the Southwestern Oklahoma State University rodeo in Weatherford, where he won steer wrestling, finished sixth in tie-down roping and claimed the men’s all-around championship.

“It’s about time,” said Sparks, a sophomore from Talihina, Oklahoma. “I started the year off really slow, just like last year, but I screwed together a good weekend. I feel like I went there and did my job. The horses were good. I rode my calf horse, the one that won (Central Plains) Horse of the Year last year, and I rode Nathan Duvall’s bulldogging horse.

“I had Sam Daly hazing for me on his horse, and he’s done a good job.”

Horsepower is vital in rodeo. Just after the teams completed their performances two weeks ago in Garden City, Kansas, Sparks’ calf roping horse came down with an illness. The good news came when his primary equine partner recovered in time for the trip to Weatherford.

“I haven’t been getting to rope too much here lately,” Sparks said. “I hadn’t roped a calf since the long round in Garden City, so Saturday morning was the first calf on her since Garden City, and she went out there and worked good.”

He roped two calves that day. He made an 11.7-second run during the morning session to place fifth in the first round, then was 11.4 in the nightcap to place sixth in the championship round and sixth overall. Bulldogging is where everything came together, though. He finished fifth in the opening round, then won the short round with a 4.1-second run to take the overall title.

“Me and Nathan’s horse get along pretty good together,” he said. “He can get the start (on the steers) and run you slick up their backs every time. He gives you a good go.”

That final-round run was dominating. It pushed him to victory by nine-tenths of a second over teammate Tydon Tsosie of Crownpoint, New Mexico, who was second in both rounds and the aggregate. The 150 points Tsosie earned pushed him to No. 2 in the Central Plains standings behind Duvall, a junior from Henryetta, Oklahoma.

All-around cowboy Riley Smith of Poteau, Oklahoma – who made the short round in saddle bronc riding and steer wrestling – placed in both rounds and finished fourth in the bulldogging race, while Duvall finished tied for third in the opening round. Graduate student Emmett Edler was among five Northwestern steer wrestlers in the short round.

Tie-down roper Carter Anderson of Merriman, Nebraska, also gathered some important points in his push to be among the top three in the region when the season concludes in two weeks. He placed third in the final round and fourth overall. Team roping heelers Colter Snook of Ford, Kansas, and Jacob Curtis of Gravette, Arkansas, both made the final round; Snook remains in third place in the regional standings.

Breakaway roper Y’Leigh Yarbrough led the Rangers women by placing in both rounds. Her 3.2-second run was enough to finish in a tie for second place in the first round, and she also snagged sixth in the final round to finish fourth overall. Goat-tier Tyra Tsosie, also of Crownpoint like her twin brother, made the short round.

The Northwestern teams will venture to Hays, Kansas, this week before wrapping the season the following weekend in Guymon, Oklahoma. Only the top two teams and the top three individuals in each event will advance to the College National Finals Rodeo, which takes in June at Casper, Wyoming. This will be the final push to see which Rangers will qualify.

“I came into the spring with not a single point,” Sparks said. “I’ve been kind of chipping away, making every short round this spring, but I just haven’t been able to capitalize at any of them until this weekend. I dang sure have to go out and do the same thing at these next two.”

He’s putting the pressure on himself to perform at a high level, but those are also the expectations Sparks has on himself.

“Since the beginning of the spring, I know I’m going to have to win and get points at all of these rodeos to have a chance. I’ve been running steers in the practice pen to make rodeo runs. It’s been mostly a mental thing for me; I’ve had to fight my mental game more than anything.

“I’m backing in there with more pressure than the rest of the guys, because I’m coming from the bottom of the pack where I have to win to get some points out of each rodeo. I’m trying to keep my head clear, just go out and do my job. That’s what I’ve been working on myself most.”

Photo:  Dale Hirschman