As the second team to make its run in the 2016 Ranch Rodeo at Bob Banks Memorial Arena on Sunday evening, the group of Cowboys from Cortez and Animas, New Mexico, completed the four necessary tasks – trailering, penning, branding and removing a cowbell – in 2 minutes and 53 seconds.
The time, set by Jube Odell, Jeremiah Kartsen, Derek Goldtooth, Dan Conerly and Wade Charles, was 18 seconds faster than the winning time at last year’s event.
The group was optimistic about their position, but they were far from untouchable.
After a no time by team Figure 8, the Groundhog Bunch scored a 3:08, and The Linch Mob followed with a 3:28; Quick enough to make The Wild Bunch sweat, but not fast enough to topple the leaders.
Then The Avengers entered the arena.
The team, consisting of Cody Mirabel and Jo Dan Mirabel and Rowdy Suckla, Joe Stevenson and National High School Finals Rodeo qualifier Bri Suckla of Cortez, went straight to work.
Jo Dan explained the team’s strategy as, “Go slow and don’t miss.” And then his brother Cody jumped in jokingly, “Mine was to go fast.”
The skills came naturally for the group, as they zipped about and maneuvered the cattle around the arena.
“We do it every day,” said Stevenson. “This is ranch work. We all work on ranches and this is what we do every day for a living.”
When the group of five had completed the tasks and returned to the southwest corner of the arena, their final time was announced: 2:43.
It was 10 seconds better than The Wild Bunch’s to jump into first place.
But just as The Wild Bunch before them, The Avengers knew that their lead wasn’t safe until all 12 teams had completed their runs.
The next four times didn’t produce much of a reaction, allowing The Avengers to breathe easy.
But Cow House was looming.
Cow House, out of Kirtland, New Mexico, had won the previous two ranch rodeos, leaving The Avengers to settle for second place.
And as Cow House started its run as the second-to-last team to perform, it looked like it may knock off The Avengers once again.
The two-time champs completed the cowbell, trailer, and branding parts of the scramble in under two minutes, and all that remained was to pen a cow and calf pair.
But the calf, weaving between the riders, evaded the horsemen and took off down the east side of the arena and away from the pen.
The cowboys eventually got the calf and cow pushed back towards the southwest corner of the arena and into the pen.
But the calf had zig-zagged around long enough for The Avengers to stay atop the rankings, as Cow House’s finishing time was five seconds behind the leader at 2:48.
After finishing as runner-up in the last two ranch rodeos, The Avengers held on to win first place and take home the Josh Karsten Memorial Trophy.
Cow House finished in second place, The Wild Bunch took third, and judges Jeff Hanson and Art Fox named Bradley Dennison for the top horse award, Norman Zwicker was selected as top hand and Wade Charles was picked as the top youth.