| Versatile Peek: Colorado cowboy Josh Peek, pictured here at the 2009 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, is among the sport’s most versatile athletes. Competing in the steer wrestling and tie-down roping, Peek won the all-around average at the 2009 Wrangler NFR and finished second to 2009 World Champion All-Around Cowboy Trevor Brazile. Peek won his first Wrangler Timed Event Championship on March 7 in Guthrie, Okla., competing in team roping (heading and heeling), tie-down roping, steer wresting and steer roping. |
By Robert Simpson/For the Wrangler Timed Event Championship
(Guthrie, Okla., March 7) -- Adversity doesn’t stop Josh Peek of Pueblo, Colo. It never has.
 A year ago, Peek was leading the Wrangler Timed Event Championship at the Lazy E Arena with one run left. He took a 60-second time in the steer roping, the equivalent of a no-time in the competition, and dropped to a fourth place. On Sunday, he was again leading the average with one run remaining. This time, the 30-year-old tied his steer down in 18.4 seconds to clinch the title of 2010 Wrangler Timed Event Champion with a time of 315.2 seconds on 25 runs. He is the 11th man to win the title in the 26 years of the Championship.
In addition to winning $50,000 for the average, Peek, the two-time PRCA reserve all-around world champion, placed twice in the fast rounds and exited the Lazy E Arena with $58,000.
The money won at the non-PRCA sanctioned event does not count toward the PRCA World Standings. However, the paycheck will come in handy for Peek who has twins with his wife, Kori.
"I was more prepared this year," he said. "Before I got here, I believed I was going to win."
Peek’s drive and determination to overcome hard times goes back to his childhood. When Peek was 9 years old an old nail pierced the skin of his right foot. In a lot of cases, the story might have ended with tetanus shot. But Peek had stepped on this nail while in a pig pen. The child would undergo four surgeries, almost lose his foot and spend about a month in the hospital. In that span he would be given some antibiotics and that's what he's told induced epilepsy.
Peek experienced seizures and was on medication for childhood epilepsy through age 17. He no longer has seizures nor does he take medication. He periodically gets checkups to ensure he is in good health. The challenges he faced only made him more determined to succeed.
"Without adversity, you''ll never achieve success," he said Sunday. "There will always be road bumps and you''ll need the Lord and your family, but you also have to believe in yourself."
The Wrangler Timed Event Championship annually features 20 of the world''s top cowboys to battle the clock and tests their talents in a marathon of team roping - heading and heeling, tie-down roping, steer wrestling and steer roping over five rounds for a share of a $150,000 total purse.
Peek took the lead in the third round on the 14th run of the weekend. However, on the 19th run a fast running draw led to a 27.5 in the steer wrestling. He ended the fourth go in second place.
In the fifth round, Peek dropped to third. The team roping - heeling shuffled the deck as K.C. Jones of Burlington, Wyo., a four-time Wrangler Timed Event Champion, dropped to third. Trevor Brazile of Decatur, Texas, a six-time winner of the event, moved to the lead in the average and Peek went to second after 23 head.
In the steer wrestling, Brazile had a tough steer, getting a 60-second time. So, Peek tossed his draw in 4.1 seconds for 296.8 on 24 and the lead, with one run remaining. Jones was second. In the steer roping, Jones was 18-seconds for 343.0 on 25. Peek needed to be 46.1 for the win and was 18.4.
Jones finished second in the average for $25,000, while JoJo LeMond was third at 358.3 seconds for $15,000. Brazile claimed fourth with 364.9 for $10,000 and fifth was Chance Kelton of Mayer, Ariz., 367.6 for $7,500. Kelton also had the fastest round with 48 seconds in the second go for and additional $10,000.
Not long into Sunday''s action, fans witnessed something never before done at the event, as JoJo LeMond of Andrews, Texas, along with the assistance from 2008 World Champion Team Roping Heeler Randon Adams, shattered the team roping - heading record with a 4.5-second run. The previous record was 5.1 seconds by B.J. Campbell in 2002. LeMond also holds the competition’s team roping-heeling record with a 4.9-second effort with Matt Sherwood in 2009.
The Ironman of professional rodeo returned to the Lazy E Arena this past weekend in Guthrie, Okla., and for more than two and a half decades, this one-of-a-kind event has showcased world champions and a cast of ProRodeo’s elite cowboys.
The Wrangler Timed Event Championship will air as a special event on RFD-TV’s “Beyond Rodeo Show with Susie Dobbs” at 12:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. (CT) on April 29.
For more information on the Wrangler Timed Event Championship or other Lazy E events, www.lazye.com.
26th Wrangler Timed Event Championship
Lazy E Arena, Guthrie, Okla.
March 5-7
Fastest rounds:
1. Chance Kelton – Mayer, Ariz., 48.0 seconds, set in 2nd go, $10,000
2. Josh Peek – Pueblo, Colo., 49.6 seconds set in 3rd go, $ 6,000
3. Trevor Brazile – Decatur, Texas, 50.8 seconds set in 3rd go, $5,000
4. Kyle Lockett – Visalia, Calif., 51.3 seconds set in 2nd go, $4,000
5. JoJo LeMond – Andrews, Texas, 52.2 seconds set in 4th go, $3,000
6. Josh Peek – Pueblo, Colo., 52.4 seconds set in 5th go, $2,000
Average (total on 25 head of cattle over five go-rounds of competition)
1. Josh Peek, 315.2 seconds, $50,000
2. K.C. Jones, 343.0 seconds, $25,000
3. JoJo LeMond, 358.3 seconds, $15,000
4. Trevor Brazile, 364.9 seconds, $10,000
5. Chance Kelton, 367.6 seconds, $7,500
6. Beau Franzen, 367.9 seconds. $5,000
7. Kyle Lockett, 388.0 seconds, $4,500
8. Jimmie Cooper, 391.8 seconds, $3,000
Arena record broken for $3,000 Lazy E Arena bonus
(Team toping – heading)
JoJo LeMond, 4.5 seconds in 5th go breaking the 5.1 seconds of B.J. Campbell from 2002
WTEC notes from 2010
Winning $58,000 Josh Peek’s cumulative Timed Event earnings total $79,500 for three years
Winning $25,000 K.C. Jones now totals $388,500 for 19 years
Winning $15,000 Trevor Brazile now totals $579,500 for 15 years
Winning $8,500 Kyle Lockett now totals $156,500 for 10 years
Complete results at www.lazye.com
|
For comments and information please email us at: prorodeo@prorodeo.com | For technical questions email: webmaster@prorodeo.com