Clay Elliott cont...
The transition from bronc rider to tie-down roper wasn’t easy or smooth. “It’s been the same build - ing process in the roping that it was in the bronc riding,” the Nanton cowboy noted. “It took me several years to figure out bronc riding and there were ups and downs—I missed going to the NFR by $5000 the year before I actually made it. Peo - ple forget that and maybe didn’t see the years of work behind it. It’s been the same in the tie down roping, it’s not any easier just because I’ve been through it once. It’s the same process. I had to ride the wrong horses, I had to miss calves, I had to fail a lot to get to where I’m at and I’m not even close to where I’m going.” In 2023 Elliott came close to getting back to the CFR, finishing 14th in the final standings and miss - ing the trip to Red Deer by less than $3000. And so far in 2024, Elliott has been a force and sits 3rd in the early season standings, courtesy in part to a strong showing at the Maple Leaf Circuit Finals in Regina last fall where he placed in three rounds and finished 4th in the aggregate.
man when it comes to the kind of mentor Winston Bruce was to me in the bronc riding. It’s crazy how much time Cade has invested in me and helping me become a better roper. I’m really thankful for that.” But that was just the start. “I’ve got a pretty good collection of horses right now,” the five time CFR qualifier noted. One I call Jackpot, he’s older and doesn’t get to many rodeos but he’s responsible for a lot of the practice runs I make at home. I’ve got a six-year-old blue roan and he doesn’t get to a lot of rodeos either but lots of practice runs at home. Then I’ve got a chestnut called Ultimate that you’ve seen at a lot of rodeos. I’ve been riding him for about ten years and he and I kind of learned together and now he’s pretty solid. “But the two main horses I ride at rodeos – one is a horse I acquired from Tyrel Roberts, he roped off him at high school rodeos and he’s nineteen and really solid. His name is Mr. Cool and I rode him a lot last summer and will again this summer. This
When you talked with Clay Elliott about bronc riding, the conversation very quickly moved to the subject of bucking horses. That hasn’t changed except now the topic is roping horses, a topic Elliott is just as passionate about as he was about saddle broncs. He tells the story with typical Elliott insight and humour. “It was 2020 and I knew I had some goals I wanted to reach in the roping and I had some decent horses. I’d got to know (seven-time WNFR qualifier) Cade Swor while I was rodeoing and I called him up out of the blue and asked him if he could maybe help me attain some of the goals I had for myself in tie-down roping. He said ‘absolutely – get your butt down here’. And I’ve been doing that, going down there for a month or so at a time a couple of times a year. And he’s been my main
Clay Elliott, 2023 Medicine Lodge Rodeo. Dallas Duffy photo
Canadian Rodeo News – May, 2024 – 10
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