2011 Windy Ryon Memorial Open Roping champions David Key and Clay O’Brien Cooper,
who roped their four steers in a time of 27.29. (Photo by Dudley Barker)
Key & O’Brien Cooper Win Windy Ryon
Memorial Open Team Roping
By Kent Lynch • Reprinted Courtesy of Dally Times
If you took a look at the PRCA world standings in mid-June, David Key sat at number 24 among the world’s best headers. That doesn’t mean Key isn’t winning…in fact, he’s having a pretty good year.
Key, one of the best jackpot ropers in the free world, was just featured in the April issue of Dally Times after winning the coveted George Strait Team Roping Classic title with Jade Corkill in early spring. His half of that haul included close to $90,000 and a new truck and trailer.
It may not have been that huge financially, but Key’s domination in the header box at the 38th Annual Windy Ryon Memorial Roping netted him another great payday. Key and his partner, you may have heard of him, Clay O’Brien Cooper, rose to the top of a tight short round and finished the roping with a 27.29 on four head, less than two tenths of a second ahead of second place. The kicker is that second place also belonged to Key. The gap from first to sixth place in the average was smaller than nine-tenths of a second.
Key and Cooper split $16,884, while he and second-place partner, Travis Graves split $13,506. Tack on placing in the first go round with Graves and Key cashed $15,999 in Windy Ryon checks… a good day for anyone.
Cooper also double-dipped in the Windy Ryon coffers, picking up third in the average with Millsap’s Joel Bach. Cooper’s total take on the day amounted to $13,789.
The speedsters for the day were Larry Cox and Troll Tettenhorst, winning the first round with a 5.81, while Colby Lovell and Ryan Motes took the short round win with a 5.98.
The All-Girl roping at this year’s Ryon had a stand-out star as well. Debbie Fabrizio won the short round and placed first and second in the average for total winnings of over $10,000. She won the short round with Jaymee Roach, then took the average title heeling for Jordan Jo Fabrizio. She and Roach finished second.
Sevette Early and Lorraine Moreno took the third spot in the average, while Blakley Dufrene and Whitney DeSalvo won the first round with a 7.58.
Another roper who walked away from the Windy Ryon with a wad of cash was Cody Ohl. Ohl snatched up $5,000 in the match tie-down roping, then placed in two of three rounds and finished second in the average of the Invitational Tie-Down. Ohl’s total for Saturday was $10,842.
Justin Maass of Giddings, Texas took the average title of the invitational tie-down. Maass won the second go and short go and finished with a 28.95 on three head. His total earnings were $8,128.
Other winners at the 2011 Windy Ryon Memorial Roping were: Julie Purcell, breakaway; Buster Record, Senior Steer Roping; Rocky Patterson, Steer Roping; and McPherson Cattle Company (Josh McPherson & Ty Cobb), Double Mugging.
The Windy Ryon Memorial Roping, a Fort Worth tradition for almost four decades, is held Memorial Day weekend in memory of area businessman Don J. “Windy” Ryon. The volunteer-run event raises money to help north Texas youth through scholarships and community programs.
May 27-29, 2011
Open Roping
1st. go: 1st. Larry Cox/Troll Tettenhorst, 5.81, $6,432. 2nd. Clay Tryan/Travis Graves, 5.89, $4,824. 3rd. Shane Philipp/Justin Copp, 6.13, $3,216. 4th. David Key/Travis Graves, 6.20, $1,608.
Short go: 1st. Colby Lovell/Ryan Motes, 5.98, $4,824. 2nd. Cody Tew/Boogie Ray, 6.04, $3,216.
Average: 1st. David Key/Clay Cooper, 27.29, $16,884. 2nd. David Key/Travis Graves, 27.47, $13,506. 3rd. Joel Bach/Clay Cooper, 27.54, $10,694. 4th. Charly Crawford/Kory Koontz, 27.76, $7,880. 5th. Justin Davis/Martin Lucero, 27.81, $5,064. 6th. Clay Tryan/Jake Long, 28.18, $2,252.
#11 Ladies Roping
Rotation 1: 1st. Blakley Dufrene/Whitney DeSalvo, 7.58, $3,300. 2nd. Jacque Woolman/Lari Dee Guy, 7.77, $2,200. 3rd. Haley Kolle/Carra Outlaw, 7.86, $1,700. 4th. Kim Gentry/Angie Ritchie, 8.48, $1,200. 5th. Melissa North Stoneman/Carra Outlaw, 8.96, $900. 6th. Blakely Dufrene/Kyla McCain, 9.53, $700.
Short go: 1st. Jaymee Roach/Debbie Fabrizio, 7.61, $3,000. 2nd. Toni Headstream/Kelly Jones Hicks, 10.08, $2,000.
Average: 1st. Jordan Jo Fabrizio/Debbie Fabrizio, 43.04, $10,500. 2nd. Jaymee Roach/Debbie Fabrizio, 46.43, $6,650. 3rd. Sevette Tatum Early/Lorraine Moreno, 48.19, $4,550. 4th. Toni Headstream/Kelly Jones Hicks, 49.99, $3,8500. 5th. Laura Lea Coe/Jessica Bowen, 54.69, $3,150. 6th. Rebecca Neuhaus/Jennifer Williams, 55.34, $2,800. 7th. Betsy Kingsbury/Carla Rogers, 55.73, $2,100. 8th. Barrie Smith/Lari Dee Guy, 60.05, $1,400.
Breakaway
1st. go: 1st. Jackie Hobbs, 2.68, $1,200. 2nd. Julie Purcell, 2.82, $900. 3rd. Kelli Rula, 2.90, $600. 4th. Katey Anthony, 2.91, $300.
2nd. go: 1st. J.J. Hampton, 3.14, $1,200. 2nd. Jordan Fabrizio, 3.18, $900. 3rd. Julie Purcell, 3.27, $600. 4th. Kristen Stubbs, 4.24, $120.
Short go: 1st. Shelby Smith, 3.60, $480. 2nd. Lari Dee Guy, 3.78, $360. 3rd. Kayla Emmons, 3.94, $240. 4th. Kirsten Stubbs, 4.24, $120.
Average: 1st. Julie Purcell, 10.58, $2,000. 2nd. Shelby Smith, 11.50, $1,500. 3rd. Kayla Emmons, 13.93, $1,000. 4th. J.J. Hampton, 21.61, $500.
Tie-Down Roping
1st. go: 1st. Tuf Cooper, 8.04, $2,032. 2nd. Cody Ohl, 10.02, $1,524. 3rd. Spence Barney, 10.10, $1,016. 4th. Clay Cerny, 10.20, $508.
2nd. go: 1st. Justin Maass, 8.62, $2,032. 2nd. Scott Kormos, 8.87, $1,524. 3rd. Justin Macha, 9.02, $1,016. 4th. Clif Cooper, 9.28, $508.
Short go: 1st. Justin Maass, 8.94, $2,032. 2nd/3rd. Ryan Watkins/Cody Ohl, $2,540. 4th. Clif Cooper, 9.70, $508.
Average: 1st. Justin Maass, 28.95, $4,064. 2nd. Cody Ohl, 30.51, $3,048. 3rd. Tuf Cooper, 31.54, $2,032. 4th. Ryan Watkins, 31.78, $1,016.
Senior Steer Roping
1st. go: 1st. C.A. Lauer, 11.59, $886. 2nd. Buster Record, 11.65, $664. 3rd. Martin Casebolt, 13.31, $443. 4th. Ralph Williams, 13.84, $221.50.
2nd. go: 1st. Robin Bland, 12.17, $886. 2nd. Buster Record, 12.45, $664. 3rd. Martin Casebolt, 12.69, $443. 4th. Jeff Wheelis, 12.77, $221.50.
Short go: 1st. Shorty Garten, 10.31, $531. 2nd. Randy Makelburg, 11.17, $398.70. 3rd. Buster Record, 11.55, $265.80. 4th. Dale Christenson, 11.56, $132.90.
Average: 1st. Buster Record, 35.65, $1,240.40. 2nd. C.A. Lauer, 38.23, $930.30. 3rd. Martin Casebolt, 38.38, $620.20. 4th. Dale Christenson, 39.39, $310.10.
Steer Roping
1st. go: 1st. J.P. Wickett, 10.38, $3,380. 2nd. Rocky Patterson, 10.68, $2,535. 3rd. Landon McClaugherty, 10.98, $1,690. 4th. Bryce Davis, 11.22, $845.
2nd. go: 1st. Vin Fisher, 9.73, $3,380. 2nd. J.D. Yates, 10.25, $2,535. 3rd. Chet Herren, 10.89, $1,690. 4th. Roy Cooper, 11.10, $845.
3rd. go: 1st. Shay Good, 9.81, $3,380. 2nd. Chet Herren, 10.02, $2,535. 3rd. Cody Lee, 10.35, $1,690. 4th. Dan Fisher, 10.52, $845.
Short go: 1st. Dan Fisher, 10.99, $1,352. 2nd. J. Tom Fisher, 11.06, $1,014. 3rd. Willy Gasperson, 11.51, $676. 4th. J.R. Mandenburg, 12.66, $338.
Average: 1st. Rocky Patterson, 47.94, $5,408. 2nd. J.R. Mandenburg, 50.91, $4,056. 3rd. Dan Fisher, 52.89, $2,704. 4th. Bryce Davis, 54.84, $1,352.
Double Muggin’
Long go: 1st. Circle F Ranch (Russell Henderson/Bart Lowry), 30.48, $2,000. 2nd.Broke S Ranch (Mark Pierce/Kris Rinks), 34.43, $1,500. 3rd. Wilfong Land & Cattle Avoca (Chick Wilfong/Chad Houck), 34.97, $1,000. 4th. McPherson Cattle Co. (Josh McPherson/Ty Cobb), 35.54, $500.
Average: 1st. McPherson Cattle Co. (Josh McPherson/Ty Cobb), 71.92(2), $3,500. 2nd. Weaver Ranch (Brian Leathers/Cooper Finely), 78.67(2), $2,500. 3rd. Veale Ranch (Buster Frierson/Zack Wadsworth), 92.57, $2,000. 4th. Clint Brown Cattle Co. (Clint Brown/Reece Clark), 96.76(2), $1,000.
