Cowboy Trevor Brazile is deserving of accolades
Rodeo: Timed Event Championships
Oklahoman
Leave a comment
Published: March 7, 2010
Trevor Brazile has won more prize money than any other rodeo cowboy, almost $3.3 million in his lifetime. Photo by David McDaniel, The Oklahoman
Trevor Brazile is cut from a different cloth.
At age 33, the Texas roper has already won six Timed Event Championships, more than any other cowboy in the 26-year history of the event. Last year in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, he captured his seventh All-Around championship, awarded to the cowboy who earned the most prize money in a single season in multiple events. Brazile’s seventh All-Around crown tied him for the most ever with legendary rodeo cowboy Ty Murray. The Decatur, Texas, roper also won his second gold buckle in tie-down roping in 2009, giving him 11 world titles overall. That ties him in third in career PRCA world crowns with Dean Oliver and Charmayne James. Only Guy Allen, who won 18 gold buckles in steer roping, and Jim Shoulders, who has 16 world titles (five in bull riding, seven All-Around and four in bareback bronc riding) have won more. Brazile has won more prize money than any other rodeo cowboy, almost $3.3 million in his lifetime. He owns records for most money won in a single season ($425,115 in 2007) and most money won in a single rodeo ($149,099 at the National Finals Rodeo in 2008). Many people already consider him the greatest timed event cowboy in the history of rodeo. But could he be the greatest rodeo cowboy ever? "I would have to say when Trevor Brazile is done, he will be the greatest cowboy that ever lived,” said Robert Simpson, director of events at the Lazy E Arena. "There is nobody that practices harder or has as much grit and determination. Even Roy (Cooper) in his heyday, I don’t think he even practiced as hard as Trevor.” Longtime livestock contractor Bennie Beutler of Elk City agrees Brazile is the best timed event cowboy ever, but not the best cowboy ever. At least not yet. "You put him in the conversation, but I’m partial to the rough stock guys,” Beutler said. To Beutler, winning an All-Around title in rough stock events (bull riding and bronc riding) like Shoulders and Murray did is a greater achievement. Many people think there should be two All-Around championships awarded by the PRCA each year, Beutler said. One for rough stock events and the other for timed events, he said. The risk of injury and the physical toll a bull or bronc rider takes is much greater than for a timed-event cowboy, Beutler said. "Physically, there is no comparison.” And a roper has more opportunities to win money, he said. Very few modern day cowboys compete in more than one rough stock event. "Now, it’s the exception rather than the rule,” Beutler said. Thus, timed-event cowboys have a greater chance to win the All-Around title, he said. "Nothing against Trevor. He’s a great cowboy,” Beutler said. "It will be a long time before anyone comes along again like Trevor Brazile.” In fact, Beutler thinks Brazile hasn’t gotten the recognition he deserves since he is a timed-event cowboy and not a bull rider. "The fans don’t know them (timed event cowboys) as well,” he said. Simpson, however, thinks the rodeo life is more demanding for the timed event cowboys because they are hauling horses everywhere they go. By the time the 2010 season is complete, most believe Brazile will be the lone record holder for most All-Around championships ever. And when Brazile’s career has ended, Simpson thinks he will own more gold buckles than any other cowboy in history. "He’s got another 10 or 15 years,” Simpson said. "If he doesn’t get hurt, he will smash every record there ever was.”
NewsOK is in the process of upgrading its commenting and user profile capabilities. We will be adding features that will allow you to enhance your NewsOK profile and connect to other social networking platforms. We hope you find useful tools within these upgrades to enhance your experience on NewsOK.
Would you like to leave a comment?
Log in or sign up (it's free).