Lefty Holman Gets First Round Win and Peso Takes Top Stage in the Tie-Down Roping

We often talk about the heroes of rodeo as being the athletes but tonight a tie-down horse at the NFR should get top honors.

Peso competing with Ty Harris at 2024 NFR / Nathan Meyer for Rodeo On SI

The saddle bronc riders continue to impress every night with higher scores and better rides. Round No. 9 brought about the rank set of horses and the riders just rose to the occassion.

No one was better than Lefty Holman, the man with the million dollar smile. Aboard Tickled Pink from the Championship Pro Rodeo string, Holman went for 88.5 points.

Holman had to know it was a great draw when he saw it, as Ryder Wright rode the horse to the win in Round No. 4 earlier in the week. Tonight the horse came out and made a nice circle to the left while doing his best to get Holman off balance.

Holman started the National Finals Rodeo with $922,283 in career earnings. Over the course of the nine days so far, Holman has picked up a third place finish in Round No. 4 worth $20,104; split sixth four ways in Round No. 6 for $1,358; won the No. 5 spot in Round No. 7 worth $8,693; and finally won the round in No. 9 worth $33,687. All of this brings him within striking distance of being the next million dollar man in the PRCA. He is now at $996,125 including his $10,000 bonus for getting to the NFR.

In the tie-down roping, it was the horse 'Peso' that should get the biggest kudos of the round. Three cowboys rode him and they won first along with splitting second and third on him in the round. Daddys Shiner Cat is how the AQHA knows the 13-year-old buckskin gelding by Shiners Black Cat out of Paddy Lenas Twist.

For the night Peso collected a total of $74,257 with Joel Harris winning the round at 7.2 seconds, Tuf Cooper and Ty Harris tying for second and third at 7.5 seconds. That's incredible and says a lot about the horse.

Another notable in the round tonight was Shad missing with his first loop. He was sitting No. 2 in the average race coming into the evening. He has now slipped to No. 5.