NFR Round 7 Team Roping Win Split Three Ways

In Round 7 of the 2023 NFR, three teams - Derrick Begay and Colter Todd, Clay Smith and Paden Bray, and Clint Summers and Jake Long - split the win three ways.

In Round 7 of the 2023 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, on Wednesday, Dec. 13, three teams - Derrick Begay and Colter Todd, Clay Smith and Paden Bray, and Clint Summers and Jake Long - all made 4.0-second runs to split the win three ways and take home $24,443 each.

Round 7 was the third run of the biggest and strongest steers from the Hill Rodeo Cattle pens. Unfortunately, seven out of the 15 teams were no times.

"It's the softest round that it's been all week," Todd said to Pro Rodeo Sports News. "Usually a 4.0 [second run] has not won much. I hadn't been heeling very good, so I just wanted to make sure I got to our steer tonight and caught him by two feet for a change. That was my game plan and well, here we are."

Derrick Begay, from Seba Dalkai, Ariz., is participating in the NFR for the 10th time and is now ranked No. 9 in the world standings with $180,473. Colter Todd, from Willcox, Ariz., is participating in the NFR for the fourth time and the first time since 2008. He is now ranked No. 4 in the world standings with $195,640. The team is currently No. 1 in the average with 47.4 seconds on seven head.

Clay Smith, from Broken Bow, Okla., is a two-time world champion in 2018 and 2019. He is now ranked No. 13 in the world standings with $155,912. Paden Bray, from Stephenville, Texas, is making his third NFR appearance and is ranked No. 12 in the world standings with $151,313.

Clint Summers, from Lake City, Fla., and Jake Long, from Coffeyville, Kan., have won four rounds and are leading their respective world standings. Summers has $227,075 in earnings, while Long has $240,578.

"Man, we're just having fun. And like Jake said, when you're doing good it's easy to have fun, but I feel like we've grown together as a team," Summers said to Pro Rodeo Sports News. "We are continuing to learn about each other while focusing on trying to make a good run and see where it leads us this week."

NFR Team Roping Round 7 Results:

1/2/3. Derrick Begay/Colter Todd, Clay Smith/Paden Bray and Clint Summers/Jake Long, 4.0 seconds, $24,433 each
4. Luke Brown/Hunter Koch, 5.1, $12,877
5. Marcus Theriot/Cole Curry, 5.7, $7,924
6. Tanner Tomlinson/Patrick Smith, 9.2, $4,953.

NFR Average Leaders:

1. Derrick Begay/Colter Todd, 47.4 seconds on seven head
2. Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins II, 31.6 seconds on six head
3. Luke Brown/Hunter Koch, 35.9
4. Tanner Tomlinson/Patrick Smith, 46.2
5. Tyler Wade/Wesley Thorp, 46.7
6. Nelson Wyatt/Jonathan Torres, 50.1
7. Rhen Richard/Jeremy Buhler, 50.8
8. Clint Summers/Jake Long, 24.4 seconds on five head
9. Clay Smith/Paden Bray, 26.4
10. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nunes Nogueira, 31.4
11. Marcus Theriot/Cole Curry, 33.0
12. Dustin Egusquiza/Levi Lord, 26.3 seconds on four head
13. Erich Rogers/Paul Eaves, 27.0
14. Jake Cooper Clay/Tyler Worley, 31.7
15. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 45.1

Pro Rodeo World Standings (Headers):

1. Clint Summers, $227,075
2. Andrew Ward, $201,531
3. Nelson Wyatt, $196,438
4. Tyler Wade, $196,127
5. Kaleb Driggers, $193,174
6. Dustin Egusquiza, $190,445
7. Luke Brown, $188,481
8. Coleman Proctor, $187,071
9. Derrick Begay, $180,473
10. Rhen Richard, $179,048
11. Erich Rogers, $160,360
12. Tanner Tomlinson, $159,908
13. Clay Smith, $155,912
14. Marcus Theriot, $140,889
15. Jake Cooper Clay, $136,872

World Standings (Heelers):

1. Jake Long, $240,576
2. Wesley Thorp, $213,355
3. Buddy Hawkins II, $201,531
4. Colter Todd, $195,640
5. Junior Nunes Nogueira, $193,174
6. Levi Lord, $190,445
7. Hunter Koch, $188,481
8. Logan Medlin, $187,071
9. Jeremy Buhler, $179,048
10. Paul Eaves, $160,711
11. Patrick Smith, $159,908
12. Paden Bray, $151,313
13. Jonathan Torres, $146,264
14. Cole Curry, $133,712
15. Tyler Worley, $130,727