Hillary Maybery for SI Rodeo Daily
World Champs Win Royal Crown Open Jackpot in Arizona, Eyeing Rich Prizes at Upcoming Tournaments
The Royal Crown Futurity at Buckeye Equestrian Center in Arizona saw an exciting Day Two of skilled ropers from across the country showcasing the best young horses in the game. The event included categories such as Intermediate Heading and 4 & Under Heeling, along with the $20,000 added Open and the $20,000 added #15 team roping jackpots. World champions Erich Rogers and Paul Eaves made a stop on their ProRodeo route to compete in the event.
Rogers, a 12-time NFR qualifier and World Champion Header, emerged victorious in the Open category atop his horse, ER Dash To Dinero, who he affectionately calls Elsa. The horse is sired by Royal Crown Stallion, PC Frenchmans Hayday and was bred by Mel Potter. With the assistance of Eaves, a 10-time NFR qualifier and two-time World Champion Heeler, the duo clocked an aggregate time of 27.96 seconds on four head, winning $8,280 per man, $768 in stallion pay, and $512 in breeder pay.
Rogers and Eaves are in the second year of their partnership. In 2023, they finished eighth in the NFR average, earning $68,936 per man. They placed in three rounds, including a go-round victory in Round 6 with a 3.5-second run, tying the round record. They ended the year at No. 10 in the World Standings, with just over $188,000 in PRCA earnings.
Recently, the duo has been hitting up the Arizona rodeo scene, having won the Turquoise Circuit Finals in Camp Verde, Ariz., and leading the 79th Annual Yuma Silver Spur Rodeo with a 5.3 second run. As of now, Rogers is ranked No. 16 in the 2024 Team Roping Headers World Standings, while Eaves is at No. 18 in the 2024 Team Roping Heelers World Standings.
The next stop for the duo is The American Contender Tournament in Abilene, Texas, on Feb. 10, where they will hope to advance to the richest payday in Western sports at the American Rodeo. Rogers is also scheduled to compete at the Cinch Timed Event at the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Okla., from Feb. 29 to March 3. In 2022, he won the Cinch Timed Event with the help of Elsa in the heading.
Stay tuned for further updates on the Royal Crown Futurity and the race to the 2024 National Finals Rodeo.
