Team Roping Guide to the American Rodeo: Young Guns With Veterans or World Champ Invitees for the Win?

The American team roping is full of talented ropers, from the invitees to contenders, with team matchups that are sure to shut the clock off, but who will reign supreme in the battle for the championship?

The American Rodeo has been bringing the best of the best rodeo athletes for 10 years now, and although the format has changed in recent years, one thing has stayed consistent. Whether you are an invitee based on the previous year's standings or a contender who battled multiple rounds to get to the big show, there is no lack of talent. 

These athletes range from World Champion ropers and teams to college champions, high school champions, and everything in between. See who’s competing and who is eligible for the ultimate prize of $1 million here with your total guide to the team roping at The American Rodeo. 

The Invitees

L-R Andrew Ward, Tyler Wade, Clint Summers, Derrick Begay, Luke Brown

L-R Jake Long, Hunter Koch, Colter Todd, Buddy Hawkins, Wesley Thorp

• Tyler Wade and Wesley Thorp — These are your 2023 World Champion Team Ropers, with 14 NFR Qualifications and 3 World Championships between them, they are always a force to be reckoned with. Don’t count the money until these two have taken a crack out of the gates. Wade will come throwing fast, and Thorp will surely take care of things on the backside.

• Clint Summers and Jake Long — Anyone who knows team roping knows what this team is made of. With over 16 NFR qualifications between them and a successful 2023 NFR under their belts, each earning nearly $200,000 for their efforts, they know what it takes and sit No. 1 in the 2024 World Standings race.

• Derrick Begay and Colter Todd — Fresh off of a win in San Antonio and still rolling from the momentum of an average win at the NFR in 2023, they are the kings of consistency, and you can count on them to deliver every time they back into the box. No matter what the situation presents or the luck of the draw reveals, these two know how to clean it up and put themselves in a money-winning position every time.

• Andrew Ward and Buddy Hawkins — Another great average team. You can count on these two to get the job done and in a hurry as well. This team set an NFR Average record back in 2021, and they know each other like the back of their hands. They placed in 7 out of the 10 rounds at the 2023 NFR and will do whatever it takes to keep themselves in the conversation.

• Luke Brown and Hunter Koch — Although these two are roping with different partners on the professional rodeo scene, they are not to be counted out. With Koch sitting No.4 in the world standings race and 14-time NFR Qualifier Brown on the head side, they are liable to shut off the clock in record time and cash in big checks at Globe Life. 

The Contenders

L-R Clay Smith, Brenten Hall, Coy Rahlmann, Dustin Egusquiza, Shay Dixon Carroll

L-R Logan Moore, Billie Jack Saebens, Kaden Profili, Travis Graves

• Brenten Hall and Kaden Profili — When 3-time NFR Qualifier and Resistol Rookie of the Year pair up, you see results like an American Contender Finals championship. This is a newer partnership, just originating with the 2024 season, but they have been lighting up the rodeo road since the beginning of their careers individually. A second-place finish in Fort Worth, along with other various rodeo placings, has landed them in the No. 5 position in the World Standings, and after the championship in Abilene, they are looking for another win at the American, this time good for $1 million.

• Coy Rahlmann and Billie Jack Saebens — When NFR qualifiers and horse trainers come together, we see teams like this come alive. The two have an unmatched set of horsepower underneath them and have seen success throughout the rope horse futurities and rodeo scenes. The two are guaranteed to put on a show and will leave it all out on the line.

• Shay Carroll and Logan Moore — Veteran Shay Carroll pairs up with college standout Logan Moore for a dominant matchup. This will be Moore’s first appearance at The American, and, like some of his fellow contenders, Moore is looking to make his mark on Globe Life with the guidance of a seasoned pro such as Shay Carroll.

• Dustin Egusquiza and Travis Graves — An absolute elite matchup takes place between these two, and it’s almost shocking to see them coming in with the contenders instead of the invitees. With 20 NFR qualifications between the two and wins at rodeos like Odessa and Denver, they are coming in hot and ready to do what they do best, which is win.

• Clay Smith and Nicky Northcott — A two-time world champion pairs up with a young-gun Texas High School Rodeo champion. Northcott has been one to watch for a while now, and you can’t miss him when he rides in on the spotted horse he calls Apache. With a World Champion father and a World Champion header to look to, we expect to see great things out of the young talent in the race for $1 million.