Age is just a number for bulldogger Matt Reeves because he says once he turned 40, he started winning the rodeos with the biggest payouts.
“Like I’ve said several times, 40 has been good to me,” Reeves said. “The year I turned 40 I won this (the 2018 American), I won Calgary, I won Salt Lake last year, I won the NFR last year, I won this (the 2020 American) again....You hang out with enough young kids you don’t feel that old.”
Reeves stopped the clock at 4.05 seconds in Sunday’s shootout round to top a star-studded final four in steer wrestling. Reeves, Dakota Eldridge, Tyler Pearson and Tyler Waguespack have combined for 22 Wrangler NFR appearances between them.
(Jake Link Photography)
Reeves credits his recent success to having the best horses he has ever had and the best traveling partner he has ever had.
“These rodeos, they’ve changed my life tremendously and it has been a lot of fun,” he said.
Reeves was one of five PRCA athletes in some of the original meetings about RFD-TV’s The American and initially believed the rodeo in AT&T Stadium with a total payout topping $2 million was too good to be true.
He said he asked a lot of questions of The American CEO Randy Bernard and he had answers. Reeves also credited Bernard and RMG President and Founder Patrick Gottsch for not only starting this rodeo, but keep it going strong since 2014.
“I’m glad he (Bernard) was right and I was wrong,” Reeves said. “This is one of the most amazing things we do.”
With $50,000 of his $100,000 check counting toward the PRCA World Standings, Reeves will now sit No. 1 overall, jumping Jacob Talley and Curtis Cassidy.
