No matter how composed he looked, tie-down roper Shad Mayfield said his heart was racing before his final run, and rightfully so; he was competing in RFD-TV’s The American for just the second time and he knew that $600,000 could be waiting for him on the other side.
“My heart was racing, especially running at a million dollars,” he said. “Right before that, I was adding up how much I was going to get, splitting it with (saddle bronc rider) Wyatt (Casper).”
In the biggest moment of his young rodeo career, the 19-year-old cowboy delivered his best time of the weekend, a 7.75, besting the 8.25 mark set by fellow qualifier Caddo Lewallen to split the $1 million qualifier prize money with Casper. An appropriate end to the weekend for the man nicknamed “Money.”
With $50,000 of his $600,000 check going toward the PRCA world standings Mayfield, who entered the weekend with $77,700, more than $35,000 second-place Tuf Cooper.
“I don’t know what to say really, it’s unbelievable,” Mayfield said. “That much money, wow it helps, especially toward the PRCA standings, gonna kinda lay low now and maybe I’ll go on vacation, I don’t know.”
Mayfield’s total of $127,700 not only gives him a massive lead in the world standings it also all but guarantees him a spot in the National Finals this season. In 2019, Caleb Smidt was the top tie-down roper entering the Wrangler NFR and he earned $132,899 for the entire season. Mayfield said he is excited to not have to go through the stress of being on the NFR bubble like he was at the end of last year.
And speaking of the 2019 National Finals, it’s a trip to Las Vegas Mayfield wants to avenge.
“When I got home (from the Finals), the next day I went right back to the practice pen,” Mayfield said. “I was pretty mad over it. It’s not a good feeling making the Finals having all the people look up to you and getting there and not doing very well.”