The Finale
Buckaloo & Saebens Claim Inaugural Open Victory
GOLD BUCKLE BEER OPEN TO THE WORLD
With a packed house, the Ariat WSTR Finale XIV kicked off with 53 teams going head-to-head on five steers in pursuit of a total $206,600 cash payout in the association’s inaugural Gold Buckle Beer Open to the World presented by The Team Roping Journal.
Oklahoma ropers Bubba Buckaloo and Billie Jack Saebens took home the lion’s share of the winnings, roping five steers in 36.77 seconds, worth $56,600, along with trophy Cactus Saddlery saddles and pads, trophy Gist buckles, and additional prizes—a refreshing way to finish the season after both ropers just narrowly missed this year’s super bowl of rodeo.
Last year, the outdoor arena’s Open roping during the Finale became the fifth largest Open roping in the country, sparking WSTR’s decision to offer this official Finale division. Gold Buckle Beer sponsored the debut and added $30,000 to the pot.
With the Top 15 PRCA ropers under contract to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, the Gold Buckle Beer Open provides an opportunity for other professional ropers to have their shot at a piece of the $13.8 million in total prize money that the WSTR Finale paid out.
After the high-call team of Casey Hicks (Sperry, Oklahoma) and Steve Orth (Guthrie, Oklahoma) went out with a no-time, NFR qualifiers Buckaloo and Saebens held on to the top spot from second callback.
Buckaloo finished 19th in the PRCA RAM World Standing on the head side and Saebens finished in the crying hole, 16th , on the heel side. Just one position shy of getting the call, he did help his partner, Tyler Wade of Terrell, Texas, qualify for a third NFR. Wade teamed up with Cole Davison, from Stephenville, Texas, at the Thomas & Mack and, coincidentally, Buckaloo plans to rope with Davison this coming season. Saebens plans to be back with Wade.
With a tough field, the Gold Buckle Beer Open win didn’t come easy.
“It felt hard all day long,” Buckaloo said. “Our first couple steers were treacherous. The first one came straight left. The second steer, I think he smoked both of us. That
