Tyler Espenson Qualifies for National Steer Roping Finals

The NMJC 2023-24 athletic calendar year began with volleyball on Friday, Aug. 18, 2023.

The T-Birds athletic season will come to a close 278 days later on Memorial Day with one athlete left competing for NMJC.

Sophomore rodeo cowboy Tyler Espenson is the lone Thunderbird still riding this season as he prepares for the 2024 National Finals Steer Roping in Clarendon, Texas at the Clarendon College Rodeo Arena.

"Tyler has worked really hard all year to do this and then his best horse got injured," NMJC men's rodeo head coach Stewy Kinley said. "He now is using a different horse and had to overcome that adversity to be able to make a late push to qualify for the national finals and he was able to get it done."

Espenson is in his first year with the rodeo program. The Wildorado, Texas native is a transfer from Weatherford College. Espenson will be making his second college National Finals Steer Roping appearance in 2024. Espenson previously qualified and competed at the finals during the 2023 season with Weatherford College.

The Texas roper is ranked No. 14 in the country coming into the finals. He has amassed 469 NFSR points this year and 80 points in the Southwest Region. Espenson last competed in the steer roping at the Tarleton Stampede Saturday, April 30. There he finished third in the second round and fourth in average following his short round performance.

The schedule and rules for the event are as follows. 

Espenson will have three opportunities in the long round, and if he advances to the short round, one opportunity to get after it and rope the steer. The one-day event starts on Monday, May 27 at 2 p.m. CDT with the three header and then the one header will take place at 7 p.m. CDT.

Nerves won't really be an issue for Espenson according to Coach Kinley.

"From Tyler's perspective he is a sophomore. He has been around, and he has the experience. Nothing really bothers Tyler," Kinley said. "He does what needs to be done. He's an all-around cowboy out there. Tyler can do a lot of events and him making the steer roping finals is a great way he showcases that versatility." 

Espenson also recently received recognition in the classroom with a colt starting award at the end of the spring semester.

"That obviously shows that not only can he rope, but he has a talent starting colts, starting horses, and training them," Kinley said. "He brings them all the way up from starting a colt to all the way through the levels to where they are finished rope horses."

Espenson will close out the 2023-24 NMJC athletic calendar on Memorial Day Monday, May 27 at 2 p.m. CDT in Clarendon, Texas at the Clarendon College Rodeo Arena. Stay up to date on the NMJC rodeo team by following them on Facebook and Instagram @nmjcrodeo.