News

<<< Back

2008 WNFR Average Winner Announced!

Pro Fantasy Rodeo – Your Chance to be Part of the Action

About rodeo’s newest passion—Pro Fantasy Rodeo.

Not quite a year ago--December 3rd at 6:30 p.m. to be exact—Spencer Mitchell sat waiting for the telecast of the 2008 Wrangler National Finals to start while talking with friends and his Mom Cyndi  who was visiting at his sister’s home in Weatherford, Oklahoma.  A native northern California PRCA team roper attending college at Southwestern Oklahoma State University, his college rodeo buddies encouraged him to buy a Pro Fantasy Rodeo Team for the 2008 Wrangler National Finals.  Mitchell, a characteristically-broke college student, quickly picked his team before entries closed using the $550,000 salary cap provided for the game, then asked Mom to be his “banker” on the deal.  Ten days later when all the rodeo action had been completed in the 10 rounds at Las Vegas, Spencer and his “banker” emerged the winners of the $20,000 paycheck as the Pro Fantasy Rodeo Championship by picking the team that won the most money in the average. 

Mitchell recounted that his buddies kept checking the website at www.ProFantasyRodeo.com throughout the week, and toward the end of the week reported that his team was sitting toward the top.  After the final results were posted following Round 10, it appeared his “Stick Dr. 69” team ended up third place, so he called Banker Mom with the news, and they were both thrilled with that prospect of a $7, 500 paycheck.  A few hours later, he was notified that due to a miscalculation, his team had actually won. 

Said Mitchell, in the style of a typical mischievous 21-year old college kid, “I called my Mom and messed with her a little by saying, ‘Mom, you know they said we won 3rd with our Pro Fantasy Rodeo Team but we didn’t,’ to which Mom replied, ‘We didn’t win anything, did we?’ and   Mitchell replied, ‘No, Mom, we didn’t win 3rd—WE WON 1st PLACE!’”  Mom Cyndi who works as a secretary nevertheless logged onto the website to verify the accuracy of Mitchell’s claim before she believed his story! 

“That money couldn’t have come at a better time for our family,” said Mitchell, “as I was trying to rodeo and go to college, too.”

As an aspiring high school rodeo standout who worked team roping, calf roping and steer wrestling Mitchell had pursued his dream of making the national finals by hitting the road hard in 2007, ending the season in team roping 33rd in the world standings.  He was halfway through his second year of college when he won the Pro Fantasy Rodeo paycheck and used that income to hit the winter rodeos like Denver where he with partner Justin Davis were poised to win the average when a “stopping” steer took them out of the average.  This past year his rodeo earnings totaled $11,000 in the team roping, so he’s definitely on his way!

When asked about his strategy for picking the winning team, Mitchell said he had only 30 or 40 minutes to assemble a team before the entries closed on December 3 for the 2008 finals.  Having hauled hard to PRCA rodeos for two years plus having two buddies from youth rodeo make it to the WNFR, he used that knowledge plus picked friends like Luke Branquinho for steer wrestling and team ropers Garrett Tonozzi and Kinney Harrell to name his team. 

“You know how it is out there in Vegas”, said Mitchell, ”sometimes those guys get on a roll and if you can just pick up on that, it might pay off, but really, I had no idea I’d picked a winning team.” 

As for his Pro Fantasy Rodeo Team for the 2009 Wrangler National Finals when entries will close at 7:45 Pacific Standard Time on December 3, 2009, Mitchell said, “It was a lot easier last year because I didn’t have much time to think about it.  This year, I’m agonizing over each and every pick but it sure is fun to try!”

“Don’t be afraid to try!” concluded Mitchell about getting a Pro Fantasy Rodeo team.  “You know--you can’t win anything, if you don’t try!  And having a team sure makes the national finals lots more fun to watch and brings you right into the middle of the rodeo action.  Everybody ought to try it!” 

Take Mitchell’s advice!  Build your team online or call 1-866-274-0180 and talk with the Pro Fantasy Rodeo staff or complete the entry form in The Ag Journal and send it along with $89.95 to 116-A West 3rd St., La Junta, CO  81050.  Don’t be afraid to try it!  You could win part of the $109,000 payout that’s up for grabs.

ProFantasy Rodeo is the official fantasy sports game of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA)
and the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (WNFR).