Fresno State Bulldogger rodeo team member Anthony Estep of Wilton is currently second in the nation in tie-down calf roping at the College National Finals Rodeo now under way this week in Casper, Wyoming with his eye on the third round Thursday and the finals on Saturday.
According to the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association web site today, Estep was leading after the first round, he tied for fourth in the second round and is now second in the overall competition for tie-down calf roping.
Estep will get his third-round calf on Thursday and if he continues to place in the top 15 on three head, he will advance to the finals on Saturday night in the Casper Events Center, said Bulldogger adviser Dr. Art Parham.
Estep is only five points behind the leader of the tie-down calf roping and he stands a good chance to advance to the Saturday‘s finals, said Parham, chair of the Animal Science Department at Fresno State.
Estep, a senior, is an animal science major with an equine option and will complete his degree next May. He began competing when he was in high school.
“Estep’s experience is a culmination of eight years of hard work and dedication,” Parham, said.
The “Rose Bowl” of college rodeo, the College National Finals Rodeo is held each year in June.
The nation’s best college cowboys and cowgirls from 11 different regions compete for national titles in saddle bronc, bareback, bull riding, steer wrestling, calf roping, team roping, barrel racing, breakaway roping and goat tying.
The All-Around Cowboy and Cowgirl and the National Men’s and Women’s Teams also are named at the event.
For more information, call (559) 278-4332 before Friday (June 17). Results are posted on website immediately.
(Copy prepared by University Communications news aide Megan Jacobsen)
