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Show FERGUSON COMPETES, W INS CALF ROPING Champion Tom Ferguson Gives Rodeo Philosophy BY GARY It Wl.i;s It's easy to see why Tom Ferguson is an cowboy. world The three-tim- e cowboy was in town last weekend for the 42nd to annual Famous Preston Night Rodeo the delight of some 4.000 fans at the Thursday night show. Ferguson went out and did what he does best by roping his calf in 10.2 seconds a time which stood up through Friday and Saturday night shows to win him over $600. With this $600 added to his $35,237 to date in standings, he stood to maintain his lead in that category over his who was next in line with brother. all-arou- $27,729. IT WOl'I.I) ALSO increase his third place position in calf roping and up his winnings there to $24,000. Traveling companion Roy Cooper, Durant. Okla., leads calf roping with $27,108. Cooper and Tom Ferguson travel totrailer gether in a modern which contains a mobile home-typ- e unit in the first half and horse, feed and tack compartments in the back. heavy-dut- y They pull it with a pickup. And you can bet both men. horses and machine get a heavy workout each fifth-whe- six-whe- THREE-TIM- E row boy c hampion adjusts a bridle while getting ready for world "citizen Photo the Famous Preston Night Kodeo last Thursday in Preston. year. The pair arrived in Preston Thursday afternoon for their performances here. They left as soon as Ferguson had competed in steer wrestling and struck out for Helena, Mont., where they were both up in calf roping there at 9 a.m. Friday morning. AFTER COMPETING there that morning. they were scheduled to board a charter flight with other cowboys for the Medicine Hat. Alberta, rodeo that afternoon. They had to be back in Helena that night for additional competition there. NORTHERN MO GEEH "Tell us." we asked Ferguson, "the schedule this weekend is unusual." No. it will probably lie typical from now until the end of August. he countered. Ferguson admitted it was grueling and tiring hut said winning made it easier. Ferguson says he likes to help other cowboys by loaning nut his horse and giving advice when they ask for it. On the other hand, he doesn't feel timid about Imrrowing an animal when he needs it in competition. The first $l(K).0dfl-a-yecowboy admits spending at least half of his annual take on travel expense but adds that his bride back in Oklahoma is now taking flying lessons and will soon he able to fly them to some rodeos. ar AND WINNING IS the name of the game for not only Ferguson hut also for young looking, sandy-haire- d Ferguson has his ' Cooper. own philosophy on it adds and what up to is attitude winning and practice. He was in Calgary before taking in the Cheyenne rodeo last week and almost came away empty handl'd from Calgary. of calf He was leading the first roping in Cheyenne before arriving in d Preston. Rut in Calgary it was football coach Jack Hannum of Clearfield. I't., who walked away with all the money and the title. And Hannum. as most people know, only competes during the summer. If another cowboy beats me, then he must be better than me." Ferguson says. That means I better practice in order to win the next time around. A lot of cowboys get down on themselves when they have a poor performance or when something goes wrong. They think everybody in the world is against them. You cant let one performance affect you that much. Its consistency over the long haul thats important. OF WORKING WITH fellow cowboys, using their horses for competition and hazing for them in steer wrestling, Ferguson says, "you meet the same cowboys going up as you do going down. In other words, there will be good days and bad in rodeoing and to snub cowboys going up in the world will mean getting a cold shoulder coming down. DESCRIBED AS "clean-cut- " enjoys what he is doing. He began by "studying" about the sport as a youngster and followed that interest with competition at Cal Poly-Sa- n Luis Obispo in California. He helped lead that college to two world rodeo championships. His family then got tired of the crowded conditions around San Martin (San Jose) area and moved to Miami. Okla., a town of 15.000. It is there that he has a ranch of his own and plenty of calves and steers to practice on during the slack season. Tom says he'll continue in competition as long as he is able and can win consistently. After that he wants to continue in rodeo in other capacities. Yes. Preston was fortunate to have and what a Ferguson as a competitor competitor he is. After competition in Helena Friday night they were scheduled to drive to Denver to catch a charter flight to Monte Vista, Colo., for competition Saturday afternoon and were due back in Boulder, Colo., for the rodeo there Saturday night. Count them six rodeos in four days thousands of miles apart. BUILDERS r'i pW- 0 ooDsra w smf Saco am by fellow competitors. Ferguson is a champion through and through and says he really WITH THE EXPERTISE of a champion. Tom Ferguson shows his ability in this series of three photographs taken last Thursday night during the Famous I'rrston Night Kodeo. lie gets his lasso around his calf's neck about two or Hirer seconds out of the chute and finishes his tie in a time of iu.3 seconds. It was a time that stood up fin first place money of $K27. The center photo shows him putting his isii pound frame into his animal in a one-ste- p maneuver to Citizen Photo gel ready for the tie. 4 |