BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN @PRORODEOBRETT
In his 10th appearance at the National Finals Steer Roping, J. Tom Fisher achieved a lifelong dream by winning his first career Gold Buckle.
Fisher won two rounds, including Round 10, to rally and edge out 2021 World Champion Cole Patterson.
“This is the best day of my life. Vin (Fisher Jr., J. Tom’s brother) is an amateur mathematician and he had it figured that I needed to win like third in (Round 10) and Cole not place and I had to stay third in the average. I knew I had a great steer because Cash Myers tied him in 9.7 (in Round 5 Friday). I just wanted to be a little off the barrier and just blast him on the ground and that’s the way it worked out,” he told ProRodeo.com. “I worked at this every day the last 20 years and this something you dream about, having a chance to win the round to win the world. You think about something like that every day. I’m just very blessed that this all worked out.”
Fisher’s Gold Buckle was not just for himself, but also his family legacy in the event. His father Dan made the NSFR 16 times and brother Vin Jr. made it for a 19th time in 2022. Until J. Tom’s win, a World Title had always eluded the Fisher family.
Below is the round-by-round results from Mulvane, Kansas.
First round: 1. Garrett Hale, 10.3 seconds, $10,160; 2. Cody Lee, 11.5, $8,408; 3. Landon McClaugherty, 11.6, $6,657; 4. Clay Long, 11.7, $4,905; 5. J. Tom Fisher, 11.8, $3,153; 6. Cash Myers, 12.8, $1,752.
Second round: 1. Vin Fisher Jr., 9.8 seconds, $10,160; 2. Bryce Davis, 9.9, $8,408; 3. Scott Snedecor, 10.3, $6,657; 4. Cole Patterson, 10.5, $4,905; 5. (tie) Mike Chase and Jess Tierney, 11.3, $2,452 each.
Third round: 1. Scott Snedecor, 9.4 seconds, $10,160; 2. (tie) Jess Tierney and Clay Long, 10.1, $7,533 each; 4. Chet Herren, 10.3, $4,905; 5. Landon McClaugherty, 11.3, $3,153; 6. Bryce Davis, 12.2, $1,752.
Fourth round: 1. Vin Fisher Jr., 9.4 seconds, $10,160; 2. Cole Patterson, 10.0, $8,408; 3. J. Tom Fisher, 10.5, $6,657; 4. Mike Chase, 10.9, $4,905; 5. Ora Taton, 11.0, $3,153; 6. Clay Long, 11.5, $1,752.
Fifth round: 1. J. Tom Fisher, 9.6 seconds, $10,160; 2. (tie) Cash Myers and Ora Taton, 9.7, $7,533 each; 4. Bryce Davis, 9.8, $4,905; 5. Chet Herren, 10.3, $3,153; 6. Clay Long, 10.5, $1,752.
Sixth round: 1. Cole Patterson, 9.3 seconds, $10,160; 2. Jess Tierney, 9.4, $8,408; 3. Taylor Santos, 10.5, $6,657; 4. J. Tom Fisher, 10.9, $4,905; 5. (tie) Cody Lee and Chet Herren, 11.3, $2,452 each.
Seventh round: 1. Landon McClaugherty, 9.5 seconds, $10,160; 2. Mike Chase, 10.4, $8,408; 3. J. Tom Fisher, 11.1, $6,657; 4. Scott Snedecor, 11.3, $4,905; 5. (tie) Cole Patterson and Jess Tierney, 11.4, $2,452 each.
Eighth round: 1. Vin Fisher Jr., 9.2 seconds, $10,160; 2. Taylor Santos, 9.3, $8,408; 3. Chet Herren, 10.2, $6,657; 4. Cole Patterson, 10.6, $4,905; 5. Cody Lee, 11.8, $3,153; 6. Clay Long, 13.0, $1,752.
Ninth round: 1. Cash Myers, 9.6 seconds, $10,160; 2. Taylor Santos, 9.8, $8,408; 3. Cole Patterson, 10.9, $6,657; 4. Jess Tierney, 11.5, $4,905; 5. Chet Herren, 12.6, $3,153; 6. Landon McClaugherty, 12.9, $1,752.
Tenth round: 1. J. Tom Fisher, 9.5 seconds, $10,160; 2. Ora Taton, 10.1, $8,408; 3. Garrett Hale, 10.2, $6,657; 4. Scott Snedecor, 10.3, $4,905; 5. (tie) Vin Fisher Jr. and Landon McClaugherty, 10.4, $2,452 each.
Average: 1. Cody Lee, 123.3 seconds on ten head, $30,349; 2. Clay Long, 107.8 on nine head, $25,116; 3. J. Tom Fisher, 111.2, $19,884; 4. Taylor Santos, 128.9, $14,651; 5. Ora Taton, 96.3 on eight head, $9,419; 6. Mike Chase, 101.1, $5,233.
WORLD STANDINGS
1. J. Tom Fisher, $123,477
2. Cole Patterson, $117,036
3. Cody Lee, $113,096
4. Scott Snedecor, $109,286
5. Jesse Tierney, $96,560
6. Clay Long, $69,560
7. Taylor Santos, $85,694
8. Vin Fisher Jr., $84,297
9. Ora Taton, $76,624
10. Cash Myers, $68,684
11. Chet Herren, $67,736
12. Landon McClaugherty, $66,130
13. Mike Chase, $68,155
14. Garrett Hale, $61,707
15. Bryce Davis. $59,667.