The No. 2 Heeler in the world is Travis Graves. He is a $2 million cowboy with 13 Wrangler National Finals Qualifications and one NFR Average title to his name and he is in the perfect spot to add a World Champion title to that list.
The Oklahoma cowboy had plenty of big wins this season and it all started with a Round win at the Texas Circuit Finals. In Round 2, Graves caught to feet quick to be a 3.9 to win the round. The next big win was soon after that at the Dixie National Rodeo (Mississippi) where Graves cashed in a 4.0 second run for $5,554. In Round 4 of his bracket for the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo he did it again with a 3.5 to win the round. Graves kept it going when he won Round 2 of San Angelo Rodeo with a 3.5 second run.
DUSTIN EGUSQUIZA AND TRAVIS GRAVES AT OLD FORT DAYS RODEO
Going into June, it was a 4.4 second run that got Graves a seventh-place finish at Old Fort Days Rodeo, and then he went on to Hugo Pro Rodeo (Oklahoma) where he got a win with a 3.4. The luck in Oklahoma continued at the Woodward Elks Rodeo when a 4.7 brought home a first-place check.
Graves got on a heater the last week of June. He added over $9,000 after placing in all three rounds at the Snake River Stampede (Idaho), both rounds of Ogden Pioneer Days (Utah) and winning Fiesta Days Rodeo (Utah). He also placed in three of four rounds at Cheyenne Frontier Days.
DUSTIN EGUSQUIZA AND TRAVIS GRAVES AT CHEYENNE FRONTIER DAYS
Heading towards the end of the regular season, Graves kept adding money to his season earnings. He won Canby Rodeo with a 4.7 to add $2,021 and was third at the Moses Lake Round-Up Rodeo with a 5.0 to bring in $3,596. At the Magic Valley Stampede, he got a third-place finish and he wrapped it up with a second-place finish at the Sheriff’s PRCA Rodeo (California).
Graves is going into his 13th NFR with No. 1 Header, Dustin Egusquiza, backing into the head box. They know what they have to do in Las Vegas and both are in the perfect position to cinch a Gold Buckle.
