2016 NFR Highlight: Tie-Down Roper Tyson Durfey and Horse Nikko Make Their Comeback in Round 6

Tie-down roper Tyson Durfey had a rough start to his 2016 NFR. In the fifth round, his score was more than 19 seconds after a debacle that left him chasing a calf before he’d even nodded his head.

But by Round 6, he’d found his groove winning the round with a time of 7.4 seconds — a win that not only turned his luck around in Las Vegas but also propelled him to his first world championship title.

And Tyson credits a lot of it to his horse, Nikko. After Round 6 in 2016, he told Rodeo Reed, “I just tried to execute the basics the best i could today ... be good on the barrier, rope the neck, and let Nikko do the rest.”

Sadly, Tyson lost Nikko two years after in 2018. Now the world champion tie-down roper is winning buckles on a powerhouse named Mitch, but his world champion and best friend Nikko will never be forgotten.

“Nikko and I were best friends — we were a tight team,” Tyson says. “The cool thing about him is he had such a personality.”

Hear Tyson talk about life as a rodeo athlete and his beloved horse Nikko:

Relive all of the 2016 NFR during our ProRodeo 40 Nights of NFR series, airing every night at 8:00 PM ET.