Rodeo Houston Brings New Definition to Sibling Rivalry

One of the highest-paying rodeos of the season is the monumental Rodeo Houston. It is a must-attend event for professional rodeo athletes and fans alike. With bracket-style pay, there are multiple opportunities for athletes to win tens of thousands of dollars, which boosts their rankings and gives them an advantage in qualifying for the National Finals Rodeo at the end of the year. 

Only the top four athletes after the Championship Round make it back to the Shootout Round. The champion of each event wins an incredible $50,000, making it a cut-throat and intense competition. 

In the tie-down roping event, it came down to brothers Ty and Joel Harris, Chance Thiessen, and Marty Yates. Yates tied his calf in 8.7 seconds, and Thiessen had no time but still walked away with $5,500.

Then, it was down to the Harris brothers. Both were competing for the $50,000 payday, so they took turns backing their talented calf horse, Mo, whom they share, into the box. In an incredible turn of events, both Ty and Joel stopped the clock at 8.2 seconds. 

However, Houston Rodeo does not allow for a tie, so a rope-off was called for. Same length stirrups, same rope, and their stellar horse, Mo took the call to back into the box two more times.

"Hollywood couldn't script that," as the announcers said, was the perfect description. 

Joel roped first and laid down a 9.2-second go but broke the barrier, which resulted in adding ten seconds to his total time, making it 19.2 seconds. 

Ty knew he needed to be clean and clocked a 9.6-second run with no penalties, securing the title of Houston Rodeo Tie-Down Champion. This earned him the $50,000 payday, a beautiful saddle, and a championship buckle. 

Between the Harris brothers, they pocketed over $80,000 during their time at the 2024 Rodeo Houston. This bumped Ty Harris into the second-place overall spot in the world standings with $76,183 and Joel Harris into the fifth-place spot with $45,191.

Will there be a new sibling duo to watch out for at the 2024 National Finals Rodeo?