When broken down, rodeo is a numbers game.
The most important being those on the clock, followed by the markings given by the judges at the end of every successful eight-second journey into the arena aboard a rank bronc or snarling bull.
Recently, the numbers getting noticed in the college ranks have been on the entry lists.
When the Odessa College rodeo team travelled to compete at Texas Tech in October, 2021, there were more than 900 entries for the various events over the three-day rodeo.
“900 entries, that’s unheard of; it’s huge,” Odessa College rodeo coach Tom Kelly said. “A lot of kids from other states are coming here to compete because we are open.”
Now it’s the Wranglers turn to play host.
The 38th Odessa College NIRA rodeo gets underway Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Ector County Coliseum.
A second performance is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday, with the short-go (finals) slated for a 7 p.m. start Saturday.
Kelly said 17 schools are expected to compete this weekend, with more than 700 entries already on the books.
Though the Odessa College athletes will be pulling double duty competing and making sure the event runs smoothly, Kelly is looking forwards to a solid outing from the Wranglers.
“We have some top quality kids and great athletes with a lot of talent,” he said. “I really expect a good showing.
“We’ve done very well at the previous rodeos in the fall and I expect us to be coming on strong.”
Riggin Shippy is the highest-placed Odessa College athlete in the standings, sitting fourth in the Southwest Region’s bull riding standings, just 90 points from a qualifying spot for the College National Finals Rodeo.
Shippy isn’t the only Wranglers’ cowboy to watch for, however, as several have been taking the break from college events to work on their Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association permits.
Fellow bull rider Koltin Hevalow won the PBR Touring Pro event on Feb. 12 in Youngstown, Ohio.
Saddle bronc rider Ridge Ward won a Friday night event at the Fort Worth Stockyards that same weekend, while Tate Kelly won the saddle bronc buckle at the Bell Country PRCA event in Belton.
The Odessa College cowgirls were equally competitive, hitting the circuits to compete in barrel racing and breakaway roping, the counterpart to tie-down roping.
Breakaway roping was added to the National Finals Rodeo and has become a part of PRCA rodeos across the nation.
“It’s immensely important,” Kelly said of the opportunities provided with the addition of breakaway roping. “I have to send a shout out to my girls for how hard they work.
“Right now, in the college world, it takes 1.8 (seconds) to win the breakaway roping. You can’t hardly blink that fast.”
>> Follow Lee Scheide on Twitter at @OALeeScheide
