December 5-14, 2024

COUNTDOWN

Dec 6, 2021

No. 5

By Patrick Everson

It’s been said that 1 is the loneliest number. Team roper Coleman Proctor might like to have a word with 1, about being replaced by 5.

The team roping header has qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo six times. So halfway through the 2021 Wrangler NFR, that means he’s thrown his loop 55 times. But he only has three go-round victories – all in Round 5.

The third win came Monday night, as he and heeler Logan Medlin clocked a speedy 3.80 seconds at the Thomas & Mack Center, giving each a check for $26,997.

“It’s the only round I’ve ever won at the NFR,” Proctor lamented with a laugh afterward in the media room. “To say it doesn’t mess with your head a little bit, have you on tilt, it can do that.”

He’s at a loss to explain the No. 5 mystery, noting that number certainly hasn’t been helpful at the casino tables.

“I don’t know, to be honest. A lot of these dealers have been throwing 5 at me at the wrong time,” Proctor joked.

Monday’s effort also marked Proctor’s first go-round win since the 2015 NFR. If that seems like quite a while, well, it is, and the ever-jovial Proctor was happy to put it in perspective.

“Since then, I’ve gotten married, I’ve got two kids, and one of them’s in school. A lot’s happened since then,” he said.

But Proctor and Medlin both understand that wins can be fleeting when competing among the 15 best team roping duos in the world. Under the glare of the NFR spotlight, it’s no easy task just to cash a check among the top six each night, let alone win.

“There’s a lot of pressure this week,” Proctor said, noting – as many contestants do – that NFR success is often the difference between a profitable year and breaking even, or worse. “I’ve got a wife and two beautiful kids, a lot to take care of.”

Now that he has that elusive go-round win out of the way, he just hopes No. 5 isn’t his only lucky go-round number as the week moves along, with five more rounds to go.

“The next five rounds, it’s liable to happen five more times,” Proctor said while brimming with confidence. “I sure don’t want to wait til next year to win another round.”