Speed Williams

Speed Williams and Rich Skelton put on a team roping performance as partners from 1997 until 2004 that may never be matched again in Las Vegas. During that time, the duo racked up eight straight World Championships and also won the average in 2001. In 1999, the pair won six go-rounds at the NFR. Born and raised in Jacksonville, Fla., Williams started roping at an early age and made his first NFR appearance in 1988 heeling with Casey Cox. After that experience he went home and switched to heading. He is credited with starting a new style of swinging the rope in the box, and his style of catching lowered his times and won money. The duo would go on to take 64 victory laps between them at the Thomas & Mack Center. Williams won 28 go-rounds in Las Vegas in his career and Skelton won 36.