Skelton finally broke through for gold buckle

Thursday, Dec. 3, 1998 | 4:31 a.m.

Rich Skelton pounded on the world championship door for years. He had come close to winning, and everyone knew it was only a matter of time before the talented heeler claimed a gold buckle.

But Skelton of Llano, Texas, was running out of patience.

"I don't care who you are," said Skelton, a 31-year-old seven-time qualifier for the National Finals Rodeo. "When you hang around all the guys with gold buckles and you don't have one, you feel a little inferior. It's not like they treat you any less, but in the back of your mind you start to wonder."

Skelton and partner Speed Williams left no room for doubt at the 1997 NFR in Las Vegas. They put the hammer down in the opening round and pounded away all week. They closed out the 10-day $3.4 million rodeo with a round-winner on Dec. 14th.

"Our attitude coming here was, 'We're a day money behind, let's go win some rounds,'" Skelton said.

Indeed, they won a record $56,770 apiece at the Finals. In 1997, Williams and Skelton won $114,670 and $112,243, respectively, erasing team roping's existing marks for single-season earnings, as well.

The team's first-round 4.1-second run was the fastest of the '97 NFR.

Skelton's 1997 earnings were not equal to those of Williams because Williams started the year heading for Clay O'Brien Cooper, and Skelton kicked off the season with Tee Woolman. The two teams swapped partners in August.

"Tee and Clay wanted to spend more time at home," Skelton explained. "And Speedy and I were hungry for a world championship, so we wanted to go. They both have kids at home, too. We're just at different points in our lives."

An important ingredient in Williams and Skelton's winning combination are their horses, Viper and Roany. Roany was voted the 1997 PRCA/AQHA Heeling Horse of the Year by the top team ropers.

Williams and Skelton wanted the world championship, and they wanted it bad.

"We stayed in the practice pen solid since Albuquerque (in September)," Skelton said. "We cut down my arena with orange snow fence to the exact same dimensions as Thomas & Mack, and went at it every day. It took us two days before we could catch, but we finally got it.

"When the arena's that small, Speed has to come up the arena a lot more, which affects my position a lot."

Prior to the NFR, Williams and Skelton trailed regular-season leaders Charles Pogue and Britt Bockius, and 1996 world champions Steve Purcella and Steve Northcott. But Skelton and his partner proved it doesn't matter where you start the NFR, as long as you finish on top -- a feat easier said than done.

"The first one's the hardest to get," Skelton said of the world title. "Now I think I can relax and enjoy roping more. I think Speed's just touched the tip of his iceberg. We should have a lot of confidence next year."

Skelton and his wife, Rhonda, might have a new house, too. Skelton said that's where his Finals checks were headed.

"If I'm going to rodeo, I want to be a contender," he said. "I can't believe it finally happened. I'm just so relieved."