Title was birthday gift for Speed Williams

Thursday, Dec. 3, 1998 | 4:38 a.m.

It was a birthday present no one else could give him. This one would have to be wrapped up by team roper Speed Williams himself. And he did.

On Dec. 14 -- Williams's 30th birthday -- the Florida team roping header and his partner, Rich Skelton, put on a stellar performance in the 10th and final round of the $3.4 million National Finals Rodeo at the Thomas & Mack Center.

The effort locked up their first Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association world team roping championships in record fashion.

In the process of earning those titles, Williams and Skelton shattered the single-year and NFR team roping earnings marks set in 1994 by seven-time world champions Jake Barnes and Clay O'Brien Cooper.

"If we didn't place in the (10th) round, but were at least fourth in the average, I would have beat Jake and Clay's record, but Rich wouldn't have," said Williams. "It took third or better in the average, or for us to place in the day money for Rich to do it, too."

No sweat. In the end, Williams and his partner earned $56,770 apiece at the '97 NFR to crush Barnes and O'Brien Cooper's record by nearly $12,000. In 1997, Williams and Skelton won $114,670 and $112,243, respectively, to erase the single-season earning records for team ropers, as well.

"I had expectations of winning the world, but not like this (in record style)," Williams said.

Williams and Skelton entered the NFR ranked third in their respective Crown Royal World Standings. Given his regular-season track record, anything but No. 1 suited Williams just fine.

"It's been a long year," he said. "I came back the high team at Denver, San Antonio and Salinas, and didn't win any of them. I won day money at all the big rodeos, but only won one, and that was Pendleton in September."

Williams is one of only six ropers ever to head and heel at the NFR. He heeled for Casey Cox at the 1988 NFR.

Williams' name is actually Ken; Speed is his middle name.

"My dad had a real good friend named Speedy Solomon," Williams explained. "He used to drive cows through Jacksonville (Florida) before it was a city. My mom didn't like Solomon, so Speed it was."

How appropriate. Williams is known for letting it roll. It's no coincidence that he and Skelton turned in the fastest time of the 1997 Finals, a 4.1-second blur in the first round.

"I live and die by the sword of the extreme," he said. "I don't take many extra swings. I always take my first throw.

"I wanted to be as fast as I could with my first loop on that first steer."

That go-for-broke attitude worked well. Williams and Skelton won or tied for top money in five rounds, placed in another and still finished third in the average at the Finals.

Though Williams calls Jacksonville, Fla., home, he hangs his hat in an apartment in Skelton's barn in Llano, Texas, so they can practice every day.

"We had a goal to achieve," Williams said. "When Jake and Clay won all their titles, they stuck together and roped every day. That's what Rich and I talked about."

Williams wasn't very talkative on his 30th birthday. His roping -- a 4.5-second exclamation point -- did his talking for him.

"You dream of this day coming," said the four-time National Finals Rodeo roper. "Right now, I'm just in awe."