Beaver buckles down

Monday, Dec. 11, 2000 | 10:04 a.m.

Nobody considered Joe Beaver to be much of a threat to win the World All-Around Championship at this year's National Finals Rodeo.

Nobody, that is, except for Joe Beaver.

Beaver was ranked 12th in the world all-around standings coming into the $4.5 million NFR at the Thomas & Mack and trailed front-running Scott Johnston by more than $62,000.

With defending all-around champ Fred Whitfield lurking only $33,000 behind Johnston in the world standings, most of the pre-NFR hype revolved around Johnston and Whitfield.

Even the official NFR program, which featured a three-page spread on the battle for the all-around gold buckle, only mentioned Beaver -- a two-time all-around champion -- in passing.

And all that was fine with the 35-year-old Texan.

"The more they count you out, the more you keep fighting to prove that you can win," Beaver said. "When you're not the favorite, it just means you've got to fight harder."

Despite a disastrous start to the 10-round NFR, Beaver concluded his Las Vegas run with his third all-around championship after winning Sunday's final team roping go-round.

The Huntsville, Texas, resident entered Sunday's finale with a slim $98 lead over Johnston in the all-around and Whitfield was $15,000 off the pace in third place.

"This is just awesome," Beaver said. "I knew I had to do something today -- you don't let Scott or Fred or anybody else get rolling. I had them by 90-something dollars but that's not very much of a comfort zone."

While Johnston (saddle bronc) and Whitfield (calf roping) were qualified in only one event, Beaver had the luxury of competing in both team roping and calf roping, which proved to be the key for the 6-3, 230-pounder on Sunday.

Beaver and teammate Bret Gould won the final team roping go-round with a time of 4.20 seconds to give Beaver $13,133. Johnston failed to cash in the final saddle bronc go-round and Whitfield took fourth in calf roping. Although Beaver failed to earn any money in the final calf roping round, his $123,356 NFR earnings gave him a $24,670 margin over Johnston in the world all-around standings.

"It turned out good today -- I'm glad I didn't have to place in the calf roping ... I placed in team roping and held my spot in calf roping," Beaver said.

Not only did Beaver prove his detractors wrong, he proved to himself that he was justified in taking more than six months off from the sport last year in an attempt to completely recover from a pelvic injury.

"I took six months off last year and never picked a rope up -- that's the longest I've ever gone without picking one up," he said. "It made me realize what you want to do and how much you want to do it.

"Then, to come in here so far behind and not even written in as having a chance ... when I started, they kind of had me written off."

Beaver may have been inclined to write himself off following the first night of the NFR, when he failed to cash in either of his two events.

"After the first night, I had two terrible runs and I got on the elevator (at the T&M) that first night and the old guy who was running the elevator said, 'Where to?' and I said 'To the top.'

"He said, 'Concourse?' and I said, 'No, to the top -- I'm jumping.' He said, 'Don't jump yet, it's just the first night.' Now I'm glad I didn't jump."

Beaver came back and cashed in seven of the next nine team roping and six of nine calf roping rounds -- including three round wins in the team roping event.

Johnston finished second in the world all-around standings with $200,726 and Whitfield, who won his fourth calf roping championship, was third with $199,411.

In the closest event of the NFR, Whitfield edged out Brent Lewis, the NFR average champion, by just $2,693.

"It came right down to the wire," Whitfield said. "I can't say it's my fault that it was that close. I had some bad breaks along the way but I had to stay focused and dedicated.

"I switched horses for the last three rounds and if I was going to lose the gold buckle, I was going to lose it on the horse that helped me win the last three."