Learning the ropes

Victoria Sun

Wednesday, June 12, 2002 | 9:18 a.m.

At a glance

While other guys at Moapa Valley High School played football and basketball, Randon Adams wasn't interested.

Instead, the Logandale native would go home after school to rope steers and calves until midnight.

"It's the only thing I've ever done," Adams said. "In Vegas, nobody really ropes.

"When I first started, I used to rope at a guy named Randy Miller's house in Las Vegas. Me and him became real good friends."

The 20-year-old Adams will be back in Las Vegas this week to compete in the U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co. Cup Finale that starts Thursday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Adams, in his first full season on the Wrangler Pro Rodeo Tour, finished 11th in the team roping (heeling) standings to qualify for the championship competition that concludes Saturday.

Bull riding, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, bareback riding, calf roping and barrel racing are the other events featured at the Finale.

Adams will be partnered with header Jason Handy of Billings, Mont., for the first time because his regular partner, Jason Stewart, did not qualify.

"I'm real excited," Adams said. "I hope to win it. I hope to win enough money to get me going towards the (National) Finals, about $15,000, $20,000.

"Our goal is to be good and place as high as we can and not beat ourselves. This is our first time together. We haven't even practiced yet."

Adams won't only have a new partner for the USSTC Cup Finale, he'll have a new horse as well.

He bought Bar S, a horse he coveted for a long time, on Tuesday morning because he needed a horse that would run well in an indoor arena.

Adams was born in Las Vegas, but his mother Liz and father Wesley became tired of city living so they moved Randon, his four brothers and one sister to Logandale.

Randon was about six or seven when he started following in the footsteps of his father, a former roper, who owns ranches in Texas and Colorado.

The family lives on a sprawling ranch in Logandale where Randon practices with his brothers.

For the last year and a half, Adams has spent time living in Dublin, Texas, and working on his father's ranch.

There, he spent time honing his skills under five-time world champion heeler Rich Skelton.

"Everybody ropes in Texas," Adams said. "I've learned some new stuff from Rich Skelton. He's taught me a bunch of stuff. He's one of the best."

Adams and Stewart won the average at the tour's Denver and San Antonio stops. In San Antonio, they had the fastest time of 4.6 seconds.

"I got a lot of confidence after those two," Adams said. "I was young, just starting out, having Rich and Speed (Williams, Skelton's partner) helping me.

"After, they came out and told me I did a good job. Just to be able to compete with those guys is a lifelong dream.

"I'm kind of like living a dream right now."