Gee making move in steer wrestling

Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2003 | 9:49 a.m.

Of hog hunting, welding and golfing, Mickey Gee knows which one he does best.

"Probably hog hunting," he said, "because my golf game stinks and I don't like to work."

He isn't a bad steer wrestler, either.

Gee capped his first trip to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in 1999 with a world championship. Now, with a new home and his wife, Amber, expecting the couple's first baby in May, there are certain priorities.

Monday, he continued an awesome second half of the season by pinning a steer in 4.0 seconds, winning the fourth go-round and pocketing $14,335 for the effort. He finished second in the event, earning $11,330, on Saturday.

The 17.5 seconds Gee has totaled on four steer vaulted him into first place of the NFR aggregate total.

"I have several debts I have to pay here," said Gee, who lives in Wichita Falls, Texas. "I ain't got no time to stub my toe. We have to win all we can win."

Through the middle of the summer, Gee had only accumulated about $1,200. Then he acquired a new horse, a 14-year-old gelding named Wasp, in Idaho. And he won more than $50,000 in July, with the majority coming in Cheyenne, Wyo.

Wasp has been a key, as has scouting the talent. The steer he drew Monday was the same one that Joey Bell Jr. had trouble with on opening night, so Gee compensated by giving the animal another half a stride of lag room.

The key with hogs isn't so subtle.

"Have a bunch of dogs," Gee said. "Where I'm from, they do all the work. We get off and tie 'em down by hand and take them back alive. It can get pretty rough, because they're trying to eat you the whole time."

Binion was a key figure who facilitated the move of the NFR to Las Vegas, from Oklahoma City.