6 The WRANGLER, Horse and Rodeo News • July 5-19, 2020
GUTHRIE, Okla. (June 21, 2020) – By just
seven hundredths of a second over six steers, Kal
Fuller of Bozeman, Montana, and Reagan Ward
of Purcell, Oklahoma, won the richest event of
their sport and split a first-place paycheck worth
a record $150,000 at the 43rd Annual Bob Feist
Invita onal. The event is part of Wrangler BFI
Week presented by Ye , held for the first me
inside the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Oklahoma,
since its usual venue in Reno, Nevada, was shut
down due to the pandemic.
"Words can't describe this," said Ward, who
won in virtually his hometown, riding a horse he
bought from world champion Kollin Von Ahn.
"My header is pre y phenomenal. I've never
met a 20-year-old that can do the stuff he can
do. Most people can't even do what he can do."
The BFI is the most lucra ve but challenging
team roping event for professionals in America.
Under the tradi onal format, the 100 best teams
in the world are invited to rope six steers that
have an 18-foot head start, for a purse of more
Record $150K BFI payoff goes to Fuller and Ward
than $600,000 in cash and prizes. Organizers
allowed 140 teams this year behind a 20-foot
head start, due to the loca on change, which
pushed the purse over $700,000.
Fuller and Ward, 32, were fourth-fastest
going into the finals and made a snappy run of
6.04 seconds to win the round and add $5,000 to
their total haul. Na onal Finals Rodeo veterans
Billie Jack Saebens and Junior Nogueira each
roped just one leg. Then the leading team a er
five rounds, Utah's Pace Freed and Cole Wilson,
roped their last steer in 8.35 but fell just short
in the aggregate to se le for second and split
$100,000.
The number of contestants compe ng in so
many rounds
meant the first
team roped in
Guthrie at 9 a.m.
and the final
round kicked off
at 8 p.m. The BFI
has long been a test of mental endurance, which
adds to the bragging rights of a championship.
Ward actually took a nap in his trailer in the
three hours between his first two runs, while
Fuller said he tried to keep moving throughout
the day.
"I blocked all the pressure out in my mind and
tried to just think of it as another prac ce steer,"
said Fuller, who had prac ced at the home of
two- me world champion Chad Masters and at
Ward's place prior to the event.
Fuller had only entered the BFI once prior
to this year. He credits much of his win to the
sorrel horse he calls Marshall that he purchased
from Nick Pullara. Meanwhile, Ward's brother
CAL FULLER & REAGAN WARD
