The National Finals Rodeo (NFR) is coming to the Alex Madonna Expo Center in San Luis Obispo where the 9th annual Average Joe Finals takes place this weekend.
For local team ropers and rodeo goers, the Average Joe Finals is a chance for varying abilities to try their hand at team roping and breakaway roping in the same conditions that they use in the NFR in Las Vegas in December. The event uses a smaller arena, making it more difficult.
“Let's say it's a basketball-sized arena versus a football field," longtime participant Dalton Pearce explained. "So everything's a lot quicker, a lot faster and a lot more action-packed.”
Nine years ago, Danny and Elly Leslie started the event to pay homage to the local rodeo culture. Now with the success of Cal Poly and Cuesta College’s rodeo programs, Cal Poly head coach Ben Londo explained that the event is one of the catalysts driving participation and interest in the sport.
“The exposure and the opportunities that we've been able to create between Cal Poly Rodeo, our beach event, Average Joe, it really shows and is an attribute to the Western heritage that's so alive here on the Central Coast," he said.
According to participant and sponsor Amanda Higgins, she’s seen the event take hold within the Central Coast with each year gaining more contestants and more spectators.
“It just sparked fire within the community. There's nothing like it on the Central Coast or really in the western United States," she said. "Over the years, it is kind of the crown jewel of roping here locally.”
In addition, leading up to the rodeo, seven-time team roping world champions Clay O’Brien Cooper and Jake Barnes were running a clinic, working with a variety of team ropers at Cal Poly.
“It all originated off of piggybacking off of them coming here for the Average Joe," Londo said. "It's great local roping that really showcases our local talent of team, real person and how much the sport has grown especially in our local Central Coast area.“
The Average Joe Finals takes place Friday through Sunday with a wide range of skill levels all looking to test their abilities in the arena. For more information on the schedule, you can click here.
