Shad Mayfield: New campaign begins in January

Shad Mayfield didn't reach his ultimate goal, but the Clovis tie-down roper reestablished himself as one of the nation's elite cowboys at this month's National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, Nev.

His bid for a second world championship in three years fell short. Still, he finished runner-up in the 10-day grind to four-time world champion Caleb Smidt, closing out the year with nearly $270,000 in earnings.

"You're never going to be happy when you end up second, but (Smidt) had a great finals," the 22-year-old Mayfield said after returning to Clovis last week.

"I drew some bad calves, but you make the best of it."

Mayfield, who won the world tie-down title in 2020, has been at it professionally since he was 18 and has now completed his fourth season on the pro rodeo circuit.

He'll start up the new campaign in January with an event in Denver.

Mayfield, who attended high school in Texico as a freshman and sophomore before being home-schooled his final two years, said he played other sports when he was younger. But he was always close to rodeo while watching his father, Sylvester Mayfield, compete.

"My dad was a pro rodeo cowboy, and he made the NFR a couple of times," Shad said. "He just handed it off to me, and I took off with it.

"I played football and basketball as a kid, but this just seemed more promising for me, more than trying to make the NFL or the NBA."

He's made the NFR all four years, finishing 12th in 2019 and seventh last year. The 2022 campaign, though, was easily his best.

Among his accomplishments was tying a Thomas & Mack Center record at the NFR with a time of 6.5 seconds during the sixth of 10 rounds.

He'll get some down time for his body now, although he'll keep working toward the new season during that stretch.

"It's just nice to be able to relax at home," he said. "I just built a home (completed Oct. 1), and now I'm able to enjoy it."

It's a good, if physical, way to make a living, but the ultimate goal is to win championships, Shad Mayfield said.

"You don't need to win (to do well financially)," he said. "You still have a good season getting to the finals, and you win a lot of money."

Noting that Smidt is well into his 30s, Mayfield hopes to be doing this for some time to come.

"I'd like to be retired by the time I'm 40 and make a living doing something else," he said.