LAS VEGAS -- It's a city where anything seems possible and right now that's the case for Miles City tie-down roper Haven Meged.
We'll call him Montana's Super Looper. He looks like he's 12 but old enough to drive. And he's Montana's first tie-down roper to reach the Wrangler NFR since Bill Parker in the 1980s.
If Meged is intimidated by a crowd of more than 17,000 nightly, it doesn't show. The rookie leads the average right now and is in contention to win the world title in his first year here.
And it gets better. A cowboy's horse is so critical to success. Some never hit the jackpot, but Meged did. And he found her on social media.
"It's just a blessing that I stumbled upon her when I was on Facebook," he said after Tuesday's Round 6 performance. "She just gets better every time. Getting to ride her here has been awesome because she's so good everywhere."
Does he ever wonder if the Facebook seller regrets his decision?
"I still talk to him little bit. I don't know if he has any regrets, but I'm dang sure glad he sold her," Meged said.
Meged's story doesn't stop there. He badly wrenched his ankle less than a month before this Super Bowl of Rodeo and didn't know what kind of a wrench it might throw into his magical season.
"I got two torn ligaments and a high and low ankle sprain 24 days before I left," he recalled. "I was getting off one of my young horses and it hit me from behind. My ankle went pop, pop, pop. It messed my ankle up pretty bad.
"I couldn't walk for four days. I got a couple good injections and great (physical therapy) guys, so it helped out a bunch."
Fortunately, Meged says he won't need surgery. He had some stem cell shots that have him back to feeling well.
Helena steer wrestler Ty Erickson is one of the best in the world. He's been within a horse hair of winning it all multiple times but just hasn't been able to clinch it.
Same story this season. He's been steer wrestling's No. 1 cowboy through most of this season but has only one paycheck in six rounds at the NFR.
Tuesday night, Erickson officially lost his grip on the lead to one of his best friends, world champion Tyler Waguespack.
"I travel with Ty. I understand," Waguespack said. "I know how hard it is, but there's nothing to say Ty Erickson's not going to come out and win the next four rounds, because if anybody is capable of doing it, he is."
