Lisa Garnhart dropped her two oldest kids off at Wickenburg Christian Academy and rushed to Rancho Rio just in time to draw into the National 9.5 Finale at the 2020 NTR National Finals VI. She drew Brent Coon and the duo roped four steers in 37.52 seconds to earn $20,300 plus saddles, Gist Silversmith trophy buckles and a victory lap.

Garnhart, and her husband, Gus, who also ropes, split their time between Casper, Wyoming, and Wickenburg, Arizona. During the summers it’s all about ranching and hauling their three kids, Lavoye, 9, Lanai, 6, and Latigo, 4, to the junior rodeos.

“We kind of reserve the winters for roping for ourselves,” Garnhart, who is now doing full-time homeschool with the girls, said. In addition to junior rodeos the girls are actively involved in gymnastics and Latigo is in gymnastics too, as preperation for wrestling. They started several years ago coming to Arizona, first for a week, then a month and now they own 9 acres near National Roper’s Supply right in town.

The flashy palomino getting down on the head side is registered YHS Hammer The Third and affectionately known as “Tres.” The Garnharts purchased him from Levi O’Keefe through a sale.

“My husband wanted him, but as soon as I rode him, I stole him,” Garnhart laughed. “He’s very easy.”

Although both partners now hail from the Cowboy State they had never roped together or even met for that matter, but unlike Garnhart, Coon is not a Wyoming native.

“I went for work and stayed for love,” Coon, who now contracts in the summers for the Diamond Cross Ranch, where his wife, Kelly (Perkins), works full time, said. In the winters he works in the pecan orchards in Willcox, Arizona, for Chase Pecans, the leading manufacturer of American grown pecans.

“Linda, Linda, Linda,” an own son of Metallic Cat, carried Coon to his Finale win. The 10-year-old sorrel gelding came from the late Digger Howard about the time the infamous “Linda” video came out on YouTube.

“It fits him so well,” Coon said. “He won the West Texas futurity as a 2-year-old. He’s one of a kind.”

The highlight of Coon’s summer roping run was winning the #9.5 Century Roping at the NTR Bobby King Memorial Roping in Sheridan, with none other than Bill King. Coon plans to be back in Arizona around Christmas time and vying for another NTR National Championship come March.

Latigo Garnhart, 4, showing off his mom's extra fancy Gist Silversmith NTR National Champion Buckle.