It’s doubtful you could have convinced ten-year-old Tyler Domingue that in fifteen years he would win over $26,000 at a four-day rodeo. After all, he was riding motorcycles and competing in Motocross with no interest in roping.
It was about that time his parents, Mitch and Paula, relocated the family from Lake Charles, Louisiana, to DeKalb, Texas, near his uncle, Mike White, world champion Bull Rider. In addition to his bull riding career, Mike and his wife, Hannah, enjoyed riding colts and team roping. They often invited young Tyler down to rope, but he just wasn’t interested.
“Tyler never would come rope with us, until one day I told him, ‘Tyler there’s lots of pretty girls at the ropings.’ After that he was all in,” laughs Mike.
Once he started, at fifteen, Tyler fell in love with the sport and went to work at it. He started out as a #2 and won his first roping heading as a #3. The next year he was bumped to a #4 and won a saddle heeling for Hannah. Tyler’s number steadily increased to the #9 he is today.
“I’ve been very fortunate and had a lot of help through the years,” says Tyler. “Growing up watching the success my uncle had in his rodeo career was very influential for me.”
“The first clinic I ever went to was with Tyler Magnus. My uncle knew a lot of the better ropers and that was beneficial for me. Jory Levy came to our house for a few days when I was 17 and he was a big help. I still call him for help from time to time.”
Each year the PRCA holds the Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo where the top two contestants in every event of all twelve circuits compete. Tyler and partner, Jake Orman, were actually sitting third in the Texas circuit. However the top ranked team was participating in the ERA, disqualifying them from competition. The RNCFR was held April 7th – 10th in Kissimmee, Florida.
Tyler and Jake were 5.3 on their first steer, winning the round and earning $6,182 each. They then split the two-head average earning another $5,433 each. A quick 6.5-second run won the Semi-finals and another $7,493 each.
“For the Finals, the first team out was 5-flat,” explains Domingue. “We had already won over $19,000, so I told Jake just do what he wanted. He wanted to be fast.”
Orman and Domingue won the Finals with a 4.4-second run, earning an additional $7,493 for a total of $26,601 at the RNCFR.
When he’s not on the rodeo trail, Tyler rides horses at the 4F Performance Ranch in DeKalb, Texas. His dad, Mitch, is in the construction business, and his mom, Paula, is a nurse. His sister, Shelby, is currently competing at the Texas High School Finals in Abilene.
COWBOY Q&A
How much do you practice?
Every day.
Do you make your own horses?
Not all of them.
Who were your roping (rodeo) heroes?
Jory Levy.
Who do you respect most in the world?
My parents.
Who has been the biggest influence in your life?
My dad and my Uncle Mike.
If you had a day off what would you like to do?
Go to a beach.
How would you describe yourself in three words?
Dedicated, Happy, Winner.
What makes you happy?
Being successful.
What makes you angry?
Losing.
If you were given 1 million dollars, how would you spend it?
I’d give part of it to charity, give some to my family, and invest the rest.
What is your best quality – your worst?
My best quality is the ability to analyze and overcome situations. My worst quality is second-guessing myself.
