story by Lindsay King
One of the most important people in the rodeo arena isn’t on the arena floor at all, they are up in the crow’s nest keeping your time. For the past thirty years, Patty Jestes from Axtell, Nebraska, has been a timer. “I bought a young horse from Randy and the late Vaughn Rhone in the 70s and they eventually taught me how to rope. I ended up doing books for some of their team roping events, along with some books for Tom and Joe Phillips, and I have not stopped timing since,” said the M-SRA and NSRA timer. Patty competed in barrels and team roping in the Girls Rodeo Association, NSRA and M-SRA starting in the 70s until the mid-90s.
Kim Phillips was the first to officially ask Patty to time for an association. “I never really wanted to be a secretary, timing intrigued me more. I have to stay focused the entire rodeo as a timer.” The minute details of timing are what keep Patty intrigued by the job. “I have to make sure I am are aware of where the judgers are all the time, so I can watch their flags. Not to mention I have to be precise when I start and stop the stopwatch.” Breakaway roping has to be the toughest event to time for Patty. “I watch the girls come out of the chute and in a split second the run is over. As a timer, I have to be precise about starting the watch when they leave and know where the judge is in these three to five second runs.”
Patty was asked to take her timing skills to the M-SRA finals a few years ago. “I have worked with some very good individuals over the years. Maureen Hollenbeck and I have timed the finals together for the past two years.” Generally, there are two timers for every rodeo. High school rodeos usually have four timers since two events are running at the same time. “Timers stay the same throughout an entire rodeo, so everything stays consistent. It can be a lot of pressure sometimes when things are going so quickly for a prolonged period of time.” Patty is partial to timing team roping, simply because it is the event that got her started in rodeo.
“The competitiveness was never my favorite part, I just did not find it to be that much fun. When it gets really competitive, I bail and that is probably why I like the timing so much.” Working with the people in the M-SRA is what keeps Patty and her stopwatch coming back year after year. “I enjoy the contestants and being around all the people. I get to work with some great judges and committees in the M-SRA.” She plans to continue timing for as long as possible.
Patty grew up showing in 4-H in Lexington, Nebraska, switching to team roping in the 70s, moving to Axtell in 1981 when she married Tim. Patty’s son Tyler is engaged to Brook and they have an eight-year-old son named Chase. “My grandson Chase is starting to get involved with riding. It is fun to have someone to ride with me.” For the last 18 years, Patty has worked for Pioneer seed dealer Madsen Seeds in Minden. “I would not trade it for the world. I do all the bookwork and, in the spring,, I run the bean inoculation. In the spring and fall when we are busy I do a lot of the cooking for the harvest help also, so I do a little bit of everything out here.” Outside of rodeo, Patty spends her time riding or bowling. “I bowl on a league, but our new hobby is traveling. We have been to the ERA finals, the American and the NFR in the past three years.”