Minot man satisfies desire for competition with team roping; will rope at Y’s Men’s Rodeo
Minot, N.D. (September 17, 2018) – Blake Eggl is competitive.
In high school and college, football fed his competitive drive.
When he graduated from Minot State University in 2012 and school sports were over, rodeo filled the void.
And for the first time, the Minot native will compete at the pro rodeo in his hometown.
Eggl is one of twelve tie-down ropers to qualify for the upcoming Y’s Men’s Rodeo, hosting the Badlands Circuit Finals Rodeo.
To compete at the Badlands Circuit Finals, a cowboy has to be one of the top twelve in his or her event, after the Pro Rodeo Cowboys Association season of rodeos in North Dakota and South Dakota is complete.
Eggl began rodeo as soon as he was able to ride a horse, by the age of seven or eight. He traveled with his dad, Kelly Eggl, also a tie-down roper, and the duo went to rodeos sanctioned by the Rough Riders; those rodeos had events for both adults and kids.
But rodeo was on the back burner during high school and college. “Growing up, I loved football, and still do,” he said. A college scholarship to play football was a priority.
He played for Minot State as a running back and on special teams as an underclassman. His senior year, Eggl was a starter.
After college graduation in 2012, Eggl was back to the rodeo arena. He continued competition in the Rough Riders, traveling with his dad again, and also at PRCA rodeos. His dad had roped at the Y’s Men’s Rodeo, before it hosted the Badlands Circuit Finals, and Blake remembered sitting in the stands, watching. He wanted to rope at the Y’s Men’s Rodeo, but it required being in the top twelve in the circuit.
And each year, there was an obstacle. Two knee surgeries and a back surgery, all from football injuries, limited his rodeo.
This year, he was ready. “This is the healthiest I’ve been since I was 22,” he said. Eggl roped at 35 pro rodeos and another 30-plus amateur rodeos this year.
Juggling work and rodeo has been a challenge. Working for an agricultural company, he’s free to compete on the weekends. Sometimes he would get home on Monday morning in the wee hours and be ready for work by 8 am.
He figures he’s rarely missed a year of the Y’s Men’s Rodeo. Even during college, he’d attend on the Thursday night; football practice and a game took precedence on the weekend.
And this time, Eggl will be at the rodeo, but not in the stands. He’ll be roping. “I’ve always wanted to make the circuit finals, but when it’s in your hometown, man, I really want to make it,” he said. “I’m super excited.”
Eggl, along with the other competitors, will compete four times: Friday, Oct. 5 at 7 pm, Sat., Oct. 6 at 1 pm and 7 pm, and Sun. Oct. 7 at 1:30 pm. The year-end champion and average champion (the contestant with the fastest times or highest scores after four runs) will be determined on Sunday, and qualify for the RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo in Florida next April.
Eggl is married to Ashley, also a Minot native.
The 64th annual Minot Y’s Men’s Rodeo is October 5-7 at All Seasons Arena at the North Dakota State Fair Center. Note that there is no Thursday night show this year; it has been moved to a Saturday matinee. Tickets range in price from $13 to $33 and can be purchased online at www.MinotYsMensRodeo.com. For more information, visit the website or call 701.833.1761.