Playing second fiddle to heralded roper Brazile doesn’t ruffle partner

Jealousy, a little bit of ill will, maybe even some contempt.

Patrick Smith easily could experience at least one of those feelings as Trevor Brazile's team roping partner.

It's like being the Clippers and sharing Staples Center with the Lakers. The Clippers lead the division, but Los Angeles is focused on the purple and gold.

In Smith's case, Brazile leads the division and receives the attention, but if there are any ill feelings, Smith does a Meryl Streep-like acting job of hiding it.

"As far as team roping goes, you need a great partner," Brazile said. "I've worked with a lot of people that I could tell when I was doing good in my other events and having a rough spot in here, it didn't sit well with them. But (Smith) has been the best partner I've ever ridden with."

Brazile has good reason to respect Smith. The 32-year-old Smith appears to be closing in on his third championship, despite not winning any money in Thursday's eighth go-round of the National Finals Rodeo at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Three is the magic number in professional rodeo.

It's the number that usually means Hall of Fame induction. Only one cowboy with three titles is not in the Hall - John Bowman, who won steer roping in 1933 and 1936 and the all-around in '36.

Smith won championships in 2005 and 2010 in team roping - first with Clay Tryan and then Brazile.

"Being inducted in the Hall of Fame would be unimaginable," Smith said before Thursday's competition. "Yeah, it would definitely be a lifetime dream I would love to accomplish one day, but as for now I've got to focus on the steer tonight, the steer tomorrow and the steer the next night, and then we'll see what happens."

Smith holds a nearly $39,000 lead over second-place heeler Jade Corkill. In the projected standings, Smith is on pace for a more than $7,000 victory over Clay O'Brien Cooper, who has seven titles but none since 1994.

In addition to possibly winning the title, Smith could break his own team roping record for heelers of $202,189 that he made in 2010. He is at $184,403.

Teaming with Brazile, a 10-time all-around champion and 17-time overall titleholder, doesn't hurt Smith's chances.

But with Brazile racking up all those titles and receiving the attention that goes with such accomplishments, it could become easy for his team roping partner to get overlooked.

Being partners with Brazile, however, has helped raise Smith's profile.

"I don't think anyone thinks I'd be roping with a slouch," Brazile said.

Smith noted he has been married for eight years and teammates with Brazile for seven. "That's the thing about roping together so long, we're starting to establish a bit of a camaraderie with fans as far as being a fan of our team," Smith said. "Not just a fan of me or a fan or Trev, they're a fan of the Brazile and Smith team. That's something that's kind of cool to have."

The mutual respect is obvious.

"Everything he does is to be the best," Brazile said. "When you've got guys like that, they're not accidents. Those guys do what it takes to be the best. As a header or a heeler, it doesn't matter, you're always trying to trade up - get better horses, get better partners. Keep climbing that ladder.

"I'm not going to go up the heeling ladder. I'm not going to trade my heeler for anybody else. I think he's the best there is as an all-around partner."

■ NOTES - Former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and his wife, Ann, attended the NFR on Thursday. They were put on "kiss cam" on the arena's big screen, and the Romneys obliged with a pucker on the lips. ... The session's announced attendance was 17,479.

Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914. Follow him on Twitter: @markanderson65.