Poplar Bluff native placed 2nd in George Strait Team Roping Classic | Community Spirit

POPLAR BLUFF, MO (KFVS) - A Poplar Bluff native recently competed at the 30th Annual George Strait Team Roping Classic in San Antonio, Texas.

Casey Hicks from Poplar Bluff and Jake Pianalto won second place, each earning $40,700 and a saddle signed by George Strait.

The event was March 9 and considered a Super Bowl of Roping. It included 545 teams from all over the country. Each team paid $500 per man, and the top 50 teams competed for cash and prizes that totaled over $700,000.

Hicks is the son of Ken and Joy Hicks of Poplar Bluff and the Grandson of Jessie and Marie Hicks and Emil Shelton, who are all very proud of Casey, along with the rest of the family. He lives in Claremore, Okla. and started team roping at the age of five. He won his first belt buckle in team roping at age seven.

Hicks has won belt buckles, saddles, horse trailers, and many other things over the years. In 2002 he captured the American Paint Horse Association PAC’s 4–H timed event national champion award. He was featured with an action team roping photograph and caption in the April 2003 edition of the American Paint Journal. In 2005 Hicks received Rookie Of World from American Paint Horse Association, and in 2008 he became a member of PRCA which is the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association and also received Rookie Of The Year from ACRA.

Another good year for Hicks was in 2010 when he received Rookie Of The Year from IPRA and All Around Cowboy and Champion Header from ACRA. He has also been on the RFD Channel and on KFVS Sports in 2007. November 2011 he showed JF Lil Suzy Q owned by Doug Watts, placed 6th in the world out of 90 horses at AQHA World Show in Oklahoma City, Okla. Upon doing this he was presented with the award of Intermediate Open Champion.

Hicks continues to participate at AQHA shows and rodeos in the IPRA, ARCA, CRRA and PRCA. He is sponsored by: Cactus Ropes, Pro Equine, Cactus Saddlery, Dixon Flowers Rope Horses and Hicks Paint Horses.

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