The Steer Roping Championship of the Heartland Tour Series will be held today in Amarillo.

The Series Championships for all other events ended late Saturday night in Waco.

Let's emphasize that this is not the National Finals Rodeo Steer Roping championship to be held Nov. 11-15 in Hobbs, N.M. However, that event was held in Amarillo from 2001-2005.

The format today is for the Heartland Tour's top 30 steer ropers to compete in three rounds, with the top 12 based on the three scores advancing to the finals.

Headliners include 18-time NFR champion Guy Allen of Potosi and two-time and reigning world champion steer roper Trevor Brazile. Others are 2005 world champion Scott Snedecor and 2002 world champion Buster Record.

The Heartland Tour Series was created in 2007 by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association sanctioned-events with a purse of $30,000 or less. Nearly 300 rodeos participated in the tour series.

By comparison, Abilene's West Texas Fair & Rodeo effort paid nearly $80,000, said rodeo secretary Dollie Riddle.

Western Texas leads region

Western Texas College in Snyder stands atop the men's team rankings in the Southwest Region of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association after the first two events of the year.

The first two events were at Eastern New Mexico University in Portales, N.M., and Sul Ross State University in Alpine. The third event ended late Saturday in Vernon, hosted by Vernon College.

Tarleton State University leads the women's standings after the first two rodeos.

The fall season ends Oct. 23-25 in Lubbock, hosted by Texas Tech University. Southwest Region action is shut down until March 3-5 at Ranger College.

Southwest Region rodeo notes

Casey Crow has been named the rodeo coach at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, replacing Mark Eakin who moved to Tarleton State University in Stephenville in July.

Crow is the older brother of Josh Crow, rodeo coach at South Plains College in Levelland.

Crow was a member of the WTA&M men's rodeo team from 1998-2001. He received his bachelor's degree in 2001. While a member of the team, Crow was Southwest Region and National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association president in 2000. A calf-roper, he is a member of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.

Not rodeo but noteworthy

Cody Hedlund, a three-time national high school boys cutting champion, has moved from Acampo, Calif., to Weatherford to attend Weatherford College. He won the national high school cutting championship in July in Farmington, N.M. He also won his freshman and junior year, finishing second as a sophomore.

The Fort Worth City Council is considering building a $35 million parking facility adjacent to the Will Rogers Complex to alleviate parking problems during the Fort Worth Live Stock Show and Rodeo, the three major events of the National Cutting Horse Association and other major shows during the year.

Schedule update

Today Dist. 9, National Barrel Horse Association, Taylor County Expo Center Horse Barn, Abilene

Thursday-Saturday Southwest Region, National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association, Wilbarger County 4-H Arena, Vernon

Friday-Sunday Big Country Cutting Horse Association, Nolan County Coliseum, Sweetwater

Oct. 21-23 State 4-H Working Cow Horse Clinic, Taylor County Expo Center, Abilene

Oct. 23-25 Southwest Region, National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association, Texas Tech University Equestrian Center, Lubbock

Oct. 24-26 High Sky Quarter Horse Show, Nolan County Coliseum, Sweetwater

Oct. 24-26 Roping Fiesta, San Angelo

Oct. 25-26 West Texas Barrel Racing Association, Taylor County Expo Center Covered Outdoor Arena, Abilene

Oct. 26 Lone Star Stables Equestrian Eventing Meet, Lone Star Stables, Abilene