19-year-old heeler Nicky Northcott dominated the rookie race and announced himself as rodeo’s next rising star.
The Resistol Rookie of the Year Award is one of the most unique honors in professional rodeo. Not only does it recognize the sport’s next generation of stars, it is also the only title a contestant gets just one chance to win.
For Nicky Northcott, however, that title was never the primary focus.
The 19-year-old heeler entered his rookie season with a single goal in mind: qualify for the National Finals Rodeo. And while he came heartbreakingly close—missing the Thomas & Mack Center by just $643—his dominance in the rookie race was undeniable. Northcott claimed the Rookie of the Year by more than $65,000, nearly doubling the earnings of his nearest competitor.
Hailing from Stephenville, Texas “the Cowboy Capital of the World” Northcott has quickly proven he belongs among rodeo’s elite. He currently partners with two-time world champion header Clay Smith, but their partnership didn’t happen overnight. The two first teamed up when Northcott was just 15 years old, after Smith asked him to heel at an Ariat World Series of Team Roping qualifier in Athens, Texas. Even then, the team was a hit.
Rodeo excellence runs deep in the Northcott family. Nicky’s father, Steve Northcott, was the 1996 world champion heeler, an NFR average winner, and a 10-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier. Now, nearly three decades later, Nicky is carving out a legacy of his own, following in his father’s footsteps while proving he’s much more than a familiar last name.
And with his rookie season now behind him, one thing is clear—Nicky Northcott is just getting started.