Nastri’s Legend Grows at Dodge First Frontier Circuit Finals
January 21, 2010 by Mike Allison
Filed under Cowboy Spirit News
Courtesy of ProRodeo.com
| Carmine Nastri swept the all-around, team roping and tie-down roping average titles at the Dodge First Frontier Circuit Finals held Jan. 14-16 in Harrisburg, Pa. Nastri, from Ballston Spa, N.Y., roped with Lewis Rimes Jr., in the team roping. |
HARRISBURG, Pa. – In 2004, the ProRodeo Sports News ran a cover story on Carmine Nastri headlined Frontier Legend, and not much has changed since then, except the size of the legend.
Nastri was the all-around, team roping and tie-down roping champion at the Jan. 14-16 Dodge First Frontier Circuit Finals Rodeo at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Arena – a triple-crown feat he has managed in three decades.
Nastri, of Ballston Spa, N.Y., and Screven, Ga., has 22 year-end titles to his credit in the First Frontier Circuit and so many circuit finals rodeo buckles he has lost track.
“I got my permit when I was 15 and my card a year later,” Nastri said. “I’m 49 now and still going. It was pointed out to me the other morning that I was the oldest guy in the calf roping. Whenever you do well, it is important to you. This win was just as important to me as any of them.”
Nastri and Lewis Rimes Jr., who roped together all season with an eye toward qualifying for the Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo, got the job done in dominating fashion. They shared first place in round one, placed in round two and had a three-head average time of 27.3 seconds to beat Nastri’s older brother, Bucky, and Derek Carey by 7.5 seconds.
“Team roping was my focus all along; the tie-down roping title was a bonus,” Nastri said. “I had not set that as a goal.”
Goal or not, Nastri was even more dominant going solo. He won the first round in 10.3 seconds, placed third in round three and had a three-head average time of 34.5 seconds – 21.4 seconds faster than runner-up Erik Hartenstein.
All of this added up to Nastri’s winning the all-around title with total earnings of $6,543.
The other Dodge First Frontier Circuit Finals Rodeo champions were bareback rider Doug Sanders (220 points on three head), steer wrestler Kirk Trumpower (13.6 seconds on three head), saddle bronc rider Chad Alesky (216 points on three head), barrel racer Nickie Stoltzfus (44.56 seconds on three runs) and bull rider Dustin Shepard (155 points on two head).
