The end of the 60th annual Rodeo de Santa Fe was only the beginning of a long, hard summer for Justin Yost and Britt Bockius.

The results for the calf-roping team in Santa Fe were similar to the first week of their grueling rodeo schedule — Yost and Bockius came up empty-handed.

They were the first pair out of the shoot for the team roping competition of Saturday afternoon's "matinee" session at the Santa Fe Rodeo Grounds — and the first to fail to score a point. Their performance got off on the wrong foot when Yost, the header, left his area early to incur a 10-second infraction. After roping the head of the calf, Bockius was left with the legs to secure a decent — albeit higher — time, but he missed.

"I didn't do a very good job," Bockius said. "I'm supposed to catch that steer. Justin breaks the barrier and that's 10 (seconds), but when the steer turns, I'm supposed to rope both back feet, and I didn't. It happens."

After a four-week layoff, the pair was hoping to build upon the success of a prosperous spring. Yost had roped his way to 13th place among all headers in the latest headers team roping standings with $23,284. Bockius is 16th among the heelers with $21,497.

So far, Yost and Bockius have come up dry on the money list. They couldn't do it at the Reno (Nev.) Rodeo last week, nor could they at the Pecos (Texas) Rodeo on Friday. They'll try their luck at Greeley, Colo., on Monday, and Cody, Wyo., later in the week.

Their summer push is intended to guide them to the one rodeo all cowboys pine for — the National Finals Rodeo in December in Las Vegas, Nev.

"Our winter months were well enough that we got a chance to possibly make the NFR," Bockius said. "Realistically, that is our goal. That's what we both want to see."

For Yost, it would be a special distinction for someone who was raised in Mt. Morris, Penn., which is an hour south of Pittsburgh and just minutes from Maryland. Yost grew up riding horses on his family's ranch, and competing at junior rodeo events in the area as a heeler.

The break he needed was when he attended a roping clinic when he was 13. It was taught by none other than Bockuis, who has reached the NFR 13 times in his 17-year career. It fueled Yost's passion and eventually led him to moving to Texas with a family friend within a year.

"I felt like my heeling was nowhere near good enough, not like what Britt is," Yost said. "I felt like I got good enough to catch (steers) fast (as a header)."

Yost felt confident enough to turn pro in 2008 and teamed with Jory Levy. The pair finished in the Top 30, but Yost believed he could do better.

Enter Bockius.

"I knew that he didn't have a partner, and I was at a point in my career where economically, it makes better sense not to go out as much and stay close to home," said Bockius, who lives in Bartlesville, Okla. "It works good."

The relationship is strong because of the friendship the two have. It means nothing to Yost for Bockius to tease him by calling him "a Yankee," and they've learned to enjoy life on the road as much as possible.

"He knows how to have fun and make life fun," Yost said. "That's what it's about. You can't be bored. It's better to be with a guy like that, than to be with someone who just sleeps, ropes and don't drink. We go out there and experience life and have fun doing it."

With two more months of rodeos in the distance, Yost and Bockius just might get the fun portion of their journey down. As long as the fun translates in the arena.

Contact James Barron at 986-3045 or jbarron@sfnewmexican.com. Read his blog, the Read Barron, at thereadbarron.com