story by Lily Weinacht
Q.B. Cobb (header) 2013 World Series Finale
– JenningsRodeoPhotography.com
Q.B. Cobb from Pampa, Texas, has been competing in the TCRA since graduating high school. Now 28, he competes primarily in steer wrestling, while also team roping as a header. Q.B. was inspired by both his dad, Craig Cobb, and his older brother, Zach Cobb, to rodeo. He grew up roping, but was thrust into steer wrestling by his dad and brother when he was 15. “I didn’t want to steer wrestle, but they entered me in a rodeo and told me I’d have to walk home if I didn’t compete,” Q.B. recalls. “I went out, but I hit the dirt very, very hard. The horse we had would run into the back fence if you didn’t jump for your steer. That had me pretty scared, so I was jumping either way!”
Despite the rough start to his event, Q.B. came to love the thrill of steer wrestling, and competed in it through high school. He rodeoed for two years at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas, and another two years at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, steer wrestling, team roping, and tie-down roping. While college rodeoing, Q.B. studied for his bachelor’s in sports and exercise, and after graduating, he taught elementary P.E. for two years. He now works on his dad’s feedlot. “It’s pretty easy to get away to rodeo when your dad is the boss!” Q.B. says with a laugh. “We raise about 150 momma cows.”
Q.B. and his wife, Jerica, live about 20 miles outside of Pampa. They were high school sweethearts and married four years ago. Their son, Beau, is nine months old. Jerica is a first grade teacher, and while she doesn’t rodeo, she and Beau travel with Q.B. to nearly all of his rodeos. “Rodeo is something fun that I can do with my family, and that’s why I like to go,” says Q.B. His horses include Tucker and Maverick. “Tucker’s a big red roan. He’s an ex barrel horse since he ran off all the time, so my brother and I decided to turn him into a steer wrestling horse, and he’s the best one we’ve owned so far. My hazing horse is Maverick; he’s a big bay. TJ Bohlender often hazes for me, or sometimes my dad does.”
In addition to the TCRA, Q.B. is a six header in the World Series of Team Roping. The World Series of Team Roping Finale in Las Vegas in 2014 marked his fourth trip to the finals, and he plans to return again in 2015. He and his partner, Trew Cates, won the #11 at the WSTR Finale in 2011, their time of 8.66 unbeatable. In the time between work and rodeo, Q.B. and his family enjoy surfing on Lake Whitney in the summer and staying at a lakehouse. But Q.B.’s chief focus in the summer is rodeo, with his favorite being the Fourth of July rodeo in Canadian, Texas. “They always get a good crowd and put on a good show, plus they have the most added money!”
While he has competed in the TCRA finals ten times and won average and reserve champion in steer wrestling several times, Q.B.’s latest goal is to win year-end champion in the steer wrestling, and he’ll pursue it in his sure and steady way.
