Lerwill returns to Pioneer Days

Home - Uncategorized - Lerwill returns to Pioneer Days

GUYMON, Okla. – Troy Lerwill is a combination of things: athlete, daredevil and comedian.

It all comes together in the Oklahoma Panhandle the first weekend in May for the Pioneer Days Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 1; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 2; and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 3, at Henry C. Hitch Pioneer Arena.

“Troy is one of the funniest guys out there, not just in rodeo,” said Pete Carr, owner of Pete Carr Pro Rodeo, a Dallas-based livestock firm that serves as the primary stock contractor in Guymon. “I try to get him as often as I can, because he brings a whole new dimension to each show. He’s the best entertainer in rodeo because of how he handles the crowd.

Troy Lerwill makes a jump during his act while performing at the 2012 Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days. He returns to the Oklahoma Panhandle this May, and the fans are ready. (ROBBY FREEMAN PHOTO)
Troy Lerwill makes a jump during his act while performing at the 2012 Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days. He returns to the Oklahoma Panhandle this May, and the fans are ready. (ROBBY FREEMAN PHOTO)

“Then you add his motorcycle act into the mix, and it’s just over-the-top. Everybody wants to come back the next day just to see it again.”

The motorcycle act involves Lerwill’s alter-ego, “The Wild Child,” who jumps a Bloomer trailer and a Ram pickup in a showcase of comedy mixed with athleticism.

“It’s funny every time I see it,” said Ken Stonceipher, the production manager for Pioneer Days Rodeo. “There’s just something magical in that entire act.”

It’s the magic that has been on display at Hitch Arena before. Fans in the Oklahoma Panhandle have been asking about Lerwill’s return, so the rodeo committee and Carr made sure he is part of this year’s showcase.

“For one, he’s a great funnyman,” said Jesse James Kirby, one of the top saddle bronc riders in the country. “He’s also a great motorcyclist. He can do things on that motorbike that you can’t even imagine people doing. It’s just really great, and he’s a great entertainer.

“On top of that, Troy is just a good person to be around. You can tell he’s doing something he enjoys doing. He puts on a show and makes it look good.”

That happens nationwide. Lerwill is one of the most celebrated acts in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. He’s been the barrelman at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo three times, has twice been named the Coors Man in the Can, and he’s been named the PRCA Act of the Year six times.

All those awards are nice, but what makes Lerwill one of the most sought-after entertainers in rodeo is what he does in the arena – in addition to his fantastic daredevil act, the Payson, Utah, man has the timing of a comedic genius.

It comes quite naturally to Lerwill, the son of a roper who grew up going to rodeos in Utah and Colorado with his father. Though he never competed, Troy Lerwill was hooked … even if it took a few years for him to realize it.

“I had a Shetland pony growing up, and I always like horses,” Lerwill said. “I roped with my dad when I was little, but I always wanted a motorcycle.”

His parents realized he was pretty good at maneuvering the machine and began taking him to desert races. By the time he was 12, Lerwill was excelling at motocross.

“It just evolved from there,” he said.

Racing was a big part of Lerwill’s life for a long time. But at age 24, Lerwill had begun riding mountain bikes through the Utah trails instead of the motorized ones over the quick jumps and turns of motocross. Through all that, he found a new rush: Bullfighting. The rodeo arena was drawing him back. He went to a bullfighting school, and a new career was born.

“I got my PRCA card in 1993,” he said. “I started doing the comedy stuff in ’95.”

It didn’t take long for Lerwill to step up his game. He has become one of the most sought-after acts in ProRodeo, and there’s good reason.

“People just love to watch Troy, because he’s that good,” Carr said. “He can bring people to your rodeo to see what he can do; that’s a true entertainer.”

For Lerwill, life is about reaching out to people and sharing his passion for the rodeo way of life. He may go about it in different terms than most cowboys, but there is a distinct passion involved in everything he does.

“I really don’t want the Western heritage and lifestyle, and the tradition of cowboy to go away, and I want young people to enjoy it like I did,” Lerwill said. “Rodeo is a huge chunk of our history.

“Even though I take a motorcycle to a rodeo and do a stunt, I hope it makes fans of people and they come back.”

Share:

Leave A Comment

Social

Latest News

Archives