Monthly Archives: October 2010

Chris LeDoux not only was a great entertainer, he was a real cowboy. If you listen to his music, you can hear it. His tales were spun about the rodeo trail, likely written on the rodeo trail. I met the man in the late 1990s at the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson. I was covering the rodeo for The Hutchinson News, and a day after Brittany Spears’ people tried to have the livestock removed from the grandstands infield before she’d take the stage, I leaned against the fence and chatted about rodeo with a legend. He watched the rodeo, telling me how much he liked Ike Sankey’s buckin’ horses. I listened intently. Who wouldn’t listen to a fantastic storyteller who wore a world champion’s gold buckle? In what event, and in what year, did he win a PRCA world championship?

Three-time world champion bareback rider grew up going to the American Royal Rodeo, and Saturday night he earned a share of the rodeo’s title. http://www.kansascity.com/2010/10/30/2372848/gardner-native-wins-share-of-bareback.html

Jhett Johnson is one of the best heelers in team roping, a four-time qualifier to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. He’s also a friend. On Friday night before the American Royal Rodeo in Kansas City, we got to visit for a few minutes before he and his partner, Turtle Powell, made their second run inside Kemper Arena. It was good to catch up. I met Jhett through my lovely wife, Lynette, who went to college with the Wyoming cowboy at Panhandle State in Goodwell, Okla. He’s a family man – he and wife Jenny have three sons, Kress, Carson and Kellan – but he’s also a rodeo cowboy who makes his living on the road. That’s the tough juggling act. This year, Jhett followed a routine that had worked fine for him in the past, taking time off the rodeo trail. But he finished this season No. 20 in the world standings, five spots out of the championship in Las Vegas. “I won’t do that again,” he said. “My wife told me, ‘If you’re going to rodeo, rodeo.’ ” It’s hard to be away from loved ones for such a long time. The rodeo trail winds a long ways from the house, and sometimes it means being gone from loved ones for weeks at a time. But Johnson doesn’t plan to take that path too much longer. His wife’s words of encouragement were for Jhett Johnson to chase gold-buckle dreams while he can. She and their boys will be there when he gets off that rugged road.

Bobby Mote will compete in bareback riding on the final night of the American Royal Rodeo, but he was roping for big money Friday. http://www.kansascity.com/2010/10/29/2370864/champion-bareback-rider-looking.html

This is a story I wrote as one of the previews for the Dayton (Iowa) Championship Rodeo, which took place over Labor Day weekend. Boyd Polhamus is working with Randy Corley in announcing the American Royal Rodeo in Kansas City, and in about a month, they will work together at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. DAYTON, Iowa – If it hasn’t already happened, Boyd Polhamus is quickly becoming the voice of ProRodeo. He’s been selected to call the action at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo 14 times, including the last 11. More importantly, he’s been named the announcer of the year in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association each of the last three seasons. But for folks in central Iowa, he’s meant so much more than any award can represent. “He’s certainly been instrumental in making our rodeo better,” said Jim Heckman, chairman of the committee that produces the Dayton Championship Rodeo, set for 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 3-Sunday, Sept. 5, and 1:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 6. “He knows what timing’s all about. He understands what a production needs to look like, to help people keep coming back. “I think the main thing we have with him is bringing his expertise to our rodeo. With him being the announcer of the year, he does the top rodeos. For us to bring that knowledge to town is one of the biggest things.” Polhamus grew up in Wisconsin, rather distant from the rodeo-crazy Southwest. But a fire began to burn. “I won a pony in a raffle when I was 4 years old,” he said. “From that point forward, it was game on.” The game involved cowboys and cowgirls, bucking horses and nasty bulls. Polhamus lived it. He qualified for the National High School Finals Rodeo in six events his junior year and went to college in Texas to chase his rodeo dreams. It was there that his connection to rodeo changed from contestant to announcer, urged a little bit by classmates and his coach. He’s been a ProRodeo announcer for 25 years, earning his stripes at events all across the country. Besides the NFR, Polhamus has been the arena announcer for big rodeos in Omaha, Neb.; Houston; Denver; and Dodge City, Kan., just to name a few. Besides his PRCA honors, the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association has selected him as the announcer of the year three times. And for the last four years, he’s made Dayton, Iowa, his Labor Day home, and that’s just fine. “I think there are a plethora of things that are special about Dayton,” said Polhamus, of Brenham, Texas. “I love the way the fans sit on the hillside. That hillside is just amazing. It’s a steep hill, and people just stack on there. “I think people should witness the atmosphere in Dayton. You can get out in the country on Labor Day weekend. You can come to the heartland. There’s going to be a lot of grass, a lot of soil under your feet. There will be dances and vendors and the smell of barbecue in the air. You’re not going to get that anywhere else. It’s not like a county fair; it’s better than one.” Besides expertise, he carries a passion for rodeo. More, he adores the people involved in the sport, from the contestants to the personnel to the fans. “The volunteers who make up the Dayton rodeo committee live and breathe that rodeo,” Polhamus said. “They are 100 percent invested. It’s something they live for. They’re not only friendly; not only heartland, but they epitomize what you think of when you think of people from the heartland.” For Heckman and the others who work all year to prepare for the Labor Day weekend festivities, the words are nice. But the accolades aren’t why the rodeo committee has hired Polhamus to announce the event. “From our end, one of the biggest things he does is his homework,” Heckman said. “He knows the contestants. He can fill in a lot of space – that time between the action – so that it seems flawless. If someone is injured, he can narrate the story and let the crowd know what’s going on.” Polhamus isn’t the story, he’ll tell you; he’s the storyteller. He has learned the trait over the years, working with the best announcers in the business and developing his style. He’s told the stories of the greatest stars in ProRodeo, and he’s seen another generation take hold of its own legacy. He’s seen the triumph of world champions and the heartbreaking death of a friend in the biggest arena in rodeo. “Boyd has seen so much and uses all that every time he announces,” Heckman said. “He adds a lot to our rodeo, and we appreciate it. I think the fans appreciate it, too.” 

The saddle bronc riding Etbauer brothers own seven world championships between them. Billy Etbauer owns five, and Robert Etbauer owns two. Which Etbauer won the family’s first world championship, and what year did it happen?

The final two performances of the American Royal Rodeo take place Friday and Saturday night in Kansas City. While there was plenty of action last weekend, there’s no letting up over the final two nights. There are still plenty of top names in the business that will be showcasing their talents inside Kemper Arena. Some of those are the great animal athletes that will be featured in December at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. – Bareback horses: Stace Smith Pro Rodeo’s R.D. Mercer, Size Matters and Wild Flower; Smith, Harper and Morgan’s Jesse’s Girl; and Korkow Rodeo’s Quittin’ Time. – Saddle broncs: Smith’s Pretty Boy, Big Jet, Justin’s Sock Dancer, Goin’ South and Restol’s Top Hat; and Smith, Harper and Morgan’s Flaming Desire and Painted Feather. – Bulls: Smith’s Category 5 and Exotic Justin; and Smith, Harper and Morgan’s Smilin’ Bill. There are plenty of great human athletes in the mix, but these great animals have earned top billing. Today they get it.

During the three performances over three days in Park City, Kan., the top competitors primarily from Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska will battle for the top prize in the region at the Dodge Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo. This will be the first I’ve missed in a number of years, but I’ll keep an eye on the happenings as much as possible. Why? Because I know the action will be excellent. Take bareback riding, for example. The top three cowboys in the circuit are D.V. Fennell, Steven Dent and Justin McDaniel, all three of whom will be competing next month at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Combine that with some outstanding bucking horses, and you can only imagine what great things will be happening inside Hartman Arena. There are some outstanding storylines: – Veteran steer wrestler Shane Henderson is on the verge of his first year-end circuit title. – Team roping world champions Nick Sartain and Kollin VonAhn lead the circuit standings. –  Jesse James Kirby trails saddle bronc riding leader Cort Scheer by just $22 heading into the championship. – Two cowboys, tie down roper Hunter Herrin and steer roper Rocky Patterson, have clinched the year-end circuit titles in their events. So if you’re interested in a great show, sneak down to Hartman Arena this weekend on the north side of Wichita. You’ll be glad you did.

This is a busy time for team ropers who have qualified for the USTRC World Finals in Oklahoma City. Many will rope numerous times over this week, and those watching will get see all sorts of action in the handicapped format. I first saw Barrie in 2001 during the USTRC Finals. She was easy to notice, a blonde who roped in seemingly every event throughout the week-long championship. But I didn’t know who she was until I interviewed her earlier this year for Women’s Pro Rodeo News, the official magazine of the WPRA. It was then that I learned of a vibrant, fun-loving, hard-working cowgirl with a history of championships. Women’s all-around champion Jackie Hobbs called Barrie one of the “funnest people to rope with.” Barrie has a tireless work ethic, from training horses to roping for hours in the practice pen. But she carries a great attitude wherever she goes. “Good or bad, she’s going to be giggling or laughing all the way down the arena,” Jackie Hobbs said. “She’s one of those partners you feel no pressure roping behind at all.” Jacque Woolman, who led the heading world standings at one time this season and is the wife of world champion roper Tee Woolman, told me today how happy she is to call Barrie her friend. “She’s got a good attitude,” Jacque Woolman said. “If she wins, she wins. If she doesn’t, there’s another one. I think that says a lot about her.” It definitely says she’s a winner, in and out of the arena. But yesterday I visited with Barrie Smith of Stephenville, Texas, the 2010 Women’s Professional Rodeo Association heading world champion. She’s doing what she loves this week, competing at a high level for thousands and thousands of dollars at the Oklahoma State Fair.  

In doing my daily research on rodeo, I came across a piece by Dorothy Marie Kucera on allvoices.com, a website that enables writers to blog about anything (special thanks to Kelli Wright at MichaelGaffney.com for finding it originally). In her post, Dorothy writes about Sunday’s NBC telecast of the final day of the PBR World Finals. I applaud Dorothy watching and attempting to learn more about the sport, but her post is proof that we must get the word out about rodeo and bull riding to as many people as possible as soon as possible. “Those tight straps cinched around the poor animal’s chest and private parts are mean, in my opinion. If you have to create pain to make them jump so wildly, how does that further life on the ranch?” To clarify: There are two pieces of equipment around the animals. One is the bull rope that is wrapped around the bull’s chest and allows the cowboy to hang on with one hand while keeping his free hand from touching the animal in accordance to the rules; the other is the flank strap, which, as the name describes, is wrapped around the animal’s flank. The flank strap DOES NOT come in contact with the bull’s genitals. The bulls are not induced to buck by pain. No animal — especially a man — would be athletic in the least if a rope or string were wrapped around his “private parts.” These animals are worth a lot of money to their owners, both as bucking athletes and as dads and grandads to generations of bucking athletes. No stock contractor would want to injure a bull, hurting that investment, and the last thing a livestock owner would do is potentially destroy the development of his herd by damaging the bull’s testicles. My hope that the myths and untruths about the care of animals in rodeo and bull riding will be put to rest by folks with common sense. With education, we might get there. And while Dorothy’s post shed the light on the athleticism of these great bulls and bull riders in the PBR, many of her ignorant comments prove how far we have to go. Common sense goes a long way; let’s home more bloggers use it.

UPDATES (Comments include hints to the answer): So can you name the only person to have qualified for season-ending championship for seven — yes, SEVEN — associations? Post a comment and let me know your answers. Name the contestant and the associations.

Two summers ago, the rodeo world said goodbye to a legend in the sport, Clem McSpadden. The former general manager of the National Finals Rodeo, McSpadden was one of the greatest voices in the sport. He died in July 2008. This past May, I was invited by his widow, Donna, to visit Clem’s office in Chelsea, Okla., while I was in that neck of the woods for the Will Rogers Stampede in nearby Claremore. We spent hours talking, and I will always cherish that memory. I’m thankful for the friendship I had with Clem for so many years; I’m thankful for the friendship I have with Donna, too. It is a fabulous blessing. Below is a story I wrote the day after Clem’s death that appeared in several publications. It’s my tribute to a rodeo hero and legend, and a man who called me friend. He took a drag of his Marlboro Light and pondered just a moment. “He asked me that if he died before I did, would I read the Cowboy’s Prayer at his funeral,” Clem McSpadden told me, reflecting on his relationship with world champion bull rider Freckles Brown and the wonderful piece of prose he had written that had served as the benediction before hundreds of rodeo performances. “He did, and I did.” That was the first of many conversations/interviews I would have with Clem over my career as a rodeo journalist. He was working the Dodge City (Kan.) Round-Up that August, just as he had done for many summers. I was working at the Dodge City Daily Globe, and I knew Clem’s wonderful storytelling would translate quite well to the paper’s readership. We sat in a booth at Big Art’s Steaks and Spirits for hours that day as he recounted much of his award-winning, public-servant life. That was 12 summers ago, but that fabulous experience is welded deep in my memory. Clem died late Monday, July 7, 2008, after a long battle with cancer. I miss my friend already, less than 24 hours after his courageous fight ended. My move to Oklahoma Whether it was in Weatherford or Kingfisher or Guymon or at the Lazy E Arena, Clem McSpadden and I ran our boots in the same red dirt often during my six-year reign at The Oklahoman, where I spent a number of years as the rodeo correspondent. Each time we’d gather, Clem would ask about my life. He genuinely cared about me, but that was Clem McSpadden with literally hundreds of people. His heart was the biggest and best thing about him. His stories weren’t far behind, whether it was a tale about how he began his announcing career or stories about his grandchildren. He was a wealth of knowledge on so many subjects, and he wasn’t afraid to give you his honest opinion – about the state of politics today or about his concerns for the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. He was an easy source for me when I needed some background on a rodeo story. He had the classic ability to take a five-minute phone call and turn it into an hour of joy, recanting stories or opining about his passions. In my time with Clem, I learned more about the sport of rodeo, about its history, about its people. I felt as though I knew Lane Frost well, though we’d never met. I heard stories about Freckles Brown and Roy Cooper and Tom Ferguson. I felt the affection Clem held for so many people, whether it was his beloved wife, Donna, or world champions like Roy Duvall. Each time we kicked at the dirt or sat together in the announcer’s stand or just greeted one another in passing, he said the same thing: “Ted, my friend, how are you?” with emphasis added on “you.” As I imagine hundreds will say over the course of the coming days and weeks, Clem McSpadden cared about you. I will cherish that memory as much as any other. A story himself Clem was a storyteller, whether it was over the microphone at Round-Up Arena in Dodge City or in that booth at Big Art’s or over the phone from his Oklahoma City apartment, which he kept while working in the state’s capital city. My wife and I were fortunate enough to be inside the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas in December 2005 for the first performance of that year’s National Finals Rodeo, when my friend strolled out in front of the bucking chutes to pay his tribute to the sport he loved so dearly. He said the Cowboy’s Prayer and “If Our Flag Could Talk,” two wonderful pieces he penned. Then he told a story of paying a talented young lady from southeastern Oklahoma $10 to sing the National Anthem during the 1974 National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City, where Clem served as the general manager for 18 years. Upon the conclusion of that tale, Clem held up a $10 bill and introduced, again, Reba McEntire before a sold-out crowd. As I listened to my friend that night, I heard the pride in his raspy, well-used voice, and I felt the chills shiver my body. I looked at my wife, and a tear stemming from my own pride fell from my eye.  A few months later while visiting with Donna McSpadden at the Lazy E Arena, she added to that wonderful story. That evening after the rodeo, she said, the McSpaddens were invited to the large suite Reba shared with her family. Upon entering, Clem and Donna were greeting by a $10-bill-wielding Reba. “Clem, this $10 bill paid for all this,” she said, referring, of course, her phenomenal career. I can only image how much Clem’s heart swelled that evening, but I could definitely see it in the eyes of his lovely wife as she let us in on a reflection of his life. Far too long I don’t remember the last time I spoke with Clem McSpadden. It’s been several months,  Continue Reading »

Brazilian Renato Nunes parlayed a great season and a fantastic run at this week’s world finals in Las Vegas to earn the 2010 Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough world champion. In the process, he became the third Brazilian in five years to win the title — Guilherme Marchi won the 2008 championship, and Adriano Moraes in 2006. Moraes won two other titles — in 1994 and 2001 — and countryman Ednei Caminhas won the 2002 championship. If you throw in Australian Troy Dunn’s title in 1998, you can see the true meaning of the term “world champion.”

It was a great rodeo Saturday night at Kemper Arena. Here’s the story I wrote for the Kansas City Star. http://www.kansascity.com/2010/10/23/2346787/oklahoman-wins-bronc-riding-at.html

The third performance of the American Royal Rodeo was a pretty fair showcase of world champions. – Saddle bronc riders Taos Muncy and Billy Etbauer – Tie-down roper Monty Lewis – Steer wrestlers Dean Gorsuch, Jason Miller and Luke Branquinho. All faired very well Saturday night. Gorsuch led the parade of champions with a 4.0-second steer wrestling run, followed by Miller’s 4.2. Branquinho stole the show with his 3.4; combined with his 3.5 in the first round, he leads the aggregate competition. Muncy posted a quality bronc ride, matching moves with Betty Bucks for 85 points. The final ride of the night, Billy Etbauer on Let R Rip, capped the buckin’ horse business with an 88. That’s pretty salty for any cowboy, much less a 47-year-old bronc buster with five world championships in his hip pocket. Lewis roped and tied his calf in 11.6 seconds, good enough for fifth place on Saturday night in Kemper Arena.  The American Royal is boasting the best of the best. On Saturday night, the gold buckles were shining brightly.

The 2010 PBR world championship is going to come down to the final three go-rounds of the long season. On Friday night, Brazilian Renato Nunes scored 89.25 on the bull Closet Gangster to win the third round and collect another $25,000. More importantly, it moved him to No. 2 in the Built Ford Tough Series world standings, leapfrogging J.B. Mauney in the process. But get this: He trails standings leader Austin Meier by just 119 points. Nunes has ridden all three bulls he’s attempted at the PBR World Finals this week; Meier has ridden one. Mauney has yet to ride a bull. For tonight’s round, Nunes has drawn the bull SoulJa Boy, an animal he has tried twice this season. Their first meeting resulted in a 90.5-point score in Pueblo, Colo. Nunes was bucked off the second time. The next two days will tell a lot. And it’ll mean the world to one of the best bull riders in the game.

Night Two coverage of the American Royal PRCA Rodeo. http://www.kansascity.com/2010/10/22/2344800/rider-from-south-dakota-has-best.html

Shaun Stroh had just finished riding Friday at the American Royal PRCA Rodeo, spurring for an 85 for the night’s best score in saddle bronc riding, yet he wasn’t done. On the cement floor of a makeshift locker room near small restrooms, Stroh sat in his bronc saddle and shuffled his feet, all the while taking in the advice Bobby Griswold had to offer about the elaborate piece of equipment and the best way to make it work. Forty-five minutes early, Dusty Hausauer did the same thing, working on the mechanics of the saddle, intently focused on Griswold’s words. All three men are among the elite in saddle bronc riding, and they’ve all played on the grandest stage in the sport, the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. But if there is a way to make things better, they’re all interested in learning. Besides making a living on the rodeo trail, Griswold is also an equine dentist. When I witnessed his educating, I said jokingly, “Heck, I thought all Bobby did was fix teeth.” Stroh said, “He fixes bronc riders, too.”

At one time, the SandHills Stock Show and Rodeo and the National Western Livestock Show and Rodeo were the first big events of the new season. Both take place in early January. But that’s changed with this year’s American Royal. Here’s a link to the Friday, Oct. 22, story in The Kansas City Star. http://www.kansascity.com/2010/10/21/2341523/riddle-and-dent-jump-into-lead.html

There are many differences between the PBR and a traditional rodeo, but as the world finals takes place this week in Las Vegas, the points system employed by the PBR is the focus as it prepares to crown its world champion. In rodeo, dollars equal points, so the contestant in each event who has earned the most money is the world champion. In the PBR, the cowboy with the most points at the end of the season wins the title. For instance, Austin Meier of Kinta, Okla., has 10,977.25 points. He has earned $263,704. I won’t begin to try to explain how the points system works. I’ll leave that to TV announcer Justin McKee. But Brazilian Renato Nunes has placed in both go-rounds so far and has earned 778 points. But he’s also earned $28,000 in two days. Having that much money available is incredible, but the PBR has been doing that sort of thing for a long time.

Caine Riddle has been around rodeo all his life. It’s just natural His daddy is Rusty Riddle, who rode bareback horses on the biggest stage in ProRodeo, the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. His momma is the former Dollie Beutler, whose family has been in the stock contracting business since 1929. I’ve seen him as a youngster working behind the scenes at Beutler & Son Rodeo Co. events. I’ve seen him try to ride bareback horses when he was still learning the trade. On Thursday night at the American Royal PRCA Rodeo, he rode an NFR-caliber bucking horse for 84 points and took the lead in bareback riding at the first Wrangler Million Dollar Gold Tour Rodeo of the 2011 season. There are four more performances remaining, but he made a move he should be proud of. This weekend, his grandfather, Jiggs Beutler, will be inducted into the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum’s Rodeo Historical Society Hall of Fame. The family is plenty proud of the heritage set forth decades ago. It’s equally proud Caine Riddle.

Dustin Elliott won the opening go-round of the Professional Bull Riders World Finals on Wednesday night by scoring an 89.25 on the Boyd/Floyd Bull Co. bull Hee Bee Gee Bee. It was a great start to the postseason for the North Platte, Neb., cowboy, who moved his 2010 PBR earnings to $75,643. It also moved Elliott to 15th place in the Built Ford Tough Series points race with 5,241.50, about 5,500 behind world standings leader Austin Meier of Kinta, Okla. It’s the first of two championship events in which the Oregon-born Elliott will compete this season — he also qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo as one of the top 15 bull riders in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, where he earned more than $80,000 this season. That’s a pretty salty year for the 2004 PRCA world champion, who had to be creative in his travel plans in order to compete for world titles in both organizations. And qualifying for the PBR World Finals and the NFR in the same season is an incredible feat in this day and age. Can you name the last bull rider to qualify for both finales in the same season, and what year did that happen?

The link will take you to a story I wrote that appears in today’s Kansas City Star: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/10/20/2336912/american-royal-rodeo-will-feature.html

Since he became a member of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association five years ago, Pete Carr has made a name for himself as an innovative stock contractor. He took it up a notch in 2010. Carr Pro Rodeo established a significant name in its inaugural year, when Real Deal was named PRCA Bareback Riding Horse of the Year. Two years later, River Boat Annie finished as the runner-up to the world champion bareback horse. This year, Pete Carr stepped out on a ledge and hired me to be his media director. I am grateful. It is a wonderful opportunity, and I hope the work we’ve done was not only beneficial to Carr Pro Rodeo, but to the committees that hired the livestock firm. There are several things that make Pete unique, but the common theme among those I visited with was that he works hard to make each performance, each rodeo better. Contestants love the fact that they have a chance to win every time they arrive at a Carr rodeo. Better yet, the committees love the work ethic because the entire Carr crew goes out of its way to help committee members present a showcase to the fans. Make no mistake: Pete loves outstanding bucking animals, and he has a pasture full of them. But I firmly believe Pete Carr wants to make the sport better, from great horses and bulls to a production that keeps fans wanting to come back for more. He also knows the importance of a good promotion campaign, which helps draw fans to the arena. Rodeo needs more innovative thinkers like Carr. It’s refreshing. Moreover, it’s needed to help the sport grow.