Monthly Archives: October 2010

Brittany Pozzi has won two barrel racing world championships with plenty of assistance from Sixth Vision, a 13-year-old gelding Now Kristen Williams is hoping for the same results. And Williams’ run on Stitch at the 2010 All-American Series Finals in Waco, Texas, might be a good indication of what lies ahead in the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association. Williams purchased Stitch from Pozzi in August, and it’s been a nice team since. The two worked together around the cloverleaf barrel pattern inside the Extraco Events Center six times, with the final run being their fastest. In all, Williams earned $15,297, with $7,000 coming in the championship round of the bracket-style competition. Williams is married to Clayton Williams, a bull rider who, although a veteran, is making his first trip to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo this December. The son of stock contractor Terry Williams, Clayton made a name for himself in Oklahoma City in 2007 and 2008, when he won the Professional Bull Riders events both years and earned $740,000. But Kristen Williams is going to parlay her relationship with Stitch into rodeoing full time. She’s going to take her shot at qualifying for the NFR in 2011, and she knows that having an exceptional horse is a great start.

Below is a story I wrote for Classic Pro Rodeo about its great horse, Big Tex. On Friday, Oct. 15, the big, bay gelding was named the PRCA bareback riding horse of the year. Since the story was released, Big Tex was ridden another time in Texarkana, Ark.; Brandon Holmes rode the horse for 88 points, the only time in 2010 Big Tex and his rider were marked less than 90. WASKOM, Texas – When rodeo cowboys sleep, they dream of great bucking horses and world championships. “The reason why we ride bareback horses is to get on horses like Big Tex,” Steven Peebles said of the Classic Pro Rodeo horse that has been one of the top broncs in the business the past four years. In fact, Big Tex was named the 2008 reserve world champion bareback horse in a vote of the men who strapped themselves to the top bucking horses, the bareback riders. “He’s big and stout and a lot of fun to ride,” said Peebles, a qualifier to the 2009 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo from Redmond, Ore. “Anytime you get on him, you can be in the 90s on him.” In rodeo, 90-points-or-better markings are the high-water mark for bareback riders, saddle bronc riders and bull riders. Based on the 100-point scale, half the score is based on the animal’s bucking and action, and half is based on the cowboy’s ability. Scores in the 80s are great; scores in the 90s are phenomenal and rare. In 2010, cowboys who have made the qualifying eight-second rides on Big Tex have scored in the 90s, which is virtually unheard of in the world of rodeo. In fact, the world record of 94 points was matched this past June, when Tilden Hooper of Carthage, Texas, matched moves with Big Tex at the Wild Wild West Pro Rodeo in Silver City, N.M. “That is a fantastic horse and has been for a long time,” Hooper said of Big Tex, a 10-year-old bay gelding. “He’s always special. That day with me, he was more special than he’s ever been. I did feel like I made a pretty good ride, but that day that horse was just phenomenal.” When two great athletes work together, magic happens. It’s like Joe Montana connecting with Jerry Rice. It’s something Classic Pro Rodeo owner Scotty Lovelace saw in the animal when he purchased Big Tex from Jim and Maggie Zinser of J-Bar-J Rodeo. “Jim Zinser is a bucking horse man, and he has been since I was rodeoing back in the 1980s,” said Lovelace, who has owned his Waskom, Texas-based livestock firm for 20 years. “He and his wife are friends of mine, and they’ve made a name for themselves because of the horses they raise up in Michigan. “With Big Tex, it’s very seldom you will find a horse that is that big and that athletic. If you compared rodeo to football, Big Tex is like a lineman that is tremendously athletic.” The more the horse bucks, the more he’s appreciated by the jockeys who attempt to ride him. Peebles had his chance this past March when he and Big Tex matched moves in Reliant Stadium in the shootout round of RodeoHouston, where the winner earns the $50,000 top prize. The judges said the young cowboy failed to have the heels of his boots over the front shoulders of Big Tex on the horse’s first jump out of the chute, a disqualifying penalty. Some who saw the ride believe the penalty cost Peebles the championship. “I wasn’t judging, but I think I had a pretty good chance,” Peebles said. “I’d love to have that horse before the NFR or at the NFR. That’s a horse I wouldn’t mind riding every time I enter a rodeo.” While Peebles failed to pocket biggest regular-season payday in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association in 2010, Big Tex was half the equation that helped Clint Cannon to the 2009 Houston title with a 92-point ride. This season, the Waller, Texas, cowboy rode Big Tex for 90 points in Weatherford, Texas, but it was just one of several outstanding scores: Jerad Schlegel of Burns, Colo., scored 90 on Big Tex in Rio Rancho, N.M., in January; Hooper was 94 in June; and George Gillispe of Midland, Ore., was 91 in Crossett, Ark., in August. “I very seldom buck him where he isn’t going to have talent on his back,” Lovelace said. “I really protect him. Those great horses are worth so much money, and I’ve got five horses that are that caliber: Big Tex, Wise Guy, Fancy Free, Scarlett’s Web and Goodtime Charlie. I’ll buck them about 10 times a year, mostly to keep them fresh so they’re always at their very best. “The one thing about Big Tex is that he doesn’t have bad days. He’s special that way.” This season will mark the fourth straight trip to the NFR for Big Tex; he’s got a ways to go to match his stable-mate, Wise Guy, the 2009 reserve world champion bareback horse. Wise Guy has been to the last 12 NFRs and will likely be back for a 13th this December. “Big Tex has been one of the most famous horses to come from the J-Bar-J,” said Matt Bright of Azle, Texas, who was bucked off Big Tex in San Antonio earlier this year. “If you’re a bareback rider, he’s a horse you want to draw. It’s an opportunity to win first place, no matter what other horses are out. “There’s nothing dirty about that bucking horse. He’s as honest as he can be. If a guy can match moves with him, he’s one of the most perfect horses to draw.” Bright knows pretty well. He’s been ranked near the top of the bareback riding world standings much of the season and is in position to qualify for his first trip to the NFR. Since that day in San Antonio, he’s been thinking about all the scenarios. “Big Tex  Continue Reading »

The Professional Bull Riders World Finals kicks off its five-day run Wednesday, Oct. 20, in Las Vegas. It’s a showcase of nasty bucking bulls and the very best cowboys in the PBR. It’s always a big show, and this year promises a world championship fight through all six go-rounds. Austin Meier leads the world standings heading into the first night, but his lead over the No. 2 man, J.B. Mauney, is slim. On Sunday, Oct. 17, the PBR was showcased on CBS-TV, opposite of the network’s NFL games of the day. It was during a special performance at Times Square in New York City, and it featured the top 10 guys in the world standings. It was for the men who earned the right to play on the streets of New York – a small bull-riding ring was set up in Times Square; each contestant had an opportunity to earn bonus points before the world finals. It was a good taste to get all those bull riding fans ready for the six-round finale at the Thomas & Mack Center. Meier’s lead over Mauney is just 241.25 points, easily reachable in Vegas. So between the championship race and the rank bucking bulls that stand in the way, it will be plenty exciting.

Trell Etbauer hasn’t competed since a serious wrist injury the end of July in Deadwood, S.D. Still, the all-around cowboy who comes from a fantastic rodeo lineage has earned his third straight Linderman Award, given to the contestant who excells in both timed and roughstock events. Trell is the son of Robert, a two-time saddle bronc riding world champion who, with brothers Dan and Billy, propelled the Etbauer name in ProRodeo with dozens of qualifications to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Billy added five world championships with his 21 straight qualifications, and Dan earned 11 trips to the finals as a bronc rider and has been selected to serve as a pickup man in Las Vegas, an outstanding honor. While the elder Etbauers made their names in saddle bronc riding, they’re all tremendously talented cowboys. The proof is evident in Trell, who competes in bronc riding, tie-down roping and steer wrestling. As a freshman at Oklahoma Panhandle State, he won the college bulldogging championship. Since turning his focus to ProRodeo, Trell has been excellent. But there’s a fantastic work ethic that tags along with his tremendous athletic ability. That, too, is an Etbauer trait.

Traditional media outlets are always looking for the next great storyline. Oftentimes, the newspapers and TV newscasters overlook rodeo. Typically, it’s not malicious. More, it’s because they know nothing about the sport. Sports editors know football, basketball and baseball. They even know a little about soccer and volleyball, and they play golf. But they don’t know the athleticism it takes for a 160-pound cowboy to spur in time with a bucking horse. But if they were introduced to the people, they’d quickly learn the fantastic storylines that follow the cowboys, cowgirls and everyone else down the rodeo trail. They’d learn about the rookies and the veterans. They’d learn about the great animal athletes, from the bucking stock to the timed-event horses that make rodeo work. They’d learn about the families and friends and the camaraderie the contestants share. More importantly, they’d share their lessons with the general public, and more people would start to see why so many of us have a love affair with rodeo.

The American Royal is moving forward in the sport of rodeo by reaching back to its tradition. The Kansas City celebration is a not-for-profit, community volunteer-based service organization that raises funds to fulfill its vision and mission through endowments, contributions, sponsorships and event revenues. For decades, it’s been a hot spot for all the top contestants in ProRodeo. For the longest time, the American Royal was one of the last big events in the rodeo season, but a few years ago the PRCA made the Sept. 30 the final day of the regular season. That made the importance of the annual October rodeo in Kansas City virtually obsolete. For the last three years, the American Royal has hosted a championship, the Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo. The contestants who qualified out of the Oklahoma-Kansas-Nebraska region were tickled. There was a real championship feel to the event, something contestants said had been missing. But the American Royal folks had been getting plenty of feedback from its constituents, who wanted to see all the best players in ProRodeo, not just the top regional athletes. When the contract with the Prairie Circuit expired, so did the finale at Kemper Arena. In its place will be the first Wrangler Million Dollar ProRodeo Gold Tour event for the 2011 season. It means the folks in Kansas City had to find at least $160,000 in sponsorship dollars BEFORE the rodeo could open the first gate. Still, there was plenty of skepticism. With the 2010 NFR looming – it runs Dec. 2-11 in Las Vegas – would contestants come to Kansas City in October for a 2011 event? The answer was a resounding yes. Will Lowe told me Oct. 14 that while most cowboys want to recover from the rugged regular season, they’ll make sure they’re at rodeos that provide so much money and that are part of the tour, which features 23 rodeos and helps contestants work toward a playoff system that paves the way to the annual championship. The American Royal had to make a tough decision. The one the volunteers made was in the best interest of the American Royal’s legacy. It was the right one.

You might say Cort Scheer is having the best year of his life. He is, in fact, in rodeo. On Thursday night at the All-American ProRodeo Finals presented by Pendleton Whisky in Waco, Texas, Scheer rode the Andrews Rodeo horse Peppermint for 84 points to win the progressive go-round. All told, the Elsmere, Neb., cowboy has won $6,177 in the Heart of Texas. “I’ve been really blessed this year,” Scheer told Susan Kanode of Cowgirl Imaging.While the All-American finale doesn’t count toward the 2010 world standings, it’s a nice bonus. Besides, Cort has done very well financially this year, earning better than $82,500. In a sport where dollars equal championship points, it was enough to help him qualify for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo for the first time in his career. I met Scheer four seasons ago when I was introduce by his then-rodeo coach at Garden City (Kan.) Community College, Jim Boy Hash. In the years since, I’ve been blessed to see him develop. It’s fantastic to see the great ones work their way up the food chain in order to reach the pennacle of the sport. It’s even better to see good people succeed.

It’s a passion, really. Ask anyone associated with the sport of rodeo, and they’ll likely have the same answer. It’s what pushes them across the highways going from one gig to another, ponying up entry fees to compete for the prize money available. The same can be said for me. A longtime journalist who has covered everything from murder trials to soccer games, I’ve had the opportunity to write about rodeo — the most compelling sport in the world with some of the greatest people. There are tremendous storylines that are part of the sport, and I plan to bring those to you here. Thanks for coming by. I hope you enjoy.

A torn anterior cruciate ligament is a devastating injury to any athlete. For most, it’s season-ending; sometimes career-threatening. For rodeo cowboy Ryan Gray, it’s a hitch in his giddy-up, but it didn’t stop him from competing for the bareback riding world championship. In fact, it’s barely slowed the cowboy from Cheney, Wash., who earned more than $159,000 through the 2010 regular season. “I’m thankful the Justin Sportsmedicine Program is out there for us,” he said. Gray had a tremendous season even before grand finale, the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. But his annual earnings are nothing compared to other professional athletes, who typically are guaranteed hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars before they enter the arena. Take New England Patriots running back Kevin Faulk, whose 2010 salary was listed at more than $3.5 million. He suffered a torn ACL the second week of the NFL schedule and was placed on injured reserve, meaning he was to miss the remainder of the season because of the injury. Whether Faulk is in the training room or sitting on his couch with ice on his knee, the paychecks kept rolling in. Gray, who initially injured his knee in 2006, doesn’t have that luxury. The only way he gets paid is if he competes and only if he places high enough to earn money. That’s why the bronc buster continues to ride the nastiest bucking horses in the sport without that stabilizing ligament in his right knee. Sure, part of what led to the decision is just being cowboy tough. But another part is that without guaranteed paychecks like Faulk’s, rodeo athletes must do whatever they can to make ends meet and, if possible, compete for championships.  Medical support The New England Patriots have team doctors and a training staff to take care of their highly paid athletes. Rodeo cowboys have the Justin Sportsmedicine Team, a group of athletic trainers who work together with other medical professionals to try to help care for bareback riders and steer wrestlers and every other contestant that needs it. It’s a service that began in 1980 with the financial support from the Justin Boot Co. “Justin Sportsmedicine is just a great asset for ProRodeo,” said D.V. Fennell, a two-time NFR qualifying bareback rider from Neosho, Mo. Fennell knows what the program means as well as anybody in the business. In 2010, he earned his second straight trip to the sport’s season-ending championship at the age of 37, all while trying to use every ounce of athleticism his 165-pound body possesses to ride fierce bucking broncs. “Those bucking horses beat you up a little bit, then you get in the car and go for 14 hours to another rodeo,” Fennell said, noting that members of the Justin Sportsmedicine Team not only care for cowboys, but also give the athletes tips on how to care for themselves while traveling the rugged rodeo trail. “You get all tight, and they show you what you can do to stay loose. “I get stretched out a lot, and they help you a lot. My groins get tight. They help me work through all that.” But the sportsmedicine team can’t be everywhere. There are about 580 Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association events each year, and Justin has staffers at about 125. That’s where education and understanding come into play. “Even with the Justin Sportsmedicine program, I still do all my own taping, but they’re the ones that taught me how to do it,” said Gray, a six-time NFR qualifier. “If I have an issue, they can help. They’re the professionals that know what our needs are without having to ask us. They’ve got the technology to look up information on us when they need to.” It’s just a piece of evidence about the growth of the program, which started three decades ago by using pickup beds as makeshift training tables. The program now has three 40-foot Bloomer trailers – training rooms on wheels – that have been specifically designed for the care of cowboys and cowgirls. “We’ve got three trailers when we essentially could have five trailers on the road,” said Rick Foster, program director for the Justin Sportsmedicine Team. “We’re seeing tremendous growth and support in the system, so anything’s possible. As far as acceptance of rodeo athletes and the rodeo community, we have that. The contestants know we’re there for them.”  Helping the best be the best Cory Wall has been considered one of the best bullfighters in rodeo for much of his career. In 2009, he was named the PRCA’s Bullfighter of the Year for the first time. For Wall, it was more of a career honor than an annual one. While he possesses tremendous athleticism and a fantastic work ethic, he knows where the credit lies to winning the award when he did: The Justin Sportsmedicine Team of medical personnel. “What they’ve done for me is lengthen my career,” said Wall, 42. “I’ve had a lot of injuries that would’ve sidelined me for a long time, but I have been able to not miss a performance. If you miss performances, they quit hiring you.” Though typically he doesn’t compete for his earnings, Wall’s job is to utilize his athleticism to help keep cowboys – and all others in the arena – out of harm’s way during the bull riding competition. It means getting as close to the dangerous action as possible, sometimes closer, and trying to get everyone out of the situation unscathed. Through his career, Wall has had plenty of strains, bruises and broken bones, but he’s battled through them all in order to do his job. “In this business, it’s a livelihood,” he said. “I can’t be sidelined, or I don’t get a paycheck. Does that mean it’s pain-free? No, but that’s part of it. “The worst injury I’ve ever had was when I tore my Achilles tendon in my right foot. If you look at NFL pro football players, a torn Achilles means your season is done.  Continue Reading »