Monthly Archives: November 2010

LAS VEGAS – The MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas has built a reputation as the place to be for top flight attractions and entertainment. The crew at Carr Pro Rodeo is developing the same distinction, from its elite animal athletes to brilliant showmanship. Together the two entities make a pretty solid team. So at rodeos all across this land, Carr Pro Rodeo and MGM Grand have put their partnership on display. Whether it’s in Texas locales like Stephenville, Big Spring and Pecos or in the Oklahoma Panhandle or the Colorado Rockies or in New Mexico, the MGM Grand’s brand is exposed to a diverse group of people, including rodeo fans young and old. “It’s a privilege and an honor to be associated with such a landmark establishment like the MGM Grand Hotel,” said Pete Carr, owner of Carr Pro Rodeo. “Tim Kelly, the vice president of hotel operations, has been a champion this year to our company and many other cowboys and cowgirls. He brings an incredibly high level of excitement and passion to the sport of rodeo. What sets them apart is the fact that the MGM Grand makes everyone who stays with them and anyone who visits feel like a champion.”  “Our rodeos are a great way for MGM Grand to get its information out to the people who are always looking for some great entertainment. Personally I think it’s a nice fit for us, because when you think of Las Vegas entertainment, you think of MGM Grand. We want Carr Pro Rodeo to be what people think about when they think of rodeo.” Pete Carr and his crew will be part of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo when it takes place Dec. 2-11 at the Thomas & Mack Center. It’s the season-ending championship in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, featuring the top cowboys and the best stock in the sport from 2010. In relatively short period of time, Carr Pro Rodeo has been recognized as one of the up-and-coming livestock and rodeo producers in North America. Carr recognizes it takes an experienced and passionate staff, fantastic animal athletes and a little luck to produce memorable rodeos. “It’s a lot like staying at the MGM Grand, where you can take in a show like Cirque du Soliel’s KA or go to one of the many clubs, excellent restaurants or just enjoy the great casino action,” Carr said. “We do what we can to promote MGM Grand at every rodeo we produce, and they roll out the red carpet when we come to town for the big show.”

LAS VEGAS – The bright lights of Las Vegas are about to get a taste of the Panhandle. The Wooden Nickel Band will entertain hundreds during the Wrangler Gold Buckle Gala on Monday, Nov. 29, at the South Point Hotel & Casino’s Grand Ballroom. The event, which kicks off the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association convention and the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, will benefit the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. “It’s a pretty big honor for us to be part of this experience,” said Ken Stonecipher, the lead singer and guitarist. “I think the people in Vegas will be pleasantly surprised with the Panhandle’s flavor of entertainment that we’ll be sharing.” The band – made up of Stonecipher and Lanny Wilson from Guymon; Max Carlson and Bill Lewis from Liberal, Kan.; Alan Hodges from Turpin; and Marvin Wilson from Dalhart, Texas – will entertain a crowd that will feature world champion cowboys and rodeo dignitaries. In fact, eight-time world champion Larry Mahan, who owns six all-around gold buckles, will be presented with the Legend of ProRodeo Award during the third annual gala. He follows in the footsteps of Clem McSpadden, Jim Shoulders, Harry Vold and Jake Barnes. “This is truly a cowboy deal, and that makes it pretty special,” Stonecipher said. “We’ve had the opportunity to play before thousands of people in this area, but this is a pretty big deal for us. One thing is for sure, and the folks around here will tell you, we’ll have a lot of fun.”

Seth Glause is making his second trip to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, having earned his trip to the championship by finishing the regular season with a hair more than $65,000, good enough for 14th in the world standings. On Thursday night, he’ll wrap his hand to 1,800 pounds of humping, bucking, twisting muscle and try to hang on for eight seconds, all while competing under the brightest lights in ProRodeo. Did I mention he’s just 22 years old? Two seasons ago, Glause finished the year No. 15 in the world standings. If he wants to make a statement, this is the year to do it. He’s a couple years older. More importantly, he knows what to expect inside the Thomas & Mack Center. Sure, he’ll still have the jitters, but they won’t be nearly as intense this time around. Now he just needs to go about the business of riding bulls. If he can tame his nerves, the rest should be easy.

LAS VEGAS – The yellow chutes of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo have been the starting point for some of the greatest episodes of ProRodeo history. It’s where the top bareback riders from this season stand during the fast-paced grand entry, and where they’ll try to tame the toughest bucking beasts in the sport for 10 straight nights from Dec. 2-11 at the Thomas & Mack Center. It’s where the horses from Carr Pro Rodeo will shine. “If you look at the NFR stock roster, you can see Pete Carr’s loaded,” finalist D.V. Fennell said of the Carr Pro Rodeo owner. “That’s not just me saying that. That’s 16 of the top bareback riders in the world. He’s got superstars.” Carr has had them since he became a member of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association in 2005, when a brown gelding named Real Deal was crowned the Bareback of the Year. Riverboat Annie, a red roan mare, finished second place in the same voting two years later. “To be successful, you’ve got to want to win,” said Justin McDaniel, the 2008 bareback riding world champion. “Pete goes all out. He tries really hard. You can go to any of Pete’s rodeos and win on any of his horses on any given day. “This year, that Real Deal was the rankest horse I’ve seen in a long time.” Riverboat Annie isn’t as difficult to ride, but she definitely has a reputation. “She’s the best mare I’ve ever owned so far,” Carr said. “She never had a bad day in her life and has won several buckles at the NFR. Now she is raising colts.” Real Deal and Riverboat Annie again will be part of the mix at this year’s championship, joined by other Carr stalwarts Outa Sight, Grass Dancer, Dirty Jacket, Big Lights and Deuces Night. “Pete’s always trying to improve his herd and always looking for ways to get new animals in there,” said Ryan Gray, the top-ranked bareback rider in the standings. “He’s always looking for better horses to fit his pen. He strives for constant improvement, and he has a constant drive to be successful. “For Pete, it’s a want-to to get better all the time. That’s what we like to see in contractors, and there are not that many out there that can say that. A lot of guys respect him for trying hard and trying to have a great pen of bucking horses.” All but Outa Sight and Deuces Night have been to the finals before, but the top bareback riders selected them because of their performances throughout the season. They’re both 5-year-old paint mares sired by the great Night Jacket, a paint stallion that has been selected to buck at the NFR 11 times; he was purchased last year for a record price of $200,000. “That Deuces Night is one outstanding bucking horse, the kind that will be the bareback horse of the finals, I think,” said Fennell of Neosho, Mo., a two-time qualifier to the NFR. “Chris Harris won Pecos (Texas) on that horse this year, and it’s definitely a bucker.” Both young horses drew the attention of Pete Carr, who purchased Outa Sight as a 2-year-old after seeing her buck with an electric dummy; he purchased Deuces Night earlier this year. “She keeps getting better every time she gets the opportunity to perform,” he said. As for Deuces Night, he said, “This is a very special mare that bucks the right way. You can tell she loves her job.”

LAS VEGAS – If everything goes right, saddle bronc riders will tell you, a good ride will feel like sitting in a rocking chair. Confident. Controlled. Back and forth. For the cowboys competing at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, they’ll have their fair share of opportunities to sit in that rocking chair. But they’ll also try to stay in the saddle with the nastiest bucking beasts in the business over the 10 rugged days of the NFR, set for Dec. 2-11 at the Thomas & Mack Center. It’s a showcase for the top 15 guys who have earned the right to play for the biggest pay in rodeo. “The nice thing about the NFR is that these guys will have a chance to get on about every kind of bronc out there, and they’ll all be great,” said Pete Carr, owner of Carr Pro Rodeo, one of the premier stock contractors in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. “They’ll definitely be tested.” The animals that are part of the championship event were selected by the bronc busters themselves. For Carr Pro Rodeo, three outstanding horses will be in the mix: Air Miles, Miss Congeniality and True Lies. “I’ll take any of them, I promise,” said Cort Scheer, the seventh ranked bronc rider heading into the NFR. “If you draw any of them horses, you’ve got a chance to win. Look at the pedigree behind them, the money that’s won on all of them. “Typically you go to places, and there will one or two horses you can win on, but that’s not the case at any of Pete Carr’s rodeos. It comes down to who makes the best spur ride is going to win. That’s what you want every time.” True Lies and Miss Congeniality will be making their NFR debuts, while Air Miles has been selected three times – she’s been in both bareback riding and bronc riding. “She bucks really hard and has a lot of moves,” Carr said of Air Miles, a 12-year-old sorrel mare. “She can be a little hard to twist.” Carr purchased Miss Congeniality, an 8-year-old bay mare, from a Canadian firm after the horse had been stellar in the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association, where it was named the horse of the Canadian Finals Rodeo and led cowboys to the winner’s circle in three of the four go-rounds she bucked there. True Lies was purchased at a horse sale this past January. “He is just getting settled in at the ranch, so it will be interesting to see how he handles Vegas this year,” Carr said of the 8-year-old bay gelding. The bronc riders are expecting great things, but that’s nothing new when they consider the Carr Pro Rodeo livestock. “You can go down the list of any horse Pete has, and you’re going to look at the kinds of horses you want to get on every time,” said Taos Muncy, the 2007 world champion who goes into this year’s finale No. 4 in the world standings. “You look forward to going to his rodeos, because he will have NFR horses in every performance.”

My beautiful wife is a proud alumna of Oklahoma Panhandle State University. When she was in school in the mid-1990s, she was the rodeo team’s secretary for then-coach Dr. R. Lynn Gardner, whom everyone called Doc. Though she didn’t compete, she is very proud to be part of a fantastic rodeo tradition at the school in the community of Goodwell, population 1,234. The school boasts of rodeo champions, whether while students or after graduation. In fact, saddle bronc riders Taos Muncy, Jeff Willert, Tom Reeves and Robert Etbauer were part of the Panhandle State rodeo team. Over the years, there have been too many qualifiers to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo to mention them all, from Deke and Craig Latham to Dan Etbauer to Scott Montague to Jhett Johnson to Jesse Bail, just to name a few. This year’s NFR will feature six Panhandlers: Muncy, Willert and Cort Scheer in bronc riding; Tana Poppino in barrel racing; and Ardie Maier and Seth Glause in bull riding. The Panhandle State nation is proud. Just ask my wife.

LAS VEGAS – Folks in rodeo have learned to expect great animal athletes at a Carr Pro Rodeo event. They’ve also experienced the heart-pounding thrills that come with it, from exceptional rides to a show that makes fans itching for more. It’s something the Carr team brings in its production, from owner Pete Carr to every member of his staff. “What Pete really brought to us that was missing before was that he upped the level of the performance,” said Brad Higgins, of the Eagle County (Colo.) Fair and Rodeo. “From the grand entry to the flag posting … he’s brought up the level of the showmanship process a lot. It’s not over the top, but it’s more professional. Most typical stock contractors want to just buck the stock and go home, but that’s not the case with Pete.” Overall, it’s living on the edge of dramatics and competition, and it’s something the Carr crew takes seriously. “We try to have the theatrical portion of our show not interfere with the competition side,” said John Gwatney, a production supervisor for the Dallas-based livestock firm. “We try to run a good, fast, clean performance without interfering with the competition. “That’s where we’re different from other rodeo companies. If we’re not ready, the cowboy has to wait. When it comes time for that cowboy to compete, we’ve done everything we can to make that animal ready for that cowboy, so all he has to do is nod his head.” The nod is the signal for the competition between man and animal to begin, and the cowboys and cowgirls who are involved take it seriously. Rodeo is how they make their livings, and they only walk away from the arena with a paycheck if they’re one of the best that day. But rodeo is also entertainment, much like other professional sports. Fans put up their money in order to enjoy their time, and that’s where the production comes into play. “I think over the years, the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo has developed a reputation of not only having the best contestants, but also having the best livestock as well,” said Ken Stonecipher, a longtime member of the Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days Rodeo committee. “With Pete Carr putting that team together, it’s a win-win for us. Our fans, which are extremely rodeo-savvy, have come to expect it, and they have not been disappointed.” That’s something in which Pete Carr takes great pride, and it’s why he’s put together a crew of top-flight rodeo personnel. “I think the fans come to the rodeo to see the best show they can see, and we’re there to put it on for them,” Carr said. “We want them to enjoy the experience from beginning to end and to leave that arena wanting more. I’ve got people around me that work very hard to make that happen.” The process actually starts well before the first rodeo of the season, from the planning and development to the assignments each person on the staff has when it’s time to put on the show. “At the Rafter C rodeos, what starts the production is our version of Americana,” said Gwatney, a team roper and steer wrestler who has worked in rodeo production much of his life. “We’re looking to get peoples’ emotions up, get them on the edge of their seats so when that first animal bucks, the height of the excitement is already up. “Whether it is one of the many costume changes or the uniformity of the yellow horses, the pageantry of it all, we’re trying to stir something in those people. What makes Pete’s rodeos successful is the timing of it all.” As the Carr team prepares to be part of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, each person realizes how special ProRodeo’s grand finale really is as it takes place Dec. 2-11 at the Thomas & Mack Center. They see how the production and competition are weaved together like a brilliant quilt, but they take pride in knowing the things they do at rodeos throughout the year are recognized in Las Vegas. “The thing about the NFR is that it gets people excited, then it builds on that excitement so that everyone is ready to come back the next night,” Carr said. “Just like the NFR, we want the openings to be as spectacular in Pecos, Texas, or Eagle, Colo., or any of the rodeos we do all year. The fans deserve it.”

LAS VEGAS – For cowboys chasing their dreams at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, they might find it in an aptly named bull, Black Gold. When the Carr Pro Rodeo animal goes to work, big things happen. In his career, he’s been ridden just 22 percent of the time, but when cowboys hang on for the qualifying eight-second ride, it’s magical. In fact, Corey Navarre of Weatherford, Okla., rode the bull for 88 points to win the seventh go-round at the 2009 NFR. “Black Gold bucks hard every time,” said Pete Carr, owner of Carr Pro Rodeo. “He’s been pretty consistent this year, which is what you want in a bull like that.” Like any athlete, consistency is the key to being one of the best in the game. It might be more important in bull riding, where only the top competitors are asked to be part of ProRodeo’s grand championship. “It always helps when you’ve got great bulls,” said Ardie Maier, the 11th-ranked bull rider heading into this year’s NFR, set for Dec. 2-11 at the Thomas & Mack Center. The top bull riders in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association picked the bulls for the NFR based on what the cowboys saw at rodeos all across the country. “The guys want to go to rodeos and see that there are things that are making a difference,” said Maier, 30, of Timber Lake, S.D. “With Pete, you can tell he’s working hard at getting a good set of bulls. It helps, because it gives everybody a chance.” A lot of cowboys are seeing that in the Carr Pro Rodeo herd; they’ve also pointed to Black Gold as being one of the elite in the sport. “That’s the worst-feeling bull I’ve ever been on in my life,” said J.W. Harris, the reigning two-time world champion bull rider. “I got on him back in San Antonio in ’09. He’s right out there around to the left. He looks like a duck spinner, the kind you want every time, but he just feels terrible. He throws a lot of guys off, because he hits so hard on the front end.” Black Gold has been pretty good for some time, but he joined the Dallas-based livestock company’s herd last December when Carr bought the animal at the bucking stock sale that takes place in conjunction with the NFR. “The great thing about Pete is that he went out and bought some new bulls,” said Harris of Mullin, Texas. “He’s actually trying to get a better bull herd, which is more than you can say for a lot of stock contractors.” What attracted Carr to Black Gold was the animal’s typical pattern and attitude. “He turns back in the gate every time, and when the rider falls off, he just stops and walks out,” Carr said. “He knows his job and likes it.”

CLAREMORE, Okla. – The humidity was just one reason the volunteers who produce the Will Rogers Stampede were sweating so much the final weekend in May 2010. They were all working pretty hard. In late November, the members of the Will Rogers Roundup Club had their hard work recognized by the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association, which named the Claremore rodeo grounds as having the best footing in the Prairie Circuit, made up of rodeos in the Oklahoma-Kansas-Nebraska region. “When you look at the hours these people put in to make that ground so good, you know how much work it took,” said David Petty, the rodeo’s chairman. “It’s a pretty special feeling that the WPRA selected our rodeo, because it was a statement made by the competitors, the ladies that ran at our rodeo and all the other rodeos in the circuit.” The Will Rogers Stampede is one of 12 rodeos selected as the best in their region. It also qualifies the rodeo as a finalist for the national honor, which will be announced next week in Las Vegas. “The ground is a big deal in every timed event in rodeo, but good ground is essential in barrel racing,” said Tana Poppino, a three-time qualifier to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. “Without quality ground, it can really make a difference in the competition.” Poppino knows. Not only has she been part of ProRodeo’s grand finale, she’s also the Prairie Circuit director for the WPRA, and she lives just down the road in Big Cabin. “We rely on our horses a lot, and we want to take care of them as well as possible,” she said. “That’s an important part of having quality ground. “But we also compete for a living, and when we get to the arena, we want a chance to win. At Claremore, the ground was in such good shape, that anybody had a chance to win that rodeo no matter when they run or where they were in the order.” From the right amount of moisture on the arena dirt to the tireless efforts of the volunteers to make it good for each run, the committee of volunteers realizes the value of their intense focus on the small details. “This is a great honor for us,” Petty said. “It’s nice to be mentioned alongside all those other great rodeos. It would be nice to be recognized as the best in the country, but we don’t do all that work for the awards; we do all that work to make for the best competition for the contestants and the best show for the fans. That’s what rodeo’s about.”

Trevor Brazile is closing in on his record eighth all-around world championship. He’s simply phenomenal, and he’s fun to watch. He’s also one of two men to have qualified for the National Finals in all four roping disciplines, joining Dale Smith. This season, he competed at the Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping, where he earned more money than anybody else. In three weeks, he’ll be at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, where he’ll compete as a tie-down roper and header in team roping. That’s fairly normal for Brazile. But what year did he qualify for the NFR in heeling?

Tana Poppino is quite busy this week getting ready for next week. It’s time to chase the big dollars at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, and the Big Cabin, Okla., cowgirl is excited to be back in the race where go-round winners earn $17,512 each of the 10 nights in Las Vegas. But the reality is she’s played the dicey game of hold-on for several months. Horse injuries have put her on the sideline through the late part of the season. She needed to rest her trusty mounts so they would be able to handle the rigors of ProRodeo’s grand finale. She’s been in Texas getting her horses prepared, then will return home for a few days before heading to the Nevada desert. But she’s excited to find the pay window again. Poppino hasn’t earned a paycheck in a Women’s Professional Rodeo Association barrel race since the end of July. In fact, the $55,582 she’s earned this season is good enough for 12th in the world standings, which is why she’ll be competing in Vegas for the third time in her career. Still, she trails standings leader Sherry Cervi by more than $124,000. It will take a miracle for Poppino to walk away from the Thomas & Mack Center with the Montana Silversmiths gold buckle. But I’m sure she’ll do what she can to earn her fair share of the $735,375 purse that’s available at the NFR. That’s why she’s there.

LAS VEGAS – Justin McDaniel has earned $81,850 so far this year. He did it on the backs of the some of the toughest bucking horses in ProRodeo. More importantly, he did it in just four months, having to be a short-order specialist in order to qualify for his fourth straight Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, which will take place Dec. 2-11 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. “I didn’t really want to sit out seven months, but after the finals last year, I knew I had to get things fixed,” said McDaniel, 24, of Porum, Okla. “After I hurt my back last year, I just went to the rodeos I had to go to in order to make the finals. I had a pretty good finals overall, winning two rounds, but my right leg was just dead. “After the ninth round, I couldn’t even sit in a chair.” The problem was two herniated discs, which were repaired during surgery Feb. 5. Once the deformity was fixed, it was months of rehabilitation, individual workouts and dreams of winning another gold buckle to match the one he earned by winning the 2008 world championship. “While I was off, I got the deal with James Hodge Ford,” McDaniel said of the Muskogee, Okla., auto dealership, which has partnered with the cowboy in a number of ways. “Jack Hodge was in the gym with me every day, ran every mile I did and lifted weights with me. He helped me get back into shape. “Jack pushed me to be the best. He was there every time. He’s a great guy and a good friend.” The young Oklahoman utilized that momentum and worked his way back into the arena in early June. His back felt better than it had in years, but he had to regain his confidence – the best way to do that is getting back in the mix and on the backs of bucking broncs. “The year was kind of up and down all the way to the end,” McDaniel said. “It came down to the wire the last couple weeks of the rodeo season, but those last two weeks were awesome. I started drawing good and started winning.” Sitting on the outside looking in – the top 15 contestants in each event at the conclusion of the regular season earn the trip to Las Vegas and the NFR – McDaniel earned about $30,000 the final two events of the season, both playoff spots on the Wrangler Million Dollar Tour. That moved him to ninth place, and while he’s still $77,000 behind standings leader Ryan Gray, that gap can be made up with the big money available in Vegas, where go-round winners will earn $17,512 each night. “I was kind of worried there at the end,” McDaniel said. “It came down to the last tour rodeo in Ellensburg (Wash.) to see if I’d finish in the top 24 to make the playoffs. I was 24th, and I ended up winning second in Puyallup (Wash.), which got me in to Omaha (Neb.). “That’s what I like about rodeo. If it was easy, anyone could do it, but knowing you have to do well at those rodeos in order to make the finals puts it on the line for you.” That’s nothing knew. Fennell, who began traveling with the younger cowboy when McDaniel was still in high school, has seen a winning attitude for a number of years. “That’s a bad little man; you can never count him out,” said Fennell, 37, who jokes that their partnership began before McDaniel owned a driver’s license. “I’ve been telling people that since he was 15. It was fun watching him make the finals, and he had a couple key weeks in the end. I know he was really tickled about it.” So are rodeo fans who love to watch great athletes compete. In bareback riding, cowboys not only stay atop the wild bucking broncs while gripping a rigging that’s strapped to the animal, they must also spur in time with the horse’s bucking motion. The scores on the 100-point scale come from how well the animal bucks and how well the cowboy does his part with the spur ride. It takes tremendous athleticism to spur from the horse’s neck to the rigging all in time with the bucking motion. There are also the more than 100,000 miles of travel each year getting from one rodeo to another. Cowboys don’t live a glamorous lifestyle, but they’re following their passion. “Some days you’re just so sore you can’t get out of bed,” McDaniel said. “There are times you haven’t been to bed in three days, but once you’ve stepped into that Thomas & Mack and you’re about to nod your head at the National Finals Rodeo, every mile you didn’t get that sleep makes it all worth it. “To win a world championship takes the right mindset. I’ve won the world championship a million times in my head growing up. I rode in that 10th round a million times before I even got there. In my opinion, winning is a choice; you can either know you’re going to win or you can hope you’re going to win, and I usually expect to win.”

LAS VEGAS – If you ask Cort Scheer about his rodeo dreams, he can give you explicit details. They’ve been part of his life all his life, from his first days in the saddle in the sandhills of Nebraska to his first Prairie Circuit saddle bronc riding championship. It’s also part of every day over the past 12 months, the best year of his short career and the guiding force to his first qualification to ProRodeo’s championship, the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. “I’m dang sure happier than heck, but I don’t think it’s really set in,” said Scheer, 24, of Elsmere, Neb. “When I get there and stand behind the bucking chutes, I’m pretty sure it’ll set in.” That will happen Dec. 2-11 at the Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, home of the Wrangler NFR since 1985. Scheer earned his spot in the finale by finishing the 2010 regular season No. 7 in the world standings with $82,503 in earnings. It is just the next step for the four-year pro that has already made a name for himself in the sport, winning regional crowns and, just this year, the All-American Series title. “He’s like the All-American kid,” said Jim Boy Hash, rodeo coach at Garden City (Kan.) Community College, where Scheer attended for two seasons before transferring to Montana State University, then to Oklahoma Panhandle State University. “He was dang sure a pleasure to have around here. Not only was he intelligent, but he was reliable. If I needed anything done, he was there. “There is a small percentage of kids like him. It’s neat to see somebody like that be able to make it. I wish I could have six of him every year on my men’s rodeo team.” Scheer has worked his way up the ProRodeo food chain, one bronc at a time. In 2009, he finished 25th in the world standings, just 10 spots out of qualifying for the grand finale. But he took a big step in 2010. He earned his way to the NFR through earnings – in rodeo, money equals points, and the contestant in each event with the most money won at season’s end wins the world championship. This season, he won rodeos in Texarkana, Ark.; Amarillo, Big Spring and Pasadena, Texas; Scottsdale, Ariz.; Isanti, Minn.; and Strathmore, Alberta. “He’s just a really good athlete who loves riding broncs,” said Craig Latham, a multiple NFR qualifier in saddle bronc riding who coaches the rodeo team at Panhandle State. “He’s an all-around hand, who also made the college finals in steer wrestling and calf roping. “He was an outstanding bronc rider in college, and he’s just improved. He’s riding outstanding right now.” It’s all part of the growth of a cowboy, who spent his youth competing in many sports in the Nebraska sandhills. Though his rodeo idol is five-time world champion Billy Etbauer, Scheer considers his father, Kevin, the biggest influence. “He rode all three roughstock,” Scheer said of bareback riding, saddle bronc riding and bull riding. “Saddle bronc was his favorite. Once I started going, my parents hauled me all over heck. I had so many people who helped me out in Nebraska.” He also had some big influences in western Kansas and the Oklahoma Panhandle. His brother, Clete – who returned to Nebraska – was the assistant rodeo coach in Garden City under Hash, and some of the greatest bronc riders in the history of rodeo were part of the Panhandle State community – world champions Robert Etbauer, Tom Reeves, Jeffrey Willert and Taos Muncy were part of that rodeo team. “Coming down here just topped it,” said Scheer, who spends much of his time away from the rodeo arena in Guymon, the Oklahoma Panhandle’s largest community. “It’s amazing how much you can learn, and it’s not only from the people who have been to the finals.” It’s an eager nature, a fantastic attitude that has helped propel Scheer to the pinnacle of the sport, which takes place over 10 nights and features the biggest purse in ProRodeo. “What got him to the NFR is a little bit of everything,” Hash said. “His work ethic, his attitude, his demeanor … he has a never-quit attitude.” Scheer also has a humble nature, and all those attributes are fairly typical of ranch-raised cowboys who find their ways into the best rodeo arenas across this land. But what does it take to make ProRodeo’s grand finale? “It’s like that Chris LeDoux song, ‘One Ride in Vegas.’ ” Scheer said of the song about a cowboy that handles the challenges rodeo throws at him in order to compete at the championship. “It takes more than you can get. That many miles on the road are tiring on a guy. You’re driving, eating cheeseburgers and drinking Mountain Dew. “But it dang sure is a gift to have. The only thing you’ve got to think of is that if it were easy, everybody would do it. Anything you have to work for is going to be worth it.”

LAS VEGAS – Tyson Durfey admits he’s having the best season of his career. There’s no reason for that to change now – especially now, as he prepares for ProRodeo’s grand finale, the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, set for Dec. 2-11 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. It’s the fourth straight year the Savannah, Mo.-born cowboy has qualified for the NFR as one of the top 15 tie down ropers in the world standings at the conclusion of the regular season. “Every year just seems to get a little better,” said Durfey, 27,  of Colbert, Wash. “Through the regular season, I won a lot at the bigger rodeos. I won three tour rodeos, Logandale (Nev.), Red Bluff (Calif.) and St. Paul (Ore.), then I hade some other pretty big ones.” Durfey speaks of the Wrangler Million Dollar Tour, a select number of elite events that, while still part of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, count toward the tour standings and a two-event playoff. Through the season, which concluded the end of September, Durfey earned $89,174, which puts him in seventh in the world standings heading into the finale. “I feel like it’s my job to get there,” he said. “It’s an expectation I have for myself, and it’s one of my goals – actually, my goal isn’t just to make the finals but to win the world, and I know I have to make the finals to win the world. It’s about staying focused on task.” The NFR is where the big money is paid, and it’s where the top cowboys fight to make a profit through the rugged rodeo trail – while Durfey’s annual earnings would mark a nice salary for most, he doesn’t turn in an expense report to the corporate office; oftentimes, cowboys and cowgirls break even with their expenses and their winnings, so those who make the NFR consider it a time to make some money. And why not? Go-round winners will earn a $17,512 paycheck each of the 10 nights of the NFR. Even sitting No. 7 on the tie down roping money list, he trails leader Trevor Brazile by $53,500. But he can make up most of that ground in three nights. “I prefer to see it as a fourth place in a go-round and the average win,” Durfey said of the 10-round cumulative, where the fastest combined time wins $44,910. “That’s the way I try to look at it, because the most consistent guy over the 10 rounds is going to win a lot of money. “I just want to rope sharp every time and let the cards lay where they will. If it’s meant to be, then it will; if not, then it’s next year. I’ve got to do everything I can to be prepared.” The son of a tie down roper who trains ropers and calf roping horses, Durfey understands preparation – from the high-level practices to focusing on techniques to riding great horses; the latter being 13-year-old Bailey, the mount he’s had for almost three years. “This is definitely his best year also,” said Durfey, a two-time Canadian tie down roping champion. “He really got solid and started working the same every time this year. All horses take time to form into what they’re going to be. Most good horses don’t get good until they’re 13, 14 or 15. “This year he’s really come around a lot. He’s not near as nervous about things. He’s really shaped up.” That’s just one of the keys to Durfey’s success. But there are plenty, like his striving to improve, even though he’s been considered one of the elite tie down ropers for several years. There are so many variables in roping calves that Durfey does what he can to stay on his game. “The best part of the NFR is the people, the energy,” he said. “It has energy like no other rodeo I’ve ever seen. It’s almost crazy, the amount of people that show up there. You can’t help but get excited when you get there.”

LAS VEGAS – It took D.V. Fennell 15 years for his first qualification to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. His second trip to Sin City took just 12 months. The Neosho, Mo., bareback returns to ProRodeo’s grand finale, which features the top 15 Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association contestants in each event, based on their finish from the regular season. In Fennell’s case, he’ll get the chance to ride the nastiest bucking horses in the business during the NFR, set for Dec. 2-11 in Las Vegas. The broadcasts will air on the ESPN networks. “The best part is knowing that you’re going to the NFR,” said Fennell, 37, who turned pro in 1994. “That’s what you work for all year long. It’s nice to see a return on your investment. There are a lot of guys and girls that rodeo all year long, and they don’t get that in the end. “To get to nod your head with the best players and the best stock is just great. You eat cake all year, and you get the icing at the end.” This season, Fennell has earned $64,485, finishing the regular season No. 15 in the world standings – in rodeo, dollars not only pay bills, but they are also championship points; the contestant in each event with the most money won at the conclusion of the full season is crowned world champion. A season ago, Fennell won about $61,000 at the NFR alone, earning nearly $131,000 in 2009, good enough for ninth place in the final world standings. “For me, I couldn’t have done this without all the support I have, like from my wife, Julie, and my friends and Eric Norris,” he said, referring to the Neosho State Farm Insurance agent who has sponsored Fennell this season. “When you got people like that watching your back, you can do a lot of good things.” Fennell travels more than 100,000 miles a year on the rodeo trail, hauling from one rodeo to another with Steven Peebles, Jared Smith and Justin McDaniel. All four cowboys made the NFR in 2009, and all but Smith are part of this year’s finale – Smith finished No. 16 in the world standings, one spot out of playing for the biggest pay in ProRodeo. “D.V. has been there the whole way with me,” said McDaniel, the 2008 world champion. “We lift each other up. When he wins, it feels like I’m winning. I wouldn’t travel with someone who is not a winner. “D.V. has helped me so much in being dirty tough. He’s the one that took me to the next level.” Fennell feels the same way about McDaniel, who is 13 years younger. But he is rejuvenated Smith and Peebles, too, both of whom are in their early 20s. “Steel sharpens steel,” Fennell said. “You take four guys that rodeo all year long, and we make each other bring their best game. With that caliber of guys, even though it’s about being a winner, it’s something you feed off all year.” And for Fennell, those years of dreaming about winning a world champion’s gold buckle are still alive. He knows he will have to conquer many challenges, from tangling with the top bucking beasts for 10 days to handling his business in and out of the arena. But they are the challenges he craves. “Shoot, this is what I love to do,” he said. “I’ll just go at ’em and see what happens.”

This year’s Wrangler National Finals Rodeo will be a little different for saddle bronc riding fans. Between them, Billy Etbauer and Rod Hay have 41 qualifications to ProRodeo’s finale. Neither will nod his head inside the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, which begins in less than two weeks. Etbauer, a five-time world champion, failed to qualify for the NFR, finishing the season 36th on the money list with $26,578. Since his first trip to the biggest rodeo in the country in 1989, this is the first year the 47-year-old isn’t competing. Some wondered if he was starting to hang ’em up, but he’s not. He just didn’t win the way he needed to. Hay, who missed the 1991 and 2009 championships, announced Friday he will not be healthy enough to compete — a rather disheartening finding for the Canadian champion who is in ninth place in the world standings with $77,693. He won the $50,000 shootout round at RodeoHouston, earning more than $54,000 there. But on June 20, Hay’s right femur was shattered at a rodeo in Innisfail, Alberta — a rodeo he won, by the way — and it just hasn’t healed the way he needed it to in order to compete for the world championship. Hay’s spot at the NFR will be filled by first-timer Jesse Wright, the younger brother of world champion Cody Wright, who finished the regular season No. 16 in the standings. “I needed to get more mobility in my leg and feel comfortable that I could be competitive,” Hay told the PRCA. “If I’m going to go there, I want to be a threat and believe I have a chance. People pay a lot of money to go to Las Vegas, and they want to see that guys are competing to win. I didn’t feel I would be at that level.”

I will be doing media/publicity for four NFR contestants and Carr Pro Rodeo — there may be more coming, but that’s what I’ve agreed to right now. That means I have nine pre-NFR stories that will be sent out to the media starting next week. But I think twisTEDrodeo.com readers deserve to see them first. If you think your local media outlet would be interested in using this information, feel free to pass it to them, along with this link so they know I’m giving them the authority to use the pieces. So be on the lookout.

Tammy White knows what it takes to win the Great Lakes Circuit’s barrel racing championship. Heck, she’s done it five straight years, all with her traveling partner, Luckys Tiny Bit, a 14-year-old bay gelding. She clinched the year-end championship after winning the first of three rounds at the Great Lakes Circuit Finals Rodeo in Louisville, Ky., last weekend. Then she added a third-round victory and the average championship. That’s a pretty good way to conclude a terrific season, and Cisco continues to be a big reason why Whyte is successful. That’s the life of a barrel racer — she must depend upon a top-grade horse — but it’s the life each one loves. Whyte and Cisco make a great team, and they’re championships are well earned.

Tyson Durfey is a champion, eh. Twice in his young career, the Missouri-born tie-down roper rode away from the Canadian Finals Rodeo in Edmonton, Alberta, with the Canadian championship, 2006 and 2008. In fact, he’s the first American to win a Canadian title, followed shortly thereafter by South Dakota barrel racer Lisa Lockhart. Each of the last four years, Durfey has qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, finishing the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association season among the top 15 calf ropers in the business. All the while, Durfey has gone about the business of helping raise funds and awareness in the fight against breast cancer, and one way he does it is by carrying the Tough Enough to Wear Pink campaign to the next level by wearing a pink shirt during every rodeo performance in which he competes. That’s something that defines a winner.

Tie down roper Tuf Cooper clinched his first Canadian championship over the weekend, earning $27,667 at the Canadian Finals Rodeo in Edmonton, Alberta. He’s also heading back to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in two weeks No. 2 in the world standings, making his third straight trip. But he’s not the first American to win the Canadian title. Who is the first American rodeo contestant to win a Canadian championship, and what year did it happen?

This was written for Carr Pro Rodeo and the Texas Stampede. Tilden Hooper craves great bucking horses. It’s why he’s a cowboy, one of the top bareback riders in the game. It’s also why he was part of the Tom Thumb Texas Stampede Nov. 12-13 at the Allen Events Center, where he proved why he’s a among the elite bucking horse riders in ProRodeo. He won two of the four go-rounds and the average title, pocketing $7,000 for his two days of work. Oh, and he set an arena record with a mind-boggling 92-point ride, matching moves with the Carr Pro Rodeo horse Alberta Child during the final round Saturday night. “I felt like I rode better this weekend than I have my entire career,” said Hooper, a two-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Carthage, Texas. “Things were going right, and I was dang sure on a roll. “As far as Alberta Child, that horse was just outstanding. It was really getting into the air and breaking over the top.” Pete Carr owns Alberta Child and Carr Pro Rodeo. A former bareback rider himself, he likes watching great rides. “Tilden asked me about that horse during the day,” Carr said. “I said, ‘You’ll have fun.’ That’s what he did. The horse stalled out and was exceptional. He was supposed to be that many points.” The Dallas-based livestock producer is relatively new to the business, just in its fifth year in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. But Carr Pro Rodeo has made a name for itself in a short time, primarily in bareback riding – Real Deal was named the 2005 Bareback Riding Horse of the Year, and Riverboat Annie was the runner-up in 2007. Real Deal was just 6 years old when he won the halter. Not only did the brown gelding set the standard for and put the wheels in motion for Carr Pro Rodeo, he also proved that the best horse in the business could still be quite young. “Alberta Child is just 6 years old,” Carr said. “This year, she won Stephenville and Silverton (in Texas), and people are just getting to see her out there. We’ve got some 5- and 6-year-olds that will be turning some people’s heads.” Alberta Child definitely got Hooper’s attention Saturday night. “It was a smooth ride that was way, way up in the air,” he said. “That gives you plenty of time to set your feet, but then that rigging was dropping straight down. It’s one of those deals that if you’re doing things right, you’ll be a lot of points; if you stub your toe at all, she’ll put you on the ground.” While Hooper won bareback riding, Heith DeMoss of Heflin, La., won saddle bronc and $6,500; Kanin Asay of Powell, Wyo., won bull riding and $5,500; and Jill Moody of Letcher, S.D., won barrel racing and $8,000. But there were plenty of highlights involving the great bucking animals from Carr Pro Rodeo. –        Bradley Harter of Weatherford, Texas, won a round of saddle bronc riding with an 86-point ride on Coffee Bean –        2007 saddle bronc riding world champion Taos Muncy of Corona, N.M., scored 88 points on Ginger Snap. –        Bull rider Shawn Hogg of Odessa, Texas, won a round on Fletch. “Pete hasn’t been in the business super long, but he’s come along like gangbusters,” Hooper said. “A guy knows that if he goes to one of Pete’s rodeos, he’s going to have a good chance, especially where there are all those top horses. He has a really nice set of bareback horses, and they can damn sure buck.”

I wrote this piece for the Will Rogers Stampede PRCA Rodeo, which takes place every Memorial Day weekend in Claremore, Okla. I’m blessed to have the opportunity to work with that committee, just as I am with some of the best talent in ProRodeo. This is about Benje Bendele, the top sound guy in the business. You’ll see why. When Benje Bendele clicks his fingers, something magical usually happens. Ah, the life of the preeminent sound and effects man in ProRodeo. If it happens in the arena, the speakers rumble with a complementary sound. It’s a split-second, a click and a style that has led the Texan to many of the biggest rodeos in North America. “It’s been a great ride,” said Bendele, who has lent his talents the last nine years to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. “Rodeos have picked up this format. They’ve left the traditional brass bands, and they realize that this is another aspect of the performances.” And that’s one of the reasons he will be a major player in the three performances of the Will Rogers Stampede PRCA Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 28, Saturday, May 29, and Sunday, May 30, at Will Rogers Stampede Arena. “This is a big deal for the Will Rogers Stampede to get the No. 1 sound guy in the business,” rodeo chairman David Petty said. “I’m excited we were able to bring him to Claremore, because he adds so much to the show. The reason he’s worked the NFR so many times is because he’s simply the best.” The effects and music can’t be choreographed, because the action doesn’t allow it. But with split-second timing, Bendele finds the right music or right sound effect to bring together that excellent ride, fast time or explosive dismount. “I think the thing I like about my career is being part of the way the rodeo is watched and taken in by rodeo fans and how that’s changed in the last 10 years,” he said. “It’s changed drastically in the last five years. It’s just the way sporting events in general are being seen, and we, in the rodeo business, have to keep up with that. I’ve been part of that, part of the goal in our sport. “It’s how our sport evolves.” That’s something Bendele understands well. He started his rodeo career as a contestant, then followed his passion for the sport to the announcer’s stand and on to the sound booth. Beginning at age 9, he competed in youth, high school and college rodeo as a team roper and tie-down roper. He even tried his hand at bull-riding, which lasted 15 seconds – five bulls at an average of three seconds each. “It was then and there that I decided that bull riding was not for me,” he said. No matter. Bendele has used that experience and an insider’s understanding of the extreme sport to stand out among his peers. Not only does he work the annual championship, but he’s also been hired to produce sound for the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, Calgary Stampede, Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo, Dodge City (Kan.) Round-Up Rodeo, and the tour finales in Dallas and Omaha, Neb., just to name a few. He’s also worked his way up the charts, so to speak, with ingenuity and hard work. In fact, he got the NFR job while working at a rodeo in Glens Falls, N.Y. “I knew Shawn Davis, the general manager of the NFR, was looking for a music guy for the Dallas event, so I called him up from a little hotel room,” Bendele said. “I’d set up all my equipment in this room, kind of a mini-studio, and when I called him, he asked, ‘What can you do for me?’ “So I put on a little show. By the end of the conversation, I was hired. I did the Dallas event, and at that point, they hired me for the NFR.” Bendele got his start 22 years ago when, at the age of 20, he fell into a job while accompanying his brother to a youth rodeo. There was no announcer available, so Bendele jumped in, and a career was born. “I started announcing at that time,” he said. “I worked a bunch of youth rodeos after that, then started working some open rodeos. I got tired of showing up to places where the sound wasn’t good, so I bought a small sound system. “I was getting called more for my sound, so in 2001, I made the decision to start focusing on the sound.” And even though his focus is on the sound, he has been voted by other announcers to serve as their representative on the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association’s executive council. It’s a position on the political side of the business he takes very seriously and has leaned on the assistance of others, including the late Clem McSpadden, a former statesman from Chelsea who was a legend in rodeo. “I did ask advice from Clem, and he gave it honestly,” Bendele said. “I had the chance to work with Clem in Dodge City, and I enjoyed working with him when I had the chance.” He’s had plenty of enjoyable experiences, especially in the past 10 years. He recalls the days of not only hauling equipment into announcer’s stands at rodeos all across this land, but hauling cassette tapes and CDs, too. Now all the effects and music are loaded on computers, and making updates is a regular part of his job. “We have to keep up with technology,” he said. “Digital is constantly changing. Now with the computer, it’s at the touch of a button, and there’s so much more of a variety to have.” And whether it’s a snippet from a hip hop song or brass trumpets or the moans of a crowd, there is a defined marriage between the action in the arena and the sounds that accompany it. Bendele has orchestrated the ceremony  Continue Reading »

My wife informs me I might’ve added too many questions about Las Vegas and the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. So I’ll just ask one. Chime in with your opinions, which is what makes this information great. What is your favorite NFR memory?

It’s been 26 years since the National Finals Rodeo moved to Las Vegas. Over the years, Sin City has hosted some of the greatest happenings in the history of ProRodeo. But there was plenty of history made in previous arenas. From what city did the NFR move, and what arena(s) hosted the championship in that city?