Monthly Archives: April 2011

GUYMON, Okla. – Ty Atchison is a rising star in rodeo, one of the top saddle bronc riders in the game. He’s also the reigning title-holder of the Classic Events Championship, which had its inaugural run last spring. Atchison will try to defend his title starting at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 5, at Henry C. Hitch Pioneer Arena when he faces 20 other athletes in riding broncs and roping steers in the unique competition that tests the mettle of outstanding all-around cowboys. “This is a great deal, and I’m excited to win it,” Atchison said last year. The format is the brain child of Rick Furnish, the Hitch Ranch manager and owner of Bob’s Cowboy Bar & Rodeo Room. “Steer roping and bronc riding are the two oldest events in rodeo, but there are timed-event guys and riding-event guys,” Furnish said. “You’ve never had a crossover where you had to rope so many and you had to ride so many in order to be the champion.” The Classic Events Championship is part of Pioneer Days, the annual Guymon celebration. The competition will serve as a kickoff for the Pioneer Days Rodeo, which has four performances that take place at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 6; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 7; and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 3. In fact, most of the Classic Events competitors will stick around and be part of the rodeo. “There’s been a lot of talk about the Classic Events Championship in the last year, and we’re glad that it’s part of the great rodeo competition in Guymon,” said Jim Quimby, chairman of the volunteer committee that produces the annual rodeo. “We know this is the kind of event our fans will love to watch. It’s about being a great cowboy, and we have a lot of those around here.” The concept is simple. Each contestant will rope and tie down two steers, a timed event where the fastest run wins. They will also ride two broncs, one a young colt and the other a seasoned bucking horse. There will be round winners and an aggregate in both events, and the overall winner will be based on how well they do both. The field will feature numerous saddle bronc riding qualifiers to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, like world champion Taos Muncy. But it will also feature outstanding all-round cowboys like Cody Taton, who won the NFR average in 2008, and Trell Etbauer, who has won each of the last three Linderman Awards, given to the contestant who best excels in both timed events and roughstock events. “In my opinion, we don’t have a true all-around champion,” Furnish said. “I’ve known Trevor Brazile his whole life, and he’s the best roper I’ve ever seen. But he’s not the all-around champion cowboy, not until he can ride a bucking horse or bull. “You can be the best roper in the world and the best rider, but you can’t be the all-around champion until you can do things at both ends of the arena.” Brazile owns the record for most all-around world championships in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association with eight. But he’s strictly a timed-event cowboy, which opens the door to the top bronc riders in the game. “I think it’ll be fun,” Etbauer said. “I’ll be here at the house anyway. Back in the day, everybody worked both ends of the arena, and now there aren’t very many people who do it.” They will also compete in two go-rounds in each event – and they must make four attempts at competing in order to be eligible for the financial gains. “If a guy wins the steer roping and doesn’t ride both broncs, then he doesn’t win anything,” Furnish said. The field is chalk full of contestants who were part of the rodeo program at Oklahoma Panhandle State University, which is well known for its bronc riding legacy. Of the 21 contestants, 12 went to the Goodwell, Okla., college. While Atchison won the event last spring, there was plenty of firepower in the average winners: six-time world champion Dan Mortensen and Cort Scheer. Mortensen came out of retirement to take part in the inaugural competition, and Scheer earned his first trip to the NFR last December. Just a month ago, he won $88,000 at RodeoHouston. “It dang sure is a good time,” Scheer said. “I’ll keep going as long as they keep having it.” 2011 Classic Events Championship Contestants Jordan Furnish Will Payne Leland Wood Luke Butterfield Jesse Bail Taos Muncy Cody Taton Matt Hebbert Travis Sheets Mike Outhier Trell Etbauer Ty Atchinson Cort Scheer Jesse James Kirby Bobby Griswold Seth Schafer Josh Reynolds Shank Stephens Cody Parks Ryan Montroy Casey Sisk

GUYMON, Okla. – The list of bull riders at the 2011 Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo is like a who’s who of the top bull riders in ProRodeo. World champions and other Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifiers will be mixed with up-and-coming rising stars in the game, men who are chasing their dreams to walk away from the season with world champion’s hardware. That’s the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo. It’s where they’ll match their skills against some of the greatest bulls in the game during the four performances, set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 6; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 7; and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 8. “My bull herd’s come around in the last year or two,” said Pete Carr, whose Carr Pro Rodeo is the primary stock contractor in Guymon for the fourth straight year. “Kickapoo Warrior is bull I have that I think will be really good. Blues Man is probably my rankest young bull. In Guymon, I’ll also have Charlie’s Bandito, Fletch and, of course, Black Gold.” Black Gold is a money-maker for cowboys. In 2009, he led Corey Navarre of Weatherford, Okla., to an NFR round win and a check for more than $17,000. Last December, Clayton Williams of Carthage, Texas, matched moves with the 7-year-old beast for 87 points, good enough for third place in the sixth go-round and $10,451 – Williams also rode Black Gold at RodeoHouston in 2010, scoring 91 points. “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. Black Gold bucks hard every time. He’s been pretty consistent, which is what you want in a bull like that.” Just a month ago, Tater Hins of Huron, S.D., won the second go-round at the Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo with an 84 on Black Gold. He won $4,525. Hins finished fourth in money won at the DNCFR with $6,170. Carr also had Charlie’s Bandito in Oklahoma City, and the bull was unridden. “I got on one of Pete’s bulls last year at Guymon, and I should’ve ridden it,” said Nathan Klassen, a former Prairie Circuit champion from Broken Arrow, Okla. “What I’ve seen look good. You couldn’t ask for a better one than I got on last year.” A number of the top cowboys have seen the work Carr has done to improve his heard, and they like what they see. Throw in that Carr has solicited help from other contractors to produce the Guymon event, and you can see the commitment to providing fans with the best bucking action in the sport – Korkow Rodeo Co., D&H Cattle Co., Powder River Rodeo Co. and Frontier Rodeo Co. will also be on hand with their animal athletes. “The great thing about Pete is that he went out and bought some new bulls,” said three-time and reigning world champion J.W. 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.” Has Carr learned a few things over the last few years? “I don’t know if I’ve learned any more about the bulls over the year, but I think there are lots of bulls out there,” Carr said. “The market is more saturated with high quality bulls, and we’ve had an emphasis on futurity bulls and bloodlines. There are a lot better bulls available for me.”

GUYMON, Okla. – Folks in this neck of the woods love to see one of their own do well at the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo, especially in saddle bronc riding. That’s what they got a year ago when Oklahoma Panhandle State University rodeo team alumnus Josh Reynolds won their hometown event last May, matching moves with the Carr Pro Rodeo bronc Simple Man for 86 points to collect the Guymon title for the first time in his career. “I’m glad to win it here,” said Reynolds of Ekalaka, Mont. “That’s just a good horse.” That’s true. But Simple Man is just one of many great animals that will be part of this year’s Pioneer Days Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 6; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 7; and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 8. It’s what the fans expect, and it’s what the firm’s owner, Pete Carr, will bring to town when he brings some of the greatest bucking livestock in the business to town. Not only that, but Carr is soliciting additional top-caliber livestock from Korkow Rodeo, Powder River Rodeo Co., D&H Cattle Co., and Frontier Rodeo Co. “Pete has always been phenomenal to work with,” said Jim Quimby, chairman of the volunteer rodeo committee that produces the annual event. “He’s a professional to work with, and he has outstanding bucking horses and bulls.” That’s a glowing endorsement from Texas County, Okla., the Saddle Bronc Riding Capital of the World. Over the years, nine Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association world championships have been won by bronc riders with ties to the region – Robert Etbauer (2), Billy Etbauer (5), Tom Reeves, Jeffrey Willert and Taos Muncy; all but Billy Etbauer competed in college rodeo at nearby Oklahoma Panhandle State University. “Pete does a great job of getting us horses we can win on,” said Muncy, a Panhandle State rodeo team alumnus who won the college and PRCA championships in 2007. “He’s got a bunch of great horses. We do what we can to make sure we go to Pete’s rodeos.” Of course, returning to Guymon is like returning home for the Corona, N.M., cowboy. Four seasons ago when he won gold, his Pioneer Days Rodeo victory was one of the big reasons why. “That’s always a good rodeo,” Muncy said. “There will be a lot of great horses there.” One of those will be True Lies, a horse that was selected to buck at the 2010 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in December and the 2011 Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo a month ago. The 9-year-old bay gelding already has had an outstanding career. “True Lies was really good at the Dodge Finals,” Carr said. “Blue Smoke was phenomenal the other day when I bucked him. Empty Pockets is a bronc I’ve got high hopes for. He bucked at Snyder (Texas) the other day. That horse was outstanding. “Last year they won on Simple Man, and he’ll be back in Guymon again this year.” So will young guns Private Party and Rising Sun, which, Carr said, have been performing well. But he’s got some stalwarts in Air Miles and Miss Congeniality, both of which bucked at the 2010 NFR. “It’s going to be a lot of fun,” said Cort Scheer, a Panhandle State graduate and Guymon resident who qualified for the NFR for the first time last December. “You dang sure know Pete’s going to have plenty of good horses for us to get on.”

GUYMON, Okla. – Over the years, the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo has been the champions’ playground. The champion-laden Etbauer family has shined as brightly as anyone inside Henry C. Hitch Pioneer Arena, host of the annual festivities that are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 6; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 7; and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 8. Over the last 20 years, the Etbauers have won eight world championships and dozens of other honors. “The Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo, which is in its 79th year, made a big leap forward when the Etbauers got involved here,” said Ken Stonecipher, the rodeo’s production manager. “You know how it is when you get a couple cool kids to come to your party, then all the other kids want to come? That’s how it was with the Etbauers, and that’s how it still is.” Originally from Ree Heights, S.D., Robert, Billy and Dan Etbauer were drawn to Oklahoma via rodeo. Robert, the oldest, led the parade to No Man’s Land in the mid-1980s to attend Oklahoma Panhandle State University in neighboring Goodwell. Dan followed suit and competed on the college’s rodeo team. Billy didn’t take traditional classes, opting, instead, for the lessons of the rodeo trail. Texas County was base camp for the brothers and their longtime traveling partner, Craig Latham. They made names for themselves and, in a sense, put Goodwell on the ProRodeo map. Their popularity developed when the four began qualifying for the National Finals Rodeo in the late 1980s. It grew when Robert won back-to-back saddle bronc riding world titles. It grew again when Billy the first of his five gold buckles. It continued to blossom through the decade; so did a rivalry with fellow bronc rider Dan Mortensen. In fact, only two last names won saddle bronc riding championships from 1990-2000 – Robert, 1990-91; Billy, 1992, 1996, 1999, 2000 (he added another title in 2004); and Mortensen the other years. “That era was good for rodeo,” said saddle bronc rider Bobby Griswold of Geary, Okla., a four-time NFR qualifier. “Fans that just somewhat followed rodeo knew who the Etbauers were.” The Etbauer brothers built on that, and, with Latham, they signed the first “team” sponsorship with Express Ranches of Yukon, Okla. That made them even more identifiable to fans. “They were the first three brothers to make it to the finals, and they did it for nine years in a row,” Stonecipher said. “What was more unique was how good guys they were, traveling together. The content of their character helped their popularity grow. The defining deal was how they helped each other. Of course, we probably wouldn’t know any of that if they didn’t ride bucking horses so good.” That eloquent athleticism and fame became a boon for the Pioneer Days Rodeo. Living on ranches near Goodwell, Robert and Dan have been associated with the volunteer committee that produces the annual rodeo. In fact, Robert reached out to sponsors and other contestants to put his hometown rodeo on the map in the early 1990s; it has been growing ever since. “It was through Robert’s leadership that we went from a little, no-name rodeo to national prominence,” said Melyn Johnson, director of Main Street Guymon and a longtime community supporter. “I don’t mean because of his riding ability but his leadership on the rodeo committee. I don’t think that precedence had been matched for a world champion to be involved with their local rodeo, a standard he set.” The brothers have been instrumental in training other generations of bronc riders. They help teach up-and-coming cowboys annually at the Deke Latham Memorial Bronc Riding School and have helped numerous contestants get their start in the game. Robert and Dan retired more than a decade ago, but Billy is still riding strong at 48 years old. In fact, he didn’t qualify for the 2010 NFR, the first time in since 1989 he wasn’t part of ProRodeo’s championship event. Still, most of the elite bronc riders in the sport list Billy Etbauer as their rodeo idol, and they have a difficult time beating him, even though he’s more than twice the age of most. Of course, they’re not the only champions in the family. Dan’s wife, Kasey, won the 2009 heeling world championship in the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association. Billy’s wife, Hollie, is a professional barrel racer who finished among the top 50 in 2010. Robert’s oldest son, Trell, is an all-around champion who competes in bronc riding, tie-down roping and steer wrestling. He won the college steer wrestling title as a freshman at Panhandle State in 2005, then later that year won his first all-around championship in the Prairie Circuit, the ProRodeo region consisting of athletes and events primarily from Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. Even bigger is that he is the first cowboy to win the prestigious Linderman Award his first three years in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. “When you look at Trell, you can’t get a better cowboy than that,” Griswold said. “You can see how he rides broncs, but then you see how good he is in the timed events, he is a true all-around cowboy.” Certainly being a cowboy is important in rodeo, but also it’s an important way of life in the Oklahoma Panhandle. The region calls for it, with sandy, dry terrain and livestock dotting the miles. But being a cowboy means more than riding horses and wrangling cattle. It means passing along the traits and talents to the next generation. “The great thing about being around those guys is that they’re so good at teaching,” Stonecipher said. “I’ve seen it with my own kids when we’re roping with them, and I’ve seen it with the young guys at the bronc school. The Etbauers have a good touch with teaching, especially with the young kids. It’s a rare gift to have.”

CLAREMORE, Okla. – Dawn and David Petty weren’t really that interested in getting into the rodeo scoreboard business. “Originally we got into it because we were trying to get a scoreboard for the Will Rogers Stampede,” said Dawn Petty, a third-generation member of the volunteer committee that produces the Claremore rodeo. “It just turned into David jumping in and buying one, and with our understanding as a rodeo committee, the need to have this and at an affordable rate, we found our way into the scoreboard business.” “We know how difficult it is to come up with the sponsorship money to put on the rodeo year after year, but we also think having a scoreboard is necessary in this day and age. We’re able to offer our services to other rodeo committees at a reasonable price.” But the payoff comes every Memorial Day weekend when the Pettys join other volunteers in producing one of the biggest events to hit Rogers County each year – David is the rodeo’s chairman, and Dawn is the scoreboard operator . This year the Pettys are providing another dimension to fans that are itching for more visual input from an already outstanding show – a giant video board, which will be put on display during each of the three performance set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 27-Sunday, May, 29. “We have a complete timing system and two professional video cameras,” David Petty said. “This is about more than rodeo, but rodeo is the backbone of what we do. The video gives fans instant replays and clips, and it gives sponsors a way to send their message with commercials. It’s something you want to see.” Combined with the action of the Will Rogers Stampede, there’s a lot packed into a weekend of rodeo. “Working this rodeo means the world to me,” Dawn Petty said. “Claremore is my hometown, and both sides of my family were born and raised in Rogers County. For David and I to be on the road as much as we are, we count on our family a lot. I love that we can have the video board here for our family and friends to see. I think when they see it at this year’s rodeo, they’re really going to love it.” The Pettys have had an LED board for several years, and for 2011, they upgraded to the video board. They still provide the LED board for those rodeos that wish to use it, but they expanded to the video screen in an effort to compete in a tough market. It also allows the Pettys to team with local businesses to have a family movie night. “We can show a highlight reel of what had happened previously, and if a committee wants to show highlight clips from other special events they do, we’re able to help with that,” Dawn Petty said. “There’s a lot to learn with a new video board because it can just do so much more, and we can also provide our committees a lot more with video and instant replay.” The Pettys work about 24 rodeos a year, including the Will Rogers Stampede, where both are heavily involved in the production of the annual event. They do it because they love the sport, something each has been associated with almost all of their lives. “It’s year-round, and we enjoy it,” she said. “We love the people. It’s like a giant extended family everywhere you go.” That family is growing, and so is its fan base. Rodeo’s quality family fun has existed for years, but the Pettys are tapping into ways to improve on the overall entertainment value with the video board. “The board brings so much more to the rodeo,” Dawn Petty said. “It’s great for the people who aren’t everyday rodeo people, who might not know all the stars in our game. The scoreboard is able to connect the fans with the contestants when they can look at that profile and learn more about that athlete and watch the replay of the great animal athletes as well, it just helps put folks on the edge of their seats”

I don’t watch much realty television. In fact, I’d never watched “The Amazing Race” before the Feb. 14, 2010, episode, the first for Season 16 of the CBS-TV reality series. That was the first time Jet and Cord McCoy appeared on the nationally televised program. They’ve been friends for the past decade; not only are they wonderfully talented cowboys, but also they’re great men who come from an outstanding family. I’ve enjoyed watching them compete two straight springs as they faced challenges in the race around the world for the $1 million first-place prize. I’ve also been flustered at circumstances and disappointed when they didn’t win – they were eliminated from Season 18 after running the ninth leg on Easter Sunday, less than a year after finished second in the 12-week series the first time they competed in it. My disappointment Sunday night wasn’t any different than the feelings I have when Cord is bucked off at a Professional Bull Riders event. It was just compounded by two months of commitment instead of eight-second increments. Globetrotters “Flight Time” and “Big Easy” aren’t the bad guys in the McCoys’ elimination from the show; they knew a wrong turn on their part might lead to their own elimination, so they needed as much of an advantage as they could get. But even in defeat, the cowboys handled each step of the race with integrity. They ran the race all of us would be proud to run, and they carried the banner of Team McCoy proudly throughout. They’re one of the most popular teams ever to take part in “The Amazing Race,” and their work ethic, values and fortitude are just some of the reasons why. I’m very proud of Jet and Cord McCoy; millions of other people are, too.

The Western music to close the ninth episode of “The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business” was a fitting goodbye for cowboys Jet and Cord McCoy. For the third straight leg of the race around the world for $1 million, the brothers from southeastern Oklahoma found themselves in last place. This time they couldn’t catch up to the pack of five other teams and were eliminated from the race with just three episodes remaining. “I still think we’ve got a target on our backs,” Cord said early in the CBS-TV show that aired Sunday night. He was right. Throughout the show, four of the five other teams worked together to advance. “I don’t know if we’re outcasts, but there hasn’t been anybody want to buddy up with us,” Jet said. The teams left Austria for Liechtenstein, and the McCoys left the train at Schaanwald in first place heading to the “road block.” That’s where the trouble set in. A member of each team had to use a motorized bicycle and measure the length of Liechtenstein, one of the smallest countries in the world. Handling the task for the cowboys, Jet took off on the 22-kilometer trek. “I feel like ‘Dumb and Dumber,’ ” he said, referring to the mini-bike scene from the 1994 film starring Jeff Daniels and Jim Carrey. “I’m just going to keep this hog wound out. Lord willing, when I get down there, I’ll have the right measurements.” But Jet made a wrong turn. Gary Ervin caught up with Jet, and the two traveled together before Jet decided against waiting on his opponent and bolted ahead – that might’ve been the costliest error. As best friend Justin Kanew (with Zev Glassenberg) helped sister Jennifer Hoffman (with LaKisha), who both helped Globetrotter Herb Lang (with Nate Lofton), who helped Ervin (with his daughter, Mallory), Jet failed to provide the correct answer at the end of the challenge. That meant returning 22 km to the starting spot and re-running that aspect of the race. That also meant the McCoys were well behind the pack heading to Zermatt, Switzerland. “You don’t want to have to run head up with the cowboys,” Lofton said. “They’re fast; they’re smart; they’re a quick team.” In Zermatt, teams faced the detour, either sharing a heaping pot of cheese fondue or traveling on foot while delivering 20 pieces of luggage to five hotels. All but Kanew and Glassenburg carried the luggage; it paid off for the best friends, who won their fourth leg of the race. Still, there was plenty of excitement, just as the reality series has held as the final racers come to the mat for each “pit stop.” By the time the cowboys reached Zermatt, they had to hustle to have any chance to catch up to the field. The “cliffhanger” portion of the episode showed the Globetrotters losing two of the 20 luggage tickets, allowing the McCoys to seemingly catch up. As Lang and Lofton worked their way to the finish line, only one interruption awaited them, a “double U-turn,” something the other four teams passed. But knowing any mistake could allow the cowboys to beat the Globetrotters to the “pit stop” and continue the race, the Globetrotters decided to U-turn the cowboys. “It was tough U-turning Jet and Cord,” Lang said. “They’re actually one of my favorite teams ever. But it’s down to the end, and it’s either us or them, and we know that they’re behind us.” That didn’t sit well with the McCoys, nor most of their fans, as proven on message boards Sunday night just a few minutes after their fate was decided. “It’s the double U-turn, and we’re the only ones that got U-turned,” Jet said “It doesn’t say a lot about them, I don’t think, but maybe they thought they were U-turning their strongest competition. When host Phil Keoghan told the brothers they were done racing, the McCoys already had a good idea. Keoghan then asked about the leg. “Totally my fault, really,” Jet said. But Keoghan asked Cord if he felt the same way, to which the youngest of five children raised on a ranch near Tupelo, Okla., shook his head “no.” “We’re a team,” Cord said. “I took off the first step with him. And I’m standing here on the last mat with him. I’m his teammate, and I’ll stick with him until the end.” The brothers, who are just 13 months apart, spent a good portion of their lives traveling the rodeo circuit together, first as youth progressing through the ranks, and then chasing their gold buckle dreams across North America. Now with families of their own, they still live within half an hour of one another. “We went to some new places this time, and I got to see it with my brother,” Jet said. “There’s nobody else I’d rather be traveling around the country with.” Well … “Maybe my wife,” he said, somewhat joking. “I don’t blame ya,” Cord replied. The cowboys lasted nine legs this run and have been fan favorites for two of the 18 seasons of “The Amazing Race.” They battled through each challenge with grace and showed the world what being a cowboy is really about. “I know they hit the nail on the head when they say this race amazing,” Cord said. “I get to go with my brother and my best friend. It’s memories I’ll never forget.”

On a day when we celebrate our risen Lord and teach our young children the reason why, I like to the faith by which I lead my life. I’m blessed by the grace of God. The old military theory is there are no atheists in foxholes, because when you face such uncertainty, you must lean on your faith. The rodeo world is surrounded by foxholes, from the treacherous miles getting from one event to another to the potential danger of competing with wild livestock. Throw in the general nature of making a living on the rodeo trail – where a contestant must pay a fee to compete and only earns a check if he/she does better than most – and cowboys and cowgirls live their lives on faith. They must believe in themselves, their talent, their fortitude and their work ethic. If they compete in the timed events, they have to believe in their athletic horses. Most of all, their faith in God tends to be stronger than most. It’s what helps them strive for the best and fight through adversity, even when adversity seems to be winning. Their passions are strong and guided because of their faith. And they remember, He is risen; He is risen indeed.

I’m not sure all the champs from the Central Plains Region of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association, but I know the Oklahoma Panhandle State men’s team walked away with another circuit title. Of course, the Aggies had it clinched before hosting this weekend’s rodeo, but that’s just evidence of the strength Panhandle State carries into the 10-event rodeo circuit made up of college programs primarily from Oklahoma and Kansas. But it’s also a testament to the tremendous talent that runs deep in the region. Congratulations to all the Central Plains Region champs.

I’ve had a number of wonderful memories through the sport of rodeo. From watching my friends compete for gold buckles to having unorthodox phone conversations at 2 a.m., I’ve been pretty blessed. The greatest rodeo moment came five years ago in Guymon, Okla., when I proposed to my wife, Lynette, during a fundraiser for Pioneer Days Rodeo. With the help of several members of the rodeo committee, I made out to surprise my bride-to-be in a way she would never expect. I’d made up envelopes that contained sheets of paper the words, “Lynette, Will You Marry Me?” I was holding the page with “Me?” on it, and when it was time, I got down on one knee. The surprise and joy on Lynette’s face made all that planning more than worth it. Then she was prompted to open her envelope, which contained an 8-by-11 sheet of paper with the word “YES!” on one side. She held that 300-point bold type up to the crowd of 200 people. I was tickled. Then Lynette told the crowd, “I didn’t have any other choice.” Actually, she did. On the opposite side of the page was a little bitty “no,” done in 6-point lightface type. But she stuck with her first answer, and I’m still thankful. Over the past half decade, she has been my biggest supporter and a driving force for everything I do. In two weeks, we will return to the Oklahoma Panhandle for one of the greatest rodeos in the country. We will celebrate the 10-year anniversary of our meeting, back when we shared a friendship and passion for rodeo, years before we fell in love and made our family. I count those blessings still.

I wonder if it was karma or happenstance, but those of us who watched the Fort Hays State University rodeo last weekend couldn’t help but notice the bulls failing to leave the arena. As announcer Travis Schauda pointed out, the out gate was sponsored by a local steakhouse, and in the banner that covered the gate displayed a beautiful looking steak. Were the bovines concerned about where the gate might lead, or were they just feeling a little frisky and enjoyed the large arena compared to the smallish back pens? My choice is the latter, since the bucking horses didn’t want to go to the back either. But it sure made for some fun consideration.

One of the great things about attending the Fort Hays State University rodeo last weekend was seeing old friends. But there was a lot more to it. This was the first reunion in the 45-year history of the college’s rodeo club. The biggest and best thing about the weekend, though, came late Saturday afternoon when we talked about raising money for an endowed scholarship to honor longtime coach Garry Brower. The hope was to raise $10,000 over three years, and before the banquet began, we learned that $3,500 had been raised. Dr. Edward Hammond, who has been the university’s president for 25 years, showed us how to raise money. He opened his own checkbook and pledged to donate $5,000 if the alumni organization could raise just $1,500 in seven days. That generous offer, made by the only college president in the Central Plains Region to own bucking bulls, prompted fast action. In fact, Hammond was forced to write a check within 15 minutes of the announcement. That’s just the foundation, and I’d love to see the fund continue to grow. This is important to the Fort Hays State rodeo team; moreover, it’s important for the future of rodeo. If you’d like to contribute, contact Debra Prideaux, Executive Director, Alumni and Governmental Relations, Fort Hays State University, Robbins Center – One Tiger Place, Hays, KS 67601-3767.

Racing around the world for the $1 million prize is hard work, and the eighth leg of “The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business” was evidence of that. “You’ve been racing so hard, your cowboy hat is dirty,” Phil Keoghan, host of the CBS-TV reality series, said to Cord McCoy, who is racing with his brother, Jet, for the second straight spring season. “I’m going to win me enough money I’ll get me a new cowboy hat,” Cord told Keoghan after the team finished fifth in the episode that aired Sunday night. “It’s time to step it up, or we’re going to go home.” The cowboys trailed the pack for much of the leg, which began in Varanasi, India. It marked the second straight episode the brothers finished in fifth place; they left the starting point at Ramnagar Fort an hour and a half behind the leaders, Globetrotters Herb Lang and Nate Lofton. “We kind of dodged a bullet in the last leg, but I’m not sure we could do it again,” Jet said. “The closer we get to the end, there’s room for fewer and fewer mistakes. I think the cowboys are about ready to get out of India. We’re done playing ‘Cowboys and Indians.’ ” The first step in the eighth leg was to book a flight to Vienna, Austria, through a travel agent. While the other five teams took the earliest arrival, it involved two connections. The McCoys opted for a travel plan that arrived in Vienna half an hour behind the other teams but involved just one connection. “Every flight we’ve been on in this country has been delayed by 20 to 35 minutes,” Jet said. “I don’t know if it’s worth the risk. You can lose 30 minutes anywhere. I think we’re going to roll the dice.” As expected, the rodeo cowboys were well behind the field. Once in Vienna, they made their way to a 2012 Ford Focus. As they backed the vehicle, they read through the car’s camera their next clue, taking them to Schloss Schallaburg, a castle that is widely known for its annually changing, cultural-historical and archaeological exhibitions. From there they were directed to the national library. “Jet and I have been making a habit of starting in last,” Cord said. “You can’t survive and win a million dollars.” Obviously they have through two-thirds of the race. At the library, the teams were directed to their “detour,” where they either carried a couch from Sigmund Freud’s home/museum to the university or tried to eat a large meal while riding 12 minutes on a giant Farris wheel. Three teams – best friends Zev Glassenberg and Justin Kanew; sisters Jennifer and LaKisha Hoffman; and father-daughter Gary and Mallory Ervin – tried the meal and failed, so all eventually carried the couch. “We just hope we make it to our location faster than a couple other teams,” Cord said. “When we were going to the couches, Jet and I knew we were dead last, so we had to pick up the pace.” Just as the brothers reached the Freud museum, they saw Glassenberg and Kanew leaving with their couch. “Hey, that was all we needed,” Cord said. “We’re back in the game. That was the first time Jet and I seen any team. That was like the first light at then end of the tunnel that we’d seen.” “That’s kind of encouraging,” Jet said. The brothers were shown running through the streets of Vienna, but they still had their senses of humor. “I kept thinking it might be faster … I could lay on the couch, tell Cord about my feelings, and he could push me,” Jet said. “I don’t need to know about his feelings that bad,” Cord said. As they completed the task, they passed Glassenberg and Kanew, then they raced back to the library, where their vehicle was parked. At that point, the cowboys were ahead of two other teams. “I think there’s two cars sitting there,” Jet said, as they prepared to drive to “Old Town” Salzburg. “There’s still hope for us.” But the race was on, and Glassenberg and Kanew moved back into fourth place on the highway, passing the McCoys en route to the “road block,” where one team member had to dress the part and do the work of a chimney sweep, from dark outfit to the top hat. “Looks good on me?” a joking Cord asked the actual chimney sweep assigned to help him. “Chicks dig it? “I think I might have found a new calling already; chimney sweeping at its best.” Once the task was complete, the teams found the clue to the leg’s “pit stop,” Villa Trapp, the home of the actual von Trapp family from the “Sound of Music.” Glassenberg and Kanew won the leg, each earning a 2012 Ford Focus. The Ervins finished last, but they remain in the race because Sunday’s episode was a non-elimination leg. The father-daughter tandem will have to handle an extra task during the ninth leg of the race, which airs at 7 p.m. Central next Sunday.

The Fort Hays (Kan.) State University Rodeo is this weekend, and I’m surrounded by my old haunts at my alma mater. I’m looking forward to the Central Plains Region action, but I’m also looking forward to seeing some old friends, no matter their school allegiance — it kind of comes with the territory of having a wife who was part of the rodeo program at Panhandle State University for so many years and by mine having written about all those Oklahoma schools when I was working in Oklahoma City. The only negative to the weekend was the weather. Snow and wind made for a miserable Friday, so miserable, in fact, that Friday’s competition was postponed. It means a lot of making up in a day and a half at Doug Phillip Arena. But it’s still going to be a lot of fun.

Associates with Pre-Paid Legal Services Inc. are plenty excited to be teamed with cowboy and “amazing” racer Cord McCoy. In a release that was sent out last week and posted on twisTEDrodeo.com, McCoy announced the sponsorship agreement with the Ada, Okla.-based organization that has representatives all across the country. Apparently the folks at Pre-Paid Legal released the information to the associates this morning and included the post. The comments have been coming in ever since. I appreciate the comments, and I’d love for more people to get involved in sharing their thoughts about any topic on here. I appreciate the excited Pre-Paid Legal associates who have sent their messages to Cord today and those who will continue doing so in the days to come. Given that every news story we release for Cord and Jet will be part of TwisTED Rodeo, this might be the perfect place for Pre-Paid Legal to advertise. I should really check that out.

GUYMON, Okla. – Every athlete wants a fair opportunity to compete. In the world of rodeo, no other event does it better than the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 6; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 7; and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 8, at Henry C. Hitch Pioneer Arena. It’s why the best in the business return to the Oklahoma Panhandle the first weekend of May each year. “We’ve always focused on the cowboys,” said Jim Quimby, chairman of the volunteer committee that produces the annual event. “For us, that means doing what we can for the contestants, from our hospitality to getting the best stock. That means getting the best bucking horses and bulls and giving the timed-event contestants the best cattle to compete on.” The committee will try to get enough roping cattle and bulldogging steers for each cowboy. In team roping, the animals will be fresh, meaning they’ll come straight from the pasture and will not have been roped prior to the event. “Our team ropers won’t draw for their steers because they’ll be walking fresh and chute run,” said Ken Stonecipher, a longtime committee member. “We’ve had muley steers, those that don’t have horns, but this year we’re using horned cattle in team roping. “They’ll still have a long score with a hand-pulled barrier.” The primary difference is that most rodeo cattle have been through the chutes and know what to expect. They’re trained to do their jobs. “When we get these fresh cattle, you don’t know what to expect, which we hope will make it a little more western,” Stonecipher said. That’s just one aspect of the commitment to great livestock. The barrel racers, ropers and steer wrestlers will showcase some of the most athletic horses in the business, animals with blazing speed that can handle the maneuvers needed to stop the clock in quick order. Of course, primary stock provider Pete Carr of Carr Pro Rodeo will bring with him a pasture full of great bucking horses and bulls. Not only that, but Carr has sought out some other tremendous contractors to help provide the fantastically athletic bucking beasts for this year’s festivities: Powder River Rodeo Co., D&H Cattle Co., Korkow Rodeo and Frontier Rodeo. “It’s important to me that the cowboys can get on any horse or any bull and have a chance to win the rodeo,” Carr said. “We’ve had some great rides in Guymon over the years, and I’m sure we’ll see that again this year.” That’s just what the rodeo needs, Quimby said. “We’ve got several horses and a number of bulls that were at the 2010 NFR,” he said, referring to the year-end championship, the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. “I think, altogether, it’s shaping up to be the best four performances you can see anywhere outside the NFR.” With previous years as indicators, Quimby might be dead on in his assessment. Take Dirty Jacket, a 7-year-old gelding that has helped cowboys win the Pioneer Days Rodeo title each of the last three years. In 2010, Will Lowe scored 87 points on Dirty Jacket to win the rodeo, while Joe Gunderson’s 86 on the horse held up for second place. “The thing I like about coming to Guymon is that we all have a shot,” said saddle bronc rider Bobby Griswold of Geary, Okla., a four-time NFR qualifier. “That’s a rodeo we all want to win.”

CLAREMORE, Okla. – It’s been eight years since the first class was inducted into the Will Rogers Roundup Club’s Rodeo Hall of Fame. The prestige keeps building. “This is a way for us to celebrate the things that have made the roundup club and the Will Rogers Stampede something special,” said rodeo chairman David Petty, noting this year’s Rodeo Legends Banquet will take place at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 23, at the Roundup Clubhouse. “From Clem McSpadden, our first honoree, to the group we’re inducting this year, these people have helped build professional rodeo to the entertaining sport it is today.” This year’s inductees are steer roping legends “Shoat” Webster and Guy Allen, all-around champion Roy Cooper and longtime roundup club members Bob and Alice Morton. “The people who are part of the roundup club are such a big part of this community and of rodeo, in general,” said Donna McSpadden, Clem’s widow who has carried his strong rodeo voice since his death nearly three years ago. “The town was always heavily involved, and the people were happy to have the roundup club here. Rodeo is a star in somebody’s heart.” It is in the hearts of the inductees, that’s for sure. The Mortons have been involved for decades, holding many prestigious titles in the roundup club. Bob served as chairman of the rodeo for a number of years, and he continues to be an integral piece of the puzzle in producing the annual event, which is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 28-Sunday, May 29. “If there’s a rodeo mom and dad for a lot of us from around here, they are it,” said Justin McKee, a rodeo announcer from Lenapah, Okla., who will emcee the hall of fame banquet, stepping in for arena announcer Scott Grover, who had a prior commitment. “It’s good knowing they’re there. They’re some of the finest people that this region has had to promote rodeo and contestants. “They care about people. Everybody knows they care about rodeo, but they’re also genuine people. They genuinely care about people they’re around and like, and that’s meaningful.” Born Howard Choteau Webster, “Shoat” is a four-time world champion steer roper from Lenepah who could also wrestle steers and rope calves. He was an all-around hand focused on his work at Lowry Ranch, but he could win at about anything he tried; he was even the world champion wild cow milker at Madison Square Garden one year. “What people don’t realize because it’s so long and he’s outlived most of his old counterparts, but at places like Pecos (Texas), Pendleton (Ore.) and Cheyenne (Wyo.) – or any of those places in Oklahoma, Kansas, New Mexico or west Texas where steer roping was big – Shoat was more popular and won more stuff than Casey Tibbs or Jim Shoulders,” said McKee, who also competes in steer roping. He might have won more often had he hit the road and competed at more events. “That son of a buck didn’t go that much,” McKee said. “Nobody can touch his earnings percentage. If you go to San Angelo (Texas) or Pawhuska (Okla.) where they had the invitational steer ropings, this guy was Elvis. This guy was as tough and good looking and as popular as they come.” Rodeo is about tough, whether it’s competing on ornery livestock or traveling tens of thousands of miles in order to make a living. Both Allen and Cooper have done it all, and they have the gold buckles to prove it. “Having world champions like Guy, Roy and Shoat in our hall of fame is important, because they’re proof of what it takes to win in rodeo,” Petty said. “Guy is here every year, just like he was when he was winning world championships while living in Vinita (Okla.).” Allen has won a lot of world championships. His 18 steer roping gold buckles are the most by any individual in the history of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. From 1991-2001, nobody was better. But there were eight other years in which the New Mexico cowboy won the top prize in his event. “This is a big deal to me, because when I was starting my announcing career, Guy lived in Vinita and we went to church together at Cowboy Junction,” McKee said. “He helped me with my steer roping. We became lifelong friends. One of the highlights of my life is being able to hang out with Guy, getting to rope with him every day.” Cooper owns eight world titles – six in tie-down roping, one in steer roping and one in the all-around; in 1983, he won the coveted Triple Crown by winning three championships in a single season. He qualified for the National Finals Rodeo 20 times – 19 in calf roping and once in team roping – and he made 13 trips to the National Finals Steer Roping. This past year December he watched his three sons, Clif, Clint and Tuf, compete at the NFR. “Roy’s been on of my biggest inspirations, but not for the reason a lot of people have had,” McKee said. “In his later years when he was only competing in steer roping or calf roping, he hadn’t been on the road or behind the barrier nearly as much as his younger counterparts, but he’d still come in there and win money. “I’d like to be like that, when I show up, I can win like he does. That’s something I shoot for. I want to be like Roy.”

D.V. Fennell has had a hunger in his belly for five months. Fennell is a two-time bareback riding qualifier to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, but bucking horses don’t read resumes. The Utah-born, Oklahoma-raised cowboy hasn’t seen a paycheck since the seventh round of the on Dec. 8, 2010. That’s the way it goes in rodeo sometimes. Even the best cowboys go through trials that would make lesser men squeal. “I’d be lying if I said it hasn’t been a struggle,” said Fennell, who earned $5,880 over the past week by finishing second at two rodeos. “But it feels real good now. I’m ready to start my roll.” Fennell’s biggest chunk of change came in Logandale, Nev., where his 85-point ride was second only to Jake Vold’s 87. For that, Fennell earned $4,512. He added another $1,368 by finishing second at Oakdale, Calif., with an 80, just two points behind winner Cody DeMers. “This is a tough business,” he said, noting that contestants must pay entry fees in order to compete and they only earn money back if they do well enough to place; at both rodeos, only the top six places earned a check. “You’ve just got to stick with it and believe in yourself. But when you go through those kinds of slumps, it’s hard not to doubt yourself. “Fortunately I’ve got a great team helping me. I couldn’t have made it this far this year without my little buddy, Justin (McDaniel) or Eric Norris or Jack Hodge.” McDaniel is the 2008 world champion bareback rider and Fennell’s longtime traveling partner, while Eric Norris owns the State Farm Insurance agency in Fennell’s hometown of Neosho, Mo. Hodge runs James Hodge Ford in Muskogee, Okla. – both Norris and Hodge are marketing partners/sponsors of Fennell’s rodeo career, but they bring a lot more to the table. “These guys have kept me going down the road doing what I do,” Fennell said. “But they’ve also been great friends. That means a heck of a lot more to me.” So what’s next? Fennell has expected a “hot” season, meaning many trips to the pay window in a sport where money not only helps pay bills but also counts toward championship points – the contestants in each event with the most money won at the end of the 2011 campaign will be crowned world champions. And while it took several months to get it kick-started, Fennell is still banking on a strong finish. In reality, he’s less than $5,000 outside of the top 20 and less than $13,000 outside the top 10. As he proved quickly in Logandale and Oakdale, a hot run can help Fennell make up a lot of ground. “It’s pretty amazing how momentum works,” he said. “But I feel sharp and know I’m riding good. It’s time to keep getting on good horses and take advantage of that.”

HAYS, Kan. – The future of rodeo is among us, and it’s coming to northwest Kansas for the annual Fort Hays State University Rodeo. The college’s rodeo club will host the event, part of the Central Plains Region of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association. It’s one of the toughest circuits in college rodeo, and the FHSU rodeo team has been part of it for decades. FHSU cowboys and cowgirls will test their mettle against some of the top hands in college rodeo during the four performances scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 15; 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 16; and 1:30 p.m. Sunday, April 17 at Doug Phillip Arena. How tough will the competition be? This is where Bronc Rumford was an all-around winner before a he became a professional champion, then the program’s coach. It’s where Lyle Sankey developed his talents before qualifying for the National Finals Rodeo in all three roughstock events, bareback riding, saddle bronc riding and bull riding. It’s where Jule Hazen fine-tuned his steer wrestling talents before a career that’s seen him qualify twice for the NFR. It’s where Jerry Beagley rode bulls and Kevin Rich fought them. It’s where Dr. Garry Brower has coached great student athletes and built a legacy that he’s handed off to Rumford. “We’ve had some great athletes that have been part of our program over the years,” Rumford said. “They know they’re going to be tested every week. A real cowboy knows the challenges he faces, and he wants to tackle them head-on.” The rodeo will feature more than 550 contestants from 27 schools in Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. The reigning women’s all-around and breakaway roping national champion is scheduled to be part of the 2011 competition at Doug Phillip Arena. Jordan Muncy-Taton is a senior at Oklahoma Panhandle State University, and she helped her team to a third-place finish in the College National Finals Rodeo last June. The Fort Hays State men’s team is led by Cody Pratt, who is third in the circuit’s steer wrestling standings. He’ll need a strong showing to close out the rodeo season if he’s going to qualify for the CNFR. Troy Crowser of Panhandle State won the Resistol Saddle Bronc Riding Rookie of the Year award last year in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association – unlike other professional sports, collegians can compete in ProRodeo while maintaining there eligibility. But the history of great rodeo in the Central Plains Region runs deep. Just look at the 1990s, where a team from the circuit made up of rodeos primarily in Kansas and Oklahoma won the college championship from 1992-2001. “This always has been a tough region, and I don’t see that changing any time soon,” Rumford said. “That’s what makes coming to this rodeo so much fun, because you’re going to see the best kids in the country.”

Life in Varanasi, India, is considerably different from life in Tupelo, Okla., and the McCoy brothers know that better than most after taking part in the seventh leg of “The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business.” But they also found there are a lot of similarities. “We come clear across the world to haul some hay,” said Cord McCoy, who is on the 18th season of the CBS-TV reality series with his brother, Jet. The brothers from southeastern Oklahoma began the leg in Kolkata, India, in second place. But they didn’t stay there long. In fact, while the other six teams got the earliest flight to Varanasi, the McCoys took a flight that put them an hour behind. “The competition … it just keeps getting tougher and the game gets more intense as we go,” Jet said. “Our game plan from the first has been to minimize mistakes. Seems like we kind of got the kinks worked out these last three legs, and hopefully we can keep that momentum going. No room for error here.” The brothers, though, didn’t realize their mistake until it was about time to board their plane when they didn’t see any other racers. “If nobody else gets on this one, that means they’re all ahead of us,” Cord said. “It’s going to be a long day,” Jet replied. It was. Once the cowboys landed in Varanasi, they realized they were 30 minutes to an hour behind the other teams. Their goal was to go as quickly as possible during the leg’s “road blocks” and “detours” to hopefully make up ground. In fact, as they arrived at the first challenge, only half the teams were still there, the father-daughter teams of Gary and Mallory Ervin and Ron and Christina Hsu and the Goth couple, Kent Kaliber and Vyxsin Fiala. “We see the cowboy hats bobbing over the crowd, and I think all three of us girls were concerned because the cowboys are so efficient,” Fiala said, noting that each team’s men handled the “road block” challenge in which they searched for religious men and completed a puzzle. “I think everyone feels pretty intimidated and threatened by them.” The challenge meant the competitors had to tour the streets of Varanasi in order to find the pieces to their puzzle; Cord tackled the task for the McCoys. “How fast you run is how fast you’re going to get through the road block, but you don’t want to miss anything either,” Cord said. “So you’re whipping your head back and forth, and your feet are going 9.0 and your hands are in front of you in case you hit a car. “The profession that Jet and I grew up doing, competing in rodeos and riding bulls and bucking horses, you don’t get paid unless you win. So you’ve just got to leave all your cards on the table while you’re here.” Cord rushed through the challenge and finished ahead of Ron Hsu. “I knew the cowboys would catch up,” Christina Hsu said. “I was just hoping they wouldn’t catch up to us.” The “detour” involved India’s relationship of livestock. Teams could either feed the fire, making 50 traditional fuel patties made out of buffalo patties, then slapping them onto a wall to dry in the sun; or crossing the Ganges River to retrieve hay, then cross the Ganges again to deliver it to the address that’s listed on each of the bundles of hay. Three teams made the fuel, while the other four teams, including the McCoys, hauled hay. “The crap I do for a million dollars …” said manure spreader Jennifer Hoffman, who is on the race with her sister, LaKisha. The teams then had to cross the Gange River again to find the “pit stop” at Ramnagar Fort. The Globetrotters, Herb Lang and Nate Lofton, finished first. The McCoys finished the leg in fifth place. “Every time we had a chance to bust it and get back in the race by pure grit and try, that’s what we did,” Cord said. The Hsus finished last and were eliminated.

Two-time and reigning world champion saddle bronc rider Cody Wright failed to earn a dime during the Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo last weekend. That opened the door for all the other top bronc riders in the game, especially his younger brother, Jesse, who won the national championship and pocketed the biggest paycheck of all competitors in Oklahoma City, $19,195. I’m not so sure Jesse was willing to split his take with his Montana Silversmiths gold buckle-wearing brother, but I reckon he bought dinner Sunday night.

ADA, Okla. – No matter where he’s been all over the world, Cord McCoy’s thoughts return to his home. Southeastern Oklahoma is home to McCoy, one of the elite cowboys in the Professional Bull Riders tour, the Built Ford Tough Series. He makes his living trying to ride the nastiest bucking beasts in the business, a continuation of his life on the ranch. That’s why McCoy is excited about his developing relationship with Ada-based Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc., an organization that has supported McCoy’s bull riding career and has seen the cowboy traverse the world with his brother, Jet, during two seasons of the CBS-TV reality series, “The Amazing Race.” “I’ve worked with Pre-Paid in the past, and I know the kind of people they are,” said McCoy, a five-time champion in the Oklahoma-based International Professional Rodeo Association who has focused his career on riding bulls in the PBR. “It’s very exciting to me to be able to work with everybody at Pre-Paid. We’re still working out all the details of the sponsorship agreement, but I think this is something that’s going to work well for both of us. “I’m a cowboy, but even bigger, I’m an Oklahoma cowboy. It’s important for me to work with an Oklahoma company, and that’s Pre-Paid Legal; it’s Oklahoma from its foundation up.” Pre-Paid Legal offers products that are one-of-a-kind, life events legal service plans, and the company provides legal service benefits provided through a network of independent law firms across the United States and Canada, and include unlimited attorney consultation as well as will preparation, traffic violation defense, automobile-related criminal charges defense, letter writing, document preparation and review and a general trial defense benefit. Pre-Paid Legal Services has an identity-theft restoration product that is also one of a kind because of the combination of outside vendors and provider law firms. More information about can be found at http://www.prepaidlegal.com. Pre-Paid Legal has approximately 600 employees at its corporate headquarters in Ada and an additional 60 employees in Antlers and 100 employees in Duncan. In the partnership, McCoy will carry the Pre-Paid Legal brand with him as he travels the country chasing his bull riding dreams. He will serve as a marketing representative for the company as he meets with fans and the media, wearing the Pre-Paid Legal logo during each appearance, whether in the arena or on television interviews or during autograph sessions. Pre-Paid Legal has been part of the Oklahoma landscape for nearly 40 years, and Jet and Cord McCoy have brought Oklahoma to the masses through their exciting experiences on “The Amazing Race.” The brothers finished second in Season 16, which aired last spring. They are still involved in Season 18, which has aired half its 12 episodes already this spring. The seventh leg of the race around the world for $1 million will air at 7 p.m. Sunday, April 10. “Whether I’m at a bull riding in California or racing around the world, I’m always thinking of home,” McCoy said. “That’s who I am. I’m pretty proud to be from Oklahoma.”

OKLAHOMA CITY – There’s only one title that now eludes Tyson Durfey. The Missouri-born cowboy put together a magnificent run from March 31-April 3 to win tie-down roping during the Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo at Jim Norick Arena, the historic site that hosted the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo for 13 years. “This event has always been important to me,” said Durfey of Colbert, Wash. “Growing up in Missouri, Billy Huber was a legend in that area. Even my brother and my dad went to the circuit finals, so growing up, everybody that I looked up to was going to the circuit finals.” Huber is from Iowa, Missouri’s neighbor to the north. Both are part of the Great Lakes Circuit, one of 12 regions that are part of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association’s circuit system. Huber has earned 20 qualifications to the DNCFR by winning either the Great Lakes Circuit’s year-end or finals titles, so you can see how a young Durfey found an idol. Durfey was raised near Savannah, Mo., by his father, Roy, who trains calf ropers and calf-roping horses. Twice Tyson Durfey was the tie-down roping champion in the Missouri High School Rodeo Association. At 19, he began his ProRodeo career. In 2006 at the age of 22, Durfey won the first of two Canadian Professional Rodeo Association championships, the first American-born cowboy to accomplish the feat. And even though he’d moved to Washington, being solid in his circuit has always been an important step for Durfey, who has qualified for the national tournament four times in his career. Now he hopes to parlay his excellent run into that elusive gold buckle given to the world champion each year. “It doesn’t look like it in the standings, but I’ve had a pretty good year,” Durfey said. “It’s just it hasn’t been at the rodeos that count for the world standings.” That’s true. The PRCA standings are based on money earned, though the DNCFR earnings don’t count toward the 2011 campaign since qualifying is based on the 2010 season. But Durfey will find a way to spend $14,533 he earned in Oklahoma’s capital city. Still, there’s a wave of momentum that comes along with the title. Durfey placed in the opening two go-rounds and finished second in the two-run aggregate – the top eight advanced to a sudden-death semifinals, then the top four from that round advanced to a sudden-death finals. It was there that Durfey posted the fastest time of the four-day championship, a 7.2-second run. “I’m just blessed to have such a great horse,” Durfey, 27, said of Bailey, his sorrel quarter horse. “That horse has made my career. This really helps my momentum, but I’m not done. I just want to rope sharp and stay focused. If I can do that, everything will take care of itself.”

Clint Cannon was very interested in taking the most money he possibly could out of Oklahoma City when he competed at the Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo last weekend. That’s why he competed just after getting knocked out in Laughlin, Nev. You see, Cannon’ s bareback riding rigging broke in Laughlin, and he took a ride off the back of his animal. Most likely he suffered a concussion, but the two-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier didn’t let that stop him from competing for a national championship. In all, Cannon won $8,364 and earned one of five spots in Sunday’s final go-round — only the top four were to qualify out of the semifinals, but Cannon’s 81-point ride tied Bo Casper and Brian Bain, so five bareback riders advanced. Bobby Mote won the DNCFR title and more than $13,000, while Kaycee Feild earned the most money of all bareback riders over the four days of competition, $17,961. Kelly Timberman, the 2004 world champ, earned more than $8,500. The goal of DNCFR qualifiers is to earn that coveted national championship, but the money earned inside Jim Norick Arena will go a long ways down the rodeo trail this season. Sometimes it means battling through a little pain to make it work.