Monthly Archives: August 2011

No matter how many times I’ve experienced it, I’m still awestruck world champions’ demeanor. Take five-time winner Lewis Feild. It’s been more than 20 years since the Utah cowboy has won gold, but he still carries a quiet confidence that is befitting a rodeo cowboy. Now known more as the father of one of ProRodeo’s elite bareback riders, Lewis Feild is quite proud of the accomplishments of his youngest child, Kaycee. But Lewis is no more proud of Kaycee than he is Shad or Maclee, the older children he shares with his loving wife, Veronica. After half an hour of visiting today, I was most impressed with Mr. Feild’s giving personality. There is confidence without the ego, something you find more often in rodeo than other professional sports. He offered insights as well as storylines during our conversation, and I appreciate that more than most.

I recall several years ago when Charles Pogue decided his time was better spent at home with his family than on the rodeo trail. I questioned how a 15-time qualifier to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo could do that, still one of the top headers in the business. Of course, I’d never packed up a rig for a two- to three-month run of rodeos away from home. I’ve learned more about that over the years, though I don’t ever expect to travel as hard as the contestants do. During my two-week stretch from my wife and daughters, homesickness was my biggest foe in handling my duties. But when I developed this business, I knew there would be miles and significant time away from home and those I love most. Fortunately, I’m blessed with three girls who are my biggest supporters. That helps take away some of the sting of missing them; more importantly, it helps me appreciate them when I am home.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story appears in the August 2011 edition of Women’s Pro Rodeo News, the official publication of the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association. On paper, the Fourth of July run was awfully nice to Brenda Mays. She earned $11,140, with a large portion coming with her victory at the World’s Oldest Rodeo in Prescott, Ariz., where she pocketed $4,515. But she also added nice paychecks in Molalla, Ore.; Eugene, Ore.; Livingston, Mont.; and Oakley, Utah. “It was a very good Fourth for me,” said Mays, a four-time qualifier to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo from Terrebonne, Ore. Mays knows the importance of Cowboy Christmas. After that week of lucrative rodeos, she had moved her season earnings to $67,256, good enough for second in the WPRA ProRodeo Standings. But that time on the road was a little bittersweet for Mays, whose son, Kyle Easterly, was competing at the National Junior High School Finals Rodeo in Gallup, N.M. “The thing I didn’t like about it was having to miss my son’s first trip to Gallup,” she said. “He made the short round in the chute dogging, so I’m awfully proud of him. I would’ve liked to have been there to see it, but he knows that this is what we do to take care of him.” That’s the business of rodeo, and Mays handles her business as well as anyone hauling horses down the road. Of course, it helps that she has Jethro, the reigning AQHA/WPRA Barrel Horse of the Year. Judge Buy Cash is a 12-year-old black gelding by Judge Cash out of Flashs Polly Vandy, and he’s been one of the best horses in the game for several years – he finished third in the voting in 2008 and was second in 2009. Oh, and he likes Prescott. The 2011 campaign marked the second straight year Mays and Jethro won that rodeo; they also finished second in 2009. “Yeah, I kind of need to go back to that one,” Mays said, somewhat joking but mostly serious. “He likes it. It’s a good set up for him, and I really like the committee down there. “It’s a little bit out of the way, but I’ll continue to go to that rodeo.” Mays set the standard on June 28, the opening night, when she and Jethro rounded the cloverleaf pattern in 17.38 seconds during the performance, then posted a 17.53 an hour and a half later during slack. Five days later, Mays learned she’d won the opening round and $1,724, finished fourth in the second round worth $1,067 and left the field in the dust with her two-run total of 34.91, with another $1,724. “Jethro has been working pretty good, but he also had a pretty good layoff before we got to Reno,” she said. “I really didn’t think it would win the round. In years past, the round times had always been faster, so it kind of shocked me to win the round.” The back-to-back format worked quite well for Mays. “He was actually a little stronger that second run and ran a little bit harder,” she said. Sometimes that’s good, and sometimes that’s not good.” But it worked out, and Mays was on the road in a race for ProRodeo gold while most of America slumbered and planned for its Independence Day holiday. “The hardest part of it was that I had to go from Prescott to Oakley, Utah,” she said. “I was by myself, and I had to leave at midnight for a 12-hour drive. I got about an hour nap in, then I had to go to Cody, Wyo. When I got to Livingston (Mont.), my husband came and helped. “I figure I got about six hours sleep in three days, which probably was not enough. But we know coming into it that the Fourth of July, Cowboy Christmas, is about the driving and how people can handle the driving, being exhausted and still being able to compete. We all know what we’re getting into when we enter. That’s just part of it all for us.” At all the rodeos in which Mays placed, Jethro was her guiding force. She gave the great gelding a break in Red Lodge, Mont., and St. Paul, Ore., where she ran Judge My Fame, an 8-year-old mare she calls Dora by Dash Ta Fame out of Flashy Cashy Cat. “I think the reason we can make it work is knowing he can handle it,” she said. “But it’s also knowing where he’s been successful and entering the places I know he likes. St. Paul is a good circuit rodeo for us, but he doesn’t like it there, so that’s why I ran my mare. “What I try to do when I enter all these rodeo is put him in a situation where I know he can be successful.” It’s a formula that seems to be working, especially in Prescott.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story appears in the August 2011 of Women’s Pro Rodeo News, the official publication of the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association. I’m blessed to have the opportunity to contribute regularly to the magazine. TR Dashing Badger just wasn’t herself. Jill Moody felt that in every ride, in every turn. She got through Reno, Nev., then she felt some problems in Greeley, Colo. Moody wasn’t very far into her Fourth of July run when she realized things had to change in a hurry, so she and her top-rated horse packed up and hauled home to Letcher, S.D. “Over the Fourth of July, I turned out of a bunch of stuff because my horse wasn’t feeling right,” said Moody, less than seven months off her record-breaking average win at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. “We were having some issues, so we just went home and worked on a few things, changed some things up.” That’s a pretty big change for Moody and Dolly, the 11-year-old gray mare by Mr. Illuminator out of Easy Cash Bar. Typically, she said, the pair earns between $12,000 and $15,000 during the lucrative run of rodeos around the July 4 holiday. This year, it was zip. That’s why her Wyoming run of Casper and Sheridan from July 12-16 was such a nice change of pace from Moody’s recent past. At the Central Wyoming Fair and Rodeo in Casper, she placed in both go-rounds and finished third in the average. But it was her one-head run at the Sheridan WYO Rodeo that helped build confidence. “When we went back out, we got in the mud in Colorado Springs, so I wasn’t sure what was going on with Dolly,” she said. “But by the time I got to Casper and Sheridan, I knew we were on the right track.” In Sheridan, Moody and Dolly rounded the cloverleaf pattern in 17.20, just a 100th of a second faster than Kim Schulze. But it helped pad the pocket for $4,465, a nice sum of cash for the cowgirl itching to return to the bright lights of Las Vegas this December and defend her average title. “Obviously the ultimate goal is to make the finals,” she said. “That was a $7,500 weekend last weekend, so hopefully that will help set me up. “I try not to enter everything, because I only have one horse. You can do it, but it’s awfully hard on the horses.” So is running them when they’re not in top form. It’s one thing for a cowgirl to suck it up and compete despite illness or frustration. It’s much different on animal athletes like Dolly. “Things just started falling apart at Greeley,” Moody said. “I don’t think it was so much me, but I had to take care of my horse. I was entered in Calgary, but I knew we weren’t going to be able to do much. “I know my horse well enough to know that it won’t do any good running her that way, so we went home and did a few things and changed a few things. Whatever we did, it worked. I don’t want to be like a spoiled brat and say that if I can’t win, I’m just going to go home. But something was up, and I just needed time to figure it out.” It’s about knowing your partner; in this case, Moody’s partner is one of the best mares in the world of barrel racing. Dolly has been so for many years, but last December, she lit the rodeo world on fire during one of the greatest barrel races in the history of the Wrangler NFR. Better yet, Moody and Dolly sprinted around the cloverleaf pattern inside the Thomas & Mack Center 10 times, finishing in 138.26 seconds. With it, they broke the long established record set in 1986 by Charmayne James and Scamper. “Winning the average last year was a pretty good feeling for me because I felt that Dolly hadn’t been getting the recognition she deserved,” Moody said. “The girls had voted her the horse with the most heart, but breaking that record was a huge deal. Even if it only lasts one year, she’ll be the horse that broke Scamper’s record.” That’s an incredible feat, and in order for Moody to have another shot at that mark, she’ll have to make the most of her opportunities for the rest of the season. “Probably the best thing about what I do is having Dolly has allowed me to make some choices and do some things I wouldn’t be able to do with out her,” Moody said. “I’m able to pick and choose what rodeos I go to. She allows me to stay out of the snow in the wintertime and out of the heat in the summertime. “For the rest of the year, I’m going to play it by ear. I’m entered up, but I’ll probably turn out of as many rodeos as I run in. If she stays strong, I’ll stay at the big rodeos and turn out at all the little rodeos, but if she gets a little weak, then I’ll go to the littler rodeos and try to work my way through there and turn out of all the big ones. Hopefully she’ll stay strong.” That’s what most have come to expect out of Dolly.

When I got home from a recent two-week rodeo road trip, my wife was a little concerned about making sure I had home-cooked meals. She didn’t realize the kind of hospitality folks in Lovington, N.M., and Silverton, Texas, provide, because everything was wonderful. From Dutch oven cobbler in southeastern New Mexico to the pre-rodeo steak dinner at Ken and Reba Wood’s home to the shish-kabobs under the M*A*S*H-like tent just beyond the holding pens at Wood Memorial Arena, the meals were awesome. But that’s just a small indication of the overall hospitality provided by these tremendous volunteers, who donate their time, their talent and their energy to producing the best rodeos they can. Not only that, but they’re looking for ways to improve the product. That might just be the most impressive trait. That’s good for rodeo.

The softball diamond in Silverton, Texas, is next to the rodeo arena. Maybe that’s why the base paths and outfield were littered with cow patties and piles of horse excrement. That wasn’t about to stop a bunch of cowboys and cowgirls from having a little softball fun. I think it just enhanced the experience. Even the fresh stuff just provided a little “comforts of home” feeling. The diamond was home to the nightly after-the-rodeo dances that took place last Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and dumpsters were already in place for the extra trash disposal the dances were to create. Any batter blessed with the precision needed to land a shot inside one of the receptacles received an automatic home run. The game between contract personnel and the Buck Wild Days Rodeo committee never surfaced because the locals were still busy getting all the finest details lined out, but a few of our Silverton friends joined in the fun when they could. Still, it was a hotly contested outing. As the game began, we dodged the cow pies and horse clods while trying to field balls with a few well-worn gloves, bare hands or, as it turned out, a few cowboy hats. As the proceedings continued, beverage cans began to pile and became another obstacle altogether. Nonetheless, it was an outstanding time, and I’m blessed to have been part of the fun. I hope I’m part of it again next year, too.

For every ride inside a rodeo arena, cowboys spend hours on the road. Saddle bronc riders Cody Taton and Casey Sisk put that measure to the test last weekend. The traveling partners from Corona, N.M., had ridden Friday night in Canby, Ore., with their buddy, 2007 world champion Taos Muncy, also of Corona. They left the western Oregon community and drove through the night, dropping Taos off in Caldwell, Idaho, for Saturday night’s short go-round at the final event of the 2011 Wrangler Million Dollar Tour. Sisk and Taton then continued on to the Boise, Idaho, airport. The 445-mile venture took more than seven hours and got them on a flight for Denver that left at 6:30 a.m. Mountain time. Upon arriving in Denver, the cowboys boarded another plane for Albuquerque, N.M., then they hustled to their vehicle for the 360-mile drive to Silverton, Texas, where they had drawn a couple of Carr Pro Rodeo broncs. In all, they spent a few hours in the air and more than 12 hours on the highways in an effort to get from the Northwest to the Texas Panhandle. Why? “We wanted to get on Pete’s horses,” Sisk said of Pete Carr, owner of the Dallas-based livestock firm. Taton, who still lists Mud Butte, S.D., as his hometown through the PRCA, rode Carr’s Miss Revolver for 76 points to finish third at the Buck Wild Days Rodeo. Sisk stuggled with Carr’s Sugar Daddy and placed out of the money. “Anytime we’re entered, we like to come get on,” said Taton, who won the saddle bronc riding average championship at the 2007 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. It doesn’t hurt that the Texas Circuit rodeo was co-sanctioned with the Prairie and Turquoise circuits, meaning dollars earned in Silverton counted toward standings for contestants in all three circuits. Taton and Sisk are sitting second and third in the Turquoise Circuit, made up of rodeos and contestants primarily from New Mexico and Arizona. The top 12 in each event at the end of the regular season qualify for the circuit finals, so it was important in the region. But there was so much more. “Pete Carr’s one of the few, if not the only, stock contractor we’d do this for, because we know we have a chance to win on anything he has out,” Sisk said.

SILVERTON, Texas – Cooper Kanngiesser knows a lot about bucking bulls. Not only has the one-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier ridden the beasts much of his life, but Kanngiesser raises the animals, too. In fact, he sold several of his up-and-coming superstars just a few weeks ago to Pete Carr, owner of Carr Pro Rodeo. Some of those athletic bulls were part of the action at the Buck Wild Days Rodeo from Aug. 18-20, and Kanngiesser and his traveling partners made their way to the Texas Panhandle community for the chance to compete. “We came here because we had good bulls,” said Brad Harris of Udall, Kan., who scored 86 points on Carr’s Rock Star, a 3-year-old bull that two months ago was grazing in pastureland near Kanngiesser’s home in Zenda, Kan. “I’d seen that bull before, but I’d never been on him. He’s pretty good, and he’s got some growing to do.” Rodeo’s rising stars come in all shapes and sizes. For Harris, a 23-year-old rookie in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, he stands about 5-foot-8 and weighs about 150 pounds. Rock Star weighs about 1,600 pounds, can leap high and is athletic. Everybody in the bull riding game expects both to be around a long time. Harris shared the Silverton victory with one of his traveling partners, Cole Echols of Elm Grove, La., who rode Carr’s Synergy for 86 points. Both cowboys earned $1,131. “It’s pretty good coming here,” Echols said. “It worked out for me.” Synergy has been one of Carr’s top bulls, and cowboys who ride the athletic beast for the qualifying eight seconds tend to score well. Big points and big dollars are important for any bull rider, but Echols needs every ounce of help he can get after struggling early in the rodeo season. “I didn’t get a good start, so I’m trying to get myself into the top 50 in the standings at the end of this season so I can ride in them buildings next winter,” said Echols, referring to qualifying for big winter rodeos in places like Fort Worth, Texas; San Antonio; and Denver. “If I can get in those, I can make a run at the finals.” Echols and Harris are just two of several top hands who were crowned champions at this year’s Buck Wild Days Rodeo. Shon Gibson of Taylor, Ariz., and Evan Jayne of Marseille, France, scored 80 points each to win a tough bareback riding, where several cowboys found the true power of some of Carr’s horses. Jayne rode Carr’s Sierra Madre on Saturday night, while Gibson rode Carr’s Island Girl on Friday night to share the title. Regional cowboy T.J. Bohlender of Canyon, Texas, won the all-around and steer wrestling titles. Bohlender, who also competed in team roping, dropped his steer to the ground in 4.7 seconds to earn $1,157. Other winners were tie-down roper Justin Maass of Giddings, Texas, 9.1 seconds, $1,591; steer roper Cody Lee of Gatesville, Texas, 35.5 seconds on three runs, $3,004; team ropers Cody Tew and Boogie Ray, 5.1 seconds, $1,736 each; barrel racer Tonya Parrish, 17.76 seconds, $976; and saddle bronc rider Cody Anthony, 78 points on Carr’s Sweet Emotion, $1,373. “It was a really good rodeo, and it’s just going to keep growing,” said Carr, noting that the 2011 campaign was just the second year the Silverton rodeo was part of the PRCA. “The people in this town work really hard to make it successful, and that word’s going to spread around ProRodeo.”

I was asked by a website that does the RSS feed to TwisTED Rodeo to adjust how I do the photos on the page. Well … I don’t know how else to do it, so I’ll just send you all to the Facebook page, where I’ve posted photos from both Lovington, N.M., and Silverton, Texas. Oh, and I’m enjoying the high-speed Internet at home. I didn’t realize how much I’ve grown accustomed to it until four nights without it. Enjoy: http://www.facebook.com/twisTED.Rodeo  

SILVERTON, Texas – A lot of miles stood between Cody Taton and the Buck Wild Days Rodeo, but the South Dakota-raised bronc rider made the most of his trip. Taton and his traveling posse competed in Canby, Ore., on Friday night, then drove to Boise, Idaho, to catch a flight to Denver at 6:30 Saturday morning. From there, they flew into Albuquerque, N.M., then drove as quickly as possible to this Texas Panhandle community to try his hand at one of Carr Pro Rodeo’s up-and-coming bucking horses. “Anytime we’re entered, we like to come get on,” said Taton, who won the saddle bronc riding average championship at the 2007 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. It worked out just fine for Taton, who rode the Carr horse Miss Revolver for 76 points on Saturday night to finish third at the Buck Wild Days Rodeo. For that, he earned $749; Cody Anthony of Stephenville, Texas, won the bronc riding with a 78-point ride on Carr’s Sweet Emotion. Ryan Bestol of Hyannis, Neb., finished second with a 77 on Carr’s Black Smoke. “I’d never seen that horse before,” Taton said of Miss Revolver. “It felt good. I feel like I rode good, and the horse bucked good. It was good to get one rode.” That’s an important factor this time of year, when the tens of thousands of miles and rough rides on the backs of bucking beasts add up. But for Taton, being a veteran at this game helps. “I’m just used to it,” he said. “The dedication it takes this time of year is pretty high, because you’ve got to go so many miles and get to the rodeo and have a good attitude about things. I love what I do, so that helps a lot, too.” BUCK WILD DAYS RODEO Silverton, Texas Aug. 18-20 BAREBACK RIDING 1. Shon Gibson, on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Island Girl, and Evan Jayne, on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Sierra Madre, 80 points, $1,157 each; 3. Codi Myers, 75 on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Miss Hollywood, $718; 4. Wyatt Hancock, on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Close Call, and David Lester Jr., on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Sierra Madre, 70, $379 each; 6. Cody Ziober, 69 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Open Range, $200. STEER WRESTLING 1. T.J. Bohlender, 4.7 seconds, $1,157; 2. Matt Reeves, 5.1, $958; 3. Rusty Hamilton, 5.8, $758; 4. Brent Lassetter, 6.4, $559; 5. Riley Duval, 6.7, $359; 6. Kurt Stallings, 7.6, $200. TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. Justin Maass, 9.1 second, $1,591; 2. Kyle Dutton and Joseph Gernentz, 10.0. $1,180 each; 4. Charley Russell, 10.8, $768; 5. Tyson Runyan, 11.0, $494; 6. Cody Owens, 11.2, $274. SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Cody Anthony, 78 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Sweet Emotion, $1,373; 2. Ryan Bestol, 77 on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Black Smoke, $1,040; 3. Cody Taton, 76 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Miss Revolver, $749; 4. Tol Cawley, 75 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Empty Pockets, $499; 5. Kade Wooton, on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Big Time, and Hardy Braden, on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Corner Guard, 74, $250 each. STEER ROPING First round: 1. Chris Glover, 10.0 seconds, $1,139; 2. Marty Jones, 10.2, $942; 3. Cody Lee, 10.5, $746; 4. Bryce Davis, 11.0, $550; 5. Gannon Quimby, 11.1, $353; 6. Vin Fisher Jr., 11.5, $196. Second round: 1. J.P Wickett, 10.1 seconds, $1,139; 2. Kim Ziegelgruber, 11.0, $942; 3. Buster Record Jr., Cody Lee and Hess Tierney, 11.5, $550 each; 6. Trey Wallace and Cody Garnett, 12.3, $98. Third round: 1. Pecos Shannon, 10.4, $1,139; 2. Jess Tierney, 10.6, $942; 3. J.D. Yates, 10.9, $746; 4. Guy Allen, 11.6, $550; 5. Gannon Quimby, 11.8, $353; 6. Tim Abbott, 12.0, $196. Average: 1. Cody Lee, 35.5 seconds on three runs, $1,708; 2. Bryce Davis, 27.3, $1,414; 3. Gannon Quimby, 39.0, $1,119; 4. Chris Glover, 40.9, $825; 5. Mike Chase, 41.2, $530; 6. Paul Patten, 41.8, $295. TEAM ROPING 1. Cody Tew/Boogie Ray, 5.1 seconds, $1,736 each;2. Steve Purcella/Casey Chamberlain, 5.3, $1,436; 3. Nathan McWorter/Twister Cain, 5.6, $1,137; 4. Tyler Mangus/Shawn Brown and Casper May/Derrick Peterson, 5.9, $688; 6. Chance Thompson/Billy Bob Brown Lance Brooks Bitter/Justin Copp, 6.0, $150. BARREL RACING 1. Tonya Parrish, 17.76, $976; 2. Jean Winters, 17.86, $836; 3. Alicia Sandoval, 18.08, $697; 4. Layna Kight and April Denny, 18.17, $534; 6. Raquel Baize and Tara Timms, 18.18, $325; 8. $186; 9. Sarah Kieckhefer and Brooke Jeter, 18.42, $116. BULL RIDING 1. Brad Harris, on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Rock Star, and Cole Echols, on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Synergy, 86 points, $1,131 each; 3. Casey Huckabee, 76 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Jo Jo, $742; 4. Jeff Bertus, 75 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Snot Box, $530.

SILVERTON, Texas – The best bull riders in the world have an urge to get on the greatest bucking bulls. That happened Friday night at the Buck Wild Days Rodeo, when Cole Echols of Elm Grove, La., and Brad Harris of Udall, Kan., took the lead in bull riding with a pair of 86 point rides. Harris matched moves with Carr Pro Rodeo’s Rock Star, while Echols rode Carr’s Synergy, both showing the moves that have them standing out on the Tuff Hedeman CBR Cinch Tour, part of the Championship Bull Riders organization. “It’s pretty good coming here,” said Echols, who travels the rodeo trail with Harris, Cooper Kanngiesser and Lucas Dick. “It worked out good for me.” That it did. Synergy has been one of the top bulls in the Carr Pro Rodeo string, and cowboys who ride the bull tend to mark a lot of points. “I didn’t get a good start, so I’m trying to get myself into the top 50 in the standings at the end of this season so I can ride in them buildings next winter,” said Echols, referring to qualifying for big winter rodeos in places like Fort Worth, Texas; San Antonio; and Denver. “If I can get in those, I can make a run at the finals.” Friday’s ride was the just the second time Harris had mounted a Carr bull, but it wasn’t the first time he’d seen Rock Star, a 3-year-old bull Pete Carr recently purchased from Kanngiesser. “This is my first time to this rodeo,” said Harris, 23, a rookie in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. “We came here because we had good bulls. I’d seen that bull before, but I’d never been on him. He’s pretty good, and he’s got some growing to do.”   BUCK WILD DAYS RODEO Silverton, Texas Through Second Performance BAREBACK RIDING 1. Shon Gibson, 80 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Island Girl; 2. STEER WRESTLING 1. T.J. Bohlender, 4.7 seconds; 2. Matt Reeves, 5.1; 3. Rusty Hamilton, 5.8; 4. Riley Duval, 6.7; 5. Kurt Stallings, 7.6; 6. Ryan Swayze, 10.0. TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. Justin Maass, 9.1; 2. Kyle Dutton and Joseph Gernentz, 10.0 seconds; 4. Tyson Runyan, 11.0; 5. Cody Owens, 11.2; 6. Clayton Shaw, 11.3. SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Cody Anthony, 78 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Sweet Emotion; 2. Ryan Bestol, 77; 3. Tol Cawley, 75; 4. Kade Wooton and Hardy Braden, 74; 6. T.J. Haynie, 70. STEER ROPING First round: 1. Chris Glover, 10.0 seconds, $1,139; 2. Marty Jones, 10.2, $942; 3. Cody Lee, 10.5, $746; 4. Bryce Davis, 11.0, $550; 5. Gannon Quimby, 11.1, $353; 6. Vin Fisher Jr., 11.5, $196. Second round: 1. J.P Wickett, 10.1 seconds, $1,139; 2. Kim Ziegelgruber, 11.0, $942; 3. Buster Record Jr., Cody Lee and Hess Tierney, 11.5, $550 each; 6. Trey Wallace and Cody Garnett, 12.3, $98. Third round: 1. Pecos Shannon, 10.4, $1,139; 2. Jess Tierney, 10.6, $942; 3. J.D. Yates, 10.9, $746; 4. Guy Allen, 11.6, $550; 5. Gannon Quimby, 11.8, $353; 6. Tim Abbott, 12.0, $196. Average: 1. Cody Lee, 35.5 seconds on three runs, $1,708; 2. Bryce Davis, 27.3, $1,414; 3. Gannon Quimby, 39.0, $1,119; 4. Chris Glover, 40.9, $825; 5. Mike Chase, 41.2, $530; 6. Paul Patten, 41.8, $295. TEAM ROPING 1. Tyler Mangus/Shawn Brown and Casper May/Derrick Peterson, 5.9 seconds; 3. Chance Thompson/Billy Bob Brown Lance Brooks Bitter/Justin Copp, 6.0; 5. Casey Mahoney/John Paul Lucero, 6.6; 6. Nick Rawlings/Jed Middleton, 8.9. BARREL RACING 1. Jean Winters, 17.86; 2. Alicia Sandoval, 18.08; 3. Layna Kight and April Denny, 18.17; 5. Raquel Baize and Tara Timms, 18.18; 7. Sarah Kieckhefer, 18.42; 8. Cindy Smith, 23.18; 9. Courtney Cantrell, 24.68. BULL RIDING 1. Brad Harris, on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Rock Star, and Cole Echols, on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Synergy, 86 points; 2. Casey Huckabee, 76 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Jo Jo; no other qualified rides.

SILVERTON, Texas – T.J. Bohlender doesn’t venture too far away from his Canyon, Texas, home. The all-around cowboy is a newlywed and has a lot of things that require his attention at home. That’s one reason he likes coming to the Silverton rodeo. The other might be the outstanding level of competition. In fact, Bohlender – a steer roper and steer wrestler – grappled his animal to the ground in 4.7 seconds Thursday night during the opening performance of the Buck Wild Days Rodeo. “It just worked out well; Matt hazed good, and the horse worked good,” he said. “This sure helps out. I had a bad go of it in the steer roping, so this helps make up for it a little.” The young cowboy is taking advantage of rodeos close to home and competing with one of the top contestants from this region – Matt Reeves of Cross Plains, Texas, did the hazing duties for Bohlender. “This year I haven’t gone as hard as I should, and I plan to take the winter off,” said Bohlender, 24, who competed in steer roping on Wednesday morning but failed to place high enough to earn any money. “I’ve got a really good horse at home that I expect to be my superstar, so I need some work on him. “This is only my second year ProRodeoing, but it works out pretty good for me.” While competing in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association is new to him, this isn’t Bohlender’s first trip to Silverton. Before he joined the PRCA, he competed in smaller rodeos sanctioned by the Texas Rodeo Cowboys Association. The Buck Wild Days Rodeo twice was named TCRA rodeo of the year; now it’s vying to be one of the best PRCA events in Texas in just its second year in the association. “The arena is awesome, in great condition,” said Bohlender, originally from Fowler, Colo. “They’ve done a bunch of work. I came to this rodeo when it was amateur; Silverton has always treated me well.” BUCK WILD DAYS RODEO Silverton, Texas Through First Performance BAREBACK RIDING No qualified rides STEER WRESTLING 1. T.J. Bohlender, 4.7 seconds; 2. Matt Reeves, 5.1; 3. Rusty Hamilton, 5.8; 4. Kurt Stallings, 7.6; 5. Ryan Swayze, 10.0; 6. Shane Henderson, 16. 8. TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. Kyle Dutton and Joseph Gernentz, 10.0 seconds; 3. Tyson Runyan, 11.0; 4. Clayton Shaw, 11.3; 5. Cliff Kirkpatrick, 12.9; 6. Wacey Walraven, 13.8. SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Cody Anthony, 78 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Sweet Emotion; 2. Tol Cawley, 75; 3. Kade Wooton, 74; 4. T.J. Haynie, 70; 5. Peter White II, 67; no other qualified rides. STEER ROPING First round: 1. Chris Glover, 10.0 seconds, $1,139; 2. Marty Jones, 10.2, $942; 3. Cody Lee, 10.5, $746; 4. Bryce Davis, 11.0, $550; 5. Gannon Quimby, 11.1, $353; 6. 11.5, $196. Second round: 1. J.P Wickett, 10.1 seconds, $1,139; 2. Kim Ziegelgruber, 11.0, $942; 3. Buster Record Jr., Cody Lee and Hess Tierney, 11.5, $550 each; 6. Trey Wallace and Cody Garnett, 12.3, $98. Third round: 1. Pecos Shannon, 10.4, $1,139; 2. Jess Tierney, 10.6, $942; 3. J.D. Yates, 10.9, $746; 4. Guy Allen, 11.6, $550; 5. Gannon Quimby, 11.8, $353; 6. Tim Abbott, 12.0, $196. Average: 1. Cody Lee, 35.5 seconds on three runs, $1,708; 2. Bryce Davis, 27.3, $1,414; 3. Gannon Quimby, 39.0, $1,119; 4. Chris Glover, 40.9, $825; 5. Mike Chase, 41.2, $530; 6. Paul Patten, 41.8, $295. TEAM ROPING 1. Tyler Mangus/Shawn Brown, 5.9 seconds; 2. Casey Mahoney/John Paul Lucero, 6.6; 3. Nick Rawlings/Jed Middleton, 8.9; 4. Jake Pancost/Jaytin McCright, 15.5. BARREL RACING 1. Alicia Sandoval, 18.08; 2. Layna Kight, 18.17; 3. Raquel Baize and Tara Timms, 18.18; 5. Sarah Kieckhefer, 18.42. BULL RIDING 1. Casey Huckabee, 76 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Jo Jo; no other qualified rides.

The small community of Silverton, Texas, hosts the annual Buck Wild Days Rodeo, which begins tonight at Wood Memorial Arena. I spent three days in Amarillo promoting this event, just as I have done for the last several weeks preparing for the festivities. TV and radio appearances are an important part of marketing events, and I had the Silverton rodeo on four television news segments and three radio interviews in three days. I arrived in Silverton yesterday afternoon, and I’m starting to realize why the organizers are so proud of Buck Wild Days Rodeo. The small committee has worked very hard in recent weeks to prepare this community of about 600 residents with an outstanding event. Now just a few hours from the first of three performances, volunteers are still busting their humps to prepare the arena for what we all hope is a throng of fans coming to town for the rodeo. This town has seen the devastation from the drought that has ravaged so much of this region. Golden grass crackles underfoot as you walk across it; what grass looks to be alive is just a slight shade of green from what has to be absurd amounts of water on it. There are cracks in the ground that look to be several feet deep. If any community could use a few days just to let loose and have a great time, it’s Silverton, about an hour and a half southeast of Amarillo in the Texas Panhandle. That’s what organizers want; that’s what these people deserve. It’s time to get Buck Wild.

By Ted Harbin Justin has been doing a little extra work around his Porum, Okla., home recently. In fact, he’s carried it into the arena. Justin has been putting in some time preparing to ride bulls; for those who don’t know, the 2008 bareback riding world champion is truly an all-around cowboy, and from what a bunch of folks are telling me, he’s an outstanding bull rider. I haven’t seen it in person, but I don’t doubt it. Justin competed in the Championship Bull Riders event in Lubbock, Texas, on Saturday night, his first bull in competition since January 2008. He’d gotten on several practice bulls over the past couple of weeks and was excited about things. “It feels good,” McDaniel said Friday night in Lovington, N.M., where he competed in bareback riding at the Lea County Fair and Rodeo. “I feel like I’m riding good. We’ll see, I guess.” So why does a four-time NFR qualifier – who has twice won the average at ProRodeo’s championship – want to ride bulls? “I just love it,” JMac said. So McDaniel got in the CBR Cinch Tour event in Lubbock and tested his skills against some of the best bull riders in the business. “I warmed one up, then he quit me and bucked me down,” McDaniel said, referring the bull having a good start before quitting the bucking action midway through the eight-second ride. That’s just a new beginning for JMac, who won the all-around title at the Fort Smith, Ark., ProRodeo the first of June by earning money in both bareback riding and team roping. McDaniel is a cowboy, and he’s living a dream.

LOVINGTON, N.M. – Oftentimes, great things come in small packages. About 10,000 people live in this southeastern New Mexico community, but it hosts a whale of a ProRodeo every August. This year’s Lea County Fair and Rodeo was no different. Part of the Wrangler Million Dollar Tour, the rodeo hosted the top athletes in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. Whether it was world champions like Trevor Brazile or Will Lowe, Lovington provided a great place to play. Big prize money might have been one of the drawing cards, but the chance to compete on great animal athletes was another. That’s where Carr Pro Rodeo comes into the picture. In fact, Wrangler National Finals Rodeo bucking horse Miss Congeniality helped cowboys earn more than $7,550 in just two rides at Jake McClure Arena. The Canadian-born 9-year-old bay mare helped Australian Cody Angland to the Lea County Fair and Rodeo saddle bronc riding championship with an 85-point ride worth $4,275; she also guided Utah’s Alex Wright to 84 points, worth $3,278. “She’s getting settled in,” said Pete Carr, owner of the Dallas-based livestock firm. “She comes from a part of Canada that’s a long ways from our part of Texas. She’s getting acclimated to the heat and humidity, and she just had a colt. “She was one of the most sought-after horses in Canada. The guy that owned her promised me he’d sell her to me, but it took a little while. He finally got a colt out of her, a mare, and that’s when he sold her to me.” Miss Congeniality wasn’t the only outstanding bucking horse in rodeo. There were several, and bareback riders Lowe and Brian Bain shared the Lovington title, earning $3,971 each. Lowe rode Carr’s Dirty Jacket, a 7-year-old bay gelding that has been one of the top horses in the PRCA for several years; it also marked the third straight time Lowe has earned a big paycheck when he’s ridden the horse, winning in Guymon, Okla., and finishing second in Silverton, Texas, last year. Bain opened the rodeo action on opening night with his 88-point ride on Carr’s Black Coffee, another NFR bucking horse. “I’d seen that horse a few times, but I’d never been on her,” Bain said. “I didn’t know if she’d fit me all that well, because she’s smaller and she’s really fast. “It turned out all right.” ProRodeo rookie J.R. Vezain earned nearly $800 in Lovington by matching moves with Carr’s Big Lights for 85 points; Vezain finished in a tie for fifth place. “I don’t go to as many of Pete’s rodeos as I would like,” said Vezain, ranked 26th in the world standings before Lovington. “I make sure I come here, Eagle (Colo.), Pecos (Texas). If a guy could afford it, he’d follow Pete around to every rodeo because you know you’re going to get on a good horse.” Seth Glause knows the importance of getting on good bucking animals. The all-around cowboy competes in saddle bronc riding and bull riding, and he likes what he sees in Carr’s string. “Pete went out and bought a bunch of bulls,” said Glause, a two-time NFR qualifier in bull riding. “His rodeos are great. He has an outstanding pen of horses, and he’s working to get a great pen of bulls. He’s got as good a set of bulls as any stock contractor out there.” Lea County Fair and Rodeo Lovington, N.M. ALL AROUND Landon McClaugherty, $1,526, steer roping, tie-down roping and team roping. BAREBACK RIDING 1. Brian Bain on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Black Coffee and Will Lowe on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Dirty Jacket, 88, $3,972; 3. Matt Bright, 87 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Real Deal, $2,548; 4. Ryan Gray, 86 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Big Lights, $1,659; 5. Lee Lantz on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Deuces Night, J.R. Vezain on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Big Lights and Caine Riddle on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Riverboat Annie, 85, $799; 8. Caleb Bennett on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Grass Dancer and Kelly Timberman Carr Pro Rodeo’s Riverboat Annie, 84, $225. STEER WRESTLING First round: 1. Mickey Gee, 3.8 seconds, $1,967; 2. Dean Gorsuch, 3.9, $1,710; 3. Shane Henderson, 4.1, $1,454; 4. Seth Braockman and Ken Lewis, 4.2, $1,069 each; 6. Lee Graves, 4.3, $684; 7. Rusty Hamilton, 4.6, $428; 8. Stockton Graves and Stan Branco, 4.9, $86 each. Second round: 1. Sterling Lambert, 3.6 seconds, $1,867; 2. Jason Miller, 4.0, $1,710; 3. Dean Gorsuch and Jacob Shofner, 4.3, $1,325; 5. Stan Branco, Pepe Arballo, Wade Sumpter, Alex Robertson and Tommy Cook, 4.4, $445 each. Average: 1. Dean Gorsuch, 8.2 seconds on two runs, $1,967; 2 Stan Branco, 9.3, $1,710; 3. Jason Miller, 9.8, $1,454; 4. Sean Mulligan, 9.9, $1,197; 5. Dane Hanna, 10.1, $941; 6. Wade Sumpter, 10.2, $684; 7. Cole Edge, 10.5, $428; 8. Justin Davis, 10.6, $171. TIE-DOWN ROPING First round: 1. Sterling Smith, 8.8 seconds, $2,221; 2. Shane Hanchey, 9.1, $1,932; 3. Seth Hooper and Houston Hutto, 9.3, $1,497; 5. Justin Macha, $1,062; 6. Ryan Jarrett, Stran Smith and Joseph Gernentz, 9.6, $483.. Second round: 1. Cory Solomon, 8.4 seconds, $2,221; 2. Michael Otero, 8.5, $1,932; 3. Clint Cooper, 8.7, $1,642; 4. Josh Peek and Guy Miller, 8.9, $1,207; 6. Blair Burk and Cody Ohl, 9.0, $628; 8. Clif Cooper, 9.1, $193. Average: 1. Sterling Smith, 18.0 seconds on two runs, $2,221; 2. Clint Cooper, 18.5, $1,932; 3. Clif Cooper and Cody Oh., 18.8, $1,497; 5. Justin Macha, 19.6, $1,062; 6. Cory Solomon, 19.8, $773; 7. Jake Hannum, 20.3, $482; 8. Trevor Thiel, 20.7, $193. SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Cody Angland, 85 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Miss Congeniality, $4,275; 2. Alex Wright, 84 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s, $3,278; 3. J.J. Elshere, 82 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Coffee Bean, $2,423; 4. Cole Elshere, 81 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Air Miles, $1,568; 5. Sterling Crawley on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Sweet Emotion and Luke Butterfield on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Champagne Jam, 80, $855; 7. Cody Wright, 79 points on Carr  Continue Reading »

LOVINGTON, N.M. – Clay Tryan and Travis Graves have had a great season. It got a little bit better Saturday night during the final performance of the Lea County Fair and Rodeo. The team roping tandem finished in 10.4 seconds on two runs to win the aggregate title in Lovington. The $3,440 they each earned will go a long ways in helping them in the race for the 2011 world championships – Tryan is No. 2 on the heading money list; Graves is third in heeling. More importantly is that the money will count for the Wrangler Million Dollar Tour. Tryan and Graves stopped the clock in 4.8 seconds on Saturday night to finish fifth in the second go-round. That was worth $832. Combined with their afternoon run of 5.6, they made the best of a good deal in Lovington – the New Mexico rodeo was one of three stops on the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association’s Silver Tour, joining Hermiston, Ore., and Sikeston, Mo. Money earned in those 24 rodeos helps contestants earn a spot in the Justin Boots Playoffs in Puyallup, Wash., and the Justin Boots Championships in Omaha, Neb. – both those events take place next month. Graves and Tryan may have shut the door on the Lea County Fair and Rodeo, but there were plenty of other titles earned in Lovington over the five days of competition. Three-time world champion Will Lowe matched moves with the Carr Pro Rodeo bucking horse Dirty Jacket and Brian Bain rode Carr’s Black Coffee for 88 points to split the bareback riding title. Cody Angland scored 85 points on Carr’s Miss Congeniality to win saddle bronc riding, while rookie bull rider Chandler Bownds won the title on Carr’s Time Out. Other winners were two-time and reigning world champion steer wrestler Dean Gorsuch; 14-time world champion Trevor Brazile in steer roping; tie-down roper Sterling Smith; and New Mexico barrel racer Sydni Blanchard. Lea County Fair and Rodeo Lovington, N.M. ALL AROUND Landon McClaugherty, $1,526, steer roping, tie-down roping and team roping. BAREBACK RIDING 1. Brian Bain on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Black Coffee and Will Lowe on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Dirty Jacket, 88, $3,972; 3. Matt Bright, 87 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Real Deal, $2,548; 4. Ryan Gray, 86 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Big Lights, $1,659; 5. Lee Lantz on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Deuces Night, J.R. Vezain on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Big Lights and Caine Riddle on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Riverboat Annie, 85, $799; 8. Caleb Bennett on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Grass Dancer and Kelly Timberman on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Riverboat Annie, 84, $225. STEER WRESTLING First round: 1. Mickey Gee, 3.8 seconds, $1,967; 2. Dean Gorsuch, 3.9, $1,710; 3. Shane Henderson, 4.1, $1,454; 4. Seth Braockman and Ken Lewis, 4.2, $1,069 each; 6. Lee Graves, 4.3, $684; 7. Rusty Hamilton, 4.6, $428; 8. Stockton Graves and Stan Branco, 4.9, $86 each. Second round: 1. Sterling Lambert, 3.6 seconds, $1,867; 2. Jason Miller, 4.0, $1,710; 3. Dean Gorsuch and Jacob Shofner, 4.3, $1,325; 5. Stan Branco, Pepe Arballo, Wade Sumpter, Alex Robertson and Tommy Cook, 4.4, $445 each. Average: 1. Dean Gorsuch, 8.2 seconds on two runs, $1,967; 2 Stan Branco, 9.3, $1,710; 3. Jason Miller, 9.8, $1,454; 4. Sean Mulligan, 9.9, $1,197; 5. Dane Hanna, 10.1, $941; 6. Wade Sumpter, 10.2, $684; 7. Cole Edge, 10.5, $428; 8. Justin Davis, 10.6, $171. TIE-DOWN ROPING First round: 1. Sterling Smith, 8.8 seconds, $2,221; 2. Shane Hanchey, 9.1, $1,932; 3. Seth Hooper and Houston Hutto, 9.3, $1,497; 5. Justin Macha, $1,062; 6. Ryan Jarrett, Stran Smith and Joseph Gernentz, 9.6, $483.. Second round: 1. Cory Solomon, 8.4 seconds, $2,221; 2. Michael Otero, 8.5, $1,932; 3. Clint Cooper, 8.7, $1,642; 4. Josh Peek and Guy Miller, 8.9, $1,207; 6. Blair Burk and Cody Ohl, 9.0, $628; 8. Clif Cooper, 9.1, $193. Average: 1. Sterling Smith, 18.0 seconds on two runs, $2,221; 2. Clint Cooper, 18.5, $1,932; 3. Clif Cooper and Cody Oh., 18.8, $1,497; 5. Justin Macha, 19.6, $1,062; 6. Cory Solomon, 19.8, $773; 7. Jake Hannum, 20.3, $482; 8. Trevor Thiel, 20.7, $193. SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Cody Angland, 85 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Miss Congeniality, $4,275; 2. Alex Wright, 84 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s, $3,278; 3. J.J. Elshere, 82 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Coffee Bean, $2,423; 4. Cole Elshere, 81 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Air Miles, $1,568; 5. Sterling Crawley on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Sweet Emotion and Luke Butterfield on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Champagne Jam, 80, $855; 7. Cody Wright, 79 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Choir Girl, $570; 8. Taos Muncy on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Big Time, Troy Crowser on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Corner Guard, Wade Sundell on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Deuces Wild, Louie Brunson on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Empty Pockets and Casey Sisk on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Centerfold, 77, $86. STEER ROPING Third round: 1. Rocky Patterson, 8.7 seconds, $1,690; 2. J.B. Whatley, 9.5, $1,469; 3. Jake DeGeer, 10.0, $1,248; 4. Chris Glover, 10.2, $1,029; 5. Cody Garnett, 10.3, $808; 6. Shay Good, 10.4, $588; 7. Trevor Brazile and Chance Kelton, 10.5, $257. Average: 1. Trevor Brazile, 32.4 on three runs, $2,535; 2. Shay Good, 32.8, $2,204; 3. Ralph Williams, 35.4, $1,873; 4. Ty Herd, 36.5, $1,543; 5. Rocky Patterson, 37.0, $1,212; 6. Chance Kelton, 37.1, $882; 7. Leo Campbell, 39.9, $551; 8. Brent Lewis, Pinon, N.M., 40.2, $220. TEAM ROPING First round leaders: 1. Spencer Mitchell/Broc Cresta, 4.4 seconds, $1,739 each; 2. Kaden Richard/Rhen Richard, 4.6, $1,512; 3. Joel Bach/Allen Bach, 4.7, $1,285; 4. Brady Tryan/Jake Long, 4.9, $1,058; 5. Keven Daniel/Chase Tryan and Landon McClaugherty/Kent Nixon, 5.2, $718; 7. Ryan Jarrett/K.C. Curtis, Chase Massengill/JoDan Mirabal and Luke Brown/Martin Lucero, 5.3, $176. Second round: 1. Nick Sartain/Kollin VonAhn, 4.0, $1,739; 2.Ty Blasingame/Cody Hintz, 4.3, $1,512; 3. Arky Rogers/York Gill, 4.5, $1,285; 4. Blaine Linaweaver/Kipp Harrell, 4.7, $1,058; 5. Clay Tryan/Travis Graves, 4.8, $832; 6. Charly Crawford/Russell Cardoza, 5.1, $605; 7. Erich Rochers/Kory Koontz and Brandon Beers/Jim Ross Cooper, 5.2, $265. Average: 1. Clay  Continue Reading »

LOVINGTON, N.M. – Miss Congeniality is starting to get used to this part of North America, and saddle bronc riders at the Lea County Fair and Rodeo are reaping the rewards. The 9-year-old bay mare was born and raised near Wainwright, Alberta, and was one of the top horses in the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association. In fact, she was named the saddle bronc of the Canadian Finals Rodeo just two seasons ago. A few months after, Pete Carr purchased athletic animal and made her a big part of his Dallas-based livestock firm, Carr Pro Rodeo. Through three performances in Lovington, Miss Congeniality has been the best partner bronc riders could have inside Jake McClure Arena. Australian Cody Angland rode her Wednesday night for 85 points, a score that still holds the lead. On Friday night, Alex Wright of Milford, Utah, matched moves with the mare for 84 points, good enough for second place. “She’s getting settled in,” Carr said. “She comes from a part of Canada that’s a long ways from our part of Texas. She’s getting acclimated to the heat and humidity, and she just had a colt. “She was one of the most sought-after horses in Canada. The guy that owned her promised me he’d sell her to me, but it took a little while. He finally got a colt out of her, a mare, and that’s when he sold her to me.” The contestants who make their livings on the bucking animals realize the importance of having a tremendous athlete underneath them. The top cowboys in the world will select the horses they want to buck at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, and Miss Congeniality made her first trip to Las Vegas last December. The way things are going, she’ll likely be back. “The bronc riders really like her,” Carr said. “She’s got a lot of action.” Lea County Fair and Rodeo Lovington, N.M. After Third Performance BAREBACK RIDING 1. Brian Bain on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Black Coffee and Will Lowe on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Dirty Jacket, 88; 3. Matt Bright, 87; 4. Ryan Gray, 86; 5. Lee Lantz and Caine Riddle, 85; 7. Caleb Bennett, 84; 8. Tanner Aus, 82. STEER WRESTLING First round leaders: 1. Mickey Gee, 3.8 seconds; 2. Dean Gorsuch, 3.9; 3. Shane Henderson, 4.1; 4. Seth Braockman and Ken Lewis, 4.2; 6. Lee Graves, 4.3; 7. Rusty Hamilton, 4.6; 8. Stockton Graves and Stan Branco, 4.9. Second round leaders: 1. Sterling Lambert, 3.6 seconds; 2. Jason Miller, 4.0; 3. Dean Gorsuch and Jacob Shofner, 4.3; 5. Stan Branco, Pepe Arballo, Wade Sumpter, Alex Robertson and Tommy Cook, 4.4. Average: 1. Dean Gorsuch, 8.2 seconds on two runs; 2 Stan Branco, 9.3; 3. Jason Miller, 9.8; 4. Wade Sumpter, 10.2; 5. Josh Peek, 10.8; 6. Les Shepperson, 10.9; 7. Jacob Shofner, 11.0; 8. Shane Henderson, 11.3. TIE-DOWN ROPING First round leaders: 1. Sterling Smith, 8.8 seconds; 2. Shane Hanchey, 9.1; 3. Seth Hooper and Houston Hutto, 9.3; 5. Ryan Jarrett and Joseph Gernentz, 9.6; 7. Stran Smith, 9.5; 8. Jerome Schneeberger, Jud Nowotny and Clif Cooper, 9.7. Second round leaders: 1. Michael Otero, 8.5 seconds; 2. Clint Cooper, 8.7; 3. Josh Peek and Guy Miller, 8.9; 5. Blair Burk, 9.0; 6. Clif Cooper, 9.1; 7. Sterling Smith, 9.2; 8. Jake Hannum, 9.3. Average: 1. Sterling Smith, 18.0 seconds on two runs; 2. Clint Cooper, 18.5; 3. Clif Cooper, 18.8; 4. Jake Hannum, 20.3; 5. Trevor Thiel, 20.7; 6. Jayce Johnson, 21.3; 7. Kyle Dutton, 21.4; 8. Timber Moore, 22.0. SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Cody Angland, 85 points on Miss Congeniality; 2. Alex Wright, 84; 3. Sterling Crawley and Luke Butterfield, 80; 5. Cody Wrighyt, 79; 6. Taos Muncy, Troy Crowser, Wade Sundell and Casey Sisk, 77. STEER ROPING Third round leaders: 1. Rocky Patterson, 8.7 seconds; 2. J.B. Whatley, 9.5; 3. Jake DeGeer, 10.0; 4. Chris Glover, 10.2; 5. Cody Garnett, 10.3; 6. Shay Good, 10.4; 7. Trevor Brazile and Chance Kelton, 10.5. Average leaders: 1. Trevor Brazile, 32.4 on three runs; 2. Shay Good, 32.8; 3. Ralph Williams, 35.4; 4. Ty Herd, 36.5; 5. Rocky Patterson, 37.0; 6. Chance Kelton, 37.1; 7. Leo Campbell, 39.9; 8. Chris Glover, 41.0. TEAM ROPING First round leaders: 1. Kaden Richard/Rhen Richard, 4.6; 2. Brady Tryan/Jake Long, 4.9; 3. Keven Daniel/Chase Tryan, 5.2; 4. Ryan Jarrett/K.C. Curtis, Chase Massengill/JoDan Mirabal and Luke Brown/Martin Lucero, 5.3; 7. Chad Masters/Jade Corkill, 5.4; 8. Jake Barnes/Walt Woodard, 5.6. Second round leaders: 1. Ty Blasingame/Cody Hintz, 4.3; 2. Blaine Linaweaver/Kipp Harrell, 4.7; 3. Charly Crawford/Russell Cardoza, 5.1; 4. Erich Rochers/Kory Koontz and Brandon Beers/Jim Ross Cooper, 5.2; 6. Jake Barnes/Walt Woodard, 5.3; 7. David Motes/Ryon Tittel and Keven Daniel/Chase Tryan, 5.4. Average leaders: 1. Keven Daniel/Chase Tryan, 10.6 seconds on two runs; 2. Luke Brown/Martin Lucero, 10.8; 3. Jake Barnes/Walt Woodard, 10.9; 4. Tommy Edens/Justin Hendrick, 11.2; 5. Charly Crawford/Russell Cardoza, 12.0; 6. Brandon Beers/Jim Ross Cooper, 16.7; 7. Ty Blasingame/Cody Hintz, 4.3 on 1; 8. Kaden Richard/Rhen Richard, 4.6. BARREL RACING 1. Sydni Blanchard, 16.99 seconds; 2. Jessi Eagleberger, 17.42; 3. Benette Barrington, 17.45; 4. Jana Bean, 17.55; 5. Lindsey Ewing, 17.58; 6. Jessie Moody, 17.61; 7. Jill Moody, 17.65; 8. Kirstin Carlson, 17.72; 9. Cindy Smith and Susan Siggins, 17.77; 11. Kim Schulze, 17.86; 12. Tammy Fischer, 17.87; 13. Marisa Simpson, 17.92; 14. Jane Melby, 18.08; 15, Lea Baze, 18.09. BULL RIDING 1. Chandler Bownds, 87 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Time Out; 2. John Jacobs, 81; 3. Bryan Richardson, 80; 4. Logan Knibbe, 79; 5. Jacob O’Mara, Tate Stratton and Colin McTaggart, 76; 8. Allen Helmuth, 75; 8.

LOVINGTON, N.M. – Tie-down roper Clint Cooper wasn’t born in this southeastern New Mexico community. He doesn’t live here now. But Lovington is his home. It’s where he grew up, where he graduated high school. Jake McClure Arena is where he watched his hall-of-fame father, Roy Cooper, and all the other great ropers in rodeo. And it’s where he’s been a winner. “I won this rodeo two times before, in ’04 and ’07,” Cooper said of the Lea County Fair and Rodeo. “It’s real important for me to win this rodeo. Now it’s part of the (Wrangler Million Dollar) tour, so that’s a big deal, too. There’s only one more tour rodeo left, so this rodeo is going to draw all the top guys, that’s for sure.” Clint Cooper is one of the top guys and has been for a number of years. He brings a boat load of talent and a handsome pedigree to the competition, and during the second performance of this year’s rodeo, he posted an 8.7-second run, the fastest of the night. It moved him to the runner-up spot in the second go-round. More importantly, when combined with his 9.8-second first-round time, gives him 18.5 seconds on two runs and the lead in the aggregate with just two days of competition remaining. “My step-dad and my mom still live here, and my grandparents still live in Monument,” said Cooper, 29, referring to another Lea County community. “My cousins, Jim and Jake, are still here, and so is my uncle, Jimmie. This is home to me.” It’s always great for cowboys to win a hometown rodeo. The ultimate dream, of course, is to earn the gold buckle given to the world champion at the end of the season, and that is well within Cooper’s grasp. He’s No. 2 in the world standings with $75,279, about $5,500 behind his younger brother, Tuf Cooper. Last December, Clint, Tuf and Clif Cooper all qualified for the NFR, the first set of three brothers to qualify for ProRodeo’s championship in tie-down roping. “It’s everybody’s dream to rope at the NFR with your brothers,” Clint Cooper said. “We grew up in the practice pen together, and we’re always there for each other, not against each other. It was awesome.” Lea County Fair and Rodeo Lovington, N.M. After Second Performance BAREBACK RIDING 1. Brian Bain on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Black Coffee and Will Lowe on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Dirty Jacket, 88; 3. Ryan Gray, 86; 4. Lee Lantz and Caine Riddle, 85; 6. Caleb Bennett, 84; 7. Jason Havens, 81; 8. Luke Creasy, 80. STEER WRESTLING First round leaders: 1. Dean Gorsuch, 3.9 seconds; 2. Shane Henderson, 4.1; 3. Seth Braockman and Ken Lewis, 4.2; 5. Lee Graves, 4.3; 6. Rusty Hamilton, 4.6; 7. Stockton Graves and Stan Branco, 4.9. Second round leaders: 1. Sterling Lambert, 3.6 seconds; 2. Jason Miller, 4.0; 3. Dean Gorsuch and Jacob Shofner, 4.3; 5. Stan Branco, Wade Sumpter, Alex Robertson and Tommy Cook, 4.4. Average: 1. Dean Gorsuch, 8.2 seconds on two runs; 2 Stan Branco, 9.3; 3. Jason Miller, 9.8; 4. Wade Sumpter, 10.2; 5. Josh Peek, 10.8; 6. Les Shepperson, 10.9; 7. Jscob Shofner, 11.0; 8. Shane Henderson, 11.3. TIE-DOWN ROPING First round leaders: 1. Seth Hooper and Houston Hutto, 9.3 seconds; 3. Ryan Jarrett and Joseph Gernentz, 9.6; 5. Jerome Schneeberger, 9.7; 6. Clint Cooper, 9.8; 7. Kyle Dutton, 9.9; 8. Trevor Thiel, 9.9. Second round leaders: 1. Michael Otero, 8.5 seconds; 2. Clint Cooper, 8.7; 3. Josh Peek and Guy Miller, 8.9; 5. Blair Burk, 9.0; 6. Jake Hannum, 9.3; 7. Riley Pruitt, 9.7; 8. Scott Kormos, 10.7. Average: 1. Clint Cooper, 18.5; 2. Jake Hannum, 20.3; 3. Trevor Thiel, 20.7; 4. Jayce Johnson, 21.3; 5. Kyle Dutton, 21.4; 6. Timber Moore, 22.0; 7. Jerome Schneeberger, 22.8; 8. Marty Jones, 23.0. SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Cody Angland, 85 points on Miss Congeniality; 2. Sterling Crawley and Luke Butterfield, 80; 4. Taos Muncy, Troy Crowser, Wade Sundell and Casey Sisk, 77; 8. Rusty Allen, 76. STEER ROPING Third round leaders: 1. Rocky Patterson, 8.7 seconds; 2. J.B. Whatley, 9.5; 3. Jake DeGeer, 10.0; 4. Chris Glover, 10.2; 5. Cody Garnett, 10.3; 6. Shay Good, 10.4; 7. Trevor Brazile, 10.5; 8. J.D. Yates, 11.1. Average leaders: 1. Trevor Brazile, 32.4 on three runs; 2. Shay Good, 32.8; 3. Ralph Williams, 35.4; 4. Ty Herd, 36.5; 5. Rocky Patterson, 37.0; 6. Leo Campbell, 39.9; 7. Chris Glover, 41.0; 8. Cody Garnett, 42.5. TEAM ROPING First round leaders: 1. Brady Tryan/Jake Long, 4.9 seconds; 2. Keven Daniel/Chase Tryan, 5.2; 3. Ryan Jarrett/K.C. Curtis, 5.3; 4. Chad Masters/Jade Corkill, 5.4; 5. Jake Barnes/Walt Woodard, 5.6; 6. Tommy Edens/Justin Hendrick, 5.7; 7. Jake Cooper/Matt Garza, 6.7; 8. Charly Crawford/Russell Cardoza and Wyatt Althoff/T.J. Brown, 6.9. Second round leaders: 1. Ty Blasingame/Cody Hintz, 4.3; 2. Charly Crawford/Russell Cardoza, 5.1; 3. Erich Rochers/Kory Koontz and Brandon Beers/Jim Ross Cooper, 5.2; 5. Jake Barnes/Walt Woodard, 5.3; 6. David Motes/Ryon Tittel and Keven Daniel/Chase Tryan, 5.4; 8. Tommy Edens/Justin Hendrick, 5.5. Average leaders: 1. Keven Daniel/Chase Tryan, 10.6 seconds on two runs; 2. Jake Barnes/Walt Woodard, 10.9; 3. Tommy Edens/Justin Hendrick, 11.2; 4. Charly Crawford/Russell Cardoza, 12.0; 5. Brandon Beers/Jim Ross Cooper, 16.7; 6. Ty Blasingame/Cody Hintz, 4.3 on 1; 7. Brady Tryan/Jake Long, 4.9; 8. Erich Rogers/Kory Koontz, 5.2. BARREL RACING 1. Sydni Blanchard, 16.99 seconds; 2. Benette Barringtoin, 17.45; 3. Jessie Moody, 17.61; 4. Jill Moody, 17.65; 5. Kristin Carlson, 17.72; 6. Cindy Smith and Susan Siggins, 17.77; 8. Kim Schulze, 17.86; 9. Tammy Fischer, 17.87; 10. Marisa Simpson, 17.92; 11. Jane Melby, 18.08; 12, Lea Baze, 18.09; 13. Callie Rios, 18.22; 14. Reagan Dillard, 18.23. BULL RIDING 1. Chandler Bownds, 87 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Time Out; 2. Bryan Richardson, 80; 3. Logan Knibbe, 79; 4. Jacob O’Mara, Tate Stratton and Colin McTaggart, 76; 7. Allen Helmuth, 75; 8. Clint Craig, 74.

SILVERTON, Texas – When the organizers of the annual Buck Wild Days Rodeo decided to take their event to the ranks of ProRodeo, there were some skeptics in the Texas Panhandle. They’re not skeptical anymore. Now they’re ready to take it up another notch by improving the product during this year’s rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 18-Saturday, Aug. 20. The key ingredient is the overall production of the rodeo, organized by the hard-working crew from Carr Pro Rodeo. “I think everybody was tickled to death with last year’s rodeo,” said Pete Carr, owner the Dallas-based livestock firm that produced the rodeo. “Our whole team did really well, and you couldn’t tell this was the first time this rodeo had been part of the PRCA. The fans got to see a heck of a show.” The fans should expect to see it again this August when the Buck Wild Days Rodeo kicks off its second year as part of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. In its inaugural year in the PRCA, the rodeo was loaded with some of the best talent in the game. The crowning moments might just be in the list of high-profile names of the contestants who won the titles: bareback rider Wes Stevenson, a six-time qualifier to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo; saddle bronc rider Cody Taton, the 2008 NFR average winner; bull rider Howdy Cloud, a three-time NFR qualifier; team ropers Luke Brown (three times) and Martin Lucero (13 times), regular fixtures at ProRodeo’s championship; and steer roper Scott Snedecor, a two-time world champion. The foundation laid in the first year in the PRCA is something organizers plan to build upon for years go come. “I think it was outstanding,” rodeo committee chairman Ken Wood said of the 2010 rodeo. “I don’t know how it can be better, but they say it can. The folks from Carr Pro Rode stepped up our rodeo. The production was great. “I’ve been to a lot of rodeos, and everybody had a chance to not just place, but a chance to win first place. I’ve never seen that anywhere. From a contestant’s point of view, you can’t always ask for that. But a chance to win first at a rodeo no matter when you’re out or what you drew, you knew you had that opportunity. That’s outstanding.” While the Carr crew played an integral part in the overall success, the company’s owner kept putting the attention back to the local volunteers who spend their year planning for the event. “There’s a reason why this rodeo has been good and why they decided to make it a PRCA event,” Carr said. “What a great committee. They were very hospitable. They were great to work with. Every time we turned around, they were asking what they could do to make their rodeo better.” What’s even more impressive is that the community bands together to try to produce an event that will bring in crowds from all over the Texas Panhandle. Of course, this year’s event will feature Troy Lerwill, one of the top acts in rodeo, and great announcers like Ken Stonecipher and Andy Stewart. “I was just very impressed how large of an event you can have in such a small town with only a few committee members,” Carr said. “We were so privileged to be part of their inaugural PRCA rodeo. That place was standing room only on Saturday night; people came from everywhere. “It was just amazing what that committee pulled off.”

SILVERTON, Texas – Sometimes one athlete can find a special connection with another. In rodeo, it happens all the time. It’s quite obvious that ropers, steer wrestlers and barrel racers have a strong relationship with the mounts that carry them down the rodeo trail. But the same can be said in the world of roughstock, where cowboys and the bulls and horses that try to buck them off can gather a rhythm and a style. Take Cody Taton and Carr Pro Rodeo’s Miss Congeniality. That combination was worth 87 points last August during Silverton’s Buck Wild Days Rodeo to win saddle bronc riding. But it wasn’t the first time the two Wrangler National Finals Rodeo-qualifying athletes worked together for something magical. “Miss Congeniality has been to the Canadian finals, too,” said Taton, the 2008 NFR average winner from Corona, N.M. “Winning Silverton was good. I just needed a rodeo for my circuit, and it was co-approved with the Turquose Circuit. But that was a pretty nice horse form Pete’s that I had. I’d been on it once before, and I won Grand Prairie, Alberta on it. “I’d love to draw that horse at all of Pete’s rodeos.” Taton is talking about Pete Carr, owner of the Dallas-based livestock firm that produces the annual Silverton rodeo. “It was a good little rodeo,” Taton said. “The committee worked hard. There were a lot of people there for a little town.” The size of town doesn’t matter to cowboys who make their living on the rodeo trail. Bronc riders will travel thousands of miles to get on great horses. That’s why the list of contestants in Silverton reads like a who’s who from the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. “Pete Carr’s got some great rodeos, and he’s got the good horses,” said Taton, the saddle bronc riding director for the PRCA. “That kind of combination makes quite a difference, plus Pete’s good to work with.” Carr Pro Rodeo is one of the rising livestock producing outfits in ProRodeo, and a big reason for that is the list of outstanding bucking beasts who wear the Rafter C brand. “He’s got some of the best horses out there,” said Louie Brunson of Interior, S.D. “He tries hard to get the best stock, tries to make it as good a deal for the cowboys as possible “Pete’s got an even pen of bucking horses, which means that no matter what horse you draw, you have a chance to win. That’s real important. It keeps it fair. At some rodeos you go to, there’ll be that one top horse, and if you get him drawn, then you’ve got first place. With Pete’s you can win on anything, because everything’s good.” That’s why horses like Miss Congeniality have been asked to participate in the NFR, where only the top 15 saddle bronc riders compete for the year-end championship. “I’ll take any of them, I promise,” said Cort Scheer of Elsmere, Neb., a 2010 NFR qualifier. “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.” Whether it’s in Guymon, Okla., or Big Spring, Texas, or Eagle, Colo., the cowboys find their way to rodeos featuring Carr bucking horses. “Any bucking horse you know you have a chance to win on is one you want to get on,” said Jesse James Kirby of Dodge City, Kan. “That’s what you have when you go to a Carr rodeo. I think Pete Carr is doing a damn good job of supplying a bunch of really good bucking horses.”

BAREBACK RIDING 1. Brian Bain, 87 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Black Coffee; 2. Lee Lantz, 85; 3. Caleb Bennett, 84; 4. Royce Ford, 75. STEER WRESTLING First round leaders: 1. Dean Gorsuch, 3.9 seconds; 2. Shane Henderson, 4.1; 3. Seth Braockman and Ken Lewis, 4.2; 5. Lee Graves, 4.3; 6. Rusty Hamilton, 4.6; 7. Stockton Graves and Stan Branco, 4.9. Second round leaders: 1. Dean Gorsuch, 4.3 seconds; 2. Stan Branco, Wade Sumpter, Alex Robertson and Tommy Cook, 4.4; 6. Clayton Morrison, 4.7; 7. Brad McGilchrist, 4.9; 8. Les Shepperson, 5.0. Average: 1. Dean Gorsuch, 8.2 seconds on two runs; 2 Stan Branco, 9.3; 3. Wade Sumpter, 10.2; 4. Josh Peek, 10.8; 5. Les Shepperson, 10.9; 6. Shane Henderson, 11.3; 7. Clayton Morrison, 11.4; 8. Chance Campbell, 14.4. TIE-DOWN ROPING First round leaders: 1. Seth Hooper and Houston Hutto, 9.3 seconds; 3. Ryan Jarrett and Joseph Gernentz, 9.6; 5. Jerome Schneeberger, 9.7; 6. Clint Cooper, 9.8; 7. Kyle Dutton, 9.9; 8. Trevor Thiel, 9.9. Second round leaders: 1. Michael Otero, 8.5 seconds; 2. Josh Peek, 8.9; 3. Blair Burk, 9.0; 4. Jake Hannum, 9.3; 5. Riley Pruitt, 9.7; 6. Jayce Johnson, 10.8; 7. Jake Pratt, 11.2; 8; Chase Williams, 11.3. Average: 1. Jake Hannum, 20.3 seconds on two runs; 2. Jayce Johnson, 21.3; 3. Kyle Dutton, 21.4; 4. Jerome Schneeberger, 22.8; 5. Marty Jones, 23.0; 6. Lawrence McCullough, 23.5; 7. Chase Williams, 27.0; 8. Johnny Salvo, 27.6. SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Cody Angland, 85 points on Miss Congeniality; 2. Sterling Crawford, 80; 3. Taos Muncy and Casey Sisk, 77; 5. Zachariah Phillips, 73. STEER ROPING Third round leaders: 1. Rocky Patterson, 8.7; 2. Jake DeGeer, 10.0; 3. Chris Glover, 10.2; 4. Cody Garnett, 10.3; 5. Shay Good, 10.4; 6. Trevor Brazile, 10.5; 7. J.D. Yates, 11.1; 8. Bobby Joe Hill, 1           2.3. Average leaders: 1. Trevor Brazile, 32.4 on three runs; 2. Shay Good, 32.8; 3. Ralph Williams, 35.4; 4. Ty Herd, 36.5; 5. Rocky Patterson, 37.0; 6. Leo Campbell, 39.9; 7. Chris Glover, 41.0; 8. Cody Garnett, 42.5. TEAM ROPING First round leaders: 1. Brady Tryan/Jake Long, 4.9 seconds; 2. Keven Daniel/Chase Tryan, 5.2; 3. Ryan Jarrett/K.C. Curtis, 5.3; 4. Chad Masters/Jade Corkill, 5.4; 5. Jake Barnes/Walt Woodard, 5.6; 6. Tommy Edens/Justin Hendrick, 5.7; 7. Jake Cooper/Matt Garza, 6.7; 8. Charly Crawford/Russell Cardoza and Wyatt Althoff/T.J. Brown, 6.9. Second round leaders: 1. Ty Blasingame/Cody Hintz, 4.3; 2. Charly Crawford/Russell Cardoza, 5.1; 3. Erich Rochers/Kory Koontz and Brandon Beers/Jim Ross Cooper, 5.2; 5. David Motes/Ryon Tittel and Keven Daniel/Chase Tryan, 5.4; 7. Tommy Edens/Justin Hendrick, 5.5; 8. Caleb Mitchell/B.J. Dugger, 5.6. Average leaders: 1. Keven Daniel/Chase Tryan, 10.6 seconds on two runs; 2. Tommy Edens/Justin Hendrick, 11.2; 3. Charly Crawford/Russell Cardoza, 12.0; 4. Brandon Beers/Jim Ross Cooper, 16.7; 5. Ty Blasingame/Cody Hintz, 4.3 on 1; 6. Erich Rogers/Kory Koontz, 5.2; 7. Ryan Jarrett/K.C. Curtis, 5.3; 8. David Motes/Ryan Tittel and Chad Masters/Jade Corkill, 5.4. BARREL RACING 1. Sydni Blanchard, 16.99 seconds; 2. Cindy Smith, 17.77; 3. Kim Schulze, 17.86; 4. Calie Rios, 18.22; 5. Crystal Logan, 18.25; 6. Layna Kight, 23.04; 7. Kandace Blanchard, 23.94. BULL RIDING 1. Bryan Richardson, 80 points on Do Or Die Rodeos’ Anvil Tough; 2. Logan Knibbe, 79; 3. Jacob O’Mara and Colin McTaggart, 76; 5. Allen Helmuth, 75; 6. Tag Elliott, 72.

LOVINGTON, N.M. – Since he first joined the ranks of ProRodeo, Brian Bain has been considered one of the best bareback riders in the business. In 2011, he’s showing the world. Bain, of Culver, Ore., is No. 11 in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association world standings. On Wednesday night at Jake McClure Arena, Bain rode the Carr Pro Rodeo horse Black Coffee for 87 points to take the lead in bareback riding during the opening performance of the Lea County Fair and Rodeo. “I’d seen that horse a few times, but I’d never been on her,” Bain said. “I didn’t know if she’d fit me all that well, because she’s smaller and she’s really fast. “It turned out all right.” Yes, it did. In a rodeo that features some of the best bareback horses in the business, Bain drew a strong horse from the Dallas-based livestock firm owned by Pete Carr. Black Coffee has been featured at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, ProRodeo’s grand champion that features the best athletes, both human and animal. “There’s nothing like nodding your head before a crowd,” said Bain, 29, now in his fifth year in the PRCA. “I love going to Pete’s rodeos, because you can get on great bucking horses. I don’t go to a lot of rodeos Pete does, but when I do, I really like it. He’s one of the best stock contractors out there. “The tough part when you go to one of Pete’s rodeos is that it takes an 84 to even get a check.” Bain would love for his score to hold up for the Lovington championship, but he knows there are plenty of great match-ups over the next three performances. “I like to make money, but to win a rodeo is something special,” he said. Lea County Fair and Rodeo Lovington, N.M. After First Performance BAREBACK RIDING 1. Brian Bain, 87 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Black Coffee; 2. Lee Lantz, 85; 3. Caleb Bennett, 84; 4. Royce Ford, 75. STEER WRESTLING First round leaders: 1. Dean Gorsuch, 3.9 seconds; 2. Shane Henderson, 4.1; 3. Seth Braockman and Ken Lewis, 4.2; 5. Stockton Graves and Stan Branco, 4.9; 7. Olin Hannum, 5.1; 8. Josh Peek and John Franzen, 5.6. Second round leaders: 1. Dean Gorsuch, 4.3 seconds; 2. Stan Branco, 4.4; 3. Clayton Morrison, 4.7; 4. Brad McGilchrist, 4.9; 5. Les Shepperson, 5.0; 6. Chance Campbell, 7.2; 7. Gabe Ledoux, 13.8; 8. Kyle Hughes, 14.7. TIE-DOWN ROPING First round leaders: 1. Seth Hooper and Houston Hutto, 9.3 seconds; 3. Ryan Jarrett and Joseph Gernentz, 9.6; 5. Jerome Schneeberger, 9.7; 6. Kyle Dutton, 9.9; 7. Jayce Johnson, 10.5; 8. Jake Hannum, 11.0. Second round leaders: 1. Josh Peek, 8.9 seconds; 2. Marty Jones, 11.7; 3. Johnny Salvo, 13.6; 4. Jeremiah Peek, 13.8; 5. Tommy Smith, 15.6; SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Cody Angland, 85 points on Miss Congeniality; 2. Sterling Crawford, 80; 3. Taos Muncy and Casey Sisk, 77; 5. Zachariah Phillips, 73. STEER ROPING Third round leaders: 1. Rocky Patterson, 8.7; 2. Jake DeGeer, 10.0; 3. Chris Glover, 10.2; 4. Cody Garnett, 10.3; 5. Shay Good, 10.4; 6. Trevor Brazile, 10.5; 7. J.D. Yates, 11.1; 8. Bobby Joe Hill, 1           2.3. Average leaders: 1. Trevor Brazile, 32.4 on three runs; 2. Shay Good, 32.8; 3. Ralph Williams, 35.4; 4. Ty Herd, 36.5; 5. Rocky Patterson, 37.0; 6. Leo Campbell, 39.9; 7. Chris Glover, 41.0; 8. Cody Garnett, 42.5. TEAM ROPING First round leaders: 1. Keven Daniel/Chase Tryan, 5.2 seconds; 2. Ryan Jarrett/K.C. Curtis, 5.3; 3. Chad Masters/Jade Corkill, 5.4; 4. Tommy Edens/Justin Hendrick, 5.7; 5. Charly Crawford/Russell Cardoza, 6.9; 6. Brandon Beers/Jim Ross Cooper, 11.5. Second round leaders: 1. Ty Blasingame/Cody Hintz, 4.3; 2. Erich Rochers/Kory Koontz and Brandon Beers/Jim Ross Cooper, 5.2; 4. David Motes/Ryon Tittel, 5.4; 5. Tommy Edens/Justin Hendrick, 5.5; 6. Caleb Mitchell/B.J. Dugger, 5.6. BARREL RACING 1. Sydni Blanchard, 16.99 seconds; 2. Cindy Smith, 17.77; 3. Kim Schulze, 17.86; 4. Calie Rios, 18.22; 5. Crystal Logan, 18.25; 6. Layna Kight, 23.04; 7. Kandace Blanchard, 23.94. BULL RIDING 1. Bryan Richardson, 80 points on Do Or Die Rodeos’ Anvil Tough; 2. Logan Knibbe, 79; 3. Jacob O’Mara and Colin McTaggart, 76; 5. Allen Helmuth, 75; 6. Tag Elliott, 72.

STEER WRESTLING First round leaders: 1. Dean Gorsuch, 3.9 seconds; 2. Shane Henderson, 4.1; 3. Seth Braockman and Ken Lewis, 4.2; 5. Stockton Graves and Stan Branco, 4.9; 7. Olin Hannum, 5.1; 8. Josh Peek and John Franzen, 5.6. TIE-DOWN ROPING First round leaders: 1. Seth Hooper and Houston Hutto, 9.3 seconds; 3. Ryan Jarrett and Joseph Gernentz, 9.6; 5. Jerome Schneeberger, 9.7; 6. Kyle Dutton, 9.9; 7. Jayce Johnson, 10.5; 8. Jake Hannum, 11.0. TEAM ROPING First round leaders: 1. Keven Daniel/Chase Tryan, 5.2 seconds; 2. Ryan Jarrett/K.C. Curtis, 5.3; 3. Chad Masters/Jade Corkill, 5.4; 4. Tommy Edens/Justin Hendrick, 5.7; 5. Charly Crawford/Russell Cardoza, 6.9; 6. Brandon Beers/Jim Ross Cooper, 11.5.

LOVINGTON, N.M. – This segment of New Mexico is well known for its rough terrain. It’s also well known for being home to some of the best steer ropers in the history of the sport. That’s why it’s a big stop for steer ropers hoping to qualify for the Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping this fall. The first competition of this year’s Lea County Fair and Rodeo began Tuesday with two full go-rounds of steer roping and a number of cowboys competing in the third round already. If Opening Day was a precursor to the remaining four days, Lovington is about to host some outstanding competition. First round: 1. (tie) Trevor Brazile, Ty Herd and J.B. Whatley, 10.2 seconds, $1,469 each; 4. (tie) J.P. Wickett and Vin Fisher Jr., 10.7, $918 each; 6. Shay Good, 10.9, $588; 7. Cody Scheck, 11.2, $367; 8. (tie) Ralph Williams and Brent Lewis, 11.3, $73 each. Second round: 1. Troy Tillard, 9.0 seconds, $1,690; 2. Marty Jones, 10.6, $1,469; 3. Guy Allen, 10.7, $1,249; 4. (tie) Rob Denny, Landon McClaugherty and Rocky Patterson, 10.8, $808 each; 7. (tie) Cody Lee and Ralph Williams, 11.2, $257 each. Third round leaders: 1. Rocky Patterson, 8.7 seconds; 2. Jake DeGeer, 10.0; 3. Cody Garnett, 10.3; 4. Shay Good, 10.4; 5. J.D. Yates, 11.1; 6. Ralph Williams, 12.9; 7. Chet Herren, 13.5; 8. Larry Stewart, 14.0. Average leaders: 1. Shay Good, 32.8 seconds on three head; 2. Ralph Williams, 35.4; 3. Rocky Patterson, 37.0; 4. Cody Garnett, 42.5; 5. (tie) J.D. Yates and Will Gasperson, 46.9 each; 7. Mike Chase, 55.6; 8. Trevor Brazile, 21.9 on two head.