Monthly Archives: October 2011

After yesterday’s televised finale of the PBR World Finals, I was excited to see that Cord McCoy finished in the top 10, so I went to the PBR’s website to see just where my friend finished and where he might’ve finished in the final world standings. I couldn’t find the results, much less the standings. The PBR’s website looks awesome, and I liked how quickly the story on the winner appeared on it. But I couldn’t find the results, and I think it’s pretty important that information is available and easy to find. But maybe I’m just picky.

I wrote two stories Saturday for the Kansas City Star. The first one, which you find published on the paper’s website because it was replaced by the second, was how the bull riders at the American Royal Rodeo were shut out on Saturday afternoon. The second one, found HERE, tells a much different tale. Three 90-plus-point bull rides, including the 91 by winner Jacob O’Mara — there were 90s by Clayton Foltyn and Logan Knibbe — and one that was just short of that mark, an 88 by Chandler Bownds. Whatever it was, the crowd of more than 12,000 at the Sprint Center loved it.

I’d heard great things about the 2011 Bareback Riding Horse of the Year, Frontier Rodeo’s Full Baggage. On Saturday night during the final performance of the American Royal Rodeo at the Sprint Center, I saw why the horse earned the coveted halter. The big animal dusted a great cowboy, Bo Casper. Casper was doing all he could to overcome Wes Stevenson’s 87-point ride from Friday night, but Full Baggage won the fistfight.

I always enjoy talking with two-time steer wrestling world champion Dean Gorsuch. He’s articulate, intelligent and one of the best people you’ll ever meet. We visited Thursday night before the first performance of the American Royal Rodeo, and I had a blast. We got to visit again Friday after his 3.4-second run, which moved him into second place in both the third round and the aggregate race. What was really cool was that he proved, again, to me that he’s more than an outstanding athlete but also a man with tremendous passion. You’ll find the story HERE.

Jerome Schneeberger didn’t quite make the cut for the 2011 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, finishing the regular season 22nd in the tie-down roping standings. He’s starting his 2012 campaign much better, leading the average at the American Royal Rodeo with 25.7 seconds on three runs. In fact, he placed in the first two go-rounds that took place during slack on Tuesday and Wednesday at Lone Wolf Arena in Cleveland, Mo. Good for him. I’d love to see him back at the NFR for a 12th time in 2012.

Let ‘Er Rip is an excellent saddle bronc horse from Frontier Rodeo, and Tyrel Larsen was tickled to have the horse on Friday night at the American Royal Rodeo. Larsen scored 89 points and shares the lead in the rodeo with Cole Elshere. I asked Tyrel about his ride and told him that the great Billy Etbauer won this rodeo on that horse a year ago, and he only scored 87 points. “Yeah, but they loaded me,” he said, referring to the judges giving him more than the benefit of the doubt on his spur ride. “They loaded me by 15 points.” Larsen may split the Kansas City victory this year, but he’ll always know. I respect that.

I thoroughly enjoy meeting new people, telling new stories. That happened Thursday night at the American Royal Rodeo when Cole Elshere took the lead in saddle bronc riding on a great horse, Flaming Desire from Smith, Harper and Morgan Rodeo. The horse has been selected to work the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo for the fourth time. I hope readers of The Kansas City Star see what a great event is happening at the Sprint Center when they read the story.

J.J. Elshere is an NFR-qualifying saddle bronc rider. His cousin, Cole, is hoping to be there soon. He put together a fantastic 89-point ride on Thursday night in the opening performance of the American Royal Rodeo and has a strong lead with three performances remaining at the Sprint Center in Kansas City. There are plenty of outstanding bronc riders in the field this weekend, but it’ll take something spectacular to unseat Cole Elshere. He’s already done something spectacular.

To read the Thursday advance story about the American Royal Rodeo in the Kansas City Star, go HERE.

The opening night of the PBR World Finals was all about the bulls. In fact, just nine cowboys scored qualified rides. That says something about the quality of the animals. I suspect things will change some over the next few nights, but I believe the trend will remain on the side of the bulls. It’s just the nature of the beast (pun intended).

The first two rounds of timed events are complete at the American Royal rodeo in Kansas City. Because the space limitations at the Sprint Center, the first two rounds — and Thursday morning’s first round of barrel racing — are taking place at Lone Wolf Arena in Cleveland, Mo. The top 40 times in the two-run aggregate (for men) and the top 40 from the opening round of barrel racing qualify for the progressive, which will take place during the four performances,  set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday. There are a lot of close times so far, so I expect a fantastic race to the title over the next three days of competition. Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Kenneth Lewis, 3.4 seconds, $2,280; 2. (tie) Straws Milan, Riley Duvall and K.C. Jones, 3.5, $1,685 each; 5. (tie) Ryan Swayze, Gabe Burrows, Shane Henderson, Les Shepperson, Beau Clark and Jason Miller, 3.8, $430 each. Second round: 1. Gabe Ledoux, 3.3 seconds, $2,280; 2. Ryan Swayze, 3.5, $1,536; 3. (tie) Ryan Jarrett and Jake Johnson, 3.7, $1,536 each; 5. (tie) Aaron Vosler and Tyler Haugen, 3.9, $942 each; 7. Zack Cobb, 4.0, $496; 8. (tie) Dean Gorsuch, Ben Goodman, Travis Carnine and Tooter Silver, 4.1, $50 each. Team roping: First round: 1. Colby Lovell/Ryan Motes, 3.9 seconds, $2,212 each; 2. Jade Corkill/Justin Wade Davis, 4.2, $1,923; 3. Spencer Mitchell/Broc Cresta, 4.4, $1,635; 4. (tie) Coleman Proctor/Caleb Twisselman, Luke Brown/Martin Lucero and Paul David Tierney/Jared Bilby, 4.5, $1,058 each; 7. (tie) David Key/Rich Skelton and Brandon Beers/Jim Ross Cooper, 4.6, $337 each. Second round: 1. Shawn Bessette/Sid Sporer, 4.2 seconds, $2,212 each; 2. Nathan McWhorter/Twister Cain, 4.6, $1,923; 3. (tie) Nick Sartain/Kollin VonAhn, Shane Philipp/John Phillip and Blake Larmon/Nick Simmons, 4.8, $1,346; 6. Tyler Wade/Tyler Barton, 4.9, $769; 7. Dustin Davis/Kinney Harrell, 5.0, $481; 8. Trevor Brazile/Patrick Smith, 5.1, $192. Tie-down roping: First round: 1. Shank Edwards, 7.9 seconds, $2,246; 2. Ace Slone, 8.5, $1,953; 3. Jerome Schneeberger, 8.6, $1,660; 4. Dakota Eldridge, 8.7, $1,367; 5. Zeb Chapman, 8.8, $1,074; 6. Roger Nonella, 8.9, $781; 7. (tie) Doug Pharr and Hunter Herrin, 9.0, $342 each. Second round: 1. Cory Solomon, 7.6 seconds, $2,246; 2. Trent Creager, 7.9, $1,953; 3. Michael Otero, 8.1, $1,660; 4. Jake Hannum, 8.4, $1,367; 5. (tie) Jerome Schneeberger and Clif Cooper, 8.5, $928 each; 7. (tie) Clint Robinson, Roger Nonella and Scotty Shelton, 8.6, $228 each.  

This week is supposed to mark five years I’ve covered the American Royal rodeo in Kansas City. In that time, I will have covered it via closed-circuit from the hospitality area, written from the top of a trash can and done interviews in a bathroom stall. Ah, the glorious life of a writer, I know. The reality is, I’m blessed to do what I love no matter where I do it. When you have great stories like these, it’s wonderful. Plus, my goal is to entice all readers to take in a rodeo and see what all the fun is about. Of course, I don’t have confirmation that I’ll be covering the rodeo just yet. Even though I requested credentials a few weeks ago, I just received the required form to do so. In fact, I will not find out if I’m approved for credentials to do my job until Thursday, the first of three days of competition at the Sprint Center in downtown Kansas City. I’m really not sure why the delay or why the Sprint Center media department feels the need to wait until the last minute to handle all these tasks. You’d think an event like this in a metro area as large as Kansas City would mean allowing more than a couple of days to approve requests and more than a few hours notice to give those media outlets notice. But these are the cards I’m dealt, so I’ll roll with it. I’m already all-in, so we’ll just see how the hand plays out. But as a media director for many events, I know the importance of media coverage and doing everything possible to make sure reporters, photographers and videographers have everything they need to cover my rodeos. If done right, it can pay off in the end. A good media person can really ignite promotions. That’s a win-win situation for producers, arenas and everyone in the middle.

The American Royal rodeo will feature some of the greatest contestants in the sport, from world champions to regular qualifiers to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. It will also feature the 2011 world champion bucking horses, both owned by Frontier Rodeo Co. – bareback horse Full Baggage and saddle bronc Medicine Woman. They are outstanding animal athletes that just love what they do, and it’ll just add to an already strong evening of great entertainment. Both horses will be part of bareback riding; broncs oftentimes are switched from one event to another to change things up a little. They will be part of the fourth performance at the Sprint Center, which begins at 7:30 p.m. Saturday night and concludes with a concert from Reba McEntire. Now that’s a show.

How consistent is Todd Suhn? He’s finished in the top 15, qualifying for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, 15 times in 16 years. The only year he missed ProRodeo’s grand finale was 2006. Care to guess where he finished in the final world standings that year? Yeah, he was 16th. The string of qualifications started in 1996, just a few months removed from Suhn’s steer wrestling championship at the College National Finals Rodeo. In speaking with fellow bulldogger Wade Sumpter recently, Suhn’s consistency became a topic of conversation. You see, there isn’t an athlete in any sport who hasn’t had a slump. The question for most is “How do you overcome that and remain one of the best?” “Todd Suhn has made a living at the NFR, and you can’t tell me he hasn’t had slumps,” said Sumpter, a four-time NFR qualifier who finished 17th in the world standings this season. “You just learn to deal with that. You’re not going to win every time. Luke Branquinho and Dean Gorsuch win a lot, but if they didn’t go through slumps, they’d go to the NFR with $500,000 won every year. “Slumps are part of the game, and you just have to learn to deal with them.”

Wade Sumpter’s goal, as it always is, was to qualify for the 2011 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and battle for the steer wrestling world championship. That didn’t happen. Instead, the Fowler, Colo., cowboy finished in 17th place, just $2,700 out of his fifth qualification by finishing in the top 15 in the world standings at the conclusion of the regular season. “It’s disappointing because it’s what we do for a living,” Sumpter said. “I’ve been pretty fortunate in past years to slip in there. I’m alright with it. I just didn’t bulldog well enough there at the end.” Sumpter travels with Ethen Thouvenell, Billy Bugenig and Seth Brockman, all of whom had qualified for the Justin Boots Championships the final weekend of the season in Omaha, Neb. Sumpter didn’t make that field, but like and Brockman, he was on the bubble for the NFR. The Omaha rodeo offered the biggest prize pool of any events that time of year, but there were plenty of other rodeos taking place that final weekend. Sumpter could’ve gone to any number of them but instead worked his schedule so he could be in Omaha with his traveling partners. Let’s also throw out the fact that Sumpter and Bugenig are co-owners of Wick, the reigning two-time PRCA/AQHA Steer Wrestling Horse of the Year. When you have a great equine partner, other bulldoggers see that. But Sumpter also has a pretty fair backup horse that works great for some cowboys, like Brockman. “I hauled my gray horse for Seth to ride, and Billy and Ethen rode Wick,” Sumpter said. “I had entered enough other rodeos so I could go to Omaha instead of going to California and all those rodeos out there that weekend.” The result was Brockman moving into the top 15 and Sumpter moving out. That’s the nature of the bulldogging beast. Is Sumpter frustrated by that twist of fate, where basically he dived onto the grenade in order to allow Brockman into the field? “It’s business,” he said. “I rodeo with those guys all year, and it’s nice to see those guys do well. It’s pretty exciting to see those guys get in their. “It’ll be fun to see.” But make no mistake, Sumpter is in the rodeo business, not the mounting business. Although he makes a percentage of what is made by Bugenig and Brockman in Las Vegas, Sumpter would rather be there for himself. “We’ve got a four-man crew, and that’s who I go with,” he said. “I don’t hardly mount anybody out unless they’re in a bind. Not many other people ride Wick. Besides, it pays a lot better for me to win my own money than just a percentage. “I’ve been real fortunate that our main income is rodeo. When you can do that, you live a pretty lucky life.”

I visited today with Brandon Westphal, president of www.PlayRodeo.com. He’s getting ready for his fantasy contest associated with the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. I provided a few tidbits and thoughts, focusing primarily on the worlds of barrel racing and bareback riding. He plans to post those insights on the website soon, so keep an eye out. And play. It looks like it’ll be a lot of fun.

One of my regular assignments is as the rodeo correspondent for the Kansas City Star. A week ago, I got a message from the assistant sports editor about a metro section story on steer roping and the American Royal rodeo. The editor asked me pointedly, “Is this a controversy you’re familiar with?” I wasn’t familiar with any controversy because I wasn’t aware that the American Royal had ever had steer roping. So I did a little investigating, and I found a blog post from PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, chastising the American Royal. Apparently, a reporter for the Star bought into PETA’s report and found information she believed was worth a story. Unfortunately the editors bought into the reporter’s claim, too, and a story about a non-story was published earlier this week. Here are the facts: Steer roping is not and has not been part of the American Royal; the Prairie Circuit Steer Roping Finals took place in Bucyrus, Kan., from 2007-2009, at the same time the Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo was taking place during the American Royal. The last time either circuit finals event took place in the Kansas City area was two Octobers ago. I visited with the editor in charge, who claimed the “controversy” is what made it a story, but the “controversy” is a PETA- and SHARK-induced fight that really isn’t a controversy. Not only that, but there is no timeliness in this “story.” PETA found a patsy in the reporter and got just what it wanted, a story published in a large newspaper about a non issue. In talking to the editor in charge, I realize that he was being supportive of his reporter. That’s commendable. He suggested that since steer roping isn’t at all rodeos that the controversy exists. That might be true, but until the PRCA made it mandatory, team roping wasn’t at all rodeos either. There is no controversy in team roping; in fact, it’s one of the largest participatory sports in all rodeo-related activities. Still, the editor allowed a non-issue to serve as a “controversial” story with the headline “American Royal rodeo gets dragged into tussle over steer roping.” The Kansas City Star dragged the American Royal into the tussle. The newspaper should report the news not fabricate it.

By the PRCA WACO, Texas – The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association has signed an agreement with the Heart O’ Texas Fair & Rodeo Committee that will keep the All American ProRodeo Finals, presented by Pendleton Whisky, in Waco for the next three years. The Extraco Events Center in Waco has been the home of the season-ending championship since its beginnings four years ago – first as part of the Heartland Series and for the past two years as the $500,000 finale for the All American ProRodeo Series – and has enjoyed increased fan support each year. The recently completed Oct. 7-15 event had record attendance, up 5 percent from a year ago. “The All American ProRodeo Series was created to provide opportunities for our members,” PRCA Commissioner Karl Stressman said, “and the Finals in Waco have been a big part of that. We have had some real success stories there, and we look forward to continuing our relationship with the Heart O’ Texas committee for years to come.” All PRCA rodeos with added money of $30,000 or less – more than 400 rodeos this year – are automatically part of the All American ProRodeo series and the finals in Waco are a big incentive for up-and-coming professionals while also helping rodeo committees increase participation throughout the year. “We take pride in the role we play in helping contestants and committees,” said Wes Allison, president/CEO of the Heart O’ Texas Fair & Rodeo. “From our standpoint, the format fits so well with our (Heart O’ Texas Fair), and we are excited to continue our collaboration with the PRCA. It’s been great for our fans and great for our committee.” The final round of this year’s All American ProRodeo Finals amply demonstrated the role the series can play in developing new stars in the cowboy sport. The team roping was won by 2011 PRCA/Resistol Rookie of the Year Header Joshua Torres and his brother Jonathan. Rookie Riley Duvall, 19, won the steer wrestling and 20-year-old Jacob O’Mara won the bull riding and a rodeo-best $16,413. “It’s a great series,” Duvall said. “It gives guys like me, who are just starting out and can’t go to some of the bigger rodeos a chance to learn and get better and compete at a big-money rodeo like Waco. Wes and his committee do a great job. They get great stock and treat everybody well. It’s a real good deal. It helped me out a bunch. The money I earned (at Waco) will now get me into some of the big winter rodeos coming up.” Great American Country’s television coverage of the All American ProRodeo Finals will air at 9 p.m. Central Oct. 30, with rebroadcasts at 12:30 a.m. Oct. 31, 9 p.m. Nov. 27 and 12:30 a.m. Nov. 28 (Dish Network, Chanel 167, and DirecTV, Chanel 326). GAC will also broadcast the finals in 2012.

Vickie Shireman and Dollie Riddle do a lot of the same things in the world of rodeo. Both are secretaries and timers in the PRCA, and both work a lot of events for Beutler & Son Rodeo Co., the family livestock firm that’s been around as long as ProRodeo. Their brother, Bennie, and nephew, Rhett, run the operation now, but it’s been part of their lives all their lives. The sisters will be in Las Vegas during the 53rd Wrangler National Finals Rodeo working behind the scenes like they do at so many events. Shireman is the event’s office manager, and Riddle will be one of the timers. But the Beutler sisters weren’t always behind the scenes. There once was a time when they were featured in front of the fans at many rodeos. What did Vickie Shireman and Dollie Riddle do in front of all those rodeo fans?

GUTHRIE, Okla. – Oklahomans are a proud bunch; they’ll especially be proud during the Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping, which will feature top 15 ropers in the business. It doesn’t hurt a thing that five qualifiers are from Oklahoma, and they’re happier than anyone to be part of the 10-round slugfest planned for 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 11, and Saturday, Nov. 12, at the Lazy E Arena, the longtime home of the championship. “I don’t know the exact dimensions of the arena floor, but I know you could set a lot of coliseums in an arena that is that big,” said J.P. Wickett, the 15th-ranked cowboy in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association standings from Sallisaw, Okla. “It’s unreal. It’s the pinnacle spot to have the steer roping finals.” The Lazy E has been host of the championship for 19 of its 53 years in existence. Built in time to host the 1984 steer roping finale in conjunction with the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo just 25 minutes away in downtown Oklahoma City, the arena has been home to many world champions in the nearly 30 years since. It’s also the place to be for elite steer ropers like Wickett and fellow Oklahomans Chet Herren of Pawhuska (No. 8 in the standings); Ralph Williams of Skiatook (10); Kim Ziegelgruber of Edmond (11); and Mike Chase of McAlester (12). “I grew up in Oklahoma, and I’ve lived here all my life,” said Wickett, the event representative with the PRCA, a post on which he was voted by fellow steer ropers. “The Lazy E was built to have the steer roping finals.” It’s the right rightful home to this kind of a championship. The arena was host to the steer roping finale from 1984-2000. For five years, the championship moved to Amarillo, Texas, then to Hobbs, N.M., for three years. It returned to Oklahoma in 2009, and Wickett was one of the driving forces behind that decision. “This is probably the hardest year for me,” said Wickett, a 12-time qualifier who makes this his 11th straight trip. “I took my family with me in July and August for a little bit, then when I came home, it was really hard for me to stay gone. It’s harder for me every year. “I wasn’t really going to go that hard any more, but the way things worked out, I got lucky and made it. It went down to the last steer of the season, and I made it in.” Sometimes that’s all it takes to make a successful run during the two days of competition. Wickett won’t win this year’s world championship; he’s too far down the standings. But he has a chance to make a significant bonus on his annual salary, which is why the top players in the game want to be at the Lazy E in November. “Steer roping is one of the original events in rodeo,” said Wickett, who qualified for the NFR in heading in 1998. “I’ve roped calves. I’ve headed; I’ve heeled. Roping steer takes more horsemanship. You have to be better with your rope. You not only have to be fast, but you have to be patient. If you do one thing wrong, it could lead to a bunch of problems. “It’s a gentleman’s sport. It’s great to be around that bunch of guys. You’ve got to be able to handle your horse, handle cattle and handle a rope.” While he’d like to walk away with the coveted gold buckle, Wickett knows that won’t happen this year. He also has a pretty good idea on which competitor will. “Trevor Brazile,” Wickett said matter-of-factly about the 14-time world champion who owns eight all-around, three tie-down roping, two steer roping and a heading world title. “The year I made the finals, I made it with Trevor. You just cannot give Trevor Brazile a lead. He knows how to take the ball and run with it.”

How much does Ty Atchison love being a true all-around hand in rodeo? Atchison mentioned to me Friday that he would love to be invited to be part of the 20-man field for the 2013 Timed Event Championship at the Lazy E Arena. Do you realize how tough of a field that is? First off, you must be better than most with a rope and must be able to wrestle steers pretty well, too. It’s a rugged test of timed-eventers. Trevor Brazile has won the title a record six times, but guys who have excelled in roping and bulldogging – the K.C. Jones from Wyoming (as opposed to the K.C. Jones from Colorado), Paul Tierney and Jimmie Cooper. Atchison might just have the talent to compete with the greatest timed-event cowboys this coming March, but he wants to give himself a full year to get better mounted. That’s pretty smart, because any good cowboy knows it’s going to take a great horse in each discipline in order to be successful. Still, being able to ride a great horse, whether it’s for heading, heeling, bulldogging or bronc riding, is what counts in Pro Rodeo. “When I was in college, I realized the more events we enter, the more chances we have to win, but you’ve got to get the job done,” Atchison said. “To me, an all-around cowboy – and I’m not taking anything away from Trevor – that they would have to be good a timed events and roughstock. It would be neat to see some guys where you have to work both ends of the arena well. That’s what I love.”

Ty Atchison carries a king-sized grin every place he goes. It gets even bigger when he’s in the rodeo arena because the Jackson, Mo., cowboy is having a whole lot of fun. This season, Atchison has earned the right to play on the biggest stage in the sport, the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, finishing the regular season as the 12th-ranked saddle bronc rider in the game. But get this: At 25 years old – he’ll be 26 in November – Atchison’s only been riding broncs for eight years. “I grew up team roping, bulldogging, calf roping and all that stuff,” said Atchison, the winner of the inaugural Classic Events Championship, which features cowboys competing on steer roping and bronc riding and is held during the Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days Rodeo. “I started to get on broncs to win the all-around. At the time, bronc riding was the event that had the least amount of contestants, so I thought that might be my best chance to help me win the all-around.” While at the University of Tennessee-Martin, Atchison was a four-year qualifier for the College National Finals Rodeo (once in steer wrestling, twice in team roping and three times in saddle bronc riding). He finished second in saddle bronc riding in 2006. Still, qualifying for the NFR in bronc riding seemed a little farfetched for the cowboy from southeastern Missouri. “Bronc riding has always been one of my favorite events, but when I was growing up and thought about making the NFR, It would’ve been in team roping or bulldogging, not bronc riding,” Atchison said. He’s proven a lot of people wrong, even himself. But he’s a cowboy. I would expect nothing else.

J.P. Wickett of Sallisaw, Okla., is the steer roping representative in the PRCa. He’s also qualified for the Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping 12 times in his career, including each of the last 11 years. He’s finished among the very best in the game, even serving as the reserve world champion in 2006, when Trevor Brazile won his first steer roping gold buckle. But what does Wickett think is his greatest rodeo accomplishment? “Making the National Finals,” Rodeo, said Wickett, who qualified as a header in 1998, roping with Brazile in the only season in which Brazile qualified for the NFR in heeling. So why is that more special than that runner-up finish five years ago? “It’s something I dreamed about as a kid,” Wickett said of the NFR. “I grew up in a rodeo family, and we were from eastern Oklahoma. There wasn’t an NFR qualifier from over there, so you were kind of alone, all by yourself. “All I really cared about was making the National Finals. Getting to run those 10 steers in Las Vegas is still my biggest accomplishment.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story appears in the October 2011 issue of Women’s Pro Rodeo News, the official publication of the WPRA. Arena records are starting to become a regular occurrence for Sydni Blanchard and Firewater Fie. Can arena records get old? “No, not at all,” said a smiling Blanchard, whose most recent conquest came at the Ellensburg (Wash.) Rodeo, the final stop on the 2011 Wrangler Million Dollar Tour, where she and Shotgun posted a 16.91-second run in the short go-round en route to the average championship. It was the second arena record set at a tour rodeo this season – Blanchard had a 16.99-second run to win the Lea County Fair and Rodeo in Lovington, N.M. “Lovington and Ellensburg are a lot alike,” said Blanchard, who is fighting for her second straight qualification to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. “None of the barrels are in the walls, and the ground was similar. “I just think my horse feels good, and it shows. He gives me all his heart. He tries with all his heart every time he runs.” Blanchard won the first go-round with a 17.36-second run on Shotgun, her 9-year-old gelding out of Whisper of Magnolia by Nonstop Firewater. The tandem didn’t earn a check in the second round, but they blew away the field in the short round, a half second ahead of second-place finisher Tammy Fischer. The exclamation point came in the form of a 51.95-second total on three runs to win the average. Oh, and then there’s the matter of the $6,400 Blanchard used to move into the top 15 in the world standings. Fischer, meanwhile, moved a little closer to this year’s Wrangler NFR. Besides finishing second in the short round, Fischer and Roundpen also placed second in the aggregate in 52.73. Named Easy Dash Oak, Roundpen is a 16-year-old gelding out of Easy Little Oak by Victory Dash. “He worked great,” said Fischer, a five-time NFR qualifier from Ledbetter, Texas. “He got a little better every time. The first time it was pretty deep. The second round the ground was a little hard, but he adjusted.” It worked out quite well for Fischer, who won $4,247. “Ellensburg was a very important rodeo for me,” she said. “It kind of counted double, because it’s a tour event and I wanted to get to Omaha. Plus it’s crunch time, and we’re doing everything we can to make the NFR.” Fischer said her year has been filled with highs and lows. Roundpen had gotten hurt, so she rode her main horse, MP Quick Money, until June. Then Money, an 8-year-old gelding out of Quckern A Wink by Frenchmans Hayday, got hurt at about the same time Roundpen came back to healthy. “So I had a fabulous summer,” she said. The time in the Northwest has meant being away from her southeast Texas home, but Fischer kept tabs on the nasty wildfires that had damaged so much. Her home was still 40 miles from the blazes, so she kept her mind on her business; of course, it helps having two outstanding horses. “I have never wanted a backup horse in my life,” she said. “I feel like I have two good horses when I ride. I decide what horse I want to use when I enter a rodeo, then when I get there, that’s the horse I use. Money’s young and a lot less experienced than Roundpen, but he’s a great horse.” While Fischer has two great partners, Blanchard relies on Shotgun. That turned out pretty well in Ellensburg. “I know a lot of people who say that when they have a really good run, it just feels smooth,” she said. “Sometimes you can make mistakes in an excellent run like that and still clock fast because it’s so smooth. “That’s the way it is with him. The main thing I really notice is when he’s fixing to do well, he can pick up another gear on the way home. He just makes up a lot of lost time. In Ellensburg, he just took off out of that third barrel, and I knew it was going to be fast.” The tour is important primarily because those events offer a large prize purse, but also finishing well means qualifying for the Justin Boots Playoffs in Puyallup, Wash., and the Justin Boots Playoffs in Omaha, Neb. For Blanchard, the entire rodeo season is more about living a dream. “This is such an experience, and I’m so happy,” she said. “It’s something I’ll always have. This year has been phenomenal with him. It’s something we’ll be able to keep forever. I’m not thinking about having to win to make the finals. I just feel that I’m blessed and happy to be here. “It’s not in my hands, really. It’s in God’s hands, so I let whatever’s going to happen happen. Ultimately I’m just having fun. If it’s not fun, then why do you do it?”