Monthly Archives: March 2012

By Chaney Latham Oklahoma Panhandle State University GARDEN CITY, Kan. – Kaylee Moyer doesn’t need any extra motivation to compete at a high level. She got it anyway last weekend, and the Oklahoma Panhandle State University cowgirl used it to her advantage in sharing the breakaway roping title at the Garden City (Kan.) Community College Rodeo – she also placed in goat-tying and finished second in the all-around race while guiding the women’s team to a third-place finish. Moyer received a little push from her coach, Craig Latham, who is battling cancer with chemotherapy and radiation treatments at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. Latham sent the team text messages containing references to Scripture. “It changed my attitude for the weekend,” said Moyer, an education major, who posted a 2.6-second run in the long round and a 3.3 in the short-go to win the title by three 10ths of a second. “This weekend had some frustrating moments, but I just kept remembering what Craig texted.” Moyer wasn’t the only Panhandle State athlete who found the winning formula, helping the men to a fourth place team finish. Wyatt Gregg won bull riding in Garden City, posting a weekend best 80-point ride to win the first round. His 65 in the short round was good enough for second place, but the cumulative 145 points helped Gregg edge past Dodge City’s Austin Wolfe. Gregg, too, said he relied on Scripture to maintain his focus. “It sure showed its evidence this weekend,” he said. Panhandle State was well represented ruing the championship round Sunday. Bareback riders Josh Griggs and Ryan McIntyre earned points in bareback riding. Griggs finished in a tie for third place in the long round and placed fifth in the two-ride aggregate with 126 points, just three points better than McIntyre; he place sixth. Joe Frost posted two solid runs in tie-down roping to place fourth, but he was one of the busiest cowboys in the field Sunday afternoon. He also qualified for the short go-round in steer wrestling and bull riding – he placed sixth in bulldogging and third in bull riding, with his long-round score of 79 holding up as the top one-ride score. Five saddle bronc riders made up half the short-go field, and four finished among the leaders. Justin Hegwer was the top OPSU finisher, placing second with a cumulative total of 139 points on two rides. He finished just two points ahead of Magin Montoya (third), while Joe Harper placed fifth with 126 points, and Trevor Thybo placing seventh with a 61. Allen Boore also made it back to the finale. Other in the short-round were steer wrestler Chaz Cobb and bull rider Cody Hessman. Moyer wasn’t the only OPSU women’s team competitor in the short round; she was joined by junior Callie Schafer, who finished fourth in breakaway roping and posted solid times in goat tying. The teams compete this weekend at the Fort Scott (Kan.) Community College Rodeo, the sixth of 10 events that are part of the Central Plains Region. The men sit second in the region standings, while the women are fourth. The season wraps April 26-28 as OPSU hosts the Doc Gardner Memorial Rodeo. For results and more collegiate rodeo information, visit collegerodeo.com.

ALVA, Okla. – Perry Dietz has had some big wins in his rodeo career, but few have been as timely as his tie-down roping win Sunday, March 4, in Garden City, Kan. “It meant a lot, because it bumped me up to second in the region,” said Dietz, a senior on the Northwestern Oklahoma State University rodeo team. “The top three in the region go to the college finals.” Dietz, an agriculture business major from Cleo Springs, Okla., roped and tied two calves in 17.9 seconds to win the Garden City Community College Rodeo. He now has 310 points for the 2011-12 Central Plains Region season with just four rodeos remaining and is just 20 points behind the standings leader, Chant DeForest of Western Oklahoma State College. While qualifying for the College National Finals Rodeo is a goal, Dietz’s priority is winning the region. He knows it will take consistency and the right approach to accomplish both this season. “You’ve just got to keep going at them,” he said. Dietz began riding horses when he was 3 years old and has been roping since age 7. He’s competed ever since and has fared well. Of course, Oklahoma is a hotbed for young roping talent. That experience growing up prepared him for the rigors of the Central Plains. “You’re only as good as you’re competition, so that helps a lot,” Dietz said. “There are about 70 kids from the 21 schools in the region, and they’re all pretty tough.” Dietz expects to graduate in December, but he has some other dreams he’d like to see along the way. “I’d like to fill my PRCA permit this year,” he said, referring to the process in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association by which competitors must earn $1,000 on their permit before being allowed to become a card-holding competitor. “That would be nice to have.” Dietz wasn’t the only Northwestern cowboy to score points for the Rangers. Clint Kindred placed fourth in steer wrestling. He is ranked 10th in the region; teammate Kyle Irwin is second in the region with 430 points. The men’s team finished ninth in Garden City, while the women finished fifth. Dusta Kimzey scored 100 points in the all-around, placing in breakaway roping and goat-tying. In all, six Northwestern cowgirls placed in the rodeo – Kari Cable (fifth) and Chelsey Kleinvachter (ninth) in barrel racing; Katie Hansen (third), Kimzey (sixth) and Karly Benzie (tied seventh) in breakaway roping; and Lauren Barnes (second) and Kimzey (fifth) in goat-tying. Heelers Dustin Searcy (first) and Tanner Braden (second) continue to lead the heeling standings as the teams compete at the Fort Scott (Kan.) Community College Rodeo this weekend. The men are fourth and the women sixth in the regional standings.

Stockton Graves would’ve liked to have had a better Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. In all, he won a little more than $20,000 in Las Vegas. In terms of playing on ProRodeo’s biggest stage, it was just an OK showing at the NFR for the Oklahoma cowboy. He’s well on his way to improving upon that already in just three days at Rodeo Houston during Super Series III. Graves won the first round and well in the next two to win the average and collect $7,000. He’s already a third of the way to his 2011 Vegas earning, and he’s staring at a $50,000 payday right in the face. The biggest story might be that all four Wright brothers in the series advanced, led by Jesse, who won the first two rounds and finished in third place in the third round to win the average. He won $8,300. He’s joined by brothers Cody, a two-time world champion; Alex; and Jake. Team ropers Spencer Mitchell and Broc Cresta sneaked into the next round by winning the average and $5,000 as a team. They finished third in money to advance. That’s pretty good considering Cresta had to pull out of the Timed Event Championship last weekend with a torn pectoral muscle.

I just came across news that the Fort Scott (Kan.) Community College rodeo team is conducting a silent auction to benefit Craig Latham, the coach at rival Oklahoma Panhandle State University who is undergoing more treatment for cancer. Latham was diagnosed last June with the disease and has undergone surgery and other treatments prescribed by his caregivers at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. It is likely those treatments will continue for some time. The expenses that come along with those treatments will continue for some time, too. That’s why it’s great that the Fort Scott team is raising money for this worthy cause. To learn more, go HERE. If you can’t make it to Fort Scott this weekend, you can still donate to the Craig Latham Medical Fund through the account set up at the Bank of the Panhandle, P.O. Box 2180, Guymon, OK 73942.

The tandem of Erich Rogers and Kory Koontz has dominated the team roping in Super Series III of RodeoHouston with the final round scheduled for tonight. Rogers and Koontz won the opening two go-rounds, clocking times of 6.1 and 5.8 seconds, respectively, and collected $5,000 apiece. They have clinched their spot in the next round of the bracketed format and still have a chance to rope the $50,000 first-place prize in the Shootout round that takes place in a week and a half. The team roped together in 2011 and qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo – it was Rogers’ first trip to ProRodeo’s grand finale but Koontz’s 18th. In Las Vegas, the two collected $43,702 each, winning the seventh go-round and placing in a couple of others. Canadian bareback rider Dusty LaValley has virtually assured his spot at the next level. He won the opening round Monday night, then finished second Tuesday. Other leaders heading into tonight’s final round of Super Series III are tie-down ropers Adam Gray and Matt Shiozawa, saddle bronc rider Jesse Wright (he won both rounds so far, and three bothers, Cody, Jake and Alex, are in the top 5), steer wrestler Stockton Graves, bull rider Seth Glause and barrel racer Brittany Pozzi.

I looked around the Lazy E Arena this past weekend and marveled at the number of people on their smartphones, iPads and other sources of technology. Some were surfing the Internet, others were taking photos, and others were keeping up with the news and notes of their interests. That meant Facebooking and Tweeting, and the Lazy E was taking advantage of social media. While working the Timed Event Championship, I posted many little tidbits about the goings-on in the arena. We even posted trivia questions, where fans who were in attendance could win prizes. I knew we’d have a few people on site who would keep tabs on the activities, but I was amazed at the number of folks who were part of the Facebook and Twitter exchanges. That’s proof that we go about any means possible to gather the news we want.

Three-time world champion Sherry Cervi placed in all three go-rounds of RodeoHouston’s Super Series II and won the average, pocketing $6,600 for her three days of work at Reliant Stadium. She also advanced to the next round of the bracketed format, which is the second most important aspect to getting off to a good start in the south Texas city. The contestant in each event who wins the championship round on the 19th night of the stock show’s rodeo will earn $50,000. Cort Scheer of Elsmere, Neb., had the biggest paycheck of any competitor in Super Series II. He placed in three go-rounds — he won the first round, was runner-up in the second and split the victory with Cody DeMoss in the third — to win the average and collect $8,050. That’s less than one-tenth of his earnings at Houston a year ago. Not only did Scheer win the saddle bronc riding title at the rodeo, he also won the Super Shootout. In all, he won $88,350. He’s well on his way to doing it again. Super Series III is already under way. The second round begins tonight. That means seven of 20 performances are in the books. We’re a third of the way home, so we’ve got a lot more rodeo ahead in the next couple of weeks.

In the 1970s, Nebraskan Chip Whitaker set the standard for being one of the most versatile all-around cowboys in ProRodeo by winning the prestigious Linderman Award four times. To qualify, a cowboy must win at least $1,000 in three events, and those events must include at least one roughstock and one timed event. The qualifying contestant with the most money won earns the title. In 2005, Chip’s son, Kyle, tied his father’s mark by winning his fourth Linderman. In 2006, Kyle Whitaker won his fifth, and last year, the 35-year-old cowboy won the title for the sixth time, all while riding saddle broncs, wrestling steers and roping calves. He also won the Great Lakes Circuit’s all-around and steer wrestling titles. The latter helped Whitaker earn his 11th qualification to the Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo, set for March 29-April 1 at State Fair Arena in Oklahoma City. He’s a two-time RNCFR champion, having earned all-around titles in 2002 and 2008. He’d like to add an individual title this year, and he has as good a chance as anyone. RNCFR steer wrestling qualifiers This list is subject to change Tom Lewis Wyatt Smith Clayton Tuchscherer Dean McIntyre Justin Blaine Davis Logan Gledhill Juan Alcazar Jr. Jason Thomas Shane Henderson Riley Duvall Seth Brockman Clayton Morrison Shawn Downing Ty Erickson Kyle Whitaker Adam Strahan Tom Farrelly Joe Bell Sr. Alex Robertson Austin Manning Ethan Thouvenell Luke Branquinho Seth Murphy Clay Cowan

No multi-champion of the Timed Event Championship of the World had gone more than six years between titles. That is until Sunday. K.C. Jones, 44, who claimed his fourth TEC title in 2001, won the 2012 Timed Event with 360.6 seconds on 25 head at the Lazy E Arena. Jones is only the second cowboy in the 28-year history of the Timed Event to win five or more titles. Trevor Brazile, out this year with an injury, has won six times. “Just thank God,” said Jones of Burlington, Wyo., who also has been a runner-up five times. “I’ve been fortunate and had a lot of people help me and worked hard at it and worked hard with my horses. It’s just great.” After finishing second in 2010, Jones went penniless at the event a year ago in Guthrie. This time around though, he not only won the average for $50,000 but had the fourth and fifth fastest rounds to total $57,000 in three days. That runs his career TEC earnings to $445,500. “The finances are great and that’s why we do it,” he said. “The money’s great, but I don’t know if we’d work quite this hard for the money, but we do this because we love it.” At the Timed Event, each contestant has to compete in the team roping–heading, tie-down roping, team roping–heeling, steer wrestling and steer roping. The latest version of the “Ironman Event of Pro Rodeo” certainly was not without suspense. Jones was 57.2 seconds ahead of the field after 14 runs. But after 24 head, his lead was 21.8 seconds over Russell Cardoza of Terrebonne, Ore., who was second in the average and Jones was 38.7 seconds ahead of Josh Peek of Pueblo, Colo., who was third. In the steer roping, Peek used two loops to go 28.0 for 400.0 seconds, while Cardoza was solid with a 20.9 for 376.0. So Jones rode into the box needing to be 42.6 seconds or faster to win the Championship. Jones said the late Clem McSpadden, “Voice of the Lazy E Arena,” often teased him about needing a good steer roping horse of his own. The cowboy trained one in recent years and was riding the horse he calls “Clem” to a steer roping run of 27.3 seconds Sunday to clinch the title. In addition to his runner-up finish, Cardoza placed third and sixth in the fast rounds for earnings of $32,000. He is fourth in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association heeling world standings with $20,495. The 25-year-old was never lower than ninth in the average at the TEC. Cardoza led after the sixth and seventh runs and then suffered a 60-second penalty (the equivalent of a no-time) in the tie-down roping of the second round. However, he worked his way back into contention. Peek, 32, the 2010 Timed Event champion, finished third in the average for $15,000. The two-time PRCA reserve all-around World Champion, was never lower than fifth in the average after the first round, and he was second or third in the average after the last dozen runs. Daniel Green, 39, of Oakdale, Calif., the 2002 and 2008 TEC champion, was fourth in the average with 426.6 on 25 and posted the fastest round of the weekend with a 54.0 in the fourth-go to total $20,000. “Everybody that was entered here knows it was the ‘Ironman’ here this year,” Jones said. The contestants were 20 of the most established, versatile cowboys in the game, and they earned the right to be part of the by-invitation-only crowd to compete at the Lazy E, which developed the Timed Event Championship in 1985 to determine the best all-around timed-event cowboy in the world – the man who could stand out in more than his specialty event, the man who could be consistent in all five timed events. Most of today’s ProRodeo cowboys focus on a single discipline, maybe two, but the Timed Event Championship allows each contestant the opportunity to spread his wings and fly in a different direction. It’s an outstanding test of all the skills that have made the sport of rodeo what it is today. It’s a challenge, and those who have walked away with the coveted Gist Gold Buckle and $50,000 carry the admiration of thousands of other great athletes who make up ProRodeo. They also carry the bragging rights to one of rodeo’s greatest accomplishments. The winner of each Timed Event Championship of the World is in a special class of competitor. It’s a small fraternity, and only the best are included.  

By Bryan Painter The margin changed but the leader didn’t during the fourth round of the 2012 Timed Event Championship of the World on Saturday night before a sold out Lazy E Arena crowd. K.C. Jones, 44, of Burlington, Wyo., goes into Sunday’s fifth and final round with an opportunity to become only the second cowboy in the Timed Event’s 28-year history to win the title five times or more. He leads the average with 273.9 on 20 head. Jones was the winner of “Ironman Event of Pro Rodeo” in 1993, ’96, ’99 and 2001. Trevor Brazile, out this year with an injury, has won six times. But there are still a lot of horns and hooves to be roped, caught and wrapped Sunday. Josh Peek of Pueblo, Colo., the 2010 champion, is 34.7 seconds behind Jones with 308.6 seconds, and Russell Cardoza of Terrebonne, Ore., is 40.6 seconds out of the lead with 314.5 seconds. Jess Tierney of Hermosa, S.D., is fourth with 320.2 and Kyle Lockett of Visalia, Calif., a two-time TEC champion, rounds out the top five at 384.1. At the Timed Event, each of the 20 professional cowboys have to compete in the team roping–heading, tie-down roping, team roping–heeling, steer wrestling and steer roping for five rounds. On Saturday night, the examples of true cowboy stamina were numerous. Jones, who went into the fourth-go with a 55.2 lead on 15 runs, saw that reduced to 27.8 after 19 head. But he’s remained solid. He took the lead on the fourth run of the first-go then dropped back for a short period before returning to the top spot on seven head. Jones has led ever since. And while several others have struggled in the steer wrestling he is 29.2 on four bulldogging runs. That event was also noteworthy for Peek. On Saturday night, in a run that could have easily ended in a 60-second time, the equivalent of a no-time, Peek gritted out a 7.7–second toss in the steer wrestling that kept him second in the average. And in 20 runs so far at this year’s Timed Event, Cardoza has never been lower than ninth in the average. He’s held either second or third in the average after the last eight runs. Also on Saturday night, Daniel Green of Oakdale, Calif., a two-time TEC champion, recorded the fastest round thus far of the weekend with 54.0 seconds on five head in the fourth go. On Sunday, the cowboy with the best total time on 25 head will earn $50,000. Eight places are paid in that average. The cowboy with the fastest round at the end of five rounds will claim $10,000. Six places are paid in the fast rounds. Four fans that have been to the Timed Event Championship in each of its 28 years were honored Saturday night with the Clem McSpadden Pioneer Award. Ed Cooper, Larry Powers and Gary and Ann Butler are members of “The 28-year Club.” The award began after McSpadden’s death in 2008. Other winners are Paul Tierney, Delmar Smith and E.K. Gaylord II. RESULTS AVERAGE LEADERS: 1. K.C. Jones, 273.9; 2. Josh Peek, 308.6; 3. Russell Cardoza, 314.5; 4. Jess Tierney, 320.2; 5. Kyle Lockett, 384.1; 6. Daniel Green, 396.6; 7. Paul D. Tierney, 412.6; 8. Chad Masters, 420.8; 9. Chance Kelton, 423.4; 10. Clayton Hass, 429.4; 11. Paul Tierney, 444.4; 12. Jim Ross Cooper, 472.3; 13. Dean Gorsuch, 487.1; 14. Jimmie Cooper, 502.8; 15. Scott Snedecor, 535.9; 16. Bryce Davis, 552.6; 17. JoJo LeMond, 554.3; 18. Landon McClaugherty, 582.6; 19. Steve Duhon, 656.8; 20. Broc Cresta, 848.4 (Injured) ROUND 4: 1. Daniel Green, 54.0 seconds; 2. Jess Tierney, 63.2; 3. Josh Peek, 66.4; 4. Jimmie Cooper, 66.7; 5. Russel Cardoza, 76.1; 6. K.C. Jones, 90.7; 7. Dean Gorsuch, 94.7; 8. Paul David Tierney, 110.6; 9. Clayton Hass, 115.0; 10. Landon McClaugherty, 118.6; 11. Chad Masters, 126.5; 12. Bryce Davis, 128.6; 13. Paul Tierney, 129.5; 14. Kyle Lockett, 129.8; 15. Chance Kelton, 133.9; 16. Jim Ross Cooper, 140.7; 17. JoJo Lemond, 155.6; 18. Steve Duhon, 170.1; 19. Scott Snedecor, 199.8; 20. Broc Cresta, Injured. ROUND 3: 1. K.C. Jones, 60.4; 2. Paul Tierney, 67.0; 3. Russell Cardoza, 72.8; 4. Josh Peek, 85.5; 5. Jess Tierney, 93.4; 6. Chance Kelton, 94.7; 7. Daniel Green, 107.6; 8. Kyle Lockett, 120.7; 9. Chad Masters, 123.9; 10. Paul David Tierney, 126.3; 11. Landon McClaugherty, 135.5; 12. Bryce Davis, 138.4; 13. Jim Ross Cooper, 146.5; 14. Clayton Hass, 158.7; 15. Scott Snedecor, 161.0; 16. JoJo LeMond, 168.7; 17.  Dean Gorsuch, 189.1; 18. Jimmie Cooper, 190.2; 19. Steve Duhon, 208.3; Broc Cresta injured. FASTEST ROUND LEADERS: 1. Daniel Green, 54 seconds; 2. Masters, 57.6; 3. Russell Cardoza, 58.6; 4. K.C. Jones, 59.5; 5. K.C. Jones, 60.4; 6. Paul David Tierney, 61.9.

Cort Scheer is the reigning RodeoHouston saddle bronc riding champion who missed qualifying for the 2011 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo because of an injury. The talented Nebraskan is in the lead of Super Series II, winning the first round and finishing second in the second, pocketing $3,700 in the process. He’s well on his way to his second NFR qualification in three years with a newly rebuilt anterior cruciate ligament. Let’s hope it continues.

By Bryan Painter In 15 runs at the 2012 Timed Event Championship of the World, K.C. Jones of Burlington, Wyo., has had just two times longer than the 20-second mark. Here’s why that’s impressive: At the Timed Event, a cowboy has to work both the heading and heeling of the team roping, tie-down calves, bulldog steers and finish off a round with steer roping. In all that, his slowest efforts through three rounds was a 24.1-second run in the first round of steer roping and a 23.5 in the second-go. Those aren’t slow, but rather smart runs as Jones is the only cowboy in the 20-man field with a time less than 200 seconds after Saturday afternoon’s third round. Jones — the winner of Timed Event titles in 1993, ’96, ’99 and 2001  — leads the average with 183.2 second on 15 head. Russell Cardoza of Terrebone, Ore., is second with 238.4; Josh Peek, the 2010 Timed Event winner, is third at 24.22; Kyle Lockett of Visalia, Calif., who last year won his second TEC title, is fourth with 254.3; and Jess Tierney of Hermosa, S.D., at 257.0 on 15. Jones, 44, led after four runs, dropped back for a short period and then re-gained the lead after seven head, the tie-down roping of the second round. He’s been atop the leader board ever since. He also has the third and fourth fastest rounds. At the Timed Event, a 60-second penalty is given instead of a no-time. In the steer wrestling alone, there were 10 contestants with 60s in the third round. Among those was Lockett, who had been in second in the average for eight of the past nine runs. With that, Peek made his move. After hanging around in the third to fifth slots in the average for the previous eight runs, Peek clocked a 6.4 in the steer wrestling to move to second in the average with 216.9 on 14. While there have 21 total 60s in bulldogging this year, Jones has totaled 20.1 on three steer wrestling runs. But the shuffling wasn’t over after steer wrestling in the third go. Peek had a 25.3 in the steer roping. Cardoza then used a 19.3 to move to second in the average. In a close look, even though Cardoza had a 60 in the tie-down of the second round, he’s never been out of the top 10 in the average. And Peek has been no lower than seventh on the last 11 runs and no lower than fourth on the last six. RESULTS AVERAGE LEADERS: 1. K.C. Jones, 183.2 seconds; 2. Russell Cardoza, 238.4; 3. Josh Peek, 242.2; 4. Kyle Lockett, 254.3; 5. Jess Tierney, 257.0; 6. Chance Kelton, 289.5; 7. Daniel Green, 292.6; 8. Chad Masters, 294.3; 9. Paul David Tierney, 302.0; 10. Clayton Hass, 314.4; 11. Paul Tierney, 314.9; 12. Jim Ross Cooper, 331.6; 13. Scott Snedecor, 336.1; 14. Dean Gorsuch, 282.4; 15. JoJo LeMond, 398.7; 16. Bryce Davis, 424.0; 17. Jimmie Cooper, 436.1; 18. Landon McClaugherty, 464.0; 19. Steve Duhon, 486.7; 20. Broc Cresta, 548.4 (Injured). ROUND 3: 1. K.C. Jones, 60.4; 2. Paul Tierney, 67.0; 3. Russell Cardoza, 72.8; 4. Josh Peek, 85.5; 5. Jess Tierney, 93.4; 6. Chance Kelton, 94.7; 7. Daniel Green, 107.6; 8. Kyle Lockett, 120.7; 9. Chad Masters, 123.9; 10. Paul David Tierney, 126.3; 11. Landon McClaugherty, 135.5; 12. Bryce Davis, 138.4; 13. Jim Ross Cooper, 146.5; 14. Clayton Hass, 158.7; 15. Scott Snedecor, 161.0; 16. JoJo LeMond, 168.7; 17.  Dean Gorsuch, 189.1; 18. Jimmie Cooper, 190.2; 19. Steve Duhon, 208.3; Broc Cresta injured. FASTEST ROUND LEADERS: 1. Chad Masters, 57.6; 2. Russell Cardoza, 58.6; 3. K.C. Jones, 59.5; 4. K.C. Jones, 60.4; 5. Paul David Tierney, 61.9; 6. Kyle Lockett, 62.2.

RESULTS AVERAGE LEADERS: 1. K.C. Jones, 183.2 seconds; 2. Russell Cardoza, 238.4; 3. Josh Peek, 242.2; 4. Kyle Lockett, 254.3; 5. Jess Tierney, 257.0; 6. Chance Kelton, 289.5; 7. Daniel Green, 292.6; 8. Chad Masters, 294.3; 9. Paul David Tierney, 302.0; 10. Clayton Hass, 314.4; 11. Paul Tierney, 314.9; 12. Jim Ross Cooper, 331.6; 13. Scott Snedecor, 336.1; 14. Dean Gorsuch, 282.4; 15. JoJo LeMond, 398.7; 16. Bryce Davis, 424.0; 17. Jimmie Cooper, 436.1; 18. Landon McClaugherty, 464.0; 19. Steve Duhon, 486.7; 20. Broc Cresta, 548.4 (Injured). ROUND 3: 1. K.C. Jones, 60.4; 2. Paul Tierney, 67.0; 3. Russell Cardoza, 72.8; 4. Josh Peek, 85.5; 5. Jess Tierney, 93.4; 6. Chance Kelton, 94.7; 7. Daniel Green, 107.6; 8. Kyle Lockett, 120.7; 9. Chad Masters, 123.9; 10. Paul David Tierney, 126.3; 11. Landon McClaugherty, 135.5; 12. Bryce Davis, 138.4; 13. Jim Ross Cooper, 146.5; 14. Clayton Hass, 158.7; 15. Scott Snedecor, 161.0; 16. JoJo LeMond, 168.7; 17.  Dean Gorsuch, 189.1; 18. Jimmie Cooper, 190.2; 19. Steve Duhon, 208.3; Broc Cresta injured. FASTEST ROUND LEADERS: 1. Chad Masters, 57.6; 2. Russell Cardoza, 58.6; 3. K.C. Jones, 59.5; 4. K.C. Jones, 60.4; 5. Paul David Tierney, 61.9; 6. Kyle Lockett, 62.2.

K.C. Jones has been the mark of consistency in his rodeo career. You don’t win Timed Event Championship titles without it. You also don’t carry the lead after two go-rounds of the unique contest, but Jones did that Friday in the first of three days of competition featuring 20 of the best all-around timed-event cowboys in ProRodeo. He roped and wrestled 10 head in 122.8 seconds, 10.8 seconds ahead of the No. 2 man, reigning and two-time champion Kyle Lockett of Visalia, Calif. After one run, Jones was 12th in the 20-man field. However, Jones is a four-time champion of this event. He knows the TEC is a 25-head marathon, not a sprint ,and he demonstrated that Friday. After the second round of heeling, Jones was the only contestant still under 100 seconds with 97.8 on 8 head. Jones, 44, of Burlington, Wyo., won Timed Event titles in 1993, ’96, ’99 and 2001. He’ll have to hold up through the remaining three go-rounds to see if he can be just the second man in the event’s history to have won five titles – Trevor Brazile, who owns six, is the other. This unique event, which was developed 28 years ago by the Lazy E Arena, has cowboys competing in all five timed-event disciplines: team roping-heading, team roping-heeling, tie-down roping, steer wrestling and steer roping. Jones not only handled his business solidly, but also he posted some of the fastest runs of the day. As is always the case, there has been plenty of drama through the first two go-rounds. Russell Cardoza of Terrebonne, Ore., held the lead after the opening go-round Friday afternoon. He maintained the advantage heading into the seventh run of the competition, Friday night’s tie-down roping. But Cardoza suffered a 60-second penalty, which is equivalent to a no time. That put Cardoza behind the eight ball, but the two-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier bounced back and sits sixth in the average race with 165.6 seconds on 10 runs. In between are 2010 winner Josh Peek (156.7) of Pueblo, Colo., and Jess Tierney (163.6) of Hermosa, S.D. World champion header Chad Masters of Clarksville, Tenn., has the fastest round of the event so far, posting a 57.6-second run on Friday night. He is seventh in the average with 170.4. The steer wrestling traditionally marks a rough spot in the road for some contestants, and that tradition held true on Friday’s opening day. There were 11 60-second penalties over the course of the first two rounds. However, Jones posted a cumulative total of 13.0 seconds in that span. RESULTS AVERAGE LEADERS: 1. K.C. Jones, 122.8 seconds; 2. Kyle Lockett, 133.6; 3. Clayton Hass, 155.7; 4. Josh Peek, 156.7; 5. Jess Tierney, 163.6; 6. Russell Cardoza, 165.6; 7. Chad Masters, 170.4; 8. Scott Snedecor, 175.1; 9. Paul David Tierney, 175.7; 10. Jim Ross Cooper, 184.1; 11. Daniel Green, 185.0; 12. Dean Gorsuch, 193.3; 13. Chance Kelton, 194.8; 15. Jimmie Cooper, 245.9; 16. Paul Tierney, 247.9; 17. Broc Cresta, 248.4; 18. Steve Duhon, 278.4; 19. Bryce Davis, 285.6; 20. Landon McClaugherty, 328.5. ROUND 2: 1. Chad Masters, 57.6; 2. K.C. Jones, 59.5; 3. Paul David Tierney, 61.9; 4. Clayton Hass, 64.6; 5. Kyle Lockett, 71.4; 6. Broc Cresta, 79.7; 7. Chance Kelton, 81.5; 8. Josh Peek, 81.6; 9. Dean Gorsuch, 85.5; 10. Jess Tierney, 96.1; 11. Scott Snedecor, 97.1; 12. Daniel Green, 106.2; 13. Russell Cardoza, 107.0; 14. Jim Ross Cooper, 114.4; 15. Jimmie Cooper, 121.4; 16. JoJo LeMond, 123.1; 17. Paul Tierney, 124.9; 18. Landon McClaugherty, 124.9; 19. Steve Duhon, 127.3; 20. Bryce Davis, 147.7. ROUND 1: 1. Russell Cardoza, 58.6 seconds; 2. Kyle Lockett, 62.2; 3. K.C. Jones, 63.3; 4. Jess Tierney, 67.5; 5. Jim Ross Cooper, 69.7; 6. Josh Peek, 75.1; 7. Scott Snedecor, 78.0; 8. Daniel Green, 78.8; 9. Clayton Hass, 91.3; 10. JoJo LeMond, 106.9; 11. Dean Gorsuch, 107.8; 12. Chad Masters, 112.8; 13. Chance Kelton, 113.3; 14. Paul David Tierney, 113.8; 15. Paul Tierney, 123.8; 16. Jimmie Cooper, 124.5; 17. Bryce Davis, 137.9; 18. Steve Duhon, 151.1; 19. Broc Cresta, 168.7; 20. Landon McClaugherty, 201.6. FASTEST ROUND LEADERS: 1. Chad Masters, 57.6; 2. Russell Cardoza, 58.6; 3. K.C. Jones, 59.5; 4. Paul David Tierney, 61.9; 5. Kyle Lockett, 62.2; 6. Clayton Hass, 63.3.

AVERAGE LEADERS: 1. K.C. Jones, 122.8 seconds; 2. Kyle Lockett, 133.6; 3. Clayton Hass, 155.7; 4. Josh Peek, 156.7; 5. Jess Tierney, 163.6; 6. Russell Cardoza, 165.6; 7. Chad Masters, 170.4; 8. Scott Snedecor, 175.1; 9. Paul David Tierney, 175.7; 10. Jim Ross Cooper, 184.1; 11. Daniel Green, 185.0; 12. Dean Gorsuch, 193.3; 13. Chance Kelton, 194.8; 15. Jimmie Cooper, 245.9; 16. Paul Tierney, 247.9; 17. Broc Cresta, 248.4; 18. Steve Duhon, 278.4; 19. Bryce Davis, 285.6; 20. Landon McClaugherty, 328.5. ROUND 2: 1. Chad Masters, 57.6; 2. K.C. Jones, 59.5; 3. Paul David Tierney, 61.9; 4. Clayton Hass, 64.6; 5. Kyle Lockett, 71.4; 6. Broc Cresta, 79.7; 7. Chance Kelton, 81.5; 8. Josh Peek, 81.6; 9. Dean Gorsuch, 85.5; 10. Jess Tierney, 96.1; 11. Scott Snedecor, 97.1; 12. Daniel Green, 106.2; 13. Russell Cardoza, 107.0; 14. Jim Ross Cooper, 114.4; 15. Jimmie Cooper, 121.4; 16. JoJo LeMond, 123.1; 17. Paul Tierney, 124.9; 18. Landon McClaugherty, 124.9; 19. Steve Duhon, 127.3; 20. Bryce Davis, 147.7. ROUND 1: 1. Russell Cardoza, 58.6 seconds; 2. Kyle Lockett, 62.2; 3. K.C. Jones, 63.3; 4. Jess Tierney, 67.5; 5. Jim Ross Cooper, 69.7; 6. Josh Peek, 75.1; 7. Scott Snedecor, 78.0; 8. Daniel Green, 78.8; 9. Clayton Hass, 91.3; 10. JoJo LeMond, 106.9; 11. Dean Gorsuch, 107.8; 12. Chad Masters, 112.8; 13. Chance Kelton, 113.3; 14. Paul David Tierney, 113.8; 15. Paul Tierney, 123.8; 16. Jimmie Cooper, 124.5; 17. Bryce Davis, 137.9; 18. Steve Duhon, 151.1; 19. Broc Cresta, 168.7; 20. Landon McClaugherty, 201.6. FASTEST ROUND LEADERS: 1. Chad Masters, 57.6; 2. Russell Cardoza, 58.6; 3. K.C. Jones, 59.5; 4. Paul David Tierney, 61.9; 5. Kyle Lockett, 62.2; 6. Clayton Hass, 63.3.

By Bryan Painter The first-round leaderboard at the Timed Event Championship of the World is a lot like Oklahoma weather: There’s a pretty good chance it won’t look the same for very long. Russell Cardoza of Terrebonne, Ore., and Kyle Lockett of Visalia, Calif., were ninth and 10th respectively after the first run of the 2012 Timed Event at the Lazy E Arena near Guthrie. However, they are now first and second after the first round. Cardoza worked his first five head in 58.6 seconds, while Lockett clocked five runs in 62.2. At the Timed Event, each of the 20 professional cowboys have to compete in the team roping–heading, tie-down roping, team roping–heeling, steer wrestling and steer roping for five rounds. The storm of the first round came in steer wrestling, which featured eight broken barriers and six 60-second times, which are given instead of a no-time. But Cardoza turfed his steer in 6.5 for 39.5 on four to move up to second behind K.C. Jones of Burlington, Wyo., who was 39.2 on four. Lockett stayed off the barrier in steer wrestling and had a solid 11.6 for 47.0 on four. Cardoza, who is ranked fifth in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association heeling world standings, tied his steer roping draw in 19.1 to lead after the first round with 58.6 on five runs. Lockett, who in 2011 won his second Timed Event title, had a 15.2 in steer roping and is second in the average after the first round with 62.2. In the last four years, Lockett has been no lower than second after the first go. Jones, who was 12th after the first run of the day, heading, had a 24.1 in the steer roping. With that, the four-time TEC champion is third in the average after the first go with 63.3 on five head. Jess Tierney of Hermosa, S.D., is fourth with 67.5 and Jim Ross Cooper of Monument, N.M., is fifth at 69.7. RESULTS 1. Russell Cardoza, 58.6 seconds; 2. Kyle Lockett, 62.2; 3. K.C. Jones, 63.3; 4. Jess Tierney, 67.5; 5. Jim Ross Cooper, 69.7; 6. Josh Peek, 75.1; 7. Scott Snedecor, 78.0; 8. Daniel Green, 78.8; 9. Clayton Hass, 91.3; 10. JoJo LeMond, 106.9; 11. Dean Gorsuch, 107.8; 12. Chad Masters, 112.8; 13. Chance Kelton, 113.3; 14. Paul David Tierney, 113.8; 15. Paul Tierney, 123.8; 16. Jimmie Cooper, 124.5; 17. Bryce Davis, 137.9; 18. Steve Duhon, 151.1; 19. Broc Cresta, 168.7; 20. Landon McClaugherty, 201.6.

1. Russell Cardoza, 58.6 seconds; 2. Kyle Lockett, 62.2; 3. K.C. Jones, 63.3; 4. Jess Tierney, 67.5; 5. Jim Ross Cooper, 69.7; 6. Josh Peek, 75.1; 7. Scott Snedecor, 78.0; 8. Daniel Green, 78.8; 9. Clayton Hass, 91.3; 10. JoJo LeMond, 106.9; 11. Dean Gorsuch, 107.8; 12. Chad Masters, 112.8; 13. Chance Kelton, 113.3; 14. Paul David Tierney, 113.8; 15. Paul Tierney, 123.8; 16. Jimmie Cooper, 124.5; 17. Bryce Davis, 137.9; 18. Steve Duhon, 151.1; 19. Broc Cresta, 168.7; 20. Landon McClaugherty, 201.6

JoJo LeMond is listed as6-foot-1, 155 pounds, and that’s stretching it. Still, it’s not the picture you’re going to see next to the definition of STEER WRESTLER. But he must be a bulldogger if he wants to be part of the field at the Timed Event Championship. During Friday’s first go-round, LeMond took a 60-second time in bulldogging (the equivalent of a no time), but it wasn’t for lack of effort. The Andrews, Texas, cowboy took his first jump within 50 feet of the chute and missed. He then sprinted more than 100 yards to remount and try another jump. He took a risk with the time running out and missed a second time. But he got a big ovation. Then a few minutes later, three-time winner Jimmie Cooper had a runner that he chased 400 feet before trying, but Cooper missed, too. By the time he remounted, time had expired. Ever the competitor, Cooper chased the steer along the west-side wall of the arena, jumped and grappled the animal to the dirt. He won over the crowd early in this competition; that never hurts.

We’re less than an hour and a half from kickoff of the 2012 Timed Event Championship at the Lazy E Arena. As always, I look for this to be a fantastic event. It takes a certain kind of cowboy to compete at this level, because each man faces the challenge of competing on five head per go-round for five rounds. That’s 25 runs over just three days heading, tie-down roping, heeling, steer wrestling and steer roping. There are some newcomers to the game, but they’re mixed with legends the sport, including two ProRodeo Hall-of-Famers, Jimmie Cooper and Paul Tierney. By the way, both of those great cowboys will be competing against their sons: Jim Ross Cooper, Jess Tierney and Paul David Tierney. If you’re in the Lazy E, follow @LazyEArena on Twitter or find the Lazy E Arena on Facebook and keep track. I will be posting tidbits all weekend long, and we will have trivia questions every round. If you know the answer, go straight to the box office and tell the people there the answer. The first person to do so will win a prize, from Lazy E or Timed Event merchandise to the chance to win tickets to the Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo. If you’re not at the Lazy E, you can still follow the action on Twitter and Facebook, but also check out the live broadcast from Steve Kenyon at ProRodeo Live. Steve owns a PRCA Media Award for Broadcast Excellence, and he has earned that prestigous buckle with his dedication to this sport. Most of all, have fun. That’s what it’s all about.

Benette Little has had a fantastic 2012 ProRodeo season. It got better this week in Houston. Little placed in all three go-rounds and won the average in Super Series 1 at RodeoHouston, collecting $8,050 in the process – Little finished second to Lisa Lockhart in the opening round, split the second-round victory with Lockhart, then won the third round outright. Keep in mind that unlike the men, money won by the women in Houston will count toward the WPRA’s ProRodeo standings and qualifications to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo – RodeoHouston is sanctioned by the WPRA but not the PRCA. Little’s Houston earnings temporarily put her in the No. 1 spot in the world standings, but just a couple hundred dollars over Brittany Pozzi. Of course, that lead will only remain until Pozzi runs in Reliant Stadium. Congratulations to the semifinalists from Super Series 1.

When I developed TwisTED Rodeo 16 months ago, I wanted it to be the place to go to get rodeo news and information. I wanted it to be a great avenue for people who share my passion for rodeo. I wanted to provide a variety of things for the readers, from quick tidbits to feature stories to opinions about the sport. My hope was to post as much as possible and help get people excited about rodeo and its people. I never dreamed I would have 1,000 posts so quickly. But here it is. To those of you who stop by frequently or just gaze on occasion, I thank you. And I hope you keep coming back and telling all your friends about it. I love telling stories, and rodeo has a ton. I’m very blessed to tell them.