Monthly Archives: November 2012

Missing Parts 4 years old Bull Riding SIRE: High Roller COW: Berger Bucking Stock cow 33 2012 NFR qualifier Trey Benton III won the rodeo in Mercedes, Texas, with a 91-point ride. Dalton Votaw posted an 89-point ride to finish second at the Lea County (N.M.) Fair and Rodeo. Cooper Davis was 89 points to win the Trinity Valley Exposition Fair and Rodeo. 2011 He was ridden just one time in 2011, and that was by Danny Schlobohm for 88 points at the PRCA rodeo in Pine City, Minn. The bull was purchased from Burger Bucking Stock of Strum, Wis. This is the bull’s first trip to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. “He was pretty wolfy around to the right just at the gate,” said NFR qualifier Trey Benton III, referring the energetic bull’s bucking motion. “He was really good. He just stumbled at the five-second mark, but I think he was even more after he stumbled. He got after it. “You have to have a good bull to score 91, and I got one there.”

Miss Congeniality 10-year-old bay mare Saddle Bronc Riding SIRE: Bandito DAM: One Eyed Sally 2011 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Taos Muncy scored 82 on the mare and finished just out of the money in the first round. 2010 NFR J.J. Elshere scored 85.5 points in the second round to finish in a tie for second place. 2012 Cody Martin’s 86 points was worth a share of the title at the Eagle County (Colo.) Fair and Rodeo. Cody Groves scored 75 points to finish fifth at the Waller County (Texas) Fair and Rodeo. Casey Sisk posted an 80 to finish second at the Silverton (Texas) Buck Wild Days Rodeo. Chuck Schmidt was 84 points to finish the Lea County (N.M.) Fair and Rodeo in a tie for second place. Francisco Orozco Merchand scored 70 points at the Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days Rodeo. 2011 Kobyn Williams posted a 76 to place in a tie for eighth place at the West of the Pecos (Texas) Rodeo. Taos Muncy was 84 points to finish in a tie for second, and Jesse Wright was 82 to finish in a tie for seventh at the Eagle County (Colo.) Fair and Rodeo. Cody Angland had an 85 for first, and Alex Wright was 84 for second at the Lea County (N.M.) Fair and Rodeo. 2010 Cody Taton won the Silverton (Texas) Buck Wild Days rodeo 87 points Alex Wright scored 85 to finish third at the West of the Pecos Rodeo in Texas, while Bradley Harter’s 83 on Miss Congeniality finished in a tie for fourth Cort Scheer scored 85 points to finish in a tie for second place at the Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days Rodeo. She was the bucking horse of the Canadian Finals Rodeo and they won three out of four rounds that she was there. Pete Carr purchased Miss Congeniality from Dale Woodard of Outlaw Buckers, a stock contracting firm from Wainwright, Alberta. “The bronc riders really like her,” said Pete Carr, owner of Carr Pro Rodeo. “They say she is a better indoor horse. Most of our rodeos are outdoors, and she has been really good. I’m anxious to see her go in the Thomas & Mack. “This horse had a very good year, so it’s no shock to me they selected her to the finals again. They won first and second on her in Lovington this year. She might be one of the most rider-friendly horses we own in the arena, but don’t get in front of her in the back pens because she will smoke you.” “She was a freak deal,” said Dale Woodard of Outlaw Buckers. “I couldn’t get her to buck, then I took her to a rodeo to Toronto, which is a 48-hour truck ride. She went over there and bucked great, and she hasn’t looked back. “And Pete is right about that horse being wild. When she comes out of the pen, look out.”

Cool Runnings 10-year-old black gelding Saddle Bronc Riding 2012 Jake Wright won the Navajo Nation Fourth of July PRCA Rodeo in Window Rock, Ariz., with an 88. Troy Crowser was 84 to finish in a tie for second place at the Lea County (N.M.) Fair and Rodeo. Ryan Elshere finished in tie for sixth place with an 80 at the Eagle County (Colo.) Fair and Rodeo. Two-time world champion Taos Muncy missed his markout to win the Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days Rodeo. This is the horse’s first trip to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Pete Carr purchased Cool Runnings from Dale Woodard of Outlaw Buckers. Woodard has purchased the gelding from Wayne Vold as a 2-year-old. “When I had Cool Runnings, Cimarron Gerke won the long round at the Ponoka (Alberta) Stampede when he was 4 or 5,” Woodard said. “I sold him to Pete that fall right after the Canadian Finals. When we sold him to Pete, he was a bareback horse. He was wild, but he’s matured now, and Pete’s got him in broncs. I like to see those horses become broncs. “I think one of the great things about that horse is his bloodline. Wayne Vold is famous for the bloodlines on his horses.”

River Boat Annie 11-year-old roan mare Bareback Riding SIRE: Cadillac Jack DAM: Tan Line 2011 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Will Lowe scored 84 points to finish in a tie for second place in the seventh go-round. Jason Havens scored 80.5 points in the second round. 2010 NFR Steven Dent scored 84 points in the second round to finish in fifth place. 2009 NFR Royce Ford scored 84 points to finish in a tie for fourth place in the second round. Steven Peebles’ 83.5 was good enough for a third-place tie in Round 7. 2012 Austin Foss posted an 83 to finish second in the final round at the All American Pro Rodeo Finals in Waco, Texas. Evan Jayne was 83 points, finishing in a tie for fifth at the Waller County (Texas) Fair and Rodeo. Seth Hardwick posted 86 points at the Lea County (N.M.) Fair and Rodeo to finish in a tie for fourth. Tyler Scales scored 84 points to finish in a tie for fourth place at the Eagle County (Colo.) Fair and Rodeo. 2011 Helped Steven Peebles to a tie for second place with an 86-point ride at the West of the Pecos (Texas) Rodeo. Kelly Timberman scored 88 points to win the Eagle County (Colo.) Fair and Rodeo. Caine Riddle posted an 85 to finish in a tie for fifth, and Kelly Timberman had an 84 for a tie for eighth at the Lea County (N.M.) Fair and Rodeo. 2010 Caleb Bennett won the Lea County Fair & Rodeo in Lovington, N.M. with an 89, while Jerad Schlegel had an 83 on Riverboat Annie to finish in a tie for fifth. Trey Bissett tied for third place at the Eagle County (Colo.) Fair and Rodeo with an 86-point ride. Ryan Gray rode for an 86 to finish third at the West of the Pecos (Texas) Rodeo. Micky Downare finished in a tie for fourth place with his 84-point ride at the Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days Rodeo. She was the runner-up Bareback Riding Horse of the Year in 2007 and has broken arena records about any place she has bucked: Guymon, Okla.; Amarillo, Texas; Montgomery, Ala.; and Jackson, Miss. This is her seventh trip to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. “She’s out of Tan Line, which I own, and is one of the best mares I’ve ever owned so far,” said Pete Carr, owner of Carr Pro Rodeo. “She never had a bad day in her life and been hauled all over the United States. She has won several go-round buckles at the Wrangler NFR, and we have starting raising colts out of her.” “I’ve had her at the NFR twice,” said Justin McDaniel, the 2008 world champion. “She’s definitely changed. When she came around at first, she really blew in the air. Now that horse is strong. I’ve been on her twice now that she’s grown, and that horse is strong. That’s just a great bucking horse.”

Real Deal 13-year-old brown gelding Bareback Riding SIRE: Rag Top DAM: Real 2011 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Clint Cannon scored 83.5 points in the eighth go-round  to share the round victory. Matt Bright scored 76 points during the third round. 2010 NFR Wes Stevenson scored 76 points during the third round. 2009 NFR Ryan Gray was bucked off in the third go-round. Clint Cannon split the eighth-round victory with an 84.5. 2012 Kaycee Feild scored 89 points to win the Silver Tour rodeo in Lovington, N.M. Brian Bain posted an 88-point ride to win the title at the Eagle County (Colo.) Fair and Rodeo. Richie Champion was 83 points to finish the Waller County (Texas) Fair and Rodeo in a tie for fifth place. Caine Riddle was 86 points for a fourth-place tie at the West of the Pecos (Texas) Rodeo. Bucked off Scotty Nesmith on the final day of the Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days Rodeo. 2011 World champion Kelly Timberman posted an 83 to finish in a tie for seventh place in Pecos, Texas. NFR qualifier Matt Bright scored 87 points to finish third at the Lea County Fair and Rodeo, a Silver Tour event in Lovington, N.M. It was Bright’s first ride on the horse since he suffered a broken back on the horse in a freak incident at the 2010 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Caleb Bennett posted an 86 to win the semifinal round at the All American ProRodeo Finals in Waco, Texas. 2010 Justin McDaniel scored 86 points to finish in third place at the Lea County Fair & Rodeo in Lovington, N.M. Stevenson has been on Real Deal four times in his career and has placed on the horse twice, including at the Wrangler NFR. He also has been bucked off. “He’ll either throw you off or you’ll win on him,” Stevenson said. “He’s got moves, that’s for sure. He’s a fist fight and a good one to have. He’ll take you to the pay window.” The 2005 PRCA Bareback Horse of the Year that was also voted among the top three in 2006. Real Deal has been to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo seven years in a row. “He really bucked harder this year and had some of the most spectacular buck-offs,” said Pete Carr, owner of Carr Pro Rodeo.

Outa Sight  7-year-old paint mare Bareback Riding SIRE: Night Jacket DAM: Outa 2010 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Kaycee Feild rode Outa Sight for 87 points to win the fourth go-round. Jason Havens scored 82.5 points to finish fifth in the ninth go-round. 2012 Jake Halverson scored 81 points to win the Cowboy Capital of the World Rodeo in Stephenville, Texas. Steven Anding scored 86 points to finish second at the 2013 Waller County (Texas) Fair and Rodeo. Caleb Bennett was 86 points at the Lea County (N.M.) Fair and Rodeo to finish in a tie for fourth place. Caleb Bennett was 82 points and shared eighth place at the Eagle County (N.M.) Fair and Rodeo in her first trip since being injured in May 2010. 2011 Will Lowe finished fourth with an 85 at the Lea County Fair & Rodeo in Lovington, N.M. Wes Stevenson had an 86 to finish in a tie for third place at the Eagle County (Colo.) Fair & Rodeo. Cody Angland placed second at the Cowboy Capital of the World Rodeo in Stephenville, Texas, with a 78.   “I flew up to Jim Zinser’s place to buy some older horses, and they bucked her with a dummy when she was 2,” said Pete Carr, owner of Carr Pro Rodeo. “I bought her and Dirty Jacket, and they’re both at the NFR this year. This is her first time to go to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. We just eased her around this year and let her figure it out. It looks like she’s going to make it.”

MGM Deuces Night |2012 Bareback Horse of the Year 7-year-old bay/paint mare Bareback Riding SIRE: Night Jacket DAM: Night Line 2011 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Kaycee Feild was 87 points to win the 10th go-round Ryan Gray scored 90 points to win the fifth go-round. 2010 NFR Jason Havens scored 86 points in the fifth go-round, finishing in a tie for second place. Kelly Timberman won the 10th go-round with an 88.5. 2012 Kaycee Feild scored 93 points to win the $50,000 round at RodeoHouston. J.R. Vezain scored 89 points to win the Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days Rodeo. Steven Dent was 91 points to win the West of the Pecos (Texas) Rodeo. Morgan Wild posted 86 points to finish second in Window Rock, Ariz. Tom McFarland was 85 to finish in a tie for fourth at the Eagle County (Colo.) Fair and Rodeo. 2011 Kaycee Feild scored 90 points to split the final-round victory at the Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo. Chris Harris scored 87 points to win the West of the Pecos (Texas) Rodeo for the second straight year. Will Lowe scored 87 points to finish second at the Eagle County (Colo.) Fair and Rodeo. Chase Erickson won the All American Series Finals in Waco, Texas, with an 88. 2010 D.V. Fennell scored 87 points to finish second at the Lea County Fair & Rodeo in Lovington, N.M. Chris Harris won the West of the Pecos (Texas) Rodeo with an 88. Carr Pro Rodeo purchased MGM Deuces Night from bareback rider Wes Stevenson. “She’s a horse that’s just bucked all year,” Stevenson said. “She’s been on of the best in the business all year. I knew she’d have a really good shot to come to the finals. I knew she was that good, so part of the reason I sold her to Pete is that I knew she’d have a good shot to go to the finals. I bought her from Jim Zinser as a brood mare, but she bucked so good, I didn’t want to waste her sitting at my house. I wanted her to have a chance. “She has a lot of heart. I was the first one to get on her with a rigging, and from the first time we ever bucked her, I knew that little filly has a lot of heart. She’s a very electric horse. She’s going to start doing some stuff right out of the box.” “This is a very special mare that bucks the right way,” said Pete Carr, owner of Carr Pro Rodeo. “You can tell she loves her job. We look for big things from her in the near future.” “Every time I’ve seen her, she does the same thing,” said Casey Colletti, a two-time NFR qualifier from Pueblo, Colo. “She angles to the left and bails in the air. What’s really cool is that she tries as hard as she can every time. That is a bucking horse I dream of when I think of bucking horses.” “Dang sure one of the best horses to get on,” said Tilden Hooper, a two-time NFR qualifier from Carthage, Texas. “That horse just bucks hard right out of there the whole time. She’s just a showy little horse. That’s the kind the judges like and the kind we like.” “That Deuces Night is one outstanding bucking horse, the kind that will be the bareback horse of the finals, I think,” said D.V. Fennell of Neosho, Mo., a two-time qualifier to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. “Chris Harris won Pecos (Texas) on that horse this year, and it’s definitely a bucker.” “That was a phenomenal horse, and she was just the best one out today,” Kelly Timberman, the 2004 world champion, said of MGM Deuces Night, which he rode to the 10th-round victory at the 2010 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. “The fact of the matter is she was just the best one out today and will probably be one of the best horses in the world for a long time. I was real privileged to have the horse.”

Island Girl 10-year-old bay mare Bareback Riding 2012 Matt Bright was 88 points and placed second at the Lea County (N.M.) Fair and Rodeo. Caine Riddle posted 83 points to finish tie for eighth place at the Eagle County (Colo.) Fair and Rodeo. This is the horse’s first trip to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. “That’s a really electric, snappy, fast kind of horse, but she’s pretty user-friendly,” said Matt Bright, a two-time NFR qualifier from Azle, Texas, who scored 88 points in Lovington, N.M., to finish in a tie for second place. “It’s one of those kinds of horses that the better you ride her, the better she bucks. If you can really get a hold of her and really spur her, she bucks better.”

Dirty Jacket No. 3 in Bareback Horse of the Year voting 8-year-old bay gelding Bareback Riding SIRE: Night Jacket DAM: Dirty 2011 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Clint Cannon scored 86 points and finished the 10th round in a tie for second place. 2010 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Dusty LaValley scored 81 points and failed to place during the fifth round. 2009 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo D.V. Fennell scored an 86.5 to finish in a tie for third place in the 10th round. 2012 Kaycee Feild was 89 points to win the short go-round and average at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo. Austin Foss scored 89 points to win the Navajo Nation Fourth of July PRCA Rodeo in Window Rock, Ariz. Wes Stevenson was 87 points to win the short round and average at the San Angelo (Texas) rodeo. Jeremy Mouton scored 87 points to win the Butterfield Stage Days Rodeo in Bridgeport, Texas. Clint Cannon was 90 points to finish second at the West of the Pecos (Texas) Rodeo. Kyle Brennecke was 86 points in Pecos to finish in a tie for fourth place. Matthew Smith posted an 87 to win the Waller County (Texas) Fair and Rodeo. Bill Tutor was 87, good enough to finish second at the Eagle County (Colo.) Fair and Rodeo. 2011 Matt Bright scored 87 to win the Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days Rodeo, the fourth straight year a cowboy won that rodeo with an 87 on Dirty Jacket. Will Lowe finished in a tie for second place at the West of the Pecos (Texas) Rodeo with an 86. Will Lowe scored 88 points to split the victory at the Silver Tour’s Lea County Fair and Rodeo. Wes Stevenson scored 85 points to finish in a tie for fifth place at the Eagle County (Colo.) Fair and Rodeo. Jason Havens marked 87 to split the final-round victory at the Justin Boots Championships in Omaha, Neb. Steven Anding had an 87 to finish second in the final round at the All American ProRodeo Finals in Waco, Texas. 2010 Will Lowe finished second at the Silverton (Texas) Buck Wild Days Rodeo with an 85. R.C. Landingham placed with an 83 at the Lea County Fair & Rodeo in Lovington, N.M. Steven Dent scored 87 to finish second at the West of the Pecos (Texas) Rodeo, while Tom McFarland’s 83 was good enough for eighth place. Will Lowe scored 87 points to win the Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days Rodeo, while Joe Gunderson’s 86 on Dirty Jacket finished second. Bobby Mote won a go-round at RodeoHouston.   “They win a lot on him,” said Pete Carr, owner of Carr Pro Rodeo. “Last year was the first year that we put some pressure on him, and he was selected to be part of the TV pen at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. He is really fun to flank, and he looks really fun to ride for the first four or five jumps, he just jumps in the air. “He is really electric when he leaves the chute. He jumps up in the air and extends everything he can, kicks and just hangs there and stalls out for three or four jumps then moves on out.  He is young, but so far he has proved he can take it.” “That horse just bucks,” said D.V. Fennell of Neosho, Mo., who rode Dirty Jacket to an 86.5 in the 10th round of the 2009 NFR. “He leaps in the air and shows off. He’s not just a dead easy hopper, but he’s a mix between a hopper and a bucker. He’s the one that you want.” “That horse likes that arena a lot,” three-time world champion Will Lowe said. “He just likes to buck. He’s such a good horse. He’s in the TV pen at the NFR, so you know he’s the one guys want to get on.”

Black Coffee 11-year-old black mare Bareback Riding SIRE: Wild Discovery DAM: Tribal Trail 2011 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Kaycee Feild was 84.5 points to place third in the sixth round. Casey Colletti rode her for 87.5 points to finish second in the first go-round. 2012 Taylor Price posted 84 points to finish in a tie for third place at the Waller County (Texas) Fair and Rodeo. Dusty LaValley finished in a tie for second place at the Lea County (N.M.) Fair and Rodeo with an 88-point ride. Seth Hardwick was 82 and placed in a tie for eighth place at the Eagle County (Colo.) Fair and Rodeo. 2011 Brian Bain split the victory at the Lovington, N.M., Silver Tour rodeo with an 88-point ride on her.   “I bought her as a 3-year-old futurity colt at a sale in North Dakota they same time I bought River Boat Annie,” said Pete Carr, owner of Carr Pro Rodeo. The horse came from David McDonald of Lac La Biche, Alberta. Black Coffee has been selected for the NFR three times “She’s been to the NFR three times, and she has won several Wrangler Horse of the Night awards,” Carr said. “A few years ago in Eagle (Colo.), Will Lowe was 92 points on her.”

This is the first of the 10 livestock bios I’ve prepared for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo on behalf of Carr Pro Rodeo. I hope knowing a little more about these animals will help you enjoy the NFR a little more. Alberta Child 8-year-old bay mare Bareback Riding SIRE: Spotty Crop DAM: My Maria 2011 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Four-time world champion Bobby Mote was 79.5 points in the third go-round, just half a point out of the money. 2012 Two-time NFR qualifier Casey Colletti posted an 87-point ride to finish in a tie for second at the Texas Stampede in Allen, Texas. Was named Reserve Bareback Horse of the Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City. Four-time NFR qualifier Cody DeMers was 81 points to finish third in the semifinals at the RNCFR in April. 2011 Jared Smith was 83 points, good enough for a tie for seventh place at the West of the Pecos (Texas) Rodeo. J.R. Vezain scored 85 points on her to finish in a three-way tie for fifth place at the Eagle County (Colo.) Fair and Rodeo. Eight-time NFR qualifier Wes Stevenson was bucked off the big mare at the Lea County Fair and Rodeo, a Silver Tour event in Lovington, N.M. She bucked off another cowboy and was unridden several times in 2011. This is the horse’s second trip to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. “I bought her as a 2-year-old futurity colt winner at a sale in North Dakota,” said Pete Carr, owner of Carr Pro Rodeo. “She came from David McDonald of Lac La Biche, Alberta, Canada. We let her grow up at the ranch, and then started easing her around last year to get her ready for this year.” “She is young, but if she keeps bucking like she has I look for her to come back to Vegas a few more times before she is done.” “I was one of the first ones to get on her when Pete first got that horse, and she was just a good, electric horse,” said Matt Bright, a three-time NFR qualifier from Azle, Texas. “She’s not that way now. She’s as rank as they can get.”

LAS VEGAS – Anyone who loves what they do craves every opportunity to do it. When it’s time to go to work, the attitude shifts, and the passion is revealed. Real Deal is that way. He takes a business-like approach to just about everything he does, and his business is rodeo. The 12-year-old brown gelding is one of the greatest bucking horses in the sport, and he likes showing off his abilities. He’s in the Nevada desert, selected to be part of the action at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo for the seventh time in his storied career. It’s been seven years since he was named the Bareback of the Year in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, but he carries that honor proudly from the Carr Pro Rodeo ranch near Athens, Texas, to the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas. “His attitude is like, ‘Leave me alone; I’m the bucking horse of the year, and I’ll show you what I’m about,” said John Gwatney, a key member of the Carr Pro Rodeo team who hauled the livestock to the City of Lights this week. Gwatney and his wife, Sandy, left the ranch at about 6 a.m. Tuesday, her driving the family van while he handled the rig loaded with some of the best rodeo horses in the world. The final destination was the University of Nevada-Las Vegas campus, a 1,400-mile trek across Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. “It’s scary having those horses on the road,” said Pete Carr, owner of the Dallas-based livestock company. “You’ve got the 2005 bareback horse of the year, the 2012 bareback horse of the year, the 2007 reserve world champion bareback horse and this year’s second runner-up to horse of the year. There are a lot of things that can happen between here and there.” In addition to Real Deal, Carr horses heading to the NFR include MGM Deuces Night, this year’s top bareback horse; Dirty Jacket, which was voted as the third best bareback horse this year; and River Boat Annie, the 2007 runner-up to the world champion bucking horse. In all, there are 11 Carr Pro Rodeo animals scheduled to buck at the NFR – eight bareback horses, two saddle broncs and a bull. The road is, by far, the most dangerous part of rodeo. The animals are the major piece of the puzzle for a livestock producer, and the top animal athletes that are selected to compete at the NFR are valuable. What they do inside the arena is magnificent, and getting there is the biggest cause of concern. But Carr has faith in the Gwatneys and others who are a big part of the company, like Operations Manager Paul Peterson, who will drive the animals home from Las Vegas after the NFR concludes its 10-day run on Dec. 15. “We have probably the most experienced hands of anybody going down the road,” Carr said. “With that, I’m totally confident that the horses will get there in good shape, and they’ll feel good and will be rested. “It makes you sleep better at night when you have people like that taking care of your animals.” It’s the kind of care they receive daily on the ranch in east Texas and on the road at events across the country – Fort Worth, Texas; Houston; San Antonio; San Angelo, Texas; Oklahoma City; Guymon, Okla.; Bridgeport, Texas; Claremore, Okla.; Big Spring, Texas; Pecos, Texas; Window Rock, Ariz.; Taos, N.M.; Eagle, Colo.; Lovington, N.M.; Silverton, Texas; Stephenville, Texas; Hempstead, Texas; Allen, Texas; Waco, Texas; and Las Vegas. And each of the great bucking horses at the NFR loves what he or she does. “They’re all bred to buck, and even though they all have different personalities, they’re ready to go,” Carr said. “By getting on the truck, they know they’re going to go buck. They’re pretty eager to get on the truck.” John Gwatney knows this, of course. He’s been around rodeo all his life. He knows how special these animals are and how much they love to show off their athleticism. He and his wife drove from Athens to Southland, Texas, on Tuesday, where they unloaded the horses overnight and allowed the animals time to eat and do all the things horses do. On Wednesday, they loaded the trailer before the sun came up, then drove to Holbrook, Ariz., where the horses got another good rest. “As I pulled into the Holbrook County Fairgrounds in the van, all of them lifted their heads and ran to the pens,” Gwatney said Thursday. “I backed the trailer up, they got excited, and they started chasing each other around the pen, bucking and kicking and having the time of their lives. “As quickly as I hit the gate, Real Deal and Dirty Jacket came running to the gate, and right behind them were MGM Deuces Night, Alberta Child and Cool Runnings. We had to slow them down. When we opened the gate, Real Deal and Dirty Jacket were the first two on the trailer.” It could be they like the confines of their motorcade. More likely, though, the horses know it’s about time to show their stuff to the world. “It was pretty cool just to watch them,” Gwatney said. “As far as going down the road, it was all about them wanting to be part of a rodeo. They wanted to get here. They want to buck right now.” They’ll have to wait their turn. The first round begins Thursday, Dec. 6, and there are five categories to sort the animals in a way to keep the competition as even as possible. Each category – or pen – will buck twice during the rugged 10-round slugfest that features the top 15 contestants in each event. “These animals thrive on this,” Carr said. “It’s just like people. When somebody feels good, they’re happy and they’re upbeat. They carry themselves differently. “It’s the same with a horse. When a bucking horse knows he’s going to get to  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – It didn’t take Justin McDaniel long to announce his presence among bareback riding’s elite. He qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo for the first time in 2007, when he was just 21 years old. He earned a world champion’s gold buckle the next December, aided greatly by winning the NFR average championship. He added another average title at the 2010 NFR, the second-highest honor in ProRodeo. So don’t mind McDaniel if his sights are set high for his fifth trip to the NFR; he expects to perform well there. The NFR is set for Dec. 6-15 in Las Vegas; live broadcasts will air at 9 p.m. on GAC. He qualified for ProRodeo’s championship four straight seasons, then missed the finals last December when injuries put him on the sidelines through much of the 2011 campaign. He had shoulder surgery that September and finished well down the money list. His 2012 season was just as rocky. He returned from injury in March, but quickly returned to the sidelines. “I came back too early,” he said. “I needed a little more time to heal.” He returned with a vengeance in May. Over the course of the season, McDaniel earned titles at six rodeos. More importantly, he placed well at some big money rodeos at the right time of the year. He heads to Las Vegas 14th in the world standings, thanks in large part to a big push as the 2011 regular season came to a close. “When I was forced away from it for so long this time, I remembered why I ride bucking horses – because I love it,” McDaniel told the PRCA earlier this year. “I came back in the middle of the season in 2010, and had one of my best years. I’m not satisfied with one championship. I’m looking for another gold buckle in the bareback riding.” That’ll take some work, but the NFR is the right place at the right time. The purse is $6.5 million, and go-round winners will pocket $18,000 each of the 10 nights of the championship. In addition, the bareback rider with the best cumulative score when the NFR concludes will win the coveted average title, which will pay nearly $50,000. It all adds up to a huge opportunity in Las Vegas. “Once you’ve stepped into that Thomas & Mack and you’re about to nod your head at the National Finals Rodeo, every mile you didn’t get that sleep makes it all worth it,” McDaniel said. Just qualifying for the NFR is half the battle. Now McDaniel will be in an inclusive field of the best 15 bareback riders from the 2012 season, which includes three other world champions: four-time winner Bobby Mote, three-time champ Will Lowe and reigning titlist Kaycee Feild. It’s also an experienced crew, accumulating 64 NFR qualifications among them. “To win a world championship takes the right mindset,” said McDaniel, who credits his partnership with Carr Pro Rodeo, Ariat, W-W Livestock Equipment and James Hodge Ford of Muskogee for allowing him to succeed on the rodeo trail through their sponsorships. “I’ve won the world championship a million times in my head growing up. “I rode in that 10th round a million times before I even got there. In my opinion, winning is a choice; you can either know you’re going to win or you can hope you’re going to win, and I usually expect to win.”

LAS VEGAS – The turning point of Matt Bright’s 2012 season came in early August. “I had decided that if I didn’t win a pretty significant amount of money, I’d have to go home and get a job,” said Bright of Azle, Texas. Bright won the first round of bareback riding in Dodge City, Kan., that week and finished third in the two-ride aggregate. In all, he pocketed $3,824 in southwest Kansas, and his ride down the rodeo trail continued. It’s a good thing, too. Now the Tennessee-born cowboy is returning to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo for the third straight season, finishing the 2012 campaign 12th in the world standings. He finished with a flourish, including a share of the event championship in San Juan Capistrano, Calif., in late August. “By September, thinks were kind of rolling again,” Bright said. That was important for the 29-year-old cowboy. “I’m going to call this a blue-collar year for me,” he said. “Last year, it seemed like I got healthy, then I got on a roll through the summer. Winning was coming easy for me, and I was having fun. This year was a lot different story for me. I felt like I had to work for it a lot more. I had a pretty solid winter, but the summer through July and the first part of August was slow.” That’s where the worry and stress came in to play, but Bright leaned on his experiences to guide him through the tough times. “I can tell that I’ve matured as a bareback rider,” he said. “In 2010, that was really my first year going; that was my breakout year. I’d only been rodeoing for a living since 2008 because I waited until I got out of college before I hit it hard. “Having two more years after that under my belt seasoned me a little bit. I’m a little older guy, but I feel like I’m coming into my age.” That feeling will come in handy at the NFR, set for Dec. 6-15 at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas. It’s a rugged 10 straight days of competition featuring the top 15 bareback riders in the world and the best bucking horses in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. It’s a true test of each finalist’s mettle, but it should be. It is ProRodeo’s grand championship. “This is a dream come true,” Bright said. “Every time I keep adding an NFR back number to the wall, it’s a good deal. “Anytime you do anything, most people want to be the best they can be at whatever they’re doing. If I was playing football, I’d want to be playing in the Super Bowl. If I was playing baseball, I’d want to be playing in the World Series. If I want to be a professional bareback rider, then I want to be riding at the National Finals.” Each night, cowboys will battle for about $60,000 in prize money, about $18,000 of which will be paid to the winner in each of the 10 go-rounds. There’s a lot of money to be won in Las Vegas. Unfortunately, Bright hasn’t fared very well in the Nevada desert: He’s placed in just two go-rounds in two years. It’s time for a change. “I’m not afraid to say I had a bad finals last year, and it affected me for a little bit,” he said. “For the first month of the year, it was almost like going to work every day instead of riding bareback horses and having fun. I think part of that was coming off that bad NFR. “But you’re going to have your ups and downs, and you’ve got to ride through them. I’m not going to forget how to ride bareback horses.” Now he wants to show that for the nationally televised broadcast, on GAC network nightly during the NFR. “This year, I realize there’s just so much money up for grabs that there’s no reason to get uptight about one round,” Bright said. “If a round doesn’t go so well for you, get over it, because there are a lot of other opportunities to go after the money out there. That’s the right attitude to have in the go-for-broke style that is Las Vegas. There are so many dynamics involved in the sport that the primary focus must remain on individual performances. In the case of the NFR, that means considering each round as if it’s a different rodeo. Bright considers a big part of his revised reflection on his profession on traveling with Josi Young, a 2008 NFR qualifier from Kimberly, Idaho. “We were both on the bubble for the NFR when we started traveling together,” Bright said. “I think we complimented one another. We can ask each other’s advice, and we can shoot pretty straight with each other. I think that helps.” Yes, it does. Bright now returns to the bright lights of Las Vegas for the third straight December. “It’s the greatest feeling in the world,” he said. “I went to my first rodeo when I was 2 weeks old, and I’ve been around rodeo all my life. I grew up watching the greats, seeing them at the NFR. “That’s always what I wanted to do was rodeo for a living and go to the National Finals Rodeo. To have that dream realized, not once but three times, is a huge honor.”

LAS VEGAS – Jared Keylon has been one of the best bareback riders in rodeo for a number of years. He finally will get to prove it to the world this December when he competes for the first time at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. It’s the sport’s grand finale, and only the top 15 contestants in each event earn the right to play for the biggest pay of the season. “It’s something I set out to do about 10 years ago, so making the NFR is a big relief,” said Keylon, 28, of Uniontown, Kan. “I’m sure I haven’t gotten the full effect of it sinking in just yet, but the sound of being an NFR qualifier makes me feel good. “That’s what I wanted to do when I left home at 19 years old, and it’s the dream I’ve had since I planned to be a cowboy.” It’s the dream of most who ride bucking horses for a living. Keylon has been close before … painfully close. He finished the 2009 regular season 16th, one spot out of qualifying for Las Vegas. He finished 25th in the world standings a season ago. So how did he get over the hump in 2012? Keylon won, and he did it a lot. He won titles at 16 rodeos. Still, he held on to that elusive, yet coveted, 15th spot when the season ended in September and punched his ticket for the NFR. “It started in Denver,” he said of the January rodeo. “It pretty much just snowballed. It got a little slow later in the winter and spring, then in May, it started picking back up. June was outstanding.” But there were down times, too. “It was an emotional roller coaster,” said Keylon, who was born in Dover, Ark., and raised in northwest Arkansas. “There were many ups and downs throughout the year. The good outweighed the bad, but there were some nose-dives in there where I couldn’t win a dime.” That’s the nature of the sport: Feast and famine. After getting so close to the NFR four seasons ago, he suffered a broken leg in 2010. The next season featured a little more rehabilitation. Still, he remained in the top 35 in the world standings both seasons – a true testament to his talent. “In 2009 when I almost made it, it was more trial and error,” he said. “In 2010, I thought it was going to be a good year, then I broke my leg. In 2011, I was just coming off the broken leg, then I had a blood clot deal. Still, I had a good finish to 2011. When 2012 started, I was ready. “I just started putting my trust and faith in the Lord.” Faith is important to Keylon, his wife, Ashley, and their son, Gunner. He traveled for years with dear friend Bo Casper, who decided to limit his rodeo schedule this season. So Keylon joined a pack that featured Heath Ford, Winn Ratliff and Kyle Brenneke. “I’m a big fan of reading my Bible every day, and Heath and Winn are, too,” Keylon said. “Kyle reads his Bible, and all three of them have a positive outlook about it. Everybody’s always picking each other up. “I have the constant camaraderie of having those three guys around and all of us realizing that there’s somebody else that’s bigger in this world than us. We also have someone who is reminding you about that every day.” Still, it’s a little bittersweet after all those years traveling with Casper, who lives in nearby Fort Scott, Kan., where both cowboys attended college on rodeo scholarships. “If there’s ever anybody I’d want to make it over me, it’d be him,” Keylon said. “That’s the only guy, other than (2000 world champion) Jeff Collins, that made me feel like I could ride Godzilla if I had to.” The sentiment is mutual. “It gives me chills thinking about it,” Casper said of Keylon’s NFR qualification. “After doing it for several years and trying hard and being right there, it means a lot seeing someone you’ve watched progress make it there. He’s one of the top bareback riders in the game. That’s awesome. “He’s got a big heart, and the good Lord is 100 percent his main focus. He has devoted himself to the Lord, then his family, then to rodeo. I think he’s got his priorities in a row, and that makes rodeo fun.” Keylon is having fun. The smile on his face is obvious, whether he rides for a win or whether he’s talking about Gunner, his son who will turn 2 years old while the family is in Las Vegas. “Next to God, my family comes second, or at least I try to make it that way,” Keylon said. “To me, it’s very important. “I have a very supportive wife. Actually, if it hadn’t been for her, I probably would’ve never gotten to this point. In 2007, she pushed me to go a little farther. My mom and dad have always been right behind. They’re very supporting, and I have a great mother-in-law. She’s always been supportive of me.” When Jared Keylon began riding bareback horses, he did so with his brother, Bo, who is older by 13 months. They were inseparable no matter what they did. “We went to school together, and we ended up in the same grade,” Jared Keylon said. “We both dropped out at the same time, and we got our GED together.” That family presence is tight to this day. He looks at his late arrival on ProRodeo’s grandest stage as a blessing, because young Gunner will get to experience it all. “For him to be old enough to know what Dad does is a big deal,” Keylon said. “I feel like he likes coming with Dad, and for him to be able to come and for me to be able to show him why Dad was gone, it’s really special. For  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – A knee injury in 2011 sidelined hopes of a world championship for Cort Scheer. It didn’t diminish his dreams. If anything, not being able to compete in the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo created a fever that has served as motivation for Scheer, a 26-year-old saddle bronc rider from tiny Elsmere, Neb. Instead of riding the fiercest bucking horses in the business, he watched from the seats in the Thomas and Mack Center. “I think it helped, because it makes you crave it more,” he said of viewing ProRodeo’s grandest spectacle instead of competing it in. “You’ve just got to sit there and watch, and I just kept telling myself that I’m not going to watch it anymore. If I’m going to be there, I dang sure want to be out there in it.” He gets redemption at this year’s NFR, set for Dec. 6-15 in Las Vegas, with nightly live broadcasts at 9 p.m. Central on GAC. Scheer has qualified for his second trip to the finals as one of the top 15 bronc riders in the world standings. He goes to the Nevada desert 10th on the money list, having earned $67,751. “I dang sure feel a lot better this time than I did the first time,” said Scheer, who last competed on ProRodeo’s biggest stage in 2010. “The first time I didn’t know what to expect. This year I feel like I know what to expect, and I’m a lot more confident.” It takes self-confidence to compete among ProRodeo’s elite, but that’s where Scheer rides most of the time. A season ago, he finished 25th in the world standings even though he was unable to compete the final four months of the campaign. “This year I was really blessed,” said Scheer, who utilized rodeo scholarships to attend Garden City (Kan.) Community College, Montana State University and Oklahoma Panhandle State University. “I drew outstanding, and I got to get on a lot of great horses. I’m just blessed all the way around.” Now he’ll test his skills against the greatest horses in the business, those selected by the men who ride them throughout the year. “If you take care of business, then anything can happen,” Scheer said. That’s the plan, too. The NFR features a $6.5 million purse, and go-round winners will earn about $18,000 a night. This is a chance to make a lot of money in a short amount of time, another reason why it’s so important to qualify. Scheer won six rodeo titles this season, including events in Colorado Springs, Colo.; Red Bluff, Calif.; Lufkin, Texas; Marshall, Texas; High River, Alberta; and Great Falls, Mont. Combine that will collecting a lot of other checks along the way, and Scheer had a very solid season. In fact, he had all but secured his NFR qualification by the first of August. “Really the only thing different for me this year was that I’m more experienced,” he said. “The last time I went to the NFR, it was like I’d made it there and didn’t know why. This year was more like buckling down and going to winning it. “I feel like I’ve been going a while and should be able to handle it.” Two Decembers ago, Scheer placed in seven of 10 go-rounds, including the ninth-round win. In all, he won more than $70,000. “He’s like the All-American kid,” said Jim Boy Hash, Garden City’s rodeo coach. “He was dang sure a pleasure to have around here. Not only was he intelligent, but he was reliable. If I needed anything done, he was there. “There is a small percentage of kids like him. It’s neat to see somebody like that be able to make it. I wish I could have six of him every year on my men’s rodeo team.” He’s proven to be an asset to the crew with which he travels the rodeo trail, which includes Tyler Corrington of Hastings, Minn., and Chet Johnson of Sheridan, Wyo. Both are veterans of the game and have qualified for the NFR. Though neither will be among the top 15 this December, they’ve remained among the elite – both qualified for the Canadian Finals Rodeo, which Corrington won earlier in November. “Having guys like that helps a ton, because you’re riding with two guys that have been through that situation,” Scheer said. “Everybody’s out to help each other. You’re only as good as the people you ride against. They help you mentally.” Of course, it helps when you’re one of the best athletically, which Scheer is. He has been for some time, whether it was wrestling, playing football or rodeoing. Raised on a ranch in the Nebraska sand hills, there’s not much Scheer hasn’t done, and his family is a big reason why. The youngest of Kevin and Pam Scheer’s three children, he was allowed the opportunity to be involved, just like brother Clete and sister Kema. “My family is my whole life,” said Cort Scheer, who credits his partnership with Carr Pro Rodeo, Cinch Jeans & Shirts and the Monte Carlo in Las Vegas for helping him live his rodeo dreams. “I’m so blessed. My parents have been behind me since I was a kid. They hauled me to everything, and they sacrificed everything for me. I put a lot of my success on my family. “If I’m not riding good, I call home. Mom may not know a lot about bronc riding, but she always offers me help. It’s unreal how much my family helps me. They keep my mind in it.” With his mind right, Scheer now focuses his eyes on the prize. “I ride broncs because I love it and I’ve always dreamed about it,” he said. “God has blessed me with the talent to do it, and it’s my responsibility to do it and give Him the glory. All the talents and everything you’ve got are blessings from God, and He wants you to use them for Him. I give  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – As a child, Casey Colletti would watch his father, Chuck, ride bareback horses. In all the years since, the younger Colletti has worked to perfect the skills it takes to ride horses well. The work has paid off; he will compete for the second straight year at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo as one of the top bareback riders in the world. “I think there were two things that changed this year,” said Colletti, 26, of Pueblo, Colo. “I was rodeoing a little smarter; I only entered 94 rodeos this year, but if I didn’t draw very well, I just didn’t go. There was no need for me to take any chances when I didn’t have a chance to win money. “The second reason was because I was more consistent from January to October this year. I felt like I was consistently riding the best I ever have.” That’s what it takes to be one of the elite bronc busters in the game, and qualifying for the NFR is as big as it gets in rodeo; ProRodeo’s championship event takes place Dec. 6-15 in Las Vegas and will be televised live on GAC beginning at 9 p.m. Central, 8 p.m. Mountain. Only the top 15 contestants in each event qualify for the NFR, and world champions will be crowned at the conclusion of the rugged 10 days of competition. “I’ve dreamed my whole life about making it to the NFR, so it’s hard to explain just how it feels,” said Colletti, who competed on the rodeo team at Garden City (Kan.) Community College. “To make it once is awesome, but to make it twice is icing on the cake.” He earned the right to play for the biggest pay in the sport with some timely wins – Colletti won 10 bareback riding titles in 2012. Even when he didn’t have the best score, the Colorado cowboy was placing high. “This year I won money at rodeos I’d never won money at before,” he said. “I’d never won much of anything at Denver before, but I did pretty well there. Then I won money at (Texas rodeos) Fort Worth, San Angelo and Austin. I’d never won any money at any of those rodeos before. It sure helps when you place at those bigger rodeos.” It all adds up to $66,633, placing him as the 11th best bareback rider in the game heading to the 10-round slugfest that is the NFR. Last December in his first qualification to the Las Vegas spectacular, Colletti placed in seven go-rounds, including the victory in the ninth go-round. In all, he left the Nevada desert with $82,644 and finished fifth in the final world standings. How important is the NFR for rodeo cowboys? The finale features a $6.5 million purse with go-round winners earning about $18,000 each of the 10 nights. “I’m not going to worry about it,” Colletti said. “I’m going to go out there and ride bucking horses. I do have goals that I’ve set for the finals. I try to always set myself a couple goals. They’re realistic, but I make one that I know I can reach and one that I’d be surprised if I could reach.” That’s a solid game plan, but that’s nothing new. He’s been setting goals and high standards for himself from the time he mounted his first bareback horse. That’s why he’s among the elite in the sport. “Just to be mentioned in the top 15 in the PRCA is a great honor,” said Colletti, who credits C&S Farm and Cattle, Carr Pro Rodeo, B Tuff Jeans, MGM Grand, Greeley Hat Works and Golden Tiger liniment for making it possible to rodeo for a living. “There are 200 other bareback riders trying to make it to the NFR, and I’ve been there.” While he has a great support system, none is bigger than his family – dad Chuck, mom Shelly and older sister Kristi. “I probably couldn’t do it without them,” he said. “My mom does so many things, and if I ever need anything done while I’m on the road, she does it. I can call my dad, and he’ll just give me words of encouragement when I need them. I felt a little bit of pressure this year. To make it to the NFR a second time, it was almost harder, and Dad just said I needed to quit worrying about it. “Without my family helping me or calling me, it would just be so hard. My grandma and grandpa call, and that’s great. I also get text messages from aunts, uncles and cousins. When you’re out on the road, you get zoned out of the world a little bit. It’s good to have them all contact you.” It’s also good to be riding well while preparing to ride the best bucking horses in the world. Colletti won the Mountain States Circuit, powered by winning the average championship at the circuit finals in late October. Then the second week of November, he rode an NFR bucking horse, Carr Pro Rodeo’s Alberta Child, for 87 points to finish second at the Texas Stampede in Allen, Texas. “My confidence is probably the highest I’ve ever it,” Colletti said. “I’m ready. I’m going to go in there and take care of business. This is what I do for a living, and I’m ready to take advantage of it.”

LAS VEGAS – If 2011 was Carlee Pierce’s breakout year, then 2012 has set the standard for where she wants to be in professional rodeo. Pierce is the No. 4-ranked cowgirl in the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association, having earned $122,416 through the rigors of the season. Now she’ll carry that success and those experiences with her as she competes at her second straight Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, set for Dec. 6-15 at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas. “It sounds awesome being a two-time NFR qualifier,” said Pierce of Stephenville, Texas. “I can’t wait until it’s 10 times.” That’s a lot of forward-thinking for the Alberta-born cowgirl who was raised in northwest Oklahoma, but championships are created in gold buckle dreams. “I’m much more prepared than I was last year, and I have a game plan,” she said. “Last year, I was going to treat it like any old rodeo, but you can’t. It’s the National Finals Rodeo. It’s special, and it needs to be treated as special. “The big thing is I have to remember that I’ve worked really hard to get there. There’s a lot of money at stake, so I’m going to ride better than I have all year.” Pierce will have a lot of help to make it happen, primarily in the form of Rare Dillion, a 13-year-old buckskin gelding. He was the driving force behind Pierce’s initial qualification a season ago, and he helped Annesa Self to the NFR in 2008. “He just gets better with age,” Pierce said of Dillion. “He gives me that big confidence booster that everybody needs to feel just once in their lives. When I show up with him, I know we’re going to place good in the round.” The proof is there. A year ago in Las Vegas, Pierce and Dillion set the NFR standard, winning the fifth go-round with an arena-record, 13.46-second run. They also won the fourth round and placed in two others. “I was able to give him some rest this year, and I hope to be able to do the same next year,” she said. “I think he gets tired of being on the road. He’s a good winter and springtime horse, but I think when it gets to be summer, he wants to be home. “He’s earned the respect to come home and rest when he tells us he’s tired.” Dillion normally is a solid horse that Pierce and her husband, Steve, feel comfortable around their three children, Makala, Kale and Jacy. But he “speaks” to his owners by acting up and rebelling. When that happens, the Pierces make sure he gets on his home turf. When Dillion returns to Texas, Pierce reaches into her stable of excellent horses, some of which are young prospects she hopes can handle the load: Flirt, a 10-year-old buckskin mare; BB, a 5-year-old blue roan mare; Hammer, a 5-year-old sorrel gelding; and Tyson, a 5-year-old chestnut gelding. “I used Tyson a lot this year,” she said. “He placed in some of those Canadian rodeos. He placed in two or three of the American Rodeos before we came home. I used him more than most of the others.” Those Canadian rodeos came in quite handy. Pierce won in Panoka and Innisfail, both in Alberta, the province where Pierce was born. The money she won at those rodeos not only padded her ProRodeo standings, but also helped her qualify for the Canadian Finals Rodeo, which took place a couple of weeks ago. Pierce won $31,000 in Edmonton, Alberta, and finished with more than $63,000 in Canadian Professional Rodeo Association earnings. “To be in Canada at the finals, they made me feel like I was right at home,” Pierce said. “They mentioned that I lived in Stephenville, but they still saw me as Canadian. It was nice to have that support up there.” It helps to have success, too. Pierce ran Hammer to an arena-record, 14.214-second run to win the third go-round. “It’s nice to have an arena record on a horse besides Dillion,” said Pierce, who also set an arena record on Dillion at RodeoHouston this past March. “I have a lot of horses because I want to make a name for myself in this business. I don’t want to just go to the NFR. I want to brand myself. To do that, you have to stay on top of your game.” She’s at the top of her game and near the top of the barrel racing world. It’s allowing her the opportunity to chase her rodeo dreams. With her husband, Steve, Pierce opened Branded P Western Store in October. “Every penny that is in the store is my rodeo money that I invested back into that store,” said Pierce, who credits her sponsorships with Rock and Roll Cowgirl, Panhandle Slim, Boyd Gaming, Formula 707, Stephenville Trailers, Outlaw Equine, Pro Equine, Brazos Valley Equine, Cactus Saddlery and J.W. Brooks Hats for helping her get down the rodeo trail. “One day, I’m going to be too old, and I want to have something to show for all my years in rodeo besides the buckles, saddles and memories. I love clothes, and this is a way for me to be involved in that. I also wanted a store that benefits my rodeo family. Anything I can give back to the sport I’m crazy in love with, I’m happy to do.” She also is happy to be competing at the highest level of the sport. “To actually be able to live your dreams by going to the NFR, it’s an experience that very few people will get,” Pierce said. “Making the NFR last year was valuable to me for how I appreciate people and their goals. It takes a lot of sacrifice. “I’ve given up time with my family, and my family has given up things they want to do.” Just behind her faith, Pierce lists her family as the priority in her life. That’s why it was special that  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – When the 2012 ProRodeo season began, Bray Armes promised himself he was going to try to make it to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo this season. Armes is a man of his word. The plan comes to fruition during the sport’s grand championship, set for Dec. 6-15 at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas. The Gruver, Texas, cowboy finished the regular season 15th in the steer wrestling world standings, just earning the qualification to the NFR – only the top 15 contestants in each event get to play for the biggest pay in ProRodeo. “It means the world to me,” said Armes, a four-time College National Finals Rodeo qualifier while attending Howard County Junior College in Big Spring, Texas, and Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas. “It’s been a goal for me for a very long time.” The NFR is the dream of every young cowboy and cowgirl who has world championship aspirations. It’s the year-end championship boasting a purse of $6.5 million. Go-rounds pay winners $18,000 in each event for 10 straight nights. “I just made up my mind that I was going to try to make the finals, so I went outside the circuit and rodeoed full time instead of just weekends like I did in 2004,” he said, referring to the season in which Armes won the Texas Circuit title and the average championship at the Texas Circuit Finals Rodeo. That feat is nothing to sneeze about. It’s proof that he has had the ability to be one of the best for a long time. But he took time away from the game, just returning to the rigors of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association this year. But he didn’t just return to ProRodeo – he matched his will to win with a proven winner, Dean Gorsuch, a two-time world champion from Gering, Neb. “He deserves to be there because he bulldogs outstanding,” said Gorsuch, who has qualified seven times for the NFR. “That guy will make the finals as many times as he wants to. “He’s a great guy to be around, fun to travel with. He’s got a great family, and we both want the same things. He’s a winner. He’s got a great attitude, and there ain’t a steer he can’t throw down.” He even threw ones when he had to at the end of the season. Armes won four rodeo titles this season, two of which came in September just as the 2012 campaign was coming to a close: The New Mexico State Fair and Rodeo in Albuquerque and the American Royal in Kansas City, Mo. The latter was on the last weekend of the season and Armes’ final run of the season – steer wrestlers are allowed to enter 70 rodeos each year, and Kansas City was Armes’ 70th. “I was pretty nervous, but it was pretty easy,” said Armes, whose father, David, wrestled steers when he was younger. “I either made a good run and made the finals or I didn’t.” He did. Armes threw the steer down in 3.6 seconds to share the American Royal title with NFR veteran Todd Suhn. The $2,326 he earned propelled Armes into the NFR field by just $55 over Jason Miller, the 2007 world champion. “I was plumb full of emotion when I found out I got into the NFR,” he said. “My wife and I sat in the front yard just hugging and in tears. I couldn’t believe it was finally happening. It was something I’d dreamed about for a long time, and it was finally coming true.” Yes, it is. But he’s earned the right to dream big, and he has a big support system behind him, including his wife, Neelley, and their two children, son Drake and daughter Breely. “To me, family’s first,” Armes said. “If it was a choice of doing something different for my family, then that’s what I’d choose. Probably the hardest part for me is being away from my family so much while I’m out rodeoing. I wish my family could be there with me every step of the way. “My family’s behind me 150 percent in this deal. Without them, I don’t know if I’d be in this position right now. My wife has made lots of sacrifices so I can do this. I’m very proud to have her as my wife. I’m very fortunate to have such a wonderful woman and two great kids that love watching their daddy rodeo.” If that’s not a motivating factor, what is? But he gets that from many angles, whether it’s family or his traveling partner or the animal he uses in competition, primarily Gorsuch’s horse, Skip. “He gets a lot of credit,” Armes said of the horse. “He gave me a chance to win every time. He scores great. I’m just very fortunate to be able to ride him.” It all gives him the opportunity to chase his gold buckle dreams. “Traveling with Dean Gorsuch was probably one of the greatest things that’s ever happened to me,” Armes said. “He’s been there and done that, and he knows the ways to get it done. He helped me tremendously throughout the year. Having Dean there to help build me up was a pretty great experience.”

LAS VEGAS – The lore of the American Cowboy continues to reach into every aspect of today’s culture. The MGM Grand Hotel & Casino recognizes it. More importantly, the MGM Grand notes how special it is that Last Vegas is the annual host to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. When cowboys come to town, the MGM Grand opens its arms for them. That’s why the resort is home to the greatest names in the sport and why it is such a major player in keeping the Wrangler NFR in the Nevada desert for years to come. The culmination of the MGM Grand’s dedication to professional rodeo’s championship event is 10th Night, which will celebrate the crowning achievements of this year’s showcase. It’s an added benefit to the nightly happenings at the Gold Buckle Zone, and it’s a fitting tribute to cowboys from “The Home of The Champions.” “MGM hosts the 10th Night, where cowboys come and receive their saddles and there’s a big concert from Lee Brice this year,” said Trevor Brazile, the 16-time all-around world champion from Decatur, Texas. “Tenth Night is going to be a spectacle at the MGM.” Yes, it is. But the MGM Grand has planned and prepared for the NFR experience to be that way. The MGM Grand is the closest resort to the Thomas and Mack Center, which hosts the rodeo’s 10 nightly performances. It’s why Brazile and 17 other world champions – representing 80 gold buckles – make the MGM Grand their home. They’ll be joined by 20 other contestants who have qualified for the 2012 NFR. The MGM Grand also is a host hotel for the NFR, marking its commitment to the championship event. That’s quite fitting. “It’s just become the spot to be during the NFR,” Brazile said. “I think it’s the ‘The Home of Champions’ and everybody else at the NFR. The MGM has become the social event of the national finals.” The NFR boasts of nightly crowds between 17,000-18,000 for each of the 10 go-rounds, but Las Vegas is home to tens of thousands of fans daily – they come to Vegas just to be part of the NFR experience. The NFR is simulcast live through various casinos, but none has quite the showcase of the MGM Grand, which will open doors to the Hollywood Theatre at 5:30 p.m. daily so rodeo fans can enjoy the live stadium feed for free while enjoying all the luxuries that come with the MGM Grand. “They’ve had such a great collective effort in making it a great place during the NFR,” Brazile said. “It’s cowboy friendly. It is home to probably the best live remote NFR show there is in town at the Hollywood Theatre. That’s probably the second hardest ticket to get in town that week, other than getting into the Thomas & Mack.” In addition, rodeo fans can enjoy the NRS Shopping Experience, which will feature a plethora of great Western clothes, accessories and other fabulous items – it is open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily in the Marquee Ballroom at the MGM Grand. The ever-expanding NFR experience was developed by Tim Kelly, the MGM Grand’s vice president. “Partnering with the PRCA is another example of MGM Grand’s commitment to the Western lifestyle and the sport of ProRodeo,” Kelly said. “We look forward to providing the loyal PRCA members and fans a year-round home in Las Vegas.” The contestants recognize that. “Not only does the MGM promote rodeo, but they promote so many other venues, from boxing to the music awards,” said Lindsay Sears, the reigning and two-time world champion barrel racer from Nanton, Alberta. “There’s so much going on at the hotel, and there’s always a variety of things to do. That’s what’s so cool about the MGM. “I think the MGM makes the contestants available and are promoting them through pictures all over the hotel, and that the fans get the chance to meet us. For me, I get the chance to say hi and personally meet them. The MGM provides a personal connection. The MGM promotes us like we are stars. That’s what rodeo needs, and that’s what rodeo is lacking. I want to meet every little girl that I can possibly meet, and the MGM gives us the opportunity to let that happen.” Daily events NRS Shopping Experience 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Trevor Brazile World Championship Display MGM Grand Lobby Million Dollar Cowboy Saloon featuring Gold Buckle Champions at Rouge opens 2 p.m. Free Shuttle to NFR 5 p.m. Departs Gold Buckle Zone West Tower entrance Free Wrangler NFR Stadium Live Feed Hollywood Theatre, 5:30 p.m. Exclusive Genetics $1 million Bull Riding Contest Hollywood Theatre, 5:30 p.m. Crown Royal Roper Gold Buckle Zone live music, dancing, performances 9 p.m. NFR contestant arrivals Gold Buckle Zone 9 p.m. Rodney Carrington in Hollywood Theatre, 10 p.m. Cactus Saddlery nightly saddle drawing at Gold Buckle Zone, 11 p.m. Special events Friday, Dec. 7 – Miss Rodeo America Autograph Session 9:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m. • Special appearance Lo Cash Cowboys 10 p.m. • Gypsy Soule Fashion show 11 p.m. all in Gold Buckle Zone Saturday, Dec. 8 – Miss Rodeo America Fashion Show 12:30 p.m. Conference Center • Miss Rodeo America Autograph Session 9:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m. • Lo Cash Cowboys 10 p.m. Gold Buckle Zone Sunday, Dec. 9 – Elevation Sunday 11 a.m. Hollywood Theatre Monday, Dec. 10 – Crown Royal Bull Riders Autograph Session 10 p.m. Gold Buckle Zone Tuesday, Dec. 11 – MGM Grand Gold Buckle All-Star Autograph Session 2-4 p.m. Lobby with featuring our NFR Gold Buckle Champions including Trevor Brazile Wednesday, Dec. 12 – Miss Rodeo America Coronation 9:30 a.m. Hollywood Theatre • Crown Royal Bull Riders Autograph Session 10 p.m. Gold Buckle Zone Thursday, Dec. 13 – MGM Grand Gold Buckle All-Star Autograph Session 2 p.m.-4 p.m. Lobby featuring our NFR Gold Buckle Champions including Trevor Brazile Friday, Dec. 14 – PRCA Tie Down Ropers Autograph Session Lobby noon-2 p.m. • Cowboy All Star Fan Salute  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Seth Glause had a terrific 2011 ProRodeo season, earning more than $105,000 and finishing in the top 10 in the bull riding world standings. This year is about to be better. So far this season, Glause has earned $94,170 and sits fifth in the standings heading to his fourth qualification to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, set for Dec. 6-15 in Las Vegas. Each round will be televised live, beginning at 9 p.m. Central, 8 p.m. Mountain on GAC. “It means the world to me to be able to go back to the NFR,” said Glause, 24, of Rock Springs, Wyo. “It’s everything I’ve dreamed of since I was a kid. To go once was amazing, but to be there four times now, it’s a great accomplishment for me. “Hopefully I can keep getting back there as many times as possible.” That’s the goal of every rodeo cowboy who makes a living on the rodeo trail. Glause earned the right to play for the biggest pay in the sport by riding well and earning top paychecks. He won bull riding titles at eight events along the way. “I started the year winning Denver and ended up winning the Xtreme (Bulls Tour) in Ellensburg (Wash.), so that did a lot for my confidence heading to the NFR,” said Glause, whose father, Tom, was a Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association saddle bronc rider. “I won a few checks in between. I feel like I rode pretty decent over the Fourth of July. “I felt like I won at least a little something once a week until the end of the season.” That’s how one makes a living in rodeo. His first trip to the NFR came in 2008, when he was coming off a great sophomore season at Central Wyoming College in Riverton, where he was the Central Rocky Mountain Region’s all-around champion and a bull riding qualifier to the College National Finals Rodeo. Since then, Glause has qualified for the finals every year but one – he missed the 2009 championship after suffering a knee injury in July of that year and sitting out the remainder of the regular season. “Seth is a great kid and a great athlete,” said Craig Latham, rodeo coach at Oklahoma Panhandle State University, where Glause attended college after transferring from Central Wyoming. “I’d say his strengths are, bottom line, try … there’s no quit in him, and there’s just try every time he gets the chance.” That is a fantastic trait, especially when a cowboy rides bulls for a living. When faced with the rugged test of the 10-round NFR, it takes a great mental approach to handle the roller coaster rides that come with the stress of competition. “It’s the same thing you go through all year,” Glause said. “You’re still going to have your peaks and valleys, so you have to maintain your constant mindset that no matter what bull they run under you, you’re going to try your heart out and try to win every time.” Trying is the easy part. Trying to ride a bucking beast is a much different story. In the rough-and-tumble sport, the man who rides most often has the best chance to make the most money. Sometimes it takes a great support team to make it happen, and Glause has that with his traveling partners, primarily Ty Hamaker and Tyler Willis, the latter of whom competed at the NFR last December. “Tyler, Ty and me grew up together, and we’re all good friends,” Glause said. “Being around people you like and you know helps a lot throughout the year. We all support each other and want to see each other do real well.” If it’s not his brothers in arms, his biggest cheerleaders are family, which includes his mom, Kim Cary, and his dad. From regular phone calls to a lifetime of support, a lot of credit for his success comes from those who know him best. “My family means everything to me,” he said. “I talk to my mom and my dad, and they all come out to support me when they can. My grandparents always check up on me and make sure I’m doing alright. They’ve always been there to support me whether it’s been good or bad. They’re my biggest fans, my biggest supporters.” So are his sponsors, Wyoming Tourism, B Tuff Jeans and the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. “The sponsors are everything to the sport, and mine help me get up and down the road,” Glause said. “It’s amazing to have a state behind you such as Wyoming is for us. They go above and beyond for us. It’s dang sure nice to have them backing us.” It all helps the business aspect of rodeo, but the bottom line is performing well when money’s on the line. That will be the case during the 10 days of championship rodeo in Las Vegas. The NFR boasts of a $6.5 million purse, where go-round winners in each event will earn about $18,000 each night. The pressure is high, but that’s what helps mold champions. “I think this is the most confident I’ve been going into the NFR,” Glause said. “It just seems like Vegas has been getting better every year for me. I’m more comfortable out there. I’m just excited to see how it goes. There’s a lot of money to be won and a lot of bulls to get on.”

The rig was loaded and pointed westward. This is a different trip for my 2012, one spent with my family and extended family. I’m in the western Kansas berg of Garden City, a rodeo community even, to celebrate my family. In about 40 minutes, the first party of a very important day will commence as we celebrate the fourth birthday of my youngest daughter and the sixth birthday of my great niece. Their special days are later this week and just four days apart. The second gathering is to celebrate the 40th anniversary of a special couple, Aunt Barbie and Uncle Don, both of whom have been a very important part of my 45 years on this earth. Barbie is my mom’s baby sister, and she’s been a big part of my life since I was wearing cloth diapers and she was poking me with the pins. While here, I’d love to meet with some members of the Beef Empire Days Rodeo committee and maybe work out a deal to return to Garden City every June to assist the group in promoting its event. But this isn’t about work. This is a hurrah before I head to Vegas for two weeks of intense rodeo action. I’m ready to celebrate and to love.

I read a few comments on Facebook today, bull riders badmouthing the top cowboys in the game for not selecting a certain bull – or certain types of bulls – to buck at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. The arguments were valid in regards to the great animal athlete deserving a shot to buck at ProRodeo’s finale. The commentary was defamatory to a point and, honestly, unnecessary. The reality is the main spokesmen on the thread have never competed at that level, so their comment toward the top cowboys in the world made them look overwhelmingly silly. The spokesmen’s point, primarily, is that the top bull riders in the game don’t select the rankest bulls because they might just prefer more rider-friendly models. There might just be some validity to that. As a fan of the sport, I’m OK with that. There are some stand-alone bull riding organizations that boast of having the rankest bulls in the world. There are some phenomenal athletes who show off their stuff to nationally televised audiences week after week. But I don’t want to pay $100 a ticket to watch a bunch of cowboys buck off over and over again, and that seems to be the case at some of these large events. The reality is this: In bull riding, especially at the level of the NFR, cowboys will fail to make a qualified ride more often than they last the full eight seconds. The nearly 18,000 fans in the Thomas and Mack Center and the millions of viewers watching on GAC want to see great rides. They deserve it.

Bray Armes isn’t quite sure the first time he was atop a horse. He was pretty young, that he knows. He’s gotten on a lot more recently. In fact, he’ll ride at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo for the first time in his life when ProRodeo’s grand finale begins in a little more than two weeks. Armes grew up in the Texas Panhandle community of Gruver, about half an hour south of Guymon, Okla. As a youngster, he and his family showed livestock. That left little time for horses. But young Bray got back in the saddle when he received a horse as a present for his eighth grade graduation. His father, David, was a bulldogger in his younger days, and Bray took a liking to it. Just before his senior year in high school, he took to steer wrestling, too, and even trained under Larry Dawson in Arnett, Okla. He did pretty well his only season bulldogging in high school and earned a scholarship to Howard County Junior College in Big Spring, Texas, where he qualified three times for the College National Finals Rodeo. He finished as runner-up to the national champion his third year, then went on to Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas, and returned to the college finals his final season. In 2004, he won the Texas Circuit’s steer wrestling title and also won the average championship at the circuit finals. That qualified him to compete at the then-Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo in Pocatello, Idaho.  He rodeoed two more seasons before focusing on his family. In fact, he didn’t return to rodeo until 2012. So Bray Armes is a proven winner. His traveling partner, two-time world champion Dean Gorsuch, predicts this is just the first of many NFR qualifications for the Texan. It’ll be fun to see it in person.