Monthly Archives: November 2013

One of my first writing assignments for my college newspaper was covering the football team for which I played. It was the first of many football assignments I’ve had over the last 27 years. On Saturday, I will return to one of my old haunts, covering an NCAA Division II playoff game between Northwest Missouri  Continue Reading »

Over the last four months, I’ve been blessed to work numerous events spread out from Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Missouri, Texas and Oklahoma. I’ve had the opportunity to tell stories of dozens of people. I’ve worked some of the noted events in the game, from ProRodeo Hall of Fame inductee Dodge City Roundup Rodeo to  Continue Reading »

COLBERT, Wash. – Tyson Durfey arrived in Las Vegas one December ago with a bitter taste in his mouth. Durfey failed to qualify for the 2012 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, finishing the regular season as the No. 18 tie-down roper in the world standings; only the top 15 earn the right to compete in ProRodeo’s  Continue Reading »

ASHLAND, Kan. – As Jule Hazen sat in the stands at a college rodeo during his third year in school, he saw something that changed his life. The 32-year-old, who grew up on a farm and ranch in southwest Kansas, paid particular attention to steer wrestling. Though he had never competed in the event, it  Continue Reading »

SHERIDAN, Wyo. – Chet Johnson likes Canada, especially during the summer months. It provides a great respite from the heat cowboys can encounter while competing in rodeo in the lower 48 states. Sure, it gets a little damp, but it’s relatively cool and offers quite a bit to someone like Johnson, a saddle bronc rider  Continue Reading »

WHEATLAND, Wyo. – Tyler Willis has had a busy fall, and it’s not been in a rodeo arena. Willis, a 23-year-old bull rider from rural eastern Wyoming, will ride his next bull at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, ProRodeo’s grand finale set for Dec. 5-14 in Las Vegas. For the last several weeks, though, Willis  Continue Reading »

HASTINGS, Minn. – The 2013 ProRodeo season has been nothing shy of spectacular for saddle bronc rider Tyler Corrington. He’s hoping it just gets better. Corrington will get his shot during the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, set for Dec. 5-14 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. It’s the sport’s grand finale, where  Continue Reading »

COMANCHE, Okla. – Ryan Jarrett is a cowboy, and rodeo is his business. Right now, business is good. Jarrett, the 2005 all-around world champion from Comanche, will return to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo for the eighth qualification of his career. While in Las Vegas for the Dec. 5-14 championship, Jarrett hopes to collect his  Continue Reading »

ELSMERE, Neb. – If the third time is the charm, Cort Scheer must like his chances at this year’s Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Scheer is the No. 6 saddle bronc rider in the world standings, and the Elsmere cowboy is headed to the NFR for the third time in four years. Through the rigors of  Continue Reading »

FAITH, S.D. – One trait cowboys learn early in life is to overcome any obstacle that comes their way. Cole Elshere and his family, like so many in South Dakota, experienced true devastation in early October when a blizzard blanked their home. Tens of thousands of cattle perished statewide, including a good portion of the  Continue Reading »

PUEBLO, Colo. – Casey Colletti has never taken his status as one of the elite ProRodeo cowboys for granted. Riding bucking horses in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association is just too hard, too demanding on the body. Bareback riding is the toughest event on a cowboy’s body, where his hand is wedged into a rigging  Continue Reading »

EASTLAND, Texas – A year ago, Jared Smith was living at his parents’ home near Williston, Fla., doing whatever he could while on injured reserve from rodeo. This year, he’s busy preparing his body for the rigors that come with 10 days of riding bareback horses at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, the sport’s grand  Continue Reading »

PONDER, Texas – The 2013 ProRodeo season has been quite a roller coaster ride for Bray Armes. The 31-year-old steer wrestler from Ponder has qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo for the second straight year, finishing the regular season with $57,094 in earnings and No. 14 on the money list; only the top 15  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Bruce Ford is a five-time world champion bareback rider and a member of the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. He’s also a survivor and one of the most caring and most giving men anyone could ever meet. That’s what his friends say, and they should know. A great number of Ford’s friends have  Continue Reading »

MONUMENT, N.M. – The terrain around Monument is rugged, but so are the people who live in Lea County, N.M. It’s home to Jim Ross Cooper, where the landscape molded him as much as his famous rodeo family. You see, the four-time team roping qualifier to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo has a powerful legacy  Continue Reading »

TEXLINE, Texas – Tucked inside the New Mexico-Texas state line, just 10 miles from Clayton, N.M., is the home of Jean and Guy Winters. It’s there that they have raised and educated their two sons, Pecos, 17, and Brazos, 15. It’s where they have focused their lives on the basics: Faith, love and family. You  Continue Reading »

AUBREY, Texas – From the first day she swung her leg over a horse, Gretchen Benbenek has had a love affair with the majestic animals. These days, she chases that passion while riding racehorses on the ProRodeo trail, and she’s pretty good at it, too. Raised on Montana, Benbenek was part of two women’s national  Continue Reading »

Carr Pro Rodeo’s Open Range was an outstanding athlete, selected as one of the top 100 bucking horses in ProRodeo to perform at the upcoming Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. The bay was just 6 years old when it died Thursday in Bryan, Texas. Ranch manager Jeremy Hight checked on the bucking horses and bulls at  Continue Reading »

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a story that appears in the November 2013 edition of Women’s Pro Rodeo News, the official publication of the WPRA. June Holeman was giddy. It was Saturday, Oct. 19, and she stood inside the Stephens County Fair and Expo Center in Duncan, Okla., with as big a smile as the 70-year-old  Continue Reading »

Dirty Jacket and Real Deal are two very athletic geldings owned by Pete Carr, and they were two of the biggest stars this past weekend at the Texas Stampede in Allen, Texas. Wes Stevenson rode Real Deal, and young gun Orin Larsen rode Dirty Jacket; both posted scores of 88 points to share the event  Continue Reading »

GUTHRIE, Okla. – It’s only fitting that Trevor Brazile’s record-tying 18th ProRodeo world championship came inside the Lazy E Arena. The arena that was built for steer roping was home to most of Guy Allen’s 18 gold buckles, so Brazile tied “The Legend” on Saturday night in the grandest of fashions – he won the 10th  Continue Reading »

We’ve just drawn for the 10th round of the Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping, and Rocky Patterson holds just a $1,018 lead over Trevor Brazile heading into the final round. They will rope in descending order, from 15-1, so Brazile will go before Patterson. The 2013 steer roping world championship will come down to  Continue Reading »

1. Jess Tierney, Hermosa, S.D., 9.9 seconds, $5,077; 2. J. Tom Fisher, Andrews, Texas, 10.9, $4,077; 3. Trevor Brazile, Decatur, Texas, 11.6, $3,077; 4. (tie) Scott Snedecor, Fredericksburg, Texas, and Mike Chase, McAlester, Okla., 11.9, $1,577 each. Average leaders: 1. Tony Reina, Wharton, Texas, 128.0 seconds on nine head; 2. Cody Lee, Gatesville, Texas, 131.8;  Continue Reading »

1. Scott Snedecor, Fredericksburg, Texas, 10.2 seconds, $5,077; 2. Joe Wells, Cisco, Texas, 11.1, $4,077; 3. JoJo LeMond, Andrews, Texas, 11.2, $3,077; 4. J. Tom Fisher, Andrews, Texas, 11.6, $2,077; 5. Bryce Davis, Ovalo, Texas, 12.1, $1,077. Average leaders: 1. JoJo LeMond, Andrews, Texas, 110.4 seconds on eight head; 2. Tony Reina, Wharton, Texas, 113.3;  Continue Reading »