Monthly Archives: March 2014

GUTHRIE, Okla. – It wasn’t that long ago that the best known bronc riding brothers were the Etbauers. These days, though, there is a multitude of elite bronc riding brothers: the Wrights from Utah, the DeMosses from Louisiana and the Crawleys from Texas. Combined they own 36 qualifications to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and three world championships. They also are well represented at this year’s Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo, scheduled for 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 10; 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 11; and 1 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 12, at the Lazy E Arena. Heith DeMoss will be his family’s lone representative in central Oklahoma, earning the right through the Southeastern Circuit without older brother, Cody. Jacobs Crawley won the year-end and average titles in the Texas Circuit, and his little brother, Sterling, was the runner-up. The same thing happened in the Wilderness Circuit, where two-time world champ Cody Wright won both titles and younger brother Jake finished second. They’ll all be inside the Lazy E, joining several other elite bronc riders, including NFR qualifiers Cody Martin and Josh Reynolds, and the reigning National Champion, Curtis Garton. It all makes for a classic competition in ProRodeo’s classic event.  

The sixth leg of “The Amazing Race” turned into a sprint for The Cowboys, Jet and Cord McCoy. The brothers from southeastern Oklahoma are one of seven teams remaining in the race around the world for $1 million in the CBS-TV reality series now in its 24th season. They maneuvered through Sri Lanka on the Sunday, March 30, episode, then raced across a sandy beach to the finish line, finishing second to Leo Temory and Jamal Zadran. “You always hate to win second,” Jet McCoy said. “It just kind of stings a little.” The cowboys have finished at or near the top for half the race so far. They won two of the first four legs, then came in a close runner-up in the sixth episode. They know how important it is to do well, but the key is being the first to cross the finish during the 12th episode, the season finale. This marks the third time the brothers have been on a season of “The Amazing Race,” first in Season 16 in 2010, then again a year later in Season 18. The teams started the sixth leg in Colombo, Sri Lanka, leaving the mat third in the early-morning hours behind the father-son team of Dave and Connor O’Leary and the country singers, Jennifer Wayne and Caroline Cutbirth. Their first stop was the Dutch Museum in Colombo, where they got their next clues. “Jet and I are competitors,” Cord said as the duo took off. “I don’t know if we were born that way or just grew up that way.” His brother agreed. “That’s the sense of competition,” Jet said. “You’ve just got to keep stepping up your game. You’ve got to keep getting better every game.” Since the groups left so early, they were all at the museum’s door when it opened at 8:30 a.m. They received their clues, which directed them to the train station and a trip to the town of Alawwa; each of the teams was on the same train and exited the train in Alawwa to find their first Road Block at a fueling station. One member of each team had to place 3 liters of fuel into four correctly color-coded Tuk-Tuks, tiny three-wheeled vehicles that served as taxis in Sri Lanka – the Tuk-Tuks had to have a colored rectangle near the windshield that matched the color being carried by each team member. Cord handled the job for the McCoys and rounded up his four Tuk-Tuks in quick order. The next clue took the teams back to the train station, where they were to travel to the town of Rambukkana; all teams were on that train, too. At Rambukkana, the teams traveled by Tuk-Tuk to the Millennium Elephant Foundation, a sanctuary for rescued elephants. That’s where they found the episode’s Detour: one half was Trunk, where teams worked with an elephant to move timber to a truck; the other half of the Detour was Sheets, where teams mixed elephant dung with shredded paper and water to make more paper. The cowboys chose Trunks and were the first team to the Detour. Once there, they learned how to set the chain around the log so an elephant could carry the large log to the truck, then The Cowboys were to load smaller pieces of timber. Once they got six large logs loaded, they moved on. “Growing up on a ranch, we’ve always kind of done those kind of things,” Jet said. “If I was going to tie a chain to a log, that would’ve been how I would’ve done it. “I could see some of the other teams having trouble.” The brothers were the first to accomplish their mission. “The elephant would walk up there and wrap (a specialty piece attached to the chain) with his trunk, then lift it up with his mouth to where he could pick it up,” Cord said. “It was incredible.” The McCoys left the elephant sanctuary first but were closely followed by Temory and Zadran. Their next stop was at the Ambepussa Rest House, where they listened to the playing of a flute-like instrument by a wise man. The brothers were the first there, too, and received the clue that took them to the Pit Stop, the finish line for Leg 6. “Fast, fast, fast,” Zadran told his taxi driver. “We need to be No. 1 … The Cowboys. Those dang cowboys.” The teams’ taxis traded leads. Even Jet noted to his younger brother that they were going to have to race to the finish. “I’ll outrun the slow one,” Jet said, joking with Cord. “You take the fast one.” The McCoys’ taxi reached the Mount Lavinia Hotel Beach first. Then the race was on, with the Afghanimals taking the victory. “We finally beat The Cowboys,” Zadran said, noting that it was the first victory for him and Temory this season. The engaged couple, John Erck and Jessica Hoel, finished third in a close race with the O’Learys. The newlyweds, Brendon Villegas and Rachel Reilly, were fifth, and The Globetrotters, Herbert Lang and Nate Lofton, placed sixth. Wayne and Cutbirth came in last in the non-elimination leg of the race. The show will be on a one-week hiatus with no broadcast on April 6 because of CBS-TV’s showing of the Academy of Country Music Awards. The show returns Sunday, April 13.

GUYMON, Okla. – Pete Carr has been the primary stock contractor for the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo for several years. Over time, he’s become the talk of the town. “Fans tell us all the time what they like about our rodeo, and one of the big things is the great livestock,” said Earl Helm, chairman of the volunteer committee that produces the annual rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 2; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 3; and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 4, at Henry C. Hitch Pioneer Arena. “Pete has the best bucking stock in rodeo, but he’s not afraid to bring in other stock contractors to make sure we have a great show.” The accolades are nice, but the reason Carr produces rodeos is found deep in his love for the sport. Over the years, Pete Carr Pro Rodeo has been recognized as one of the top livestock firms in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. Last year alone, Carr was nominated for the prestigious honor of Stock Contractor of the Year; meanwhile, 27 Carr animals were selected to perform at ProRodeo’s grand finale, the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. “We’ve certainly been blessed with some great success in the last few years,” Carr said. “We have a great group of hard-working people who care about the sport and everything that goes into it.” The success is attractive to rodeo fans who flock to the Oklahoma Panhandle in May. “It’s great when we get to the NFR and see all those animals that had bucked at our rodeo,” Helm said. Members of the committee aren’t the only ones who recognize Carr’s animals. “He’s not even going to have a B pen before long,” said saddle bronc rider Heith DeMoss, a five-time NFR qualifier from Heflin, La., and the reigning Guymon champ. “He’s going to have an A plus and an A pen. He’s got an eye for horses, and he’s surrounded himself with people who know what they’re talking about. You want to go to Pete’s rodeos, because you’re going to get on something.” For the 2014 season, the Carr firm will produce more than 30 rodeos and will have livestock at a number of other events across the country. It takes a great team and outstanding animal athletes to make those events successful, and Pete Carr Pro Rodeo has both. “We work really hard all year to produce the rodeos and feature the stock that will draw the top cowboys,” Carr said. At the NFR this past December, Carr was represented by 12 bareback horses, five saddle broncs and 10 bulls – that’s proof of the all-around talent that spends most of its time on lush grassland at Carr’s ranch near Athens, Texas. “It shows you Pete is somebody that puts a lot of work into getting the best horses around,” said Heath Ford, a three-time NFR qualifier from Slocum, Texas. “They’ve not only got the best horses, but they put them out there for us to see. He has a lot of great horses that weren’t selected this year, but if you care about it, you know you’re going to continue to build that program. “We all know Pete is going to continue to build that. We all have a lot of respect for him.” That’s why the contestants make it a point to compete at Carr rodeos. Cowboys know their best chance to win is to be matched with a great partner. “Pete has put together a good set of bulls,” said J.W. Harris, the four-time and reigning bull riding world champion from Mullin, Texas. “I think he wants to show that he’s got great bulls to go with his great horses. “You know when you go to his rodeos you’re going to get on a good one. I like going to Pete’s rodeos because he’s got good people who work for him, but having all those good animals sure makes it easier for us to go to. Pete Carr’s come a long ways in just a few years.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: Fred Phelps died last week, and though it isn’t a story on rodeo, this opinion piece is one I’d like to tell, so here goes: I met Fred Phelps in 1990 in the small Citizen-Patriot office in tiny Atwood, Kan., as the man best known for being a hate enthusiast was making his first bid for the Kansas governor’s office against the incumbent, Mike Hayden, who grew up in Atwood. Besides Atwood Buffalo sports, it was the northwest Kansas community’s claim to fame, and I was in my rookie year of being a professional journalist. What I learned the day was that Phelps was a very intelligent, yet misguided soul who actually thought he had a chance to be the state’s chief executive. It was only a taste of the misguided nature that Phelps carried with him. As the founder and longtime leader of the Westboro Baptist Church, Fred Phelps spewed his hate-filled messages for the world to see. He denounced homosexuality and picketed funerals proclaiming a simple message: “God Hates Fags.” As most Christians reveal in their faith, God doesn’t hate, so Westboro Baptist’s primary cause drew the ire of millions. Members picketed the funerals of soldiers who had given their lives for our country; they picketed the funerals of children. And they preached hate. There will be no funeral for Fred Phelps, and no reason has been given. There are many who call for a crusade against Phelps and his posse, a display that would lash back at Westboro Baptist’s decades-old tactic of free expression. The problem with that method would be sinking to the church’s message of hate. My wish would be that we pepper the congregation with something they haven’t seen in years: We share God’s love in their time of grief and offer them condolences and true prayers. That’s what the Phelps family and the members of the Westboro Baptist Church need most. It might just aggravate the tar out of them, but it’s the right thing to do.

GUTHRIE, Okla. – It’s been a few years since Jake Barnes last won a team roping world championship. It’s OK. He owns seven heading gold buckles, the last of which came two decades ago. He is still one of the greatest ropers on the rodeo trail. Proof of that is in the 25 qualifications to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, but one also could point to the four championships at the Ram National Circuit Finials Rodeo. He leads an amazing list of top-name team ropers who will be part of ProRodeo’s National Championship, scheduled for 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 10; 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 11; and 1 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 12, at the Lazy E Arena. He’ll be joined by headers Brandon Beers, Ty Blasingame, Nick Sartain, Colby Lovell, Justin Davis and Dustin Bird; the top heelers are Jim Ross Cooper, Travis Graves, Ryan Motes and Cory Petska. There are dozens of NFR qualifications among that crew and a few gold buckles. But that’s what fans have come to expect in central Oklahoma each spring when the top contestants in the game battle for that elusive National Title.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – When Pete Carr established his rodeo company years ago, he knew he needed a great team of talented people to help him along the way. What Carr found was a family atmosphere, one very similar to the rodeo lifestyle itself. Crew members work, travel and celebrate together during the 30-plus rodeo season. Nobody in the sport epitomizes that family togetherness more than John and Sandy Gwatney, the husband-wife tandem that are a big part of the Carr brand. “Everybody knows their job, and everybody knows where they need to fill in if something goes astray,” said John Gwatney, the production supervisor for Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo, the livestock firm that will produce the Nacogdoches ProRodeo & Steer Show, set for 7:45 p.m. Thursday, March 27-Saturday, March 29, at the Nacogdoches County Arena. Gwatney and Carr work closely together making sure every aspect of a rodeo’s production goes off as flawlessly as possible. They lean on each other and the rest of the crew to put on the best competition and showcase as possible. Of course, John Gwatney leans on nobody more than his wife and traveling partner, Sandy, a secretary/timer/do-it-all cowgirl who is a big part of the rodeo’s success. “She’s my best friend, and she knows as much about the production as anybody going,” he said. “Whether she’s timing or is the secretary or is carrying the American flag, she knows the importance of what we do and why we do it. That’s a lady that there’s no job that’s too little or too big for her.” That’s a quality that is a shared among the talented Carr team. “The thing about John and Sandy is that they’re very good at everything they do, and they’re very selfless,” said Pete Carr, owner of the Dallas-based livestock company. “They have been with us since the beginning, and they are an integral part of making each of our rodeos work. “I believe we have the best crew in rodeo, people who work hard and care about everyone: the fans, the committees and the contestants. That’s important.” The Gwatneys grew up in California – Sandy in the northern portion, John in the south. They have been together since the fall of 1996, and they’re lives have centered around rodeo. “The reason why I time or secretary is because I like being part of the rodeo,” Sandy Gwatney said. “Since we’re not competing anymore, this is a way for me to be part of it. I really like my job, and that’s why I do it. I’m a people person.” She is, and it’s been a tremendous benefit to the rodeos she works, because she knows so many people in the sport. There’s something that comes with having those relationships, but there’s so much more that goes into rodeo. One common theme among members of the Carr crew is a love for the sport. “I have a passion for horses in general,” she said. “I love watching a good bucking horse work as much as I love watching a good bulldogging horse or calf roping horse work. I absolutely love steer roping horses because they’re so disciplined and so intent on their jobs. “I love animals and watching the animals work. I’m sure that has a definite advantage in my position. We’re doing our jobs, and the animals are doing theirs.” When it all comes together, it’s a job well done. That’s what happens when people are passionate about the work they do. “I love the sport,” John Gwatney said. “While most people wanted to go play football and baseball and stuff, all I wanted to do was go to another rodeo. “A lot of it has to do with the love of animals, but then there’s the production side. If we can, for two hours a day, help people forget their problems and have a good time, then I feel that I’ve done my job, whether I’m running the bucking-chute end or the timed-event end or competing. I’m just taking people away from their worries for a couple hours each day, and it makes a big difference in my life.” Rodeo is one of those hybrid events in which quality entertainment is mixed with world-class competition. “We are always aware that we have an obligation toward the contestant, and a big part of our job is to make sure everybody at our rodeo has an equal shot to win,” John Gwatney said. “Mentally I’m still a contestant. Every stock contractors dream has been to buck everybody off, but without the 90-point ride, there is no rodeo. “The contestants know I competed. I rode bulls for eight years. I’ll listen, and they know that. I want what’s right for the contestant. I want them all to have the same shot.” It not only is the respect for others, but it’s a respect for the game. Rodeo is a rare breed in which humans match their skills against animal athletes. It’s a showcase of true athleticism. That’s the Carr rodeo specialty. In 2013, there were 27 Carr animals selected to buck at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, the sport’s grand championship. Over the years, there have been three world champion bucking horses: Real Deal, Big Tex and MGM Deuces Night. “The thing I like about Pete Carr is he keeps people working together who like to work together so their jobs more enjoyable,” Sandy Gwatney said. “You keep your foundation solid. If everybody gets along, it makes it that much more fun.” That’s the key to a strong team, which is one of the strongest aspects of the Carr product. Of course, it all starts at home for the Gwatneys. “I’m lucky enough to have my best friend travel with me and make it a successful event no matter where we go,” John Gwatney said. At the heart of Pete Carr Pro Rodeo is family. It’s what makes everything click.

Being a cowboy means tackling any task necessary to handle any job before him. That philosophy came in quite handy for Jet and Cord McCoy during the fifth leg of “The Amazing Race” All-Star Edition, which was broadcast Sunday, May 23, on CBS-TV. The ranch-raised brothers from the southeastern Oklahoma community of Tupelo overcame traveling obstacles, a fishing adventure and a sewing machine to finish in third place and continue the race around the world for $1 million. The McCoys were the first team in the fifth leg of the race, which began in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, leaving 47 minutes ahead of the second-place team, the father-son tandem of Dave and Connor O’Leary. The eight teams were directed to a travel agency, where they were to find a flight to Colombo, Sri Lanka, to continue their chase for the big money. “I’m pretty excited that we get to leave the mat first today,” Cord said. “We know we’ve got to keep our game face on.” That’s true. The high-stakes scavenger hunt means overcoming all the obstacles, and the first is travel. The first six teams in the race earned the first direct flight from Kuala Lumpur to Colombo at 11 p.m., while the final two had to scramble to make their way along their trail. “(In) this race, the travel can make or break you, by far,” Jet said, who, like his brother, learned to improvise his travel arrangements as needed as The Cowboys made their way from one rodeo to another in a lifetime filled with high-level competition. Travel trouble struck the final two teams, newlyweds Brendon Villegas and Rachel Reilly and the mother-son team of Margie O’Donnell and Luke Adams. Since they were unable to make the first flight, Villegas and Reilly scrambled and took a riskier move to connect through Singapore, while O’Donnell and Adams hoped to increase their odds on standby. The Newlyweds left Kuala Lumpur first, then rushed to make their connecting flight in Singapore, arriving in Colombo first. They made it to the Gangaramaya Temple first, but quickly found out they had to wait until the temple opened several hours later at 5:45 a.m. That allowed all six teams on the direct flight from Kuala Lumpur to catch up. Once each team member was blessed by Buddha monks, they made their way by train to King Coconut Stand in Galle, Sri Lanka, to receive their next clue. That meant the first seven teams were on the same train together, which allowed the country singers, Jennifer Wayne and Caroline Cutbirth, to reveal their fascination for The Cowboys. “We like to be near the cowboys because they’re magical,” Cutbirth said. “Any of the magical powers we can get, we’re trying to rub it off on us. “They’re the coolest guys on the planet. We were destined to be best friends.” The coconut stand revealed only a clue to the leg’s Detour, which allowed the teams the option of either fishing handling a complicated local dance that included spinning plates. The McCoys opted for fishing. “The locals give you a fishing pole and a bag,” Cord said. “You actually had to go out there and swim out in the ocean and climb up on a pole that’s got a little triangle that you sit on and hook your feet in and catch your fish and put it in your bag.” Each team member had to catch one fish. The O’Learys were the first to accomplish the feat, while the McCoys were second. The Globetrotters, Herbert Lange and Nate Lofton, and The Afghanamals, Leo Temory and Jamal Zadran, were the first done with the spinning. Once done, the teams were directed to the Road Block at the Trendy Connections Garment Factory, where one member of each team was to sew a shirt together. Jet handled the assignment for The Cowboys. “I’ve never sewn before,” he said. “It’s worse than a puzzle, because all of the puzzle pieces are moving. “You don’t realize what goes into making a dadgum shirt until you make one.” He made it relatively quickly, and the Oklahoma brothers were on their way to the Pit Stop. The O’Learys won the leg, followed by Wayne and Cutbirth. Jet and Cord McCoy were third. O’Donnell and Adams, whose gamble on standby put them several hours behind the other teams leaving Kuala Lumpur, were well behind the pace through the episode and finished last. They were eliminated from the reality TV show. That means the McCoys are one of just seven teams continuing the race around the globe.

GUTHRIE, Okla. – The first time Jerome Schneeberger qualified for the Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo, he was a 21-year-old young gun fresh off his inaugural appearance at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Much has changed since 1998, but the Ponca City, Okla., cowboy remains one of the greatest tie-down ropers in the Prairie Circuit, the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association’s region made up of contestants and rodeos primarily in Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. In fact, no other cowboy in the history of the circuit has won more year-end tie-down roping championships than Schneeberger, who secured his eighth title last season. That means he returns for the ninth time for this year’s National Championship, scheduled for 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 10; 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 11; and 1 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 12, at the Lazy E Arena. Schneeberger, who won the NFR average championship in 2001, is one of the numerous NFR qualifiers competing at the RNCFR, joining Coloradoan Josh Peek, Utah cowboy Clint Robinson and Texans Justin Maass and Adam Gray. Now Schneeberger focuses his rodeo career on the circuit system. He hasn’t qualified for the NFR in three years, and he’s OK with it. Now he’d like to add the National Championship to his powerful resume. Maybe this is the year.

In his initial appearance on “The Amazing Race” four years ago, Cord McCoy created a catch phrase that took the reality TV show’s audience by storm. His “Oh, my gravy” commentary may have been trumped during Sunday night’s fourth episode of Season 24, when the youngest of the two brothers on the show uttered a new tag line: “We’re like butter; we’re on a roll.” Jet and Cord McCoy are hot, highlighted by their victory in the fourth leg of the race around the world for $1 million. The tandem used a considerable amount of energy and a handy dose of mixology while traipsing across Malaysia. For finishing first, The Cowboys scored a trip for two to London. “We could not be more excited to be on our way to a Pit Stop,” Jet McCoy said as the two shared a cab ride from the final challenge to the Leg 4 finish in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. “We’re thinking this could mean first place for us.” But Cord stopped his older brother, saying, “We’ve been wrong before.” “We were wrong for a million dollars once, as a matter of fact,” Jet said, referring to the brothers’ second-place finish during Season 16, the first of three times the Oklahoma cowboys have been on the CBS-TV reality series. The McCoys began Sunday in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, two minutes behind the leaders, the father-son tandem of Dave and Connor O’Leary. Their first challenge, the Road Block, took place in Knota Kinabalu’s Prince Phillip Park, where one member of each team had to jump on a bamboo trampoline high enough to grab a flag hanging above them. Cord tackled the task for The Cowboys, but he struggled. The brothers were the first to arrive at the park, but they were quickly passed by the O’Learys and the cousin team of Leo Temory and Jamal Zadran. In fact, it took Cord 47 attempts before he reached the flag; no team could obtain the next clue until finishing that job. “The problem was that task required a lot of Cord-nation,” Jet said, joking about his brother’s struggle on the tramp. Said Cord, “You just have to gather up all your energy and put it out on the line … again and again and again.” The teams then made their way to the Kota Kinabalu airport, where the first three teams were to board the first plane to Kuala Lumpur. The McCoys joined the O’Learys and The Afghanamals on the first of three flights. The other teams, because of a flight delay, arrived about an hour and 15 minutes behind the leaders. “I would say I’m jumping for joy,” Cord said about making the first flight, “but I’m out of hops.” Once in Kuala Lumpor, all the teams made their way to a night club for the Detour: Either learning an elaborate disc jockey mix involving a scratching code or mixing an elaborate drink. The first three teams tried the drink, which proved to be more difficult given the balancing and pouring from a stack of glasses into martini glasses. What made it tougher was making sure none of the colors mixed from the stack to the specific martini glasses that were placed in the form of a seven-cup pyramid. “We wouldn’t make good bartenders,” Jet said. “Between what we broke and spilled, we would owe them.” The McCoys fared better than the others who tried. In fact, the cousins, Temory and Zadran, switched midway through the Detour to try their hand at scratching. Jet secured the right mix on the brothers’ 10th try. Once they received their next clue, The Cowboys made their way to a Hindu temple at the Batu Caves, where they met up with host Phil Keoghn and learned of their winning fate. Sunday’s episode marked the second time in four legs that the McCoys won. They were followed by the O’Learys, who finished just ahead of The Afghanamals. The husband-wife tandem of Brendon Villegas and Rachel Reilly finished last in the non-elimination leg of the race, but they will have to endure a Speed Bump at some point in the show’s future. The brothers still own their Express Pass, which gives them the chance to skip a challenge at any point in the race; it was their prize for winning the opening leg. That could come in handy at any point in the race should the McCoys find themselves behind the field. That didn’t happen in the fourth episode. The Cowboys stayed in or near the lead throughout the show. It’s where they like to be.

GUYMON, Okla. – Forgive Tyler Smith if he is a little greedy when he arrives in the Oklahoma Panhandle in a month and a half. Smith, a two-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo bull rider from Fruita, Colo., owns two Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo trophy belts; he’d like to win a third during the 2014 edition, set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 2; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 3; and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 4, at Henry C. Hitch Pioneer Arena. Smith, who won his first championship in 2010 – the same year he first qualified for the NFR – earned his second belt last May, when he rode Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Rio Bravo for 93 points. With that, he earned $3,790, which helped propel him back to Las Vegas this past December, where he surely wore that coveted leather trophy and finished the season No. 3 in the world standings with more than $156,000 in earnings. “It’s been good luck,” he said about Pioneer Days Rodeo. “I’ve had real good luck here. I love coming here.” So do most of the top contestants in ProRodeo, nearly 1,000 of who find their way to Texas County every spring to compete at one of the most prestigious events on the circuit. In all, nine champions were crowned last spring. They know defending their titles will be tough. Take Rocky Patterson, the three-time steer roping world champion from Pratt, Kan., who claimed his second Pioneer Days title a season ago. “This is pretty big because it’s a circuit rodeo, No. 1,” Patterson said, referring to the Prairie Circuit, made up of rodeos and contestants primarily from Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. “No. 2, it’s just a great rodeo. The committee here does such a great job.” The Kansan left town with the biggest payday of all contestants in the field, earning $8,347. “It’s a rodeo with a lot of tradition, and it’s a nice one to win.” Patterson is an alumnus of Oklahoma Panhandle State University, which is 10 miles southeast in the community of Goodwell. He is one of two former Panhandle State rodeo team members to earn Guymon titles, joining bareback rider Seth Hardwick of Laramie, Wyo.; he rode Pete Carr’s Night Bells for 88 points to earn the trophy belt. “Guymon is like a hometown rodeo for me,” said Hardwick, who pocketed $4,147 in Texas County money last spring. “It feels great to be able to win this rodeo in front of those people. It’s one of the best rides I’ve ever had.” Each of the roughstock events featured high-marked rides. Heith DeMoss, a five-time NFR qualifier from Heflin, La., matched moves with Pete Carr’s Spur Strap for 87 points to win saddle bronc riding. “I’m so excited it’s ridiculous,” DeMoss said. “To be winning something at this rodeo is awesome. It’s a great rodeo. It’s a bronc riding-type nation around here, and I’m thrilled.”

ALVA, Okla. – There are times in each person’s life when a little tough love is needed to help him or her along the right path. Trisha Price got a taste of it during practice last week, and it led her to the breakaway roping winner’s circle this past weekend at the Fort Scott (Kan.) Community College rodeo. It was the first time in her two-and-a-half years of Central Plains Region rodeo that the Faith, S.D., cowgirl earned a breakaway title. “I was really struggling, and I cried three days in practice last week,” said Price, who received a little motivation from former Ranger, Perry Dietz. “Perry made me get off the horse and run. I was throwing a fit, so I had to run down the arena and back and help bring the calves back. “It definitely gave me the mental toughness I needed.” Dietz also helped in other ways. Price dismounted her own horse and borrowed Dietz’s palomino mare, Trudy. It paid off in southeastern Kansas, where Price scored a 2.8-second run in the first round to finish in a tie for fifth place; she followed that up with a 3.1-second run to win the short round and the two-run aggregate. “That was a good little boost of confidence,” she said. Yes, it was. Her poise came from many outlets, including Trudy. “Switching horses was another variable,” Price said. “She’s a nice little mare. It was hard to get on a different horse, because they’re two completely different horses, but I was blessed that he was willing to let me ride her.” It paid off quite well. Price moved from out of the running to ninth in the breakaway roping standings in the region with 145. She trails the leader by 143.3 points. She could, in one fell swoop, move up to the top spot in the Central Plains with another strong weekend – the next opportunity will be at the Southeastern Oklahoma State University rodeo, set for April 3-4 in Durant, Okla. “With the amount of points that separate ninth to first, a lot can happen,” Price said. Price led the way for a strong showing by the Northwestern women, which finished third in Fort Scott with 165 points. Lauren Barnes of Buckeye, Ariz., finished second in breakaway and eighth in goat tying to place second in the all-around standings, while Kelsey Pontius of Watsontown, Pa., finished sixth in breakaway. In the men’s race, Stephen Culling of Fort St. John, British Columbia, won the steer wrestling title with a two-run cumulative time of 11.0 seconds. The men finished with 215 points, good enough for fifth place in the team race. They also held on to fourth place in the region standings. Other short-round qualifiers were tie-down roper Jess Woodward (second) of Dupree, S.D.; bulldogger Jimmy Hoke (seventh) of Connellsville, Pa.; and team ropers Trey Young of Dupree and Chase Lako of Hunter, N.D., who finished fourth roping together. “The matches we’ve been having in practice really help,” Price said. “For us to compete against each other – and to beat each other and still be able to get along and support each other – helps us every time we get to a rodeo.” That’s a good thing.

GUTHRIE, Okla. – Keith Isley is one of the most decorated clowns in rodeo. Now Isley will bring his brand of funny to the Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo, scheduled for 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 10; 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 11; and 1 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 12. “I thoroughly enjoy watching people have a good time and enjoy what I do or what I say,” said Isley, 55, now in his 21st year in ProRodeo. “Just seeing people enjoy it and have a good time. Sometimes later in the year, you’ll get home and have some letters for you and have some pictures of you that kids have drawn. “It’s the little things that really make me feel like I’m accomplishing something.” He has accomplished much. He’s been named the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Clown of the Year six times, the Coors Man in the Can five times, the PRCA Comedy Act of the Year six times and PRCA Specialty Act of the Year three times. For three straight years, from 2009-11, he won the funnyman’s trifecta: Clown of the Year, Coors Man in the Can and Comedy Act of the Year. In addition to being one of the best funny men in the business, he also has some of the top acts in rodeo. He’ll bring it all with him when he arrives at the Lazy E. “I enjoy what I do, and it’s a lot of fun when you’ve got a good crowd and a good announcer,” Isley said. “When you see people with smiles on their faces, and then people come up to you and appreciate what you do, that makes what we do a lot more worthwhile.” Isley sees a lot of smiles and has for much of his professional life. Though he was considered a class clown, being a comedian didn’t come easily. “Oh, it was natural if I knew you, but if I didn’t know you, it was really hard,” he said. “When I started the comedy, that was really hard for me to get used to because I didn’t know those people watching me.” He has since overcome his stage fright to become one of the most sought-after entertainers in the game. There’s good reason for it, too. Part of a good clown’s job is to fill any down time that could some during the event. If there’s a pause in the action, Isley knows it’s his turn to step up to the plate. “I like to play on the crowd,” he said. “I like to have fun with people that like to have fun.” It works, but Isley has a lot of tricks up his sleeve. He loves working with animals and allowing them to steal the show. When it’s all put together, it’s an award-winning showcase that reaches so many people. “Back in 1999, I worked a rodeo in Belle Foursche (S.D.); during the trick riding act, I was talking to the announcer and was just looking around,” he said. “That’s when I saw the contestants standing all around the arena just watching.” When Isley left town, he reflected on that image and still considers it one of his greatest honors. Later that year, he earned was named the Specialty Act of the Year for the first time. “Since then, I’ve won it a few times,” Isley said. “I’ve undoubtedly been the most blessed man who’s ever bought a PRCA membership.” The fans are pretty blessed, too.

Ranch work is equal parts animal care, land management and jack-of-all-trades Western engineering. That experience came in handy for the McCoy brothers during the third episode of Season 24 of “The Amazing Race,” the CBS-TV reality series. The brothers put their ingenuity to work during the Sunday, March 9, telecast that featured the teams racing around Subah, Malaysia Borneo. Jet and Cord McCoy began the show in sixth place as the teams began from Guangzhou, China, leaving six minutes behind second-leg winners Brendon Villegas and Rachel Reilly. That was important, since only the first six teams to the airport were to be boarded on the first flight, which provided a three-hour head start to two-thirds of the nine teams remaining in the race. Of course, The Cowboys hold the valuable Express Pass, their prize for winning the opening leg that enables them to skip a challenge along the race around the world for $1 million. “We’re glad we’re the only ones to have an Express Pass,” Jet said. The McCoys were awarded two Express Passes, but one was to be given to another team. They passed it along to The Country Singers, Jennifer Wayne and Caroline Cutbirth, who used it in Leg 2. Though Villegas and Reilly held the lead to begin the race, they weren’t among the first six teams to arrive at the Guangzhou airport and were forced to wait. That put them behind the eight-ball early, and the rest of the pack took advantage. “Jet and I have been in that same position,” Cord said. You can be the “first ones to leave the mat, and the next thing you know, you’re standing there, and you’re last. That’s the kind of deal that you’ve got to pick yourself up and dust yourself off and catch back off.” The Cowboys have done that during their three chances on “The Amazing Race.” On Sunday night’s episode, they maneuvered their way to the Kionsom Waterfall, where Cord, as the assigned teammate, had to find a gnome, then work his way through the rainforest and down the waterfall to obtain the next clue. “Those cotton jeans are going to weigh 50 pounds by the time he gets done with this,” Jet said. “He’s going to be soaking wet.” Cord was. In fact, he attracted a little more water than the other teams because he was forced to do the task twice; the clues were along the path down the waterfall. “The clues were on my left, and I was looking over my right,” Cord said. “I skidded all the way down the rocks, and the next think I know is I’m in a pool of water and realize I don’t have the clue.” The delay could’ve been troublesome for some, but the McCoys took it in stride. “Cord having to redo this and having to go all the way back to the top … it cost us some time, but that’s alright,” Jet said. “We’ll make up some time somewhere.” They did. In fact, it happened on the next challenge, where teams were to build a bamboo raft at the Kampung Tempinahaton to tackle one of two assignments on the Detour. The brothers from the southeastern Oklahoma community of Tupelo were fourth at the river, but they scooted past the mother-son tandem of Margie O’Donnell and Luke Adams by utilizing jack-of-all-trades engineering to create the raft. “Jet and I are kind of handymen around the ranch,” Cord said. The other teams have noticed. “Once the cowboys get on task, they are so fast,” O’Donnell said. “They blew us out of the water.” Third in the water, the cowboys utilized the help of The Afghanamals, Leo Temory and Jamal Zadran, to complete the Detour. Several of the teams, like The Afghanamals and The Cowboys, opted to deliver goods, while others took part in a faux hunting task. For The McCoys, they guided their raft to a make-shift port to deliver food to a village chief, and Temory and Zadran helped the brothers to their destination, though The Afghanamals were ahead of the brothers at that point. The father-son tandem of Dave and Connor O’Leary were the first to arrive at all locations along the third leg of the race, but they passed their exit point off the river. They ended up hiking back to the village chief while carrying the groceries. They hiked back and beat the other teams to the end of the Detour. That changed shortly after the teams returned to the river with their rafts. Temory and Zadran had trouble in the river, and their raft came apart in rough rapids. The McCoys, though, passed The Afghanamals on the water. That made the difference in the outcome of the second leg. The O’Learys won the leg, while the McCoys placed second. They were followed by Temory and Zadran. O’Donnell and Adams placed fourth. YouTube hosts Joey Graceffa and Meghan Camarena were the last to finish and were eliminated.

Paul David Tierney becomes 12th Timed Event champ GUTHRIE, Okla. – There’s a changing of the guard at the Timed Event Championship of the World. Paul David Tierney, a 24-year-old cowboy from Oral, S.D., roped, tied and wrestled 25 animals in 332.3 seconds to win his first gold buckle, the fifth Timed Event title for his family. His father, Paul, earned four championships over nearly three decades of competition. “My mom says I used to play around back there, so I guess I was pretty young the first time I came here,” said Tierney, who earned $60,000 over three days of competition – $50,000 for winning the average and another $10,000 for having the fastest go-round run, a 49.0. “I had a ton of fun this weekend.” The younger Tierney is still playing inside the Lazy E Arena, but he’s doing it in the arena instead of behind the scenes. It came down the final steer of the competition to decide the championship of the “Ironman of ProRodeo.” Tierney, who had led since the third round, relinquished his advantage in the 24th run of this rugged test when he posted an 18.9-second steer wrestling run, just moments after his nearest competitor, 22-year-old Clay Smith, had scored a 5.7. Smith took a 1.8-second lead into steer roping. When Tierney finished in 20.2 seconds, the championship was well within reach for the youngest competitor in this year’s field. Smith, though, broke the barrier on a 13.6-second run; that 10-second penalty pushed his time to 23.6 and pushed him to second place, finishing in a cumulative time of 333.9 seconds. “I love the Timed Event,” said Smith of Broken Bow, Okla. “I tried not to get in a hurry on anything, then I break the barrier. I should’ve been a little smarter than that.” It overshadowed an amazing performance by the top young guns in the competition. With past champions K.C. Jones of Burlington, Wyo., and Daniel Green of Oakdale, Calif., among the top five, the top three cowboys all were relative newcomers to this unique contest: third-place finisher Russell Cardoza of Terrebonne, Ore., is just 27 years old. “You just have to keep your head,” Tierney said. “Even when it gets a little tight, just go make your run and see what happens.” That’s the key to the Timed Event. The winner each year typically is the contestant who made the fewest mistakes through the five rounds of competition. By finishing second, Smith pocketed $25,000. Cardoza added $24,000 – $15,000 for his third-place finish, $5,000 and $4,000 for finishing third and fourth in the fastest rounds. Not only are Tierney, Smith and Cardoza the future of the competition, they bring an educated approach to their games. “This might get some more young guys working on their stuff,” Tierney said of the strong run by the younger contestants. “I think it’s great for it.” He becomes just the 12th man in the 30-year history of the Timed Event Championship to own the prestigious gold buckle. His name will be etched alongside his father and the other 10 winners in rodeo lore. RESULTS AVERAGE: 1. Paul David Tierney, 332.3 seconds, $50,000; 2. Clay Smith, 333.9, $25,000; 3. Russell Cardoza, 344.2, $15,000; 4. K.C. Jones, 350.9, $10,000; 5. Daniel Green, 390.9, $7,500; 6. Clayton Hass, 404.7, $5,000; 7, Dustin Bird, 408.8, $4,500; 8. Landon McClaugherty, 425.4, $3,000. FASTEST ROUND LEADERS: 1. Paul David Tierney, 49.0, $10,000; 2. Erich Rogers, 52.5. $6,000; 3. Russell Cardoza, 54.6, $5,000; 4. Russell Cardoza, 55.9, $4,000; 5. K.C. Jones, 56.7, $3,000; 6. Trell Etbauer, 56.8, $2,000. RECORD RUN: Spencer Mitchell, 4.3 seconds in heading, $3,000. TOTAL PAYOUT: 1. Paul David Tierney, $60,000; 2. Clay Smith, $25,000; 3. Russell Cardoza, $24,000; 4. K.C. Jones, $13,000; 5. Daniel Green, $7,500; 6. Erich Rogers, $6,000; 7. Clayton Hass, $5,000; 8. Dustin Bird, $4,500; 9. (tie) Landon McClaugherty and Spencer Mitchell, $3,000; 11. Trell Etbauer, $2,000.  

GUTHRIE, Okla. – Paul Tierney has been in the lead heading into the final round of the Timed Event Championship of the World. Paul David Tierney hasn’t. He’s 24 years old competing in the “Ironman of ProRodeo” for just the third time. But he has a fine pedigree; his father is ProRodeo Hall of Fame inductee Paul, a five-time winner of this prestigious event. Now the second generation is five runs away from clinching his first gold buckle. “I’m worried about me right now,” said the younger Tierney, who holds an 18.3-second lead over the No. 2 cowboy, 22-year-old Clay Smith of Broken Bow, Okla. “The fourth round wasn’t what we wanted.” In heeling, Tierney posted a 23.8-second run, which slowed him a tad. But he still finished with a 79.1-second round, the sixth-fastest on Saturday night. So what does that mean for the final round Sunday afternoon inside the Lazy E Arena? “I’m going to make five practice runs,” said Tierney of Oral, S.D. After his heeling mishap, Tierney held just a four-tenths of a second lead over then-No. 2, K.C. Jones of Burlington, Colo. Tierney then made solid runs in the final two events, steer wrestling in steer roping. Meanwhile, Jones struggled in steer roping and fell to fourth place in the average. Russell Cardoza of Terrebonne, Ore., is third. Erich Rogers of Round Rock, Ariz., posted the fastest round on Saturday night, roping and wrestling five head in 52.5 seconds. He owns the second fastest round, which would be worth $6,000 in the fastest-round of the competition. “I’ve learned a lot from last year,” Tierney said. “I worked on my tripping and my bulldogging, it’s helped.” RESULTS AVERAGE LEADERS: 1. Paul David Tierney, 257.9 seconds; 2. Clay Smith, 276.2; 3. Russell Cardoza, 277.2; 4. K.C. Jones, 285.4; 5. Daniel Green, 322.0; 6. Clayton Hass, 339.4; 7. Dustin Bird, 340.7; 8. Landon McClaugherty, 357.7. ROUND 3: 1. Paul David Tierney, 49.0 seconds; 2. Russell Cardoza, 55.9; 3. Dustin Bird, 64.3; 4. Jess Tierney, 64.5; 5. Mike Outhier, 68.2; 6. K.C. Jones, 70. ROUND 4: 1. Erich Rogers, 52.5 seconds; 2. Clay Smith, 56.9; 3. Russell Cardoza, 62.8; 4. Mike Outhier, 65.4; 5. Paul David Tierney, 70.0; 6. Daniel Green, 79.1. FASTEST ROUND LEADERS: 1. Paul David Tierney, 49.0; 2. Erich Rogers, 52.5; 3. Russell Cardoza, 54.6 seconds; 4. Russell Cardoza, 55.9; 5. K.C. Jones, 56.7; 6. Trell Etbauer, 56.8.

GUTHRIE, Okla. – The third round of the Timed Event Championship of the World proved to be a game-changer. Pre-round leader Landon McClaugherty dropped out of contention moments after the round began Saturday afternoon at the Lazy E Arena. Past champions K.C. Jones, Kyle Lockett and Daniel Green swarmed the top of the leaderboard like buzzards, along with last year’s runner-up, Paul David Tierney, the son of four-time Timed Event champion Paul Tierney. When Lockett and Green suffered 60-second penalties during the steer wrestling portion of the round, they fell out of the top five, and the younger Tierney saw his opportunity explode. The South Dakota cowboy posted a 49.0-second round, highlighted by a 4.9-second steer wrestling run, to score the fastest round of this year’s competition so far. It also catapulted Tierney into the lead in the average with a 15-run cumulative time of 187.9 seconds. “I’m feeling good right now,” said Tierney, who owns an 11.8-second lead over Jones, the five-time champion from Burlington, Wyo. “I’ve made a couple mistakes that I shouldn’t have made, but I’m starting to get it smoothed out and calmed down again.” It takes a calm demeanor during this event, dubbed the “Ironman of ProRodeo” because of all the challenges that come from competing in all five timed-event disciplines. Not only did he have a world champion to teach him the ropes, but Tierney also learned a few things from his strong finish a year ago. “It taught me that I needed to get a time on every one and, at the end, it’ll play out for you and let you win something,” he said. “You want to be consistent and don’t be yourself. You just need to go out there and make the run you need to make.” Now he holds the lead in the most unique event in rodeo, and he’s got two more rounds and 10 more runs to make to secure his place in Timed Event Championship history. RESULTS AVERAGE LEADERS: 1. Paul David Tierney, 187.9 seconds; 2. K.C. Jones, 199.7; 3. Russell Cardoza, 214.4; 4. Clay Smith, 219.3; 5. Dustin Bird, 239.5; 6. Daniel Green, 242.9; 7. Clayton Hass, 247.9; 8. Jess Tierney, 248.3. ROUND 3: 1. Paul David Tierney, 49.0 seconds; 2. Russell Cardoza, 55.9; 3. Dustin Bird, 64.3; 4. Jess Tierney, 64.5; 5. Mike Outhier, 68.2; 6. K.C. Jones, 70. FASTEST ROUND LEADERS: 1. Paul David Tierney, 49.0; 2. Russell Cardoza, 54.6 seconds; 3. Russell Cardoza, 55.9; 4. K.C. Jones, 56.7; 5. Trell Etbauer, 56.8; 6. (tie) Kyle Lockett and Landon McClaugherty, 57.2.

GUTHRIE, Okla. – A good cowboy is one who learns from experiences. Landon McClaugherty is a good cowboy, and he proved it Friday night during the second go-round of the Timed Event Championship of the World. The Tilden, Texas, man raced through five runs in 57.2 seconds and pushed his two-round cumulative time to 122.6 seconds to lead the race in this year’s “Ironman of ProRodeo” event with three rounds remaining. “I wish I wouldn’t have missed my trip on the last one,” McClaugherty said of his steer roping run, in which he didn’t quite get the rope in position initially and had to adjust quickly. He did and still posted a 25.5-second time in the event. “Other than that, it’s been going good.” It was a busy day for all 20 of the top timed-event cowboys in rodeo to kick-start the championship. McClaugherty’s time is just seven seconds faster than K.C. Jones, a five-time champion from Burlington, Wyo., who held the lead after Friday afternoon’s opening go-round. McClaugherty was fourth heading into the evening performance. That’s when he showed how his Timed Event training has come into play. Past champions always say that the man who makes the fewest mistakes will win the title. That means being steady and solid is the key. Even with his final-run bobble, the Texan was pretty solid. “It’s like a practice-pen deal here; you let them out and work your horse, and you do your thing,” said McClaugherty, now in his fourth time in the most unique and rugged event in rodeo. “You’re only going to be as fast as the cow’s going to let you.” He needs to keep that focus, especially with Jones and three-time champion Daniel Green on his tail – Green, of Oakdale, Calif., is third at 130.6. Also among the leaders is two-time winner Kyle Lockett of Visalia, Calif., who led the race until suffering a 60-second time in steer wrestling – at the Timed Event, a 60 is the equivalent of a no-time. The race is on with two days of competition remaining. RESULTS AVERAGE LEADERS: 1. Landon McClaugherty, 122.6 on 10 head; 2. K.C. Jones, 129.7; 3. Daniel Green, 130.6; 4. Paul David Tierney, 138.9; 5. Clay Smith, 146.0; 6. Cody Doescher, 155.6; 7. Russell Cardoza, 158.5; 8. Kyle Lockett, 167.7. ROUND 1: 1. K.C. Jones, 56.7 seconds; 2. Kyle Lockett, 57.2; 3. Daniel Green, 61.1; 4. (tie) Landon McClaugherty and JoJo LeMond, 65.4; 6. Dustin Bird, 66.4. ROUND 2: 1. Russell Cardoza, 54.5 seconds; 2. Trell Etbauer, 56.8; 3. Landon McClaugherty, 57.2; 4. Paul David Tierney, 61.3; 5. Clayton Hass, 61.9; 6. Josh Peek, 64.8. FASTEST ROUND LEADERS: 1. Russell Cardoza, 54.6 seconds; 2. K.C. Hones, 56.7; 3. Trell Etbauer, 56.8; 4. (tie) Kyle Lockett and Landon McClaugherty, 57.2; 6. Daniel Green, 61.6.

GUTHRIE, Okla. – K.C. Jones has spent half his life coming to the Lazy E Arena every March to compete in the Timed Event Championship of the World. Jones, 46, is in this exclusive field for the 23rd time in the event’s 30-year history. He’s one of two men who have earned the coveted championship five times. On Friday afternoon, he scrambled through the opening round of five runs in 56.7 seconds to take the early lead. “That’s just the first five, and there’s 20 more,” said Jones of Burlington, Wyo. “It’s going to be real important and keep your horses working good here.” Jones is one of four former champions competing at the Lazy E this weekend; only 2010 winner Josh Peek is not among the top three. Jones is trailed by two-time titlist Kyle Lockett, who roped, tied and wrestled five head in 57.2 seconds, and three-time and reigning champ Daniel Green, who posted a 61.1-second round. “The bulldogging steers are running a little more; the calves are stronger than they were last year,” Jones said. “The tripping steers are not running quite as hard, but they’re not taking the tie as good as they have in past years. It’s going to be important to draw good.” Jones did. In fact, he was steady throughout each of the five runs – after 23 years and five gold buckles, he understands the name of the game is staying away from mistakes. But this is the most grueling test in rodeo, and sometimes these top-level cowboys let their competitiveness get in the way. That was the case with Timed Event rookie Cody Doescher of Oklahoma City, who was solid through the first four runs, posting a 40.3-second cumulative time. His final run of the round in steer roping became a little menacing; he had to trip his steer twice before he could secure the tie. “I feel like I did pretty good,” said Doescher, a 23-year-old heeler. “I made myself stay aggressive, but I got a little too aggressive in the steer roping, got in a hurry and fell pretty far behind. I have to step up my game a little bit.” Doescher is ninth in the standings, but he’s learning rather quickly what a true challenge the Timed Event is. RESULTS 1. K.C. Jones, 56.7 seconds; 2. Kyle Lockett, 57.2; 3. Daniel Green, 61.1; 4. (tie) Landon McClaugherty and JoJo LeMond, 65.4; 6. Dustin Bird, 66.4.

GUTHRIE, Okla. – Every timed-event contestant in rodeo knows it takes great horsepower to excel in the rodeo arena. Fans will get to see it in full force during the Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo, scheduled for 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 10; 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 11; and 1 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 12, at the Lazy E Arena. In addition to the elite steer wrestlers in rodeo battling for ProRodeo’s National Championship, the Lazy E will host some of the greatest bulldogging horses in the game. In fact, the top two in AQHA/PRCA Steer Wrestling Horse of the Year voting will be in central Oklahoma with their owners: 2013 winner Two Guns will be mounted by Wade Sumpter (who owns the horse with veterinarian Chris Morrow) and other bulldoggers, while runner-up Ote will handle the heavy lifting for owner Bray Armes. With 24 top cowboys battling for the prestigious RNCFR championship, expect a number of top horses to be in the mix. You see, this championship will bring out the greatest stars in the game, both human and equine. Armes and Sumpter are two of 10 steer wrestlers in this year’s field who have played on the sport’s grandest stage, the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Their appearances inside the Lazy E Arena is just another feather in their cap – in fact, the National Championship is the second most honored title in the game, just behind the World Title. World champion Jason Miller leads a field of the event’s brightest stars who will compete at this year’s RNCFR, joining Beau Franzen, Jake Rinehart, Nick Guy, Tommy Cook, Tom Lewis, Olin Hannum and Oklahoman Stockton Graves.

ALVA, Okla. – Parker Warner and Dustin Searcy have found their comfort zone. The team ropers from Northwestern Oklahoma State University’s rodeo team have won each of the past two National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association events in which they have competed, the most recent this past weekend at the Garden City (Kan.) Community College rodeo. “We took a little bit to get going this season,” said Searcy, a junior heeler from Mooreland, Okla. “We practiced really hard this winter and just tried to bear down this spring. With seven rodeos left in the season, we knew it was still anybody’s ballgame.” In just two weeks into the spring semester portion of the 2013-14 Central Plains Region season, Searcy and Warner have moved from zero points to 240 and sit fourth in the region standings in their respective divisions.  Now with five events remaining on the schedule – the schools will compete at Fort Scott (Kan.) Community College this coming weekend – the Rangers are on a roll at the right time. Warner and Searcy won the Kansas State University rodeo to open the season, then followed it up a week later in western Kansas with a second straight victory. “We knew we were behind, and we knew we had to get points,” said Warner, a senior header from Jay, Okla. “Garden City is always a good rodeo and always has good steers, usually on the fresher side. We knew we needed to just go knock one down in the long round.” They did, but their time was a little on the slow end at 6.9 seconds; they qualified for the championship round ninth out of 10 teams. “I told Searcy that this setup was pretty fun and that we should just go for it,” Warner said, noting that the team won the final round with a 4.7-second run and won the average title with a cumulative time of 11.6 seconds on two runs. “It was a good two weeks for sure.” It was a pretty good couple of weeks for the Northwestern men and women. The Rangers men placed third in Garden City with 395 points, while the women placed second with 245. In all, Northwestern held 11 spots in the short round, which was valuable to team points. Warner and Searcy led the way with their victory, but another Ranger heeler, Chase Boekhaus of Rolla, Kan., scored a second-place finish roping with Ethan Fox of Southeastern Oklahoma State University. Northwestern header Dalton Richards finished sixth. “For us, it’s a mental game,” Searcy said. “We know we have a run we think we can win on. When we go to the practice pen, we’re focused. We’re trying to get better on one thing every day, whether it’s being consistent and knocking them down or trying to go fast and max out on a steer. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves in the practice pen, and I think it helps.” Other short-round qualifiers were steer wrestler Ryan Domer of Topeka, Kan., who placed third; tie-down roper Wade Perry of Lamont, Okla., who finished sixth; bull rider Garrett German of Arnett, Okla., who placed fourth; breakaway ropers Kelsey Pontius of Watsontown, Pa., (third) and Micah Samples of Abilene, Kan., (fourth); and goat-tiers Karley Kile of Topeka, Kan., (third) and Kodi Hansen of Everly, Iowa, (fourth). For Warner and Searcy, it comes down to having a solid partnership. “One thing about Parker is that he’s definitely going to catch, and he’s going to give us a chance to win,” Searcy said. “He’s going to set the steer up where I can heel him as fast as possible.” That’s a strong combination. It also is a winning combination. “It’s good to have someone like Searcy because it takes a little pressure off me,” said Warner, who transferred to Northwestern from Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College. “I know he’s going to do his job. It’s easier to have a partner behind you that’s very consistent, rides good horses and doesn’t do anything too off the wall; he uses his head, and he’s always mentally prepared. “We try to have a game plan when we back into the box, and we try very hard to execute our game plan.” Their game plan is working so far.

GUTHRIE, Okla. – Why is the Timed Event Championship of the World called the “Ironman of ProRodeo?” It’s the most challenging rodeo event in the world, where 20 invited cowboys pony up $3,000 each to test their versatile talents against one another and in each discipline: heading, heeling, tie-down roping, steer wrestling and steer roping. “I’ve always loved roping calves and bulldogging and stuff,” said Russell Cardoza, a three-time heeling qualifier to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. “I’ve always wanted to win the Timed Event, so I finally got in it when I started rodeoing. I’ve kind of always liked all” the timed events.” The Timed Event also is the most rugged event in the game. Each contestant will make a run in each discipline per performance. They compete over five go-rounds, which means they will make 25 runs in just three days. Most of the cowboys in the mix focus on one particular discipline. Cardoza and Dustin Bird are heelers, while Spencer Mitchell is a header. Those guys are relative newcomers to the game, with Bird and Mitchell making their first appearances in the field last March. “Actually a lot more fun than I thought it would be,” said Bird, who has qualified for the NFR each of the past two seasons. “I’m kind of getting to like it. I’ve just got to slow down a little bit and start doing things right. I get in a speed jam all the time.” There are numerous others who have proven themselves among the greatest all-around cowboys in the game, from five-time Timed Event winner K.C. Jones, who qualified for the NFR in both team roping and tie-down roping, to three-time champion Daniel Green, who focused on heading during his 10 trips to Las Vegas. Josh Peek is an NFR all-around champion who has qualified in both steer wrestling and tie-down roping. This field is loaded from top to bottom, including a couple of Linderman Award winners in Mike Outhier and Trell Etbauer, both of whom have proven themselves in timed events and riding bucking animals. They were quite handy during last year’s Timed Event, but it’s what fans have come to expect during the “Ironman.” This year’s Timed Event Championship of the World will be showcased in an RFD-TV prime-time special Wednesday, March 12, just a few days after this year’s winner is crowned. It’s a grand celebration for the 30th anniversary of the “Ironman of ProRodeo,” the most unique and challenging rodeo competition in the game. Only 11 cowboys have won one of the most prestigious titles in rodeo. “They all work at it, and they know to not beat themselves,” Mitchell said about past champs.

MARSHALL, Texas – Jeremy Hight and Jeremy Willis took very different paths to their careers as pickup men. Hight grew up around livestock but never competed in rodeo; Willis rode bareback horses professionally before transitioning to his existing role. They bring it all together quite well as pickup men for Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo, which will produce the Marshall Pro Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 6-Saturday, March 8, at Marshall City Arena. “I grew up around some amateur rodeos, but I never did really rodeo. I was more of a cowboy, working at ranches,” said Hight, now in his fifth year on the job. “I went to Texas A&M and stayed down there for five or six years working for big ranches.” Now he spends most of his time at the Carr Ranch near Athens, Texas, where he cares for the animal athletes on a daily basis. When he’s not on the ranch, he’s at a Carr rodeo, where he handles continues his trade of livestock care while also tackling all the chores of some of the most versatile cowboys in the game. In addition to handling many of the behind-the-scenes duties that help make the rodeo happen, Willis and Hight will assist cowboys who ride bucking horses and bulls for a living. “I think it takes someone who is well mounted, who can read livestock and can do all the things that need to be done in and out of the arena,” said Willis, of Elkhart, Texas. “When I rode, I always liked guys who rode bucking horses before they started picking up. I felt like they could read the horses more. I can tell by what lead the horse is in where he’s going to be.” Though he played college baseball, Hight understands all the intricacies that come with the job. “One of the biggest things is in the horses you ride,” he said. “You have to keep good horses coming along all the time. As long as they’re working good, you look good. It’s also important to be able to read the stock and read the situation so you can be in the right place at the right time. “You also need to be able to work with a team with whoever else you’re working with. There are two of us out there for a reason. It makes things more fluid, easier when we’re working together and when the horses work good.” Willis and Hight have worked together for several years. They know what it takes to make things work, especially when they’re in the arena together. “The biggest thing I like about Pete Carr Pro Rodeo is that Pete hires the best guys he can get,” Willis said. “When he hires them, he trusts them to do their jobs, and he doesn’t micromanage what we’re doing. It’s also a nice thing working with guys that know the horses.” Hight and Willis do. They’ve seen the animals perform and know how to work each animal that comes out of the chute. “What we shoot for is a good, smooth performance, and a big part of that is that we spend the least amount of time with that animal,” Hight said. “We want to get that flank off them so they get that release. I’ve been told by very smart rodeo people that the best pickup men are the ones you never notice; they don’t do anything wrong, they don’t rush things and they’re don’t get in a bind. We want to shoot for that every time.” That push for excellence is what defines Willis, Hight and Pete Carr Pro Rodeo.  

Cord McCoy slid across the tile-lined park in Guangzhou, China, for a kick-save in a fascinating game of feather ball. That move kept The Cowboys in the chase for the $1 million first-place prize during Season 24 of “The Amazing Race.” In Sunday night’s episode of the CBS-TV reality series, the brothers from southeastern Oklahoma began the second leg of the race around the world in first place, then quickly slipped to last early in the hour-long show when they opted to try to run for the first challenge instead of taking another form of transportation. “I’d hate to catch a cab if we’re two blocks away,” Jet McCoy said as the brothers jogged through the city. They weren’t. In fact, locals tried to explain that it was a further distance, but the brothers didn’t understand. By the time they jumped into a taxi in the city with a population of 14 million, the McCoys had fallen to the bottom of the pack. This “wasn’t the best start we’ve ever had,” Cord said. “No,” Jet said. “We kind of slow-started it.” As they were passed by the country singers, Jennifer Wayne and Caroline Cutbirth, the McCoys realized their status. “That was the last team that left the mat this morning,” Jet said, referring to the start of the leg. “And that’s the way this race works. You go from first to last in a hurry.” The father-son tandem of Dave and Connor O’Leary were the first team to the Road Block, at a district in Guangzhou that is known as the world capital for toy-making. One person from each team had to assemble a motorized toy car, and Dave O’Leary quickly went to the work needed. By the time The Cowboys arrived, most teams were deep into their tasks. Jet jumped in the toy-manufacturing and assembled the car, finishing in sixth place. While Cutbirth complained about putting the pieces together, her partner, Wayne, kept a full-court press on Cord, pleading with the youngest cowboy for the extra Express Pass – the brothers won the opening leg and earned two Express passes; one was for themselves, and the other was to be given to another team prior to the halfway point of the race. The pressure worked for the singers, and Cutbirth was relieved of her assembly duties. “They was in panic mode, and we gave it to them, and they needed it,” Jet said of passing along the extra Express Pass, which allows a team to skip a challenge and move ahead in the race. “That’s perfect. “That puts us as the only team that has an Express Pass. The other one has already been burned on Leg 2. That’s huge right there.” Mark Jackson (with Mallory Ervin) was the first to complete the assembly, but his backpack was left near the site as he and Ervin left for their next stop, the Guangzhou Children’s Cultural Center, where the teams were to deliver the cars. Once Jackson/Ervin dropped off their vehicle to the cultural center, they retraced steps to the backpack. Meanwhile, the teams faced their first Detour: either taking part in an ancient Chinese massage or playing feather ball, which is the country’s version of hacky sack. All the race teams chose feather ball, and the teams had to have 10 passes in a row without the shuttlecock falling to the ground. It proved to be a difficult task, but Cord made the save, and the cowboys moved toward the finish at Shamian Island. The husband-wife team of Brendon Villegas and Rachel Reilly won the leg and earned $2,500 apiece. They were followed by, in successive order, the mother-son team of Margie O’Donnell/Luke Williams, the country singers Wayne/Cutbirth, the O’Learys, Globetrotters Herbert “Flight Time” Lang and Nate “Big Easy” Lofton and the McCoys. They all seemed to have finished one right after the other, based on the show’s editing. “I don’t know if we’ve ever had so many teams on the mat at one time,” host Phil Keoghan said. The McCoys finished sixth and remain in the race for $1 million. The lost backpack came back to haunt Jackson and Ervin, who finished in 10th place and were eliminated from the series.