Monthly Archives: August 2017

DUNCAN, Okla. – With less than a month remaining in the Prairie Circuit season, the races for the 2017 regional championships are coming down to the wire. The most heated contests may be for those cowboys and cowgirls on the bubble to qualify for the Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo, set for 7:30  Continue Reading »

BELLVILLE, Texas – This town of about 4,300 people understands rodeo, and there are plenty of credentials to prove it. Just two years ago, then-26-year-old Caleb Smidt proved it by bringing home the tie-down roping world championship to Bellville, becoming just the second hometown person to stake claim to the most prestigious title in the  Continue Reading »

KENNEWICK, Wash. – Kris Furr isn’t content being one of the best competitors in Bullfighters Only. He wants to win the world championship. Based on his performance this August, he’s going to be a contender by the time the season wraps up. In less than a month, the Hamptonville, N.C., man has won three event  Continue Reading »

GUYMON, Okla. – For just the third time in its history, a Miss Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo has earned the Miss Rodeo Oklahoma title. Taylor Spears, a 20-year-old agriculture communications junior at Oklahoma State University, will begin her reign in January, just days before her 21st birthday. In all the hoopla, this is another chapter  Continue Reading »

HEMPSTEAD, Texas – The Waller County Fair Board has one thing on its mind when it comes to planning this year’s festivities: Give back to the community. “This is the biggest fundraiser for the youth and scholarship program in Waller County,” said Dustin Standley, the fair board’s president. “We gave away over $75,000 in scholarships  Continue Reading »

HERMISTON, Ore. – Kris Furr made the most of a week of Bullfighters Only competition. After winning the championship at BFO-Sidney, Iowa, the North Carolina man followed it in a dominating fashion, claiming the BFO-Hermiston championship through the two-day competition last week. He’s now No. 5 in the Pendleton Whisky World Standings. “It feels great  Continue Reading »

LOVINGTON, N.M. – Bareback rider Orin Larsen has played on ProRodeo’s grandest stage each of the past two years. He’s hoping to return to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo for the third straight time, but he’s got some ground in the final month and a half in the regular season. Heading into this week’s Lea  Continue Reading »

SIKESTON, Mo. – Toby Inman has his sights set on the biggest prize in freestyle bullfighting, the Bullfighters Only world championship. “I’m nipping at Weston’s heels,” Inman said, referring to the BFO Pendleton Whisky World Standings leader and reigning BFO world champ, Weston Rutkowski. “I think he can feel me breathing down his neck.” The  Continue Reading »

LOVINGTON, N.M. – To make a living riding bucking horses, it takes talent, passion and a lot of miles on the rodeo trail. Dean Wadsworth, Sterling Crawley and 2015 world champion saddle bronc rider Jacobs Crawley do it together and have for a number of years. While the Crawleys are brothers by blood, Wadsworth is  Continue Reading »

LOVINGTON, N.M. – Matt Reeves knows as well as anyone how vital it is to compete at ProRodeo’s grand finale, the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. He’s been there six times. This past December, he arrived in Las Vegas No. 12 in the steer wrestling world standings with $62,402. Ten nights later, he added $164,141 after  Continue Reading »

LOVINGTON, N.M. – There’s something about Jake McClure Arena that draws Wyoming cowboy J.R. Vezain back to town every year. Maybe it’s the Pete Carr bucking horses. Maybe there’s something that’s in the water. Nonetheless, Vezain has found his share of success at the Lea County Fair and Rodeo, and the 2017 edition seems to  Continue Reading »

Top bullfighters will be featured in Sikeston, Mo., and Hermiston, Ore. Beau Schueth needs no extra motivation when it comes to fighting bulls, but he’ll take it. This week, he returns to the Sikeston (Mo.) Jaycees Bootheel Rodeo to defend his Bullfighters Only title, and he knows he’ll get all the help he needs from  Continue Reading »

LOVINGTON, N.M. – Three-time world champion Sage Kimzey knows no lead in the regular season is big enough when the top cowboys get to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. The No. 1 bull rider in the world wants to keep padding his lead as the 2017 campaign winds to a close. He did that by  Continue Reading »

SIDNEY, Iowa – When Kris Furr cross-jumped his bull Saturday night, he put a nice polish on his first Bullfighters Only title on the final night of Iowa’s Championship Rodeo. “I had a good bull, and he was a lot of fun,” said Furr, 26, of Hamptonville, N.C. “He wasn’t extremely aggressive, so I decided  Continue Reading »

DODGE CITY, Kan. – Two decades ago, an Etbauer was the winner of the Dodge City Roundup Rodeo saddle bronc riding more often than not. Brothers Robert, Billy and Dan Etbauer have been recognized as one of the greatest set of siblings to ever compete in ProRodeo. Combined they have dozens of Wrangler National Finals  Continue Reading »

DODGE CITY, Kan. – In ProRodeo, Sage Kimzey has earned $184,631. In reality, the reigning three-time world champion bull rider has collected a lot more than that. His biggest payday so far in 2017 was for $433,000 for winning The American in Arlington, Texas, in March, but he’s been collecting big paychecks all along the  Continue Reading »

DODGE CITY, Kan. – Every Kansas cowboy has one title they want to own: Dodge City Roundup Rodeo champion. Buddy Hawkins is no different. Raised 326 miles east of Dodge City in the tiny southeastern Kansas town of Columbus, he has had aspirations of collecting the most prized rodeo trophy in the Sunflower State. “Being  Continue Reading »

DODGE CITY, Kan. – One of the most coveted buckles to win in ProRodeo is the one handed out to Dodge City Roundup Rodeo champions each year. Bareback rider Tilden Hooper owns one, earned earlier this decade. He’s been back many times since with hopes of earning that crowning achievement again. On Thursday night during  Continue Reading »

DODGE CITY, Kan. – It’s been six years since Tom Lewis has played on ProRodeo’s grandest stage, the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. He’s trying to make his second trip in 2017. As of Wednesday night, he was 33rd in the steer wrestling world standings with $32,731, but he’s only $17,000 away from that magical No.  Continue Reading »

Rutkowski finds the Dodge City winner’s circle after finishing last in 2016 DODGE CITY, Kan. – About halfway through his 60-second fight Tuesday night, Weston Rutkowski was flipped to the ground hard by a Rockin’ B and Magnifica bull called Manchada. Bullfighters Only’s reigning world champion was down, but he wasn’t there for long. “I  Continue Reading »

DODGE CITY, Kan. – Boudreaux Campbell is just 18 years old, but he proved he has plenty of talent to earn a trip to Las Vegas in December for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Steve Woolsey is a veteran at 31 years old, and he’s eager to return to ProRodeo’s grand championship. Both men made  Continue Reading »

Vin Fisher Jr., a 13-time Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping qualifier from Andrews, Texas, earned the first Dodge City Roundup Rodeo title Tuesday afternoon. Andrews placed in just one round – he tied for third in the third go-round – but roped and tied three steers in a cumulative time of 36.7 seconds to win the  Continue Reading »

Bullfighters Only’s top stars to battle for titles in Dodge City, Sidney Zach Call and Cody Greer understand they are behind the eight ball when it comes to the race for the Bullfighters Only world championship. “I have a lot of ground to make up,” said Call of Mullen, Neb., the ninth-ranked bullfighter in the  Continue Reading »