Monthly Archives: December 2017

Brazos Heck wins all-around championship at Jr.NFR in Las Vegas KINGFISHER, Okla. – Brazos Heck is quite driven and focused. He knows exactly what he wants in his future to be. He’s a cowboy in every sense of the word, and in rodeo, he competes on the backs of bucking bovines and bucking broncs. “I  Continue Reading »

FAIRVIEW, Mo. – There’s a gleam that shines across Dale McCracken’s face. It’s not about his first major ProRodeo award, the 2017 Comedy Act of the Year, but it could be. It’s not about his being in the hunt to be the barrelman for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, but it could be. No, McCracken’s  Continue Reading »

WEATHERFORD, Texas – Being the son of a rodeo personality, most things about the sport came naturally for Anthony Lucia. But he wasn’t afraid to work at it, either. That’s why, as a trick roper, he was asked to perform at the National Finals Rodeo, the sport’s grand championship. He did it four straight years,  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Hardy Braden has always had faith in his ability. Trained by his father, he knew what to do and when to do it before he ever got on a bucking horse. Over the last 10 nights in the Nevada desert, he gained even more knowledge and more confidence in his ability. On  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Something must be said for perseverance, especially at the Super Bowl of rodeo. If J.D. Struxness didn’t have it before, he found it over the last 10 nights of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. He rode three horses, wrestled 10 steers and handled all sorts of adversity over his time in Sin  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – There is no buckle to go with it, but the title is still prestigious. Richmond Champion is the reserve world champion bareback rider, and he earned it on the backs of the best bucking horses in ProRodeo. He placed in seven Wrangler National Finals Rodeo go-rounds – including two round wins –  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Before arriving in town a couple of weeks ago, Ty Breuer had been a workout machine. It was more than his ranching work, which is hard work in itself. The bareback rider had been training harder than ever to get ready for the 10 days of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Though  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Mason Clements sat down and took a deep breath, reflecting on his first qualification to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. In front of him was a golden sheet of paper that revealed his work in Sin City. He had ridden nine bucking horses, was knocked to the ground in Round 3, and  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – What looked like a slow National Finals Rodeo for Kyle Irwin turned out to be his best finale ever. In fact, he earned nearly as much in 10 nights in Sin City as he did in his two previous NFRs combined. He placed in just four go-rounds, including the victory in Round  Continue Reading »

Reigning world champ wins $75,000 at Las Vegas Championship LAS VEGAS – The belt still fits Weston Rutkowski. The Haskell, Texas, man proved why he is the greatest competitor in Bullfighters Only history by knocking down the competition Saturday during the final performance of the 2017 season at the BFO Las Vegas Championship at the  Continue Reading »

Bareback riding: (tie) Steven Dent on Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo’s Scarlett’s Web and Mason Clements on Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Utah Top Flight, 88 points, $23,481 each; 3. Bill Tutor, 87.5, $15,654; 4. (tie) Richmond Champion and Ty Breuer, 86.5, $8,885 each; 6. J.R. Vezain, 86, $4,231; 7. Tim O’Connell, 85.5; 8. Caleb Bennett, 84;  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Tyler Pearson’s good week got better in a hurry Saturday night. Pearson closed out his second appearance at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo with the most cherished prize in the game, the Montana Silversmiths gold buckle. He placed five times in 10 nights, wrestling 10 steers to the ground in 45.9 seconds  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Bareback riding can be likened to a fistfight, with animal and athlete taking blows and throwing haymakers. While battling for his second straight world championship, Tim O’Connell has had to fight through every step of the 2017 season. It paid off to the tune of $371,416. He won the Montana Silversmiths gold  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – The shouts from Oklahoma are almost heard in the Nevada desert. Hardy Braden knows he has many people cheering him on in the Sooner State and several rooting for him in southeast Kansas. He is from the tiny town of Welch, Okla., and attended college at Fort Scott (Kan.) Community College and  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Ryan Jarrett may not like the number, 6, but he’ll take it. Through nine nights of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, the tie-down roper from Comanche, Okla., has placed four times – he won the opening round, then finished sixth in Rounds 5, 6 and 9. He hopes to change that Saturday  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – The rodeo season is like a roller coaster; there are ups and downs, twists and turns that play with emotions and test talent. The biggest ride in the world wraps up Saturday in the City of Lights. The Wrangler National Finals Rodeo is the richest rodeo in the world spread out over  Continue Reading »

Bareback riding: 1. Jake Brown, 87.5 points on Beutler & Son Rodeo Nutrena’s Molly Brown, $26,231; 2. Steven Dent, 87, $20,731; 3. Caleb Bennett, 86.5, $15,654; 4. Tanner Aus, $11,000; 5. (tie) Tim O’Connell and JR Vezain, 85, $5,500 each. Steer wrestling: 1. Scott Guenthner, 3.3 seconds, $26,231; 2. Dakota Eldridge, 3.5, $20,731; 3. Tyler  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Tim O’Connell’s second world championship is so close he can taste it. He almost clinched the Montana Silversmith’s gold buckle on Friday night with an 85-point ride on Korkow Rodeo’s Feather Fluffer. He finished in a tie for fifth place in the ninth round, worth $5,500. He owns a lead of more  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Much like this city itself, the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo is filled with exciting expectations, huge victories and days of frustration. In his four years at ProRodeo’s grand finale, Coleman Proctor has felt them all. Heading into the ninth night of this year’s championship, he and his heeler, Billie Jack Saebens, had  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – J.D. Struxness is doing everything he can to make it work at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. On Friday night, he mounted his third horse in the last week and made it work with a 3.7-second round to finish tied for fourth in the ninth go-round. He pocketed $7,333 for the run  Continue Reading »

Kaleb Driggers and Junior Nogueira just tied a Wrangler National Finals Rodeo arena record with a 3.3-second run.

LAS VEGAS – Tim O’Connell had a gut feeling the match-up was going to happen. The reigning world champion bareback rider had already been matched with the 2017 Bareback Horse of the Year, Virgil, in the third go-round of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. The result was an arena-record tying ride of 91.5. In his  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Hardy Braden doesn’t have to look too far to find his bronc riding hero. It’s his dad, Butch, who rode broncs professionally for a number of years before becoming a PRCA pickup man. Hardy Braden learned everything he knows about the game from his dad before furthering his education at both Fort  Continue Reading »

Defending champ, Inman advance to final day of BFO Las Vegas Championship LAS VEGAS – Fifteen stitches and a bum hamstring had nothing on Weston Rutkowski. The reigning Bullfighters Only world champion suffered those injuries a week ago, but what hurt him more was the doubt that was cast on his ability and his work  Continue Reading »