Monthly Archives: February 2018

GUYMON, Okla. – For Andy Stewart, his work in Guymon is more about the Pioneer Days Rodeo and the one week the event comes to town every year. Stewart is a researcher, a statistician and an entertainer. He has the unique ability to put it all together as one of the top emcees in professional rodeo, a nine-time nominee for the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association’s Announcer of the Year. For the better part of the last decade, he has been one of the voices for the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 4; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 5; and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 6, at Henry C. Hitch Pioneer Arena. “I feel that production is extremely important in the world of rodeo,” said Stewart, now in his 23rd year in the PRCA. “If people get a $20 ticket, then we need to give them $40 worth of entertainment and get the most bang for their buck.” It’s something fans have come to expect with Pioneer Days over the years. Stewart works with Guymon personality Ken Stonecipher to call the rodeo action. The two men work well together, and they bring a nice mixture of local flavor with a world-class approach to the game. “It’s an amazing rodeo, and the fans very knowledgeable about the sport,” he said. “We get to see some of the greatest in the game in Guymon every year, so that’s something we can all enjoy.” It all comes down to the wild action in Guymon. Nearly 1,000 of ProRodeo’s top contestants make their way to the Oklahoma Panhandle every spring. The list of contestants annually reads like a who’s who among the sport’s elite. That just adds to the atmosphere in Guymon. Stewart knows what it takes to work at an elite level. He works many of the biggest rodeos in the country, including the legendary Cheyenne (Wyo.) Frontier Days Rodeo. One reason is because of his energetic, booming voice. Another is the extra work he puts ahead of each rodeo performance so that he can be the perfect voice of the fans. For every hour he’s on the microphone, Stewart spends many more going through biographies and background and looking over all the important statistics of each competitor in the show. He understands what it takes to compete at an elite level, and he wants fans to realize it, too. It is, after all, the perfect mix of world-class competition and true family-friendly entertainment. “I do this because of the people and the lifestyle,” he said. “You’re not going to find a better bunch of people. I have so many friends and extended family all over the country because of rodeo. “The people are what make rodeo so special. Rodeo offers me the opportunity to go to a lot of places I don’t normally go and see a lot of things I don’t normally see.”

GUTHRIE, Okla. – The most unique championship in Western sports history is coming to a head. The CINCH Timed Event Championship will highlight the 20 best all-around timed-event cowboys in the game in a rugged exhibition of talent, horsemanship and stamina. Each will compete in the five disciplines for five rounds spread out over just three days. The preparatory work has been ongoing for weeks as each man has put his physical and mental capabilities to the test. Now is when they want to shine, with performances beginning at noon and 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. “By now, I just want to know I’ve got the best horses available that I can,” said Jess Tierney, the reigning champ and the third member of his family to have earned this prestigious title. “I know that for the last 60 days, I’ve sacrificed something in my life to be in good shape and mentally prepared for it – I’ve been spending more time preparing and less with my family, but this is an important event to me. “I’m just going to try to be a cowboy.” That’s a key ingredient in the “Ironman of ProRodeo.” This is the one time a year that Trevor Brazile and JoJo LeMond wrestle steers. This weekend will be the last time in 2018 that Clayton Hass and reigning heading world champion will compete in single steer roping. Each man will be placed in uncomfortable situations through each round. The true test till come in how they handle the adversity. It’s one of the things that makes the Timed Event so unique and so cherished by its champions. “There’s not another event like it,” said Brazile, a seven-time Timed Event champion from Decatur, Texas. “It is the purest of timed-event contests, then you put it in a venue like the Lazy E, and it adds that much more of a cowboy contest.” He knows a little bit about it. In addition to his seven CTEC crowns, he is also the greatest cowboy in the history of the game, with 23 PRCA world champions – 13 all-around, six steer roping, three tie-down roping and one in heading. But he’s just one of 20 who has a chance to win this coveted title. The talent that will make up the combatants in this year’s Timed Event is as loaded as has ever been seen in this championship’s 34-year history. But there’s so much more that goes into the weekend, including the second straight year of the Jr. Ironman, showcasing 10 talented cowboys between the ages of 15-20. As has happened in years past, the annual chuckwagon cooking contest will take place in conjunction with the festivities. It was named the 2017 American Chuck Wagon Association’s event of the year. Breakfast will begin at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, and the dinner will begin at 3 p.m. Tickets may be purchased through www.Ticketmaster.com. Added to the event will be the marketplace and the CINCH Fan Zone. The marketplace will have fashion, tack, leather goods, farm and ranch equipment and more. The CINCH Fan Zone will have autograph sessions daily beginning at 10 a.m. and after the evening performances on Friday, March 2, and Saturday, March 3. It will also feature a bar, games, giveaways, a lounge area to watch each performance live, a photo booth and the CINCH Kids Dummy Roping presented by Heel-O-Matic – kids can rope with the Jr. Ironman contestants before the Friday and Saturday evening performances.

SAN ANTONIO – As he prepared for battle, Toby Inman knew he would need a huge score to best the field. With the top five bullfighters in the world breathing down his neck, Inman did just that. On Saturday afternoon, he delivered a 90-point bullfight to claim the inaugural San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo Wrangler Bullfight championship and the $12,500. “I’m floored,” said Inman, 34, who came out of retirement two seasons ago and finished as runner-up for the world title in 2017. “I just went to fight a bull and didn’t think about any of the prizes. It’s pretty incredible.” Inman began the bout with an explosive running backflip. “It was more of a backflop, because I landed on my stomach and not my feet,” he said with a laugh. “I’m not calling it a running backflip until I actually land it.” Still, it was an impressive start to the fight. He established control with the red bull, and set up a solid cape – stretching a hand over the animal’s back as if draping a cape over the animal. It’s not something that’s in his forte, but he was happy to pull it off. “I don’t think I’ve ever done a full cape pose, where you stand out there and make it prominent,” Inman said. “But I did today. I was able to do a few things I hadn’t really done before. I knew I needed to go big.” Kris Furr, the No. 3 man in the 2017 standings, finished with an 89, good enough for second place. Third place went to the two-time reigning BFO world champion, Weston Rutkowski. The home-state favorite capped off his fight by sticking a perfect barrel roll and earned 88 points for the effort. “It’s a really good feeling when I put myself out there and I set my bar high,” Inman said. “I was where I needed to be and was definitely trying to be 90.” With 18,000 fans packed into San Antonio’s AT&T Center, it was an opportunity for Bullfighters Only to point a bright spotlight on freestyle bullfighting’s best. “If you can picture a three-layer stadium where every seat in the house was full, it was an ‘Aha,’ gladiator moment,” Inman said. “When the show was over, I created a little bit of a fire hazard because there were so many people wanting to take photos. It was amazing, but we really do this for the fans.” RESULTS 1. Toby Inman, 90 points, $12,500; 2. Kris Furr, 89, $6,250; 3. Weston Rutkowski, 88, $3,000; 4. Justin Josey, 83, $1,500; 5. Dayton Spiel, 82, $1,000; 6. Tanner Zarnetski, 70, $750.

Four months ago, Trell Etbauer suffered a broken arm at the RAM Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo in Duncan, Okla. He was scheduled to compete next weekend at the CINCH Timed Event Championship at the Lazy E. Word came down today that it’s not going to happen. “Unfortunately, my arm doesn’t feel strong enough to compete at this year’s Cinch Timed Event,” Etbauer wrote on a Facebook post Saturday afternoon. “It was a tough decision to have to turn out my most favorite event I go to all year long. Best of luck to those entered and helping.” He will be replaced by Lane Karney of Creston, Calif., who first competed at the “Ironman of ProRodeo” last year. Karney, who focuses on heading and tie-down roping, proved last year why he was in the mix.

ALVA, Okla. – The colors at Kansas State University are purple and white, but the championship round of its rodeo looked a lot like Northwestern Oklahoma State University. The Northwestern contestants made up 25 spots in Sunday’s short round in Manhattan, Kan., showcasing the red and black vests inside Weber Arena on the K-State campus. The Rangers won the team title and had three event champions: barrel racer Ashlyn Moeder, tie-down roper Ethan Price and steer wrestler Riley Westhaver. “I think we’re off to a really good start,” said Westhaver, a junior from High River, Alberta. “Everybody’s feeling good and ready to keep moving on.” He was the leader of a six-man contingent of bulldoggers in the K-State short round. He was joined by Talan Roseland of Marshalltown, Iowa, who finished tied for second with Grayson Allred of Kanarraville, Utah. Allred won the opening round with an arena-record setting 4.2-second run, then settled for sixth place in the finale. Westhaver utilized a very strong short-go to win the two-run aggregate and the bulk of the points. He finished fourth in the opening round with a 5.4-second run, then blistered a 4.4-second run in the short round to win the average by more than two seconds. “I think the short go went pretty good,” Westhaver said. “I had a little trouble in the box, but it just sorted itself out. I saw my start and went out and made a decent run. I had a pretty good steer.” Jace Rutledge of Harrisonville, Mo., placed in a tie for second in the short round and finished in a tie for fifth place in the average. Brent Woodward of Dupree, S.D., finished second in the first round, while Wacey Dorenkamp of Bristol, Colo., finished fifth in the short round. Neither placed in the average, but they were a consistent piece of the puzzle for the Northwestern men. Price, of Leedey, Okla., proved consistency works best. He finished sixth in the long round with a 10.4-second run, then was 10.5 seconds to win the championship round and the average title. He was joined in the short round by Allred, who posted a 10.8 second run to earn a spot in the finale. The Rangers were also represented in the short round by five team ropers: Sean Doherty, a heeler from Kim, Colo., who placed eighth in the first round with his teammate, Tanner Samuelson of Fort Hays (Kan.) State University; Logan Wood, a header from Prescott, Iowa, and his partner, Edgar Fierro, a heeler from Hennessey, Okla.; and header Kass Bittle of Kremlin, Okla., and his partner, Jaydon Laubhan, a heeler from Follett, Texas. The women were paced by the Rangers’ barrel racing contingent. Moeder of Oakley, Kan., won the first round and the average and was followed by two teammates: Alyssa Gabrielson of Perham, Minn., won the short round and finished second in the average; and Sara Bynum of Beggs, Okla., finished third in the short round and average. They were joined in the short round by Jennifer Massing of Ponoka, Alberta. There were six Northwestern breakaway ropers in the championship round, led by Brandi Hollenbeck of Hutchinson, Kan., who won the short round and finished third overall. She was followed by Melissa Couture of Springdale, Ark., who finished fourth; Sami McGuire of Backus, Minn., who placed fifth; and Sage Allen of Pawhuska, Okla., who was sixth. They were joined in the finale by Cassy Woodward of Dupree and Aundrea Dufrane of Dawson, Minn., who finished the first round in a three-way tie for fifth. Dufrane and Massing also advanced to the championship round in goat-tying. Dufrane finished in a tie for second place in the first round with a 6.5-second run but was long on her second run. Massing share the short-round victory with a 6.5, then finished in a tie for second with a two-run cumulative time of 13.9 seconds. Overall, it was an outstanding appearance by the Rangers in Kansas. Westhaver proved that having a strong mental approach to go along with athleticism was beneficial. “I just try to hang out and stay lose,” he said. “I try not to get too worked up about it. You would think it’s more of a physical sport, but when you get there, it’s more mental. You’ve spent so much time practicing that your mental game takes over. “I’m just going to keep practicing every day and hopefully make the college finals. That’s my end goal.”

ALTUS, Okla. – Makayla Mack might just be finding her groove in the Central Plains Region. A sophomore from Christmas, Fla., Mack placed in both rounds and won the two-run aggregate title this past weekend at the Kansas State University rodeo in Manhattan, Kan. She earned 155 points and helped the Western Oklahoma State College women’s team to a third-place finish. Those are big statements by the talented Floridian, but the biggest is that she moved into the No. 1 spot in the region with just five events left on the season. “Last semester, I won two go-rounds, which is pretty good,” Mack said. “I’d like to do what I did this past weekend at every rodeo. The average helps boost you up a lot in the standings. “I feel like I’ve had a blessed year. Hopefully I can just keep that going for the rest of the year and see where it winds up at the end of the season.” If her weekend runs were any proof, she has plenty of things to look back at as she continues to push herself forward. Of course, she leans on teammates and her mentors, like rodeo coach Jess Tierney and assistant Jace Crabb, both of whom have competed at a high level in ProRodeo. “The coaches just give us great support, which goes a long way,” she said. “Jess called before the short-go and told me I had a good calf, and that played well in my mind as I approached the short-go. “The coaches help a lot with both the mental and physical aspects of rodeo. The mental aspect goes a long way … just having a good attitude coming in and having the confidence that I’m a good roper. They also help with the technical aspect. We make sure on how I’m roping the dummy or making sure I’m scoring sharp and roping good in the practice pens. It just bleeds over into the performances at the rodeos.” Of course, part of the performance comes with her teammate, a 6-year-old gelding she has named ADD. “We bought him and another horse when he was 2,” Mack said. “I was able to break and train him myself. I had an older horse out here last year, and I also brought ADD out here, too, so I could get him seasoned. He’s my main mount now, and his name is appropriate, because I think he does have Attention Deficit Disorder; he’s into everything.” He’s also into winning, but he wasn’t the only one. Mack was joined in the championship round by Jayme Flowers, who earned her second run in barrel racing. For the men’s team, Haven Meged of Miles City, Mont., led the Pioneers by making the short round in both tie-down roping and team roping. He was joined in the short round by J.T. Adamson, who split the first-round victory in tie-down roping, while Meged finished tied for third. Meged and header Zane Thompson of Cheyenne, Wyo., placed in both rounds of team roping and finished fourth overall. Those points were critical to Western’s sixth-place finish in Kansas. “We knew we had a good steer in the first round,” said Thompson, the son of Frank Thompson, the 2000 world champion steer wrestler. “Jess and I talked about it, and we didn’t think we needed to be that fast. We just needed to be solid and make sure we got another steer (in the short round). “We wanted to have something to build off of. Our short-go steer wasn’t that good, but we got by him. I think Haven and I were thankful we did.” This is a solid start to the spring portion of the season. The K-State event also serves as the halfway point of the 10-event season, so there are plenty of opportunities for the cowboys and cowgirls to move up in the standings. Only the top two teams in the men’s and women’s rankings and the top three contestants in each event will advance to the College National Finals Rodeo, which takes place at Casper, Wyo., in June. It takes a lot of work and a great mental game to earn a spot in the national championship. “It means a lot to do well at the first rodeo, because it gets your spring started off right,” Thompson said. “When you can get the ball rolling, it sure makes it easier to get excited going to the next rodeo. “I had a pretty tough fall, but I worked at it all winter long. I went to Arizona, and I worked at it every day, so it was gratifying to go out there this weekend and do well. Now we’re looking forward to hopefully making it to the college finals.”

SAN ANGELO, Texas – There was a different look on Justin Josey’s face Saturday night as he entered San Angelo Coliseum. It was a combination of determination and confidence, and he had a distinct swagger as he prepared for the Bullfighters Only event in conjunction with the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo. His opponent was Black Soul, a quick and aggressive black Spanish fighting bull from Rockin’ B and Magnifica. “He was my short-round bull in Austin last year, and I was 89.5,” Josey said. “Then I watched him hook the snot out of somebody in Vegas. He’s all there; he tries every time and gives you a massive pocket. He’ll try just as hard as you will, if not harder.” It showed in both combatants. Black Soul stayed on the aggressive through most of the first 40 seconds of the bout, and Josey countered every attack with quick steps and fiery twists, staying just enough out of harm’s way. The two athletes provided an event-winning 87-point bout. “I’m not going to lie: I was nervous,” Josey said. “But, it helps to have the best bull in the pen. You could have won on any of the three bulls that were there. They gave you all they had for the fight, and that’s all you can ask for.” In addition to taking the BFO-San Angelo crown, Josey also qualifies for the Bullfighters Only event in conjunction with the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, which is set for Saturday at the AT&T Center in San Antonio. There he will be in the mix with five other top BFO bullfighters: two-time reigning champion Weston Rutkowski, Toby Inman, Kris Furr, Dayton Spiel and Tanner Zarnetski. “It means a lot to qualify for San Antonio,” Josey said. “I’m just trying to start the new year off right and get rolling. Now I have a chance to win $12,500 in San Antonio to go along with what I won in San Angelo. I still have to take care of business, but it’s a nice feeling right now.” RESULTS 1. ustin Josey, 87 points against Rockin B and Magnifica’s Black Soul; 2. Schell Apple, 84; 3. Zach Call, 79.

SAN ANGELO, Texas – For Jacob Talley, riding fast horses is imperative if he hopes to make a living in ProRodeo. Talley did just that over the past three weeks, knocking down three animals in 11.5 seconds to win the steer wrestling title at the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo. In all, he pocketed $9,642 and continues to push his momentum through the early part of the 2018 season. “You could tell from slack last week that it was going to be fast,” said Talley, a 2016 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Keatchie, La. “None of those steers were running super hard, and the setup worked pretty well. We knew coming into the short round that it was going to be a fast bulldogging.” It was. Scott Guenthner of Provost, Alberta, and 2016 world champion Tyler Waguespack of Gonzales, La., won the round with 3.7-second runs, but Talley finished third; his cumulative time was just two-tenths of a second ahead of runner-up Dakota Eldridge of Elko, Nev. “It’s one thing to just place here and there, but I’ve been pretty consistent since the year turned over,” Talley said, referring to Jan. 1, three months after the 2018 season began in October. “It just helps to keep the ball rolling.” He had some motivation. After earning his first ticket to ProRodeo’s grand finale two seasons ago, he just missed out on returning to Las Vegas – he finished 18th, and only the top 15 in the world standings advance to the NFR. “Finishing 18th after making it the year before and not having a very good finals, it leaves a bad taste in your mouth,” said Talley, who has earned more than $30,000 this season and remains near the top of the standings. “I’m a man on a mission at the moment.” He proved it in this west Texas city of nearly $101,000. He just missed earning a check in the opening round, then had a 3.4-second run in the second round to finish in a four-way tie for first place. Just competing in on Championship Friday was special, but winning the title made the repeat trips to San Angelo even better. “That place is pretty awesome,” he said of San Angelo Coliseum. “They pack it every night. It’s pretty electric when you can run in a performance, especially the short round. It’s almost like a whole other level. It’s a small building, packed and loud. It’s not the same as the NFR, but it’s loud, so rodeo-wise, it’s comparable to Vegas.” He hopes to return there, just most of the winners on Friday night. Bareback rider Logan Corbett of Las Cruces, N.M., was the only 2018 San Angelo champion who hasn’t played on the sport’s biggest stage. For team ropers Clay Smith and Paul Eaves, their fourth season together is already looking to be one of their best. The two have qualified NFR three straight years together – Eaves was there three times before with reigning world champion header Dustin Bird. But through four and a half months of the 2018 season, Smith and Eaves have earned more than $38,000 each and sit No. 1 in their respective disciplines. “Everything this time of year certainly helps you out,” said Smith, a header from Broken Bow, Okla. “There are a handful of good rodeos this time a year that a guy needs to do good at so you can set yourself up for the summer.” San Angelo is one of the biggest and best large indoor rodeos in the country. Because it’s a wintertime stock show, the money won becomes even more valuable for the contestants that make their livings on the rodeo trail. “This is really cool, because it’s a really good rodeo that I’ve always wanted to do good at,” said Eaves, a heeler from Lonedell, Mo. “Clay and I are on the same page and want to do good. We’re always looking for good horses and trying to do better all the time. “When both guys are doing that, it sure helps.” It certainly showed in San Angelo. San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo Feb. 2-4, Feb. 9-11, Feb. 14-16 Bareback riding leaders: 1. Logan Corbett, 87 points on Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo’s Black Widow, $4,185; 2. Luke Creasy, 86.5, $3,209; 4. David Peebles, 85.5, $2,372; 5. (tie) Will Lowe, Tanner Aus and Justin Pollmiller, 85, $1,070 each; 7. Richmond Champion, 84, $558; 8. (tie) J.R. Vezain and Levi Nicholson, 83.5, $209 each. Finals: 1. J.R. Vezain, 89.5 points on Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Topped Off, $1,650; 2. (tie) Wyatt Denny, Will Lowe and Logan Corbett, 89, $916 each; 5. (tie) Richmond Champion and Tanner Aus, 86, $300 each. Average: 1. Logan Corbett, 176 points on two rides, $4,185; 2. Will Lowe, 174, $3,208; 3. J.R. Vezain, 173, $2.372; 4. (tie) Wyatt Denny and Tanner Aus, 171, $1,256 each; 6. Richmond Champion, 170, $698; 7. Luke Creasy, 169, $558; 8. Justin Pollmiller, 167, $419. Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Dakota Eldridge, 3.1 seconds, $3,653; 2. (tie) Craig Hicks, Brandon Harrison, Cameron Morman and Marcus Theriot, 3.5, $2,462 each; 6. (tie) John Kloeckler, Jarret New and Rowdy Parrott, 3.7, $794 each. Second round: 1. (tie) Dirk Tavenner, Clayton Hass, Jacob Talley and Cody Devers, 3.4 seconds, $2,938 each; 5. Chason Floyd, 3.5, $1,747; 6. (tie) Sam Powers and Cade Staton, 3.6, $1,032 each; 8. Cody Doescher, 3.7, $318. Finals: 1. (tie) Scott Guenthner and Tyler Waguespack, 3.7 seconds, $1,548 each; 3. Jacob Talley, 4.0, $1,224; 4. Cody Doescher, 4.2, $1,008; 5. Dakota Eldridge, 4.6, $792; 6. (tie) Cameron Morman and Blake Mindemann, 4.8, $468 each; 8. Denver Berry, 5.4, $144. Average: 1. Jacob Talley, 11.5 seconds on three runs, $5,480; 2. Dakota Eldridge, 11.7, $4,765; 3. Tyler Waguespack, 12.2, $4,050; 4. Scott Guenthner, 12.3, $3,336; 5. Cody Doescher, 12.6, $2,621; 6. Blake Mindemann, 12.7, $1,906; 7. Clayton Hass, 12.8, $1,191; 8. (tie) Cameron Morman and Craig Hicks, 13.3, $238 each. Team roping: First round: 1. 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Bullfighters Only’s top men to battle elite bulls on stock show’s final night SAN ANGELO, Texas – The crowd that packs into San Angelo Coliseum is loud and raucous for all 12 performances of the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo. It’s electric, but nothing creates more sparks and power than Bullfighters Only, which takes place Saturday, Feb. 17, in conjunction with the stock show and rodeo’s final night. “The crowd there is just outstanding,” said Zach Call, the reigning BFO-San Angelo champion from Mullen, Neb. “The whole atmosphere is incredible.” It is, and it only gets better when the bullfights take place. After all, it’s the most extreme of all sports, with men facing danger at every turn. It’s a true man-vs.-beast showcase, with athletic, agile and aggressive Spanish fighting bulls, which have been bred to have those traits. “The BFO is really good at bringing top-of-the-line stock contractors, keeping the standard of the BFO as high as it can be,” said Schell Apple, from Fay, Okla. “With these stock contractors, we’re getting the best of the best bulls.” Rockin’ B & Magnifica, the 2017 BFO Stock Contractor of the Year, will provide the fighting bulls in San Angelo. Brett Hall’s bulls are supercharged, able to move fast and turn quickly. Bullfighters want the animals to stay engaged in the bouts, staying as close as possible while the men escape harm by fractions of an inch. Scores are based on how well the bull remains engaged in the fight and on how well the bullfighters maneuver around and, sometimes, over the animals. “The key is for me to do the most I can with the bull that I draw,” Call said. “This year I want to stay consistent. Last year I started out strong, then midway through the year, I kind of petered out. In order to battle for the world title, I need to be consistent all year.” That’s the key to being successful in any athletic endeavor. But there’s a little bit more incentive for the San Angelo bullfighters: The winner earns a qualification to the six-man BFO event that takes place Saturday, Feb. 24, at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. “What makes San Angelo such a cool event is that you’re not only winning San Angelo, but you’re earning a spot in the first of the new Wrangler Bullfights,” Apple said. “It’s amazing that the BFO has brought back the Wrangler Bullfights. “To be able to qualify for a spot at that event in San Antonio is absolutely awesome. It’s an opportunity I plan to take full advantage of.” CONTESTANTS Schell Apple Zach Call Justin Josey

Bullfighters Only to launch new Wrangler Bullfights at celebrated rodeo SAN ANTIONIO – The greatest indoor event in ProRodeo is about to be even better. The San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo is teaming with Bullfighters Only to produce a legendary freestyle bullfight during this year’s Xtreme Bulls event, set for 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24. The high-stakes competition will take place at the AT&T Center and will feature the best in the BFO battling for their share of a $25,000 purse – half of which will go to the winner. “It’s an honor to be associated with an organization like San Antonio,” said Aaron Ferguson, BFO’s founder and CEO. “Getting the spotlight on a stage of that magnitude is incredible for our sport and the athletes. Plus, they are competing for a lot of money.” San Antonio will be the first event of the newly revitalized Wrangler Bullfights Tour, which was established in the early 1980s and disbanded in 2001. Bullfighters Only has formed a partnership with Wrangler Jeans and Shirts to showcase the world’s top bullfighters at rodeos across the country. “Bullfighters Only has established a following showcasing the best athletes in freestyle bullfighting,” said Glen Alan Phillips, chief strategy officer at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo. San Antonio has been named the Large Indoor Rodeo of the Year by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association for the past 13 years. It’s status as one of the best rodeos has been cemented, and that’s why Bullfighters Only is excited to be part of the celebration. “San Antonio is a rodeo I’ve always dreamed about competing in,” said Weston Rutkowski, the two-time and reigning BFO world champion from Haskell, Texas. “Now they’re bringing in the BFO Wrangler Bullfights, and giving me the opportunity to do what I do best in front of thousands of people. Rutkowski will be joined by a stellar cast of the BFO’s top talent: Toby Inman, Kris Furr, Dayton Spiel and Tanner Zarnetski are all set to compete. The sixth contender will be decided Saturday, Feb. 17, during the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo. Justin Josey, Zach Call and Schell Apple will square off against counterparts from 2017 BFO Stock Contractor of the Year, Rockin’ B & Magnifica Fighting Bulls. “This is a really big deal for us,” Rutkowski said. “We started the BFO three years ago, and it’s exciting to see the types of rodeos that are getting on the BFO wagon.” CONTESTANTS Weston Rutkowski Toby Inman Kris Furr Dayton Spiel Tanner Zarnetski San Angelo winner

SAN ANGELO, Texas – Through a month and a half of 2018, Logan Corbett had earned just $1,000 riding bucking horses in ProRodeo. He quadrupled that Thursday night by winning the first round of bareback riding at the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo. Corbett, the rodeo coach at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, scored 87 points on Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo’s Black Widow to win the round. He also takes that top spot with him to Championship Friday with a chance to win the rodeo’s overall championship. “Winning the round really means a lot,” said Corbett, who is just in his sophomore season in ProRodeo. “Last year was my rookie year, and I got the opportunity to travel with Tim (O’Connell) and Shane (O’Connell, no relation). I coach a rodeo program full time, so this is a side gig, and I went to 62 rodeos last year.” Tim O’Connell the two-time reigning world champion who has qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo the past four seasons. Shane O’Connell finished 19th in the world standings, just missing out on being one of the top 15 qualifiers. So far this year, he sits No. 1 in the world standings, while the champion sits seventh. Corbett, though, isn’t among the top 50 … yet. He qualified for the RAM Turquoise Circuit Finals Rodeo last year, which is a big step for a newcomer in the game. He hopes to gather more experiences this year to help him along his rodeo career. “This money is pretty big,” he said of the $4,185 he earned Thursday. “The rodeo fund was running pretty low. It was also a stressful day at home. I got up early to leave for the airport, and my daughter’s pony was having a bout with colic. My wife had to take care of everything at home, so she got the pony to the vet. “Now we’ll have that vet bill to take care of, so this money from the long round is critical.” There are no guarantees in rodeo. Contestants must pay an entry fee just to compete, and they only get return on their investment if they beat most of the others in the field. He had a little help with Black Widow, a younger Carr horse. “He was outstanding,” Corbett said of the animal. “He was really strong.” Now he’ll have the opportunity to get on another one Friday night. That’s not too shabby for a cowboy competing in San Angelo for the first time in his career. “I couldn’t be happier to be part of the short round, because the horses are going to be the real deal – a lot have been to the NFR or are going this year,” he said. “It’s very rewarding to see a lot of the hard work you put into it paying off. “It’s good for the team, too, because I’m always preaching about putting in the work, going to the gym and keeping your head right. It’s helpful for me to come to a rodeo like this and win, so it reinforces to my team that I know what I’m talking about.” Now he gets a chance to add to his total, and prove himself to his rodeo team even more, during Friday’s championship round. It will feature only the best from the preliminary rounds, which concluded Thursday. It’s a true showcase of rodeo’s brightest stars. “It’s going to be electric, that’s for sure,” Corbett said. “That crowd tonight was unbelievable and just a ton of fun. The rodeo committee takes care of the cowboys. “Of course, it’s always a lot more fun when you do well.” San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo Feb. 2-4, Feb. 9-11, Feb. 14-16 Bareback riding leaders: 1. Logan Corbett, 87 points on Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo’s Black Widow, $4,185; 2. Luke Creasy, 86.5, $3,209; 4. David Peebles, 85.5, $2,372; 5. (tie) Will Lowe, Tanner Aus and Justin Pollmiller, 85, $1,070 each; 7. Richmond Champion, 84, $558; 8. (tie) J.R. Vezain and Levi Nicholson, 83.5, $209 each; 10. Kaycee Feild, 82.5; 11. (tie) BoDell Jessen and Wyatt Denny, 82. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Dakota Eldridge, 3.1 seconds, $3,653; 2. (tie) Craig Hicks, Brandon Harrison, Cameron Morman and Marcus Theriot, 3.5, $2,462 each; 6. (tie) John Kloeckler, Jarret New and Rowdy Parrott, 3.7, $794 each. Second round leaders: 1. (tie) Dirk Tavenner, Clayton Hass, Jacob Talley and Cody Devers, 3.4 seconds, $2,938 each; 5. Chason Floyd, 3.5, $1,747; 6. (tie) Sam Powers and Cade Staton, 3.6, $1,032 each; 8. Cody Doescher, 3.7, $318. Average leaders: 1. Dakota Eldridge, 7.1 seconds on two runs; 2. Clayton Hass, 7.2; 3. Jacob Talley, 7.5; 4. Sam Powers, 7.7; 5. Craig Hicks, 7.8; 6. Blake Mindemann, 7.9; 7. Denver Berry, 8.2; 8. Cody Doescher, 8.4; 9. (tie) Tyler Waguespack, Blaine Jones and Cameron Morman, 8.5; 12. Scott Guenthner, 8.6. Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Steven Duby/Evan Arnold, 3.6 seconds, $3,471; 2. Tanner Green/Cody Hogan, 3.8, $3,105; 3. Brock Hanson/Ryan Motes, 3.9, $2,639; 4. (tie) Clay Smith/Paul Eaves, Cory Kidd/Caleb Anderson and Dustin Egusquiza/Kory Koonts, 4.0, $1,808 each; 7. (tie) Lane Ivy/Buddy Hawkins II, J.B. James Jr/Cesar de la Cruz and Bobby Baize/Justin Fox, 4.1, $362 each. Second round leaders: 1. Nelson Wyatt/Trace Porter, 3.6 secondS, $3,571; 2. Bubba Buckaloo/Joseph Harrison, 3.8, $3,105; 3. Luke Brown/Jake Long and Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp, 3.9, $2,406; 5. (tie) Tom Richards/Jake Smith, Tyler Mangus/Truman Leo Mangus, Colby Lovell/Ty Arnold and Colby Lovell/Ty Arnold, 4.0, $1,009. Average: 1. Steven Duby/Evan Arnold, 8.2 seconds on two runs; 2. (tie) Clay Smith/Paul Eaves and Tom Richards/Jake Smith, 8.3; 4. Brock Hanson/Ryan Motes, 8.4; 5. (tie) Paul David Tierney/Tanner Braden and Dustin Egusquiza/Kory Koontz, 9.5; 7. (tie) Nelson Wyatt/Trace Porter and Tyler Wade/Trey Yates, 9.0; 9. (tie) Logan Olson/Matt Kasner and Tyler Waters/Britt Bockius, 9.2; 11. (tie) Andrew Livingston/Twister Cain and Tate Kirchenschlager/Tyler Worley, 9.5. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Wade Sundell, 88.5 points on Powder River Rodeo’s Morning  Continue Reading »

SAN ANGELO, Texas – For more than a decade, Taos Muncy has been one of the greatest bronc riders in ProRodeo. He’s a two-time world champion, having earned gold buckles in 2007 and ’11, and has qualified nine times for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, the sport’s premier championship. On Wednesday night during the ninth performance of the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo, he danced across the arena dirt with Northcott Macza Rodeo’s Moving Shadows for 87 points to move into second place in the opening go-round. If he remains in that spot, he’ll add at least another $2,500 to his bank account. More importantly, the Corona, N.M., cowboy is in position to win the San Angelo title – he has guaranteed himself a spot in Friday’s championship round, which will feature the top 12 contestants in each event from the preliminary rounds. When he returns Friday, he’ll have company; both of his traveling partners, Zeke Thurston and Tyrel Larsen, scored well enough Wednesday to have a chance to compete in the short round. Thurston, a three-time NFR qualifier from Big Valley, Alberta, was 85 points on Northcott Macza’s Power Supply to sit fourth, while Larsen, a 2015 NFR qualifier from Inglis, Manitoba, was 83 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Daisy Duke; he sits eighth. Every step is vital, no matter the rodeo or the time of year. Of course, it’s important to get off to a good start. So far this season, Muncy is ninth in the world standings. Thurston sits 12th, yet Larsen is 36th. Every dollar counts – in rodeo, there are no guarantees. Only the top finishers earn money in each round. But dollars equal points, and the contestants in each event who finish the season with the highest earnings will be crowned world champions. Muncy and Thurston know that feeling. Thurston, a second-generation NFR cowboy, won the gold buckle in 2016. Larsen is trying to work his way into the top spot in the land. For now, though, they’ll focus their attention to Championship Friday in San Angelo. Last year’s winner, Ryder Wright, earned $7,000 by winning the San Angelo title, and he parlayed it into a world championship season. There’s always hope that any of the cowboys in Friday’s field can follow the same path to gold. San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo Feb. 2-4, Feb. 9-11, Feb. 14-16 Bareback riding leaders: 1. Luke Creasy, 86.5 points on Lancaster and Jones’ Total Equine’s North Country; 2. David Peebles, 85.5; 3. (tie) Will Lowe, Tanner Aus and Justin Pollmiller, 85; 6. Richmond Champion, 84; 7. (tie) J.R. Vezain and Levi Nicholson, 83.5; 9. Kaycee Feild, 82.5; 10. (tie) BoDell Jessen and Wyatt Denny, 82; 12. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Dakota Eldridge, 3.1 seconds, $3,653; 2. (tie) Craig Hicks, Brandon Harrison, Cameron Morman and Marcus Theriot, 3.5, $2,462 each; 6. (tie) John Kloeckler, Jarret New and Rowdy Parrott, 3.7, $794 each. Second round leaders: 1. (tie) Dirk Tavenner, Clayton Hass, Jacob Talley and Cody Devers, 3.4 seconds; 5. Chason Floyd, 3.5; 6. (tie) Sam Powers and Cade Staton, 3.6; 8. Denver Berry, 3.8. Average leaders: 1. Dakota Eldridge, 7.1 seconds on two runs; 2. Clayton Hass, 7.2; 3. Jacob Talley, 7.5; 4. Sam Powers, 7.7; 5. Blake Mindemann, 7.9; 6. Denver Berry, 8.2; 7. (tie) Tyler Waguespack, Blaine Jones and Cameron Morman, 8.5; 10. Scott Guenthner, 8.6; 11. (tie) Tyler Pearson and Will Lummus, 8.7. Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Steven Duby/Evan Arnold, 3.6 seconds, $3,471; 2. Tanner Green/Cody Hogan, 3.8, $3,105; 3. Brock Hanson/Ryan Motes, 3.9, $2,639; 4. (tie) Clay Smith/Paul Eaves, Cory Kidd/Caleb Anderson and Dustin Egusquiza/Kory Koonts, 4.0, $1,808 each; 7. (tie) Lane Ivy/Buddy Hawkins II, J.B. James Jr/Cesar de la Cruz and Bobby Baize/Justin Fox, 4.1, $362 each. Second round leaders: 1. Nelson Wyatt/Trace Porter, 3.6 seconds; 2. Bubba Buckaloo/Joseph Harrison, 3.8; 3. Luke Brown/Jake Long and Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp, 3.9; 5. (tie) Tom Richards/Jake Smith, Tyler Mangus/Truman Leo Mangus, Colby Lovell/Ty Arnold and Colby Lovell/Ty Arnold, 4.0. Average: 1. Steven Duby/Evan Arnold, 8.2 seconds on two runs; 2. (tie) Clay Smith/Paul Eaves and Tom Richards/Jake Smith, 8.3; 4. Brock Hanson/Ryan Motes, 8.4; 5. (tie) Paul David Tierney/Tanner Braden and Dustin Egusquiza/Kory Koontz, 9.5; 7. (tie) Nelson Wyatt/Trace Porter and Tyler Wade/Trey Yates, 9.0; 9. (tie) Logan Olson/Matt Kasner and Tyler Waters/Britt Bockius, 9.2; 11. Tate Kirchenschlager/Tyler Worley, 9.5; 12. Lane Ivy/Buddy Hawkins II, 13.1. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Wade Sundell, 88.5 points on Powder River Rodeo’s Morning Tea; 2. Taos Muncy, 87; 3. Ryder Wright, 85.5; 4. Zeke Thurston, 85; 5. Audy Reed, 84.5; 6. (tie) Sterling Crawley and Clay Elliott, 84; 8. Tyrel Larsen, 83; 9. Rusty Wright, 81.5; 10. Lefty Holman, 80.5; 11. (tie) James Greeson and Shade Etbauer, 80. Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. Weldon Watson, 7.1 seconds, $4,942; 2. Scott Kormos, 7.3, $4,297; 3. (tie) Cory Solomon and Westyn Hughes, 7.7, $3,330 each; 5. (tie) Blane Cox, Zack Jongbloed and Cody Huber, 7.8, $1,719 each; 8. Cody Craig, 7.9, $430. Second round: 1. Tuf Cooper, 7.0 seconds; 2. Trevor Brazile, 7.4; 3. Michael Perry, 7.7; 4. Cade Swor, 7.8; 5. (tie) Blane Cox and Garrett Jacobs, 7.9; 7. (tie) Trent Creager, Hunter Herrin and Ryan Watkins, 8.0; 8. Brent Walden, 8.2. Average: 1. Blane Cox, 15.7 seconds on two runs; 2. Scott Kormos, 16.2; 3. Hunter Herrin, 16.3; 4. Timber Moore, 16.9; 5. (tie) Weldon Watson and Zack Jongbloed, 17.42; 7. (tie) Michael Perry and D.J. Parker, 17.52; 9. Marcus Theriot, 17.6; 10. L.D. Meier, 17.7; 11. Brice Ingo, 17.8; 12. Garrett Jacobs, 18.0. Barrel racing: Second round leaders: 1. Teri Bangart, 14.21 seconds; 2. Cindy Smith, 14.27; 3. Carman Pozzobon, 14.28; 4. Tyra Kane, 14.30; 5. Tammy Fischer, 14.32; 6. Kaycie Teague, 14.35; 7. (tie) Sissy Winn and Dena Kirkpatrick, 14.39; 9. Alex Lang, 14.40; 10. Callahan Crossley, 14.41. Average leaders: 1. Dena Kirpatrick, 30.40 seconds on two runs; 2. Tyra Kane, 30.41; 3. Cindy Smith, 30.50; 4.  Continue Reading »

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is an opinion piece about the newly formed World Champions Rodeo Alliance. The release came Tuesday morning from a new joint venture between the established PBR and a newcomer to the game, World Champions Rodeo Alliance. As the word spread, so did speculation. Is this a renewed version of the ERA? How and why is the PBR involved? What does this mean for established rodeos? The release is somewhat vague, but, in essence, it establishes that the PBR and WCRA will collaborate “to jointly produce, market and promote rodeo events.” The idea is growth for the sport while utilizing the PBR’s placement as the premier stand-alone bull riding association and its marketing tools. The first event – the WCRA Rodeo Showdown – will take place May 4-6 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. It will be in conjunction with the PBR’s Last Man Standing and will include the seven standard rodeo disciplines. The compensation appears to be amazing in a match-play format, which will feature eight competitors in each discipline. Winners will pocket $32,000. There was no mention of compensation for any others. But the release never explains what the WCRA is. In the “About the WCRA” section, the release lists this: “The World Champions Rodeo Alliance (WCRA) is a professional sport and entertainment entity, created to develop and advance the sport of rodeo by aligning all levels of competition. In association with Professional Bull Riders (PBR), WCRA produces major rodeo events, developing additional opportunities for rodeo industry competitors, stakeholders and fans. To learn more, visit worldchampionsrodeoalliance.com.” That, too, is vague, as is the alliance’s website. But here’s what I’ve been told by various sources: Yes, this is a reinvention of the ERA; but this also a different business model. The WCRA is about the growth and development of all levels of rodeo, and it is to be inclusionary – meaning it wants to include the PRCA and other rodeo associations as necessary. While the ERA was seen as adversarial to the PRCA and others, the WCRA is hoping to avoid adversaries with its next steps. I was told by several former ERA shareholders that the ERA had no intentions of being at odds with the PRCA. It just happened that way, and there were many reason for it on both sides of the dividing line. The basic foundation behind the ERA and the WCRA is sound: Try to grow the sport, its fan base, its sponsorships and the financial rewards for all involved in every association possible. The WCRA believes rodeo needs to create a tiered competition system to help market the stars, much like the PBR has done with its Built Ford Tough Series, its premier tour, and the Real Time Pain Relief Velocity Tour. That has followed the professional baseball system, which has the MLB as its primary focus but has development levels all the way up. I get that, and, most importantly, I applaud it. But there are concerns, just as there were when the ERA was announced. The cloak of secrecy the ERA placed led to great speculation and the ever-developing rumor mill. That same cloak is covering the WCRA, and it’s awfully familiar. For proof, read the vague news release issued today or check out the WCRA’s website. I believe the WCRA needs to have a level of transparency, that it needs to open its doors and allow a look inside. It needs to be proud of what it is and what it wants to do – for everyone involved in rodeo. It would allow more trust and more solid communication to take place. And it would be a fresh start for regrowth of the industry we love so much.

SAN ANGELO, Texas – Sage Kimzey didn’t need any more motivation, but he found it anyway. Kimzey, the reigning four-time world champion bull rider from Strong City, Okla., was sidelined for more than a month after suffering a fractured pelvis. He returned Sunday afternoon with a vengeance, matching moves with Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Lonesome You for 91 points to take the first-round lead at the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo. “Being away refreshed my outlook on the sport,” said Kimzey, who earned more than $1 million riding bulls in 2017, with $436,479 coming in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. “Nobody likes being away from something they love. “When you are hurt, there are those little voices of doubt that come into your head. But to get on a bull that bucks really hard and ride it like the injury never happened, it did worlds for my morale and my attitude toward the sport of bull riding.” Kimzey has been outspoken that his primary goal in rodeo is to surpass Don Gay with the most bull riding world championships in ProRodeo history. Gay, who rode in the 1970s and ’80s, has eight. Kimzey is already halfway there and just celebrated his 23rd birthday in December. He spent five weeks on the injured list and is excited to be back in the game he loves. His ride Sunday guarantees his spot in Friday’s championship round, which will feature only the top 12 contestants in each event from the preliminary rounds. “That bull had a really good trip today,” he said of Lonesome You. “I was really glad to have him. He definitely bucked hard. If you’re in the right spot, he’s the kind of bull that you can make a good ride on. He has a lot of up and down, so if you stub you’re toe, he’ll definitely make you pay for it.” Now in just his fifth year, Kimzey has ridden 66 percent of his bulls. Compare that to other world champions, and it is a big number. Four-time champ J.W. Harris has a 52 percent riding percentage in his career, and PBR world champion J.B. Mauney is at 55 percent. Not only was his return to competition key, but so was finding success. He hasn’t always been at the top in this west Texas town. “I’ve always done terrible here,” said Kimzey, who was one of four contestants to move into the lead Sunday – he was joined by barrel racer Tyra Kane, who has a two-run cumulative time of 30.41 seconds; tie-down roper Blane Cox, a two-run time of 15.7 seconds; and Wade Sundell, who scored 88.5 points on Powder River Rodeo’s Morning Tea. “I’ve been knocked out once and had ribs separated here. This gets the ball rolling. This is only the second bull I’ve been on since m injury, so it’s good to come out here and ride well.” He will compete Tuesday-Thursday in San Antonio, then return to San Angelo for the championship night, where all the winners will be crowned for 2018. “The short-go is where everybody wants to be,” he said. “This not only locks me into the short round, but it also gives me a really good shot to win San Angelo. That’s when all the chips will be in. “All the bulls will be good. The rodeo’s always good because the contractor always has good bulls for us, and the people really get into the rodeo. It’s a lot different than most rodeos we go to. The people in San Angelo have a Western background, and they love the sport of rodeo.” After five weeks on the shelf, Sage Kimzey has returned to the sport he loves, too. San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo Feb. 2-4, Feb. 9-11, Feb. 14-16 Bareback riding leaders: 1. Luke Creasy, 86.5 points on Lancaster and Jones’ Total Equine’s North Country; 2. David Peebles, 85.5; 3. (tie) Will Lowe, Tanner Aus and Justin Pollmiller, 85; 6. Richmond Champion, 84; 7. J.R. Vezain, 83.5; 8. Kaycee Feild, 82.5; 9. (tie) BoDell Jessen and Wyatt Denny, 82; 11. (tie) Jake Brown and Tilden Hooper, 81. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Dakota Eldridge, 3.1 seconds; 2. (tie) Brandon Harrison and Cameron Morman, 3.5; 4. (tie) John Kloeckler, Jarret New and Rowdy Parrott, 3.7; 7. (tie) Clayton Hass and Bridger Anderson, 3.8. Second round leaders: 1. (tie) Dirk Tavenner, Clayton Hass, Jacob Talley and Cody Devers, 3.4 seconds; 5. Chason Floyd, 3.5; 6. (tie) Sam Powers and Cade Staton, 3.6; 8. Denver Berry, 3.8. Average leaders: 1. Dakota Eldridge, 7.1 seconds on two runs; 2. Clayton Hass, 7.2; 3. Jacob Talley, 7.5; 4. Sam Powers, 7.7; 5. Blake Mindemann, 7.9; 6. Denver Berry, 8.2; 7. (tie) Tyler Waguespack, Blaine Jones and Cameron Morman, 8.5; 10. Scott Guenthner, 8.6; 11. (tie) Tyler Pearson and Will Lummus, 8.7. Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Steven Duby/Evan Arnold, 3.6 seconds; 2. Tanner Green/Cody Hogan, 3.8; 3. Brock Hanson/Ryan Motes, 3.9; 4. (tie) Clay Smith/Paul Eaves, (tie) Lane Ivy/Buddy Hawkins II, J.B. James Jr/Cesar de la Cruz and Bobby Baize/Justin Fox, 4.1. Second round leaders: 1. Nelson Wyatt/Trace Porter, 3.6 seconds; 2. Bubba Buckaloo/Joseph Harrison, 3.8; 3. Luke Brown/Jake Long and Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp, 3.9; 5. (tie) Tom Richards/Jake Smith, Tyler Mangus/Truman Leo Mangus, Colby Lovell/Ty Arnold and Colby Lovell/Ty Arnold, 4.0. Average: 1. Steven Duby/Evan Arnold, 8.2 seconds on two runs; 2. (tie) Clay Smith/Paul Eaves and Tom Richards/Jake Smith, 8.3; 4. Brock Hanson/Ryan Motes, 8.4; 5. (tie) Paul David Tierney/Tanner Braden and Dustin Egusquiza/Kory Koontz, 9.5; 7. (tie) Nelson Wyatt/Trace Porter and Tyler Wade/Trey Yates, 9.0; 9. (tie) Logan Olson/Matt Kasner and Tyler Waters/Britt Bockius, 9.2; 11. Tate Kirchenschlager/Tyler Worley, 9.5; 12. Lane Ivy/Buddy Hawkins II, 13.1. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Wade Sundell, 88.5 points on Powder River Rodeo’s Morning Tea; 2. Ryder Wright, 85.5; 3. Audy Reed, 84.5; 4. (tie) Sterling Crawley and Clay Elliott, 84; 6. Rusty Wright, 81.5; 7. Lefty Holman, 80.5; 8. (tie) James  Continue Reading »

SAN ANGELO, Texas – The 2018 ProRodeo season has started off rather slowly for Dakota Eldridge. He’s not among the top 50 in the world standings, but that can change within the next week or so after his two runs Saturday at the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo. Eldridge, a five-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Elko, Nev., downed two steers in a cumulative time of 7.1 seconds to take the steer wrestling lead. “I knew my first steer was pretty good, because they were good on that steer the first time they ran him here,” said Eldridge, who won NFR average championships in 2015 and 2017. “I knew I needed to use every opportunity I had. I scored good and bulldogged great, so it worked out.” Yes, it did. His afternoon time of 3.1 seconds placed him into the first-round lead. He ran his second-round steer during Saturday evening’s seventh performance and stopped the clock in 4.0 seconds. He is just one-tenth of a second out of placing in that round. But the important piece of the puzzle is having a fast two-run aggregate time, because only the top 12 return next Friday for the championship round. The key behind all of his success lies with Rusty, a 19-year-old sorrel gelding that has been his key partner each of the past six years. That includes all five trips to Las Vegas and the two average saddles. “He’s getting a little age to him, but he’s feeling better than he ever has,” Eldridge said. “He’s seasoned, and now I’m getting seasoned. This horse has been with me since I was a little kid.” He’s also been an important mount for others along the way. Clayton Hass, a three-time NFR qualifier from Stephenville, Texas, has been riding the talented red horse this winter. He is second in the San Angelo average, just a tenth of a second behind Eldridge. “With Clayton being right in there, Rusty should have a good day Friday when we head back over here for the short round,” Eldridge said. “It’s great to have a little momentum as we get ready for our set in San Antonio.” He and others will compete at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo from Tuesday-Thursday, then return to San Angelo Coliseum for championship night. “I’ve had a lot of luck at San Angelo,” Eldridge said. “You’ve always got a great crowd, and it’s a short, fast setup. “I’ve finished second and third here in years past. You’re always trying to get the kinks worked out by the time you get to San Angelo. I’ve been drawing pretty good, but I’ve dropped the ball a little. Hopefully it’s all coming together at the right time.” Sometimes things just don’t go a competitor’s way, but the Nevada cowboy knows how to take the roller-coaster rides that come with ProRodeo. He’s eager to return to the NFR for a sixth straight year, and he’s got the partner he needs to do it with Rusty. “That horse has made 50 runs with me at the finals, and it’s been six years of hauling him professionally down t he road,” he said. “That horse has been there for me time and time again. For him to be that consistent is amazing.” San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo Feb. 2-4, Feb. 9-11, Feb. 14-16 Bareback riding leaders: 1. Luke Creasy, 86.5 points on Lancaster and Jones’ Total Equine’s North Country; 2. (tie) Will Lowe, Tanner Aus and Justin Pollmiller, 85; 5. Kaycee Feild, 82.5; 6. (tie) BoDell Jessen and Wyatt Denny, 82; 8. (tie) Jake Brown and Tilden Hooper, 81; 10. Kash Wilson, 80.5; 11. (tie) Clayton Biglow and Trenton Montero, 80. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Dakota Eldridge, 3.1 seconds; 2. (tie) Brandon Harrison and Cameron Morman, 3.5; 4. (tie) John Kloeckler, Jarret New and Rowdy Parrott, 3.7; 7. Clayton Hass and Bridger Anderson, 3.8. Second round leaders: 1. (tie) Dirk Tavenner, Clayton Hass, Jacob Talley and Cody Devers, 3.4 seconds; 5. Chason Floyd, 3.5; 6. Cade Staton, 3.6; 7. Denver Berry, 3.8; 8. (tie) Blake Knowles, Blake Mindemann, Mike McGinn and Dru Melvin, 3.9. Average leaders: 1. Dakota Eldridge, 7.1 seconds on two runs; 2. Clayton Hass, 7.2; 3. Jacob Talley, 7.5; 4. Blake Mindemann, 7.9; 5. Denver Berry, 8.2; 6. (tie) Tyler Waguespack, Blaine Jones and Cameron Morman, 8.5; 9. Scott Guenthner, 8.6; 10. (tie) Tyler Pearson and Will Lummus, 8.7; 12. Stockton Graves, 9.0. Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Steven Duby/Evan Arnold, 3.6 seconds; 2. Tanner Green/Cody Hogan, 3.8; 3. Brock Hanson/Ryan Motes, 3.9; 4. (tie) Clay Smith/Paul Eaves, (tie) Lane Ivy/Buddy Hawkins, J.B. James Jr/Cesar de la Cruz and Bobby Baize/Justin Fox, 4.1. Second round leaders: 1. Nelson Wyatt/Trace Porter, 3.6 seconds; 2. Bubba Buckaloo/Joseph Harrison, 3.8; 3. Luke Brown/Jake Long and Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp, 3.9; 5. (tie) Tom Richards/Jake Smith, Tyler Mangus/Truman Leo Mangus and Colby Lovell/Ty Arnold, 4.0; 8. (tie) Tyler Wade/Trey Yates and Paul David Tierney/Tanner Braden, 4.1. Average: 1. Steven Duby/Evan Arnold, 8.2 seconds on two runs; 2. (tie) Clay Smith/Paul Eaves Tom Richards/Jake Smith, 8.3; 4. Brock Hanson/Ryan Motes, 8.4; 5. Paul David Tierney/TannerBraden, 9.5; 6. (tie) Nelson Wyatt/Trace Porter and Tyler Wade/Trey Yates, 9.0; 8. (tie) Logan Olson/Matt Kasner and Tyler Waters/Britt Bockius,9.2; 10. Tate Kirchenschlager/Tyler Worley, 9.5; 11. Lane Ivy/Buddy Hawkins II, 13.1; 12. (tie) Tyler Mangus/Truman Leo Mangus and Aaron Macy/Wyatt Cox, 13.8. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Ryder Wright, 85.5 points on Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo’s Sweet Maria; 2. Audy Reed, 84.5; 3. Sterling Crawley, 84; 4. Rusty Wright, 81.5; 5. Lefty Holman, 80.5; 6. (tie) James Greeson and Shade Etbauer, 80; 8. Layton Green, 79.5; 9. (tie) Isaac Diaz and Troy Crowser, 79; 11. (tie) Preston Burr and Ty Manke, 78. Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. Weldon Watson, 7.1 seconds; 2. Scott Kormos, 7.3; 3. (tie) Cory Solomon and Westyn Hughes, 7.7; 5. (tie) Blane Cox, Zack Jongbloed and Cody Huber, 7.8; 8. Cody  Continue Reading »

SAN ANGELO, Texas – There’s a reason the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo is one of Scott Kormos’ favorite events. “When you’ve had success somewhere and keep having success there, it keeps going to the top of the board as far as our favorite events,” said Kormos, a tie-down roper from Teague, Texas, with eight qualifications to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. On Friday night during the fifth rodeo performance, he roped and tied his calf in 7.3 seconds, moving into second place in the first round. He will compete again during the sixth performance, which begins at 1 p.m. Saturday, with hopes of posting another fast run and securing his spot for the championship round; that will feature the top 12 contestants in each event from the preliminary rounds. “I had a good calf, and my horse worked good,” said Kormos, who could move into the No. 1 spot in the two-run aggregate if he posts a run of 10.0 seconds or faster Saturday afternoon. “I just wanted to make a solid, no-mistake run. “It’s always pretty fast here. The first thing you’ve got to do is draw a good calf. Once you’ve got a good one, you’ve got to go after it. There are 200 of the best guys in the world here every year. You’d better bring you’re A Game.” So far, so good for the Texan, who is 12th so far in the 2018 world standings. He’s had plenty of success in this west Texas community over the years, and he always enjoys coming back. He won the San Angelo title a few years ago and has left town with money most years. “San Angelo has been good to me,” he said. “I like this rodeo. They have a great committee here. They do a lot of things for the fans, and they really do a lot for the contestants, too. The hospitality is really good here. “The fans in this town are good, and it’s been like this every year that I’ve been coming here. The people out here are calf roping fans; we have a big roping out here in the fall, and they show up. It’s a pretty neat place.” The winter is fairly lean for most rodeo contestants. There are a number of big-money rodeos, but they are spread out. He may compete one weekend, then not be on the rodeo trail for a few weeks again. It’s much different than in the summer, where cowboys can hit virtually a rodeo a day for many weeks at a time. “The hard part about this time of year is getting your confidence, because you can go so long between runs,” he said. “If you’re able to run good calves and make good runs, then it helps.” He started a solid streak on Friday night, and he hopes it carries over into the weeks and months ahead. He last competed at the NFR in 2013, and he’s taken some off the rodeo trail to secure his team to make another run at Las Vegas. “I haven’t rodeo’d hard the last three or four years because I’ve been trying to get a horse together,” said Kormos, 37. “Now I’ve got a horse that I really like. I want to get back to that, because there’s a lot of good money up at the NFR now. You want to take your shot at that.” He has plenty of confidence in competing at San Angelo, so there’s no reason to doubt him now. San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo Feb. 2-4, Feb. 9-11, Feb. 14-16 Bareback riding leaders: 1. Luke Creasy, 86.5 points on Lancaster and Jones’ Total Equine’s North Country; 2. (tie) Will Lowe, Tanner Aus and Justin Pollmiller, 85; 5. BoDell Jessen, 82; 6. (tie) Jake Brown and Tilden Hooper, 81; 8. Kash Wilson, 80.5; 9. Jordan Pelton, 79l 10. Taylor Broussard, 77; 11. (tie) Dayton Swearingen, Tyler Berghuis, Kody Lamb, Wyatt Ortega, Kyle Charley and Justin Miller, 76. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. (tie) Brandon Harrison and Cameron Morman, 3.5 seconds; 3. (tie) John Kloeckler and Jarret New, 3.7; 5. Bridger Anderson, 3.8; 6. (tie) Tyler Waguespack and Blake Mindemann, 4.0; 8. (tie) Ross Mosher, Sam Powers, Royce Johnson, Justin Shaffer, Jacob Talley and Josh Clark, 4.1. Second round leaders: 1. (tie) Dirk Tavenner, Jacob Talley and Cody Devers, 3.4 seconds; 4. Cade Staton, 3.6; 5. Denver Berry, 3.8; 6. (tie) Blake Knowles, Blake Mindemann, Mike McGinn and Dru Melvin, 3.9. Average leaders: 1. Jacob Talley, 7.5 seconds on two runs; 2. Blake Mindemann, 7.9; 3. Denver Berry, 8.2; 4. (tie) Tyler Waguespack, Blaine Jones and Cameron Morman, 8.5; 7. Scott Guenthner, 8.6; 8. (tie) Tyler Pearson and Will Lummus, 8.7; 9. Stockton Graves, 9.0; 11. Cody Harmon, 9.1; 12. (tie) Justin Shaffer and Mike McGinn, 9.2. Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Steven Duby/Evan Arnold, 3.6 seconds; 2. Tanner Green/Cody Hogan, 3.8; 3. Brock Hanson/Ryan Motes, 3.9; 4. (tie) Clay Smith/Paul Eaves and Cory Kidd V/Caleb Anderson, 4.0; 6. Lane Ivy/Buddy Hawkins, J.B. James Jr/Cesar de la Cruz and Bobby Baize/Justin Fox, 4.1. Second round leaders: 1. Nelson Wyatt/Trace Porter, 3.6 seconds; 2. Bubba Buckaloo/Joseph Harrison, 3.8; 3. (tie) Tom Richards/Jake Smith, Tyler Mangus/Truman Leo Mangus and Colby Lovell/Ty Arnold, 4.0; 6. (tie) Tyler Wade/Trey Yates and Paul David Tierney/Tanner Braden, 4.1; 8. (tie) Joshua Torres/Jonathan Torres and Shane Philipp/Joel Bach, 4.2. Average: 1. Steven Duby/Evan Arnold, 8.2 seconds on two runs; 2. (tie) Clay Smith/Paul Eaves Tom Richards/Jake Smith, 8.3; 4. Brock Hanson/Ryan Motes, 8.4; 5. Paul David Tierney/TannerBraden, 9.5; 6. (tie) Nelson Wyatt/Trace Porter and Tyler Wade/Trey Yates, 9.0; 8. Tyler Waters/Britt Bockius,9.2; 9. Tate Kirchenschlager/Tyler Worley, 9.5; 10. Lane Ivy/Buddy Hawkins II, 13.1; 11. (tie) Tyler Mangus/Truman Leo Mangus and Aaron Macy/Wyatt Cox, 13.8. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Ryder Wright, 85.5 points on Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo’s Sweet Maria; 2. Sterling Crawley, 84; 3. Rusty Wright, 81.5; 4. Lefty Holman, 80.5; 5. James Greeson, 80;  Continue Reading »

Bringing together the past and future of freestyle bullfighting The history of freestyle bullfighting dates back nearly 40 years, when Jim Sutton, David Little and David Allen developed the Wrangler Bullfighting Tour. Wrangler’s support helped propel the sport to its glory days in the 1980s and ’90s. Today, the premier freestyle bullfighting organization in the world, Bullfighters Only, is announcing a partnership with Wrangler Jeans and Shirts to launch the BFO Wrangler Bullfights. “This is an exciting time for freestyle bullfighting, and Bullfighters Only, to have an iconic brand like Wrangler involved with this sport again,” said Aaron Ferguson, founder and CEO of Bullfighters Only. “The Wrangler Bullfight brand is still synonymous with our sport, and we’re honored to bring it back to life. While we don’t take the responsibility lightly, we’re going to have a lot of fun bringing our innovation to such a staple of western sports.” The BFO Wrangler Bullfights will feature competitions that take place in conjunction with Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association events – the first of which will take place Feb. 24 at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo. “The Wrangler Bullfights go back over 30 years,” said Jeff Chadwick, the director of Western events for Wrangler. “It was the talent and heart of men like Wick Peth, Rob Smets, Miles Hare, Skipper Voss, Rex Dunn and other great bullfighters in paint, matched up with the likes of Crocked Nose and Purple People Eater, that brought fans to the edge of their seats for years. “Now, the next generation of athletes in cleats are matched up against the fastest and most aggressive bulls in the game – that’s what Bullfighters Only is about.” BFO has also formed a partnership with Wrangler Network, the online network built exclusively for those living the western lifestyle. Plans are being made to livestream the BFO Wrangler Bullfights, as well as BFO stand-alone events throughout 2018. “BFO has always been about fan engagement,” Ferguson said.  “To have the incredible team at Wrangler Network stream our events to so many fans just made sense.” There are a number of benefits to the partnership. “Wrangler teaming up with the BFO is a perfect fit,” said Weston Rutkowski, the reigning two-time world champion from Haskell, Texas. “Wrangler was such a big part of creating freestyle bullfighting and does so much for rodeo. For them to jump on board with the BFO, it will allow these two great companies to really showcase this sport. “The Wrangler brand is the epitome of freestyle bullfighting, and BFO is the premier bullfighting group in the world.” Lance Brittan understands that. He was the 1999 Wrangler Bullfighting world champion who briefly came out of retirement last year to compete in the BFO.  He now serves as a BFO judge and was one of two judges selected for the BFO Las Vegas Championship this past December. “The more partners we can get like Wrangler, the better it is for the BFO and for the up-and-coming bullfighters,” said Brittan of Windsor, Colo. “This is a really good thing for the future of freestyle bullfighting.” Brittan was joined as a BFO judge in Las Vegas by Rowdy Barry of Kennewick, Wash., who first became a professional bullfighter 32 years ago. He spent 15 years on the Wrangler Bullfight Tour. “Bullfighting is very different now than it was then, and that’s for the better,” Barry said. “In comparison, we fought a lot more crossbred bulls, and the bulls they had for the bullfights might go twice every week. You couldn’t really throw any tricks at them they hadn’t seen. “A lot of times, we were just trying to survive. That didn’t always leave a lot of room to be able to showcase our talents.” Bullfighters Only was established in 2015 and has quickly brought freestyle bullfighting into the mainstream by showcasing the true athleticism of its fighters, along with a powerful element of danger in an action-sports environment. “I think it’s awesome that Wrangler has teamed with the BFO,” Barry said. “There’s so much talent out there. There are a lot of great athletes that are bringing some new tricks to the industry, things that we never even thought of trying.” The BFO’s partnership with Wrangler is the perfect transition from freestyle bullfighting’s glorious history with the ever-developing future of the sport. “The sky is the limit with the BFO,” Rutkowski said. “We’re only scratching the surface of what we’re going to do in the future.”

SALT LAKE CITY – Just like a boxer, a freestyle bullfighter needs to be light on his feet and throw accurate punches in order to come out victorious. That’s exactly what Kris Furr did Saturday night to claim the first Bullfighters Only event of the season, held in conjunction with the Days of ’47 Lewis Feild Bulls & Broncs at the Maverik Center in Salt Lake City. “It’s a good start to the year,” said Furr, who matched moves with WAR Fighting Bulls’ Sinful Nights for 85 points to claim the championship. “That’s a sweet bull. You couldn’t ask for a better one, and I handled him.” As Sinful Nights burst out of the chute, Furr made a quick round with the black Spanish fighting bull. Then, as the animal showed his aggression, the North Carolinian threw a series of strong fakes to keep the bull off balance. Once he got enough separation, Furr was able to clear the bull on a head to tail jump. “He let me do my thing,” he said. “But, he sure helped me get the win.” Two-time reigning world champion Weston Rutkowski and Toby Inman, the 2017 reserve world champion, also had solid fights. Rutkowski finished second with an 82-point bout, but the difference came in the bull power. Inman finished third with a 77. “I was the first one out, so I wanted to set the standard,” Furr said. “That was definitely had the bull to win it.” But the bullfighter also had to hold up his end of the fight, and Furr did that. He also said it was great to be part of the Lewis Feild Bulls & Broncs, which featured all three rodeo roughstock events and barrel racing. “The crowd was into it the whole time, especially during the bullfight,” he said. “I think it was really neat to them because we did it in the dark under the spotlight, so that made it even more electric.” That’s what Bullfighters Only is all about, finding every way possible to showcase talent. RESULTS 1. Kris Furr, 85 points on WAR Fighting Bulls’ Sinful Nights; 2. Weston Rutkowski, 82; 3. Toby Inman, 77

SAN ANGELO, Texas – For most of her life, Teri Bangart dreamed of competing in barrel racing against the best cowgirls in the country. She’s doing it now. On Sunday afternoon during the fourth performance of the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo, Bangart proved why she’s on the rodeo trail. She and her mount, RCAs Three Bugs Honor, rounded the cloverleaf pattern in 14.21 seconds to take the second-round lead in commanding fashion. She and Peak also own the fastest time in the two-run aggregate and are holding out hope that they can return San Angelo for the Feb. 16 championship round, which will feature just the top 12 contestants in each event from the preliminary rounds. “I just wanted to have a good run under my belt,” said Bangart of Olympia, Wash., who is on her third year as a member of the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association. “It’s been kind of a trying month. Just having a good run in that pen was great, and the building was electrifying. The crowd was amazing. “My horse feeds off the energy in that building. He was on a roll today.” So is Bangart. She capped off the 2017 season as the Columbia River Circuit champion and is taking a run on the ProRodeo trail away from her Washington home for the first time in her life. Of course, this is all fairly new to the mother of two. She grew up with horses, but just had them around for pleasure. She didn’t start running barrels until 12 years ago, once she’d started her family. Now that she has her trusty stead, she decided to see how life would be on the road and away from family. “I’ve been gone since Jan. 16,” she said. “I talk to my kids at least every other day, but we text every day. They’re really supportive, and that’s great. That helps a lot, especially since I’ll be gone for six weeks.” She has a good chance to place high in the second round. In order to make it back for the short round, though, she’ll have to have one of the top 12 cumulative times on two runs. Now Bangart will have to wait through six more preliminary performances to see if she and Peak will have another shot inside that electric coliseum. “I would love to place at San Angelo,” she said. “If we could place fairly well, it would be a way of saying were supposed to be down here. To run against great horses and outstanding riders is pretty awesome.” Jordan Wacey Spears has proven to be one of the top bull riders in the game. He is coming off his third qualification to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, where he finished seventh in the world standings. On Sunday afternoon, he rode Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Buzzard Breath for 88.5 points to move into second place in the standings. That gives him a great chance to return for the short round and compete for the San Angelo crown. “That was a great-feeling bull, the one guys want to get on,” said Spears of Redding, Calif. “It felt good to get on a bull like that. It was one of the better bulls I’ve been on this year.” Spears has had plenty of success inside the San Angelo Coliseum over the years, and he’s looking to add to it again this year. “Pete Carr brings a bunch of really good bulls here,” he said. “You know you can win on these bulls, and the crowd is always great. The fans definitely show up, and there’s a lot of energy in the building. It makes for better rides, better scores and faster times.” That showed Sunday. San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo Feb. 2-4, Feb. 9-11, Feb. 14-16 Bareback riding leaders: 1. Luke Creasy, 86.5 points on Lancaster and Jones’ Total Equine’s North Country; 2. (tie) Will Lowe, Tanner Aus and Justin Pollmiller, 85; 5. (tie) Jake Brown and Tilden Hooper, 81; 7. Kash Wilson, 80.5; 8. Taylor Broussard, 77; 9. (tie) Dayton Swearingen, Tyler Berghuis, Kody Lamb, Wyatt Ortega and Kyle Charley, 76. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Tyler Waguespack, 4.0 seconds; 2. (tie) Will Lummus and Tyler Pearson, 4.2; 4. (tie) Cody Cabral, Ty Erickson and Kyle Irwin, 4.3; 7. (tie) Blaine Jones and Billy Bugenig, 4.4; 5. (tie) Tom Lewis and Badger Chambers, 4.8; 7. J.D. Struxness, 5.0; 8. Olin Hannum, 5.1. Second round leaders: 1. Dirk Tavenner, 3.4 seconds; 2. Blake Knowles, 3.9; 3. (tie) Scott Guenthner, Blaine Jones and Cody Kroul, 4.1; 6. (tie) Tyler Person, Tyler Waguespack and Will Lummus, 4.5. Average leaders: 1. (tie) Tyler Waguespack and Blaine Jones, 8.5 seconds on two runs; 3. Scott Guenthner, 8.6; 4. (tie) Tyler Pearson and Will Lummus, 8.7; 6. Bridger Chambers, 10.0; 7. Kyle Irwin, 19.2; 8. Dirk Tavenner, 3.4 seconds on one run; 9. Blake Knowles, 3.9. Team roping: First round leaders: 1. (tie) Clay Smith/Paul Eaves and Cory Kidd V/Caleb Anderson, 4.0 seconds; 2. Lane Ivy/Buddy Hawkins,4.1; 4. Riley Minor/Brady Minor, 4.2; 5. Tom Richards/Jake Smith, 4.3; 6. (tie) Levi Simpson/Jeremy Buhler and Paul David Tierney/Tanner Braden, 4.4; 8. Nelson Wyatt/Trace Porter, 5.4. Second round leaders: 1. Nelson Wyatt/Trace Porter, 3.6 seconds; 2. Bubba Buckaloo/Joseph Harriwon, 3.8; 3. Tom Richards/Jake Smith, 4.0; 4. (tie) Tyler Wade/Trey Yates and Paul David Tierney/Tanner Braden, 4.1; 6. (tie) Clay Smith/Paul Eaves and Ty Blasingame/Levi Tyan, 4.3; 8. Tanner Baldwin/Tanner Luttrell, 4.7. Average: 1. (tie) Clay Smith/Paul Eaves Tom Richards/Jake Smith, 8.3 seconds on two runs; 3. Paul David Tierney/TannerBraden, 9.5; 4. (tie) Nelson Wyatt/Trace Porter and Tyler Wade/Trey Yates, 9.0; 6. Lane Ivy/Buddy Hawkins II, 13.1; 7. Bart Brunson/Wesley Brunson, 14.9; 8. Bubba Buckaloo/Joseph  Harrison, 18.7; 9. Cory Kidd V/Caleb Anderson, 4.0 seconds on one run; no other qualified runs. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Ryder Wright, 85.5 points on Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo’s Sweet Maria; 2. Sterling Crawley, 84; 3. Rusty Wright, 81.5; 4. Lefty  Continue Reading »

SAN ANGELO, Texas – Growing up training steer wrestling horses with his father, Tyler Waguespack jumped steers from many mounts. That background came in handy on Saturday as he made two solid runs on two horses at the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo. He leads the first round with a 4.0-second run and sits third in the second round with a 4.5. His combined efforts put him in the two-run aggregate lead. “I rode Scooter on my first one,” Waguespack said of the 2017 Steer Wrestling Horse of the Year owned by friends Tyler Pearson and Kyle Irwin. “Pearson had to take him to Fort Worth (Texas) for the short round there, so I rode my palomino, Outlaw, on my second steer. “Everything is looking pretty good to come back for the short round here.” There are seven performances remaining to decide the 12 contestants in each event who return Feb. 16 for the championship round. A year ago, he was in a great position to win the San Angelo championship, but Baylor Roche put together a lightning fast final run to claim the title. Still, Waguespack – the 2015 world champion from Gonzales, La. – placed second and earned $9,652, which he utilized in his third straight Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualification. “San Angelo is like one of my honey holes,” he said. “I’ve always had some success there. It’s a really fast setup, and the committee does a good job of getting good stock contractors to put on a great rodeo.” Waguespack finished last season No. 4 in the world standings with $231,277. He was one of four men who rode Scooter through the NFR this past December. Combined, he, Irwin, Pearson and Ty Erickson won just shy of $500,000 on the back of the talented sorrel. “Scooter gives you the same trip every time,” Waguespack said. “He’s just easy for about anybody to ride. At the NFR, we were moving the stirrups four different times every night, and he didn’t mind it at all. He’s going to give you a chance to win.” Pearson won the gold buckle, thanks in large part to Scooter. The other three all finished in the top five in the final world standings. But all four know they can’t rely on the athletic red horse, which is why it was nice to have Outlaw available Saturday night. “Outlaw took the whole month of December off,” he said. “In January, we were on him quite a bit. On Friday night, Ty (Erickson) and I rode him at a jackpot. He’s in shape and ready to go. We will be using him a bunch this winter so we can take some heat off Scooter. “Whenever you have something that great, you don’t want to abuse him.” But they do want to win, and Waguespack has found the winning formula in San Angelo. San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo Feb. 2-4, Feb. 9-11, Feb. 14-16 Bareback riding leaders: 1. Luke Creasy on Lancaster and Jones’ Total Equine’s North Country; 2. (tie) Will Lowe and Tanner Aus, 85; 4. (tie) Jake Brown and Tilden Hooper, 81; 6. Taylor Broussard, 77; 7. (tie) Dayton Swearingen and Tyler Berghuis, 76; 9. Evan Jayne, 73; 10. (tie) Harry Ash, 72; 12. Zach Hibler, 69. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Tyler Waguespack, 4.0 seconds; 2. (tie) Will Lummus and Tyler Pearson, 4.2; 4. (tie) Cody Cabral, Ty Erickson and Kyle Irwin, 4.3; 7. (tie) Blaine Jones and Billy Bugenig, 4.4; 5. (tie) Tom Lewis and Badger Chambers, 4.8; 7. J.D. Struxness, 5.0; 8. Olin Hannum, 5.1. Second round leaders: 1. Blake Knowles, 3.9 seconds; 2. Scott Guenthner, 4.1; 3. Tyler Waguespack, 4.5; 4. Kyle Irwin, 14.9; no other qualified runs. Average leaders: 1. Tyler Waguespack, 8.5 seconds on two runs; 2. Scott Guenthner, 8.6; 3. Kyle Irwin, 19.2; 4. Blake Knowles, 3.9 seconds on one run; 5. (tie) Tyler Pearson and Will Lummus, 4.2; 7. (tie) Ty Erickson and Cody Cabral, 4.3. Team roping: First round leaders: 1. (tie) Clay Smith/Paul Eaves and Cory Kidd V/Caleb Anderson, 4.0 seconds; 2. Lane Ivy/Buddy Hawkins,4.1; 4. Riley Minor/Brady Minor, 4.2; 5. Tom Richards/Jake Smith, 4.3; 6. (tie) Levi Simpson/Jeremy Buhler and Paul David Tierney/Tanner Braden, 4.4; 8. Nelson Wyatt/Trace Porter, 5.4. Second round leaders: 1. Nelson Wyatt/Trace Porter, 3.6 seconds; 2. Tom Richards/Jake Smith, 4.0; 3. Clay Smith/Paul Eaves, 4.3; 4. Bart Brunson/Wesley Brunson, 5.5; 5. Dustin Bird/Jake Minor, 8.8; no other qualified runs. Average: 1. (tie) Clay Smith/Paul Eaves Tom Richards/Jake Smith, 8.3 seconds on two runs; 3. Nelson Wyatt/Trace Porter, 9.0; 4. Bart Brunson/Wesley Brunson, 14.9; 5. Riley Minor/Brady Minor, 4.2 seconds on one run; 6. Levi Simpson/Jeremy Buhler, 4.4; 7. Dustin Bird/Jake Minor, 8.8; no other qualified runs. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Ryder Wright, 85.5 points on Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo’s Sweet Maria; 2. Sterling Crawley, 84; 3. Lefty Holman, 80.5; 4. James Greeson, 80; 5. Kolby Wanchuk, 76.5; 6. (tie) Tom Knight, Lane Watt, Wyatt Casper and Joey Sonnier, 76; 10. (tie) Hardy Braden and Tate Owens, 75; 12. Peter White II, 74.5. Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. (tie) Cory Solomon and Westyn Hughes, 7.7 seconds; 3. Cody Quaney, 8.5; 4. J.D. McQuistion, 9.1; 5. Reno Gonzales, 9.5; 6. Riley Pruitt, 19.4; 7. Randall Carlsile, 12.1; 8. Ty Harris, 12.2. Second round: 1. Randall Carlisle, 8.5 seconds; 2. Reno Gonzales, 9.7; 3. Ace Slone, 10.0; 4. J.D. McQuistion, 10.4; 5. Riley Pruitt, 12.0; 6. Cody Quaney, 18.8; no other qualified runs. Average: 1. Reno Gonzales, 19.2 seconds on two runs; 2. J.D. McQuistion, 19.5; 3. Randall Carlisle, 20.6; 4. Riley Pruitt, 22.4; 5. Cody Quaney, 27.3; 6. Cory Solomon, 7.7 seconds on one run; 7. Ace Slone, 10.0; no other qualified runs. Barrel racing: Second round leaders: 1. Kaycie Teague, 14.35 seconds; 2. Kelli Barichello, 14.44; 3. Kasey Hall, 14.49; 4. Bridget Carr, 14.52; 5. (tie) Megan Mariluch and Suzanne Brooks, 14.56; 7, Jimmie Smith, 14.60; 8. Kasey Kretzschmar, 14.61; 9. (tie)  Continue Reading »

SAN ANGELO, Texas – Will Lowe was just 19 years old the first time he qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. That was in 2002, and he’s been one of the best bareback riders in the game ever since. He is a 14-time NFR qualifier and, more importantly, a three-time world champion. He proved every ounce of his ability Friday night during the opening performance of the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo. He matched moves with First Kiss of the Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo string for 85 points to take the early lead. “That horse just bucks hard,” said Lowe, 35, of Canyon, Texas. “She jumps and kicks real, and it felt like she kicked straight over her head every time.” He knows all about that kind of horse. In his career, Lowe has been on thousands of bucking horses, and he owns some of the highest-marked rides in the game, including a share of the world record he earned in 2003 after a 94-point ride. “San Angelo is cowboy country,” Lowe said. “They always have such a great crowd; they always pack that coliseum. They’re knowledgeable, and they know what’s going on. They get into it.” Now he hopes Friday’s score will move him to the championship round, which takes place Friday, Feb. 16 – it will feature the top 12 contestants in each event from the preliminary rounds competing for the elusive San Angelo championship. “There were some really good horses out tonight, and there will be every night,” Lowe said. “I think I should be sitting good to make it back for the short-round. There are a lot of good guys to ride yet, but I think I should be in there. “San Angelo is one of those rodeos that you hope you can always do good at.” It helps to have big scores, and nobody competing Friday knew that any better than Trey Benton III of Rock Island, Texas. He took the early bull riding lead after posting a 90.5-point ride on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Air Marshal. Benton won the bull riding title a year ago, which was one of the catapults he needed to make it back to the NFR for the fourth time in his career. He finished last year second in the final world standings with more than $322,000. He’s already making his way toward the top in 2018, and it starts in San Angelo. San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo Feb. 2-4, Feb. 9-11, Feb. 14-16 Bareback riding leaders: 1. Will Lowe, 85 points on Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo’s First Kiss; 2. Dayton Swearingen, 76; 3. Harry Ash, 72; no other qualified rides. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Will Lummus, 4.2 seconds; 2. Cody Cabral, 4.3; 3. (tie) Blaine Jones and Billy Bugenig, 4.4; 5. (tie) Tom Lewis and Badger Chambers, 4.8; 7. J.D. Struxness, 5.0; 8. Olin Hannum, 5.1. Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Clay Smith/Paul Eaves, 4.0 seconds; 2. Riley Minor/Brady Minor, 4.2; 3. Tom Richards/Jake Smith, 4.3; 4. Levi Simpson/Jeremy Buhler, 4.4; 5. Nelson Wyatt/Trace Porter, 5.4; 6. Bart Brunson/Wesley Brunson, 9.4; no other qualified runs. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. James Greeson, 80 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Deuces Wild; 2. Tom Knight, 76; 3. Hardy Braden, 75; 4. Clayton Brum, 70; no other qualified rides. Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. Cory Solomon, 7.7 seconds; 2. Cody Quaney, 8.5; 3. J.D. McQuistion, 9.1; 4. Reno Gonzales, 9.5; 5. Riley Pruitt, 19.4; 6. Randall Carlsile, 12.1; no other qualified times. Barrel racing: Second round leaders: 1. Kasey Hall, 14.49 seconds; 2. Jimmie Smith, 14.60; 3. Kelly Tovar, 14.62; 4. Lyndee Stairs, 14.65; 5. Shaylyn Hudson, 14.74; 6. Aimee Kay, 14.78; 7. Rachel Rule, 14.81; 8. Savannah Hays, 14.89; 9. Fallon Taylor, 15.46; 10. Lori Todd, 19.39; 11. Kathy Grimes, 19.50; 12. Jacque Woolman, 19.97. Average leaders: 1. Kasey Hall, 30.99 seconds on two runs; 2. Lyndee Stairs, 31.10; 3. Jimmie Smith, 31.11; 4. Kelly Tovar, 31.14; 5. Shaylyn Hudson, 31.31; 6. Rachel Rule, 31.32; 7. Aimee Kay, 31.34; 8. Savannah Hays, 31.46; 9. Fallon Taylor, 31.95; 10. Lori Todd, 35.62; 11. Kathy Grimes, 35.93; 12. Jacque Woolman, 36.44. Bull riding leaders: 1. Trey Benton III, 90.5 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Air Marshal; 2. Ednei Caminhas, 85.5; 3. Nate Perry, 82; no other qualified rides.

9-year-old Brazos Heck enjoys being part of youth rodeo in Oklahoma City KINGFISHER, Okla. – Mike Latting has simple thoughts toward the International Miniature Rodeo Association. Now in its first year in existence, Latting wants the association to be a launching point for youngsters who like the sport and want to compete in it. Brazos Heck of Kingfisher, Okla., is just one of those children, and he was part of the IMRA event in January held in conjunction with the International Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City. “We wanted to make sure kids had a place to start in a safe, positive and successful manner,” said Latting, who also operates Illinois-based Latting Rodeo Co. “As with any sport, if a child has success at it early, he or she is going to enjoy it more. “We feel it is important to have appropriate livestock to compete on, meaning we have appropriate livestock depending on the age level and ability level. It’s all about building the heart in young kids.” As a third-grader in Kingfisher, Brazos is just 9 years old but has proven to already have the heart of a champion. He showed it again in Oklahoma City, where he won three of four rounds in saddle bronc riding to claim that title, then placed in two rounds of bareback riding to finish as the reserve champion. “It felt good to be there,” Brazos said. “That rodeo is a really good rodeo, and it was awesome to be part of it.” In December, he won the pee wee division’s all-around championship at the Jr.NFR in Las Vegas. Combined with his performance in January, the young Oklahoma cowboy is proving to be quite a hand. “When you watch him ride and watch him get ready and listen to him tell the stories, you see his love for the sport,” said Shasta Yost, Brazos’ mom. “I can’t deny him that. It’s what makes him thrive and what makes him who he is.” The IMRA events took place in the mornings of Thursday, Jan. 18-Friday, Jan. 19. The top two in each age group competed during the IFR’s third go-round on Saturday, Jan. 20, to showcase the tremendous talent of the young athletes. “That was great,” Latting said. “To see our kids compete head-to-head all week and then come back and let the world see … it was a good time for parents. Their chests puffed up, and they were all proud. I had that same feeling seeing those kids compete in that atmosphere.” Brazos enjoyed it, too. It was a big-time event in his young career, and his father, Odie Heck, was right there by his son’s side every step of the way. “It was great because all my family and friends came,” Brazos said. “It was awesome that I got to compete with my friends. “I think I did good. I had a few things I could’ve done better and probably would’ve won it in bareback riding. You just learn from your mistakes whatever you do and move on.” That’s part of growing as an athlete and as a young person. For a young man who rides mini bucking horses and bulls, there is a passion that is on display during every ride and every opportunity he has. “We just let him chase that dream for as long as he has it,” Yost said. “Braz’s love for it is undeniable.”

GUYMON, Okla. – Over 10 nights in Las Vegas, the Oklahoma Panhandle contingent had quite the memorable run at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Six cowboys, all with ties to Texas County, earned just shy of $500,000 collectively while competing at ProRodeo’s grand championship. All six are graduates of the Oklahoma Panhandle State University rodeo team and are expected to be part of the mix at this year’s Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 4; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 5; and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 6, at Henry C. Hitch Pioneer Arena. The Panhandle State rodeo program has long garnered the local support, and that continues with the Top Hand Auction, set for 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3, at the Pickle Creek Event Center in Guymon. Proceeds from the auction will go to assist the program. Back in December, bull rider Joe Frost led the way, placing in seven go-rounds – including the seventh-round victory – and finishing second in the average race. He left Las Vegas with $169,923 over 10 nights and finished the season with more than $300,000, good enough for fourth in the final world standings of 2017. NFR rookie Hardy Braden also had a successful 10-day run. He had two round wins and placed six other nights. He finished second in the average and pocketed $160,192. Like Frost, Braden also finished fourth in the world standings with just shy of $263,000. Braden led the way for the four Panhandle State bronc riders that were part of the championship. Another NFR newcomer, Audy Reed, placed fifth in the NFR average and placed in four go-rounds. He earned $57,385. Two-time world champion Taos Muncy placed in three rounds, including the 10th-round victory, and pocketed $54,000. Clay Elliott, competing in Vegas for the second straight year, placed twice and earned $32,423. Bareback rider Orin Larsen started off his third straight NFR with a bang. He placed in the first six go-rounds before seeing some luck fall away. Still, he earned just shy of $72,000 and finished eighth in the world standings with $171,009. “I ended up going to OPSU because of their track record and their resume in college and pro rodeo,” said Larsen, who won two college championships, the second after transferring to Goodwell. “I’m happy the way I did it.” Although he wasn’t part of the 10-night championship, Shade Etbauer was recognized during the NFR. Etbauer, the youngest of Robert Etbauer’s three children, finished the year with $41,726 in saddle bronc riding and earned the Resistol Rookie of the Year title. With it, Shade Etbauer matched one of the first ProRodeo awards ever earned by his father, a two-time world champion bronc rider. Now he hopes to add a few more buckles to his growing pile of accomplishments.