Monthly Archives: May 2018

Celebrated rodeo clown joins Sanders, Hilton as award-winners working rodeo ESTES PARK, Colo. – Justin Rumford is just naturally funny, and that’s a good thing. He’s a comedian by nature, something he picked up years ago on his family’s Kansas ranch. Now he is the preeminent funnyman in professional rodeo, having been named the Clown  Continue Reading »

CLAREMORE, Okla. – The dirt on their faces said something about Conner and Sterling Pharr. They’re having fun on the rodeo trail with their daddy, Tim. So is he, for that matter. He has set up his rodeo schedule around his sons’ education; not that school’s out for the summer, the boys jumped in the  Continue Reading »

CLAREMORE, Okla. – Matt Reeves just missed his seventh qualification to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo a season ago. He doesn’t want to do that again. On Saturday night during the second performance of the Will Rogers Stampede PRCA Rodeo, Reeves wrestled his steer to the ground in 4.3 seconds to move into second place  Continue Reading »

CLAREMORE, Okla. – Louie Brunson has been ever so close to qualifying for ProRodeo’s grand finale, the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. If he keeps riding like he did Friday night at the Will Rogers Stampede PRCA Rodeo, he might make it there yet. Brunson matched moves with Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Django for 85 points  Continue Reading »

CLAREMORE, Okla. – The opening night of the Will Rogers Stampede PRCA Rodeo was the perfect time to celebrate all that Clem McSpadden was. “We’re here to pay tribute to a man who gave us a lifetime of public service to his community, to his rodeo and to his country,” Claremore City Manager Jim Thomas  Continue Reading »

I’m not sure why, but today hit me hard. It’s been 18 years since my mom died. Maybe it was my aunt’s post about missing her sissy. Maybe it was the comments that revealed a certain specialness about my mom. Nonetheless, there have been a wide range of tears shed over the last 12 or  Continue Reading »

CLAREMORE, Okla. – The word about the Will Rogers Stampede is spreading across ProRodeo. This year’s Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association event is set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 25-Sunday, May 27, at Will Rogers Stampede Arena, and it will feature more than 550 entrants for the competition. That says something about Claremore’s rodeo. “We’re just  Continue Reading »

GUNNISON, Colo. – “Tuffy” has been a godsend for many breast cancer patients in the Gunnison valley. The RAM 1500 pickup was purchased a couple years ago by Cattlemen’s Days Tough Enough to Wear Pink to serve as transportation for those families that receive treatment outside Gunnison County. In addition to that, the vehicle is  Continue Reading »

CLAREMORE, Okla. – It’s no coincidence that the Will Rogers Stampede PRCA Rodeo began winning awards soon after teaming with Pete Carr Pro Rodeo. The Dallas-based firm began producing the annual Memorial Day weekend rodeo in 2013, and Claremore’s rodeo earned the first of four straight Small Rodeo of the Year honors a year later.  Continue Reading »

Rookie scores 91 points to upend BFO’s greatest stars KENNEWICK, Wash. – It didn’t take long for Justin Ward to find his comfort zone in freestyle bullfighting. Just two months ago, he was part of the Bullfighters Only Development Camp in San Bernardino, Calif., learning the tricks of the trade. On Saturday night, he put  Continue Reading »

CLAREMORE, Okla. – The Will Rogers Stampede PRCA Rodeo has long been a regional affair, and now the Claremore community is even more involved in the exposition. Over the past few months, the Rodeo Arena Interlocal Cooperative was established to help care for the grounds that showcase the rodeo, which will celebrate its 72nd year  Continue Reading »

Teens, newcomers to test their skills against veterans in Kennewick KENNEWICK, Wash. – It’s hard to call Chance Moorman a professional bullfighter for a couple of reasons: He still hasn’t graduated high school, so it’s difficult to be a professional anything yet; he just started fighting bulls two months ago. Nevertheless, he is one of  Continue Reading »

GUYMON, Okla. – Reese Riemer isn’t afraid to admit that he suffers from a bit of claustrophobia. That’s why the tie-down roper likes big, open spaces, like Henry C. Hitch Arena in Guymon. It’s home to Pioneer Days Rodeo, and Riemer finally captured the title. “I remember growing up, we’d come and watch slack, and  Continue Reading »

WOODWARD, Okla. – After having early-season struggles, the champ is back. Bullfighters Only’s two-time reigning world champion Weston Rutkowski has returned to the winner’s circle, putting together two solid bullfights to win the Fiesta de Toros in Woodward. It was his first victory of the 2018 season. “Yes, I needed it for the standings point  Continue Reading »

GUYMON, Okla. – The first time Bill Tutor strapped himself to Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Dirty Jacket, Tutor was 21 years old. The powerful bay gelding was just 9. Since that day five years ago, Tutor has become one of the best bareback riders in the game, having qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo  Continue Reading »

GUYMON, Okla. – There was a time in Tim Pharr’s life that the most important part of his rodeo career was trying to qualify for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Now at 39, priorities have changed. For Pharr, those involve his two sons, but he still loves to compete. He’s done pretty well so far  Continue Reading »

GUYMON, Okla. – Jake Wright is hoping his luck has changed. “I’ve never done any good here,” said Wright, a six-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo saddle bronc riding qualifier from Milford, Utah. That could easily change after his 84.5-point ride Friday to take the early lead at the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo. He matched moves  Continue Reading »

Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days Rodeo April 30-May 6 First round results Barrel racing: First round: 1. Kylie Weast, 17.32, $1,782; 2. Sidney Forrest, 17.63, $1,527; 3. Shali Lord, 17.70, $1,273; 4. Kelly Yates, 17.77, $1,273; 5. Cheryl Wallace, 17.78, $1,103; 6. (tie) Amanda Harris and Kynzie McNeill, 17.83, $594 each; 8. (tie) Katelyn Scott, Erin  Continue Reading »

Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days Rodeo April 30-May 6 Through two rounds Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Tanner Bruner, 3.4 seconds, $1,963; 2. (tie) Gary Gilbert and Hunter Cure, 3.8, $1,455 each; 4. (tie) Ty Erickson and Michael Bates Jr., 4.0, $778 each; 6. Denver Berry, 4.1, $338. Second round: 1. Matt Reeves, 3.5 seconds, $1,963;  Continue Reading »

Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days Rodeo April 30-May 6 First round results Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Tanner Bruner, 3.4 seconds, $1,963; 2. (tie) Gary Gilbert and Hunter Cure, 3.8, $1,455 each; 4. (tie) Ty Erickson and Michael Bates Jr., 4.0, $778 each; 6. Denver Berry, 4.1, $338. Team roping: First round: 1. Clay Tryan/Travis Graves,  Continue Reading »

For the third time in his career, four-time world champion Rocky Patterson has won at least a share of the steer roping title at the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo. Back in his old stomping grounds near Oklahoma Panhandle State University, Patterson tied Tony Reina for the four-run aggregate championship by stopping he clock in a  Continue Reading »

ALVA, Okla. – If success is measured in depth of talent, the Northwestern Oklahoma State University rodeo teams have it. Through the rigors of the 2017-18 Central Plains Region season, both Rangers teams finished second overall and have earned the right to take full teams to the College National Finals Rodeo, set for next month  Continue Reading »

WOODWARD, Okla. – The Cinco de Mayo celebration dates back more than 150 years and is observed to commemorate the Mexican Army’s unlikely victory over the French Empire at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. On May 5, 2018, northwest Oklahoma will play host to a battle of different sorts. The Bullfighters Only  Continue Reading »