Monthly Archives: June 2018

Breast cancer patients find comfort, peace of mind in utilizing transportation pickup from the Gunnison Cattlemen’s Days Tough Enough to Wear Pink GUNNISON, Colo. – No matter where it happened, the meeting was cold and uncomfortable. Fear gripped the chests of those involved – doctor, patient, loved ones. But the words were devastating. Breast cancer. “When I was diagnosed with breast cancer in September 2017, my world was effectively shattered,” Laurene Farley wrote in Gunnison Country Magazine. She’s not alone. Millions have experienced that same message, those same feelings. They have undergone countless treatments, multiple surgeries and experienced those moments when despair can be overwhelming. But there are support systems that help, and that’s one of the benefits of the Gunnison Cattlemen’s Days Tough Enough to Wear Pink program. Through its efforts over the last 13 years, more than $2 million has been used to raise needed equipment and assist those families that are battling breast cancer. TETWP and the Gunnison Valley Hospital have forged a collaboration that continues to help local patients with their needs, but it goes well beyond that. There are care programs in place, and the TETWP board has purchased two patient transport vehicles – “Tuffy” is a 2016 RAM 1500 that has been used to get breast cancer patients to necessary treatments away from their home hospital, and “Bucky” is a new Dodge Durango that will be open to other cancer patients in the Gunnison Valley for similar reasons. Both are available to help relieve some of the burden that comes with battling cancer. “We have two vehicles, but they weren’t as comfortable or as good in the winter weather,” said Farley, who made multiple trips to Denver for treatments, surgery and appointments. “It was nice knowing we didn’t have to worry about the weather and could just focus on what we needed to do.” That is the foundation behind the transportation vehicles. There are enough worries for families battling cancer, so the TETWP board wanted to alleviate that. Whether it’s the patient, a family member or a volunteer driving, the purpose remains the same. “I took a patient to Delta, where they were testing to confirm it was breast cancer,” said Karen Redden, who has offered her driving services for patients with that need. “The best part was getting to know the woman that I drove. “She was an amazing woman. I learned so much about her, how funny she was, things I never would have had the opportunity to have without that discussion with her.” Redden operates a real estate business out of her home. Realizing she had some flexibility, she threw her hat into the ring. It’s not the first time she has been part of Cattlemen’s Days Tough Enough to Wear Pink. “When we started the whole fundraising process for TETWP, I volunteered on the original board and helped establish some of the fundraising stuff we still do,” she said. “My daughters have both been Cattlemen’s Days royalty for the rodeo. They also actively participate in fundraisers. We, as a family, are big supporters. It’s important to my daughters to see how you can give back to your community.” Community is the key. The Cattlemen’s Days Tough Enough to Wear Pink campaign has utilized all money it has raised on caring for needs of local breast cancer patients. “The truck was peace of mind if we got on a bad road during our trips,” said Judy Buffington Sammons, who utilized Tuffy during several trips to Montrose this past January. “We knew we’d have a reliable vehicle, so it helped us a lot.” The stories from those that have benefitted from the pickup help shed a bright light on those dreary days of diagnoses and treatments, doctors’ visits and long drives over mountain passes that come with it. The brightly colored, wrapped RAM 1500 is easily identified, and it sends a clear message to all who see it: No one is alone in their fight against breast cancer. “Each time that my husband took me to Denver in Tuffy, just riding in the truck gave me food for thought,” Farley wrote. “People who saw us parking somewhere with the truck would give me a friendly thumb’s up or cheer; hospital valets asked about the truck each week; my doctors were so excited to hear of such a wonderful gift. “All of these experiences brought me to fully understand the ‘pink thing.’ It has brought me incredible strength, understanding and fortitude.” Those are all things needed in a fight for one’s life, and Cattlemen’s Days Tough Enough to Wear Pink is in the corner of every patient that needs it.

North Carolinian riding confidence into BFO stop at Cody Stampede CODY, Wyo. – Heading into the 2018 Bullfighters Only Wrangler Bullfight Tour stop at the Cody Stampede, Kris Furr is experiencing a nearly euphoric case of confidence. He is fresh off a victory at the BFO event this past week at the Reno (Nev.) Rodeo, where he posted an 89.5-point fight in the Hooey Championship Round to claim the crown. Furr sits second in the Pendleton Whisky World Standings and moves a step closer to catching leader Toby Inman. “Cody is going to be another fun bullfight,” said Furr of Hamptonville, N.C. “I’m just excited to be part of it. I try not to think too much about the bull side of the fight, but I know they’re going to be good.” The animal is a major part of the equation. With scores based on a 100-point scale, half comes from the animal’s aggression and ability to stay hooked on to the fighter; the other half comes from the bullfighter’s ability to remain close while maneuvering around, and over the bull. That’s why Furr’s fight last week was so measurable. “When you go out there with a hot bull and stick it all over him, it makes you feel good,” he said. “I had a crisp, clean bullfight, and it was definitely a confidence-booster. Now I’m ready for another.” Furr pocketed $6,000 in Reno and trails Inman by less than $5,000 heading into a major run of rodeos that are part of the BFO’s Wrangler Bullfight Tour. He bested two-time reigning champion Weston Rutkowski for the Reno title, but both men put on spectacular fights. “I felt like that was the best I’ve fought in a long time,” said Rutkowski, who placed second. “I made the moves I needed to. Even in my short-round bullfight with Sid Vicious, I only made one mistake and ended up paying for it. I was on my way to a 90-point bullfight, but stubbed my toe, and you can’t do that with a bull that good.” Sid Vicious is owned by Manuel Costa, and the animal was named the BFO Bull of the Year in 2017. He proved it in the final few seconds of the bout by hooking the champ. Rutkowski sits No. 3 in the standings, more than $10,000 behind Inman. “It’s not a sprint; it’s a marathon,” he said. “As long as I can pull some money here and there, it will be alright. I’m already off to a better start this year compared to last year. I just need to keep plugging away at it.” He’ll have a good chance to add to it Saturday night in Cody. He was the runner-up in 2016 and won the title last year. “Cody’s a place I love to come to,” said Rutkowski of Haskell, Texas. “The stands are packed, and it’s a great rodeo with a great event. The bulls always fight good there. Last year it kicked off my summer run, which was big in winning the world championship again. “If a guy does well there, he can put his foot forward to that summer run. It’s fun to come back to an arena where you’ve done well before. You expect to do it again.” CODY CONTESTANTS Dusty Tuckness Weston Rutkowski Justin Josey Kris Furr Tate Rhoads

Estes Park’s celebrated event wins its sixth Rodeo of the Year honor ESTES PARK, Colo. – When officials decided to make a change in the footing at the Granny May Arena inside the Estes Park Fairgrounds, they were just trying to make things better. It did, and the barrel racers in the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association said so in 2017. Rooftop Rodeo was named the WPRA’s Medium Committee of the Year, thanks in large part to the money, time and heavy lifting by all involved to create the better footing for the arena. It will continue to serve the competitors at this year’s rodeo, set for 7 p.m. Thursday, July 5-Tuesday, July 10. “When a committee goes above and beyond for those cowboys, they deserve the awards,” said Taci Bettis, the reigning Rooftop Rodeo champion barrel racer from Round Top, Texas. “When you put in that much effort, that’s what you get.” Bettis hit the ProRodeo trail hard for the first time a season ago. It was her first visit to Estes Park, and she made the most of it. Not only did she win the championship, but her 17.36-second run set a new standard for the annual rodeo. “That was part of those weeks in July when I set everything off,” said Bettis, the 2017 WPRA Rookie of the Year and a top 5 barrel racer this season. “I’d never been at that arena before, so to go in and break the record was special.” Bettis was one of six Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifiers to place in barrel racing at last year’s Rooftop Rodeo. That’s a telling tale about why the WPRA ladies selected Estes Park’s rodeo as one of the best in the game. It was the sixth time in the event’s 92 years that it has been named Rodeo of the Year; it was a five-time winner in the Professional Rodeo Association. “We put in a lot of work into the arena between the 2016 and 2017 rodeos,” said Rob Hinkle, the community services director for the town of Estes Park. “The footing was just not good for the barrel racers, so we put $125,000 into new footing. “It’s already paid off, which was great to show off that improvement in one year. It meant a lot to the rodeo and to the town.” Besides the award, there have been other benefits. Hinkle said the arena has gained a few new horse shows because of the better footing. “Everybody’s taken great pride in it,” he said. “It was a lot of work. The members of the rodeo committee had to take out all the chutes and all the fencing, then put it all back in. “By getting awards like that, it provides a lot of energy in that committee to keep going forward.”

GUNNISON, Colo. – Part of the success of the annual Cattlemen’s Days celebration lies in the involvement of so many. That’s why organizers decided to make a change to their post-rodeo entertainment, bringing in the dancehall music of Ken Stonecipher and the Wooden Nickel Band. “What we really wanted to do was have people engaged in the music that was being played,” said Kevin Coblentz, president of the Cattlemen’s Days committee. “We wanted to have a band that people could dance to and really enjoy the music.” The band will perform after the Friday, July 13, rodeo performance at the Wapiti Ridge Saloon. On Saturday, Stonecipher and his group will be at Garlic Mike’s after the final night of the rodeo. “We’re excited to be playing in Gunnison and to be in town for the rodeo,” said Stonecipher, who has led the band for the last 18 years. “I’ve never been, and I can’t wait to go. All the guys are excited to go.” He considers the band’s sound dancehall music, a variety of cover songs that most have heard and that will entice those that enjoy dancing. “The first filter on what we play is songs that I like,” he said. “There are a lot of good songs out there that aren’t good for dancing. They’re good to listen to in a concert. “I grew up in dancehalls, so I have an ear for that kind of music, stuff that is a good two-step and is a good waltz. That’s how we put our set list together. We try to have something for everybody, from Hank Williams Sr. to the Turnpike Troubadours. We try to have something people can enjoy.” That’s the epitome of dancehall music. “We try to play your favorite, but we’ll dang sure play music you can dance to,” Stonecipher said. “We play to have fun, but we want the people that are dancing to have fun, too.” The Wooden Nickel band has been transformed over the years. After playing and singing primarily in church services, he and another musician would play acoustically. The duo then added a bassist, then a drummer. Now it’s a five-piece band with all the fixings. “It was a hodgepodge,” he said. “That’s really how it all started. I didn’t necessarily set out to be in a band; it just somehow happened.” Only Stonecipher remains from the original band, but he’s added the flavor of professional musicians who enjoy the opportunity to play their brand of music. They average between 20-30 shows a year, depending on his work schedule and when he might be announcing rodeos across the Midwest. “We have a variety of old and new, and we put it all together,” Stonecipher said. “I’m a rodeo guy, so I think I understand rodeo crowds. They don’t call music classic because it’s old; they call it classic because it’s good.” And that’s just what people in Gunnison will get on the final weekend of Cattlemen’s Days.

Gunnison Cattlemen’s Days Tough Enough to Wear Pink campaign is helping Gunnison Valley Hospital be a model for what can be done in rural health care GUNNISON, Colo. – While the Gunnison Cattlemen’s Days Tough Enough to Wear Pink program is a grassroots effort focused on community, its impact resonates all across the country. Robert Santilli has worked in health care for more than four decades, and he understands more than most how beneficial the TETWP effort has been in the Gunnison Valley. Now the chief executive officer at Gunnison Valley Hospital, he experiences it first-hand. “After 40-plus years, this has been something new on me,” Santilli said of the campaign, which has raised more than $2 million that has been utilized in the local community for needed equipment and assisting families that are battling breast cancer. “I haven’t seen too many new things, but this is one that’s certainly been a pleasure to be associated with.” The TETWP program has been in place for 13 years, and Santilli calls its association with the hospital a collaboration. That’s the most fitting of words, because together they serve the Gunnison community quite well. “With ours being a rural hospital and a critical-access hospital, our relationship with Tough Enough to Wear Pink is one of the best opportunities we have as a gift to the health care system,” he said. “They are a group of people that are so interested in their cause, to assist and help people who have breast cancer and help them in eliminating breast cancer. “We plan together on the needs for the community, assess what the needs for the health system are and how they can assist on funding them. This is a collaboration that has been a dream come true for us.” In fact, members of the TETWP board have been involved in the strategic planning for the hospital. They have joined the hospital’s cancer steering committee, which is a big deal in that the group works to integrate their participation into the strategic plan and push the development together. Over the course of the next two years, the strategic plan for the cancer care services includes 21 objectives, from marketing to equipment to therapies to advisement and all aspects in between. “The TETWP’s finances are the key to it, but it’s really turned into something more,” Santilli said. “There has almost been a momentum that has been geometric when you entrust that TETWP has for the funding they’ve been able to put together.” The Cattlemen’s Days TETWP features its largest fundraiser, the Songwriter Concert & Auction, will take place Tuesday, July 10, at Mt. Crested Butte, Colo., and will feature country stars Tyler Farr, James Otto and legendary songwriter Dean Dillon, who also serves as a TETWP board member. “To be able to capitalize on Cattlemen’s Days has put them as the No. 1 fundraising group for all Tough Enough to Wear Pink in the country,” Santilli said. “Their commitment to financing the hospital is something that pushes us even harder. “We actually have a group that gets together and starts brainstorming together. That creates ideas you didn’t think you could accomplish in a rural community.” But community and family seem to be a common theme, both for the hospital and for the TETWP board. All money raised is utilized locally, truly showcasing the commitment to giving back to the people in the Gunnison Valley. Whether they are breast cancer patients or family members, the campaign has been about keeping that focus on those community members that may be suffering. “I came from a very large health system,” he said. “The types of resources that I was used to seeing were dramatically different than what we’ve had here. What I brought was thinking outside the box. If we’re going to offer services here, I would like the services to be ones we would offer to our own family. “With my background, I know where the best services are. Tough Enough to Wear Pink and that board and other key members have pushed me. They’ve been able to latch on to the kinds of things they see value in and what they’ve researched. They’ve pushed me in that collaboration. Sometimes you have to get outside of your comfort zone. My role has been to lasso that information and make it happen.” It’s been happening. While the groups look toward the 21 objectives they want completed by the end of 2020, they also can look back at the achievements they’ve made. A year ago, TETWP money funded a 3D tomosynthesis machine, which is a higher-level mammogram for those who need better imaging technology due to breast density. “A really telling sign when we were creating those 20-plus objectives is that we saw 20 to 25 things we did in the last year,” Santilli said. “Some of those were things we didn’t think we would be able to accomplish. To list those as completed gave us the motivation to make the next move forward. It gave us the confidence to continue taking things to the next level.” This progressive approach is nothing new to Santilli, Gunnison Valley Hospital or the Gunnison Cattlemen’s Days Tough Enough to Wear Pink program. Through collaborations, groups have made solid ground while always pushing for bigger and better ways to help treat and assist cancer patients in the community. “I’m most proud of an organization that has set itself apart in rethinking rural health care,” he said. “Instead of looking at what we couldn’t do because we had limited resources, we have been a model for what rural health care can be. “What I’ve learned is with the services we provide, we actually do it better than large health systems. We are working with fewer patients, which allows us to bring a higher focus and deliver a better outcome.”

DODGE CITY, Kan. – Much of Cody Sosebee’s life has changed since the last time he was in Dodge City. This past December, he worked the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo for the first time in his career. A couple of months ago, he became engaged to Tonya Baumgartner, and now he’s planning a wedding. At least he’s supposed to be helping with it, anyway. But that won’t deter him from his return to the largest rodeo in western Kansas, the Dodge City Roundup Rodeo, set for 7:45 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 1-Sunday, Aug. 5, at Roundup Arena. That also includes the Xtreme Bulls, which takes place Tuesday, July 31. “To me, Dodge City is the epitome of cowboy and rodeo,” said Sosebee, a regular nominee for PRCA Clown of the Year and Comedy Act of the Year. “There are a lot of cowboys that come to that rodeo from the ranches and the farms. I feel like a real cowboy when you go to Dodge City.” He knows cowboy. He’s been one all his life. He may not wear the hat as often, but he understands the Western lifestyle and what rodeo means to a region. Before he began clowning, Sosebee rode bareback horses and has been around rodeo as long as he can remember. That’s why his selection to work the barrel at the NFR meant so much to him. “I am very humbled by it, because I automatically thought of the guys who had come before me who had never been selected to work the finals,” he said. “There’s no way to describe it, because the guys voted for it. I can take that with me forever. “It 10 times everything for me. It was 10 times more work than I thought. It was 10 times more fun than I thought. I just tried to soak it all up. I knew I was getting to do something special.” It’s something the Roundup Rodeo committee understands. “We thoroughly enjoyed working with Cody when he was here a few years ago,” said Dr. R.C. Trotter, chairman of the volunteer group that produces the annual rodeo. “He brings a certain flair to his comedy that was a hit for the fans that come to our rodeo. He’s just a true entertainer.” Much of that comes from his size: Sosebee is bigger than most rodeo clowns, and his raw athleticism shows through the extra cushions his body allows. His acts just accentuate it all into one funny package. “Having the ability to laugh at myself is probably my biggest strength,” he said. “I don’t take anything too serious. When I’m watching a comedian, the funniest thing I see is when they’re honestly open and having a good time.” Most importantly, he wants the fans to have a good time. “I think I bring a sense of energy to an event, and I try to bring a new level of energy,” he said. “I try to bring a high level of energy to your show. I think rodeo competes with other extreme sports, and I think we’re in a class of entertainment like those. “When people come to an event, they want to see the level of high energy for the entire two hours they’re there, and that’s what I want to give them.”

Former Miss Rooftop Rodeo serving as state’s ProRodeo ambassador ESTES PARK, Colo. – The road from Windsor, Colo., to Estes Park is 44 miles long and features many winding turns and tight corners. Alex Hyland knows every bit of it. Six years ago, she was Miss Rooftop Rodeo, the rodeo queen enlisted to serve as ambassador to the event and to the town. “I like to joke that I learned how to drive with a horse trailer when I was 15, because I would drive up Highway 34 to go to Rooftop Rodeo,” said Hyland, the reigning Miss Rodeo Colorado. “Now I’m a college graduate, so a lot has changed.” She will return for all six performances of this year’s event, set for 7 p.m. Thursday, July 5-Tuesday, July 10, at Granny May Arena inside the Estes Park Fairgrounds. “During that time in between, I tried out for Miss Rodeo Colorado three times,” she said. “Each time I tried out, I had my Rooftop Rodeo family in the audience. Not only were they helping me behind the scenes, but they were also there cheering me on.” They will continue to be her support system as she makes her rounds across the state and the country. In December, Hyland will be one of the state royalty contestants vying for Miss Rodeo America during the pageant in Las Vegas. “We are extremely proud of Alex and are excited to see her take this next step,” said Mark Purdy, chairman of Estes Park Western Heritage Inc., a group of volunteers that works with the town of Estes Park to produce the annual rodeo. “We would love nothing more than to see her become the next Miss Rodeo America.” In the history of the MRA pageant, which dates back to 1956, only five ladies from Colorado have earned the title. The last was Tara (Graham) Rowe in 2001. “This is not only a dream come true, but it is the best job ever,” Hyland said of the Miss Rodeo Colorado title. “This is something I’ve wanted since I was 8 years old. “I love traveling to different rodeos and meeting the people who love the sport as much as I do. I love meeting the people who are on the rodeo committees. This is their vacation hours they are putting into this rodeo. It is an incredible, humbling feeling.” As the state’s ambassador, she will make her way to as many Colorado ProRodeos as her schedule allows. But she will always hold Rooftop Rodeo close to her heart. “What makes that rodeo so great are the people who are there behind the scenes, the entire committee and the town of Estes Park,” she said. “Plus, there’s not a prettier place to watch a rodeo. “The atmosphere at Rooftop Rodeo is just incredible. The energy you feel at the begging of that rodeo is just unreal.” That’s just another reason she’s excited to return.

GUNNISON, Colo. – Linda Alsbaugh is one of the most respected and appreciated people in professional rodeo. She’s been around the game for more than 50 years. She’s been named the Secretary of the Year in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, and in 2012, she and her late husband, Art, received the Donita Barnes Lifetime Achievement Award. For all but a few years, she has been the face of Cattlemen’s Days PRCA Rodeo for thousands of contestants who have made their way to Gunnison. She returns for this year’s festivities, set for 7 p.m. Thursday, July 12, to Saturday, July 14, at Fred Field Western Center in Gunnison. “It’s always been home,” said Alsbaugh, who grew up in this town and graduated from Gunnison High School in 1961. “It used to be that I could walk down the street, and I knew everybody in town. It’s grown so much that it doesn’t happen like that anymore.” The town’s population has more than doubled since her childhood. In fact, there are more people living in Gunnison now than lived in the entire county in 1960. The former Linda Gazzoli married into a rodeo family in 1967, and she’s been there ever since. “Gunnison has changed a lot since I was little,” she said. “It’s grown. When I was growing up, it was a small town, and kids would play in the street. It was a very conservative town. “We were probably pretty sheltered. We didn’t know much about what was going on in the outside world. I was in high school when we finally got a television. It was just a little isolated because of the mountains.” She wouldn’t trade those experiences for anything. In the late 1950s, she began working as an usher at Cattlemen’s Days, and she has many fond memories of those days. Her father was a rancher until he was injured in a haying accident, then he sold insurance. Her mother was a legal secretary. “My mother was very good at what she did,” she said. “She retired a couple times before she actually retired, because she just liked the work.” And maybe that’s where she gets her ability to do so well at her job. She began her life in rodeo when she married into Art’s family, which ran Alsbaugh Rodeo and produced events across the country. Art ran the operation with his father, Walt, until the latter died in 1992. Linda was there every step of the way. Even in those years when she stayed at their Alamosa, Colo., home taking care of their children, rodeo was very much part of her life. Art died last August after a battle with cancer, but Linda has continued her life on the rodeo trail. “It’s one of those things that gets in your blood,” she said about her involvement in the sport. “It’s the people: the contestants and the committees.” Because of the gypsy lifestyle of the sport, rodeo people are often described as one big family. Alsbaugh is one of the matriarchs of that family, and every July, she has the opportunity to go home. “Cattlemen’s Days Rodeo is important to me because I’ve been there so many years,” Alsbaugh said. “The people on the committee are wonderful to work with, and, of course, it’s like going home. It’s like they say, ‘You can take the girl out of the mountains, but you can’t take the mountains out of the girl.’ Well, I’m a mountain girl.”

PECOS, Texas – The Western roots of this west Texas community run deep, and the legacy they hold firmly in the drying soil is magnificent. The volunteers that produce the annual West of the Pecos Rodeo know that better than anybody, and they work hard through the year to showcase it. It will happen again this year with four performances set for 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 27-Saturday, June 23, at Buck Jackson Arena. “Our rodeo is celebrating its 136th anniversary this year,” said Brenda McKinney, a longtime member of the committee. “It’s amazing for Pecos, for Reeves County and for the region to be able to have an event that has the history that West of the Pecos has. It’s very humbling to be part of it.” The World’s First Rodeo is a magical experience, and the committee has been recognized as one of the best in the business. It has been nominated for Large Outdoor Rodeo Committee in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, and members are honored by the recognition. “Just talking about it gives me chill bumps,” she said. “It’s such an honor to be nominated and to be up against all those other great rodeos that are on the list. We are so proud of what we do, but for the cowboys to have nominated us really means the world to me and the rest of the committee. “I feel like we’re nominated in that group of rodeos because of Pete Carr, his crew and his stock. He helps us get those top-name contestants. Without great stock, the cowboys wouldn’t be able to win what they win here. We are forever grateful to Pete for all he has done for our rodeo.” The Carr team has been a strong piece of the Pecos community each June for more than a decade. Pete Carr Pro Rodeo is the largest livestock producer in ProRodeo and has received five nominations for PRCA Stock Contractor of the Year. Over the last five yars, he firm also has had more animals selected to perform at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo than any other producer. “We have a fabulous relationship with Pete Carr,” McKinney said. “He and his crew are just professional. They make that part of our rodeo so easy for us. They’re so accommodating. “To work with somebody that’s the caliber of Pete Carr is an honor, and we’re glad he is part of our production.” That’s an important facet of the rodeo. With such a big variety of events, the Carr team interlaces everything together quite well, giving the fans, sponsors and contestants the best experience possible. This year, rodeo clown and entertainer Cody Sosebee will be a big part of that. He has been nominated for Clown of the Year and Comedy Act of the year, and last year he worked the NFR as the barrelman. And now he joins all the others in the most historic event in the sport. “It’s such a huge honor for me to be part of it,” McKinney said. “We’re all just volunteers that want to put on the best production and the best event we can because we’re so proud of what we have.” They should be proud. Not only does the West of the Pecos Rodeo have a great history, but it’s got an outstanding future, too. “Because of our tradition, fans can expect a rodeo that’s got the top athletes, both cowboys and cowgirls,” she said. “They can expect to see the best of the best, and we work our tails off all year long to make sure we put on the best for our spectators.”

Gunnison’s Cattlemen’s Days finds unique ways to give back to community all year through TETWP and new patient transportation vehicle GUNNISON, Colo. – The Cattlemen’s Days Tough Enough to Wear Pink board understands what it means to meet the needs of the community beyond the annual rodeo. Through its efforts over the last 13 years, more than $2 million has been to raise needed equipment and assist those families that are battling breast cancer. But there are more needs that must to be met in the Gunnison Valley throughout the year and future struggles that need to be addressed. “Members of our committee got invited to a community transportation meeting, and one of the needs that was identified was for patients to get transportation for medical appointments out of town,” said Michael Dawson, a TETWP board member, who pointed to the existing RAM 1500 pickup nicknamed “Tuffy” that has been used for breast cancer patients for the last couple of years to get breast cancer patients to necessary treatments way from their home hospital. While Tuffy has served the breast cancer community well, the board realized there was a necessity for another vehicle. A second vehicle, a 2018 Dodge Durango nicknamed “Bucky,” has been purchased and will be utilized for other patients and to meet the community needs for all cancer patients. “It’s being able to serve the entire community,” said Carol Ann May, a TETWP board member who, with her husband, Jim Saindon, donated the money for the Durango. “We just found there was a big need. It makes a big difference in changing people’s lives; sometimes they don’t have the vehicle that can take them to all their trips, and we are grateful to help fill this need.  The TETWP board agreed and gladly signed up for this expansion to their transportation program for local patients. “I just think it’s a good thing to do for our community to take that one part of angst out of getting to the appointments. TETWP takes care of the gas and vehicle maintenance. Our community members have a safe vehicle to get back and forth to their appointments. If we can do that one thing, then it’s important.” The fact it’s now available to all cancer patients is unique and special. “Both Jim and I have had family members that have been impacted by cancer,” May said. “I know what it means when people are struggling and want to be there for their families or relieve the extra burden of how they can make their next appointment. TETWP wants to take as much burden away as possible for our community members suffering through these terrible diseases.” That’s been the sentiment for most involved in the TETWP campaign since its inception. “Hopefully we can start getting people safely to where they need to go,” Dawson said. “Our ultimate goal is to get to where all services are here at Gunnison Valley Hospital, but until then, we’re doing everything we can to help cancer patients locally get to the best treatment available.” May and Saindon also have been instrumental in expanding Gunnison Cattlemen’s Days TETWP reach throughout the year to the community and through all new sports event benefits on the horizon. Their generosity funded a new Tough Enough to Wear Pink wrestling mat for the Gunnison wrestling community. The mat will be used at duels and tournaments for the nationally ranked Western State Colorado University program, at Gunnison High School and on down to the pee-wee and Duster wrestling club for youth in the spring and summer. “Western State is a constant Division II top 10 contender and engenders a powerhouse wrestling program in our region,” Dawson said. “I’m assistant coach with the Gunnison High School program. This is a pretty big wrestling community, and we wanted to get the kids excited about our awesome 118-year rodeo tradition, our TETWP efforts and get these young athletes energized in raising funds for our community while they compete. Our new motto is ‘Pinning Cancer Every Bout.’ “This is also a celebration for our great organization and to build up momentum for all our wrestling programs to support Gunnison Cattlemen’s Days TETWP. Through the national Tough Enough to Wear Pink platform and our strong Cattlemen’s Days PRCA Rodeo, we want to extend the reach of our community contribution beyond our July rodeo, just like TETWP did for its Pink in the Rink women’s hockey tournament in October each year.” The message, and a keen understanding of how much wrestling means to the region, were why May and Saindon got involved with the TETWP wrestling mat program. “My son was a wrestler when he was in high school, so it made sense to us to be involved in this new and exciting project,” she said. “Putting a wrestling mat together, getting the logo on the mat and doing fundraising through the competitions was something we saw as beneficial to the community. “I know these mats are permanent things, and with our TETWP logo on the mat and the local wrestlers competing in uniforms with our logos, it would be such a visual thing. I thought it would be a good opportunity to create more awareness within the community, celebrate our success and raise more funds for TETWP.” It’s a true win-win-win situation for all involved. The ground-breaking Tuffy transportation program, now expanded with the Bucky vehicle to all cancer patent, together with the Pink in the Rink tournament, shows Gunnison Cattlemen’s Days’ commitment to giving back to its community year-round beyond the annual rodeo celebration and rodeo each July. Being complacent with success is not an option in this group. The members are always looking to expand the message, reach and, more importantly, give back to the Gunnison community, in line with the TETWP mission. Extending the Gunnison TETWP fundraising platform to the strong wrestling community in Gunnison seems like a natural fit to raise even more funds and give back to even more facets  Continue Reading »

Town of Estes Park, Rooftop Rodeo enhancing the opportunities for guests ESTES PARK, Colo. – Just a year after creating the VIP Experience for Rooftop Rodeo, the town of Estes Park is already upping the ante to those patrons. “This is going to be great for those people who are interested in experiencing our rodeo in a very special way,” said Ben Vigil, president of Estes Park Western Heritage Inc., a group of volunteers that works with the town of Estes Park to produce the annual rodeo. “What the town has established this year will make it an even better experience.” It’s all a major component for fans of Rooftop Rodeo, set for 7 p.m. Thursday, July 5-Tuesday, July 10, at Granny May Arena inside the Estes Park Fairgrounds. The VIP Experience allows patrons a tour of the rodeo grounds before the show, access to the exclusive VIP patio at the west gate, dinner in the hospitality area, drinks and the opportunity to utilize the padded seats in the grandstands. “We sell our VIP Experience tickets at $100 apiece, and those people will have a permanent host for the evening,” said Rob Hinkle, the community services director for the town of Estes Park. “This year in the VIP area, we have brought in a stage that we will be able to convert into an elevated viewing area with its own bar. “It’s going to be set up west of the arena where the hospitality tent used to be.” The VIP and contestant hospitality will now be in the Estes Park Events Complex west of the arena. “We really wanted to provide a better experience,” Hinkle said. “We were having to rent the tent every year, and it just didn’t provide the experience we wanted. “By doing this, it allows us to put this really nice viewing platform in position, which we hope will enhance the experience for those patrons.” Over the years, Rooftop Rodeo has been recognized as one of the premier stops in rodeo. Much of it has to do with the picturesque setting of Estes Park, but it also has to do with the hospitality provided and the nature of the competition. Cowboys and cowgirls have marveled at the fans who make their Rooftop Rodeo experience even better. “We’re in a unique position in Estes Park where we have a beautiful setting and a wonderful community to welcome the contestants,” said Mark Purdy, chairman of the rodeo committee that has received six Rodeo of the Year awards in its history. “We strive every year to give the cowboys, the cowgirls, the sponsors and the fans the best experience they can have.”

CASPER, Wyo. – The cowboy way is alive and well in Alva, Okla., and the Northwestern Oklahoma State University rodeo team proved it last week at the College National Finals Rodeo. Five Rangers qualified for the championship round in Casper, and the men walked away as the No. 3 team in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association, thanks to the fantastic showing of steer wrestler Cody Devers, heeler Tanner Nall and all-around cowboy Maverick Harper, who made the final performance in tie-down roping and team roping. “It was a big year for us as a team,” said Harper, who finished third in the all-around race, 11th in the tie-down roping and fifth in team roping with Nall, of Colcord, Okla. “There were some places I could have improved, but for my first time there, I thought I did pretty well.” While Harper secured points in both events in which he competed, Devers stood out in steer wrestling. He finished the seven-day rodeo as the reserve college champion, knocking down four steers in a cumulative time of 18.5 seconds. He also won the first round with a 3.8-second run and was fourth in the championship round with a 4.6. “I made as good of runs as I could with the cattle I had and was fortunate to win a round,” said Devers of Perryton, Texas. “I just wanted to be the best on every steer that I could and see what happens. “Being the reserve champion means a lot to me. I’ve been there three times, and this being my senior year, finally doing something good was quite an accomplishment.” Yes, it was, and so was the team title. Not only did Devers, Nall and Harper score valuable points for the Rangers, but they also got some big help from freshman steer wrestler Bridger Anderson of Carrington, N.D., who won the second round with a 3.5-second run. “Our team did really well,” Devers said. “We had quite a few people who scored points for us, so that was pretty big. We were pretty diverse in where we were getting points, too. Third place is pretty high for as many schools that were there.” The Texan rode Woody, a buckskin horse owned by teammate Talon Roseland of Marshalltown, Iowa. That served to be quite a benefit to Devers. “I’d never ridden that horse until the finals,” he said. “He was really easy, consistent and ran straight up the steers’ backs every time. He had a great pattern and worked really good there.” Having a good horse is important in any rodeo event. Harper and Nall have confidence in their mounts. Harper placed in the first round of tie-down roping, while he and Nall placed in both the first and short rounds in team roping. “I treated it like another rodeo,” said Harper of Stephenville, Texas. “I wanted to be aggressive, doing what I knew I could do. “The two guys that were there in three events beat me in the all-around. They had one extra event ahead of me. It’s a great accomplishment to be in that group considering I had one less event.” The Northwestern women had two cowgirls qualify for the championship round: breakaway roper Brandi Hollenbeck of Hutchinson, Kan., and goat-tier Jenny Massing of Ponoka, Alberta. Hollenbeck finished 13th in the nation in her discipline, while Massing was ninth. Barrel racer Sara Bynum of Beggs, Okla., won the third round with a 14.12-second run, while Taylor Munsell of Arnett, Okla., posted a 1.8-second breakaway roping run to finish second in the third go-round. All said, it was a strong showing from all Northwestern athletes, something that bodes well for the program and coach Stockton Graves. “The thing about Stockton is that he’s always really confident in us,” Devers said. “He’s actually really laid back and trusts that we’re going to go out there and win.” It worked last week in Casper.

Wrangler Bullfight Tour stop to feature six of the top seven in the BFO RENO, Nev. – Over the past couple of weeks, Colt Oder has experienced the highs and lows of freestyle bullfighting. He got tangled up with Rockin’ B & Magnifica’s Mexicano at the Bullfighters Only Wrangler Bullfight stop in Decatur, Texas, resulting in a concussion and six stitches. “I was a little too aggressive,” said Oder, who rebounded a week later, posting an 83-point fight to win the Wrangler Bullfights Tour event at Crosby, Texas. “I didn’t give myself a shot. I should have gone slower and read my bull better. “Now that was a solid bullfight, and my fundamentals were there. My confidence is through the roof right now, and I’m ecstatic to be competing with the top guys in the game coming up.” Oder will be taking part in the BFO Wrangler Bullfights that will be part of the Reno Rodeo, one of the most storied events in ProRodeo. He’ll be one of six men battling in the four-day championship. The event takes place June 19-22 – one of the first big stops through the summer run of rodeos. “There is a lot of money up, so you have the opportunity to really cash in and move up the standings,” said Oder, the No. 5 man in the BFO Pendleton Whiskey World Standings from Moorspark, Calif. “I’d really like to be a household name in the BFO.” He’ll have that chance. The contestants make up a who’s who of the top names in freestyle bullfighting: two-time reigning world champion Weston Rutkowski, top-ranked Toby Inman, second-ranked Kris Furr, Beau Schueth and Justin Josey. In fact, the Reno field features six of the top seven bullfighters in the Pendleton Whisky World Standings. Josey won the recent BFO stop in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, on June 9. He’s already had a couple of big victories this year. In addition to winning north of the border, the Apache, Okla., man also won the Bullfighters Only stop in San Angelo, Texas, in February. “I want to carry the momentum over into Reno and keep moving forward one step at a time,” he said. “I want to keep learning what I can at each stop.” The dangerous game of freestyle bullfighting comes with a price. Toby Inman, who finished second in the 2017 season, suffered a cracked rib in Decatur, then was knocked unconscious in Crosby. Ely Sharkey was also knocked out, but only after securing his first BFO victory in Decatur. “For me, it’s just cool to compete against guys like Weston and Toby, because they’re the very best,” Josey said. “When you beat the top guys in the game, it just feels better. You have to step up your game to win at this level.

Farr, Otto to join legendary artist Dean Dillon for the No. 1 TETWP fundraiser in the nation CRESTED BUTTE, Colo. – The Cattlemen’s Days Tough Enough to Wear Pink program is the largest of its kind in professional rodeo. It’s a grass-roots effort that has been raising money for the needs of families battling breast cancer in in Gunnison County. More than $2 million has been raised, all to be invested in the local community, which says quite a bit about how locals feel about the work being done by the organization. “Our Songwriter Concert and Auction has become our largest fundraiser of the year,” said Heidi Sherratt Bogart, executive director of Cattlemen’s Days Tough Enough to Wear Pink. “A lot of people who are in that room have been there since the beginning 13 years ago. “There’s a connection there that’s hard to describe. It’s like you’re part of a big family. It’s something people don’t forget and want to be part of again.” This year’s festivities begin at 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 10, at Mountaineer Square in Mt. Crested Butte and will feature country stars Tyler Farr, James Otto and legendary songwriter Dean Dillon, who also serves as a TETWP board member. “The concert brings in all our donors into one room,” said Michael Dawson, also a TETWP board member. “With the connections and the leadership involved in this, it’s become more of a celebration of our efforts and community than simply a fundraiser.” Because of the intimate setting, it offers something special to those who want to be part of something truly special. The money always will be used locally, in line with the TETWP mission. A year ago, the TETWP board purchased a 3D tomosynthesis machine, which is a higher-level mammogram for those who need better imaging technology due to breast density. Within the first few weeks of being put in service, Dawson said, the three-dimensional machine detected abnormal growths in patients that 2D machines would not have identified. The 3D pictures are shockingly clear. These patients may have gone undetected for another year under standard screening protocol. The faster diagnosis allowed for patients to be diagnosed and treated quicker, reducing treatment timelines and, hopefully, saving lives. Its those types of instances that mean so much to the community and serve as a reminder to the importance of the event to the TETWP board members. “What makes it so special is that it’s a comfortable setting and the intimacy of the room,” Dawson said. “You not only get the songs, but you get the stories behind the songs. You don’t get that if you go to a 10,000-seat venue or to a traditional concert. “That brings the audience in. When it’s communicated why we’re there and what we’re doing (raising money for TETWP), it sets an amazing tone for the entire evening.” Gunnison TETWP has been in the Top 3 fundraising organizations for the PRCA TETWP campaign since its inception and is one of the overall leaders for fundraising in the nation. With the TETWP program platform giving all of the contributions back to its local community, this will be truly an event not to miss to raise funds for breast cancer and enjoy a unique and intimate evening with country music’s brightest new stars and legendary icons.

Top cowboys, bucking horses will be featured at the Hard Grass Bronc Match in July POLLOCKVILLE, Alberta – There were a number of amazing things that happened to Layton Green in 2018: He won the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association saddle bronc riding championship. He qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo for the first time, finishing ninth in the final world standings. He won 17 Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association events, 12 of which were co-sanctioned with the CPRA. All will hold a special place in Green’s heart as he cherishes every memory from that campaign, including his victory at the inaugural Hard Grass Bronc Match. Now he hopes to defend that title during this year’s event, which takes place at 7 p.m. Saturday, July 28, in Pollockville. “That was probably the best bronc riding I’ve ever been to in my life,” said Green, 24, of Meeting Creek, Alberta. “There were so many great rides that day. That money I won solidified me a spot to go to the NFR, so that will always mean a lot to me.” That’s because the Hard Grass Bronc Match was something special a year ago, and it promises to be again this July. The top 30 bronc riders in the world standings are expected to be in the field, and they will be matched with some of the greatest bucking horses in Canada. Throw in a terrific purse to attract the top hands in the game, and there’s something special awaiting fans who want to see one of the greatest bronc matches in professional rodeo. “It’s such a cool setting,” Green said. “You might think you’re driving into the middle of nowhere. There’s not a lot around there, but they’ve got this arena set up there. Everybody there pulled a trailer out there and made a weekend out of it. I’d suggest that over just going camping. You can pull your trailer out there and have one heck of a show.” Those that make their way to the eastern Alberta community of 10 people will be assured of seeing the top names in the game. If members of the field haven’t qualified for either the NFR or the Canadian Finals Rodeo – or both – then they are about to do so. In fact, half the field at last year’s grand finale in Las Vegas were part of the Hard Grass Bronc Match. “I love bronc matches,” said Zeke Thurston, a second-generation bronc rider and the 2016 world champion from Big Valley, Alberta. “They’re awesome, and when you can get one that counts for the world standings, then it’s even better.” Money was a big reason many of the biggest names in the game made their way to Pollockville, but there were other reasons: The unbelievable horses from the Calgary Stampede Ranch and Big Stone Rodeo. “You don’t see a pen of horses like that very often in one place,” Green said. “There aren’t very many long rounds with 30 bronc riders where dang near everybody could have made the short round. Those horses bucked hoard. It took at least 83 points to make the short round. Jake Watson was 88 points to finish fourth in the short round. You’re not going to see those kinds of scores very often. “If you go to a rodeo, you might see one or two of the broncs that were there that day. Any bronc riding fan needs to go and witness that bronc match.”

Estes Park rodeo performances to be featured on satellite radio, Internet ESTES PARK, Colo. – Steve Kenyon’s voice is recognizable to those who have heard or seen him. He’s a personality in rodeo, the radio voice that listeners turn to when they want to know what’s going on in the sport. He’s been to dozens of rodeos across this big country, so he knows the game better than most. He returns to Rooftop Rodeo for this year’s festivities, set for 7 p.m. Thursday, July 5-Tuesday, July 10, at Granny May Arena in Estes Park inside the Estes Park Fairgrounds. He will call the action for the final five nights of award-winning rodeo, and his broadcasts can be found on his website, www.ProRodeoLive.com, and on Rural Radio, Sirius Satellite channel 147. “I’ve learned as time goes on that you want to present events that are popular with the contestants and the fans,” said Kenyon, one of just eight individuals to have been honored with media awards from the largest rodeo organizations in the world, the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and the Women’s Pro Rodeo Association. “How can you argue with the opportunity to go to a place like Estes Park, Colo. The people are great. The committee works very hard at their event, and they take their event very seriously. Besides that, the place is drop-dead gorgeous. When you combine all those things, it’s the kind of place you want to be in and the place you want to watch a good rodeo.” Kenyon will actually be part of two national broadcasts coming out of the picturesque mountain town. He will be joined by the Wrangler Network, www.WranglerNetwork.com, which will showcase the action during Saturday night’s July 7 performance. “We are very honored to have such prestigious national broadcasts that team with us at Rooftop Rodeo,” said Ben Vigil, president of /Estes Park Western Heritage Inc., a group of volunteers that works with the town of Estes Park to produce the annual rodeo. “They help us showcase our rodeo, which is a very big part of the town’s history.” Kenyon is also a ProRodeo announcer who calls the action inside the arena at several rodeos around the country, but his trademark is in the radio-style play-by-play of the rodeo action. It’s something he began doing in 2006, calling the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo for a broadcasting company. When that folded after the 2007 NFR, he established the webcast on ProRodeo Live. “I saw a market there and an opportunity,” he said. “I talked to the PRCA, when Karl Stressman had just started as commissioner. He was a big supporter. I told him I’d like to continue to put the NFR on the Internet. At the time, it was just the National Finals. “I decided to do more rodeos, so I started with San Antonio, the (RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo) and Cheyenne, and it just started to grow. I started finding more and more people were listening to me.” Five years ago, he began partnering with Rural Media Group, which owns also RFD-TV, and his broadcasts hit the national airwaves on satellite radio. “The first rodeo we did was Salinas (Calif.), and that moved into more of what I do now, including Western Sports Roundup on 147 and on RFD-TV,” said Kenyon, who indicated that several thousand people will listen in to the Rooftop Rodeo broadcasts. “This whole ProRodeo Live deal has opened up a bunch of doors that I never thought would have been opened. To be able to make a living and promoting the industry is amazing. To have it morphed into satellite radio and television, you’re talking about things that I could never have expected.” As he travels this country, Kenyon is offered the opportunity to see some amazing scenery and witness some incredible rodeo. He’ll have both when he arrives in Estes Park. “What’s most incredible to me is how hard the people of that committee work,” he said. “It’s an award-winning rodeo for a reason, and that’s because of those volunteers. You see how dedicated they are to making it a first-class project.”

Alpha Bull to showcase Canada’s top bull riders during big December event DAWSON CREEK, British Columbia – Zane Lambert has ridden bulls all across Canada. He is one of the top men on the PBR Canada tour, and he will join other top cowboys competing at the PBR Dawson Creek Fueled by Lyons Production Services, set for Dec. 1 at the Encana Centre. “It’s great up there,” said Lambert, 31, the reigning PBR Canada champion from Ponoka, Alberta. “They have a new building there, and it’s a good size for us. The last time I was up there, they filled it, and I would expect the same thing when we get there in December.” That’s a big drawing card for the best Canadian cowboys in the game. “This is going to be for the 2019 season, so it’s going to be a good one to go to,” said Dakota Buttar, the 13th-ranked cowboy in the PBR world standings from Kindersley, Saskatchewan. “It’s going to be my first event in BC, so I’m excited about it.” The event is produced by Alpha Bull, which has a solid reputation for top events all across Canada. Chad Besplug, Alpha Bull’s founder and CEO, is a former bull rider who has extended his expertise in bull riding into developing top events. “I think Chad will do well with this event,” Lambert said. “it will be top of the line with what Chad’s doing with his production crew. He has been at it for two years, and he’s got his unique stamp on what he does.” Though he hasn’t been to many Alpha Bull events, Buttar said the word is out. “The atmosphere he has going with pyro and lights is cool,” Buttar said. “He brings a different view to the production side of it, which is pretty awesome. “I’m on the road a lot, so to compete in Canada is always home, and it’s fun coming back home and riding with your buddies.” Buttar has focused his attention on the Unleash the Beast series, the PBR’s premier tour, which features dozens of events primarily in the United States. Those events feature the largest paydays in the business, but cowboys must earn their way onto the tour. Lambert is riding a hot streak and hopes to be on tour by the end of the regular season. Until then, he plans to hit rodeos in Canada and the U.S. as well as PBR Canada stops. “I think having the Dawson Creek event in December will be good for us,” said Lambert, the top bull rider in the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association’s standings. “It will be good timing. If you look at the schedule now, they pack so much into June and July that it will be nice.” He is scheduled to compete at the Calgary Stampede in July and has his sites set on qualifying for the Canadian Finals Rodeo and repeating as the PBR Canada champion. “There haven’t been too many people back it up, so it would be cool to win it again this year,” he said. “I want to leave as much with the sport as I can before I’m done with it.”

MARION, La. – Hanna Conley has no recollection of the barrel racing wreck that changed her life. On Dec. 9, 2016, as her horse tried to round the second barrel, it stumbled then fell, and Hanna, then 13 years old, landed face first in the arena dirt. The result was a traumatic brain injury that landed the young lady in a coma for a few days, in the hospital for longer and eventually a rehabilitation center. She’s a survivor. Now 15, she is thriving, but she still has some rough patches that she and her family hope will be ironed out through therapy and her own will. There are side effects that come with such an injury. “Hers was a frontal lobe injury, type 2,” said her mother, Becky. “She has ADHD due to the injury, and she struggles with anxiety and depression. Hanna had a little bit of survivor’s guilt from her accident, her making it and coming out as well as she did. It was recommended she see a psychiatrist.” That helped turn things around, but so did Hanna herself. While attending the Stampede at the Ike rodeo in West Monroe, La. – close to the family’s home in Marion, La. – Hanna watched a video about the Cowboys Who Care Foundation, which provides cowboy hats and smiles to children that have life-threatening injuries or illnesses. “I was feeling guilty that I walked out of the hospital OK,” Hanna said. “Most of the people in the hospital with me won’t survive, and if they do, they won’t have much of a life. “I walked out like I was almost fine. I really didn’t have much hope when I was in the hospital. I know what those kids feel like. Just to give them a cowboy hat and make them smile for 20 minutes – and help them forget their problems – would just mean the world to me.” The young lady is already making an impact. Earlier this month, she conducted an auction that raised nearly $1,200. She also acquired a $100 gift card and sold raffles to help raise money. All told, she raised $1,565 that will go to Cowboys Who Care. More importantly, she and her parents are coming up with other ideas to help raise even more money for the foundation. That’s just the giving nature Becky and Brian Conley have provided their daughter, and she is happy to carry it forward. “I’m still learning to deal with all the new adjustments with my personality,” said Hanna, who is utilizing therapies to help her rewire all the circuits that were damaged during her injury. “I feel like I’ve progressed really far. If I don’t progress any more, I’m OK with that, but I’m going to work my hardest to reach my potential.” That’s the true definition of a cowboy … or cowgirl, in this case. She continues to fight, and her family, friends and community have been there supporting her along the way, both during the time of her injury and now giving back to those who need it more than she does. It takes a great deal of work and faith in God, but each step is a giant stride as she battles back from the injury. “Hanna’s story is uplifting, because she’s overcome so much,” said Pete Carr, owner of Dallas-based Pete Carr Pro Rodeo and a member of the Cowboys Who Care Foundation board. “The fact that she’s young and wants to give back is inspiring to me, and we are thankful she is involved in our foundation.”

Byrne, other top bull riders to be part of Alpha Bull event in central Alberta community WHITECOURT, Alberta – The danger and excitement of man vs. beast dates back to the days of gladiators. Now, though, it’s a nearly orchestrated dance of 150-pound men doing their best to tame nearly a ton of bucking flesh that kicks, spins and stomps beneath them. That raw power allows for some phenomenal athleticism, as the Veteran Oilfield PBR Challenge kicks off Aug. 10 at the Scott Safety Centre in Whitecourt. “This is going to be our first year in Whitecourt, and I’m excited to bring the PBR there,” said Chad Besplug, founder and CEO of Alpha Bull, which will produce the event. “We want the fans there to be just as excited as we are.” The inaugural event will be a true showcase of the greatest animals and the top bull riders on the PBR Canada tour, and fans in this central Alberta community will have a chance to see it inside the quaint auditorium. “I would love to be the first guy to win that,” said Tanner Byrne, 25, of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. “This is my comeback year. I spent most of 2017 out with injuries, so I’ve had some ground to make up.” He’s done a pretty well. He’s climbed to 21st in the PBR world standings and is one of the seeded cowboys on the Unleash the Beast series, the association’s premier tour. “My goal is to come back, make the world finals and just get back to where I’m supposed to be,” he said. “It’s been going well this year. I feel good again and have been riding good again.” He wants that to continue. While the premier tour is taking a few months off, Byrne plans to hit all the important stops in Canada. That’s why he’s excited about making sure he gets to Whitecourt. “Having the PBR go to Whitecourt for the first time, I’m excited,” Byrne said. “I’ not only showing off myself as a rider but also our bulls with the Flying Four Bucking Bulls.” Byrne is a co-owner of the livestock company with his father and father-in-law. That means he will be pulling double-duty when it comes time to buck bulls in Whitecourt. “We’ve been raising bulls for over 10 years and have had some pretty good success with it,” he said. “It seems to be getting better every year. I’ve got 20 bulls that I wouldn’t be afraid to take to any PBR across Canada.” Byrne said he’s excited to be part of the Alpha Bull event. “I haven’t been able to get to a lot of those events due to scheduling conflicts, but I always see the highlights and hear the guys raving about the Alpha Bull events,” he said. “Anytime that anybody is trying to grow the sort of bull riding in Canada, I’m all for it.”

ALVA, Okla. – Maverick Harper is as confident as he’s ever been in his rodeo career, and it comes at a good time. The Northwestern Oklahoma State University cowboy is competing at the College National Finals Rodeo for the first time, and he likes the opportunities that are before him when the action takes place Sunday, June 10-Saturday, June 16, in Casper, Wyo. But it’s not just an individual confidence; he sees great things for both the Northwestern men and women’s teams. “I don’t see how we couldn’t be competitive,” he said, referring to the men’s team of six cowboys competing in seven events and the women’s squad of four competing in five events. “Everybody on our team is capable of winning a national championship in their event.” Harper, a senior from Stephenville, Texas, won the team roping-heading title in the Central Plains Region, joining his heeling partner, Tanner Nall of Colcord, Okla., for the top spot in the circuit made up primarily of college teams from Oklahoma and Kansas. Harper also finished second in the region’s all-around race, so he will also compete in tie-down roping at the college finals. He and Nall will be joined in Casper by tie-down roper Ethan Price of Leedey, Okla., who finished second in the region. Also in the mix are a trio of steer wrestlers: Talon Roseland of Marshalltown, Iowa, the regional champ; Cody Devers of Perryton, Texas, who finished second; and Bridger Anderson of Carrington, N.D., the fourth-place bulldogger. For the women, Jenny Massing of Ponoka, Alberta, finished second in both goat tying and the all-around race, so she will also compete in barrel racing. Taylor Munsel of Arnett, Okla., finished second in breakaway roping, while Brandi Hollenbeck of Hutchinson, Kan., earned the spot on the team by finishing fifth. Sara Bynum of Beggs, Okla., won the regional title in barrel racing and hopes to carry over that success to Casper. “Seeing the arena does help,” said Bynum, a senior making her third trip to the college finals. “The ground is always a little bit different every year, so you don’t know what to expect. I think the mental game is easier after you’ve been there a couple times.” She blazed through the 10-event season on her talented 8-year-old paint mare, Loretta. Bynum knows her success runs through the talented horse’s legs. “I think the biggest thing is to go out there and have fun,” she said. “I need to take care of my horses and take care of me, then I need to let it all fall where it does. The big thing is to not to try to do too much. I’ve had to learn that if I just go and enjoy what I do, I usually do better.” She also realizes what kind of talent will be wearing those black and red NWOSU vests. “Having a full team back at the college finals says a lot about Northwestern rodeo and about Stockton (Graves, the rodeo coach),” Bynum said. “He does a very good job recruiting, and having a full team back at the finals gives us a chance to do well as a team. “I think we have the potential to win it all. We have the right girls, and we have a lot of talent going this year for both teams.” The CNFR finalists earned the right to compete in Wyoming by finishing the region race among the top 3 in the standings. Only the top two teams in the men’s and women’s divisions advance, so that’s why Northwestern is able to have two full teams comping for the top prizes in the sport. What they’ve gained through schooling in Alva has definitely paid off. “Stockton doesn’t know a lot about barrel racing, but he knows how to win regardless of what rodeo event you’re in,” Bynum said, noting that Graves is a seven-time steer wrestling qualifier to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. “He helps any way he can, and he knows the mental game of a big stage. He knows what comes into play and what will keep you competitive.” At the intercollegiate level of any sport, the mental approach to the game is vital. “One of Stockton’s key things is learning how to win,” Harper said. “It doesn’t always take a fast run to win. It’s knowing your stage and knowing what you have to do.” That has worked through the rigors of the regular season. He plans to take that same approach when he competes in both events in Casper.

GUNNISON, Colo. – Many of the greatest athletes in ProRodeo make their way to this picturesque community every July. John Harrison is an entertainer, rodeo clown, barrelman and comedian all rolled up in a ball of fun and funny, and he might be the best athlete of them all at this year’s Cattlemen’s Days PRCA Rodeo, set for 7 p.m. Thursday, July 12, to Saturday, July 14, at Fred Field Western Center in Gunnison. “We’ve had John in Gunnison before, and he does an excellent job entertaining the crowd,” said Kevin Coblentz, president of the volunteer committee that produces the annual rodeo. “He has the perfect personality for our rodeo, and his comedy is family friendly, which is exactly what we like to see.” Harrison is half-artist, half-entertainer, and he molds those pieces together quite well. On top of that, he utilizes his athleticism in some comedic ways to produce an award-winning showcase throughout each of the three performances. He is a four-time winner of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Comedy Act of the Year and a three-time winner of the Coors Man in the Can award, an honor bestowed upon the top barrelman in ProRodeo based on peer votes. But those awards don’t define the third-generation cowboy. “I love my job, but the best part is the traveling and doing things with my family,” Harrison said. “There’s the stress of getting animals and everything ready for a performance, but the reward is great when the crowd comes out to enjoy the rodeo. “For two hours, they get to get away from their life, and I’m glad I can be part of it.” Raised in Soper, Okla., to a rodeo family, Harrison began his entertainment career as a trick rider. He joined the PRCA in 1999, and within five years, he had transitioned to being a clown and barrelman. It provided greater opportunities and has allowed him the chance to showcase the funny side of his amazing abilities. “Everything’s changed since I first started clowning,” said Harrison, 39, the grandson of 1962 world champion bull rider Freckles Brown. “I’m married and have a family and responsibilities. My whole life has changed.” It’s been pretty good. When possible, his wife, Carla, and their three children travel the rodeo circuit with him. “What brings me the most joy is for all of us to be on the road and getting to do things as a family,” he said. “I love that my kids are with me for the summer run. They’re going to have memories that will last forever.” They will be with him in Gunnison, and he’s excited to be part of the historic event. Colorado’s hidden gem is the longest continuous-running rodeo in the state. It also boasts of having the largest Tough Enough to Wear Pink campaign in the sport. “It is a traditional rodeo with a great feel to it, having the track that runs on the outside of the arena,” Harrison said. “That committee finds a cause, and they have delivered on their cause greater than any other committee in the nation. That says something to me. “You can’t beat being in the Rockies in the middle of the summer. Plus, I think the traditional rodeos are always fun to work.” And that’s why he’s excited to return to Gunnison.