Monthly Archives: May 2020

The sun has set on a rough day in rodeo. While still feeling euphoric over the reopening of ProRodeo in the Arizona desert, the sport was dealt a difficult uppercut when seven Wyoming events announced their cancellations for the 2020 season Wednesday. That means no Cheyenne Frontier Days, “The Daddy of ’em All,” nor events in Cody, Sheridan, Casper, Thermopolis, Laramie and Rock Springs. It’s a devastating blow to the game that people play for the lifestyle, the passion and the comradery. This is a jab to the people who make their livings in the sport, but it’s also a slap to those communities that thrive when the rodeo comes to town. These decisions are not made in haste, and there has been great debate in each committee meeting as they stare at the prospects of producing an event that will face limitations. How can their stands be filled while social distancing is still in effect? How can the lack of ticket-buyers do anything but negatively affect the bottom line? Many of these community events struggle to be financially stable year after year, and the people making these decisions must take that into consideration. They also weigh what this means for the community. How can they approach potential sponsors whose doors have been shuttered for weeks? Maybe reigning six-time world champion bull rider Sage Kimzey expressed it best in a social media post from Wednesday afternoon: “Rodeos are community events; we have been a part of community events for over 100 years. If the community is struggling, how do we expect them to donate $250 to an ad in a program when they haven’t worked in over 50 days? How do we expect these people who are worried about feeding their families, losing their businesses and surviving, to put on a rodeo when their community is suffering?” There are thousands of us who make our livings in this game, and, yes, this affects how we feed our families and how we pay our mortgages and how we make sure our bills are covered. But we are a resilient bunch, and I’m proud of that. “Without rodeos, none of us have jobs, and I think we need to open our eyes and see that communities and volunteers work really hard to make this happen and if they can’t make it happen, we should at least praise them for trying,” Kimzey wrote. “This is out of their control; it’s coming from state government and probably lack of funds. Compassion goes a long way, and right now as an industry, we need to step up and be thankful for those that can still take place.” As of now, more than 150 PRCA events have been canceled. That equals millions of dollars in payout that will not be dispensed and hundreds of thousands of dollars not paid to contract personnel. But more than any of that, there are many more millions of dollars in economic impact that communities won’t see. The reality, though, is we’re less than three months into this social distancing. Many things, both positively and negatively, can happen in the nest few months. I choose to look at the positive. Here’s hoping for great things to come in the weeks and months ahead.

Two decades ago, I was preparing to spend my final Mother’s Day with my mom, who just weeks before had been told her cancer was terminal. It was the most emotional time of my life at the time, though I’ve shed many happy tears since. I was, and still am, a Momma’s Boy, and I’m damned proud of it. In the 20 years since, much has changed in my life. I married an absolutely wonderful and beautiful woman and have become a father two times over. I’ve gone from a 22-year legacy in the newspaper game to a business owner who is chasing his own rodeo dreams. I’m certain my mother would be very proud of what has transpired since we last visited, just as she was with everything that had gone on before her death. She would love my girls with her whole heart, and she would be would dote on them to her family and friends. That’s who she was. And while I know this is how life was meant to be and that I hold no regrets, there are pieces of me that wish my girls had met her. I wish they could see her smile, experience her love and feel the contagiousness of her laugh. As a man of faith, I know I’ll see her again someday. For now, though, I’ll cherish her “visits” during those special dreams, and I’ll continue to tell anyone who will listen about my mom and why I’m an unabashed Momma’s Boy.

During pandemic isolation, Proctor finding a silver lining to moments at home PRYOR, Okla. – Anybody who knows him will describe Coleman Proctor in an abundance of ways, but most will discuss his openness and ability to communicate with anyone and everyone. “I’m a pretty social person, so the hardest thing for me is being so far out of the loop,” Proctor said, describing his thoughts on self-isolation through the COVID-19 pandemic. “It’s like being on my own little island.” His piece of paradise is 240 acres near Pryor, and he shares that plot of land with his wife, Stephanie, and their two daughters, Stella, 2, and Caymbree, 9 months. On a typical year, he would have just returned to Oklahoma from a spring run California. Instead, he’s been hanging out with his girls, performing tasks around his place and finding a little extra work when possible. “It’s actually been nice,” he said. “I’ve had a set of heifers I’ve been calving; we have about 240 head of cows, 40 of which were first-year heifers. “I’ve been catching up on the around-the-house stuff. My youngest has been changing, so that’s been fun to see in person. I got to see her crawl for the first time, and how she’s standing up and pulling herself up to things.” There were several little things he missed when Stella was this age that he’s not missing with Caymbree. That’s the life of a rodeo cowboy, especially one in the elite status like Coleman, a five-time National Finals Rodeo qualifying header. He’s roped with three cowboys at ProRodeo’s grand finale: Longtime friend Jake Long, Billie Jack Saebens and, most recently, Ryan Motes. Other than calls and other forms of communication, that’s really all he’s been able to do as far staying in touch with other ropers. “Motesy and I did a Zoom interview for our friends at Brazos Valley Equine, and that was the first time I’d seen him since we left Houston,” said Proctor, noting that he and Motes had competed in the first two rounds of the third set at RodeoHouston before it was canceled in March. “It was definitely odd leaving Houston and not knowing when we’d see each other again. “We’ve got our run down pretty good. I’m practicing on what makes me really good, and he’s practicing on what makes him really good. He and (wife) Courtney are the most hospitable people you’d ever meet. I’ve been missing out on being with them, grilling out and roping.” The hardest part of being at home, he said, is not having a steady income, which is proof of his roping prowess; he has made a pretty good living roping the horns. For a man who is used to the confidence it takes to pay the entry fees at rodeos and ropings and understand the opportunity before him, it’s a bit of a stretch to know the chances of that have been diminished greatly. “It feels like you’re spending a lot of money, and you’re not making a lot,” he said, noting that he’s taken on some skid-loader work recently. “I think we get accustomed to how rodeo can be a very profitable business.” He’s done pretty well over his career, most of it coming in the last six years. At the NFR alone, he has pocketed about $325,000, but that’s even small compared to the big win he and Motes secured at The American in 2019; they each earned $433,000 by winning the team-roping title, $50,000 of which helped them secure their NFR bids. He’s holding out hope everything recovers quickly from the pandemic, which not only hit the rodeo industry hard but also has affected the overall economy. “I think we’re going to see a pretty good drought of selling horses right now, and that limits everyone,” Proctor said. “Diesel is below $2 a gallon, and while that seems nice, it’s not good for anybody. Oil fields drive a lot of what we do. “Still, I love the time at home and the time I get to spend with my family. It’s been a lot of fun. We’ve been able to work on Steph’s breakaway roping.” Interest and financial support have boomed in breakaway roping over the last two years, and more rodeos are planning to include the event in their schedules. That might open the door for more opportunities for the family. Doing things with ropes is nothing new for Coleman Proctor. With the support of his parents, friends and other family members, he’s been doing it all his life. “Even though they were divorced, my mom and dad were very good friends,” he said. “Both would take me roping. Jake Long and I roped together when we were 2 and 3. That’s all I ever wanted to know. My freshman year of high school, Jake and I started going around Miami (Oklahoma) with our Fast Lane (roping dummy). We’d rope in parking lots all over town, and we’ve been kicked out of every parking lot. “We’d rope in all the different parking lots, and we’d save the Walmart parking lot to last. It didn’t have the best lighting, but they’d let us rope there longer.” Even then, he had an end goal in mind. “Even when I got jobs, it as what I needed to do to get my fees paid,” Proctor said. “Working was a way to gather up money. I wanted to rope for a living and make the National Finals.” He’s done that, and over time, his priorities have changed. That comes with having a family; in his case, Proctor looks directly into the eyes of his three girls. “My greatest accomplishment would be giving Stella and Caymbree everything I had,” he said. “I want Stella and Caymbree to feel it for the rest of their lives. “I want a gold buckle. Now I’ve made a living with a rope in my hand, but I want something more. Last year was the first time  Continue Reading »