Monthly Archives: October 2020

DUNCAN, Okla. – Jacob Edler arrived at Stephens County Arena with a purpose in mind. Mission accomplished. In his fourth appearance at the Chisholm Trail RAM Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo, Edler won both go-rounds and the aggregate and pocketed $5,898, earning his first qualification to the RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo next spring in Kissimmee, Florida. More importantly, it serves as a lightning rod for his first trip to the National Finals Rodeo, which takes place in less than 50 days in Arlington, Texas. “By making the NFR, you bleed confidence,” said Edler of State Center, Iowa, now living in Alva, Oklahoma, home of his alma mater, Northwestern Oklahoma State University. “I worked so hard for this opportunity, and it’s finally come to surface. I’m confident that I’m ready for the NFR. “This circuit finals is a step toward that, so I was definitely going to be ready to go.” He proved it, downing both steers in 4.0 seconds to collect the lion’s share of the money available. More importantly, his earnings will count toward the 2021 world standings. Combined with money he pocketed at the first rodeo of the new campaign three weeks ago, Edler is looking good for the next season before the 2020 season concludes at the NFR. “I’m ready for the NFR, but I’m already looking into 2021 already,” he said. Edler competes in this circuit because he’s stayed close to Alva, where he was the runner-up to his college champion teammate, J.D. Struxness, at the 2016 College National Finals Rodeo. He’s remained one of the top bulldoggers in the game since then. “If you’re rodeoing for a living, you’re going to be able to get your circuit count in and go to rodeos that pay enough to give you the opportunity to make the circuit finals in 15 rodeos,” Edler said. “Having this kind of success this weekend gives me quite a bit of confidence. “When I get to Arlington, I know the horse is going to be ready, and I know I’m going to be ready.  I’m just going to do my job for 10 rounds and let the chips fall where they may.” That horse is Ditto, a mare owned by fellow bulldogger Clayton Moore. Edler’s traveling partner and hazer, Matt Reeves, had sold Ditto to Moore, then asked the Canadian to borrow the horse after Reeves’ top horse, Rattle, died earlier this year – rattle was the 2019 Steer Wrestling Horse of the Year. “When Rattle went down, we were in a bind and had only one horse in the rig,” Edler said. “Since Day 1, Ditto and I have just meshed. It’s just unreal the things she did for my career. She makes the exact same run every time, so I get the exact go every time. It makes my job exceptionally easy. I’ve been blessed to get to ride an animal like her.” She and Edler were spot on over two nights in Duncan, and now he gets to reap the circuit rewards. Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo Oct. 16-17 Duncan, Okla. All-around champion: Blake Deckard. Bareback riding: First round: 1. Garrett Shadboldt, 83 points on New Frontier Rodeo’s Brown Eyed Girl, $1,872; 2. Mike Fred, 81, $1,404; 3. Blaine Kaufman, 80, $936; 4. Mark Kreder, 78, $468. Second round: 1. Garrett Shadboldt, 80 points on Salt Creek Rodeo’s My Hero, $1,872; 2. Will Martin, 79.5, $1,404; 3. Blaine Kaufman, 77.5, $936; 4. Danny Weil, 7, $468. Average: 1. Garrett Shadboldt, 163 points on two rides, $1,872; 2. Blaine Kaufman, 157.5, $1,404; 3. Will Martin, 156, $936; 4. Danny Weill, 154.5, $468. Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Jacob Edler, 4.0 seconds, $1,685; 2. Blake Mindemann, 4.3, $1,264; 3. Tanner Brunner, 4.4, $843; 4. Cody Devers, 5.1, $421. Second round: 1. Jacob Edler, 4.0 seconds, $1,685; 2. Tanner Brunner, 4.1, $1,264; 3. Bridger Anderson, 4.7, $843; 4. Cole Edge, 5.2, $421. Average: 1. Jacob Edler, 8.0 seconds on two runs, $2,528, 2. Tanner Brunner, 8.5, $1,896; 3. Riley Duvall, 10.7, $1,264; 4. Cody Devers, 11.8, $632. Year-end champion: Cody Devers. Team roping: First round: 1. Jake Clay/Brye Crites, 4.7 seconds, $1,685; 2. Wyatt Muggli/Casey McCleskey, 5.0, $1,264; 3. Bubba Buckaloo/Joseph Harrison, 5.3, $843; 4. Curry Kirchner/Austin Rogers, 5.4, $421. Second round: 1. Bubba Buckaloo/Joseph Harrison, 4.0, $1,685; 2. Curry Kirchner/Austin Rogers, 4.3, $1,264; 3. Jake Clay/Brye Crites, 4.4, $843; 4. Coleman Proctor/Billie Jack Saebens, 4.6, $421. Average: 1. Jake Clay/Brye Crites, 9.1 seconds on two runs, $2,528; 2. Bubba Buckaloo/Joseph Harrison, 9.3, $1,896; 3. Curry Kirchner/Austin Rogers, 9.7, $1,264; 4. Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins, 10.8, $632. Year-end champion header: Andrew Ward. Year-end champion heeler: Buddy Hawkins. Saddle bronc riding: First round: 1. Shade Etbauer, 86.5 points on Mo Betta Rodeo’s Sue City Sue, $1,966; 2. Hardy Braden, 84, $1,475; 3. Jake Finlay, 83.5, $983; 4. Tyrel Larsen, 83, $492. Second round: 1. (tie) Colt Gordon and Jake Finlay, 85.5 points, $1,720 each; 3. (tie) Tyrel Larsen and Clint Lindenfeld, 81, $737 each. Average: 1. Jake Finlay, 169 points on two rides, $1,966; 2. Colt Gordon, 164.5, $1,475; 3. Tyrel Larsen, 164, $983; 4. Hardy Braden 157.5, $492. Tie-down roping: First round: 1. Hunter Herrin, 8.1 seconds, $1,685; 2. (tie) Blake Deckard and Tyler Milligan, 8.6 seconds, $1,053; 4. Quay Howard, 8.7, $421. Second round: 1. Ryan Jarrett, 8.5 seconds, $1,685; 2. Will Howell, 8.6, $1,264; 3. (tie) Blake Deckard and Caddo Lewallen, $632 each. Average: 1. Hunter Herrin, 16.9 seconds on two runs, $2,528; 2. Blake Deckard, 17.3, $1,896; 3. Will Howell, 18.6, $1,264; 4. Wyatt Muggli, 18.9, $632. Year-end champion: Ryan Jarrett. Barrel racing: First round: 1. Emily Miller, 15.50 seconds, $2,041; 2. Michelle Darling, 15.80, $1,531; 3. Erin Zoucha, 15.92, $1,021; 4. Shannon Lillard, 16.00, $510. Second round: 1. Emily Miller, 15.53 seconds, $2,041; 2. Leslie Smalygo, 16.02, $1,531; 3. (tie) Erin Zoucha and Shannon Lillard, 16.04, $765 each. Average: 1. Emily Miller, 31.03 seconds on two runs, $2,041; 2. Michelle Darling, 31.85, $1,531; 3. Erin Zoucha,  Continue Reading »

DUNCAN, Okla. – When he arrived at the Stephens County Arena, bareback rider Garrett Shadboldt knew he was in a race for a regional championship. He trailed standings leader Blaine Kaufman by $352 heading into this weekend’s Chisholm Trail RAM Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo. That changed in the opening night of the two-round regional championship, when Shadboldt matched moves with New Frontier Rodeo’s Brown Eyed Girl for 83 points to win the first performance and $1,872. That, combined with Kaufman’s third-place finish, pushed Shadboldt into the lead for the year-end championship by $584. “I haven’t been on that horse before, and I didn’t know much about her at all,” said Shadboldt, a three-time circuit finals qualifier from Merriman, Nebraska. “I was trying to be fairly conservative off the get-go, and I’m glad I was. “The first two jumps, she felt really good, then she stuck her nose out and did a flat whirl. I’m glad I didn’t get too exposed when she did that. I was able to track her around the corner and finish her strong from it.” When a bucking horse spins, it can oftentimes eliminate the kick that actually helps cowboys get the heels of their boots back to the front of the horse. In bareback riding, cowboys are judged by how well they spur the horse from the neck back to their rigging, all while doing so in rhythm with the animal’s bucking motion. “I’ve been to the circuit finals three times now, and I never got the win and have never been to the RAM National Circuit Finals,” he said. “That’s a big goal of mine, especially since the money counts toward the world standings. That could make a big difference heading into this next year. “I don’t know how things are going to play out or what kind of rodeos we’re going to have, but the national circuit finals seems to always happen, and there seems to be a lot of money there. I’m looking to get there and get that big boost for my world standings in 2021. His Friday earnings boosted Shadboldt’s 2020 circuit salary to $7,750. It will come down to Saturday’s final round to decide who will claim the coveted titles and earn the bids to the RNCFR – only the year-end and finals-aggregate champs from each circuit earn the right to compete in Kissimmee, Florida, next spring. In bareback riding, though, it will likely be the average champion that wins the year-end title, too, but it’s going to take every dollar possible to decide that. In rodeo, dollars equal championship points, so the contestants with the most money at the conclusion of the season win the year-end titles. “I just really want to get to the national circuit finals,” he said. “Either way, they’ll both get you there. I think the year-end means a little more, but where none of us went to a lot of rodeos and the money’s tight, I think it will come down to the same thing.” Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo Oct. 16-17 Duncan, Okla. Bareback riding: 1. Garrett Shadboldt, 83 points on New Frontier Rodeo’s Brown Eyed Girl, $1,872; 2. Mike Fred, 81, $1,404; 3. Blaine Kaufman, 80, $936; 4. Mark Kreder, 78, $468. Steer wrestling: 1. Jacob Edler, 4.0 seconds, $1,685; 2. Blake Mindemann, 4.3, $1,264; 3. Tanner Brunner, 4.4, $843; 4. Cody Devers, 5.1, $421. Team roping: 1. Jake Clay/Brye Crites, 4.7 seconds, $1,685; 2. Wyatt Muggli/Casey McCleskey, 5.0, $1,264; 3. Bubba Buckaloo/Joseph Harrison, 5.3, $843; 4. Curry Kirchner/Austin Rogers, 5.4, $421. Saddle bronc riding: 1. Shade Etbauer, 86.5 points on Mo Betta Rodeo’s Sue City Sue, $1,966; 2. Hardy Braden, 84, $1,475; 3. Jake Finlay, 83.5, $983; 4. Tyrel Larsen, 83, $492. Tie-down roping: 1. Hunter Herrin, 8.1 seconds, $1,685; 2. (tie) Blake Deckard and Tyler Milligan, 8.6 seconds, $1,053; 4. Quay Howard, 8.7, $421. Barrel racing: 1. Emily Miller, 15.50 seconds, $2,041; 2. Michelle Darling, 15.80, $1,531; 3. Erin Zoucha, 15.92, $1,021; 4. Shannon Lillard, 16.00, $510. Bull riding: 1. Colton Bynam, 85 points on Rafter H Rodeo’s Bet on Black, $2,130; 2. Trevor Kastner, 84, $1,648; 3. E.J. Bechthold, 78, $1,147; no other qualified rides.

BLACKFOOT, Idaho – While the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic wreaked havoc on so much of the world, organizers of the Gem State Classic Pro Rodeo pressed forward to make sure the event happened. “Cowboys don’t quit, and neither did we,” said Valorie Blanchard, chairwoman of the volunteer committee that produces the event. “It was a hard fight for everybody that didn’t have a rodeo and everybody that did. I feel for every committee because I know what we had to go through just to have our rodeo.” Because of that and because of the event that was produced, the Gem State Classic has been nominated as a Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association’s Small Rodeo of the Year, a title the committee earned in 2019. It’s quite an honor to be recognized as one of the top 21 rodeos in the country, but it’s even a bigger deal in 2020. “We worked closely with the health department, and we put in prevention plans as much as possible,” she said. “Because of restrictions, we were only able to have 25 percent of our normal attendance. Thank goodness our sponsors stuck with us. “It’s rough out there, but we refused to cancel. It was a hard year, but it makes us appreciate it more because we had to persevere through it.” The committee awards are broken down into four categories: large indoor, large outdoor, medium, and small. The Blackfoot committee actually increased its “added money” – dollars generated by the local organizers that are mixed with entry fees to make the total purse – but kept it within the threshold to continue to be considered a small event. Only the top five (top six in one category this year because of a tie in votes) rodeos receive nominations each year. “We know that small rodeos are the heart and soul of the PRCA,” said Blanchard, whose group works with the Eastern Idaho State Fair and is an annual part of the exposition. “We know we have our place and are proud to be part of the association.” As with many sports around the world, rodeo was hit hard by the pandemic. More than half of the more than 600 rodeos that are part of the PRCA were canceled, while many others postponed. The Gem State Classic Pro Rodeo was able to maintain its dates and still produce a high-quality event. “When you bring the best, you’re going to get the best out of it,” said announcer Steve Kenyon, the voice of the Gem State Classic. “Then, when you couple that with really slick production, you can’t help but have a great rodeo.” It also happened because many people came together to make sure a classic event happened and helped bring some normalcy back to this part of the country. “We owe a lot of this rodeo happening to the Eastern Idaho State Fair board members and Brandon Bird,” Blanchard said, referring to the fair’s general manager. “He had a lot to deal with and did everything he could to make this happen. “In my eyes, the significance of this nomination is even greater than our first nomination. We had to work three times harder this year, so we really appreciate it more.”

HEMPSTEAD, Texas – Over the course of his career, Cory Solomon has qualified for the National Finals Rodeo six times and has proven the rodeo talent available in Waller County, Texas. Each fall, he returns home to be part of the region’s best exposition, the Waller County Fair and Rodeo, just a few miles from his Prairie View, Texas, home. On the first full weekend of October, he did it in fine form, winning the Tie-Down Roping Eliminator Challenge for the second time in the event’s seven-year history. “Every year, we follow Cory closely through the rodeo season,” said Matt Hyatt, president of the Waller County Fair Association. “Last year, injuries left him out of the NFR, and this year he made a heck of a run at qualifying again and finished 16th in the standings, just one spot out of making it. “I’m sure that was disappointing, but he never showed it once he got here. He definitely put on a show during our Eliminator, and he’s always a contender to win that thing. It’s great to see that he was able to pull off another victory.” His best season was nine years ago, when he finished third in the world standings, but he’s had an amazing career since he first stepped onto the scene in 2008. He’s also a two-time winner of the $100,000-shootout round at the prestigious Calgary (Alberta) Stampede. Through all that success, he remains humble and always enjoys competing in front of his home county. “It’s people like Cory who make our fair and rodeo a hidden gem of Waller County,” said Clint Sciba, co-chairman of the WCFA’s rodeo committee. “We take a lot of pride in the rodeo events we put on, and Cory’s one of those guys you can always count on to be part of what we’re doing.” The rodeo action was highlighted by two 90-point bareback rides. Bill Tutor, a two-time NFR qualifier from nearby Huntsville, Texas, rodeo Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Exotic Dancer for 90 points to share the victory with Leighton Berry, who rodeo Carr’s Fancy Free for the same score. Berry is heading to ProRodeo’s grand championship for the first time in December. In addition, two-time PBR world champion JB Mauney shared the bull riding title after matching moves with Lancaster & Jones Pro Rodeo’s White Walker for 89 points. He matched the score put on by Clayton Sellars, who rode Carr’s Royal Reel to his share of the crown. Other winners four other NFR qualifiers, steer wrestler Jacob Edler, tie-down roper Hunter Herrin and team ropers Dustin Egusquiza and Travis Graves. Tony Reina, a five-time National Finals Steer Roping qualifier who also made the NFR once in tie-down roping, won the steer roping crown. “We were very pleased with the way things went, especially in such a tough year with the pandemic,” Hyatt said. “I’m proud of our rodeo committee with what all they’ve done to produce great events throughout the week of our fair and rodeo. We provide VIP treatment to our contestants, and they showed up in big numbers again this year. “We’ve got a great stock contractor in Pete Carr, who gives us great animals and a great production every night. We’ve got an easy-to-see video board and an NFR announcer in Andy Steward, and we had the eight-time PRCA Clown of the Year in Justin Rumford. The biggest thing was we had some great community sponsors who made this fair and rodeo happen, and we as a board are happy to support what we had in 2020.”

GUYMON, Okla. – Even though it was delayed by nearly three months, the cowboys that competed were quite pleased with the 2020 version of the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo. The volunteer committee that produces the annual rodeo has been nominated by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association’s Medium Rodeo of the Year. It’s a big tip of the hat from PRCA contestants and personnel for the hundreds of man-hours it took and the decision to move ahead during the COVID-19 pandemic. The PRCA has four divisions to honor rodeos of various sizes in regards to their “added money,” which is the local dollars that are mixed with entry fees to make up the overall purse. The largest rodeos are $10,000-up, and Guymon is in the mix of events that feature $3,000-$9,999 in added money. “This is a huge honor for our volunteers and for this community,” said Mitch Egger, the committee’s chairman. “Being nominated means the cowboys considered Pioneer Days Rodeo as one of the top five medium-sized rodeos in the country this year. “This is also a big deal for the contract personnel we had at our rodeo. Frontier Rodeo was nominated again and has been the Stock Contractor of the Year. Our secretary, Amanda Sanders, is nominated again.” Frontier Rodeo is the reigning six-time winner and has had some of the top stock in ProRodeo for more than a decade. While Frontier was the primary livestock producer, the firm brought in other companies to help add to the firepower of the bucking horses and bulls in the mix. It’s a tradition that’s been part of Pioneer Days Rodeo for about two decades. It paid off with two 90-point rides in bull riding, an 89.5-point ride to win saddle bronc riding and an 89 to win bareback riding. In addition, there were many fast runs in the timed events, making the competition as tough as expected for the hundreds of cowboys and cowgirls that made their way to the Oklahoma Panhandle in August. “We’re pleased to be one of the few rodeos, if not the only one, to increase our added money in this tough year,” said Ken Stonecipher, the rodeo committee’s production manager. “We had great sponsor support, and we had good attendance, especially on a sold-out Saturday night.” This isn’t the first time Pioneer Days Rodeo has been recognized by the PRCA. There have been several nominations over the years, and in 2002, it was named the Large Outdoor Rodeo of the Year. It all falls on a simple philosophy. “We want to produce the right kind of rodeo that makes for great competition every year while also being an event that makes our community proud,” Egger said. It seems to be working.

DUNCAN, Okla. – The greatest rodeo stars in the Oklahoma-Kansas-Nebraska region are converging on Duncan this week to battle for elusive championships. The Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo – set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16-Saturday, Oct. 17, at the Stephens County Arena – will host those tremendous athletes and will issue the biggest prizes in the region at its conclusion. “We have a great tradition in the Prairie Circuit of having some of the greatest cowboys in the sport year after year,” said Joe Henderson, co-chairman of the volunteer committee that produces the championship. “We’ve had countless world champions over the years that come from this circuit, and I don’t think that’s going to stop. “When you look at this year’s qualifiers to the National Finals Rodeo, 13 of them will be at our finals this week. That says something about what people are going to see in Duncan.” In all, there are 19 circuit finals contestants that have qualified for the National Finals, including six cowboys who are among the top 15 that will battle at the Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping. In addition, of the 107 contestants that will battle over two days this weekend, 33 have played on the sport’s grandest stage. “This has always been a great proving ground for the young contestants, but there’s more to that with the Prairie Circuit,” Henderson said. “We have contestants like Tamara Reinhardt, who made the NFR 35 years ago in barrel racing, and she is still excelling in the region. We have Rocky Patterson, who has four steer roping world titles and first qualified for the National Finals in the mid-1990s. “In just the past few years, both of them have won our championship. It shows that we have some great young contestants as well as outstanding veterans. It makes for a great rodeo.” Of the 19 circuit finalists that will also compete for the world championships later this year, the largest contingent is six in steer roping, led by Cole Patterson of Pratt, Kansas, the son of Rocky and the world standings leader who also is atop the circuit standings. He will be joined at the NFSR in Mulvane, Kansas, by his father, Billy Good, Thomas Smith, Chet Herren and Roger Branch. There are four steer wrestlers who will compete at the NFR, which will have a one-year home from Dec. 3-12 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas: Tanner Brunner, Bridger Anderson, Jacob Edler and Jule Hazen. There will be three team ropers – header Andrew Ward and heelers Buddy Hawkins and Joseph Harrison – and three tie-down ropers, Ryan Jarrett, Tyler Milligan and Hunter Herrin. Also on the list is bull rider Trevor Kastner and barrel racers Emily Miller and Dona Kay Rule. Before they can battle for ProRodeo’s prestigious gold, they’ll show off their talents before an engaged crowd in Duncan. “It’s going to be a great weekend of rodeo, and we’re excited we’ve been able to bring it back to Stephens County,” Henderson said, noting that this is the ninth straight years the Chisholm Trail RAM Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo committee has produced the event. “We’re glad to be the home of the circuit finals.”

Storied bronc had a distinguished career with 13 NFRs, six round wins DALLAS – For most of her life, Scarlet’s Web was one of the greatest bucking horses in rodeo. She will be remembered as such by the men who rode her for hundreds of thousands of dollars over her lifetime. The Pete Carr Pro Rodeo bay mare died Saturday, Sept. 29, after suffering an aneurysm at Timbercreek Veterinary Clinic in Canyon, Texas. Scarlet’s Web was 19 years old and in her first year of retirement after a long and storied career in rodeo, where she was selected 13 straight times to perform at the National Finals Rodeo. “She was definitely one of my favorite horses ever to ride,” said Tilden Hooper, a seven-time NFR qualifier who rode the magnificent mare to two NFR round wins in his career: the 10th round in both the 2008 and the 2018 championships. “You knew every time you drew her that she was going to take you to the money. “From a rider’s standpoint, she was going to get up in the air and give you a chance to go on. She was fun to ride. With some horses you win on, it’s more of a fight. With her, it felt more like a dance. She was nice to ride, but she had enough action that she was really electric.” Her last performance was at the NFR 10 months ago, and it was a fitting end to a magnificent career. Since her first appearance in 2007, she guided cowboys to round victories six times, an unprecedented number that sets the standard for winning bucking horses. “I had the opportunity to get on her twice, once in Guymon (Oklahoma) when she was at the prime of her career, and again last year at the NFR,” said Tim O’Connell, a three-time world champion who rode Scarlet’s Web for 88 points to finish with the second-best score of the sixth round this past December. “To be 88 points on her then and there, it shows so much about a horse that was 18 or 19 years old and still bucking that well. “She gave you every opportunity in the world to win. She was always going to give you and honest go and an electric go at it every time. Those were some of the funnest 15 seconds of my life.” Born in 2001, she is the daughter of the mare Scarlett and the stallion Night Jacket, two of the greatest bucking-horse producers in the history of ProRodeo. At least four of Scarlet’s Web’s full siblings have bucked at the NFR, and dozens more of her half siblings have been there, too. Billy Jones, the general manager for Pete Carr Pro Rodeo, said the firm has two young Scarlet’s Web fillies at the ranch, one sired by Korczak, a Carr foundation stallion, and Lunatic Fringe, another high-producing stud. “Both those fillies are big and strong,” said Jones, noting the breeding program just continues to grow each year. “We expect them to be pretty good.” The groundwork is certainly there. Dr. Gregg Veneklasen operates Timbercreek and was just a few feet from Scarlet’s Web when she collapsed. He has built a solid foundry for breeding at his Canyon facility, with dozens of horses that reside there throughout the year. “We have a lot of good mares here,” Veneklasen said. “I buried her next to Kattle Kate, the mother to Big Tex, and to Dirty, the mother of Dirty Jacket. She’s buried right there by other Zinser horses that have died here.” Jim and Maggie Zinser developed a breeding program like no other 50 years ago, and other firms have begun to run with it over time. They were the original owners of Scarlet’s Web and her parents, and that legacy continues forward. “I’ve seen the filly by Lunatic Fringe out of Scarlet’s Web, and she’s really cute, and she’s a really loud paint with a medicine cap,” Veneklasen said, noting the paint characteristics passed on by the young horse’s sire and also Scarlet Web’s sire. “I’d say she’s 3 or 4 years old now, so she’s bound to have something to her.” If that filly is anything like her mother, she’ll be a cowboy’s dream. “Scarlet’s Web was just a good, reliable horse you could count on every time,” said Orin Larsen, who won the rounds he was in both times he was matched with the mare, once at The American in Arlington, Texas, and the other in Lovington, New Mexico. “She went to the NFR 13 consecutive times and was in our TV pen most of the time; I can only name two or three other horses that have that kind of resume. “I think that horse loved what she did until the day she died.” At age 16, she guided Steven Dent to a share of the 10th-round win at the 2017 NFR with an 88-point ride. A year later, she and Hooper matched moves for 89.5 points – a decade after the tandem scored 90 in the final round of the 2008 championship. She was definitely special, and countless cowboys will recall those moments. Dent, now retired at age 34, won the PRCA’s 2008 tour championship in Dallas on Scarlet’s Web, then added the top dollars as both neared the end of their distinguished careers nine years later. “She was always a money horse,” said Dent, who estimates his earnings on her back to be near $60,000 in just two times of riding the big bay. “I’m not sure she ever threw anybody off, but guys were always 87 to 91 points on her every time she turned her head out.” “There are not many of them that stay like that for that long. She’s as good a horse as I’ve seen in my career. If you needed to win a check and you had her, you knew it was going to be a good check and probably help you win first.” Only  Continue Reading »