Monthly Archives: November 2020

SPANISH FORK, Utah – Several years ago, Mason Clements focused on his dreams of being one of the elite cowboys in professional rodeo. He’s earned his place as one of the top 20 bareback riders in the game each of the past five seasons, three of which feature qualifications to the National Finals Rodeo. That includes the wild and unpredictable 2020 campaign. “Being a three-time NFR qualifier means I’ve made some big accomplishments, and I have been on the track that I started out 10 years ago,” said Clements, 28, of Spanish Fork. “Each qualification is a big accomplishment, but it’s not the end of what I’m doing. “This is just the beginning. It’s just three years of going to the big show, and to me that means I am one of the best bareback riders going.” In fact, he announced himself to the rodeo world in 2014 by winning the Rocky Mountain Region’s bareback riding title while attending the College of Southern Idaho. Two years later, he finished 18th in the ProRodeo world standings, just three spots out of earning a trip to the sport’s grand finale, which features only the top 15 contestants in each event at the conclusion of the regular season. He made back-to-back NFR appearances in 2017-18, then a knee surgery and recovery left him on the injured reserve for much of 2019; he still finished 16th in the world standings. Through pure will power and determination, he returns to the championship, set for Dec. 3-12 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. “The first year, I came in 15th to the NFR and finished 10th,” said Clements, who credits his sponsors – CINCH, Bex Sunglasses, Barstow Pro Rodeo, Bison Union Co. and Chaffhaye Alfalfa – with getting him up and down the rodeo trail, especially in the tumultuous, COVID-19 global pandemic. “When I get to the NFR, I feel really comfortable. Being in Arlington, I don’t know what’s going to change other than the scenery, but I suspect it’s going to feel like being at the finals. It’ll be time to move up or get the hell out of the way.” He’s already ahead of schedule. He finished the regular season with $58,501, good enough for ninth place in the standings. Now he wants to add to that at the richest rodeo in the sport. He’ll have 10 nights to collect as much cash as possible and chase that elusive Montana Silversmiths gold buckle. In rodeo, dollars not only pay bills, but they also serve as points. The top 15 on the money list advance to the NFR; the contestants in each event who finish with the most earnings will be crowned world champions. “I think the key to my season was with my mindset and my goals I’ve had this year,” he said. “I’ve got a house and I’m about to start a family, so I’ve got bigger life goals and I look at that now more than I ever did before.” That family includes his fiancé, Brianna, and the two have set a wedding date for next June. Before that can happen, though, Clements would like to stow away as much money as possible. It’s not all about the wedding; the cowboy wants to put him and his bride-to-be on the right path right off the start. “I think before I had all this, it was more like an ego trip on how I wanted to finish,” Clements said. “I think my whys have changed for the better since I’ve gotten older. I still love to ride bucking horses, because that’s what I do, that’s what I’m good at and that’s what I was meant to do. “But now I do it because it’s deeper than just me. It’s a good feeling.” The 2020 campaign wasn’t without its fair share of hiccups and hesitations. He kicked off the season with two big wins in Denver and San Antonio and pocketed nearly $31,000 between those two events alone. That accounted for more than half his season earnings, but there was a reason: COVID-19. The pandemic hit full bore in mid-March, and rodeo was shut down for two and a half months. When the sport returned, the schedule was greatly diminished; more than half the typical rodeos were canceled, including many of the largest in North America. That meant making changes to how each cowboy traveled. “It was almost exasperating trying to rodeo through that,” he said. “You had to go to so many smaller rodeos, and while you were thankful to be rodeoing, it was harder to make money. If you weren’t making money, that made it tough. You had to be super mentally strong, because if you made a mistake or your horse had a bad day, it was ‘Thanks for coming.’ ” There were many bright spots to the regular season, too. It was the first in several years that he’s finished without time on the injury list, and he earned his third qualification while also helping his traveling partners, young guns Leighton Berry and Cole Reiner, earn their first trips to the NFR. “I’m so proud of those two, and it was really good for me to be traveling with them,” Clements said. “It took me back to watching myself work hard to get to where they’re at. They helped me to work out when I may have thought I was too tired. They kept me hungry. “I found myself getting a little bit complacent, then I’d watch those guys. When they’d beat me and outright out-rode me, it was a punch in the nose that told me to keep working on my craft. I’m proud of them and grateful they wanted to travel with me.” As the elder statesman of the trio, he had plenty to offer. He was the tutor, explaining the need to visualize and prepare. He was the example, leading the way for the rig – Berry sits 10th in the standings, while Reiner is  Continue Reading »

FORT WORTH, Texas – When circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 global pandemic threatened the Permit Holder of the Year Challenge, Texas livestock producer Pete Carr stepped in. “The Permit Holder Challenge was always part of the bucking stock sale during the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas,” said Carr, owner of Dallas-based Pete Carr Pro Rodeo. “Since the sale was canceled this year, the things that went along were subject to that same cancelation. I had a number of families contact me, so I decided we may as well put on the challenge ourselves.” This year’s Pro Rodeo Permit Holder Champions Challenge will take place at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 9, at Cowtown Coliseum in the historic Fort Worth Stockyards. It will feature the top five contestants in the permit holder standings in seven disciplines: bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping (heading and heeling), saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping and bull riding. The crew from Pete Carr Pro Rodeo will be involved in the production of the event to make sure it runs as smoothly as possible. In addition, rodeo clown Justin Rumford and sound director Josh “Hambone” Hilton will donate their time to assist in the showcase that allows the top upcoming talent in ProRodeo to compete for the championships. “I’ve already ordered the buckles for all the champions from Montana Silversmiths, and we’re excited to have some big sponsors be part of this event like Resistol and CINCH,” Carr said. “These kids have worked hard all year to earn a spot to compete in this challenge, and I think it’s important we honor them. “It’s not their faults that COVID has infected this season, and they should have something special to remember this year by. We’re doing this because we think it’s going to be great for the kids.” The permit holders challenge was instituted in 2009 and featured the top contestants in bareback riding, saddle bronc riding and bull riding. Five years later, steer wrestling, team roping and tie-down roping were added to the mix. Jesse Pope, a first-time NFR qualifier from Waverly, Kansas, won the 2018 permit challenge title in bareback riding, so it serves as a true proving ground for the sport’s rising stars.

COMANCHE, Okla. – The first time Ryan Jarrett qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in 2005, he was just 21 years old and looked like he could go days without shaving. Much has changed in the 16 years since, but Jarrett continues to be among the greatest cowboys to have ever played the game. He returns for his 12th trip to the NFR, set for Dec. 3-12 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. During that initial championship, the Georgia-born cowboy qualified in both tie-down roping and steer wrestling, then left Las Vegas as the third-youngest all-around world champion in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association’s history – only legends Ty Murray and Jim Shoulders were younger. Since then, Jarrett has dabbled in multiple events, but he’s maintained a focus on tie-down roping. He’s only missed out on playing on rodeo’s grandest stage just four times in his storied career, including the 2019 season when he finished the regular season 22nd in the world standings – only the top 15 on the money list in each event qualify for the NFR. “It damn sure feels good to know I’ve still got it and can still finish the year in the top 15,” said Jarrett, 36, originally from Summerville, Ga., but now living in Comanche with his wife, Shy-Anne, and daughter, Jurnee. “I’m really excited that it’s going to be in Texas. It’ll be a different atmosphere not being in Las Vegas this year, but it’s nice that it’ll be close to home.” It’s just a 140-mile venture from his home to his playground for 10 December nights, compared to nearly 1,000 miles for his previous NFRs. Alas, because of the COVID-19 global pandemic, Las Vegas was not an option to host ProRodeo’s grand finale in 2020. When Texas offered up the home of the Rangers and the 2020 World Series, the cowboys made the one-year move to ensure the championship took place in a wild and unpredictable year. “It’s been quite the experience,” said Jarrett, who credits his sponsors – Wrangler, Cactus Ropes, WW Livestock, PHT Products and Outlaw Equine – with helping get up and down the road, especially during a tumultuous season. “We did pretty good getting entered so we didn’t have many all-night drives, but we sure put on some miles. “We had a lot of guidelines that you had to follow, and you’d get aggravated with it, but you still want to have the event. I felt like everybody did their part to make sure we had rodeos to go to this year.” That was key. In a normal year, the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association has around 700 events across North America. In 2020, more than half of them were canceled, including many of the largest rodeos. That meant fewer opportunities and more miles between the rodeos that did take place. “When you got there, I’d say there were 150 guys at dang near every rodeo you went to,” he said. “That makes it even tougher, because everything has to go just right for you to win anything.” In rodeo, there are no guaranteed incomes. Contestants must pay an entry fee in order to compete, and they only receive a salary at each rodeo if they do better than most do the field. In tie-down roping, the faster the run, the bigger the paycheck, and there were fewer of them to go by. Jarrett enters this year’s NFR 11th in the world standings after having earned $52,080. While leader Shad Mayfield has a big advantage – Mayfield sits No. 1 with $156,668 – the rest of the field is clumped together. Jarrett is just $15,000 behind the No. 2 man, four-time world champion Tuf Cooper. That ground could be made up on opening night. “Looking back at the season, there were a lot of rodeos that were one-headers,” Jarrett said, referring to one-round rodeos instead of events that featured multiple rounds; by not dividing the money up with more rounds and the aggregate payout, it offers bigger dollars to its top finishers. “I shortened the start, and I finished with a wrap and a hooey quite a bit.” In essence, he took more chances. In timed events, cattle receive a head start based on a barrier system; if Jarrett didn’t allow the calf its appropriate start, then he’d break the barrier. Every broken barrier included a 10-second penalty, meaning he would finish out of the money. Jarrett made sure to be on the barrier each run, risking the potential penalty. He also made one wrap around the calf’s legs instead of two before putting together the final half-hitch to secure the tie. The risk was potentially allowing the calf to break the tie before six seconds elapsed, which would have resulted in a no-time. That was definitely bounty in his risk-reward moves. With COVID breathing down his neck all season long, it was well worth it. When he wasn’t on the road, he allowed himself to enjoy his time at home, which is quite uncommon for ProRodeo cowboys that make their livings traveling North America one rodeo at a time. “When everything shut down, I was contemplating going out to California for that West Coast run, and it all got canceled,” he said “It didn’t bother me whatsoever. Thankfully I’ve got a little business that I can have a little income when I’m not rodeoing. “Plus, it was nice being around here and watching her every day, being around her and getting to hang out with her.” “Her” is Jurnee, who is 21 months old and the apple of her daddy’s eye. She already has a pony to ride and by following in the footsteps of her cowboy daddy, cowgirl mommy and family of true hands around livestock, she’ll likely be involved in the family business as she matures. This will be her first NFR experience, and though she won’t remember any of it except through videos and images, it’s part of a life in  Continue Reading »

STEPHENVILLE, Texas – Jace Melvin has known no other way. In a sense, he was born to be a professional rodeo cowboy, and he thrives in this environment. All roads have pointed to him being considered one of the best, and that’s the case in the 2020 ProRodeo campaign. Melvin earned $46,225 through the regular season and has earned his first Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualification. He sits seventh in the steer wrestling world standings heading into this year’s championship, set for Dec. 3-12 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. “This is a dream come true,” said Melvin, originally from Fort Pierre, South Dakota, but now living in Stephenville. “I’ve worked my whole life for this and for my family, friends and loved ones that helped me get to this point.” Melvin was raised around this sport. He’s an all-around cowboy, but his excellence in steer wrestling has pushed him to be more individually focused on a single event much of the season. It all goes back to the lessons learned through the grueling summers and harsh winters in South Dakota, where family was always the biggest piece of life’s pie. “I remember being on a horse all the time,” he said. “I was super blessed. My mom and my dad’s house was right down the hill from my (paternal) grandma and grandpa, Willie and Delores Melvin. All of them did so much to help me.” He recalled being around 10 or 11 years old and wanting to compete at a 12-under tie-down roping event. Trouble was, while he had competed in breakaway roping, he had never tied a calf down. His grandfather went to the sale barn, purchased a bottle calf, and Melvin had something to practice on. “I’d load this calf, then I’d rope it,” he said. “I’d bring it right back, and we’d load it again. “I never knew my grandpa on my mom’s side, but both my grandmas were super supportive and grew up in the Western lifestyle, ran calves and rode horses. That’s all I ever wanted to do. I was fortunate to have my mom and dad, my grandpa and my grandmas to support the way of life I wanted. They always motivated me to go for my goals and take care of what I wanted to accomplish.” So, when he followed in the footsteps of older sisters Jessica and Jenny into rodeo, it was a no-brainer for the family to follow him with the same encouragement. “It’s so important, because rodeoing is hard,” Melvin said. “You spend a lot of money, spend a lot of time. It’s just a constant struggle to get where you want to go. Never in my life have I had anyone tell me I needed to do something different. Since we’ve been together, Amy has supported my goal.” That’s Amy Kay, to whom Melvin is engaged. In addition to her being another support system, they seem to match together quite well. And to think that the two would have never met had he not stepped outside is comfort zone to move to Texas to attend college – first to Vernon College, then to Tarleton State University in Stephenville. “I actually wanted to stay closer to home to go to college,” he said. “Both my sisters went to college in Texas. Jessica went to Texas Tech to rodeo there, and she was the masked rider for the football team. Jenny went to a junior college in Texas. But when I went to the high school finals as a freshman, I met Bobby Scott, who was the rodeo coach at Vernon. “He said, ‘When you graduate, I’m going to give you a full scholarship, and I want you to come rodeo for me.’ He held up his end of the bargain.” When he transferred to Stephenville, Melvin learned to be more proficient in team roping and tie-down roping. He earned three qualifications to the College National Finals Rodeo while there; two in steer wrestling and one in tie-down roping. He was one of the reasons why the Tarleton State men’s team won the national title in his senior season of 2015. For several years, he’s made a name for himself as an all-around cowboy. The focus to steer wrestling came a year ago, when he finished 24th in the standings. He progressed even more this year and is one of just 15 men who will battle for the world championship at Globe Life Field, home of the Texas Rangers and the 2020 World Series. “I bought my (PRCA) card five years ago; my goal was to make the NFR my rookie year, then my goal was to make it every year,” said Melvin, who credits his sponsors – Wrangler, Resistol, Ag Texas, Purina, Classic Equine, Rockin JM Livestock, Three Flat Energy and Equimedic – for helping him get up and down the rodeo trail. “I don’t regret the years leading up to this one. Every year has been a building block. I’ve honed my skills, and it’s all led up to this. Hopefully I can sustain this and keep it going. I hope to be at a position that I can maintain a high level of consistency and have steady success from here on out.” He proved it in what might be the toughest year to find success in ProRodeo. The year started as normal with big-money opportunities at large indoor rodeos, then the COVID-19 global pandemic knocked everything off kilter. Fear gripped not only the nation, but many nations, and people were isolated for weeks at a time. When rodeo returned, the opportunities were fewer; more than half the typical ProRodeos across North America were canceled, including some of the biggest in the game. Melvin and his traveling posse – Cody Devers and four-time NFR qualifier Jule Hazen – went to work to make sure everything came out as well as possible. “It was unique,” Melvin said. “Rodeos seem to be somewhat clustered most years. With all  Continue Reading »

HILLSBORO, Texas – Chad Rutherford has earned a milestone; he has qualified to the National Finals Rodeo for the first time in his 10-year career. As one of the top 15 bareback riders on the money list who will battle for the coveted world championship at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, Rutherford has the adulation of his fellow competitors. “I am very happy for Chad,” said Orin Larsen, a six-time NFR qualifier from Inglis, Manitoba. “To have gone through what he’s gone through and make it this year, everybody is excited to see that Chad going to the finals,” said Tim O’Connell, a three-time world champion from Zwingle, Iowa. In a sport where greatness is defined by playing on the sport’s grandest stage, Rutherford has been close. He finished among the top 25 twice, the last time in a season he’ll likely never forget but one that makes this milestone season of 2020 even more memorable. “Finally making the NFR is massive, life-changing,” said Rutherford, 29, of Hillsboro, who enters the NFR 15th in the standings with $37,412 in season earnings. “This is the culmination of a lot of things I’ve experienced, the emotions I’ve felt and the things I’ve gone through.” He’s gone through a great deal in his career, in his lifetime. In June 2017, many things changed for the Texas cowboy, who was raised near Itasca, just a few miles from where he lives now. Sitting eighth in the standings at the time, he was involved in a serious wreck in which the horse he was attempting to ride at the Reno (Nevada) Rodeo came down on top of him. “I caught both his back feet on my back, right on my shoulder blade and rib cage,” he said. “I broke eight ribs in 13 places, broke my collarbone and my shoulder blade and collapsed a lung. It was pretty touch-and-go there for a little bit; I almost didn’t make it out of the hospital.” He remained there for several days, but the pain continued – both physically and emotionally. His wife at the time flew from Texas to Reno to get him home, and a few days after that asked for a divorce. “My truck broke down, too,” Rutherford said. “My finances went to the toilet, and my career was seemingly going down the toilet and my marriage was over. I was at the lowest I’d been in my life. I wasn’t sure where it would go from there. All this happened within three weeks of itself.” Time heals, though. So does faith and having the right people involved. It wasn’t long, and Rutherford was more like the Bionic Man, rebuilt, refurbished and as hungry as ever. In fact, the way his life has happened since that fateful day has shaped him beyond the physical tests bareback riding gives him; they’ve built his heart and his faith even greater, which happens to benefit how he rides bucking horses. He met the love of his life, Katie, a few weeks after his miserable experience, and they have built a family, which includes 2-year-old James. It provided personal relief to go along with physical healing. “I think my biggest benefactor as far as riding was taking the time I did the last two years,” he said. “My entire career has been plagued with injuries and not being able to finish the seasons like I needed to. Whenever I got hurt bad in 2017, I tried to come back that fall and found out my body needed more healing time. “I was just taking my time to actually heal and train like I’ve never been able to before. That’s the biggest reason I’ve been able to rodeo like I did this year and ride as well as I did. I had to completely change my riding, and the only way to do that was to take the time. Having my wife in my corner was extremely important. She pushed me harder than anyone’s ever pushed me before.” He sees it through faithful eyes and an understanding that God’s timing is perfect. From the wreck to the time away from the game to meeting Katie and having James, things have happened for a reason and have guided Rutherford to this place and time. “I’m riding better than I ever have, and not only is my riding better than it’s been in the past, but I’m twice the competitor that I was in the past,” said Rutherford, who credits much of his success to his sponsors, Kimes Ranch Jeans and Barstow Pro Rodeo. “That wreck I went through three years ago was one of the biggest blessings in my life. It pulled everything back and made me start over. “I had to start from the ground up with my physical training. My body was riddled after I got hurt. The aftershock of what I went through with my nerve damage was far worse than the injury itself.” When he looks back 15 years, he realizes this rodeo lifestyle would likely have never happened if fate hadn’t intervened. Football was Chad Rutherford’s future, he thought. Football is big in Texas; the problem was, Rutherford isn’t. “I played football when I was younger, and my whole plan through high school was me growing taller, go to college and play ball,” he said. “I’m 5-5; when sixth grade hit, I quit growing. I was one of the smallest but most ranked offensive linemen. I started on varsity all four years. Through broken ankles or broken wrists, I never missed a game or practice. I was driven to play college ball; it just never happened.” When football scholarships weren’t available, he reached into his own athleticism to come up with another avenue to pay for college. He found it in bareback riding and went on to Hill College in Hillsboro to try his hand at the most physically demanding event in rodeo. Bareback riders wedge a hand into a rigging, which is strapped  Continue Reading »

WAVERLY, Kan. – Jesse Pope didn’t grow up in a typical rodeo family, but that didn’t deter him from developing a passion for the sport. In just his second season in ProRodeo, the 22-year-old bareback rider from Waverly has already proven his place among the best in the game. He has earned his first qualification to the National Finals Rodeo, the sport’s grand finale that will take place Dec. 3-12 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. “This is everything I’ve dreamed about since I was a little kid,” Pope said. “I’ve wanted to make the NFR and be a world champion. I still have some dreams to fulfill, but at least I filled one of them.” His dreams have revolved around rodeo, a sport in which he’s competed most of his life. What’s more telling is that neither of his parents ever competed; they have just supported him along the way and have sown that with his younger brothers, Ty and Judd. What has grown out of that patience and encouragement is a world-class flair that has benefitted Jesse Pope to $49,612 and the 11th spot on the money list at the conclusion of the regular season. He will be one of just 15 bareback riders all battling for that elusive world championship in a year that has been disrupted by the COVID-19 global pandemic. “Rodeoing this year was difficult,” said Pope, who credits his sponsors – Panhandle and Rock and Roll Clothing, Resistol, Bloomer, Veach’s Custom Leather, Emporia Livestock Sales and T Bar T Cattle Co. – with helping him get down the road. “It was harder to fly to rodeos, because there were so many flights canceled. “At every rodeo you went to, you were competing against the best in the world. You were riding against the top 30 everywhere you were nodding your head. There was no room for mistakes. I think this year was a lot tougher to rodeo and make money than it was last year.” The proof is in the elite. A year ago, most of the bareback riders at the NFR had earned more than $100,000 in the regular season. This year, only Pope’s traveling partner, three-time world champion Tim O’Connell, crossed that threshold. And travel they did. With fewer rodeos, cowboys were forced to the highways more and riding less. It just came with the change. It also meant that many of ProRodeo’s largest events were canceled with the fear of the pandemic driving away large crowds and opportunities to support communities. “There wasn’t a set track of rodeos,” said Pope, a senior at Missouri Valley College. “Usually you can make a run. If you were going to the West Coast, there were four rodeos you could go to within an hour. There just wasn’t that opportunity this year. “We went from Weatherford, Texas, to Vernal, Utah, overnight. There were a lot of overnight drives.” That’s what it takes to compete at a high level sometimes, especially in a world gripped by COVID-19. For a young man just wrapping up his second campaign in ProRodeo, it provided incredible lessons; he’s used to that. In 2018, he was the champion of the permit holders challenge in Las Vegas. The next year, he finished second in the race for the Rookie of the Year title. His career has been a pattern of steady growth since he was a child. He began riding roughstock ponies at age 6, thanks to a man named George Steinberger, who operated rodeo bible schools and conducted practices every Tuesday in Richmond, Kansas. That’s where Pope got his start, much like world champions Jeffrey Collins and Will Lowe, two other well-known Kansas cowboys. Pope began competing in an all-roughstock association based in Kellyville, Oklahoma, and it wasn’t long before his parents, Bret and Jennifer, developed a sister group in Kansas. In fact, his parents also invested in bucking ponies, and it all has led to his introduction into ProRodeo, where he proved to be one of the best in 2020. “I don’t know how my parents did it,” Jesse Pope said. “They busted their butts to make sure I got to do it. “I got on those ponies until I was 12 years old. I started growing a lot, so Mom and Dad shut me down from it so I didn’t get hurt. I took a break in there and just rode bulls. I started getting on bareback horses in the spring semester of my freshman year in high school.” It wasn’t always just roughstock for Pope. He did some day work with his middle brother, Ty where they roped a ton of wild cows. “I team roped quite a bit and chute-dogged in junior high,” he said. “That’s how I annihilated my ACL, so I quit after that.” He continued to battle for all-around points until he finished his high school career. “When I came to college, coach (Ken) Mason told me that if bareback riding is what I wanted to do, then that’s what I needed to do,” Pope said. “Bareback riding was my main focus after that.” It’s a good thing. He finished the 2019 campaign in 28th place in the world standings and remained among the leaders all this season. Only the top 15 money-earners at the end of the regular season in each event qualify for the NFR, and only the contestants with the most money earned at the conclusion of the finale will be crowned world champions. That’s a goal Pope placed on himself as a young cowboy those many years ago. He knows traveling with one of the greatest bareback riders alive is beneficial to his career, and it will likely lead to more great things ahead. “Being around Tim is awesome,” Pope said. “He’s a very driven individual, and I love it. There are always positive vibes in the truck. We always strive to make each other better. I wouldn’t want to travel with anybody else.” That process also turned  Continue Reading »

RAMONA, Kan. –Tanner Brunner took a different approach to the 2020 ProRodeo season than many of his fellow steer wrestlers. “There were some guys that had the mentality that they had to rodeo harder because there weren’t as many opportunities as other years,” said Brunner, 27, from the rural community of Ramona. “My game plan was to go to the rodeos that made sense travel-wise and not try to break ourselves trying to get to every single rodeo. For a couple of weeks, I stayed home and went to one rodeo that week.” It paid off in a season that was as unpredictable as it was delayed, and the Kansas cowboy will return to the National Finals Rodeo for the third straight year. He earned $45,885 and heads to ProRodeo’s championship event sixth in the world standings. It’s the highest he’s been ranked over the past three years, but it also came with the least amount of money earned – in rodeo, dollars equal points, and only the top 15 on the money list in each event earn right to compete at the NFR; at its conclusion, the contestants in each event who have the most earnings will be crowned world champions. The lower figures, of course, came in a season that was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. When the world shut down in mid-March, so did the sport, and it didn’t return for two and a half months. Beyond that, more than half the events on a typical year were canceled, including many large rodeos that provide big paydays to its top finishers. “It was a lot different than normal,” said Brunner, who credits his sponsors – Zesterra, Coats Saddlery, Cow Camp Ranch, SportsZone, MJE Livestock Equipment, the Kansas State University Rodeo Club, Animal Health International and Outpost Western Store – with helping him get up and down the rodeo trail. “There were a lot of miles between rodeos with none of the big rodeos to make it worth driving for. “I got to see some different country that we’d never seen before. That was a good change. I really commend the committees that went through everything to put on the rodeos and continue having the rodeos. It couldn’t have been easy.” COVID also made a change in the postseason. Since 1985, the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas has been home to the NFR; because of the pandemic and with limitations set forth in Nevada, that wasn’t possible this year. The alternative is pretty nice, though; the NFR will take place Dec. 3-12 at Globe Life Field, home of the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas. “It’ll be nice, and I can’t say I’ve ever competed in rodeo at a baseball stadium before,” said Brunner, who, like his parents and sister, was a member of the K-State rodeo team while attending college in Manhattan, Kansas. “Making the change in places may change my routine up a little bit. The arena setup is a little different, so we’ll have to get used to that. “I just have to figure out what works best for my horses.” Those horses are Miss Kitty and Slick, both of which Brunner recently purchased. Miss Kitty is the bulldogging horse, and Slick serves as her teammate and hazing the steers in a more direct path. Both horses have been instrumental in guiding Brunner back to the NFR to compete for the coveted Montana Silversmiths gold buckle that is awarded to the world champion. Former NFR qualifier Cole Edge will ride Slick and serve as Brunner’s hazer. “I think having experience plays a lot into having a good season,” he said. “There’s also something about not having to worry about who’s on the other side. With Cole over there hazing, I feel completely comfortable. Those guys have been a great crew year in and year out. They’re great guys to travel with. “This year was a nice break that we didn’t have to run the rubber off the tires. It was a lot more enjoyable to be out on the road, and we had a little more free time. That helps the horses feel good, too, which is always important.” That will play into things once the team arrives in Arlington. This will be a much different trip from his home in the Kansas Flint Hills. Instead of driving 20 hours-plus to Las Vegas, it will take him close to seven hours – just a common drive for a rodeo cowboy that might drive hundreds of miles in a given day to get from one event to another. Arlington is also just two hours from Sean Mulligan’s home in Coleman, Oklahoma, where Brunner will spend some time preparing for the championship. “The horses and I will be acclimated to the weather,” he said. “We’ll practice four to five times a week a couple weeks before the NFR. It’ll be exciting to be in a new place.” It also may be the ideal situation for him to develop the cohesiveness necessary. “I’m feeling pretty confident in myself and with my horses,” Brunner said. “We won’t try to do too much. I was super aggressive my first year and tried to do too much. Last year, I couldn’t find a groove to get in. “Ideally, I’ll take what the steers give me and make the most of every opportunity I can while I’m there.” It’s all about being comfortable, and it takes repetition to make everything come together well. “Being a three-time NFR qualifier is a great accomplishment,” he said. “I’m glad that I am able to make it three times in a row and hopefully make the NFR every coming year. “I know what works for me, and I know what doesn’t work for me. I need to find the right combination of things that I know will help me perform to the best of my ability and get the most of my horses’ ability. I want to practice enough to get the start but  Continue Reading »

STEVENSVILLE, Mont. – Through the first nine years of his ProRodeo career, Richmond Champion has garnered a list of major accomplishments that many cowboys can only dream about. He became the first million-dollar winner at The American in 2014, then followed that by winning the prestigious Cheyenne (Wyoming) Frontier Days Rodeo’s bareback riding title. In the years since, he’s won a half dozen go-rounds at the National Finals Rodeo and two bronzes from the Calgary (Alberta) Stampede. The biggest honor, though, has yet to arrive; still, his eyes are set tightly on the prize he covets most: the Montana Silversmiths gold buckle awarded to the world champions. He will have an opportunity to grasp it at this year’s NFR, set for Dec. 3-12 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. It’s his sixth trip to ProRodeo’s premier event in seven seasons, and the only year he missed was because of an injury that sidelined him much of the campaign. “Making the NFR is the goal every year, but it’s crazy that it’s coming up on six times,” said Champion, 28, of Stevensville. “It feels like yesterday that I was going to my first one. That feeling of success and accomplishment never gets old. “There’s been talk about how the guy that wins the gold buckle this year has done it without all those big rodeos. If he came from anywhere below the top five, it will be the hardest gold buckle to win. There was no money to win. There were not big leaps to get into the top 15, much less get yourself in position to win a gold buckle.” Such is life in 2020, a year in the throes of a global pandemic that has added a “new normal” to the people around the world. Lives were put on hold, restaurants closed and events eliminated. Of the 700-plus annual professional rodeos, more than half were canceled. For cowboys who make their livings eight seconds at a time, it was a major adjustment. Champion finished the regular season with $64,149, good enough for seventh in the world standings; only the top 15 on the money list in each event at the end of the regular season advance to the NFR each year. In a sport where dollars equal points, each paycheck is vital. The contestants in each event who earn the most money at the conclusion of the NFR will be crowned world champions. “As much as I’m looking forward to the experiences that come with the NFR – the back-number ceremony, the bareback riders dinner and the other things that come with it – what I’m looking forward to most is a chance to ride for a gold buckle,” said Champion, who competed in college rodeo at Tarleton State University, just 95 miles from this year’s NFR. “That’s why I do this. I love what I do, but I crave that world title.” That’s what being a competitor is all about, and he knows what it means. He’s married to the former Paige Lawrence, an Olympic figure skater who was raised in Sasatchewan. Together, they make up a strong couple willing to go above and beyond to make sure their dreams come true. In 2020, that meant making the adjustments necessary just to stay in the game. Starting from when the pandemic shut down the world in mid-March, Champion figured out a way to keep his eyes on the prize. He worked out every day. “I usually don’t train that time of year, because you’re traveling to Houston then you’ve got San Antonio and all these rodeos, then you’re rolling into California for the spring rodeos on the West Coast,” he said. “I’m usually getting ready to go to Canada and start my season there. You have no chance to gain ground on fitness, so I worked out a different program, something I’d never do if I was competing. “I also fished a lot, so I walked six to 10 miles of river a day fishing. Whenever they announced Cave Creek (Arizona) was a go, I was ready.” Once the season restarted in late May, the schedule was vastly different. Missing were many of the largest rodeos, and many others were delayed. That forced the traditional routes to change. “It was nuts for a while and made zero sense,” said Champion, who credits much of his success to his sponsors, Yeti, Hooey and Tony Lama. “I was showing up at rodeos that I hadn’t been to in years. Here we are battling for $800 a day. And we were doing all this without any security that there would be an NFR and a chance to win a gold buckle. “We were just trusting that all this effort was going to be for something. Thanks to the PRCA and Arlington, it wasn’t for nothing.” It will be a nice return-to-glory moment for Champion when he arrives in north Texas in December. The American – the first-of-its-kind event that has now become part of the PRCA – was produced for the first time in 2014 at AT&T Stadium, which sits next door to Globe Life Field and is home to the Dallas Cowboys. At that first event, Champion made a name for himself at just 21 years of age when he became the first “qualifier” to win his event. By also being the only qualifier that season, he earned the $1 million side pot. In the six years since, the side pot has been shared by multiple contestants, so Champion still stands by himself. He’s also earned some spectacular prestige along the way while also moving from his longtime Texas home to a picturesque community in western Montana. Last December, he earned $108,154 over 10 nights at the NFR and finished fourth in the world standings. He’s earned the recognition as being one of the greatest bareback riders to every compete in the sport. “My five previous trips to the NFR have taught me what’s important and what’s not,”  Continue Reading »

MIAMI, Texas – Life as Wyatt Casper knew it changed dramatically March 8. The 2016 intercollegiate national champion saddle bronc rider had been trying to make a living in his game of choice for years, and 2020 had already started as the best season of his professional life. That day eight months ago made everything better. Casper won saddle bronc riding at The American, which paid $100,000 to the winners of each event. Since he had earned a spot at the unique rodeo as a qualifier, Casper also earned a portion of the $1 million side pot – only 10 or so contestants are invited, so the field that was finalized with cowboys and cowgirls who went through a series of qualifying events. Only one other qualifier, tie-down roper Shad Mayfield, won; those two cowboys each earned $500,000 in the side pot, and life ceased to be normal for either. “It was definitely a life-changing event,” said Casper, 24, of Miami, Texas. “Bronc riding is a lot like a roller coaster. There are a lot of ups and downs. In years past, I was getting on horses that weren’t as good as the ones I’m getting on now. I’ve been getting on good horses, and my confidence is through the roof. I’m just out here having fun.” While he banked $603,000 from Arlington, Texas, in March, only $50,000 of that counted toward the world standings. That’s still a large sum of money, and it propelled Casper to the top of the leaderboard; he never relinquished it through the rest of the season. In fact, he heads to his first National Finals Rodeo as the No. 1 bronc rider with $145,138. He owns a lead of nearly $34,000 over the No. 2 man, 2017 world champion Ryder Wright. Here’s the caveat to Casper’s ProRodeo season earnings: Subtract the $50,000 from The American, and he still earned more than $95,000 through the rest of the COVID-infected 2020 campaign; that figure would be fourth on the money list and still give the Texas cowboy what he craves: A shot at the world championship. “I don’t want people thinking that I just got to the NFR because of The American,” he said. “That dang sure helped, but I still won a lot of money besides that.” And, of course, he did it in a season that was affected by the COVID-19 global pandemic. The sport came to a screeching halt in mid-March and didn’t return until late May. When it did, rodeo wasn’t the same. More than half the events on a typical schedule were canceled, and many of those were some of the larger events that offered big prize money. One of the biggest events on the calendar, RodeoHouston, was shut down midway through its March run. Before it closed, though, Casper competed but suffered a compression fracture in one of his upper-back vertebrae. The timing of the break allowed him to heal. “I took two weeks off and couldn’t lift anything,” he said. “I stated doing more stuff at the third and fourth week, then after that, I was out building horse pens and working around the house. We were in the process of buying some land and putting up a house out there, so I had stuff to do and little time to do it. “It played out in my favor pretty good. While I was hurt, nobody else was getting on either. By the time I was healthy enough to return, rodeo was just about to get started again.” By the time it did, he had already secured his qualification to the NFR, which will take place Dec. 3-12 at Globe Life Field in Arlington … just across the road from where he won so much money at AT&T Stadium. “I think it’ll help that I’ve had success there before,” said Casper, who credits his sponsors – Cinch, TD Angus, MVP Exceed 6 Way, The KingStar Co. and Western Hauler – with helping him get up and down the road. “I think we’ll go in there with the same feeling and have our minds set on one thing, and that’s winning. It will feel a little more at home.” Home has changed some in recent years. Casper was raised in Balko, a community of around 600 people in the Oklahoma Panhandle, a stone’s throw from Texas. He grew up roping with his family and began riding bucking horses while in high school to increase his chances at winning all-around titles. “Rodeo is all I wanted to do when I was little,” he said. “My parents didn’t start roping until they met each other, and my dad and grandpa picked it up as a hobby. I’m almost a first-generation rodeo cowboy.” He’s definitely the first saddle bronc rider. His talent earned him a scholarship to Clarendon (Texas) College, where he was coached by three-time NFR qualifier Bret Franks. In 2017, he and his wife, Lesley, married. In November 2018, they welcomed a son, Cooper. A year ago, they added Cheyenne, who will celebrate her first birthday while the family is in Arlington and while her dad is battling for a world championship. “We’re blessed,” Casper said. “Where The American put me money-wise, I was super fortunate to sit at home with my family instead of going out and getting a job during the break from action. I thought it was awesome. It’s actually going to be tough on us next year when stuff starts going full swing and I’ve got to be gone for three months.” He didn’t have that opportunity in 2020, and he’s OK with that. Still, with rodeo being his primary source of income, he made the best of a tough situation. “I felt like everything was scattered out,” he said. “We went to a lot of rodeos I never thought we’d enter, ones I’d always look over. We dang sure appreciated those committees for putting on the rodeos and going to battle for us. Without them,  Continue Reading »

CARRINGTON, N.D. – Every step that Bridger Anderson has taken in his 22 years on Earth has led to this moment: His first qualification to the National Finals Rodeo. From being horseback before he can even remember to winning the state championship in wrestling just a few years ago, he had a solid background and the right athleticism it takes to be one of the greatest steer wrestlers in the sport. He studied under Luke Branquinho, a five-time world champion, before attending the Bulldogging Capital of College Rodeo, better known as Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva. “The one thing I was looking at coming out of high school was where can I go and get my butt kicked so I can get better,” said Anderson of Carrington, who won the inaugural Ote Berry’s Junior Steer Wrestling world championship in 2017. “I was a fairly decent steer wrestler coming out of high school. If I would have gone to a school where I would have been one of the better steer wrestlers there, I don’t feel like I’d progress nearly as fast. I looked around, but I couldn’t find anywhere that I’d get my butt kicked all the time like I do at Alva.” His education seems to be paying off. He earned $43,877 through the on-and-off 2020 ProRodeo season. He’ll head to ProRodeo’s grand finale in 10th place – only the top 15 contestants on the money list in each event earn NFR bids. They’ll battle for the gold buckles Dec. 3-12 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, a one-year home for the NFR while Las Vegas tries to right the pandemic ship. “Going to my first NFR and it not being in Vegas is a little bittersweet,” he said. “Watching those old NFR tapes, I’ve always thought about what I’d give to run one in Vegas. It’s been built up. I was watching the NFR before I could talk. “When I was in Vegas (for the Jr. NFR in 2017), I got to go to the NFR. Just watching the opening ceremonies and watching the bulldogging, I was about ready to puke because I was so nervous. This being my first NFR, going to Arlington might not be too bad of an idea, because it’s not Vegas and not the pressure that goes along with Vegas.” This is the sport’s premier championship, so there will be plenty of pressure, and he understands that. But he’s handled the pressure before. As a sophomore in June 2019, he won the intercollegiate national championship at the College National Finals Rodeo, becoming just the second Northwestern cowboy to win the coveted title – fellow bulldogger J.D. Struxness won the crown in 2016. “When I first got to Alva, I thought, ‘There are a lot of big men around here; I’m going to have to step it up a little bit,’ ” said Anderson, who credits some of his success to his sponsors, AH Inc., DEFY, Hepper Ranch & Performing Horses, Diamond S Performance Horses, Gader Cattle Co., New Dawn Crop, Smiles for Jake and CINCH. “You just take it all in stride and just try to use it toward positive things. It was cool to see those guys throwing the crap out of steers every day. You just fall into that program.” He got his first big break during his junior year of high school – that was the same year he finished his football and wrestling careers because he wanted to focus on bulldogging. For Christmas, his parents, Glenn and Robin Anderson, set him up with a few days of training with Branquinho. “I spent three days with Luke, and the first day was rough; I threw up,” said Anderson, who is a senior at Northwestern and lives in Alva while competing on the ProRodeo trail. “We were running old NFR steers that were pretty large, and I was bulldogging the way that makes it quite a bit of work. It’s not quite the modern style of bulldogging, and I was getting worn out. “After a coupe of hours, he told me a couple of things to change and how to make it easier on me and faster. He revolutionized my steer wrestling. On the third day, I didn’t want to move. I was tired and sore, but I was at Luke Branquinho’s house, so I thought, ‘I have to bare down right here because this doesn’t happen every day.’ ” That’s nothing new for the North Dakota cowboy. He was raised around ranching and rodeo. His parents both competed in team roping, and his mother added breakaway roping to her repertoire. Add into the genetic mix a dash of competitiveness, and the family stew has been created. He has two younger sisters, Cedar, who is 20 and is on the Northwestern rodeo team, and Dawsyn, a high school junior who just turned 17. “Both my sisters are competitive in different ways,” he said. “Cedar is big into rodeo, breakaway roping mainly, and she’s really competitive and doesn’t like to lose. Dawsyn is the same way, but Dawsyn is a golfer. She’s really competitive in golf and academics. I wasn’t too terrible in academics, so that’s another fight.” Sibling rivalry is one thing, but he knows who has his back when times get tough. Besides his family, he only has to look at Tyler and Jackie Schau, who have been mentors and coaches from his chute-dogging days in junior high to eventually being traveling partners during his first year of ProRodeo. They own Diamond S Performance Horses and raised Whiskers, the horse Anderson rides. The support system also includes his traveling posse, Struxness, Northwestern rodeo coach Stockton Graves and Blake Mindemann – all have NFR experience, and Graves leads the way with seven qualifications. “Between the three of them, they have 11 NFR qualifications, and I was the only one that didn’t have one,” Anderson said. “Those guys are very knowledgeable about rodeo. To be around them is huge,  Continue Reading »

ZWINGLE, Iowa – Bareback rider Tim O’Connell is back in his rightful place: Atop the world standings heading into the sport’s world series, the National Finals Rodeo. O’Connell is a three-time world champion from Zwingle who had his streak of consecutive gold buckles interrupted last year. An injury forced him to miss all but three months of the season, then he ran into a buzzsaw in 2019 champion Clayton Biglow, who set records en route to his world title. Despite the restrictions that have come through the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, O’Connell dominated the season. He was the only bareback rider in the game – and only one of four cowboys in ProRodeo – to have earned at least $100,000; he is joined by tie-down roper Shad Mayfield and saddle bronc riders Wyatt Casper and Ryder Wright. “There was a lot that I would have to consider the best part of the season,” said O’Connell, 29, now living in Marshall, Missouri. “My winter was phenomenal, but tying the world record would probably be the cherry of the season.” Good point. On Feb. 15, he spurred his way to a 94-point ride on Northcott Macza’s Stevie Knicks, becoming just the fourth cowboy in ProRodeo history to have marked such a score. With that, he won the San Angelo (Texas) Cinch Chute-Out and $7,500. He added big paydays through March, when the pandemic shut down the season for two and a half months. “I was drawing well; I was feeling great,” he said. “Everything was just clicking. I was just in the zone. Everything was going my way. They just kept running the right horses underneath me. They were tough horses, too, but it didn’t matter. I was just so into it. “I think a lot of it had to do with me taking my family down South for the winter run. They kept me saner. I noticed I do a lot better with my son and my wife around.” There aren’t many opportunities for rodeo cowboys to have that type of experience. In a typical season, O’Connell and his traveling group can be gone for weeks, maybe months, at a time. Having his wife of five years, Sami, and their toddler son, Hazen, in tow meant there were more comforts of home and no time to miss them. He got a little more time with them when the world shut done while trying to figure out how to best manage COVID-19. “I was just enjoying my time at home with my wife and my little man,” said O’Connell, who attended Iowa Central Community College and Missouri Valley College on rodeo scholarships. “This was way different than last year. Everybody had to sit out with me. Being hurt last year, you find out things you enjoy, like hanging out with your family and watching your kids grow. Don’t take that stuff for granted. I built some stuff, and I grilled a lot. I stayed in shape and just had a great time with my family. “It wasn’t a lot different than last year, except no one got a head start on me.” A season ago, O’Connell underwent surgery shortly after the 2018 NFR and earning his third straight world title. He didn’t return to action until late June, then promptly earned more than $110,000 in a little more than three months to give himself a shot at a fourth Montana Silversmiths gold buckle. While circumstances were different, there was a lack of opportunities in 2020. A typical year in ProRodeo features around 700 events. Less than half occurred through the pandemic, and many of those had to cut their purse in order to have a rodeo. Some went with limited fans or without them altogether. At virtually all the rodeos that happened this season, every top cowboy in the mix put his name in the hat to grab at least a portion of the money. “It was just tough with tough competition,” he said. “Everybody that was trying to make the NFR was at the same rodeos. There was no ducking off; a lot of times we can do that, and it’s a little easier to win money. “The very best bareback riders in the world were at every rodeo. It just goes back to my mindset: You’ve got to take advantage of whatever horse you get on. I had a $73,000 winter, and that’s what got me to where I am. From June through September last year, I won $113,000, and it just wasn’t there this year. It hurt, but I feel for everyone.” Now, though, he’ll test his talents again at a new site; because of COVID, the NFR will take place at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, home to the Texas Rangers and the complex that housed the 2020 Major League Baseball World Series in October. The retractable roof offers an opportunity to have an indoor-like rodeo while also allowing fans to social distance. It will be the first time for most contestants to play their game in a baseball stadium. “I think the opportunity to win a gold buckle, hopefully for just one year at that stadium, will be amazing,” said O’Connell, who credits a great deal of his success to his sponsors, 12 Gauge Ranch, Polaris, Panhandle and Rock and Roll Clothing, Justin Boots, Veach’s Custom Leather, Ingram Quarter Horses, MRT Racing Tires, Capri Campers, Twin Cities Featherlite, American Hat Co. and Super Duty Fans. “This is a unique experience that only a few of us will get to do together. I love the Thomas & Mack (in Las Vegas, the NFR’s home since 1985), but if they can’t have us, Texas has welcomed us with open arms. It will be interesting to see how the horses buck and how the atmosphere affects things.” The goal, after all, is to gather another world championship. The champ has often said that having the lead is nice, and he understands he wears a target on his back that  Continue Reading »

INGLIS, Manitoba – In western Manitoba, Kevin and Wanda Larsen instilled a strong work ethic in their four children. It continues to pay off. For Orin Larsen, he’s worked to become one of the best bareback riders in professional rodeo. He’s earned that distinction over the years, now a six-time qualifier to the National Finals Rodeo. He’s also the reigning reserve world champion, having finished the 2019 season as the runner-up to the titlist, Clayton Biglow. But Larsen knows what it means to work for something, and he’s bound to continue that labor of love until he earns the title he covets, the Montana Silversmiths gold buckle awarded to the world champ. Even when the COVID-19 global pandemic shut so much of the world down, Larsen went to work. “Other than working out and staying in shape, I did day work for a guy in Morrill, Nebaska,” said Larsen, who now lives in Gering, Nebraska, with his wife, Alexa. “It was good, honest work, and it was good to be on the agriculture side of work for some income, but that made me want to do better as a bareback rider.” He’ll have his chance to win some serious rodeo cash at this year’s NFR, set for Dec. 3-12 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. The stadium – home to the Texas Rangers and the 2020 World Series – is scheduled to be the one-year host of ProRodeo’s grand finale since restrictions forced the NFR to move from Las Vegas, its home since 1985. Larsen enters the NFR with $82,391, the third best in bareback riding. A year ago, he finished the regular season with nearly $175,000 in earnings; just finishing halfway there this season was quite an accomplishment, because fewer than half the rodeos on a typical year took place, and many that were canceled were some of the larger events in the game. “You were traveling a lot of miles for little return,” said Larsen, who credits his sponsors – Durango Boots, Levi Bowlin Chiropractic, RodeoTax.com, Rock & Roll Denim, Rieta Creek Scoreboards and Tim Cooper Custom Hats – with much of his success. “As a competitor, you have to be a bit optimistic. I got to go to places I’ve never been before and travel uncharted territory. It was the coolest thing. “It wasn’t the ideal one, given what we were in, but for what we had, I enjoyed the heck out of this year. It was a new experience.” So will be playing the sport of rodeo on a baseball diamond, which is what will happen in December. He’s played it in NFL stadiums – he won The American at AT&T Stadium, which is next door to Globe Life Field and has done well at RodeoHouston at NRG Stadium – inside hockey rinks and in arenas of every size in between. “I played baseball as a kid until right before I started rodeoing, but that’s as close as I’ve ever been to competing at a Major League Baseball stadium,” he said. “I’m pretty stoked about where we’re going to be in December. Whether it was going to be in Vegas or Texas, it was going to be a different year. “I’m just happy there is an NFR and a gold buckle. It’s cool that it’ll be at an amazing place like Globe Life Field.” It’s an atypical ending to an atypical year, but that’s OK for Larsen, who attended the College of Southern Idaho and Oklahoma Panhandle State University on rodeo scholarships. More than that, he won national titles while competing at both schools. As his positive outlook has progressed through 2020, he considers every aspect of a tough year professionally as a benefit in some regard. “To come home when you want more money coming in when you’re typically rodeoing in a normal year might be a drag, but I got to be home and knock out some projects at home and be home for more than a week in July,” said Larsen, who picked up at least a share of the victory at 10 rodeos through the season. “The money I did make was because I was pretty fortunate to draw really good horses at the right time. It was pretty cool and worked out really well. I was really happy with how everything went.” That included just as much time on the road but fewer stops to break up the distance. It came down to old-fashioned grinding. “I was talking to my wife and my parents, and I just said that it’s going to come down to who wants to drive from Kadoka, South Dakota, to Crossett, Arkansas, and try to win and try to be competitive,” he said. “I think this year showed a lot of heart for a lot of guys to show the hard work and miles make the bet out of a bad year.” Through the challenges and success that come in any given year for any competitor, it’s now time to focus on what’s at hand: Ten nights of riding the greatest bucking horses in the sport and battling for a big share of the biggest purse in the game. “I’ve really honed in on my physical conditioning, and I want to have my mind right when I get to Arlington,” Larsen said, noting that it took a couple of NFR appearances before he had the right mental approach to battle for ProRodeo’s gold. “After the first two or three, I realized I had the capabilities to win the world title and that it’s not out of the realm of possibility. “From there on, just don’t worry about the outcome. We enter rodeos and we travel, and we go to the NFR to spur bucking horses.”

GRANITE FALLS, Minn. – For every tunnel he passed, bareback rider Tanner Aus knew there was something awaiting him when the darkness cleared. That’s the thing about tunnels: They only last so long. Some are long and winding – much like the 2020, COVID-infected ProRodeo season. Others are short and pass quickly. Through each phase of darkness, Aus found the light each time. Now the brightest lights in the game will shine on a new arena, as the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo will take place Dec. 3-12 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. For the fifth time in his career, the Granite Falls cowboy will be part of the sport’s marquee event. This year, though, the global pandemic has forced the championship out of its traditional home in Las Vegas for the home of the Texas Rangers to still allow for fans while also opening space for social distancing. “It’s going to be different, and I have no idea what to expect once we get there,” said Aus, 30, of Granite Falls. “I expect to perform well and have a good NFR, but as far as the setting, I just don’t know. If they have sold the tickets they’ve been talking about, I’m sure it’s going to be a wild time. “Making the NFR five times means everything to me. Everything I’ve done since I was 9 years old has been to become a world champion, and you’ve got to make the finals first to put yourself in that position. What I’ve done professionally revolves around that chance.” Aus is a second-generation bareback rider, following in the footsteps of his father, John, who was a Great Lakes Circuit champion in his playing days. Now he’s Tanner’s No. 1 fan – or, at least, one of them. Tanner Aus has plenty, from his wife Lonissa to children Bristol and Rowan to his parents, including his mom, Rae Ann, to his younger twin sisters, Dani and Braelee. Rodeo has always been a family affair. It takes great support to make it this far in an individual sport like this, and Aus has had his share. During youth rodeo, his parents made sure he was outfitted with all the tools necessary. That carried over into his college career, first at Iowa Central Community College, then on to Missouri Valley College. He won the intercollegiate national title in 2012 while at the Marshall, Missouri, school, then made a name for himself in professional rodeo in 2015, when he earned his first NFR trip. He’s been one of the very best bareback riders in the game ever since. Of course, this is how he makes his living, so being an elite cowboy is a good way to cover the bills and care for his family. Through the pandemic season of 2020 – which saw more than half the rodeos across North America canceled – Aus earned $61,726 and enters the Arlington competition eighth in the world standings; only the top 15 contestants on the money list in each event advance to compete at the NFR every year. “I just entered rodeos when I had a chance to do so,” said Aus, who credits his sponsors – Salty Dog Sister Boutique, Granite Falls Dairy Queen, Jug Waterers, Carroll Spur Co., Phoenix Performance Products and Wrangler – for helping him get up and down the road, especially this season. “Besides being with my family during my time off, I tried to stay in shape and stay focused so when they said it was go time, I felt like I was ready.” He was traversing the early part of the season as normal, then the world shut down in March. Rodeo went on a two-and-a-half-month hiatus. While frustrating, the Minnesota cowboy found more bright spots than not with his time off the road. “I had a few different phases,” he said. “Bristol (2) and I started off with fort days, with a different blanket fort every day. I also got a little more productive. I built some furniture for the house and got some things done around here. I bought a tractor and putzed around a little. “Two weeks after rodeo got shut down, on March 29, we had our son. My wife’s maternity leave and my leave of rodeo lined up almost perfectly. The four of us got to spend a lot of time together. It was really good and nice for Loni to have me around to help make the adjustment from one to two kids by herself.” The benefits to a reduced schedule were grand, and like most who compete professionally, Aus was thankful for those events that took place despite the restrictions and economic concerns. With fewer stops on the roadmap, each rodeo featured a similar theme. “The toughest thing was that everybody was hungry and frustrated with the time off, so all the top guys were ready to go anywhere,” he said. “You could show up at a smaller rodeo, and everybody was there fighting for the money. It was good to see, though. We were happy for the opportunity, and it really did bring the best out of everybody. “If you’ve ever claimed you did this for the love of the sport, this was the time to prove it, because it was tough scratching. It was still fun, but, man, it was tough.” How different was the money? In 2019, most of the top 15 in the bareback riding standings had earned more than $100,000 at the end of the regular season; this year features just one, three-time world champion Tim O’Connell. Most of the large rodeos in the summer and early fall were canceled. “It was like a gut-punch every time one of those big rodeos canceled,” Aus said. “It was understandable. I had a feeling a lot of the smaller rodeos were going to suffer because of lack of sponsorship and the fact that the organizers had to think of themselves and the others and keep everybody safe.  Continue Reading »

Iowa farm boy proves to be a cowboy while earning first NFR qualification STATE CENTER, Iowa – Four falls ago, Jacob Edler was beat up and worn down. He’d experienced the roller coaster that is the sport of rodeo. The top of the mountain came in June 2016, when he finished as the reserve college champion steer wrestler, just behind teammate J.D. Struxness. That October, though, he suffered an injury and missed out on the opportunity to win the Prairie Circuit’s championship. “After that season, I qualified for an amateur finals in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and ended up breaking my leg a week before the Prairie Circuit Finals,” said Edler, 26, of State Center. “It broke my heart having to go back to Iowa. I had to start over. “Having a broken leg, I wasn’t able to do a whole lot else besides sit in a tractor. I had that personal reflection time to think and assess rodeo. It was probably the best thing that happened to me. Sitting there driving straight lines for 18 hours a day, I got to run a million steers in my head and work on things I needed to do mentally to help me with rodeo.” That time in the tractor working on the family farm provided heeling, not only for the leg but also for his rodeo career. The result is Edler’s first qualification to the National Finals Rodeo, which takes place Dec. 3-12 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. Through the volatile, COVID-19-infected 2020 campaign, Edler finished the regular season with $45,607, good enough for ninth place in the world standings. That’s important, because the NFR features only the top 15 money-earners in each event. “Making the NFR means everything,” he said. “I’ve been working my tail off to finally get to this point. I’ve gotten to see rodeo from so many different angles the past five years, what works, what doesn’t. It’s taken me some time to grow and mature and see exactly what works, but the feeling of finally getting to where I want to go is unreal.” It’s well-earned, too, especially in a ProRodeo season that was hampered so much by a global pandemic. The winter run was winding up when the world was shut down in March. Rodeo didn’t return for two and a half months, and when it did, the schedule was limited because of health concerns and economic restrictions. More than half the rodeos in a typical year were canceled. That changed the plan for the season. While traveling the circuit with eight-time NFR qualifier Matt Reeves, Kodie Jang and Cade Staton, the cowboys battled through the challenges and put together solid campaigns one by one. Reeves leads the world standings with nearly $87,000 in earnings and has a $25,000 advantage over the field. Staton finished the season 26th on the money list, and Jang was one spot behind. “Kodie Jang changed my whole outlook on rodeo,” said Edler, who credits a great deal of success to his sponsors, Diamond S Performance Horses, High Stride, Glaus Angus Ranch, CINCH, R-Calf USA, Equimedic and Royal Equine Dentistry. “He’s a very positive person. He flew here from Australia with nothing but a duffle bag and a rodeo scholarship. That guy has come from being a foreigner in a new country with absolutely nothing to someone who’s starting to consistently win. He knows what it takes and the kind of attitude you have to have.” That approach to the business of rodeo has worked well for the Iowan, now living Alva, Oklahoma, home of his alma mater, Northwestern Oklahoma State University. Two seasons ago, he finished 35th in the final world standings; last year, he was 23rd. In fact, Jang’s personality is infectious enough that the Aussie will be part of the NFR experience as the hazer for both Edler and Reeves, riding alongside them during their runs to keep the steers running straight ahead. “Kodie has helped me mature mentally and give me the confidence that I’m supposed to win and that bulldogging is my job and my life,” Edler said. “Without him in the rig this year, it would have been hard to do everything I did.” Besides the COVID delays and restrictions, the rig was hit another big blow in April, when Reeves’ horse, Rattle, died. The mare was the 2019 Steer Wrestling Horse of the Year. After the shock wore off, Reeves reached out to Canadian cowboy Clayton Moore about utilizing Moore’s primary mount, Ditto; Canadian rodeos were under more restrictions than those in the United States, so Ditto made the move south. “It was hard losing Rattle, because my confidence level was so high on her,” Edler said. “It seemed like every time I swung a leg over her, I was going to win something. I finally found the same amount of confidence in Ditto that I had in Rattle. She was a huge component in my success this year.” Every step of his life has led the cowboy to this spot. From his many hours in the tractor to training under established veterans, he took the steps necessary to become one of the predominant bulldoggers in the game. At 6-foot-3, he has the frame and the footwork to manhandle heavy steers. “My family raised corn, soybeans, hogs and cattle, and we put up an incredible amount of alfalfa,” he said. “We’d put up 10,000 small square bales of alfalfa, and now I’m really appreciative I had to go through that every summer. That was some labor-intensive work. Each hayrack would hold 120 bales. Me and another buddy or a hired hand would ride those hayracks stacking hay. “We never ran out of hayracks. We’d load one up, then we could always hook up another one. If you want something that will teach you willpower and how to persevere through something, it’s bucking 100-pound bales of hay in 100-degree heat with 90 percent humidity.” What lessons did he gain from those miserable  Continue Reading »

CLEMENTS, Calif. – Clayton Biglow wasn’t quite sure if he would be allowed to defend his bareback riding world championship. A year ago, he pocketed nearly $250,000 over 10 December nights at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, which propelled him to the coveted Montana Silversmiths gold buckle and just shy of $426,000 in season earnings. “Once Houston shut down in March, I was wondering if we were going to have a season,” said Biglow, 24, of Clements, California. “Once the season got started rolling again, it was great to be out there rodeoing, but it definitely had an odd feeling.” He and everyone else will be hard-pressed to match his 2019 earnings, thanks in large part to the global pandemic, which cut off the sport for two and a half months in the spring and reduced the number of rodeos by more than half. Less rodeos meant less opportunities for cowboys to cash in. This is how Biglow and all the other full-time cowboys make their livings, but it goes beyond that. In rodeo, dollars equal championship points; only the top 15 on the money list in each event at the conclusion of the regular season advance to the NFR each year, and the contestants in each event who earn the most money when the NFR is over are crowned world titlists. Still weeks away from his 25th birthday, the California buckaroo is a five-time NFR qualifier and already ranked as one of the greatest to ever play the game. In the last decade, he was one of just five individuals to have earned bareback riding’s gold. That buckle is something he will cherish every day, even if he adds more to the trophy case. “Every time I put it on, I get little chill that go down my back,” said Biglow, who credits his sponsors – Bloomer Trailers, Resistol, Wrangler, Pete Carr Pro Rodeo and MY Chevrolet in Salinas, Calif. – with much of his career success. “Any other buckle you wear means something to you, but there’s nothing like wearing this gold buckle.” It’s one of many prizes he earned during his magical run in 2019. He also added four go-round buckles and, by winning the most money of any contestant at the NFR, the Ram Top Gun Award, which was a new RAM pickup. He’s added a camper to that vehicle’s bed, and it’s been the truck that’s carried him through the up-and-down 2020 season. “Being a five-time NFR qualifier means a whole lot,” he said. “I want to be a 10-time qualifier. When I hit 30, I think I should have done that. It’s especially gratifying on a year like this. The money was different, and the competition was different. Everyone was at every little rodeo. It was a drawing contest and a riding contest. It was tough everywhere you went.” Yes, it was. A year ago, he went into the NFR No. 1 in the standings with more than $180,000. This year, he sits fifth with $70,973. “Any year is going to be tough to make the finals, but this year is one of the tougher ones we’ll experience,” he said. “You couldn’t duck off anywhere. You weren’t going to Cheyenne (Wyoming) or Pendleton (Oregon) and getting a big check. You’re not winning $10,000 on a weekend. If you won $5,000 or $6,000, that was a good week.” It worked out to give him a shot to repeat as the world champion, but the lull in the rodeo season – time off in the spring and fewer rodeos in which to compete – allowed Biglow the opportunity to take care of things closer to home. That included prep work for his October wedding to his longtime girlfriend, Annierose. “It was honestly a good thing, because I’m building a house and I was planning a wedding,” he said. “It was nice to get the ducks in a row for that. Once I got that figured out, I started helping a friend with his fence building operation and working around here. “If you’re ever feeling that you’re not riding well, go build fence. It will change your thoughts on rodeo in a hurry.” Much of 2020 has been a disruption for everyone. The global pandemic has meant adjustments for everyone. Students have been educated by remote learning, and social distancing has become a curious mindset. Some areas of North America are more open than others, which is one reason the rodeo schedule has been so affected. Even the NFR has been touched. Because of restrictions in Nevada, this year’s championship will take place Dec. 3-12 at Globe Life Field, the home of the Texas Rangers and the 2020 World Series in Arlington, Texas. The hope is that it’s a one-year hiatus from Las Vegas, but the large stadium offers ample seating while allowing the spaces necessary for social distancing. “I’m excited about this year’s NFR, because I’m a baseball fan,” Biglow said. “Going to the baseball stadium is pretty cool to me. It’s not Vegas, but I think Arlington will be good. I’m just glad we’re having the NFR; that’s the most exciting part of it.” Rodeo has been part of Clayton Biglow’s life all his life. His father, Russ, was a bareback rider and team roper until the children came along. His mother, Jessie, trains jumping horses. His sisters, Taylor and Maddie, have also been involved with horses all their lives. This is a rough-and-tumble game with many miles in between. He knows that if he has any chances to repeat as the world champion, he will have had to put in many hours of training and keeping his body and mind in the best shape possible. He’s got a gold buckle and four years of previous NFRs to help guide him. “By now, you know exactly what you need to do to get things done,” Biglow said. “It’s rodeo, and it’s different every time, but you have the right mindset going in. No matter  Continue Reading »