Monthly Archives: February 2021

GUYMON, Okla. – Riding for the brand is more than a tag line for ranch cowboys. For most the elite in ProRodeo, the phrase is more of a nod to sponsors and other supporters. For others who have played the game at the highest level, the slogan is a tip of the hat to their colleges and mentors. No matter where Allen Boore competes, he’s always representing the red and blue of his alma mater, Oklahoma Panhandle State University, whether its in San Antonio, Pendleton (Oregon) or the National Finals Rodeo. “Rodeo in that area of the country is very well supported and well known, from the Etbauers to the guys that have come through that program,” said Boore, 29, a two-time NFR qualifier from Axtell, Utah. “I didn’t really know about the tradition that was there until I went out there to check the school out, and then you realize it.” He will return to the region once known as “No Man’s Land” in a couple of months for the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 30; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 1; and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 2, at Henry C. Hitch Pioneer Arena. It’s an annual venture for the cowboy, and it’s always nice to return to his old stomping grounds for a chance to win some big bucks. While rodeoing at Panhandle State, Boore was a two-time qualifier to the College National Finals Rodeo (2012-13). Both times, he just missed advancing to the short round by one spot. A transfer from Southern Utah University as a junior, he won the Central Plains Region’s bronc riding title as a senior in 2013, then was part of the team that claimed the men’s national title. “It was a pretty awesome feeling when it got done that the six of us on the team had placed in some rounds or the average, and that we all worked together and be able to win the team title,” he said. “Everyone was hoping to win that and win individually, but to get it done was a pretty good accomplishment.” Of course, he credits the training he received from his mentors – Craig Latham, Robert Etbauer and Dan Etbauer – who were on hand at almost every practice session. He also got some game-day training from some of the top hands in the game who would just show up at practice to sharpen their mettle. “We’d still get guys like Cort Scheer, Troy Crowser, Taos (Muncy) and Tyrel Larsen, guys that weren’t going to school but would still come to practice, and we’d learn some things from them,” Boore said. “Then we’d have jackpots, and we’d jackpot against guys like that.” In rodeo, jackpots involve competition where all players put money in a pot, and the top scores take the cash. “I figured if you could beat them at practice, you could beat them anywhere,” Boore said. “The community is very supportive of rodeo, and the people do what they can to help the school and the individuals succeed.” He’s found significant success in his career. He first qualified for the NFR in 2016, then finished 18th in both 2017-18. A year later, he finished 22nd. Last year, though, he kicked off a solid campaign and had pocketed about $40,000 by the time COVID-19 shut down the world in mid-March. When rodeo returned in full by June, he was back to winning. He entered the 2020 NFR in its one-time home of Arlington, Texas, with about $83,000. As one of four cowboys with ties to the Oklahoma Panhandle – he was joined by Panhandle State alums Muncy and bareback rider Orin Larsen as well as bronc rider Wyatt Casper of Balko – he pocketed another $80,000 by winning the third round and placing four other nights. “After my first time making the finals, I felt like I may have gotten lucky to make it,” he said. “Then after a few years where I didn’t make it, I wasn’t sure if I’d make it back. Last year when I made it back, it was a relief and still exciting that all the hard work, time and effort paid off. I had accomplished the goal that had been set.” He finished the year fifth in the world standings, his best finish ever. He finished seventh in 2016 and actually earned about $20,000 more that season, but it wasn’t one that was hampered by a global pandemic like the 2020 campaign was. In fact, it was further proof that he belonged among the top 15. He earned his first NFR go-round victory, and now he holds a great deal of confidence heading into the 2021 campaign. That also means he’s eager to return to the Oklahoma Panhandle to take home some Pioneer Days Rodeo cash the first weekend in May – he is five years removed from sharing the Guymon title with fellow Utahan Ryder Wright, a two-time world champion. Now Boore is one of many contestants who own a Pioneer Days Rodeo belt, the sought-after, wearable trophy that is awarded to champions each year. “I wear that when I go to town, so I wear it quite a bit,” Boore said. “It’s pretty special, and I don’t want to ruin it when I’m working on the farm. It’s like a buckle you’re proud of; you don’t want to scuff it up. Not too many places give out a belt. It’s a nice-looking belt with the bronc rider conchos on it. I like it and want to show it off.” Maybe he’ll add another to his collection in 2021. That will be his goal when he hits his old stomping grounds this spring. He’s only missed the Guymon rodeo a couple of times in his career, but he’d prefer that doesn’t happen. “I like Guymon’s rodeo, because it’s a good chance to see some old friends and hang out with Robert and Danny and see all those guys you  Continue Reading »

Finlay hopes to add his name to the legacy in the Panhandle GUYMON, Okla. – Long before he even considered competing in college rodeo, Jake Finlay knew there was something special going on at Oklahoma Panhandle State University. When then-coach Craig Latham offered him an opportunity to attend the college in nearby Goodwell, it didn’t take long for Finlay to make his decision. Within short order, he arrived in the Oklahoma Panhandle with a suitcase in one hand and his bronc saddle in another. He had a thick Australian accent and a dream of being one of the next great cowboys from Bronc Rider U. “I couldn’t ride a gate on a windy day when I got to Panhandle,” said Finlay, 25, of Goodniwindi, Queensland. “They pretty much repeated the same things: Lift on your rein and get a two-jump spur out. They just drummed it into me, but they’ve got a lot of good bronc riders because of it.” In all, six cowboys with ties to the Oklahoma Panhandle account for 12 bronc riding world championships: Billy Etbauer (5), Robert Etbauer (2), Taos Muncy (2), Tom Reeves, Jeffery Willert and Spencer Wright. All told, they have 68 National Finals Rodeo qualifications from bronc riders who made No Man’s Land their homes at some point. Finlay hopes to be mentioned among the elite, and he already carries some pretty nice hardware with him: He was part of two Panhandle State men’s team national championships in 2017-2018, the latter of which also saw him win the bronc riding national crown at the 2018 College National Finals Rodeo. “That’s one of the best things I’ve ever gotten to do,” he said. “It’s nice to see the saddle bronc riding title go back there. What’s better is that we won the team title twice, and that was just as cool, if not cooler, to do.” The pride that he exudes about his alma mater shines as brightly as his red hair, and he carries that with him wherever he goes. He’s already eager to be back in the region for this year’s Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 30; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 1; and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 2, at Henry C. Hitch Pioneer Arena. He understands the proud tradition the region has, especially for bronc riding, and he’d love to stake claim to that elusive Pioneer Days Rodeo title when he can. “When you look at it, there are a lot of gold buckles that are held on by a Guymon Pioneer Days belt,” Finlay said of the unique, wearable trophy issued to Guymon champions each year. “It’s a hell of a committee, and they’re always thinking about us cowboys. They bring the best stock, and they’re always wanting to have a good rodeo, especially for the contestants.” When Finlay thinks of ProRodeo’s elite, he didn’t have to venture too far from Goodwell in order to see it. Just outside of town is the home of Robert Etbauer, now the rodeo coach at Panhandle State. Not far from him are the homes of Latham and Robert’s youngest brother, Dan, a 10-time NFR qualifier who finished as the reserve world champion in 1995. Dan Etbauer may have never earned gold himself, but he was part of the team that accounts for seven of the most prestigious buckles in the game. He was there when Pioneer Days Rodeo made the transition from a small, hometown rodeo to what it is today – a major stop for hundreds of contestants; it also was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2015. While at Panhandle State, he qualified for the CNFR, then embarked on an incredible ProRodeo career. He was part of a unique traveling posse that included his older brothers and Latham. The foursome obtained a group sponsorship from Oklahoma-based Express Ranches, and the team pooled its money in order to cover the expenses that come with traveling the rodeo circuit. “My greatest memory was rodeoing with my brothers,” Dan Etbauer said. “I had just always dreamed of it. When I was a freshman in high school, we were assigned to write a paper on ‘What’s Your Dream in Life,’ and my dream was that I got to rodeo with my brothers and go to the NFR with them. “It was a dream, and we never thought it would come true, but we got lucky and it did.” It was more than luck. Being some of the best to have ever played the game – all four have been inducted into the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum’s Rodeo Hall of Fame – means being better than most. The Etbauers and Latham definitely were that during their heyday As an avid spectator now, Dan Etbauer has seen the positive changes in rodeo. Contestants are able to compete for more money, and the stock has improved. There have always been spectacular animal athletes, but there are just more of them in today’s rodeo than there were three decades ago. “The bucking horses are phenomenal now, and the born-to-buck program they came up with is really working,” he said. “I wish I was riding broncs today to get on some of those horses. If you watched the NFR back when we were going, there were three to four horses in each pen you had a chance to win on. Now there are three or four in each pen where you don’t have a chance. It would be fun to get on that caliber of horses.” That’s one thing Finlay has over the older generation. Though he has yet to earn an NFR bid – he finished 17th in 2019 and 20th last year – he has been among the best. He sits 16th in the world standings as of mid-February with most of the season left. But he’d love to have his name mentioned with so many others who have ties to the Oklahoma Panhandle. “Not everybody can  Continue Reading »