Monthly Archives: March 2021

GUYMON, Okla. – Sixteen years ago, a volunteer with the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo ignited a spark, and the rest of the committee fanned the flames of an idea to help raise funds for the Oklahoma Panhandle’s biggest annual event. The Rodeo Dinner, Dance & Draw Down was a hit from the start, and it raises a few thousand dollars each year to help produce Oklahoma’s only ProRodeo Hall of Fame event, which is 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. “This has always been a great little fundraiser for our committee, and I’m glad we’ve been able to continue it,” said Jeremy Carman, chairman of the volunteer group that organizes the rodeo. “This is one of the fun things we get to do together and that I hope brings the community out and brings the community together.” This year’s dinner, dance and draw down will begin at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 10, at the Pioneer Arena Hospitality Center. Tickets are $50, and each person who buys a ticket will be assured his/her place in the draw down. The winner will earn a $3,500 cash prize. “This is a great chance for people who support our rodeo to make a little money while we raise funds,” Carman said. “We want to put on the best rodeo we can for the people in this part of the world, and this event helps us.” A social hour kicks off the evening’s celebration, followed by a dinner at 7 p.m. There also will be other fun and games for those in attendance. “This event stood by itself for a number of years, but we’re also combining it with our sponsor-appreciation event,” said Ken Stonecipher, a longtime member of the committee who was a big part of the original draw down in 2006. “The sponsors are provided a ticket and aren’t eligible for the draw down unless they buy a ticket for that. “We want to give back to our sponsors, because they are the backbone that makes our rodeo possible. We want them to have as much fun even if they didn’t get entered in the $3,500 drawing.” Much of the fun will be made by the evening’s music and dancing, led by the Buster Bledsoe Band, which is based in Amarillo. “It’s just a very fun evening of dancing, food and drink and a chance to celebrate rodeo in this region,” Stonecipher said, noting that Oklahoma Panhandle State University’s Doc Gardner Memorial Rodeo takes place the weekend prior to Pioneer Days. “This is really going to be the opening event for Guymon becoming Rodeo Town USA for about a month.”

ALVA, Okla. – The surname Munsell is almost as popular in Alva as it is in Arnett, Oklahoma. Over the years, the same Munsell clan has made a second home in this town of 5,100 while attending Northwestern Oklahoma State University and competing on its rodeo team. First there was Hunter, followed by younger sister Taylor. They now have a third member of the family enrolled and succeeding in the rodeo arena. Sophomore Lindy Munsell earned her first college title this past weekend by winning the breakaway roping championship at the Garden City (Kansas) Community College Rodeo. She sealed her fate with a blazing 2.7-second run in Sunday’s championship round to win round and the aggregate title in a two-run cumulative time of 5.7 seconds, just one-tenth ahead of the field. “It was definitely exciting, making my first short round and being able to capitalize on a good calf in the short round,” said Munsell, who watched Taylor win the 2019 national championship in breakaway roping. “I’ve been riding all of Taylor’s horses, and I’ve ridden a different horse of hers at every rodeo. “It was good to finally clock with one of them and do some good.” The horse is Ray, a palomino gelding raised on the family place near Arnett, a tiny community 100 miles southwest of Alva near the Texas Panhandle border. The key to Lindy Munsell’s success in Garden City, she said, was about maintaining focus and trusting her mount. “Ray is Taylor’s good all-around horse,” Lindy Munsell said. “He’s done it all. A lot of other girls have ridden him and made the short go in a lot of events. He’s just a good horse and solid in just about every event you put him in.” Munsell led the way for the Rangers women over the weekend, but she wasn’t the only Northwestern cowgirl to collect points. Fellow breakaway roper Jaylinn Fausnaugh of Stoutsville, Ohio, placed in both rounds and finished in a tie for third place overall. The Rangers men were guided for the second straight week by steer wrestler Riley Westhaver of High River, Alberta. He won both rounds and the average title and overtook teammate Bridger Anderson of Carrington, North Dakota, for the lead in the Central Plains Region’s bulldogging standings.   Two other bulldoggers – Zane Thompson of Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Jeremy Plourde of Carlton, Michigan – collected points in western Kansas. Thompson placed third in the opening round with a 6.3-second run and placed fourth overall. Plourde finished sixth in the long round. Heeler Jayden Laubhan of Follett, Texas, finished among the leaders in both rounds and finished third overall, roping with Taylor Lagasse of Southwestern Oklahoma State University. Tie-down roper Bo Yaussi of Udall, Kansas, finished second in the long round, placed fifth in the short round and was fourth in the aggregate race. For Munsell, making Northwestern her college choice was more than a family tradition. Yes, family had a great deal to do with it, but she had much more on her mind when she made the commitment to move to Alva. “Hunter and Taylor – especially Taylor – had a lot of success rodeoing for (coach) Stockton Graves,” she said. “Taylor stayed here in Alva, so I knew it would be a good opportunity for me to be here with her and have her help me with my roping. I thought it would be the best place for me to step up my game and succeed. “I know Taylor’s going to have me mounted really well, and the skill level I get from her is only going to get better. I’m trying to get better with my mental game, and Stockton’s helped me with that. He really knows how important it is to have a strong mental approach, and he pushes that on all of us. I need to keep improving on that.” The weekend wasn’t all grand, though. A pall fell over the rodeo arena when news came Friday that two Central Plains Region competitors – Cinch Bullock and Hadly McCormack of Oklahoma Panhandle State University – were killed in a two-vehicle wreck while en route to Garden City. “The whole region took a big hit,” Munsell said. “It took a toll on everybody, no matter what school you go to. I thought everybody came together and proved just how much of a family the Central Plains is.” Winning and losing always takes a back seat to situations involving a young person’s death, but competitors know their hearts and the love for the game. Champions were crowned by the time the weekend came to a close, and the next rodeo is on the horizon. “This is an amazing region,” Munsell said. “We’ve got some tough girls that rope in our region, and I just hope I can be in the mix when the season ends.” Only the top three contestants in the final region standings in each event at the conclusion of the regular season advance to the College National Finals Rodeo. It’s the goal of every cowboy and cowgirl that wears a Northwestern black and red vest in Casper, Wyoming, each June. “I’m just going to keep taking it one rodeo, one calf at a time and try to capitalize on the good ones I draw,” she said. “The end goal is to make the college finals.”

CHILDRESS, Texas –For most of his life, rodeo was more than a game to Childress cowboy Stran Smith; it was his business, and he was very good at it. He qualified for the National Finals Rodeo 10 times and won the tie-down roping world title in 2008. He’s retired from competition, but he’s still very much involved in the sport and wants to see it grow. That’s why he’s leant his name to the STS Championship, set for April 30-May 2 at the Mashburn Event Center and Arena in Childress. The three-day event is set up primarily as a youth competition, though the opening day will feature some of the top calf ropers in the game. The open ladies’ breakaway roping will kick off the festivities, followed by the open tie-down roping. “This is my hometown, and rodeo is what I did professionally for 25 years,” Smith said. “I have three kids – Stone is 17, Scout is 15 and Selah is 9 – and they’re not involved in rodeo, but I know how important it is whenever you have the opportunity to reach out and do what you can to help young people.” That’s the main goal, but the STS Championship (named for Smith with his initials) is also a way to showcase some incredible competition to the people in Childress and those in the surrounding communities. “I’m pretty passionate about rodeo,” he said. “It’s been pretty good to me over the years. I didn’t just win that world championship by myself. It took a lot of people, all the way down to my junior high coaches and all the way up to my family. To bring an event like that here means a lot. “I’d rather watch roping and rodeo than eat dessert. I want to bring an event like this where people right here can enjoy it instead of having to travel to see it, especially with the facility we have.” He pointed to the staff and others who will do much of the heavy lifting to produce the event. Sheabree Nix, the center’s coordinator, has helped bring new events to town, Smith said; he expects to see further expansion to come. “I’ve had events and different jackpots where I’ve been on the production side of things, and it’s a thankless job,” Smith said. “You do a lot of work. Fortunately for me, the group we have here takes care of me and takes care of things. With most youth events, it takes a whole lot of behind-the-scenes work to pull one of these off.” All youth events will take place Saturday, May 1, and Sunday, May 2. It will open with barrel racing, followed by breakaway roping and goat-tying. Sunday’s contests will follow an 8 a.m. church service, followed by tie-down roping and a 19-and-under ladies’ breakaway. In all, it is set up to be a showcase of talented individuals with big dreams. “With COVID, everything’s been shut down, and the Western industry has tried to support each other and bounce back from this,” Smith said. “Rodeo is stronger now than it ever has been. That’s what inspires me about the future of rodeo. There are a lot of talented kids coming up that have spent the time in the practice pen, and it shows. I’m excited about where rodeo is going. I am glad to help these young people reach their goals.”

ALVA, Okla. – Riley Westhaver didn’t point to anything special he did this past weekend while winning the steer wrestling title at the Southeastern Oklahoma State University Rodeo in Durant. No, Westhaver placed his credit on his partners: Steer wrestling horse Whiskers, owned by teammate Bridger Anderson, and hazer Brent Woodward. It may be something that just comes with rodeo, or it may be the humble personality he possesses. “I had really good horsepower and was drawing the right steers, so it was just doing my job after that,” said Westhaver, a graduate student at Northwestern Oklahoma State University from High River, Alberta. “I was set up to win pretty good with what I was riding and what I drew.” He was certainly consistent. He posted two 3.9-second runs, the first of which led to a tie for the first-round win and the latter securing the fastest time in the final round and the overall championship. In all, it was worth 175 points and pushed the Canadian to No. 2 in the Central Plains Region standings behind Anderson, a senior from Carrington, North Dakota. “I think that reinforces the fact that Alva is a powerhouse in bulldogging,” Westhaver said. “We have a heck of a good coach, and we have a lot of bulldoggers around here to learn from. “It’s hard to say the practices are tough. It’s such a good learning environment to be around those guys. When you’re around them, your attitude changes to go along with them. It raises you up to their level and helps you every step of the way.” Every lesson learned is valuable, and Westhaver snagged a page out of the textbooks by jumping on Whiskers, which guided Anderson to his first National Finals Rodeo this past December and has guided cowboys to big wins in college and ProRodeo. “Whiskers is just a very simple horse to ride,” he said. “You don’t have to think about anything other than your job. He puts you in a spot to win every time. “When you have a Woodward hazing for you, you don’t have to worry about that either. That’s why I was set up so well to win.” Several Northwestern bulldoggers made the weekend’s short round in Durant, and four scored points along the way. Anderson posted his fastest run, 4.2 seconds, to finish in a tie for second place the final round and finished in a tie for third overall. Bo Yaussi of Udall, Kansas, placed in both rounds and finished fifth, while Woodward earned first-round points with a fifth-place finish. Team roping headers Wyatt VanOrsdol of Bristow, Oklahoma, and Kellan Allison of Waynoka, Oklahoma, added points for the Rangers. Roping with his heeler Mason Okke of Western Oklahoma State College, VanHorsdol placed fifth in the final round and sixth overall. Allison, roping with Hadley Sanders of Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, earned a fifth-place finish in the long round. Barrel racer Jaylinn Fausnaugh of Stoutsville, Ohio, gathered fifth-place points in the short round and finish tied for fifth overall to pace the Northwestern women. While his goal is to remain among the top three in the region to qualify for the College National Finals Rodeo, Westhaver also has some team goals he’d like to see; only the top two teams in the final reginal standings advance to the CNFR in June. “I’d love to make the college finals and the (ProRodeo) Prairie Circuit Finals and crack the top 50 (in the PRCA bulldogging standings) when the season ends,” he said. “As far as the teams go, we’ve got to get some things figured out before these next rodeos. I think we need to bear down, practice and get our heads right so we know w e can win. That’s what it takes to win at this level.”

NACOGDOCHES, Texas –It’s taken a year, but life in this east Texas community is starting to look a bit more like normal. Gov. Greg Abbott lifted the statewide mask mandate, and annual events are returning to the calendar. That includes the Nacogdoches Pro Rodeo & Steer Show, set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 25-Saturday, March 27, at the Nacogdoches County Exposition and Civic Center.   “I’m looking forward to feeling like an American again,” said Anita Scott, executive director of the expo and civic center. “I’m looking forward to hearing that prayer from our announcer, Andy Stewart, everybody taking off their hats and standing for the national anthem, and feeling and experiencing that good feeling the rodeo brings.” A big part of that feeling comes from the team at Pete Carr Pro Rodeo, which produces the event every year. The Carr team has some of the best bucking stock in ProRodeo, and that’s an attractive feature for the cowboys that ride them. The professional crew that is part of the stock contracting firm is also recognized as an experienced and talented group. “The presentation, the production and the personnel he brings is simply amazing, and we look forward to them coming to Nacogdoches,” Scott said. “They’re professionals. It’s a professional rodeo from the back pens to the arena and everywhere in between.” Carr bucking animals have graced the expo and civic center every year since 2013 and are a major part of the success that’s occurred in east Texas. Over time, though, Scott has leaned on Pete Carr, the owner and operator of the Dallas-based outfit. “Whenever I’m having a problem, I can call Pete up,” she said. “He has a wealth of contacts and information to help me. Just being able to call him and having us work together to solve whatever problems may arise is very refreshing.” The COVID-19 pandemic has instigated several changes for this year’s event. The seating capacity will be 50 percent of normal for all three performances, and the hospitality area will be designated just for VIPs; in a typical year, contestants are allowed in the hospitality section, but Scott and other organizers are trying to decrease exposure. “When I was stressing about my hospitality, Pete said, ‘don’t worry about that, because these cowboys and cowgirls just want to rodeo,’ ” said Scott, who noted that local money in the purse has increased to $20,000. “To be able to express my concerns was nice, and he made me feel so much better.” Once the show starts, though, that’s when Carr and his team go to work. There’s an electricity in the air, and it is shared across the building. “The caliber of stock we see on TV at the big rodeos will be the same ones we’ll see right here in Nacogdoches,” she said. “They’re the ones the cowboys want to ride, and that helps make our rodeo that much better. “It’s a good rodeo. We’ve always had a good rodeo, and I love that we’ve continued that.”

NACOGDOCHES, Texas –Anita Scott has been busy with the planning and preparation of the Nacogdoches Pro Rodeo & Steer Show, which takes place this week. This has been the right kind of transition for the local organizers, who had to abruptly cancel the event just 12 months ago when the COVID-19 global pandemic set the world on edge. Life is beginning to feel more normal, which is why Scott is excited for this year’s rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 25-Saturday, March 27, at the Nacogdoches County Exposition and Civic Center.   “We’re a small town, and we have that hometown feeling,” said Scott, the executive director of the expo and civic center. “When you go to big rodeos, you might be in the nosebleed sections, but here you’re right on top of the action in the arena. It makes it feel more like you’re part of the rodeo. “We still have a big feel. We’re bringing in the big names, and it’s ProRodeo action. People will see everything you can see at the big rodeos but at a smaller scale.” Part of that comes with the contract personnel that will work the rodeo. Andy Stewart is a regular nominee for PRCA Announcer of the Year and has called the action at the National Finals Rodeo. Pete Carr Pro Rodeo produces the event and has been nominated as Stock Contractor of the Year nearly a dozen times. Cody Sosebee is one of the top clowns and entertainers in the sport. “Everybody that comes here is so good,” Scott said. “Andy’s voice is just incredible. He knows what needs to be done when it needs to be done. He knows how to put it all together so it looks and sounds good when it comes in the arena. “We’ve had Cody here before, but it’s been several years ago. I’m excited to have him back.” Friday’s performance will be directed to raise awareness for childhood cancer, while Saturday’s show will honor breast cancer awareness. “A few years ago, Cowboys Who Care honored my granddaughter, who was battling cancer at the time, so we wanted to have our childhood cancer awareness this year,” Scott said. “It is amazing to be associated with a group like Cowboys Who Care.” Some things have changed since COVID reared its ugly head a year ago. All tickets are sold online, and the complex will be held at 50 percent capacity to help allow for social distancing. “We thought that since we had a plan in place that we’d stay at 50 percent,” She said. “We’ve offered online ticket sales before, but we decided to have all sales online to keep contact down. We’ve also had a year of doing more online, so it’s not uncommon.” While the Carr bucking animals and production are inviting for ProRodeo’s top contestants, Scott and other organizers also upped the ante by increasing “added” money; local dollars are mixed with the contestants’ entry fees to make up the total purse. “We increased the added money last year, but we didn’t have the rodeo,” Scott said. “We decided to keep it there. I’ve been wanting to increase that for some time, and I’m glad I was able to get it increased.” While some rodeos have closed their doors again in 2021, the Nacogdoches Pro Rodeo and Steer Show is offering opportunities for contestants; that’s all the cowboys and cowgirls want.

GUYMON, Okla. – Justin Rumford’s “Rumpshaker” is a nickname that fits his personality; it’s not his persona. So, when friend and business partner Aaron Ferguson suggested a podcast called RümpChät, Rumford and cohost Josh “Hambone” Hilton went to work. “When Hambone and I got together, he started Googling everything podcast,” said Rumford, who returns to 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. “He goes to Best Buy and gets $2,000 worth of equipment. “We started off joking around. A year and a half in, and we’re 262nd ranked out of 360,000 podcasts.” Why is the podcast so successful? Much of it has to do with the personalities behind the production, namely Rumford and Hilton. It’s rodeo-centric, since both men have spent most of their lives in the sport. It’s comedic, but that’s also a word that defines both men, especially Rumford, the reigning nine-time PRCA Clown of the Year. Still, there’s more to the show. “I think it’s successful because it’s not B.S.,” said Rumford, who grew up 215 miles northeast of Guymon in the tiny burg of Abbyville, Kansas, but now lives in Ponca City, Oklahoma, with his wife, Ashley, and their three children. “When we started listening to other podcasts, they were all so cookie-cutter. We wanted to tell the truth, even if it was brutal. “It’s not just a rodeo podcast, but it’s very agriculture. We have a lot of farmers, ranchers and oilfield workers who listen. We’re a blue-collar, beer drinking-man’s podcast.” RümpChät is also appealing, but so is Rumford. His personality hasn’t changed since the day he was born into a family that produced rodeos. What fans hear in the arena is something they’d likely hear if they were to engage the decorated clown behind the scenes. It’s just who Justin Rumford is. It’s also why he’s one of the most sought-after entertainers in rodeo. This will be just the second time he’s worked Pioneer Days Rodeo, and it’s a bit of a mulligan from four springs ago. On the day of the first performance, he and a bullfighter were involved in a vehicle wreck on the way to an appearance. That was just part of it. Rumford also had strep throat and was sick throughout the weekend in Guymon. He had a fever of 102 degrees and spent several hours of the final day of the rodeo in the hospital, unable to perform his duties. “The hardest rodeos to book are the ones that are close to you, and I’ve been thinking about returning to Guymon since I left,” he said. “That committee was so good to me, and I want to repay them and that community.” Texas County, Oklahoma, is not new to Rumford. From competing to hauling livestock, he’s kicked the dirt around Guymon plenty. “I’ve been going there for as long as I can remember,” Rumford said. “The cool thing about Guymon is it’s seriously like a reunion. I have so many friends from that community that I know, plus there are so many guys from Panhandle State that come back. There are a lot of my friends from Goodwell that never left, and with Frontier as the stock contractor, there are even more friends. Frontier Rodeo is the six-time reigning PRCA Stock Contractor of the Year based in Freedom, Oklahoma. The outfit is run by Heath Stewart, and it produces some of the largest rodeos in the country annually. “I’ve known Heath since I was 17 years old, and those guys have always been great to me,” he said, noting he may arrive in Guymon behind the wheel of one of Frontier’s big rigs. “When I go with Frontier or Flying U (Rodeo) or Beutler & Son, if there’s an opportunity where I can throw my stuff in the tack trailer and drive a semi down, sort and feed, I always enjoy the hell out of it. “It’s still my favorite thing to do.” Being a clown is a business, and he takes to it like it’s a second skin. Before he made it big wearing a microphone, his antics were legendary for keeping cowboys and contract personnel entertained anywhere Rumford worked a room. Beyond being reunited with the Frontier crew, the Guymon committee and announcers Andy Stewart and Ken Stonecipher, Rumford will also work with Hilton, a two-time PRCA Sound Director of the Year who handles the music and musings at Pioneer Days Rodeo. They’ll likely record an episode or two of RümpChät during their time together in Guymon. “Hambone is really good and one of the best sound men in rodeo,” Rumford said. “He’s easy to work with, whether we’re at a rodeo or doing the podcast. To be with people you consistently work with helps you do your job better. “I don’t know anything about computers or streaming. All I actually do is just sit down and talk. Without Hambone, there wouldn’t be RümpChät.” Without Rumford, there will still be rodeo. It just won’t be as funny or as entertaining.

ALVA, Okla. – For the better part of four years, Denton Mars has had his eyes on a certain prize. It finally happened this past weekend. Mars, a senior at Northwestern Oklahoma State University, won his first intercollegiate saddle bronc riding championship at the Fort Scott (Kansas) Community College Rodeo. Mars scored 73 points to finish in a tie for third place in the opening round, then spurred a horse for 76 points to win the championship round and the aggregate title. It was worth 155 points for the cowboy from Freedom, Oklahoma. “Finally getting my first win at a college rodeo was pretty exciting,” he said. “It was fun. All my buddies where there, and they were all cheering me on. “Right before my ride on the first night in the long round, Stockton (Graves) told me just to bear down and go after it. I thought it was as good a time as any.” Graves is the rodeo coach wrapping up his 10th season leading his alma mater. While his specialty is in the timed events – he was a seven-time steer wrestling qualifier to the National Finals Rodeo who just won the bulldogging title at San Antonio a few weeks ago – Graves does everything he can to push all members of his rodeo team to succeed. “Having Stockton in my corner means a lot. He knows how to do it. He knows what it takes to win in the rodeo world. It doesn’t matter what event you do; he gets you mentally ready.” The points pushed Mars to third place in the Central Plains Region’s saddle bronc riding standings. That’s good news for now, but he and the rest of the Rangers have seven more rodeos remaining in this campaign to build upon that. Only the top two teams and top three points-earners in each event advance to the College National Finals Rodeo, which will take place in June. Twelve months ago, Fort Scott’s became the last rodeo of the year or all teams in the Central Plains after the COVID-19 pandemic shut everything down. Even the college finals was canceled. While one circuit rodeo was canceled because of the coronavirus this season, the rest are on schedule as expected, even the CNFR. For now, though, Mars just wants to close out his campaign the only way he knows how: building toward his first qualification to the championship event in Casper, Wyoming. “It’s pretty simple; I’ll just keep taking it horse by horse and get them all rode,” said Mars, who alternates his time between school in Alva and working in Freedom at the ranch of Frontier Rodeo, the reigning six-time PRCA Stock Contractor of the Year. “If I start planning too much, I just set myself up for failure. I want to keep moving ahead instead. “This is a very tough region with a bunch of really good bronc riders. It’s pretty much a drawing contest at every college rodeo; whoever draws the best horses is probably going to win.” He attributed his victory in southeast Kansas to having the best horses, but even the best cowboys can get bucked off. Instead, he found his way to the victory stand in Fort Scott for the second time in his college career – as a freshman, he and Chase Finnell won the team roping title there. Mars wasn’t the only winner for Northwestern. Heeler Bo Yaussi of Udall, Kansas, won the team roping title with his partner, Garrett Elmore of Western Oklahoma State College. They stopped the clock in 6.0 seconds to win the opening round, then won the second round and the aggregate with a 5.5-second run. Yaussi now leads the region’s heeling standings. Meanwhile header Camden Hoetling of Emporia, Kansas, finished sixth in the opening round with his partner, Rio Esquibel of Northeastern Oklahoma A&M. Bridger Anderson of Carrington, North Dakota, scored big points for the Rangers in steer wrestling. After finishing just out of the points in the first round, he knocked his steer down in 4.9 seconds to place second in the short-round and second overall. The reigning college champion from 2019, Anderson leads the bulldogging standings. Riley Westhaver of High River, Alberta, also snagged some steer wrestling points. His 5.1 finished third in the opening round. He placed fifth in the final round and fifth overall. Tie-down roper Brandon Hittle of Topeka, Kansas, had two consistent runs, finishing sixth. Barrel racer Samantha Chambers of Calhan, Colorado, earned the most points for the Northwestern women. She posted a run of 13.41 seconds to finish in a tie for third place in the opening round. Her 13.24-second run was good enough for third in the short round, and she finished third overall. She is fifth in the regional standings. Fellow barrel racer Callie McGhee of Collony, Kansas, scored points for the Northwestern women by placing in the opening round. The weekend, however, belonged to Mars. He has hopes of advancing to the professional level, but he knows he has work to do just yet. Being part of the Northwestern team and Frontier Rodeo helps with that. “I get on a lot of broncs at the ranch, and I figure if I can ride these, I can ride just about anything they put in the chute,” Mars said. “They definitely help step my game up. We don’t practice broncs in Alva, so I practice at the ranch when I can. Most of the time, it’s all fundamentals. Once you’ve got them down, just go and do it. “It’s not like a timed event; you don’t have to practice 24 hours a day, seven days a week, but it dang sure helps if you do.”