Monthly Archives: June 2021

Champion may be retired from bull riding, but he’s got plenty on his plate Life as a professional bull rider can be hectic. From training to travel to competing – sometimes at two locations in the same day during the busiest times of the year – there’s a lot that goes into being elite. J.W. Harris has felt that rush for much of his 34 years. He started riding animals of some sort around 1990 and just recently announced his retirement as one of the best to have ever competed. A four-time PRCA world champion, nine-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier and three-time contestant at the PBR World Finals, it was time for him to slow down and relax a bit. Or so he thought. “Everybody said life would slow down when you quit rodeoing, but it sped up,” said Harris, who lives in tiny Goldthwaite, Texas, in the middle of the Lone Star State. “My kids are involved in a lot of stuff, so I’m probably running around more than I have in a long time.” It’s certainly different from the last decade and a half of his life on the rodeo trail. He first qualified for the NFR in 2006, a fresh-faced, 20-year-old bull rider full of swagger. Within two years, he’d walk away from the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas with the most cherished prize in his game, the Montana Silversmiths gold buckle awarded to the bull riding world champion. He followed that season with two more titles, becoming the first man since Donnie Gay to have won three consecutive bull riding championships. He was the talk of the town in every community in which he rode. He added is fourth crown in 2013, virtually solidifying his spot for the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. “I was probably getting on a big ol’ steer when I was 3 or 4 years old at the Coleman (Texas) junior rodeo, and I was talking crap to all the bull riders, telling them that I was going to spur all the hair off that steer except where I was sitting,” he said. “The next thing I know, I was laying flat on my head.” He may have taken a tumble, but his bravado never changed. He carried that swagger with him for decades, and it served him very well. A second-generation bull rider, it takes a certain mindset to sit atop a bucking beast with nearly a ton and a half of muscle and energy flinging itself around while the cowboy tries to move in step with the animal. Though he “farted around” with team roping, his passion was matching his athleticism with those of the bucking bovines. Over his established career, Harris rode better than 51 percent of the bulls he attempted. Three times in his career, his riding percentage was at least 60. That’s elite status. It came from riding steers for years and jumping up to the big-boy bulls in high school.  It came from being raised by a true cowboy. Mark Harris was the 1989 Texas Circuit Rookie of the Year who also worked on a racehorse ranch, where he rode racehorses. He passed that along to his son, who carried it to the top of the world. “I think I knew I was going to be a cowboy from the start,” Harris said. “Just being around cattle, that’s all I ever wanted to do.” Talent comes in many forms, and he had plenty of it. Still, he didn’t realize that he had the talent to be successful until his junior year in high school. “I rode steers pretty good, and I won a bunch in junior bull riding,” he said. “I struggled a little bit making the transition from junior bulls to big bulls. One day it clicked, and I realized that maybe I had a shot at making a living at it.” Harris has certainly done that, and he shares that with his family. He married the former Jackie Woolsey in October 2009. They have two children: Aubrey, 10, and Dillon, 8. The kids are involved in rodeo now, so he’s gone from hauling himself and a traveling posse across the country to hitting regional stops for the youngsters. “The greatest memories for me were the births of both my kids,” Harris said. “Aubrey was born in Vegas the night of the back number presentation (two days before the 2010 NFR). Dillon was born in August (2012) , which made a flying trip from Dodge City (Kansas) to make sure we were there for it.” Their lives have always revolved around rodeo. Jackie Harris was the 2004 Miss Rodeo Arkansas, and the two met two years after that. “The one memory that sticks out the most is making the NFR for the first time,” J.W. Harris said. “That’s where I met my wife. Everything leads back to rodeo for me. Obviously winning the four gold buckles is special, and so is winning the (NFR) average. Getting to bring my kids up in that atmosphere is great. They were raised at rodeos. I had a lot of help along the way raising them, but I just enjoyed getting to rodeo with my family. I loved that more than anything.” A Cinch endorsee for a dozen years, he remembers the day he became involved in the Western clothier. He was competing at a bull riding in Del Rio, Texas. Since then, he added a world championship face to the defining brand in Western wear. Whether he was riding for 90 points or playing pranks on one of his friends, he carried a positive attitude and a relaxed fit everywhere he went. “I don’t think the transition to retirement will be that great,” he said. “I’ve got plenty to do to keep me busy, and I don’t think I’ll have a hard time adjusting. I’ve been home quite a bit the last couple of years. That makes it easier now. “I knew it was time to  Continue Reading »

GUNNISON, Colo. – It really doesn’t matter how many times Shali Lord has made barrel racing runs in this beautiful Rocky Mountain town, she loves returning. “It’s an old-fashioned setting, but everything they have there is modernized,” said Lord, a two-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Lamar, Colorado. “They have a great announcer, great stock, and they work really hard on their ground to make it good. “It’s a fun rodeo.” It’s also a rodeo she’s won before, most recently a year ago when she and her stud mount, Can Man, beat a full and talented field. They sprinted around the cloverleaf pattern in 17.48 seconds to claim the top prize, and it was quite a feat. She’d like to repeat at this year’s Cattlemen’s Days PRCA Rodeo, set for Thursday, July 15-Saturday, July 17, at Fred Field Western Center in Gunnison. “I bet I’ve been to that rodeo 10 times or more,” she said, pointing out that she earned the title about 15 years earlier on Slider, the first horse that carried her to the NFR in 2005. “It seems like every year they seem to make it better, add more money and give us a better opportunity. “It’s always a good one for us to go to, and I try not to miss it.” She didn’t a year ago, bettering a field that featured nearly a dozen NFR qualifiers and a couple of world champions. With the global pandemic raising its ugly head, most ProRodeos were canceled, but the Gunnison community came out in full force to make sure the 120th consecutive edition of the Cattlemen’s Days rodeo went on as expected. “I think last year was so tough for everyone,” Lord said. “That weekend was particularly awesome. Can Man did really good, and things turned around for us that weekend. He started firing, feeling good and working really good. It was awesome to get the win there.” There was a constant theme amongst the 2020 rodeo winners: They were just thankful for the opportunity to compete. While life is much more back to normal, there are some lasting effects. The fact that Gunnison’s rodeo took place despite extreme limitations on crowd size still rings in the ears of the competitors that make their livings in the sport. “We’re going to support as many rodeos as we can that supported us last year,” said Cole Reiner, the co-champion in bareback riding from Kaycee, Wyoming. “Even if they’re a little out of the way, we’re still going to try to work them into our schedule. The committee in Gunnison went out of their way last year to have a rodeo, so we want to tell them just how much it meant to us by making sure we try to go back.” Reiner, who advanced to his first NFR and earned the 2020 Bareback Riding Rookie of the Year title, scored 88 points to share the Gunnison title with Orin Larsen. Still, it was a little different dismounting his horse after a big score and hearing a spattering of applause from few dozen people allowed in the grandstands because of pandemic limitations. “It was definitely a little weird getting off that horse after an 88-point ride and hearing the silence,” he said with a laugh. “That’s definitely one I’ll remember for that, but I’m still very thankful they went ahead and had the rodeo even though nobody could really be there.” The contestants also are excited about the rodeo’s return to its normal mid-July dates; the event was delayed until Labor Day weekend a year ago because of COVID-19, but it left a mark on many. “Like a lot of rodeos that have worked to go on, it means a lot to us that they went ahead and had the rodeo,” said Larsen, a six-time NFR qualifier from Inglis, Manitoba. “It’s a great rodeo. I know the committee did a really good job of trying to get it going. They worked hard to make it happen.” The 2020 Cattlemen’s Days PRCA Rodeo featured many of the biggest names in rodeo, with dozens of NFR qualifiers and 25 world champions representing 46 gold buckles. With thankfulness in their hearts and their minds on the money available, many of those are already making plans to return. That’s what happens when a community comes together.

To my Uncle Dude, nicknames were something of an artform. He and his siblings were pretty darn good at it, but he and Uncle Donnie have always been spectacular. Maybe it comes from a man who always went by a nickname. Born Howard Henry Summers, I rarely ever heard anyone but family call him that. He has always been “Dude,” and rightfully so. He died Saturday, June 26, at the age of 80, and he was certainly a special dude. My first recollections were our contests off the front porch of my family’s home in Leoti, Kansas. He, a diminutive man near 30, would take me out the kitchen door, and we would see which one of us could pee further. Apparently, I covered quite the spread back in those days. And if you think it was just a thing for us rural folks, this was in the middle of the daylight on Seventh Street, directly across from the State Department of Transportation lot and a block from the fairgrounds; we were very much in town. He got a special kick out of it, and it was our thing until my mom, dad, brother, sister and I moved away nearly five decades ago. But it was his nicknames that always stuck out with me; maybe it’s because I have had a few in my 50-plus years. From my recollection, it started with Tedford, then became Newtedford, and, no, I have no idea where that came from. From there, he and Uncle Donnie called me Newt, then back to Newtedford Sweeps; I assume that has something to do with a piece of farm equipment called an undercutter, which is often referred to as sweeps. All that, and guess what stuck: Yep, Sweeps. Just Sweeps. He’d say it in a variety of baritone barks: “Sweeps, Sweeeeeeeeps, Swwweeeepps.” I smiled wide every time I heard it. I’m sure he had nicknames for all 24 of his nieces and nephews, but I polled some of my family, and this is what I have found: Debby Desporte: DebrettaRoxanne Weiss: Roxsetta LouiseGina Foster: Gina LollobrigidaTaylor Summers: TamianMike Harbin:  Benny (from Uncle Donnie)Shelly Graff: Shelly BourbonBob Summers: Roberto SummeriosMerle David Summers (who goes by the nickname “Whitey”): Mini DavidJim Summers: NumaneeDixie Summers Bingham: The DuckDustin Bingham (Dixie’s husband): Hoffman (after actor Dustin Hoffman)Tim Ridder: Rainy (it rained 7 inches the day he was born)Bret Ridder: Bret Maverick (“Maverick,” the TV show)Raquel Ridder Plath: Ray-KellBrandon Stites: Da Wilde (after actor Brandon DaWilde)Eric Stites: Eureka SpringsCheyenne Shafto Brown: CheyneyweywivabifTeneille Brown: Teeny EelMarriah Brown: Mean RiahJasmine Shipps: SonnyAlicia Monroe: Leesha Dawn Jessica Ricker: Icka, unless she was with her cousin, Kylie, then they were Kyicka. Uncle Roy: RoscoeUncle Merle: Mini AlbertAunt Barbie: Catlass and BarbaDon or DonaBarb with her husband, Don In a few days, my family and I will gather to celebrate his life and to say goodbye. I have no regrets on my relationship with Uncle Dude. From our days peeing off the porch to the last time I saw his face, I genuinely loved that man, and I suspect I always will.

Louisiana bulldogger goes from one-stop town to the top of the world Tucked away in DeSoto Parish in northeastern Louisiana sits a little hamlet called Keachi, which boasts of 238 residents. Steer wrestler Jacob Talley is one of them. This is where he was raised and taught right from wrong. His father, Jeff, used to wrestle steers but now owns a water well drilling company; mom Amy owns a gym. Together, they instilled a work ethic and a love for competition into Jacob and his younger brother, Eric, who also bulldogs. That was life at home, deep in the woods that dot the landscape. Education came some 30 miles north at Calvary Baptist Academy on the southern side of Shreveport. You see, Keachi isn’t big enough for a small school, so the Talleys went to the city for time in the classroom. “We have a stop sign and a corner store, and that’s it,” said Jacob Talley, 30, a three-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier and Cinch endorsee. That’s perfectly fine; small-town life is a nice fit for many in this world, and home will always be home to him. There’s a comfort in knowing everyone at the Keachi Kountry Store & Café or recognizing the shortcuts through the woods. It’s the people there that served as the foundation for who he has become … in rodeo and in life. For now, they’re intertwined. Rodeo is who he is and how he makes a living, and he’s doing pretty dang well at it right now. He’s coming off the best season of his 11-year career, having earned $138,329 in a COVID-restricted campaign and finishing seventh in the final PRCA world standings. More than half his total ($76,705) was earned over 10 days at the NFR, where Talley placed four times, including wins in Rounds 4 and 9. That was just a taste of what was to come for Talley, who sits No. 1 in the world standings with more than $77,000 in the bank through mid-June. He was aided with a major league windfall by winning RFD-TV’s The American, which paid its winners $100,000 each, half of which counts toward the world standings. Even without that, Talley would still be in the mix; instead, he owns a lead of nearly $30,000 over the field. “I want to, obviously, win the world (title),” he said. “That’s been my goal from the get-go. It’s great making the NFR, but that’s not why I do it. I want to be the best there is. When I get on the back end of my career, I want to look back and say that I left no doubt that I was that.” Ah, but that Montana Silversmiths gold buckle is elusive, and steer wrestling features the tightest competition of any of the events each season in ProRodeo. Talley’s lead can diminish quickly over the course of the summer run if he doesn’t maintain control of things within his grasp. But that’s where the foundation and outreach of a community comes in He watched his father compete, then actually traveled with Dad for a couple of years when the youngster first cracked out at age 19. “Dad took me to a bulldogging school in 2010, then he rodeoed for another two years and went with me a little bit and showed me how he did everything. He never really went too far, but he helped me get my start.” Talley was a high school graduate before he tried his hand at rodeo. Instead, he focused on football like many boys in that part of the world. Louisiana and Texas are hotbeds for high school football, and the physicality and competition fit him like a glove. At 6-foot, 230 pounds, though, he didn’t have quite the stature most recruiters want in an intercollegiate lineman. Though he knew rodeo, he never approached it while still in school. He was serious about football, and coaches were serious that he didn’t jump off horses onto steers to jeopardize his prowess on the gridiron. Still, when he hung up the cleats, he quickly turned to bulldogging. “I’ve always been a competitor, and I like being able to compete at things,” Talley said. “The plus side to bulldogging over football is, yes, I have a hazer and horses to rely on, too, but it’s pretty much left up to you whether you win or lose most of the time. I like being in a little more control of my own outcome. “I love being able to compete, but being able to have a job where you can travel the country and see different places and do something you love … that doesn’t get to happen very often anymore.” He doesn’t do it alone. Rodeo is a family business, whether blood relatives are involved or not. No, the gypsy lifestyle of traveling hundreds of miles in a day just to compete offers a “rodeo family” for everyone There is comradery among the combatants, but there’s a unique togetherness in the world of steer wrestling. Bulldoggers are a different breed, and it shows in the way they cheer for each other or offer assistance at any time. “It’s neat, because we are technically competing against each other,” he said. “Everybody’s betting on themselves to win, because you’re competing against the steer, but you want to see your buddy do good, too. You’re going to do as good as you can do on the animal you have and let them do as good as they can do, but you ever want to see anybody do bad.” That comradery goes a bit further when it comes to the groups that travel together. In Talley’s case, he travels the spiraling highways and Interstates along the Plains with Justin Shaffer, Tucker Allen and Luke Branquinho, the latter of whom is a five-time world champ. “It’s extremely important to have good guys to travel with,” Talley said. “You’re talking about four guys living in confined spaces for weeks at  Continue Reading »

CASPER, Wyo. – The dreams of national championships came crashing down for two Northwestern Oklahoma State University cowboys during last week’s College National Finals Rodeo in Casper. Bridger Anderson, the 2019 college champion in steer wrestling and a three-time CNFR qualifier, and Riley Westhaver watched their intercollegiate rodeo careers end on the third day of the seven-day competition. During the second round, the two seniors watched their steers – and hopes of a coveted title – escape their grasps. “That one hurt a lot,” said Anderson of Carrington, North Dakota. “The ground by the bucking chutes is really hard (and at the opposite end of the Ford Wyoming Center). I missed and hit pretty hard, but catching a steer clear down there didn’t look very fun down there either.” “Missing that steer hurt quite a bit,” said Westhaver of High River, Alberta, who also goes by the nickname, ‘Canada.’ “Knowing you’re out of it is what sucks the most, but that’s part of rodeo; it doesn’t always go as planned.” No, it doesn’t, but they made the most out of it. There were some great things that happened while in Casper. Anderson earned a share of the first-round victory after tilting his steer over in 4.5 seconds. He also gathered a bit of redemption in the third round, finished second with a 3.9-second run, just moments after Westhaver stopped the clock in 4.0 seconds; the Canadian finished in a tie for third place in that round. “I thought the college finals went good,” Anderson said. “I thought Canada and I had a good showing. We slipped up in the second round, but we did well in the other two rounds.” The biggest win came after the final performance ended, when Anderson’s horse, Whiskers, was named the College National Finals Rodeo’s AQHA Men’s Horse of the Year. Whiskers, which carried Anderson to the college title and to his first National Finals Rodeo qualification in 2020, was ridden by five cowboys during each of the first two rounds. “After we got done with our runs, Whiskers had to hit the pro trail,” Anderson said of competing at PRCA rodeos. “He was more vital outside of the college finals for what we have going on right now.” That’s because Anderson, Westhaver and Northwestern alumnus Jacob Edler, the reigning bulldogging world champion, are all riding the talented 12-year-old gelding; all have the same goal of advancing to the NFR, and they realize the horsepower that’s needed to get there. “Whiskers is crucial for my success,” Westhaver said. “He is a special kind of horse. He walks in the box, and you feel the confidence he has in himself. He makes the rider have confidence, too, knowing he’s going to give you the best go he possibly can. There are not a whole lot of horses that are like him.” While he didn’t have as much fortune as Anderson, he found out just how special it was to make it to college rodeo’s marquee event. “It was a pretty quick trip over there,” he said with a laugh. “I was hoping to hang out there a little bit more, but that didn’t happen. When we got to the third round, we were just looking for the round win. I had the lead for a bit, but then Bridger got the better of me. It’s always good to be winning with your teammates.” That’s how the regular season went for the two Rangers. Westhaver won the Central Plains Region, and the North Dakotan finished second. They both have fantastic memories of their time at Northwestern. “Alva’s been something special for me,” Westhaver said. “It’s a place where I’ve learned so much and met so many great people. The atmosphere at Alva is like no other, because you’re surrounded by guys that prove to you that you know you can win. It’s amazing how much it could change for me. I’m living a dream come true, and Alva’s the place that did it for me.” During his tenure at Northwestern, Anderson added the school’s second national title, following in the footsteps of J.D. Struxness in 2016. He’s joined people like Struxness, Edler, Kyle Irwin and coach Stockton Graves as Northwestern bulldoggers who have made ProRodeo’s biggest stage, the NFR. “I feel like I had a really good college career, and I learned a lot,” he said. “I accomplished what I could, and I learned as much about steer wrestling and rodeoing as I could while attaining a degree. I’ve learned from Stockton about a lot of things, but I think we got a lot accomplished. I’m really looking forward to applying the school knowledge and my rodeo knowledge for my next step in life. “I’m really thankful for everything Alva has given me.”

CASPER, Wyo. – Cole Franks wasn’t quite sure what to get his dad for Father’s Day. He and some of his teammates from the Clarendon (Texas) College rodeo team collaborated to provide the perfect present: three national championships in one fell swoop. Franks is a sophomore at his hometown college, and his dad, Bret Franks, is the rodeo team’s coach. The Clarendon cowboys began competition last week with the goal of winning the men’s team title; they got a little more than that to go with it. Cole Franks won three rounds and placed in a fourth to win the bareback riding crown. He also added points in saddle bronc riding, and that helped him to the coveted all-around championship. Of all the awards and accolades he received last week at the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, one sticks out more than the rest. “Of the three, the team title means the most because since the first day of school, that was the top goal of this team,” he said. “We’ve all been pushing each other for it. We’ve been doing everything we could to make it possible. “Winning that is a combination of doing something together as a team and for helping Dad win his first national title. It might even mean more for Dad. All of us on the team wanted to win the title, but I know Dad was really wanting to win that team championship.” Cole Franks was joined at the college finals by bull rider Dawson Gleaves and bronc riders Keene Justesen, Brody Wells, Cash Wilson and Weston Patterson. Five of the six Bulldogs earned points, which also help toward the team standings. Clarendon finished the seven-day championship with 890 points, 100 points better than the runner-up, Panola (Texas) College, which was the defending men’s team titlist. “We had a great week,” said Bret Franks, who just finished his sixth season leading the Clarendon rodeo team. “The boys came up here and were ready to compete, and they did. The good thing about my guys is that they’ve all been rodeoing, so there wasn’t a whole lot of practicing or worrying about whether or not they’d be ready. “The thing I’m most proud about is that before I even took this job, I lived in Clarendon. With a facility like the college has, I feel like I could have a national championship within five years if the college got behind a coach. It’s just an awesome facility, and it’s a good place to be. The people are friendly, and the board of regents are awesome and have been very supportive. Yes, this is my sixth year, but we didn’t have a CNFR last year, so this was my fifth try.” The Bulldogs earned the opportunity to battle for the team title by winning the men’s championship in the Southwest Region. That allowed Clarendon to have a full team of six cowboys in Casper. With more players, there are more chances for points, and Clarendon took advantage of that. Three of the cowboys earned their way into four spots in the championship round, with Cole Franks qualifying in both events. Weston Patterson finished as the runner-up to the national champion in saddle bronc riding. Cash Wilson was seventh, and Franks finished 12th. But the coach’s son has excelled in bareback riding, even though his dad was a three-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier in bronc riding. “I’ve coached Cole all the way up in just about everything in rodeo,” Bret Franks said. “I have great friends. Between (bareback riding world champions) Jeff Collins and Mark Gomes, he’s been around winners, and we all have the same mindset. Cole knows how to listen and respond. “What I coach is fundamentals. It’s pretty simple; there’s no science to it other than the mentality of it. There are four or five things you have to do in bareback riding fundamentally. If you do those things really good or better than everybody else, you’re going to be successful. That’s the way I’ve always taught Cole.” Strong fundamentals work at all level of sport. Good athletes know well the drills that help them focus on the basics of the game. Great athletes are just the best at fundamentals all the way through and excel at the rest of their given ventures. “Most of my coaching is not about what I did but more about what I wish I would have done,” he said. “I had marginal success doing what I did. I know what I should have done to be more successful.” The proof is in the three national titles that will make their way to the tiny campus in the Texas Panhandle. They will join the saddle bronc national championships earned by Clarendon cowboys Wyatt Casper in 2016 and Riggin Smith in 2019. “What we do is not a secret; we work harder than everybody else,” Bret Franks said. “That’s the way it’s going to be. If I find out somebody’s working harder than we are, then we’re going to find a way to outwork them in the end. That’s why I get kids to come to Clarendon. The kids I get want to be better. It’s really amazing when you see kids like that. They are in it to win it.” That was his son’s mindset. Cole Franks also won the bareback and all-around championships in the region, then carried that momentum into the college finals. He’s also progressing well in ProRodeo, where he was in the top 20 in the world standings as of last week and was No. 1 in the bareback riding Rookie of the Year race. “I wanted to win four rounds, but to win three rounds and place in the other is so cool,” said Cole Franks, who won the first, second and fourth rounds and placed fourth in the third go-round; he also accounted for 395.5 of the team’s point total. “I knew I needed to make the short round in the  Continue Reading »

A quarter century ago, Bret Franks and Jhett Johnson were teammates at Panhandle State University. Now they’re two of several former Aggies who coach in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association, Franks at Clarendon (Texas) College and Johnson at Casper (Wyoming) College. They’re also dads who happen to coach their sons. On Saturday night, they celebrated Father’s Day a little early at the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper. Cole Franks, a sophomore at Clarendon, won the bareback riding national championship. He also added the college’s first all-around title and helped Clarendon to its first men’s team national title. Meanwhile, Kellan and Carson Johnson won the team roping for Casper. It was the second college title for Kellen, the oldest and the header among the two. He won the crown in 2018 while roping the horns for Trey Yates. The Johnson brothers earned their national titles together 11 years after Jhett Johnson won the heeling world title while roping with Turtle Powell. The Casper men’s team finished third overall. Happy Father’s Day, Bret and Jhett.

PECOS, Texas – While this community came to grips with the global pandemic, the organizers of the West of the Pecos Rodeo debated about what to do with its 2020 event. Each step of the way, the volunteers sought advice from people they trusted. With more than a century of history, the committee knows how important the rodeo is not only to Pecos but also much of west Texas. “Along the way, we knew we had Pete Carr’s support,” longtime committee member Brenda McKinney said of the owner of Pete Carr Pro Rodeo. “He really understood what we were going through. When we realized we couldn’t do it on our typical dates at the end of June, he helped us look at different dates. “We kept in touch with Pete for several months to see if we could pull off the rodeo. He was very positive, but he understood that we needed to make the decision for our community. He said, ‘I respect that and will do whatever you guys want.’ ” That’s the type of partnership the community organizers want when it comes to the primary collaboration of a successful annual event. Pecos and the Carr brand have been teamed together for nearly two decades, and the proof what happens during the rodeo, set for 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 23-Saturday, June 26. Over that time, fans have packed Buck Jackson Arena to see some incredible action. Of the PRCA records that have happened in Pecos, nearly all have come during the Carr team’s time in Reeves County. From Ryan Gray’s 92-point bareback ride on Dirty Jacket to Scottie Knapp’s 93-point bull ride on Half Nuts to the six bronc riders who all have matching 88s, all the top scores in the event’s history have come on Carr bucking animals. “It gets really hot here this time of year, but that never seems to affect the animals that Pete and his crew bring,” McKinney said. “The animals seem to thrive in this weather. They buck their best. The cattle run good. As hot as it is, you think you’d see it in those animals’ performances, but you never do.” There’s so much involved in making a rodeo of this magnitude happen. The ropers and bulldoggers want the best cattle available, and the barrel racers want to run on the best ground. That’s where the teamwork between contractor and committee comes into play. Carr and his crew of rodeo professionals know what it takes to make sure all entities are as happy as possible. That’s not as easy as it sounds, either, because the contestants are just part of the mix. The biggest contingent involves the sponsors and the fans that come out for a night of entertainment and high-flying rodeo action. “Working with Pete Carr and his crew is probably one of the greatest experiences we’ve had as far as dealing with such a professional group of individuals,” McKinney said. “They are like family to us now. We know they care about how the rodeo goes off. Their hearts are into the success of our rodeo, just like our hearts are in it. “Pete Carr and his group have such a special place in our hearts, because they help us step up our rodeo a lot. We can’t thank them enough.”

Isley brings his comedy, personality back for Cattlemen’s Days GUNNISON, Colo. – Watching Keith Isley entertain crowds at any rodeo across North America, it seems as though entertaining was just a natural fit. The truth is far from reality, though. He wasn’t necessarily funny; he was, however, talented and has always had an amazing work ethic. With that, he developed a comedic sense and has been recognized for it. Over the last 40 years, no other clown in the PRCA has received as many accolades as Isley, who has been named Specialty Act of the Year five times, Comedy Act of the Year six times, Clown of the Year six times and Coors Man in the Can five times, including last year when he earned the honor at the PRCA Awards Banquet in Fort Worth, Texas. “The acts were tough to come by for me, because I was not interested in the acts in the beginning,” said Isley of Goldston, North Carolina. “I was not interested in being funny. I was interested in protecting cowboys and getting people out of a bind.” That was four-plus decades ago, and he’s still defying his own odds as one of the greatest entertainers in ProRodeo. He returns to Gunnison this summer for the Cattlemen’s Days PRCA Rodeo, set for Thursday, July 15-Saturday, July 17, at Fred Field Western Center in Gunnison. “Back in that time of rodeo, you were expected to do some comedy and fight bulls, too,” he said. “Now I’m in my 60s, so I don’t get as close to the bulls as I used to. The brain says I’m willing, but the body definitely says I’m not able.” Instead, he entertains, and he’s good at it, too. He first found himself in the Gunnison Valley four decades ago, and he loves returning. “When you go to some rodeos like Gunnison, you get to meet a lot of people,” Isley said. “I met a few people that were on the committee when I first went there in the ’90s, and I get to see them when I go back. It’s always good to visit my friends. “And the weather’s pretty good, too.” The cool, mountain air is in contrast to his home in central North Carolina, which features high heat indexes – mixture of warm weather and high humidity. Gunnison a good setting for a veteran rodeo clown and the animals he uses in his acts.  If you ask him, Isley can’t tell you when or how he developed his comedy. It’s a mixture of influences that have packaged themselves into the smart-aleck with a Carolina accent and a quick-hitting attention to detail. He also understands the necessity of utilizing physical comedy. “You can get someone to tell a joke, but a comedian will know how to make it funny,” Isley said. He’s developed that touch, and while he has a backlog of jokes in his repertoire, he oftentimes finds the humor in the moments that transpire throughout each performance. He’s an addition to the action that takes place in the arena, not a distraction. “I try to keep my mouth shut and not do anything that will disrupt a contestant; I want to make sure the contestants have their time,” he said. “The sponsors and the fans like to hear that person’s name, so let that person have that moment. But if there’s a lull, I like to keep things moving.” That’s just part of what makes him so good at his job. When he’s filling time or helping through a transition in the show’s lineup, he’s doing so comedically. “Before each rodeo and during the national anthem, I say a little prayer,” Isley said. “I thank God for giving me the talent and giving me the opportunity to make people laugh and have a good time. Everybody has problems at some point in their life. If you can make people laugh, at that point, they will have forgotten their problem.” For the past 40 years, Isley has done that. Long after he’s retired and decided to spend out his days with his wife, Melanie, he will be remembered by many for his greatness in and out of the arena. For now, though, he’ll enjoy his time working in rodeo and hanging out with friends, whether it’s in Gunnison or somewhere else down the rodeo road. “With what I’ve won and with as blessed as I’ve been, I’ve already been recognized for what I do,” he said. “It’s been way more than I ever dreamed of. When I was a kid, you always wanted to go to Calgary (Alberta), Cheyenne (Wyoming), Pendleton (Oregon) and the NFR. I’ve worked every major rodeo there is and a lot of really good smaller rodeos, too. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. It’s been an amazing venture.”

ALVA, Okla. – While he’s experienced the College National Finals Rodeo before, it’s never something Bridger Anderson takes for granted. The last time he played on this stage two seasons ago, Anderson walked away with the coveted steer wrestling national championship. He was just a sophomore then, and it was the last time the college finals took place. After taking a year off because of COVID-19, intercollegiate rodeo’s championship event returns Sunday, June 13-Saturday, June 19, at the Ford Wyoming Center in Casper, Wyoming. “I’m excited for this,” said Anderson, a senior from Carrington, North Dakota. “I wanted to go back last year, but it wasn’t in the cards because of COVID. Now we’re fired up and ready to head back and try to win another title. I’m excited to have my teammate, Riley Westhaver, and coach Stockton Graves with me. Hopefully between Riley and I, we can bring back another title to Northwestern. “Yes, I’m a two-year defending national champion with one title,” he said with a laugh. “We’re happy to have another chance to go back to the college finals. We’re hoping to have a lot of fun and make the most of our last year at the college finals.” In his four seasons at Northwestern, Anderson has qualified for the college finals three times – each year in which he was able. No matter what happens from this point forward, he’ll focus his attention on his future. With a degree in hand, he has his eyes set on ProRodeo, where he was a National Finals Rodeo qualifier in 2020. On the other end of the spectrum is Westhaver, who moved to Alva from High River, Alberta, six years ago to gain an education and to work on his rodeo career. Now a graduate student, he has earned his first trip to the CNFR by winning the always-tough Central Plains Region, edging out Anderson for the regional crown. “I feel like it’s been a lot of work, and it’s finally coming to a head,” Westhaver said. ‘I’ve spent a lot of time down here, and I’m finally getting to piece things together.” The format at the college finals is simple, yet still rugged. Each man will compete in three go-rounds, and the top 12 bulldoggers in the three-run aggregate will advance to the championship round on the final night of the CNFR. Points are gathered by finishing atop the standings in each go-round, but the national champion will be earned by the man with the best four-run cumulative time. That’s how Anderson won the national title two seasons ago, and that’s what former Ranger bulldogger J.D. Struxness did in 2016. That season, another Northwestern cowboy, Jacob Edler, finished second to Struxness in the steer wrestling national standings, and the Rangers finished second in the final team standings. “I’m super pumped for ‘Canada,’ ” Anderson said, referring to his nickname for Westhaver. “He won the region, and I’m really happy for him. Yes, I had a goal of winning the region, but we’re teammates and buddies. We push each other to get better every day. If I didn’t win the region, then I’m glad it was Canada. “I’m excited to have him coming with me and being part of the college finals. I think between the two of us, we’ve got a good chance to have a lot of luck out there.” The Rangers are coming off one of the toughest Central Plains Region seasons to date. Instead of splitting the course of 10 rodeos over an entire school year. The campaign was packed into nine straight weeks of rodeo because of the pandemic’s restrictions. The first rodeo of the season, at Kansas State University, was canceled, and there was not much time off through the spring semester to adjust from one rodeo to the next. Fortunately, Westhaver and Anderson excelled, finishing first and second in the region respectively. “Winning the region is a heck of a step, and I’m just really confident in what I ride and with the people around me that help me have that confidence,” Westhaver said, noting that he will ride Anderson’s horse, Whiskers, just as he’s done this season and expects to do during the ProRodeo season. “I think it’s the people around me that push me that give me the most confidence.” Yes, that includes Anderson, but it also includes Graves, a seven-time NFR qualifier and a former Northwestern standout, and Edler, the reigning world champion bulldogger. That foursome will travel together before and after the college finals. “I’m really excited to get out there and be among that atmosphere and be in that moment,” Westhaver said. “I feel like I’m mounted pretty good, and I have a lot of confidence in the horse. Now we just need to go out there and do our jobs.” Whiskers not only guided Anderson to the national title two seasons ago but also helped him advance to the NFR last season. The talented gelding has been in the right place at the right time for both Anderson and Westhaver through the Central Plains season. “Riley and I were fortunate to have a good year in the region,” Anderson said. “It was a tough year with nine rodeos in a row, but we got through the semester, and we got all our school work done. We’re excited to represent Northwestern and our rodeo team on a national level.”

Cattlemen’s Days sound director is always ready for the action GUNNISON, Colo. – Randy Mayer was just clowning around when he came upon the task of music direction. It’s not funny business anymore for the Mississippi man, who will return to Gunnison for this year’s Cattlemen’s Days PRCA Rodeo, set for Thursday, July 15-Saturday, July 17, at Fred Field Western Center in Gunnison. “I’ve been coming to Gunnison for about eight years,” said Mayer, 44, of Potts Camp, Mississippi, in the state’s northwest corner. “I have a great job. I get to work with the best announcers, the best specialty acts, the best stock contractors and some of the best committees in rodeo. I love all the rodeos I work, and I’m thankful to be everywhere I get to go.” Of course, spending every July in the Rocky Mountains for rodeos in Gunnison, Monte Vista, Colorado, and Ogden, Utah, is a pretty comfortable setting, especially compared to the heat and humidity of his home not far from Memphis, Tennessee. He’s been recognized as one of ProRodeo’s best sound directors, the men and women who put music and other digital sounds as the accompaniment to the action and entertainment inside the arena. Mayer has been nominated as the PRCA’s Sound Director of the Year each of the past four seasons, and there’s a good reason behind it. And it’s almost as if the job fit him before he fit into the job. “I started out in rodeo when I was 14 years old and worked my first rodeo in September 1992 as a barrelman,” Mayer said. “I did that until I was 26 or 27.” His calling changed, and so did his life’s work. As a whiz with a computer, Mayer found his way to being a sound director by happenstance. Another sound man, Matt Harris, needed some work done on his PC and asked Mayer to handle the workload. They tested it out at an amateur rodeo Harris was working with his ProRodeo Hall of Fame father, Lecile Harris. Mayer’s experience doing morning, midday and drive-time shows on WGKX KIX 106 in Memphis was put on full display. Lecile Harris, who had been involved in rodeo production for years, knew there was something special brewing. “Alan Moorhead was the announcer, and when it was over with, they all said I was a natural fit for it,” Mayer said. “I went from two rodeos to four my second year, then on to five and six and it just kept building. I started working with Scotty Lovelace and was with him starting in 2010. “In 2013, I got hooked up with Stace Smith; that’s how I got myself to Gunnison.” He works about 20 rodeos a year across the country and has a blast doing it. It’s more than music and more than just creating a song list; he pays particular attention to the action and has downloaded so many sounds that the perfect “reaction” to what happens is just a mouse-click away. Whether it’s a buck-off or a great ride, Mayer is ready, willing and more than capable of creating the perfect moment for the audience. It helps, too, that he oftentimes works with announcer Andy Stewart, who serves as the voice of Cattlemen’s Days rodeo. “Andy and I’ve worked side-by-side pretty much the whole time I’ve been I n the PRCA,” said Mayer, who oftentimes goes by the nickname “Stretch,” given his 6-foot-7-inch frame. “We’ve got great chemistry. I know where he’s going, and he knows where I’m fixing to go, and we work off that really well.” It shows through each performance, and the fans in Gunnison are oftentimes the beneficiaries of their work together.