Monthly Archives: August 2021

Humble beginnings define him, but bull rider is on a summer hot streak After his first qualification to the National Finals Rodeo, Dustin Boquet realized bull riding was the life for him. He was going to make the NFR every year. As one of the best in the game, he’d made it, and he was going to be on easy street from then on out. He’d won the sixth go-round in Las Vegas, and bull riding seemed to be an effortless enterprise. That was in 2018, and he couldn’t have been more wrong. “Come ’19, I rode some bulls, but I wasn’t riding like I wanted to,” said Boquet, 27, from tiny Bourg, Louisiana, just a few mils upstream from the Gulf of Mexico. “I tore my PCL (posterior cruciate ligament) in Del Rio (Texas), then everyone’s out there in Vegas for the NFR. I was duck hunting in South Dakota, and I watched one round of the NFR and said, ‘This is stupid. I’ll never miss the NFR if I’m still riding bulls.’ “I wasn’t putting in the work. You can’t half-ass it in this, because that’s when you’re going to get hurt, and I had more pride in myself than that. It humbled me, that’s for sure.” He’s been hard at it ever since. If his return to the NFR in 2020 wasn’t proof enough, gander at his run through a few weeks in July and early August. He won the bull riding titles at Dodge City and Abilene, Kansas; Sikeston, Missouri; the Rifle (Colorado) Xtreme Bulls; Spanish Fork, Utah; and placed at other events along the way. That was worth a payday of $43,303 and accounted for almost half of his earnings as of late August. That worked out to be about $14,000 per week and proved as a perfect catapult to his 2021 campaign. More importantly, the run of fortune also provided Boquet with a big dose of confidence heading into the final month-plus of ProRodeo’s regular season. “I want to make consecutive NFRs,” he said. “It got slow for me after the winter. I don’t know why it always does that for me, but I struggle some through the year. I usually struggle a little bit in the summer, but the last half of the summer has been really good. “I mean … really good.” He laughed at the thought of such a big payday in such a short amount of time. In fact, it’s just a hair more than he earned at the 2020 NFR, the rodeo that offered the largest payout of any ProRodeo event last year. “I’m riding good, and I’m drawing good,” Boquet said. “That’s always a plus when those two come together. “You can’t take those suckers for granted. You’ve just got to stay focused and humbled and do the job you know how to do.” His job is riding bulls, and what he did over those few summer weeks was virtually assure himself a shot at returning to ProRodeo’s grand finale, set for Dec. 2-11 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. Truthfully, though, his season may have received its biggest boost in February, when he earned the San Antonio Xtreme Bulls title. “I’ve always done good at the San Antonio rodeo, and I’ve always wanted to win that bull riding,” he said. “Going in there this year, it was heck to get there with that ice storm. We didn’t get to go to anything else that week because of the storm. Getting that win was a big accomplishment.” Riding bulls may seem second nature to the Cajun cowboy from the bayous of Louisiana. When one is raised southwest of New Orleans, that’s deep in the Louisiana swamps. Still, with a grandfather that raised livestock, Boquet found himself horseback from an early age. His first levels of competition involved the equine side of things in team penning and ranch sortings. He was 12 years old when he attempted to ride his first steer. It seemed to come rather naturally, and he rode three out of the first four bulls he got on. “My family has been in the whole cattle deer and the whole horse deal, and I never dreamed of being where I’m at today when I was little,” Boquet said, his Cajun accent giving way to a bit of east Texas twang these days. “I was a hardcore baseball player, and that’s one thing I did love. I played baseball until I was 16 or 17, and my mom told me I had to pick one I wanted today. “I’m not playing baseball today, so I think I picked the right one.” Apparently, he’s right. When the world standings were released Aug. 23, he was just shy of $100,000 for the season. He has credited a strong mental approach to an always-humbling sport for carrying him through another strong campaign. His greatest lessons came from his biggest mistakes, so he has recognized why every ride – good and bad – can be an important step to the next bull. Being a professional bull rider isn’t a job for the weary. He’s been slammed in the dirt plenty, but there’s something that drives him through every mile and beyond every buckoff and onto the next opportunity. “I guess it’s just the love for it that drives me,” he said. “Anybody can go out there and play baseball. Bull riding ain’t easy; if it was, anybody’d go do it. It’s cowboy, and I’ve always wanted to be a cowboy since I was little. “The adrenaline it gave me and knowing you’re still on the bull after hearing the buzzer … that’s what you feel when you conquer the animal.” No matter if he’s traveling to the Northwest to complete a run of lucrative rodeos or living on his place in Athens, Texas, home will always be in that swamp land in southern Louisiana. A fishing venture can begin with loading up the boat, which was actually  Continue Reading »

DUNCAN, Okla. – Stockton Graves is no spring chicken, but he still acts like one from time to time. If he competes this December at the National Finals Rodeo for the eighth time in his career, he’ll be 10 years removed from his last qualification. During that 10-day stretch, from Dec. 2-11, he will turn 43. He’ll have plenty of reasons to celebrate, too. There are only a handful of steer wrestlers older than 40 that are able to compete at an elite level, but Graves has proven over time that he’s quite capable. This year is just a bit different than recent years, and he sits firmly among the top 10 in the world standings. He hasn’t seen that in a long time, but that’s been of his own choosing. Since he took over as the rodeo coach of his alma mater, Northwestern Oklahoma State University, in 2011, Graves has opted to stay closer to home. He’d venture out a bit, but his focus was on helping others make their NFR bids. Two years ago, it was J.D. Struxness, a three-time qualifier who in 2016 became the first Northwestern cowboy to win the college national title. Last year it was Bridger Anderson, who became the second Ranger to win the national crown in 2019. This year, it seems, nobody is stopping the old man, who is the No. 1 man in the Prairie Circuit’s bulldogging standings with just a few weeks left in the circuit’s regular season. He has a lead of more than $5,000 over the second-place man, Riley Duvall, and should lead the charge of steer wrestlers for the Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15-Saturday, Oct. 16, at the Stephens County Arena in Duncan. The Prairie Circuit is again loaded with top bulldoggers, just as it has been since the circuit system was put into place 46 years ago. The region, made up of contestants and rodeos primarily in Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska, has featured many of the top steer wrestlers in rodeo, from the Duvalls (Riley is the third generation of the family to compete at the NFR) to Ote Berry to Ricky Huddleston to Jason Lahr to Jule Hazen. That list can go on and on, and Graves deserves his place in there. He’s having a phenomenal year, one that was unexpected when the season began. Once he won the bulldogging title in San Antonio this past February, he and his wife, Crissi, opted to make a run at returning to Las Vegas. He’s a virtual lock for the NFR, and that’s a good thing. Of course, when he arrives in Duncan, he’ll be in his comfort zone. He’s won the circuit finals average title multiple times in the last 10 years it’s been in this southern Oklahoma community, and he’s added even more year-end titles to his accomplished belt. It’s almost like he’s returning home.

Fans in Killdeer, Dickinson will get a glimpse of it in September KILLDEER, N.D. – When Alicia Fettig looks across the pasture at her herd of bucking horses, she smiles a bit and knows she’s in the right place. Only the best stock contractors in the sport of rodeo test the talents of their animal athletes at the PRCA level, and Fettig is there. She takes tremendous pride in what she has, whether they’re palomino or bay, whether they’re mares, geldings or stallions. They’ve bucked all across the country, from Houston and San Angelo in Texas to Denver and the National Finals Rodeo. If all goes well, there will be more Fettig broncs bucking at rodeos all across this land and on the biggest stages of the game. Many of those animals will be put into action at the Badlands Iron Cowboy Rodeo, set for 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 2, or the Wild Rides Rodeo Killdeer, which takes place at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 3. Both events will take place at the Killdeer Rodeo Grounds. There’s also a great chance a number of those bucking beasts will return to action for the Wild Rides Rodeo Dickinson, set for 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 18, at the Stark County Fairgrounds in Dickinson. “I think, overall, we’ve got a really nice herd of horses, and I think we’re just going to keep getting stronger,” said Fettig, owner of Killdeer-based Fettig Pro Rodeo. “For the two events in Killdeer, I’m going to bring in Macza Pro Rodeo and Pete Carr Pro Rodeo as sub-contractors just because I want to have the very best animals for those two nights. “I think even for people from around here, those that know rodeo so well, they’re really going to enjoy the horsepower we’ll have in Killdeer.” Like all great teams, there are a few that stand out. For Fettig, that includes bareback horses Colorado Bulldog and Pop A Top, two animals that have been selected to perform at the NFR. It’s a particularly high honor, since the top 15 bareback riders select the 100 horses they believe are the best in the PRCA that year. Colorado Bulldog has been to the NFR for a few years already. “When I looked at the list of horses for our first-round pen, that horse stood out,” Mason Clements said in 2018 after he matched moves with the buckskin gelding for 86.5 points to finish second in the first of 10 rounds. “I was pleased to get on him, and it turned out well.” Pop A Top has been exceptional over the last dozen months. In April, Garrett Shadboldt rode the bay stallion for 85 points to place at the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo. “That was definitely the horse you wanted to have, and I was excited to see my name next to his (on the random draw),” Shadbolt said. “That horse is really well built. Just looking at him, you know he’s going to be fun to ride.” “When he went straight across the arena, I was just having fun. When he made the corner, his speed picked up but was still just as strong. That does increase the degree of difficulty.” In Pop A Top’s first trip to the NFR last December, three-time world champion Tim O’Connell handled all the difficulty the horse could muster. The two danced across the Globe Life Field dirt for 90.5 points to win the fourth round in Arlington, Texas, the one-time home of ProRodeo’s grand finale. “I had a great horse underneath me,” he said. “It gave me an opportunity to show off and show out, and that’s exactly what I wanted. I knew he was going to be a shot, especially when I saw him. He’s a really built, thicker stud with a shorter back and a little bit smaller. I’d seen him buck, and he’s so electric. He really gave it to me that first jump out of the chute. He fed it right back to me, and I fed it right back to him. “After about that second spur stroke, I knew he was going to take the spur stroke I was going to put to him, so I just let it go after that.” There’s one thing the cowboys have learned; when it comes quality bucking horses, the Fettig brand is in a good place.

No job has ever been too big for Cheyenne Frontier Days announcer Five days before the opening performance of the 2021 Cheyenne (Wyoming) Frontier Days Rodeo, Garrett Yerigan took an inspiring walk around Frontier Park. He paid particular attention to the details, the angles, the lines … the history of America’s most recognized rodeo. He eventually found himself on the announcer’s platform, overlooking the storied arena from the place that would be his home for all nine performances of the 125th year of Cheyenne’s rodeo.   “I wholeheartedly believe this is what God put me on Earth to do,” Yerigan said of his announcing career. “When He gives you opportunities, like Cheyenne Frontier Days, for example, it removes any doubt in your mind. I’m 26 years old, and I just did ‘The Daddy of ’Em All.’ ” His maturity supersedes his youth, but that’s always been the case for Yerigan, the son of two rodeo contestants who grew up in the game. His father, Dale, is an 11-time steer wrestling world champion in the International Professional Rodeo Association and is now the association’s general manager. His mother, Kathy, qualified numerous times for the International Finals Rodeo, the IPRA’s annual championship; she also is the office manager for the physical therapy department for Hillcrest Hospital in Pryor, Oklahoma, the family’s hometown. Garrett Yerigan cut his teeth in the business at the same time that he was cutting his own teeth. He was just 2 weeks old when made his first rodeo; both his parents were in the competition. He was about 6 or 7 years old when he started announcing slack. He was doing jackpots – both bulldogging and barrel racing – that his family was already going to. “It just snowballed from there,” he said. By age 12, he was announcing a once-a-month barrel racing, and within short time, he was announcing the Oklahoma High School Finals Rodeo and handling the sound for the 101 Wild West Rodeo in Ponca City, Oklahoma; that was before sound directors had PRCA cards, and since he wasn’t 18 yet, it worked out fine By the time he turned 18 and purchased his announcer’s card, he was bidding rodeos and developing his future. His parents may have hoped they’d bred a contestant, but they raised a true hand when it comes to calling the action. “I tried a little bit of everything,” he said. “I tried sliding the steer saver at home. I tried roping steers at home. I tried riding steers at home. Nothing grabbed me. In going to all these rodeos and playing around with announcing slack, it became more of the announcer’s stand as the cool place to be. It was a safter occupation and an automatic paycheck, and you’re still involved with rodeo. “I almost feel bad for the contestants, because they’re in town and out of town so fast that they don’t get to enjoy it. I get to enjoy the town and work the rodeo. Every place I go, it feels like a family reunion every year.” That’s the nice part of his job, whether it’s in Sonora, Texas, or Cheyenne. Oh, and then there was this little thing called the National Finals Rodeo. Yerigan was part of the crew that worked the inaugural National Finals Breakaway Roping, which took place over three mornings in conjunction with the NFR last December in its one-time home of Arlington, Texas. “I’m very thankful I got up on the path as early as I did,” he said. “Even at my age, I’ve spent time in four Canadian provinces, two Australian states and 20-plus states in the U.S. When I look back at it like that, there are so many things to be thankful for. “The buckle I put on every day is from the National Finals Breakaway Roping. It was those contestants’ NFR. If it never happens again, Randy Corley, Brad Narducci and I can say we were at the first one. This says more that this is what my calling was in rodeo, and I’m proud to bring it to audiences all over the world.” He’s busy at it, too. For 2021, he was projected to work 161 performances and will be gone from his home for better than 250 days. Of course, those two weeks in Cheyenne stand on their own as a particularly interesting opportunity. Most of the biggest names in the game were expected to be there. It was televised daily on The Cowboy Channel, and he – along with announcing partner Kyle Shobe – was one of the faces and voices of the 125th Frontier Days celebration. The downfall: his friend and fellow Cinch endorsee, Andy Stewart, was losing the job that Yerigan had just gained. The two talked on the phone, and Stewart provided Yerigan the motivation to push ahead and make it happen. Stewart also called before the rodeo’s start to offer insights and advice for the young protégé. “At the time, I was more worried about my friend losing a rodeo than I was about getting the Cheyenne Frontier Days,” Yerigan said. That’s a testament to who he is and what he’s about. It’s also a good sign for the future of professional rodeo, and it’s the lessons he gained from Dale and Kathy Yerigan that continue to percolate today. “I would say I learned a great deal from my parents, both in and out of the arena,” he said. “Dad won 11 world championships in the steer wrestling in the IPRA, so he was obviously doing something right. He taught me the fundamentals even though I didn’t pursue it. I can take you through a run, but it doesn’t mean I want to do it and jump off a horse.” He laughed a little at the thought. His father had done so thousands of times, but it just wasn’t in the cards. He knows what is. “As an announcer or as a fan, you have to be a student of the  Continue Reading »

KILLDEER, N.D. – There was a time not so long ago that Randy Taylor would have arrived in western North Dakota carrying a gear bag loaded with a bareback riding rigging, chaps and tremendous talent. You see, Taylor was a ProRodeo cowboy who made his living riding bucking horses. In 1985, he was the first cowboy out of the chutes at the National Finals Rodeo during its inaugural year in Las Vegas. It was his only NFR qualification, and it’s a memory he’ll never forget. Now, though, he makes memories for others in rodeo as the announcer. He took his years of experience as a cowboy in ProRodeo and has since built himself a resume by calling the action at rodeos across the country and at motorsports competitions worldwide. “On a whim, I had a broadcasting class, and I thoroughly enjoyed it,” said Taylor, now living in Menno, South Dakota. “I liked the old-time radio and listening to baseball games. Of course, I listened to the announcers when my dad was racing. When I was rodeoing, I would get my bareback rigging and ice my elbow, and whenever possible, I’d listen to the announcers.” He will utilize his experiences during the Badlands Iron Cowboy Rodeo, set for 6 pm. Thursday, Sept. 2, and the Wild Rides Rodeo Killdeer, which takes place at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 3. Both events are at the Killdeer Rodeo Grounds. But that’s just the start for Taylor, who will also announce the Wild Ride Rodeo Dickinson at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 18, at the Stark County Fairgrounds. “It’s going to be great being at event up there,” he said. “That area has a tradition in its own. That North Dakota country invests much heart and money into their Western sports.” The events in Killdeer and Dickinson are produced by Killdeer-based Fettig Pro Rodeo, and Alicia Fettig plans to sub-contract other major livestock firms to have their bucking athletes involved in North Dakota rodeo. She has enlisted the assistance of Macza Pro Rodeo and Pete Carr Pro Rodeo, firms that are well known for having top animals. But Fettig has a pasture full of talented buckers, too. “She really has a deep herd of horses,” Taylor said of Fettig, the company’s owner and first woman in North Dakota to own a PRCA membership. “She has good people who are going to be there. She handles things very well with her prowess of hiring people.” He knows so much about the game that he understands the intricate details of each performance, each level of competition. That comes in handy. Of course, he’s been around the Western way of life since his youth in the tiny hamlet of Inola in northeastern Oklahoma. He went to a bull riding school over Christmas break of his freshman year of high school, and his life has been lined out since. “That school was about all she wrote,” he said. “That’s what I wanted to do. I went to the college finals riding bareback horses and bulls for the University of Wyoming. They had a wrestling team, and I had college and Olympic aspirations. “I went to college on a wrestling and rodeo scholarship, and my desire to rodeo took over.” Taylor earned his PRCA card in 1978 and competed at a big rodeo in Denver as a sophomore in college. His greatest experience was qualifying for the NFR, the sport’s grand finale that features only the top 15 contestants in each event from the regular season. It just added to the love affair he has with what he does. The son of a dirt-track racing legend, there are sights, sounds and smells that draw his attention to both motorsports and rodeos, which is why he loves announcing both. “I have always loved the fairgrounds,” said Taylor, who is endorsed by Wrangler, Justin and 4 Bears Casino. “I like slack. I like the smell of popcorn before a performance, the excitement and, of course, the bareback riding. I have called the Indian National Finals Rodeo seven times. I’ve been all over the world with monster trucks. That was fun to go international with a motorsport. “The PRCA rodeos are the best. You really appreciate what you see.” Of course, the sport has changed greatly since his days as a competitor, and he likes what he sees. “The bloodlines are so much different in the horses and the bulls, more pronounced,” he said, noting that there have always been great bucking animals in rodeo; there are just more of them because of the breeding practices of the livestock producers. “There’s better exposure, and The Cowboy Channel airing so many rodeos has helped with that.” “The biggest thing is the money. These guys are setting themselves up with a future from what they make in rodeo, and that’s great for the sport.” There will be big money up at both Killdeer and Dickinson in September, and that’s a good thing for the cowboys and cowgirls hoping to clinch a spot at the 2021 NFR.

KILLDEER, N.D. – On 2,000 acres of pasture on the Plains of western North Dakota, 180 bucking horses roam the grasslands. It’s all part of a spread owned by Alicia Fettig, the third generation of her family involved in the stock contracting business and the first woman in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association to be a livestock producer. Her life’s work will be on display for all of Dunn County and beyond during the Badlands Iron Cowboy Rodeo, set for 6 pm. Thursday, Sept. 2, and the Wild Rides Rodeo Killdeer, which takes place at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 3. Both events are at the Killdeer Rodeo Grounds. But that’s just the start for Fettig, who will also produce the Wild Ride Rodeo Dickinson at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 18, at the Stark County Fairgrounds. “I wasn’t around bucking horses until 2011, but I grew up rodeoing,” said Fettig, who also owns a 400-acre ranch near Killdeer. “I’ve been around horses my whole life.” For much of the last century, the Fettig name has been part of rodeo in this part of the world. It all started decades ago with her grandfather, Phil, as the patriarch. When he died in a vehicle crash in 1959, other members of the family took over. As time evolved, conditions changed, and Alicia Fettig’s father, LeRoy, found his way to into the bucking-horse game in 1992. Fast forward to 2014. As he lay dying, LeRoy Fettig asked his adult child if she wanted to take over the horses. “Of course, I did,” she told The Cowboy Channel. “They’re just in my blood. I love being around them.” Raising horses is pretty much the same, whether the animals are being used for trail riding or for bucking in rodeos. But there was a learning curve for the younger Fettig. “I was around them, but he was so protective of me and the horses,” she said. “When we were at rodeos, I was never touching or sorting the horses. When he died, I had not backed up a big, gooseneck trailer my entire life.” Much has changed over the years. While she still handled the business end, she awakened one morning in June 2019 with a new direction for the company; she was returning Fettig Pro Rodeo to the highest ranks in the sport. For the first 23 years of the National Finals Rodeo, the Fettigs had animals involved. It took another three decades to be back at ProRodeo’s grand finale, but Fettig horses have proven to be buckers. Colorado Bulldog and Pop A Top have been featured at the NFR, and there are likely more that will follow soon. “There have been a lot of challenges, but the rewards outweigh the challenges so far,” she told The Cowboy Channel. “I didn’t have to start from scratch; I inherited the horses. “The Western way of living is the way for me. I hope my son carries on the legacy.” Grayson is just 14, and his future won’t be set for years, but he has a foundation for life in the bucking-horse business should he choose it. For now, though, his mother has a pretty good handle on things. In addition to producing events close to home, she travels the country showing her incredible animal athletes at some of the biggest rodeos in the sport. “I’m excited about my horses being part of the best bucking horses in the world,” Fettig said. “I want to see the best cowboys ride them. I want to see what they can do on any stage. I’m pretty proud of what we have.” She should be. Alicia Fettig has accomplished a great deal over the last seven years, and the future continues to look bright.

KILLDEER, N.D. – Tate Rhoads has a varied lifestyle, and all of it involves rodeo. Growing up in the sport, he was a roper. When he was 14, Rhoads took up bullfighting, where he showed his true athleticism and daring in a war with 1,600 pounds of swirling aggression. Whether it was a freestyle bullfighting competition or cowboy protection during bull riding, he took to it well. He returns to the Wild Rides Rodeo Killdeer – set for 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 2-Friday, Sept. 3, at the Killdeer Rodeo Grounds – in a different capacity. It’s a step up, in fact, and it’s quite a funny story; at least, he hopes it’s funny. Rhoads will be the clown/entertainer for this year’s event, and he brings years of experience and understanding of the sport to the arena, even though he’s only 24 years old. “There’s not a much better feeling than when you’ve got 2,000, 3,000 or 4,000 people in the stands, you’re the center of attention and people are having a good time because you’re interacting with them,” said Rhoads, who is in his third year as a rodeo clown from Big Horn, Montana. “When you get done with the rodeo and all those little kids are coming up to you and wanting autographed pictures, that’s what makes it cool for me.” It’s cool for the crowd, too. That’s the job of a rodeo entertainer, and he’s obviously a fast-learner. “In 2019 before I got my (PRCA) card, I went to the Cody (Wyoming) Night Rodeo and worked for Maury Tate,” he said of the rodeo’s producer and owner of Mo Betta Rodeo Co. “I worked 45 performances in a row. At the end of that summer, I got my card and started booking a bunch of ProRodeos, and it started taking up my whole year.” Still, he’ll fill in his schedule as a bullfighter from time to time, but his days in the freestyle competitions have come to an end. He’d prefer to work rodeos, being one of the men that uses his skills and bull savvy to keep everyone else in the arena out of harm’s way. But clowning seems to be a natural fit. He was a class clown in school, and it has progressed into a profession. “I never wanted to be a rodeo clown,” Rhoads said. “I always wanted to be a bullfighter. When the opportunities came up, I decided to run with it, and here we are now.” He’s had a lot of help along the way. Of course, Maury Tate provided Rhoads the start in Cody, but some of the best men in in the game have offered Rhoads advice. “I’ve got a lot of guys like Justin Rumford,” Rhoads said of the nine-time winner of the PRCA’s Clown of the Year. “I wouldn’t be clowning if it wasn’t for Maury Tate and Mo Betta Rodeo. Justin was a big influence on me getting my pro card. John Harrison has helped me a bunch. Dennis Halstead sat down with me and gave me a page full of jokes, and he’s helped me with some of my acts. “I got to work in front of Flint Rasmussen a couple of times, and he’ll call me and give me some pointers. I don’t know that there will be another clown that will do what Flint has done. Just the style of comedy he brought to the arena is second to none.” For the past several years, Rhoads has worked the Killdeer rodeo as a bullfighter, and he’s excited to be able to bring his comedy and entertainment skills back to the community. “It’s refreshing to see a good, young clown who can entertain a crowd,” said Alicia Fettig, owner of Fettig Pro Rodeo, which is producing the event. “The top clowns in rodeo are getting a little older, and they have earned their time in the spotlight, but it’s important that we see the younger generation of clowns come along. Tate is one of those guys.” The unseen aspect of Rhoads’ position during the rodeo is to keep the production moving. When there’s a transition or when time allows, he will step in and provide some comedy relief. He adds a terrific bolt of energy to an already entertaining show. “Alicia’s got some good, National Finals Rodeo bucking horses, and she’s got a bull guy coming that’s got a great set of bucking bulls,” Rhoads said of Fettig. “Every year that I’ve gone, we’ve had NFR contestants. She’s made it to where it can be a quick stop on their way through to another rodeo.” “It’s an all-around great rodeo.”

Aussie bronc buster owns 4 U.S. national titles and a lot of rodeo fun On U.S. soil, Jake Finlay is a four-time national champion. Funny thing is, he had to move to the United States to be such. You see, Finlay is from Goondiwindi, a community of nearly 11,000 people on the Queensland-New South Wales border in eastern Australia. His home is roughly 220 miles from the coastal city of Brisbane and 465 miles from Sidney, the country’s most populous metropolis. But he moved to the states seven years ago to rodeo, and he’s been pretty good at it ever since. He attended Oklahoma Panhandle State University on a rodeo scholarship and was part of two men’s team national crowns in 2017-18. That second year, Finlay’s individual achievement, the saddle bronc riding national championship, was a big reason the Aggies claimed the team title. “I couldn’t ride a gate on a windy day when I got to Panhandle,” Finlay, 25, said in February. “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.” The Aussie added his fourth major championship this past April by winning the bronc riding title at the RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo. It propelled him among the leaders in the world standings, where he remains as July rolls into August with about two months remaining in ProRodeo’s regular season. “That RNCFR is a bucket-list rodeo to win, and I’m very happy that I’ve won it,” he said. “If you go into a world champion’s house or any accomplished cowboy’s house, you’re usually find one or two of those National Circuit Finals Rodeo titles around there. It’s a prestigious title to have.” By most ProRodeo standards, it’s oftentimes considered the third most sought-after crown to win behind the world championship, then the National Finals Rodeo average title. World champions and Hall-of-Famers like Lewis Feild, Ty Murray, Charmayne James, Dan Mortensen, Fred Whitfield, Jake Barnes and Clay O’Brien Cooper have all earned national titles. For Finlay, it’s a stepping stone. He’s qualified for the Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo for several years. Last year, he won both the year-end and circuit finals average titles, enabling him to advance to the RNCFR in Kissimmee, Florida. Once there, he put in solid work. He placed in the opening round, then held tough in the second round to place in the two-ride aggregate and advance to the semifinals of the tournament-style format. Finlay then won the final two rounds – 86 in the eight-man round, then 88 in the four-man round – to claim the top prize and walk away with $14,248, a voucher for a RAM truck, a Montana Silversmiths buckle, a championship saddle and several other prizes. The biggest thing he was awarded, though, was a boatload of confidence. He solidified his spot among the top 15 in the world standings for several weeks. That’s big at any time of the year, but it’s biggest when the regular season comes to a close the end of September. The top 15 in the standings in each event will then advance to the NFR, rodeo’s Super Bowl and World Series wrapped up in 10 days of action in Las Vegas each December. He’s been oh-so-close each of the past two seasons, finishing 17th in 2019 and 20th last year. Though he’s dropped a bit in the standings through a rugged summer, he’s still got his eyes on the prize. “To be honest, I don’t need to do anything different than I am doing,” Finlay said. “I’ve been riding well, but I haven’t been drawing toward the top of the herd. That’s rodeo. I’ve got my rodeos panned out, and I’m having more fun than I know. “I won a small check the other day, but I haven’t won a good size check since (June). It’s hard to realize that when you’re going with good guys. I ride what they put underneath me, and I’m having fun rodeoing. As long as you’re having fun, it will all fall into place.” That’s the right attitude to have, but he has a ton of help maintaining a good mindset. He is traveling with world champion Wade Sundell, NFR qualifier Colt Gordon and Tegan Smith, a young bronc rider who has pushed himself into the top 10 in the standings. Those three are just a handful of dozens of beams that support the redheaded bronc buster, whose nickname is “Salsa.” Throw in his girlfriend, TV personality and cowgirl Janie Johnson, and her father, world champion bronc rider Clint Johnson, and there are still many others who help stabilize the backbone of the Aussie hot shot. Finlay doesn’t even mind when he operates a camera or holds a light to make it shine brighter on his girlfriend. “My payment is more in line of the odd cup of coffee in the mornings,” he said with a laugh. “We actually support each other very much. I’d probably fall over if I didn’t have her to lean on some days. She’s an awesome person to have in my corner.” And her dad? “He helps me immensely,” Finlay said of Clint Johnson, a four-time world champ and a 1992 inductee into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. “He’s changed my riding style and changed the way I ride horses. I no longer ride my saddle; I ride my horse. That’s been a huge stepping stone in the progression of my riding. “Besides the fact of being a world champion and forgetting more about bronc riding than most guys will ever know, he’s a good person. He’s a genuine human being and still so humble.” There are many lessons in life that happen on a daily basis. That’s why Finlay is here and why he loves rodeo. It all started with the idea of being a cowboy in Australia, and he’s carried that 8,300 miles from  Continue Reading »

DODGE CITY, Kan. – Dustin Boquet earned his first Dodge City Roundup Rodeo championship buckle Sunday night, but he won’t wear it. “This is a rodeo I’ve always wanted to win,” said Boquet, a bull rider from Bourge, Louisiana, who has qualified for the National Finals Rodeo twice in the last three seasons. “My dad always wanted a belt buckle from here because he’s a Budweiser man. I’m pretty fired up to win that for him.” Boquet won both go-rounds – he was the only man to ride two bulls – to earn an event best $12,356. He was eighth in the world standings heading into this week, and his victory in Dodge City alone will propel him up the standings. “I’m blessed,” he said. “It’s been a great two weeks. We turned things around in Spanish (Fork, Utah), and I’ve been keeping the ball rolling. “This helps my chances (to make the NFR) greatly.” Confidence is the key, especially in bull riding. No animal is tougher to tame, and they win the majority of the time. It takes someone who has the right mindset and an understanding of how momentum can play a role in the game to be successful. After winning the first round with an 86-point ride on Frontier Rodeo’s Lookin’ Up, the Louisiana cowboy was the last man to ride during Sunday’s short round. He matched moves with Frontier’s Gladiator’s Hammer for 91.5 points to win a boatload of cash in western Kansas. “I watched my traveling partner, Koby Radley, get on him at The American semifinals, and I’ve been wanting to get on him ever since,” Boquet said. “I think Koby’s rode him both times he’s been on him, and we ride pretty similar, so I figured I’d get along with him pretty well.” He has reason to celebrate, but nobody at Roundup Arena celebrated more than saddle bronc rider Lefty Holman of Visalia, California. He started the night by hugging bareback riding winner Cole Franks after the Texan’s 93-point ride on Frontier’s Gun Fire, then followed that up by hugging steer wrestling champion Tucker Allen. “Rodeo’s such a great sport; it’s like a big family out here,” said Holman, who qualified for his first NFR last year and finished sixth in the final world standings. “We’re all so happy for each other. Cole Franks, I was the first guy he saw out in the arena, and I gave him a big ol’ hug. Tucker Allen … he’s one of my buddies from high school. Getting to win with these guys is sure special.” Unlike Boquet, Holman has plans for his trophy buckle. “My traveling partner, Bradley Harter, won this title in 2018, and he wears it all the time,” he said. “It’s a cool buckle. I’ll definitely be wearing it.” Dodge City Roundup RodeoDodge City, Kan.Aug. 4-8All-around cowboy: Paden Bray, $7,017 in tie-down roping and team roping. Bareback riding: 1. Cole Franks, 90 points on Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Bar Code, $3,385; 2. (tie) Leighton Berry and Tyler Berghuis, 89, $2,257 each; 4. (tie) Richmond Champion and Ty Breuer, 88.5, $1,015 each; 6. (tie) Mason Clements and Tilden, 88, $508 each; 8. Chad Rutherford, 87, $338. Final round: 1. Cole Franks, 93 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Gun Fire, $1,650; 2. Leighton Berry, 90, $1,250; 3. Caleb Bennett, 89, $900; 4. Chad Rutherford, 88, $600; 5. Mason Clements, 865, $350; 6. Trenton Montereo, 86, $250. Average: 1. Cole Franks, 183 points on two rides, $3,385; 2. Leighton Berry, 189, $2,595; 3. Caleb Bennett, 175.5, $1,918; 4. Chad Rutherford, 175, $1,241; 5. Mason Clements, 174.5, $790; 6. Ty Breuer, 172.5, $564; 7. Richmond Champion, 171.5, $451; 8. Trenton Montero, 170.5, $338. Steer wrestling: First round: 1. (tie) Stetson Jorgensen, Tyler Ravenscroft, Riley Duvall and Cody Devers, 3.8 seconds, $2,666 each; 5. Payden McIntyre, 3.9, $1,585; 4. (tie) Ty Erickson and J.D. Struxness, 4.1, $937 each; 7. (tie) Don Payne, Cade Staton, Grayson Allred, Trell Etbauer and Gus Franzen, 4.4, $58 each. Second round: 1. (tie) Blake Knowles and Dirk Tavenner, 3.4 seconds, $3,099 each; 3. (tie) Tyler Pearson, Trever Nelson and Stockton Graves, 3.6, $2,018; 6. (tie) Tyler Waguespack, Tristan Martin and Tory Johnson, 3.7, $721 each. Final round: 1. Tucker Allen, 3.9 seconds, $1,523; 2. Chance Howard, 4.1, $1,250; 3. Tucker Alberts, 4.3, $998; 4. Tory Johnson, 4.5, $735; 5. Jason Thomas, 4.6, $473; 6. Tyler Ravenscroft, 4.8, $262. Average: 1. Tucker Allen, 12.2 seconds on three runs, $4,972; 2. Tyler Ravenscroft, 13.0, $4,324; 3. Chance Howard, 13.1, $3,675; 4. Jason Thomas, 13.2, $3,027; 5. Tucker Alberts, 13.3, $2,378; 6. Riley Duvall, 13.4, $1,730; 7. Tory Johnson, 13.5, $1,081; 8. Clayton Hass, 14.0, $432. Team roping: First round: 1. Tanner Green/Clay Futrell, 4.4 seconds, $3,200; 2. (tie) Clay Smith/Jade Corkill and Dustin Egusquiza/Travis Graves, 5.1, $2,574 each; 4. Cooper Bruce/Reed Lewis Boos, 5.3, $1,948; 5. (tie) Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin and Reno Stoebner/Pace Blanchard, 5.4, $1,322 each; 7. Dalton Turner/Garrett Smith, 5.7, $696; 8. Tanner Tomlinson/Patrick Smith, 5.8, $278. Second round: 1. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 3.9 seconds, $3,179; 2. Jake Clay/Billie Jack Saebens, $2,764; 3. (tie) Aaron Macy/Jason Johe and Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins, 4.5, $3,142 each; 5. (tie) Levi Simpson/Tyler Worley and Tanner Tomlilnson/Patrick Smith, 4.6, $1,313 each; 7. (tie) Luke Brown/Hunter Koch and Caleb Smidt/B.J. Dugger, 4.7, $484 each. Final round: 1. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 5.8 seconds, $1,211; 2. J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo, 5.9, $1,002; 3. Marcus Theriot/Jim Ross Cooper, 6.5, $793; 4. Tyler Wade/Trey Yates, 6.7, $585; 5. Clay Smith/Jade Corkill, 6.9, $376; 6. Peyton Walters/Tyler McKnight, 10.5, $209. Average: 1. Clay Smith/Jade Corkill, 17.2 seconds on three runs, $4,768; 2. Tuler Wade/Trey Yates, 17.5, $4,146; 3. Marcus Theriot/Jim Ross Cooper, 17.9, $3,524; 4. J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo, 18.4, $2,902; 5. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 20.7, $2,280; 6. Peyton Walters/Tyler McKnight, 22.9, $1,658; 7. Miles Baker/Zack Woods, 25.2, $12,037; 8. Tanner Tomlinson/Patrick Smith, 10.4 seconds on two runs, $415. Saddle bronc riding: 1. Lefty Holman, 86 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Tip Off, $3,269; 2. Ean Price, 85, $2,506; 3. (tie) K’s  Continue Reading »

DODGE CITY, Kan. – There is a gleam on Cole Franks’ face that may not go away for a while. The 20-year-old bareback rider has reason to be so happy. He’d just ridden Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Bar Code for 90 points to win the first round of the Dodge City Roundup Rodeo and collect $3,385. Now, he’s set up for another ride of his life during Sunday’s championship round. The rain began to fall just before bareback riding began, and by the time Franks nodded his head on Bar Code, it was pouring on Roundup Arena. It didn’t quite matter to the cowboy, nor the horse. “It was wet,” Franks said with a grin across his face. “Right when it started raining, I was dreading it a little bit. Once it really got going, I realized there was no stopping the rain, so it was part of it. It’ll make a good story to look back on.” It’s been a good week for Franks, who, heading into Saturday night’s fourth performance of Dodge City’s rodeo, was leading the rodeos in Carson, Iowa, with a 92-point ride, and Great Falls, Montana, with an 84.5. When he arrived in Dodge City, he knew there might be something special with Pickett horse. “He knew,” Franks said of Bar Code. “He had that same feeling I had that it was about to be a lot of fun. “I’ve seen that horse three times. Kaycee Feild was 90 on him at the Riggin’ Rally in Weatherford (Texas in April), so I knew it was possible. I knew the horse was going to be a lot of fun and feel really good. I was excited. I knew it was going to be really good.” It’s been an exciting year for the cowboy from Clarendon, Texas. In June, he helped his hometown team – Clarendon College, which is coached by his dad, Bret Franks – to the men’s team national title at the College National Finals Rodeo. He dominated bareback riding to win that national crown, then added enough points in saddle bronc riding to be named the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association’s all-around champion. Heading into this week of rodeos, Franks sat 17th in the world standings with $39,341. He’ll likely move up, but his end goal is to be among the top 15 when rodeo’s regular season concludes the end of September in order to earn his first qualification to the National Finals Rodeo, the sport’s grand finale. He also will be matched in Sunday’s championship round with Frontier Rodeo’s Gun Fire, which is possibly the hottest bareback horse in ProRodeo this season. “I like where I’m at,” he said. “I would rather be right here fighting for it than being in a secure spot. For the next week and a half, I’ve drawn really good money horses that can win and for sure help you place on. “It’s looking really good.” So is Cole Franks. Dodge City Roundup RodeoDodge City, Kan.Aug. 4-8Bareback riding leaders: 1. Cole Franks, 90 points on Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Bar Code, $3,385; 2. (tie) Leighton Berry and Tyler Berghuis, 89, $2,257 each; 4. (tie) Richmond Champion and Ty Breuer, 88.5, $1,015 each; 6. (tie) Mason Clements and Tilden, 88, $508 each; 8. Chad Rutherford, 87, $338; 9. Caleb Bennett, 86.5; 10. (tie) Nate McFadden and Trenten Montero, 84.5; 12. Tanner Aus, 84. Steer wrestling: First round: 1. (tie) Stetson Jorgensen, Tyler Ravenscroft, Riley Duvall and Cody Devers, 3.8 seconds, $2,666 each; 5. Payden McIntyre, 3.9, $1,585; 4. (tie) Ty Erickson and J.D. Struxness, 4.1, $937 each; 7. (tie) Don Payne, Cade Staton, Grayson Allred, Trell Etbauer and Gus Franzen, 4.4, $58 each. Second round leaders: 1. (tie) Blake Knowles and Dirk Tavenner, 3.4 seconds, $3,099 each; 3. (tie) Tyler Pearson, Trever Nelson and Stockton Graves, 3.6, $2,018; 6. (tie) Tyler Waguespack, Tristan Martin and Tory Johnson, 3.7, $721 each. Average leaders: 1. Riley Duvall, 8.0 seconds on two runs; 2. Tyler Ravenscroft, 8.2; 3. (tie) Tucker Allen, Stetson Jorgensen and Don Payne, 8.3; 6. Jason Thomas, 8.6; 7. Trell Etbauer, 8.7; 8. Clayton Hass, 8.8; 9. (tie) Chance Howard, Tory Johnson and Tucker Alberts; 12. Blake Knowles, 9.1. Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Tanner Green/Clay Futrell, 4.4 seconds, $3,200; 2. (tie) Clay Smith/Jade Corkill and Dustin Egusquiza/Travis Graves, 5.1, $2,574 each; 4. Cooper Bruce/Reed Lewis Boos, 5.3, $1,948; 5. (tie) Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin and Reno Stoebner/Pace Blanchard, 5.4, $1,322 each; 7. Dalton Turner/Garrett Smith, 5.7, $696; 8. Tanner Tomlinson/Patrick Smith, 5.8, $278. Second round leaders: 1. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 3.9 seconds, $3,179; 2. Jake Clay/Billie Jack Saebens, $2,764; 3. (tie) Aaron Macy/Jason Johe and Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins, 4.5, $3,142 each; 5. (tie) Levi Simpson/Tyler Worley and Tanner Tomlilnson/Patrick Smith, 4.6, $1,313 each; 7. (tie) Luke Brown/Hunter Koch and Caleb Smidt/B.J. Dugger, 4.7, $484 each. Average leaders: 1. Clay Smith/Jade Corkill, 10.3 seconds on two runs; 2. Tanner Tomlinson/Patrick Smith, 10.4; 3. Tyler Wade/Trey Yates, 10.8; 4. Dalton Turner/Garret Smith, 11.3; 5. Marcus Theriot/Jim Ross Cooper, 11.4; 6. Peyton Walters/Tyler McKnight, 12.4; 7. J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo, 12.5; 8. Tanner Green/Clay Futrell, 12.8; 9. Miles Baker/Zack Woods, 13.0; 10. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 14.9; 11. Clint Summers/Ross Ashford, 17.0; 12. Aaron Macy/Jason Johe, 17.1. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Lefty Holman, 86 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Tip Off, $3,269; 2. Ean Price, 85, $2,506; 3. (tie) K’s Thomson, Mitch Pollock, Jacobs Crawley and Jake Finlay, 84, $1,090 each; 7. (tie) Kole Ashbacher, Brody Cress and Lane Schuelke, 83, $254 each; 10. (tie) Ben Andersen and Rusty Wright, 81.5; 12. (tie) Wyatt Hageman, Cody Ballard and Taos Muncy, 81. Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. Travis Rogers, 8.6 seconds, $3,746; 2. Trenton Smith, 8.8, $3,258; 3. Paden Bray, 8.9, $2,769; 4. Riley Pruitt, 9.2 $2,280; 5. Tyler Prcin, 9.3, $1,792; 6. Kincade Henry, 9.4, $1,303; 7. Tuf Cooper, 9.6, $814; 8. Lane Livingston, 9.9, $326. Second round leaders: 1. (tie) Blane Cox and Sherman Lasker, 8.1, $3,442; 3. Shane Hanchey, 8.3, $2,722; 4. Zack Jongbloed, 8.4, $2,241; 5.  Continue Reading »

BY LUKE CREASYSpecial to TwisTed RodeoLOVINGTON, N.M. – The Lea County Fair and Rodeo provided a vital boost for all its champions, including Stockton Graves and Creek Young, who already won the Xtreme Bulls earlier week. “I couldn’t ask to do any better here,” said Young, who also won the bull riding title during at the rodeo with an 87-point ride Saturday night. “I had a really good bull, Tequila Worm of Pete Carr Pro Rodeo; they take that bull to the finals every year, and they’re always a lot of point on him.” Young bumped Shane Proctor’s 85.5-point ride from Friday night to second place. “It’s kind of a blur,” said Young, 20, of Fort Scott, Kansas. “I thinking he had me bucked off, but I just gritted it out to get the whistle. I really wanted to win both. My traveling partner, Trey Kimzey, did it in 2019, and I wanted to do the same.” He wasn’t the only contestant to win the Lovington title on the final night of this year’s rodeo. Stockton Graves, a seven-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Alva, Oklahoma, who last made the NFR in 2011; since then, he’s focused on coaching his alma mater, Northwestern Oklahoma State University. “I’m having one of the best years I’ve had in my career,” Graves said said after winning the steer wrestling with a 7.3 second total on two runs, edging out Chance Howard by a mere 10th of a second. The payday, which included a tie for second place in the first round with a 3.5-second run, a tie for fourth place in the second round with a 3.8. By placing in both rounds and the average, he pocketed $5,591. “This caps it off and makes for a great week for me,” Graves said. “I’m just inching closer toward that NFR qualification.” Graves, who sat seventh in the world standings before this week, was elated with his consistent success of this week. “We started in Sidney, Iowa,” he said. “I was winning second up there. Then I was splitting second in the round at (Dodge City, Kansas). Then I was winning Philipsburg (Kansas), and then second in the round here (Lovington), and won the average.” He would like to spend more time at home with his family, if possible, but he’s found success with them on the rodeo trail with him this past week. It was a nice break from being on the road and away for them for four straight weeks. “I’d like to have one more week like this, seal the deal, and rodeo a lot less,” Graves said. Lea County Fair and RodeoLovington, N.M.Aug. 4-7Bareback riding: 1. Richmond Champion on Pete Carr Rodeo’s Night Bells, 88.5, $4,865; 2. (tie) Tim O’Connell and Jess Pope, 88 points, $3,243; 4. Lane McGehee, 87, $1,783; 5. (tie) Chad Rutherford, Wyatt Denny and Cole Reiner, 84, $649. Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Luke Branquinho, 3.3 seconds, $2,057; 2. (tie) Stockton Graves and Chance Howard, 3.5, $1,655 each; 4. Wyatt Jurney, 3.6, $1,252; 5. Jacob Talley, 3.7, $984; 6. Dalton Massey, 3.8, $715; 7. Rowdy Parrott, 3.9, $447; 8. (tie) Tyler Waguespack, Tristan Martin, and Justin Shaffer, 4.0, $60 each. Second round: 1. Hunter Cure, 3.4 seconds, $2,057; 2. (tie) Trever Nelson and Bridger Anderson, 3.6, $1,655 each; 4. (tie) Clayton Tuchscherer, Stockton Graves, Kipp, Blake Knowles, 3.8, $850; 8. (tie) Clayton Hass and Chance Howard, 3.9, $89. Average leaders: 1. Stockton Graves, 7.3 seconds on two runs, $3,086, 2. Chance Howard, 7.4, $2,683; 3. (tie) Wyatt Jurney and Hunter Cure, 7.7, $2,079; 5. (tie) Justin Shaffer and Tyler Waguespack, 8.0, $1,274; 7. (tie) Tristan Martin and Blake Knowles, 8.1, $470. Tie-down roping: First round: 1. (tie) Riley Pruitt and Caleb Smidt, 8.2 seconds, $2,443 each; 3. Marty Yates, 8.3, $1,931; 4. J.D. McCuistion, 8.5, $1,591; 5. (tie) Blane Cox and Lane Livingston, 8.6, $1,079 each; 7. (tie) Hunter Reaume, Ty Harris and Ryan Jarrett, 9.0, $265 each. Second round: 1.  Westyn Hughes, 8.1 seconds, $2,613, 2. (tie) Marcos Costa, Blake Chauvin, Cory Solomon, and Tyson Durfey, 8.2, $1,761; 6. Luke Potter, 8.3, $909; 7. (tie) Ryan Thibodeaux, and J.D. McCuistion, 8.7, $398; Average: J.D. McCuistion and Westyn Hughes, 17.2 seconds on two runs, $3,664; 3. Ryan Thibodeaux, 18.3, $2,897; 4. Ty Harris, 18.4, $2,386; 5. Marcos Costa, 18.8, $1,875, 6. Taylor Santos, 19.5, $1,363; 7. Bryson Sechrist, $852.06; 8. (tie) Luke Potter and Caleb Smidt, 20.9, $170. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Cody Demoss 87 points Pete Carr Rodeo’s Hollywood Knight, $4,907; 2. Leon Fountain, 85.5, $3,762; 3. Ross Griffin, $2,780; 4. Brody Cress, 83.5, $1,799; 5. Layton Green 82, $1,145; 6. Kole Ashbacher, 81.5, $818; 7. Logan Cook, 81, $654; 8. K’s Thomson, 80, $491; Steer roping: First round: 1. (tie) Jess Tierney and Roger Branch, 11.1 seconds, $1,788 each; 3. J. Tom Fisher, 11.2, $1,282; 4. (tie) Slade Wood, Cole Patterson and Tuff Hardman, 11.3, $630 each. Second round: 1. Thomas Smith, 9.8 seconds, $1,957; 2. (tie) Neal Wood and Taylor Santos, 10.1, $1,451 each; 4. Jess Tierney, 10.5, $945; 5. Scott Snedecor, 10.6, $607; 6. Dalton Walker, 10.9, $337. Third round: 1. Scott Snedecor, 10.3 seconds, $1,957; 2. Taylor Santos, 10.6, $1,619.35; 3. Roger Branch and Cash Myers, 10.7, $1,113 each, 5. (tie) Chris Glover, Neal Wood, Cole Patterson, 11.4, $315. Average: 1. Cole Patterson, 34.3 seconds on three runs $2,935, 2. Chet Herren, 36.2, $2,429; 3. Cash Myers, 36.6, $1,923; 4. Cody Lee, 38.7, $1,417; 5. Billy Good, 39.3, $911; 6. Garrett Hale, 40.3, $506. Ladies breakaway: First round: 1. Bethanie Shofner, 2.0 seconds, $1,192; 2. (tie) Tibba Smith and Danielle Lowman, 2.2, $883 each; 4. (tie) Erin Johnson and Kassidy Denisson, 2.3 seconds, $473 each; 6. Tomie Peterson, 2.4, $205. Second round: 1. Tibba Smith, 2.3 seconds, $457; 2. Erin Johnson, 2.4, $342; 3. Tacy Webb, 2.8; $228; 4. (tie) Nicole Baggarley and Bradi Good, 2.9, $57. Average: 1. Tibba Smith, 4.5 seconds on two runs, $1,788; 2. Erin Johnson, 4.7, $1,480; 3. Tacy  Continue Reading »

DODGE CITY, Kan. – Tyler Ravenscroft is just getting his start in ProRodeo, but he didn’t show any nervousness when it came to making steer wrestling runs at the Dodge City Roundup Rodeo. On Friday morning, he wrestled his way to a share of the lead with a 3.8-second run, then followed it during the third performance of Kansas’ largest rodeo with a 4.4-second run to take the overall lead in bulldogging with one day remaining in the preliminary go-rounds. “This is pretty important if I want a chance to make the Prairie Circuit Finals, which was one of my goals going into this year,” said Ravenscroft, who will be a junior at Southeastern Oklahoma State University when classes commence in a few weeks. “This is one of the bigger rodeos we have, so I wanted to make sure I did well here and try to give myself a chance to make the circuit finals.” The Prairie Circuit is made up of PRCA rodeos and contestants primarily in Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska, and Roundup Rodeo is the largest event in the region. While a number of top-name contestants are in Dodge City with hopes the money earned will guide them to the National Finals Rodeo, many are like Ravenscroft with hopes of advancing to the regional finale. Riding Spongebob, an 11-year-old palomino owned by Mason Couch, Ravenscroft found his way to some good money already. He will have to wait through Saturday’s final performance of preliminary go-rounds to find out if he earned a share of the first-round title, but he knows he will return to Roundup Arena for Sunday’s championship round, which features the top 12 contestants based on times and scores through the week of competition. “It’s pretty surreal when I got to look up there and see my name at the top of the leaderboard,” he said. “It’s just been w hat I’ve been working for the last couple of years. To finally put myself in a spot to where I can finally win a big rodeo is awesome.” He is the nephew of fellow bulldogger Sean Mulligan, another Nebraska cowboy who now lives in Coleman, Oklahoma. Mulligan qualified for the National Finals Rodeo four times and has served as hazer for hundreds of runs over his career. He has been a big inspiration to Ravenscroft. “He’s helped me so much, just even the last two years in college,” Ravenscroft said, noting that his uncle lives less than 25 miles from his college in Durant, Oklahoma. “My horsemanship’s gotten way better. I’ve been able to help him start horses and just tune up my steer wrestling. I can’t thank him enough for what he’s done for my steer wrestling.” It shows, but some of that’s just being a cowboy. Ravenscroft claims Nenzel, Nebraska, as home, but he was actually raised on a ranch in the state’s Sandhills region. “We live about an hour from where I went to high school,” he said. “I went to school at a one-room school house on our place for a few years. Valentine (Nebraska, near the South Dakota border) is the actual closest town, and we’re 67 miles from it.” He’s used to traveling, so it won’t bother him one bit to make a return trip to Dodge City on Sunday night to battle for one of the most coveted titles in ProRodeo. Dodge City Roundup RodeoDodge City, Kan.Aug. 4-8Bareback riding leaders: 1. Leighton Berry, 89 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Short Night; 2. Richmond Champion, 88.5; 3. (tie) Mason Clements and Tilden, 88; 5. Chad Rutherford, 87; 6. Caleb Bennett, 86.5; 7. (tie) Nate McFadden and Trenten Montero, 84.5; 9. Taylor Broussard, 83.5; 10. Garrett Shadbolt, 83. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. (tie) Stetson Jorgensen and Tyler Ravenscroft, 3.8 seconds; 3. Payden McIntyre, 3.9; 4. Ty Erickson, 4.1; 5. (tie) Don Payne, Cade Staton, Grayson Allred and Gus Franzen, 4.4; 9. (tie) Aaron Vosler and Jason Thomas, 4.3; 8. (tie) Justin Shaffer, Tucker Allen, Dalton Massey and Bridger Anderson, 4.4. Second round leaders: 1. (tie) Blake Knowles and Dirk Tavenner, 3.4 seconds; 3. (tie) Tyler Pearson and Stockton Graves, 3.6; 5. Tyler Waguespack, 3.7; 6. (tie) Tucker Allen, Clayton Hass and Brandon Harrison, 3.9; 9. Don Payne, 4.1; 10. Mike McGinn and Mason Owen Couch, 4.2. Average leaders: 1. Tyler Ravenscroft, 8.2 seconds on two runs; 2. (tie) Tucker Allen, Stetson Jorgensen and Don Payne, 8.3; 5. Jason Thomas, 8.6; 6. Clayton Hass, 8.8; 7. (tie) Chance Howard and Tucker Alberts; 9. Blake Knowles, 9.1; 10. Wyatt Jurney, 9.2. Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Tanner Green/Clay Futrell, 4.4 seconds; 2. Clay Smith/Jade Corkill, 5.1; 3. Cooper Bruce/Reed Lewis Boos, 5.3; 4. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 5.4; 5. Dalton Turner/Garrett Smith, 4.7; 6. Tanner Tomlinson/Patrick Smith, 5.8; 7. Tyler Wade/Trey Yates, 5.9; 8. (tie) Erich Rogers/Paden Bray and Brenten Hall/Chase Tryan, 6.0; 10. Cory Kidd/Ryan Motes, 6.1. Second round leaders: 1. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 3.9 seconds; 2. (tie) Aaron Macy/Jason Johe and Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins, 4.5; 4. (tie) Levi Simpson/Tyler Worley and Tanner Tomlilnson/Patrick Smith, 4.6; 6. (tie) Luke Brown/Hunter Koch and Caleb Smidt/B.J. Dugger, 4.7; 8. Tyler Wade/Trey Yates, 4.9; 9. (tie) Clay Smith/Jade Corkill, Marcus Theriot/Jim Ross Cooper and Mason Boettcher/Colton Brittain, 5.2; 8. Dalton Turner/Garrett Smith, 5.6; 9. Miles Baker/Zack Woods, 6.4; 10. Tanner Green/Clay Futrell, 8.4. Average leaders: 1. Clay Smith/Jade Corkill, 10.3 seconds on two runs; 2. Tanner Tomlinson/Patrick Smith, 10.4; 3. Tyler Wade/Trey Yates, 10.8; 4. Dalton Turner/Garret Smith, 11.3; 5. Marcus Theriot/Jim Ross Cooper, 11.4; 6. Tanner Green/Clay Futrell, 12.8; 7. Miles Baker/Zack Woods, 13.0; 8. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 14.9; 9. Aaron Macy/Jason Johe, 17.1; 10. Cory Kidd/Ryan Motes, 17.5. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Lefty Holman, 86 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Tip Off; 2. (tie) K’s Thomson, Mitch Pollock and Jake Finlay, on Frontier Rodeo’s Push Pop, 84 points; 5. (tie) Kole Ashbacher, Brody Cress and Lane Schuelke, 83; 8. (tie) Ben Andersen and Rusty Wright, 81.5; 10. (tie) Wyatt Hageman and Taos Muncy, 81. Tie-down  Continue Reading »

BY LUKE CREASYSpecial to TwisTed RodeoLOVINGTON, N.M. – Breakaway roper Tibba Smith hopes to pull off a hometown win as Lovington rodeo hosts breakaway roping for the first time. “I just have to sweat it through 15 more girls,” Smith said Friday night after posting a 2.3-second run in the second round of the Lea County Fair and Rodeo. The 2.3 – coupled with her first-round run of 2.2 seconds from Friday morning – has her No. 1 in the average. “There were 15 contestants, so I was number 12. I like that, because with the format here in Lovington, there were 15 of us that went, and they took the top five back. So, I got to see how fast the other girls went and know if I had to go real fast or just catch. I had one that ran a little harder this morning, I got by the barrier really good, and I didn’t really mean to throw that fast but it worked. I was splitting the round.” That means she is tied for the lead with Danielle Lowman with one day of competition remaining. “Tonight, I came back on one that was a little bit slower, so I just told myself I need to get out (without a barrier penalty), and it worked out great again,” she said. “My horse worked great, it’s actually a borrowed horse of Reid and Tierra Zapalac. Mine got crippled right before Cheyenne two weeks ago. I rode one of their horses up there and had good luck and rode this one here and am winning the average.” She’s found success. She earned nearly $8,400 in Cheyenne, and now she’s got a chance to do more. That’s thanks to having solid horses, even if she’s had to borrow them. “It’s gone great these last two weeks, and I couldn’t have done it without them,” Smith said. “This is the first time they’ve had breakaway roping in Lovington. I’ve got to get through 15 more of them tomorrow, but I really hope I can win the average of Lovington, my hometown rodeo” Smith lives 35 miles from Lovington, between Hobbs and Carlsbad on her family ranch. “I live in the middle of the oil-patch out there,” she said. “That’s where I was raised, and where we live now. My great grandparents are the ones who started the ranch. My granddad, grandma, my dad, my mom, my whole family rodeos.” Smith hasn’t travelled that much this year, as the storms in Lea County have had her busy in her day job as an insurance adjuster. Pretty soon Smith will have to curtail her run for the National Finals Rodeo at the end of the season as she is also the secretary for the Southwest Region of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association, which has its first rodeo mid-September.    “With this one, if I win the average I have a good chance to hold on to a spot in the top 15,” Smith said. “They have good added money here, it’ll help a lot, and I get to go home and sleep in my own bed.” “Basically, I have ten picked out, ten more chances, and if it works it works, and if it doesn’t, I’ll try again next year.” Friday night saw a leaderboard shift in many other events as well. Richmond Champion edged out last night’s 88-point rides by half a point with an 88.5 on Pete Carr’s Night Bells, Katie Pascoe stole the barrel racing lead in slack after the performance with a 17.12-second run, Cole Patterson gained first in the steer roping average with 34.3 seconds on three runs and Shane Proctor was 85.5 points on Pete Carr Rodeo’s Bruised to take over the bull riding lead. Lea County Fair and RodeoLovington, N.M.Aug. 4-7Bareback riding leaders: 1. Richmond Champion on Pete Carr Rodeo’s Night Bells, 88.5; 2. (tie) Tim O’Connell and Jess Pope, 88 points; 4. (tie) Chad Rutherford, Wyatt Denny and Cole Reiner, 84; 7. Caleb Bennett, 83.5; 8 Logan Patterson, 80.5. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Luke Branquinho, 3.3 seconds, 2. Chance Howard, 3.5; 3. Jacob Talley, 3.7; 4. Dalton Massey, 3.8; 5. Rowdy Parrott, 3.9; 6. (tie) Tyler Waguespack, Tristan Martin, and Justin Shaffer, 4.0. Second round leaders: 1. Hunter Cure, 3.4 seconds; 2. Trever Nelson, 3.6 seconds; 3. Blake Knowles, 3.8; 4. (tie) Clayton Hass and Chance Howard, 3.9; 6. (tie) Denard Butler, Tyler Waguespack, Ringo Robinson, Justin Shaffer, and J.D. Struxness, 4.0. Average leaders: 1. Chance Howard, 7.4 seconds on two runs; 2. Hunter Cure, 7.7; 3. (tie) Justin Shaffer and Tyler Waguespack, 8.0; 5. (tie) Tristan Martin and Blake Knowles, 8.1; 7. Ringo Robinson, 8.2; 8. Laramie Warren, 9.0. Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. Caleb Smidt, 8.2; 2. Marty Yates, 8.3 seconds; 3. J.D. McCuistion, 8.5; 4. Lane Livingston, 8.6; 5. (tie) Ty Harris and Ryan Jarrett, 9.0; 7. Westyn Hughes, 9.1; 8. (tie) Bo Pickett and Taylor Santos, 9.4. Second round leaders: 1.  Westyn Hughes, 8.1 seconds, 2. (tie) Blake Chauvin, Cory Solomon, and Tyson Durfey, 8.2; 5. Luke Potter, 8.3; 6. (tie) Ryan Thibodeaux, Charlie Gibson, 8.9, and J.D. McCuistion, 8.7; 6. Charlie Gibson, 8.9; 7. Trenton Smith, 9.0; 8. Ty Harris, 9.4. Average leaders: J.D. McCuistion and Westyn Hughes, 17.2 seconds on two runs seconds; 3. Ryan Thibodeaux, 18.3; 4. Ty Harris, 18.4; 5. Taylor Santos, 19.5; 6. Luke Potter and Caleb Smidt, 20.9; 8. Shad Mayfield, 21.5. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Cody Demoss 87 points Pete Carr Rodeo’s Hollywood Knight; 2. Leon Fountain, 85.5; 3. Brody Cress, 83.5; 4. Layton Green 82; 5. Kole Ashbacher, 81.5; 6. Logan Cook, 81; 7. K’s Thomson, 80; 8. (tie) Jake Clark, Keene Justesen and Sterling Crawley, 78. Steer roping: First round leaders: 1. Tuff Hardman, 11.3 seconds; 2. Trey Wallace, 13.4; 3. (tie) Cody Lee and Tony Reina, 13.6; 5. Mike Chase, 14.1; 6. John E. Bland 14.7. Second round leaders: 1. Taylor Santos, 10.1; 2. Scott Snedecor, 10.6;3.  Continue Reading »

DODGE CITY, Kan. – Jade Corkill and Clay Smith each own multiple gold buckles, but they’ve never won them together. They have a fighting chance this year, and they’re in position to snatch their first Dodge City Roundup Rodeo buckles, too. The tandem roped two steers Thursday in a cumulative time of 10.3 seconds to take the overall team roping lead. They will return to Sunday’s championship round with hopes of claiming those elusive Roundup trophies. “Any time you can do good, it’s good,” said Corkill, an 11-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier in heeling who won his world championships in 2012-’14. “This is pretty important. Other than Cheyenne (Wyoming) the other day, we haven’t done as good as we’ve wanted to. Any time these rodeos have three head like this are the kind we like.” Roundup features a back-to-back format. All contestants in the timed events will make their first runs each morning, Wednesday-Saturday. The top 10 times from the first round will advance to the nightly performances. Smith and Corkill have the second fastest first-round run through two days of competition. They were 5.2 seconds Thursday night to secure the top spot in the two-run aggregate by half a second over the field. They will await the outcome of the final two nights of preliminary rounds to see where they fit into Sunday’s short round. “Every bit of it helps before the NFR,” said Smith, a six-time NFR qualifying header who won his world titles in 2018-19. “It seems like every year it’s going to come down to the 10th steer (at the NFR) and a few thousand dollars. This rodeo pays really good with two head and a short round. We love this kind of format with more chances to win money. “In the short round, you do your job, and you’re going to win something pretty good. This is a special rodeo with cool buckles. We love this rodeo.” Their success comes with a common bond: They both love to win, and they approach the game in a similar manner. It takes a good header to control a steer to help the heeler secure two legs in the loop, and some heelers can do magical things with just about any steer. “We’re pretty much on the same page most of the time,” Corkill said, referring to the team’s approach to their second-round run. “There are two days left after today, so you know it’s probably going to get tough. We don’t want to take a no-time, but we don’t want to take extra time either. We jus try to be pretty aggressive and catch as fast as you can without missing.” It definitely helps to do at a rodeo like Roundup, which offers the largest purse of any rodeos in the Oklahoma-Kansas-Nebraska region known as the Prairie Circuit. “It’s the biggest of the circuit rodeos for me when I was in the Prairie Circuit,” said Smith, originally from Broken Bow, Oklahoma, but now living near Stephenville, Texas; that’s where Corkill lives, too, though he still claims his hometown of Fallon, Nevada. “It was always an important rodeo, and I don’t know if I ever did very good when I was in the circuit. Now that I’m not, it’s been pretty good to me.” Yes, it has. Dodge City Roundup RodeoDodge City, Kan.Aug. 4-8Bareback riding leaders: 1. Leighton Berry, 89 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Short Night; 2. Richmond Champion, 88.5; 3. (tie) Mason Clements and Tilden, 88; 5. Chad Rutherford, 87; 6. Caleb Bennett, 86.5; 7. (tie) Nate McFadden and Trenten Montero, 84.5; 9. Taylor Broussard, 83.5; 10. Garrett Shadbolt, 83. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Stetson Jorgensen, 3.8 seconds; 2. Payden McIntyre, 3.9; 3. Ty Erickson, 4.1; 4. (tie) Don Payne, Cade Staton and Grayson Allred, 4.4; 7. Aaron Vosler, 4.3; 8. (tie) Justin Shaffer, Tucker Allen, Dalton Massey and Bridger Anderson, 4.4. Second round leaders: 1. (tie) Blake Knowles and Dirk Tavenner, 3.4 seconds; 3. (tie) Tyler Pearson and Stockton Graves, 3.6; 5. Tyler Waguespack, 3.7; 6. (tie) Tucker Allen and Clayton Hass, 3.9; 8. Don Payne, 4.1; 9. Mike McGinn, 4.2; 10. (tie) Ringo Robinson, Stetson Jorgensen and Tucker Alberts, 4.5; 8. Justin Shaffer 4.9; 9. Eli Lord, 5.1; 10. Aaron Vosler, 5.6. Average leaders: 1. (tie) Tucker Allen, Stetson Jorgensen and Don Payne, 8.3 seconds on two runs; 4. Clayton Hass, 8.8; 5. Tucker Alberts; 6. Blake Knowles, 9.1; 7. Justin Shaffer, 9.3; 8. (tie) Ringo Robinson and Stockton Graves, 9.4; 10. Rowdy Parrott, 9.6. Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Tanner Green/Clay Futrell, 4.4 seconds; 2. Clay Smith/Jade Corkill, 5.1; 3. Cooper Bruce/Reed Lewis Boos, 5.3; 4. Dalton Turner/Garrett Smith, 4.7; 5. Tyler Wade/Trey Yates, 5.9; 6. Erich Rogers/Paden Bray, 6.0; 76. Brenten Hall/Chase Tryan, 6.0; 8. J.B. James Jr./Brock Hanson, 6.2; 9. Curry Kirchner/Austin Rogers, 6.4; 10. Miles Baker/Zack Woods, 6.6. Second round leaders: 1. (tie) Aaron Macy/Jason Johe and Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins, 4.5 seconds; 3. Levi Simpson/Tyler Worley, 4.6; 4. (tie) Luke Brown/Hunter Koch and Caleb Smidt/B.J. Dugger, 4.7; 6. Tyler Wade/Trey Yates, 4.9; 7. Clay Smith/Jade Corkill, 5.2; 8. Dalton Turner/Garrett Smith, 5.6; 9. Miles Baker/Zack Woods, 6.4; 10. Tanner Green/Clay Futrell, 8.4. Average leaders: 1. Clay Smith/Jade Corkill, 10.3 seconds on two runs; 2. Tyler Wade/Trey Yates, 10.8; 3. Dalton Turner/Garret Smith, 11.3; 4. Tanner Green/Clay Futrell, 12.8; 5. Miles Baker/Zack Woods, 13.0; 6. Aaron Macy/Jason Johe, 17.1; 7. Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins, 19.8; 8. Pedro Egurrola/J.C. Flake, 31.6; 9. Levi Simpson/Tyler Worley10. (tie) Luke Brown/Hunter Koch and Caleb Smidt/B.J. Dugger, 4.7 seconds on one run. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Lefty Holman, 86 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Tip Off; 2. (tie) K’s Thomson, Mitch Pollock and Jake Finlay, on Frontier Rodeo’s Push Pop, 84 points; 5. (tie) Kole Ashbacher and Brody Cress, 83; 7. Ben Andersen, 81.5; 8. Wyatt Hageman, 81; 9. Tegan Smith, 80.5; 10. Logan Cook, 79.5. Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. Paden Bray, 8.9 seconds; 2. Riley Pruitt, 9.2; 3. Tyler Prcin, 9.3; 4. Kincade Henry, 9.4;  Continue Reading »

BY LUKE CREASYSpecial to TwisTed RodeoLOVINGTON, N.M. – It was the veteran bareback rider Tim O’Connell on the young up-and-coming horse Exotic Dancer, and his young up-and-coming traveling partner Jess Pope on the veteran horse Good Time Charlie that started Thursday night off right with a pair of 88-point bareback rides. “Good Time Charlie is one everyone wants to get on, so I was really excited,” Pope said. “He’s probably near the end of his career, so I was glad to get on him. I wish there was a hundred more just like him.” “That’s just an amazing animal; hat’s off to that animal,” O’Connell, the three-time world champion, said of Good Time Charlie. “That horse is like 20 years old and still one of the best horses in the game going up and down the road. You should always be jealous when someone else draws Good Time Charlie, but I was also happy someone in our rig got Good Time Charlie.” His own draw was handful, he said. “She’s got more buck-offs than she has rides, and her rides are usually pretty high numbered,” he said of Exotic Dancer. “I nodded for a handful tonight. I had a feeling that horse was going to be pretty bucky, but she got vertical with me in the 3-second range and completely disappeared, and I made a big mistake and spurred over that horse’s neck. I pulled it back and just sent it back and made a pretty good recovery, and she jumped back underneath me and I felt by the next jump we were in time with each other.” “Every time I perform, I expect to compete at the highest level, so when you make a mistake like that it’s infuriating for me, but because of the recovery, I was able to finish the ride the way I wanted.” That finish, and the exotic nature of his bucking mount, moved O’Connell into the top spot in the bareback riding only Pope to go. “All I can control is what I do on my horse,” Pope said, “I had the same game plan from when I got my callbacks,” in spite of the sudden leader change right before his ride. “I just went out there and did my job, and the rest is in everybody else’s hands. “I was really happy with it.” It made for a fun night of bareback riding inside Jake McClure Arena. “When you’re traveling with high-caliber guys and you get out in a pen where they put a lot of really good horses out, there’s a good chance you guys are going to tie,” O’Connell said. “It’s not the first time this has happened and it’s not going to be the last.” “We’re both really good bareback riders, we fuel each other’s fire,” Pope said. “I want to see him win just as bad as I want to win. You’ve got to have a good support system, and surround yourself with people who have the same goals.” Both cowboys have their sights set on returning to the National Finals Rodeo this year, along with fellow traveling partner Cole Franks, the top bareback riding rookie and the college national champion in bareback riding and the all-around. For O’Connell, he’d like to see trio finish the year sitting first, second and third in the world standings, but O’Connell made it clear he’s gunning for the top spot, which he holds with $151,919. “I’m going to extend this lead as far as I possibly can,” he said. “I lost the world title by $6,000 last year, and it took me a really long time to accept that. I led the world for 296 days and lost it on the most important day. When guys are tired and wanting to go home, I’m going to be entering rodeos and grinding it out.” Lea County Fair and RodeoLovington, N.M.Aug. 4-7Bareback riding leaders: 1. (tie) Tim O’Connell on Pete Carr Rodeo’s Exotic Dancer and Jess Pope on Pete Carr Rodeo’s Good Time Charlie, 88 points; 3. Cole Reiner, 84; 4. Logan Patterson, 80.5; 5. (tie) Tilden Hooper and Kody Lamb, 80; 7. Shane O’Connell, 78; 8. Nate S McFadden, 69. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Luke Branquinho, 3.3 seconds, 2. Chance Howard, 3.5; 3. Jacob Talley, 3.7; 4. Dalton Massey, 3.8; 5. (tie) Tyler Waguespack, Tristan Martin, and Justin Shaffer, 4.0; 8. Ringo Robinson, 4.2; Second round leaders: 1. Trever Nelson, 3.6 seconds; 2. Blake Knowles, 3.8; 3. (tie) Clayton Hass and Chance Howard, 3.9; 5. (tie) Denard Butler, Tyler Waguespack, Ringo Robinson, Justin Shaffer, and J.D. Struxness, 4.0; Average leaders: 1. Chance Howard 7.4 seconds on two runs; 2. (tie) Justin Shaffer and Tyler Waguespack, 8.0; 4. (tie) Tristan Martin and Blake Knowles, 8.1; 6. Ringo Robinson, 8.2; 7. Laramie Warren; 8. Riley Duvall. Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. Marty Yates, 8.3 seconds; 2. J.D. McCuistion, 8.5; 3. Lane Livingston, 8.6; 4. (tie) Ty Harris and Ryan Jarrett, 9.0; 6. Westyn Hughes, 9.1; 7. (tie) Bo Pickett and Taylor Santos, 9.4; Second round leaders: 1.  Westyn Hughes, 8.1 seconds, 2. (tie) Blake Chauvin, Cory Solomon, and Tyson Durfey, 8.2; 5. J.D. McCuistion, 8.7; 6. Charlie Gibson, 8.9; 7. Trenton Smith, 9.0; 8. Ty Harris, 9.4; Average leaders: J.D. McCuistion and Westyn Hughes, 17.2 seconds on two runs seconds; 3. Ty Harris, 18.4; 4. Taylor Santos, 19.5; 5. Lane Livingston and Marty Yates, 21.9; 7. Ryle Smith, 22.1; 8. Bo Pickett, 22.4 Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Cody DeMoss, 87 points Pete Carr Rodeo’s Hollywood Knight; 2. Brody Cress, 83.5; 3. Layton Green 82; 4. Kole Ashbacher, 81.5; 5. Logan Cook, 81; 6. K’s Thomson, 80; 7. (tie) Keene Justesen and Sterling Crawley, 78. Steer roping: First round leaders: 1. Tuff Hardman, 11.3 seconds; 2. Trey Wallace, 13.4; 3. (tie) Cody Lee and Tony Reina, 13.6; 5. Mike Chase, 14.1; 6. John E. Bland 14.7; Second round leaders: Second round: 1. Taylor Santos, 10.1; 2. Scott Snedecor, 10.6; 3. (tie)  Continue Reading »

DODGE CITY, Kan. – It’s been a long seven months for bareback rider Leighton Berry. In January at Odessa, Texas, the 22-year-old cowboy was smashed in the bucking chutes and suffered torn ligaments in the mid- and lower region of his spine, between the T12 and L1 vertabrae. He followed that with surgery and rehabilitation, but he’s been missing something: Rodeo. On Wednesday night during the first performance of the Dodge City Roundup Rodeo, the Weatherford, Texas, bronc buster returned to the sport he loves for the first time since that fateful night in west Texas, and he didn’t miss a beat. He rode Frontier Rodeo’s Short Night for 89 points to take the early bareback riding lead and has assured himself a spot among the top 12 for Sunday’s championship round. “I got to watch my traveling partner be 88 (points) right before I nodded my head, and that lit a fire under me,” Berry said, referring to Mason Clements, a three-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Spanish Fork, Utah. “We want our rig to win. I got to one-point him today, but this is awesome.” Berry himself was just coming off his first qualification to the NFR, where he pocketed just shy of $80,000 in 10 days. He had big plans for the 2021 season, but he understands the things that can happen in the rough-and-tumble sport of rodeo. “It was disappointing in the day whenever it happened, and I knew I was going to have something fixed,” he said. “I knew right then and there that I’ve overcome adversity before, and every time I’ve been hurt, I’ve been able to come back a little better and a little faster and a little stronger mentally. “I took it right then and said, ‘God, this is you’re plan, and I’m just going to follow You, and I know it will all work out in the end.’ Here we are, and I feel like I’m on top of the world again.” With seven months on injured reserve, Berry knows he’s behind the eight-ball to make back-to-back trips to ProRodeo’s grand finale, but he’s still got it on his mind. “Since January, I’ve thought, ‘Don’t ever count me out, because I’ll change your mind and make it right,’ ” Berry said. “I know I’ve still got a chance, from what my traveling partners and buddies have been telling me. “I’m just out here riding bucking horses, making a living doing it and having fun with my best friends. If I can continue to build my bareback riding back up … if I can come back stronger and better than ever, that’s all I can ask for.” If he stays as hot as he did Wednesday night, he might just walk away from western Kansas with one of the most coveted prizes in rodeo: The Roundup Rodeo trophy buckle. He’ll have to match his skills and where he is physically and mentally on the final night of the rodeo against some incredible horsepower. “Dodge City has one of the rankest short rounds there is,” he said. “There are top horses like Gun Fire, Showstomper and Full Baggage that are going to be out, and I’d like to see my name next to theirs. Riding rank bucking horses is what I’ve prided myself on; I haven’t had one underneath me in a while, so I’m excited for it.” Dodge City Roundup RodeoDodge City, Kan.Aug. 4-8Bareback riding leaders: 1. Leighton Berry, 89 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Short Night; 2. Mason Clements, 88; 3. (tie) Nate McFadden and Trenten Montero, 84.5; 5. Taylor Broussard, 83.5; 6. Jamie Howlett, 81; 7. Shane O’Connell, 78; 8. Ty Blessing, 76. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Stetson Jorgensen, 3.8 seconds; 2. Payden McIntyre, 3.9; 3. Ty Erickson, 4.1; 4. Aaron Vosler, 4.3; 5. (tie) Justin Shaffer, Tucker Allen and Dalton Massey, 4.4; 8. (tie) Will Lummus, Clayton Hass and Ringo Robinson, 4.9. Second round leaders: 1. (tie) Blake Knowles and Dirk Tavenner, 3.4 seconds; 3. (tie) Tucker Allen and Clayton Hass, 3.9; 5. Mike McGinn, 4.2; 6. (tie) Ringo Robinson and Stetson Jorgensen, 4.5; 8. Justin Shaffer 4.9; 9. Eli Lord, 5.1; 10. Aaron Vosler, 5.6. Average leaders: 1. (tie) Tucker Allen and Stetson Jorgensen, 8.3 seconds on two runs; 3. Clayton Hass, 8.8; 4. Blake Knowles, 9.1; 5. Justin Shaffer, 9.3; 6. Ringo Robinson, 9.4; 7. Aaron Vosler, 9.9; 8. Payden McIntyre, 10.4; 9. Dalton Massey, 11.1; 10. Zack Jongbloed, 17.1. Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Cooper Bruce/Reed Lewis Boos, 5.3 seconds; 2. Dalton Turner/Garrett Smith, 4.7; 3. Tyler Wade/Trey Yates, 5.9; 4. Erich Rogers/Paden Bray, 6.0; 5. J.B. James Jr./Brock Hanson, 6.2; 6. Jaxson Tucker/Marty Yates, 7.1; 7. Garrett Tonozzi/T.J. Watts, 9.8; 8. Chad Masters/Joseph Harrison, 10.8; 9. Luke Meier/Colton Michael reed, 11.6; 10. Pedro Egurrola/J.C. Flake, 12.2. Second round leaders: 1. Aaron Macy/Jason Johe, 4.5 seconds; 2. Luke Brown/Hunter Koch, 4.7; 3. Tyler Wade/Trey Yates, 4.9; 4. Dalton Turner/Garrett Smith, 5.6; 5. Seth Driggers/Trent Vaught, 14.4; 6. Pedro Egurrola/J.C. Flake, 19.4; no other qualified runs. Average leaders: 1. Tyler Wade/Trey Yates, 10.8 seconds on two runs; 2. Dalton Turner/Garret Smith, 11.3; 3. Aaron Macy/Jason Johe, 17.1; 4. Pedro Egurrola/J.C. Flake, 31.6; 5. Luke Brown/Hunter Koch, 4.7 seconds on one run; 6. Cooper Bruce/Reed Lewis Boos, 5.3; 7. Erich Rogers/Paden Bray, 6.0; 8. J.B. James R./Brock Hanson, 6.2; 9. Jaxson Tucker/Marty Yates, 7.1; 10. Garrett Tonozzi/T.J. Watts, 9.8. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. (tie) K’s Thomson, on Frontier Rodeo’s Bad Attitude, Mitch Pollock, on Frontier Rodeo’s Watch Levi, and Jake Finlay, on Frontier Rodeo’s Push Pop, 84 points; 4. Kole Ashbacher, 83; 5. Ben Andersen, 81.5; 6. Wyatt Hageman, 81; 7. Tegan Smith, 80.5; 8. Layton Green, 77. Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. Paden Bray, 8.9 seconds; 2. Riley Pruitt, 9.2; 3. Tyler Prcin, 9.3; 4. Kincade Henry, 9.4; 5. (tie) Taylor Santos and John Douch, 10.3; 7. Trent McDonald, 10.6; 8. (tie) Colton Farquer and Cory Solomon, 10.8; 10. Owen Wahlert, 11.1. Second round leaders: 1. Zack  Continue Reading »

BY LUKE CREASYSpecial to TwisTed RodeoLOVINGTON, N.M. – Chance Howard’s first trip packing his son by himself made for a successful Family Night for the Sadler, Texas, cowboy at the Lea County Fair and Rodeo. He posted a 3.5-second run, which was the fastest time in the first round of steer wrestling on Wednesday morning, and followed that with a 3.9-second run in the evening during the first performance of the PRCA rodeo at Jake McClure Arena. It was also Faith and Family night at the southeastern New Mexico exposition, so it was only fitting. Howard owns the lead in both go-rounds and the two-run aggregate. After his final run for the day, he walked behind the timed event chutes, scooped up his son, Luke Thomas, and proceeded to pick up all of his son’s toys as well. This trip marks the first time Howard has taken his son rodeoing with him without his wife, Kelsey. “I just had to have somebody watch him while I bull dogged, and right back to it,” Howard said. Steer wrestling is a fast-paced game, and the quickest time wins. Cowboys must take a good start, then understand the steer. They are vital components in each run. “I had a steer that they’d been good on before, they broke the barrier a couple times, but we just made it work,” he said of his first-round steer. “I just capitalized on opportunity.” Another key factor in making a solid run is having a solid mount. Howard’s is an 8-year-old horse owned by Travis Burgett they call Train that just began his time on the road this year after being started on bulldogging last December. “We went to Cheyenne (Wyoming) and Deadwood (South Dakota) last week,” Howard said. “I ended up (placing second) at both the semifinals and the short go last week (in Cheyenne. That helped me out a bunch.” Howard also won his performance and left Cheyenne with $9,125 in total earnings. He is now 16th in the world standings. Howard, who is in his 11th year in the PRCA, has yet to make the National Finals Rodeo, which takes the top 15 contestants in the world standings at the conclusion of the regular season. With momentum rolling – he has a good chance to collect payouts in both rounds and a high placing in the average race – he has the opportunity to earn one of those coveted spots this year. “I’m trying to make the NFR,” he said. “We’ve got (two months) left, so we’ll see where it all falls.” Howard comes from a family of bulldoggers, and there may be another one in waiting. If his son continues to travel with him, witnessing runs like those from Lovington, Luke Thomas may be inspired to follow his father’s footsteps. Lea County Fair and RodeoLovington, N.M.Aug. 4-7Bareback riding leaders: 1. Cole Reiner, 84 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Betty Boop; 2. Logan Patterson, 80.5; 3. Tilden Hooper, 80; no other qualified rides. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Chance Howard, 3.5 seconds; 2. Tyler Waguespack, 4.0; 3. Rooster Yazzie, 4.3; 4. Tanner Brunner, 4.4; 5. Matt Reeves, 5.0; 6. Dustin Merritt, 5.1; 7. Austin Eller, 6.8; 8. Denard Butler, 10.1; Second round leaders: 1. Chance Howard, 3.9 seconds; 2. (tie) Denard Butler, Tyler Waguespack and J.D. Struxness, 4.0; 5. Cody Harmon, 4.8; 6. (tie) Tyler Pearson and Marc Joiner, 4.9; 8. Jay Williamson, 5.2; Average leaders: 1. Chance Howard 7.4 seconds on two runs; 2. Tyler Waguespack, 8.0; 3. Rooster Yazzie, 10.7; 4. Denard Butler, 14.1; 5. Tanner Brunner, 16.7;6. Matt Reeves, 18.5; 7. (tie) Jay Williamson and Cody Harmon, 19.0   Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. J.D. McCuistion, 8.5 seconds; 2. (tie) Ty Harris and Ryan Jarrett, 9.0; 4. Ryle Smith, 9.5; 5. Wyatt Imus, 10.9; 6. Brokk Baldwin, 11.4; 7. Reese Riemer, 11.7; 8. Richard Newton, 12.8; Second round leaders: 1. J.D. McCuistion, 8.7 seconds; 2. Charlie Gibson, 8.9; 3. Trenton Smith, 9.0; 4. Ty Harris, 9.4; 5. Robert Mathis, 9.8; 6. Hudson Wallace, 11.4; 7. Ryle Smith, 12.6; 8. Wyatt Imus, 13.0; Average leaders: J.D. McCuistion, 17.2 seconds on two runs seconds; 2. Ty Harris, 18.4; 3. Ryle Smith, 22.1; 4. Charlie Gibson, 22.7; 5. Wyatt Imus, 23.9; 6. Robert Mathis, 26.7; 7. Reese Riemer, 30.7; 8. Brian Garr, 44.7. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Brody Cress 83.5 points on Pete Carr Rodeo’s Fort Concho; 2. Logan Cook, 81; 3. Keene Justesen, 78; 4. Colt Cunningham, 50; (no other qualified rides). Steer roping: First round leaders: 1. Cody Lee, 13.6 seconds; 2. Jarrett McKade Holliday, 15.7; 3. Dan Fisher, 16.1; no other qualified times. Second round leaders: Second round: 1. (tie) Cody Lee and Shay Good, 11.4 seconds; 3. Dan Fisher, 13.1; no other qualified times; Third round leaders: 1. Dan Fisher, 12.5 seconds; 2. Reo Lohse, 12.6; 3. Cody Lee, 13.7; Average leaders: 1. Cody Lee, 38.7 seconds on three runs; 2. Dan Fisher, 41.7; 3. Shay Good, 11.4 seconds on one run; 4. Reo Lohse, 12.6; 5. Jarrett McKade Holliday, 15.7; no other qualified times. Breakaway roping: First round leaders: 1. Kassidy Denisson, 2.3 seconds; 2. Kelsie Chace, 2.5; 3. Jackie Crawford, 3.2 seconds; 4. Katie Mundorf, 3.3 seconds; 5. Bradi Good, 3.4 seconds; 6. Makayla Boisjoli, 3.6 seconds; 7. Morgan Orman, 7.9 seconds; 8. Alex Loiselle, 12.2 seconds. Second round leaders: 1. Bradi Good, 2.9 seconds; 2. (tie) Kelsie Chace and Kassidy Dennison, 3.7; 4. Katie Mundorf, 12.3; Average Leaders: 1. Kassidy Dennison, 6.0 seconds on two runs; 2. Kelsie Chace, 6.2; 3. Bradi Good, 6.3; 4. Katie Mundorf, 15.6; 5. Jackie Crawford, 3.2 seconds on one run, 6. Makayla Boisjoli, 3.6. Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Tanner Tomlinson/Patrick Smith, 4.5 seconds; 2. Wyatt Imus/Caleb Anderson, 5.0; 3.Jake Clay/Billie Jack Saebens, 5.3; 4. Kolton Schmidt/Wyatt Cox, 6.2; 5. Korbin Rice/Jace Davis, 10.5; (no other qualified times) Second round leaders: 1. Korbin Rice/Jace Davis, 4.6 seconds; 2. (tie) Jake Clay/Billie Jack Saebens and Kolton  Continue Reading »

BY LUKE CREASYSpecial to TwisTed RodeoLOVINGTON, N.M. – With the chips on the line in the final round, youthful vitality and the luck of the draw prevailed. The Lea County Rodeo kicked off Tuesday night with the Lea County Xtreme Bulls. Though 11 riders covered their first-round bulls, it came down to two riders in the championship round to determine the winner. The two riders, opposite ends of the spectrum, six-time world champion Sage Kimzey and the rookie sensation, Creek Young. In just his third year in professional rodeo – with two years on his permit previously – rookie bull rider Creek Young of Fort Scott, Kansas, edged Kimsey for the two-ride aggregate championship with 169.5 cumulative points. Pointing to the match-up of Young and his bull Bayou Bengal, livestock producer Pete Carr said, “That’s my pick.” “I drew him at the San Angelo Xtreme Bulls, and he bucked me off pretty easily,” Young said a bit bashfully. “I knew what I was getting on. I knew he was a bucker. I knew what to expect this time and got it done.” He did, to the tune of 87 points to win the short round and collect the aggregate title. He also finished the opening round in a tie for fourth place with a score of 82.5 points. In all, he collected $10,247 in Lea County. It was a nice windfall for having a much better ride on the bull the second time he had the chance. “I didn’t stay very forward (the first time),” Young said. “He leaves very high in the front end out of there, I got back last time and this time I made sure to stay forward, and it went a lot better.” Young credits PRCA Xtreme Bulls events as a vital component of bull riding in the PRCA. “This is probably where we get most of our money, so they help immensely.” The end goal, of course, is to advance to the National Finals Rodeo, but only the top 15 in the world standings at the conclusion of the regular season earn that opportunity. Young’s chances gained intense momentum due to the Xtreme Bulls events, amongst other rodeos during the marathon Cowboy Christmas run around the Fourth of July. “I placed high at Spanish Fork’s Xtreme, won the Red Lodge Xtreme Bulls and got third or fourth at the rodeo in Red Lodge,” Young said, also crediting a high placing at Cody, Wyoming, “I had a really good Fourth run. I think I made right at $18,000.” Young also won rodeo in Mercedes, Texas, and Pleasant Grove, Utah, earlier this season. “I haven’t really looked at the rookie race,” Young said, referring to the Resistol Rookie of the Year standings. “I’m just trying to make the NFR and stay in the top five.” Young is the No. 1 man in the rookie race and has a good chance to move up in the world standings with his take; prior to this week, he was sixth with $74,040. Lea County Xtreme BullsLovington, N.M.Aug. 3, 2021First round: 1. Roscoe Jarboe, 90 points on New Star Rodeo’s Listen Linda, $3,236; 2. Matt Palmer, 85.5, $2,481; 3. Rugar Piva, 84.5, $1,834; 4. (tie) Clayton Sellars and Creek Young, 82.5, $971; 6. Jesse Hopper, 82, $539; 7. (tie) Parker Breding and Sage Kimzey, 81, 377 each. Championship round: 1. Creek Young, 87 points on Pete Carr Rodeo’s Bayou Bengal, $3,883; 2. Sage Kimzey, 84.5, $3,308; no other qualified rides. Average: 1. Creek Young, 169.5 points on two rides, $5,393; 2. Sage Steele Kimzey, 165.5, $4,135; 3. Roscoe Jarboe, 90, $3,056; 4. Matt Palmer, 85.5, $1,978; 5. Rugar Piva, 84.5, $1,258 6. Clayton Sellars, 82.5, $899; 7. Jesse Hopper, $719; 8. (tie) Shane Proctor and Trey Benton III 80, $270 each.

DODGE CITY, Kan. – At 18 years of age, Mason Moody’s bull riding career is just getting started. He became eligible to be a professional bull rider in April, then purchased his PRCA permit two months later. In short order, he’s been to just five events, and he’s earned money at three of them. On Tuesday night, he put together the biggest ride of his young career by winning the Dodge City Xtreme Bulls at Roundup Arena. “I’ve went to three rodeos, and this is my second Xtreme Bulls,” Moody said. “I’ve placed at two rodeos, and I won my second Xtreme Bulls. “I haven’t gotten into much, but what I’ve gotten into, I’ve done really well at. I’ve got some points and some qualifications now.” Rodeo is much different than most sports, where young athletes will work their way to the professional level. Only a handful are like Lebron James and Kobe Bryant and are ready right out of high school. Rodeo offers a professional opportunity as soon as a cowboy turns 18. In the PRCA, contestants must first compete on their permits and earn $1,000 before they can become full members. The young cowboy in South Dakota will likely wait until the 2022 season before he does that, but he’s earned the right. His 88-point ride Tuesday night on 4L & Diamond S Ranch’s Space Unicorn earned him $5,471 and a new pair of Dodge City Xtreme Bulls spurs. They will go on the trophy shelf at his home in tiny Letcher, South Dakota, which boasts of a population of 166. “You have to drive a half hour to school, and you have to drive a half hour to get groceries,” Moody said. “We’re in the boondocks, but I like it that way.” Things didn’t start off well for the cowboy. He was able to stay on 4L & Diamond S Ranch’s 870, but he scored just 58 points. ProRodeo officials rewarded him with a re-ride, and, as the last cowboy to ride for the night, he walked away with the win. “This is super important,” he said. “To get a big win under your belt is big. You’ll get into bigger ProRodeos. You’re 18 years old, and you’ve already got a big win. Not very many kids get to do that. To do that at a young age is pretty special.” Dodge City Roundup Xtreme BullsDodge City, Kan.Aug. 3, 20211. Mason Moody, 88 points on 4L & Diamond S Rodeo’s Space Unicorn, $5,471; 2. Bubba Greig, 86.5, $4,194; 3. Tyler Hessman, 86, $3,100; 4. Shad Winn, 85.5, $2,006; 5. Trevor Reiste, 84.5, $1,277; 6. Denton Fugate, 83, $912; 7. (tie) Casey Fredericks, Tristen Hutchings and Trevor Kastner, 81.5, $426 each.

DODGE CITY, Kan. – Scott Snedecor, a four-time world champion from Fredericksburg, Texas, proved again Tuesday why he’s one of the best. The 19-time qualifier to the Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping became the first contestant at the 2021 Dodge City Roundup Rodeo to win a championship, and he did so in dominating fashion. Snedecor placed in all three rounds to win the aggregate title and pocket $6,571. It is the Texan’s third Roundup buckle. First round: 1. Dalton Walker, 9.8 seconds, $2,056; 2. Cole Patterson, 10.1, $1,788; 3. (tie) Scott Snedecor and Mike Chase, 11.6, $1,386 each; 5. Taylor Santos, 12.1, $983; 6. (tie) Don Ed Eddleman and Thomas Smith, 581; 8. Jess Tierney, 12.6, $179. Second round: 1. Garrett Hale, 9.4, $2,056; 2. Vin Fisher Jr., 10.9, $1,788; 3. Cash Myers, 11.3, $1,520; 4 (tie) Shay Good and Jim Locke, 11.4, $1,118; 6. Brodie Poppino, 11.9, $715; 7. Scott Snedecor, 12.3, $447; 8. J. Tom Fisher, 12.5, $179. Third round: 1. J. Tom Fisher, 10.3 seconds, $2,056; 2. (tie) Scott Snedecor and Don Ed Eddleman, 10.7, $1,654 each; 4. Cody Lee, 10.8, $1,252; 5. Travis Sheets, 10.9, $983; 6. Chris Glover, 11.0, $715; 7. Tony Reina, 11.5, $447; 8. Clay Long, 11.6, $179. Average: 1. Scott Snedecor, 34.6 seconds, $3,084; 2. Cash Myers, 37.4, $2,682; 3. Taylor Santos, 40.3, $2,280; 4. Tuff Hardman, 46.8, $1,877; 5. Jason Stockton, 48.4, $1,475; 6. Thomas Smith, 48.7, $1,073; 7. Kyle Cuthorn, 48.9, $671; 8. Tyrel Allen Taton, 49.6, $266.

LOVINGTON, N.M. – Not only will the top two bull riders in the PRCA world standings be in this southeastern New Mexico community for the Lea County Xtreme Bulls on Tuesday, they will return to Jake McClure Arena the following night for their shot at the Lea County Fair and Rodeo title, too. The rodeo, which will begin at 7:30 each night beginning Wednesday, will feature four performances and most of the top contestants in the sport through Saturday. But that opening night will be a battle between the No. 1 bull rider, six-time world champion Sage Kimzey, and the reigning world titlist, Stetson Wright, who also owns the last two all-around gold buckles. Both cowboys know, though, that their fight will be with the livestock they’ve been matched with by a random draw, and they’ve drawn deep. Both men will be matched with bulls that haven’t been ridden this year: Kimzey will attempt to ride Stace Smith Pro Rodeo’s Cowtown, while Wright will try his hand with Harper & Morgan Rodeo Co.’s Little Willie. They’re just two of the featured match-ups fans can expect to see inside the historic arena in Lovington. Wright will also have his hands full in saddle bronc riding, lifting his rein and spurring Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Black Knight. Also in bronc riding, two National Finals Rodeo qualifiers will be matched together Thursday night when CoBurn Bradshaw tries his hand with Carr’s Gold Coast. Jacobs Crawley, the 2015 world champion, will try to spur NFR bucking horse Mike & Ike, a bronc that’s been on the winning end inside Jake McClure Arena. That same night, two-time world champion Taos Muncy of Corona, New Mexico, will try to hang on to Carr’s Dirty Flirt, a bucking beast that has been hard to conquer for several years. In bareback riding, Lane McGehee, a former college national champion, has been matched with two-time Bareback Horse of the Year Dirty Jacket. That bout will take place on the final night of the fair and rodeo, and Saturday will also feature six-time NFR qualifier Jake Brown and Carr’s South Point Gambler and Carr’s Painted River with Zach Hibler, a former PRCA Rookie of the Year. Richmond Champion, a six-time NFR qualifier, will try his hand with another NFR veteran, Carr’s Night Bells. Jess Pope, who won the NFR average title in his first bid to compete at ProRodeo’s grand championship event this past December, will be matched with Carr’s Good Time Charlie. The powerful sorrel gelding has been half the equation during the last two championship rides in Lovington. Bill Tutor scored 87.5 points to win the title in 2018, and Tanner Aus was 90 on Good Time Charlie to win in 2019. The red superstar has bucked 13 straight times at the NFR, and he’s just one of dozens of outstanding bucking animals that will be part of this year’s Lea County Fair and Rodeo.