Monthly Archives: October 2021

DUNCAN, Okla. – Bareback riding is the toughest event in rodeo. The cowboys wedge their hands in a rigging, which is cinched tightly to a horse’s back. They use specially designed gloves that lock their hands onto the rigging, thereby locking themselves on the animal. The ride is meant to be done in rhythm with the horse’s bucking motion, but it takes a toll. That’s why Blaine Kaufman thinks about retirement on an annual basis. “I think I’ll start slowing down every year,” said Kaufman, 29, of Pretty Prairie, Kansas. “I’ve got to buy my card for the RAM (National Circuit) Finals, so I may as well keep going.” That’s been the case the past two years and will be so again in 2022 after he won the bareback riding at the Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo and clinched his second average and year-end titles in his 10th qualification to the regional championship for contestants and rodeos primarily in Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. “I’ve been really blessed that I haven’t had any bad injuries in my career,” he said. He first qualified for the circuit finale in 2011 and has missed just one year since. That’s a high-water mark for a cowboy who makes his rodeo living by staying close to home. That’s why the circuit system works for him. “It seems like I had to work harder for this one,” said Kaufman, who won the year-end and average titles in 2019. Garrett (Shadbolt) was on my heals the whole season. It came down to a riding and drawing contest when it came to the finals. It was a fun year.” He earned his way to this year’s championship by placing at 21 circuit rodeos, winning six of them. In all, in finished the season with $23,106, with $6,918 coming over the three days of the regional finals. “I just stay in the circuit for the most part,” he said. “I’ll go to some of the big winter rodeos, but I’ve got a wife and three kids at home, and we run cows. I like being close to home.” His children are ages 7, 4 and almost 2. “They keep you on your toes,” he said. With the victories, Kaufman will advance to the national circuit finale for the third straight year – while he didn’t qualify for that a year ago, he finished second in the year-end race to Shadbolt, who also won both average and year-end titles; typically, only the two champions qualify for the national championship, but when the same person wins both, the runner-up in the overall race moves on. That event will take place next year. “It’s always good to make those,” Kaufman said. “I’ve had some good luck there and finishes second there in 2020.” He’ll have a chance to improve upon that in 2022. Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals RodeoOct. 14-16Duncan, Okla.All-around champion: Paul David Tierney Year-end all-around champion: Paul David TeirneyBareback riding: First round: 1. Garrett Shadbolt, 85 points on New   Frontier’s No 16, $1,845; 2. Blaine Kaufman, 84.5, $1,384; 3. Will Martin, 77.5, $922; 4. Mark Kreder, 75, $461. Second round: 1. Blaine Kaufman, 85 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Night Fist, $1,845; 2. Will Martin, 82.5, $1,384; 3. (tie) Mark Kreder and Mike Fred, 79, $692 each. Third round: 1. Garrett Shadbolt, 83.5 points, $1,844; 2. Mark Kreder, 82, $1,384; 3. Blaine Kaufman, 81, $922; 4. Will Martin, 80, $461. Average: 1. Blaine Kaufman, 250.5 points on three rides, $2,767; 2. Garrett Shadbolt, 244, $2,075; 3. Will Martin, 240, $1,384; 4. Mark Kreder, 236, $692. Year-end champion: Blaine Kaufman Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Jerek VanPetten, 4.4 seconds, $1,901; 2. Tyler Ravenscroft, 4.7, $1,426; 3. Laramie Warren, 4.8, $951; 4. Cody Devers, 5.0, $475. Second round: 1. Riley Duvall, 4.5 seconds, $1,901; 2. Sam Goings, 4.8, $1,426; 3. (tie) Tucker Alberts and Adam Lynn Musil, 4.9, $713 each. Third round: 1. Cody Devers, 4.4 seconds, $1,901; 2. Bridger Anderson, 4.7, $1,426; 3. Riley Duvall, 5.0, $951; 4. Gus Franzen, 6.4 seconds, $475. Average: 1. Cody Devers, 14.5 seconds on three runs, $2,852; 2. Riley Duvall, 15.4, $2,139; 3. Bridger Anderson, 16.7, $1,426; 4. Gus Franzen, 18.4, $713. Year-end champion: Stockton Graves Breakaway roping: First round: 1. Darcy Good, 2.5 seconds, $816; 2. Jenna Lee Hays, 2.7, $612; 3. Emma Charleston, 2.8, $408; 4. Hannah Lee, 2.9, $204. Second round: 1. Taylor Munsell, 2.4 seconds, $816; 2. Christi Braudrick, 2.5, $612; 3. Jenna Lee Hays, 4.1, $408; 4. Darcy Good, 4.2, $204. Third round: 1. Jaice Walters, 2.6 seconds, $816; 2. Amber Coleman, 2.8, $612; 3. Hope Luttrell, 4.3, $408; 4. Christi Braudrick, 4.8, $204. Average: 1. Christi Braudrick, 19.5 seconds on three runs, $1,224; 2. Amber Coleman, 6.0 seconds on two runs, $918; 3. Darcy Good, 6.7, $612; 4. Jenna Lee Hays, 6.8, $306. Year-end champion: Taylor Munsell Saddle bronc riding: First round 1. (tie) Hardy Braden, on New Frontier’s Boomerang, and Cody Ballard, on Salt Creek Rodeo’s Birthday Suit, 81 points $1,663 each; 3. Colt Gordon, 77, $951; 4. Ean Price, 74.5, $475. Second round: 1. Cody Ballard, 78 points on Beutler & Son Rodeo’s No Show Jones, $1,901; 2. Sam Martin, 77, $1,426; 3. Wyatt Lohman, 75.5, $951; 4. Colt Cunningham, 70, $475. Third round: 1. Weston Patterson, 87 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Cross Fire, $1,901; 2. Sam Martin, 85, $1,426; 3. Hardy Braden, 84, $951; 4. Colt Gordon, 81, $475. Average: 1. Cody Ballard, 236 points on three rides, $2,852; 2. Sam Martin, 234, $2,139; 3. Hardy Braden, 165 points on two rides, $1,426; 4. Colt Gordon, 158, $713. Year-end champion: Cody Ballard Team roping: First round: 1. Paul David Tierney/Tanner Braden, 4.3 seconds, $1,901; 2. Bubba Buckaloo/Rance Doyal, 4.8, $1,426; 3. Jake Clay/Billie Jack Saebens, 5.0, $951; 4. (tie) Miles Baker/Zack Woods and Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins, 5.5, $238 each. Second round: 1. Bubba Buckaloo/Rance Doyal, 4.8 seconds, $1,901; 2. Paul David Tierney/Tanner Braden, 5.5, $1,426; 3. (tie) Peyton Holliday/Kolton Good and Miles Baker/Zack  Continue Reading »

DUNCAN, Okla. – For true competitors, losing often is a mountainous motivator. It was certainly the case for breakaway roper Taylor Munsell of Arnett, Oklahoma, on Friday night. Munsell failed to get a time in Thursday’s opening round of the Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo at the Stephens County Arena. She turned things around on the second night of the regional championship, stopping the clock in 2.4 seconds to win the round and pocket $816. That money was pretty special, because it secured her first circuit title. “We needed to go ahead and secure the year-end title,” said Munsell, the 2019 breakaway roping national champion while competing at the College National Finals Rodeo for Northwestern Oklahoma State University. “It was a really cool deal, too, because I just found out earlier today that Monster, the horse I rode, ended up winning Horse of the Year for the Prairie Circuit. “It was good to come back and get the round win on him since he’s working so good now.” What made matters worse was how things came down in the opening round. In breakaway roping, cowgirls rope the calves around the neck, and the tail end of the rope is attached by a string that breaks when the rope is pulled tight. The clock stops then. “I thought I made a good run last night,” she said. “Things just didn’t come out like we wanted, so I was ready to come back. I had my mind set that it was going to happen.” It did. It propelled Munsell’s season circuit earnings to $12,078, giving her a lead in the standings that can’t be surpassed on the final two nights of the region’s season. It’s quite fitting that she and Monster earned their titles on the same day. He’s the reason she excelled at the college level and why she’s had so much success since. She was 13 when she first got on Monster, and she has only gotten off for a few reasons since. This year, he’s helped guide the Oklahoma cowgirl to her first qualification to the National Finals Breakaway Roping, which will take place at Orleans Arena in conjunction with the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. “One of the things I was looking forward to was getting to run somewhere like here where it’s a go-fast setup, and it’s a lot of pressure and loud,” Munsell said. “This horse got hurt this summer. He has hardly been anywhere since Caldwell (Idaho in August). We need to get back to clicking together, because he’s my main one, and he’s the one I’m going to run in Vegas. “You have to have 100 percent faith in these suckers, especially when you’re going to make 10 runs on them in a row over two days and expect them to make their best run every run.” Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals RodeoOct. 14-16Duncan, Okla.Bareback riding: First round: 1. Garrett Shadbolt, 85 points on New Frontier’s No 16, $1,845; 2. Blaine Kaufman, 84.5, $1,384; 3. Will Martin, 77.5, $922; 4. Mark Kreder, 75, $461. Second round: 1. Blaine Kaufman, 85 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Night Fist, $1,845; 2. Will Martin, 82.5, $1,384; 3. (tie) Mark Kreder and Mike Fred, 79, $692 each. Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Jerek VanPetten, 4.4 seconds, $1,901; 2. Tyler Ravenscroft, 4.7, $1,426; 3. Laramie Warren, 4.8, $951; 4. Cody Devers, 5.0, $475. Second round: 1. Riley Duvall, 4.5 seconds, $1,901; 2. Sam Goings, 4.8, $1,426; 3. (tie) Tucker Alberts and Adam Lynn Musil, 4.9, $713 each. Breakaway roping: First round: 1. Darcy Good, 2.5 seconds, $816; 2. Jenna Lee Hays, 2.7, $612; 3. Emma Charleston, 2.8, $408; 4. Hannah Lee, 2.9, $204. Second round: 1. Taylor Munsell, 2.4 seconds, $816; 2. Christi Braudrick, 2.5, $612; 3. Jenna Lee Hays, 4.1, $408; 4. Darcy Good, 4.2, $204. Saddle bronc riding: First round 1. (tie) Hardy Braden, on New Frontier’s Boomerang, and Cody Ballard, on Salt Creek Rodeo’s Birthday Suit, 81 points $1,663 each; 3. Colt Gordon, 77, $951; 4. Ean Price, 74.5, $475. Second round: 1. Cody Ballard, 78 points on Beutler & Son Rodeo’s No Show Jones, $1,901; 2. Sam Martin, 77, $1,426; 3. Wyatt Lohman, 75.5, $951; 4. Colt Cunningham, 70, $475. Team roping: First round: 1. Paul David Tierney/Tanner Braden, 4.3 seconds, $1,901; 2. Bubba Buckaloo/Rance Doyal, 4.8, $1,426; 3. Jake Clay/Billie Jack Saebens, 5.0, $951; 4. (tie) Miles Baker/Zack Woods and Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins, 5.5, $238 each. Second round: 1. Bubba Buckaloo/Rance Doyal, 4.8 seconds, $1,901; 2. Paul David Tierney/Tanner Braden, 5.5, $1,426; 3. (tie) Peyton Holliday/Kolton Good and Miles Baker/Zack Woods, 6.4, $713 each.Tie-down roping: First round: 1. Tyler Milligan, 8.7 seconds, $1,901; 2. Will Howell, 8.8, $1,426; 3. Paul David Tierney, 8.9, $951; 4. Ryan Jarrett, 9.1, $475. Second round: 1. Will Howell, 8.9 seconds, $1901; 2. Travis Rogers, 9.4, $1,426; 3. Cody McCartney, 9.8, $951; 4. Wyatt Muggli, 10.1, $475, Barrel racing: First round: 1. Emma Charleston, 15.66 seconds, $1,901; 2. Emily Miller-Beisel, 15.68, $1,426; 3. Randi Holliday, 15.72, $951; 4. Jamie Chaffin, 15.75, $475. Second round: 1. Emma Charleston, 13.35 seconds, $1,901; 2. Randi Holliday, 15.68, $1,426; 3. Ari-Anna Flynn, 15.89, $951; 4. Sadie Wolaver, 15.92, $475. Bull riding: First round: 1. Fulton Rutland, 84.5 points on Salt Creek Rodeo’s McCraken, $2,060; 2. Lukasey Morris, 84, $1,584; 3. Trevor Kastner, 81, $1,109; no other qualified rides. Second round: 1. Trevor Kastner, 84 points on Rafter H Rodeo’s No. 849, $2,060; 2. C.J. Simms, 82.5, $1,584; 3. Fulton Rutland, 81.5, $1,109; no other qualified rides.

DUNCAN, Okla. – Now in his third qualification to the Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo, Jarek VanPetten has learned a thing or two about the Stephens County Arena. “I think the key tonight was getting a good start,” said VanPetten, who knocked his steer to the ground in 4.4 seconds to win the first round in steer wrestling Thursday night. “I got a really good start, and some guys were missing the barrier a little bit. In this barn, if you run them too far, it can get pretty short pretty fast.” For his win, the cowboy collected $1,900. He’s far enough down the money list that he doesn’t have to catch year-end standings leader Stockton Graves of Alva, Oklahoma, but every dollar counts. It’s also important to get off to a good start, because the only way he can advance beyond this weekend’s championship is to win the average by having the best three-run cumulative time. The year-end and finals-average winners in each circuit move on to the RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo, which is expected to take place next spring in Kissimmee, Florida. “To advance on, I have to win the average,” said VanPetten of Cimarron, Kansas. “I also want to get a good start on the next year. My goal is to come down here and win the average and to go ahead to the National Circuit Finals.” He earned his way to Duncan by competing at two dozen rodeos in the circuit, made up of rodeos and contestants from primarily Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. That’s a bunch, but he didn’t win many big checks. In fact, he won a lot of little checks at the smaller rodeos. How he got to the circuit finals didn’t matter; he took care of business on opening night. “They said my steer was supposed to be real average and gentle on the ground,” VanPetten said. “I hadn’t seen him anywhere, but I took their word for it. I took me a pretty good start, and he was good. After watching the others, though, I think that steer stands out in that herd.” Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals RodeoOct. 14-16Duncan, Okla.Bareback riding: 1. Garrett Shadbolt, 85 points on New Frontier’s No 16, $1,845; 2. Blaine Kaufman, 84.5, $1,384; 3. Will Martin, 77.5, $922; 4. Mark Kreder, 75, $461. Steer wrestling: 1. Jerek VanPetten, 4.4 seconds, $1,901; 2. Tyler Ravenscroft, 4.7, $1,426; 3. Laramie Warren, 4.8, $951; 4. Cody Devers, 5.0, $475. Breakaway roping: 1. Darcy Good, 2.5 seconds, $816; 2. Jenna Lee Hays, 2.7, $612; 3. Emma Charleston, 2.8, $408; 4. Hannah Lee, 2.9, $204. Saddle bronc riding: 1. (tie) Hardy Braden, on New Frontier’s Boomerang, and Cody Ballard, on Salt Creek Rodeo’s Birthday Suit, 81 points $1,663 each; 3. Colt Gordon, 77, $951; 4. Ean Price, 74.5, $475. Team roping: 1. Paul David Tierney/Tanner Braden, 4.3 seconds, $1,901; 2. Bubba Buckaloo/Rance Doyal, 4.8, $1,426; 3. Jake Clay/Billie Jack Saebens, 5.0, $951; 4. (tie) Miles Baker/Zack Woods and Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins, 5.5, $238 each.Tie-down roping: 1. Tyler Milligan, 8.7 seconds, $1,901; 2. Will Howell, 8.8, $1,426; 3. Paul David Tierney, 8.9, $951; 4. Ryan Jarrett, 9.1, $475. Barrel racing: 1. Emma Charleston, 15.66 seconds, $1,901; 2. Emily Miller-Beisel, 15.68, $1,426; 3. Randi Holliday, 15.72, $951; 4. Jamie Chaffin, 15.75, $475. Bull riding: 1. Fulton Rutland, 84.5 points on Salt Creek Rodeo’s McCraken, $2,060; 2. Lukasey Morris, 84, $1,584; 3. Trevor Kastner, 81, $1,109; no other qualified rides.

DUNCAN, Okla. – Just $146 separates Ryan Jarrett, the all-around standings leader in the Prairie Circuit, and the No. 2 man, Paul David Tierney. That means the race for the most coveted title in the region will come down to the three performances of the Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 14-Saturday, Oct. 16, at the Stephens County Arena in Duncan. Each man understands the importance of the all-around. Jarrett, a 14-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier from nearby Comanche, Oklahoma, won the 2005 all-around world championship. Tierney is a two-time winner of the Timed Event Championship, a unique event that features cowboys battling in all five timed events. Both men earned the right to compete for the title in the region made up of contestants and rodeos primarily in Oklahoma, Nebraska and Kansas. Jarrett is the No. 2 man in tie-down roping heading into the finale, while Tierney is ninth in both tie-down roping and heading – only the top 12 contestants in each event’s money list advances to the circuit finals. “Qualifying in two events gives you another shot at making money,” said Tierney, who won the all-around title in 2018, the same year he and partner, Tanner Braden won the year-end team roping championship. “When you’re a two-event cowboy, it doubles your chances to do well, but at this deal, it gives you two shots to make the RAM finals.” He’s talking about the RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo, which features the year-end and finals-average winners from each of the 14 circuits. That event will take place next spring in Kissimmee, Florida, and offers a substantial payout and a host of other prizes, including a voucher for a RAM vehicle. “Making the RAM finals is a bigger deal than winning the all-around,” Tierney said. “It’s just an added bonus when you end up winning the all-around, too.” Tierney moved to Oklahoma a few years ago from his family’s ranch in South Dakota. He attended Northwestern Oklahoma State University on a rodeo scholarship and found the Sooner State to his liking. He’s been on the verge of making the NFR but has never crossed the target line. Whereas Jarrett has focused his attention on returning to ProRodeo’s grand finale in Las Vegas, Tierney stayed closer to home and hopes to make up ground in both events in Duncan this week. “I had a young calf horse, so I just tried to make the circuit finals on him,” he said. “He’s a really nice horse. I rode him at the Timed Event, and just getting him used to the crowds was something. It went pretty good for his first year, so I’m pretty happy.” Ideally, he’d like to earn a trip to the RNCFR in both tie-down roping and team roping, all the while seeing if he can catch Jarrett for the all-around crown. “Ryan is hard to beat in calf roping, and I’m sure it’s going to be hard in Duncan,” Tierney said. “I have double the money to run at, so I just need to take care of my business.”

Bareback rider hopes to add to college and rookie titles at the NFR Bret Franks had just made his third National Finals Rodeo in four years in December 2000, proving his place as one of the elite saddle bronc riders of the time. His wife, Darla, was pregnant – very pregnant – with their second son, Cole. “I was as big as a barn,” she said, noting that she also was with-child in 1997 when Bret competed in Las Vegas for the first time. Both Cole and his older brother, Clint, were February babies, separated by three years and four days. Both boys have followed in their father’s footsteps in the world of rodeo. At age 20, the baby of the family is already making a name for himself. He’s clinched the 2021 Resistol Bareback Riding Rookie of the Year title and is heading to his first NFR, 12th in the world standings after a phenomenal campaign. It’s been so good, in fact, that Cole Franks can’t put his finger on one thing that stood out more than the others. It’s been so good that he has a chance to become just the fifth person in ProRodeo history to win a college title and a world championship in the same calendar year, following in the footsteps of Ty Murray, all-around 1989; Matt Austin, bull riding 2005; Taos Muncy, saddle bronc riding 2007; and Haven Meged, tie-down roping 2019. “Making the finals is really great,” Cole Franks said. “When I got my card this year, I wasn’t focused on it or even looking at the finals this year. I was just looking at the rookie deal and banking on making the finals next year.  For it to happen this year is really cool.” His focus changed sometime over the summer after the College National Finals Rodeo, where he dominated bareback riding and also advanced to the championship round in saddle bronc riding. He left Casper, Wyoming, with both the bareback riding and the all-around national titles. Then he jumped in the rig with bareback riders Tim O’Connell, a three-time world champion, and Jess Pope, who won the average at his first NFR last December. “When I got in with Tim and Jess, they asked me what my goal was, and I told them my main goal was the rookie,” he said. “They told me to make the main goal the finals, then the rookie will take care of itself.” They were right. As the only rookie to have qualified for the NFR, Franks has that title in his back pocket heading to Las Vegas to battle for the world championship, set for Dec. 2-11 at the Thomas & Mack Center. He is in an elite field that features 12 NFR veterans, including three men that own nine of the last 10 gold buckles: O’Connell (2016-18), Clayton Biglow (2019) and Kaycee Feild (2011-14, 2020). Maybe, just maybe, this is what Cole Franks was bred to do. He was born Feb. 14, 2001, in Guymon, Oklahoma. Being the father of two, Bret Franks kept his focus on rodeo but less on competing. He retired in 2004 but stayed around rodeo for another five years as the general manager for a stock contracting firm. He moved the family south 150 miles to the Texas Panhandle town of Clarendon and eventually became the rodeo coach at Clarendon College. With his son picking up points and several others contributing along the way, the Bulldogs won the men’s team title this past June. It was actually Bret Franks’ third men’s team title as a coach; he’d done so in 1997 and ’98 while coaching at his alma mater, Oklahoma Panhandle State University. The fact that the Okies became Texans didn’t change much. The terrain in the Panhandles is much the same, and rodeo was always around the corner. From 2009-2015, he was a part-time rodeo judge, marking scores and making sure the rules were applied. He still does it from time to time, but he was always and forever will be seen as a coach. “From Little League baseball to football and everything else, Dad was always my coach,” Cole Franks said. “I started competing in eighth grade with junior high steer riding. At all the rodeos Dad would judge, they’d have donkey riding. That’s where bareback riding started. “I’ve team roped a little bit, but the roughstock stuff is all I knew growing up. I never paid attention to the timed events.” A junior at Missouri Valley College in Marshall, Missouri, he still competes in saddle bronc riding at college rodeos. His success in bareback riding, though, has positioned Franks on a launching pad, ready to take off up the charts. “I’ve gone back and forth a lot about riding broncs, too,” he said. “I would give it a couple more years or at least riding a lot better in broncs before I would really go.” There’s also something about bareback riding that fits his personality. It’s much like his early days of playing tackle football; he was a little fireball, nearly a foot shorter than the three other captains walking out for the coin flip. “Bareback riding is just more of a fight,” said Franks, all grown up and 5-foot-7. “I wouldn’t say I’ve always had a fighter’s personality, but I’ve always wished I was in a way. I think that’s what made me stick with it because of the aggressiveness of it. In the bronc riding, you have to be relaxed to a point, but in bareback riding, it’s 100 percent bare down.”   Soft-spoken to a point, Cole Franks knows what he wants to achieve. He is a second-generation NFR qualifier, and that speaks volumes about how he was raised and how he wants to honor his family. But, like any competitive athlete who is always about bettering himself and circumstances, he wants to do even better than Dad. “It’s cool to think I’m following in Dad’s footsteps, even if it’s in  Continue Reading »

DUNCAN, Okla. – When the Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals commences later this week, it will be a preview of ProRodeo’s grand championship, the National Finals Rodeo. First and foremost, it’s the regional finale for the Prairie Circuit, which is made up of rodeos and contestants primarily from Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. But there are so many top-quality contestants in the circuit that it looks like a mini-NFR. The circuit finals – set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 14-Saturday, Oct. 16, at the Stephens County Arena in Duncan – will feature eight contestants that will also make a run for the world championships in their respective events at the NFR in December. It will also be the place that will showcase one-third of the qualifiers to the Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping, which takes place next month. The highlight will be Ryan Jarrett of nearby Comanche, Oklahoma, who this year has earned his 14th qualification to the NFR. The 2005 all-around world champion leads the circuit’s all-around standings and is in the mix for the tie-down roping title. The steer ropers heading to Kansas in November are led by Cole Patterson, the No. 1 cowboy in the standings, and his dad, Rocky Patterson, a four-time world champion. Also in the mix at both the circuit finals and the NFSR are Mike Chase, Chet Herren and Thomas Smith. Steer wrestling in this region has been a hot spot for the greatest in the world for decades, and that continues in 2021. Stockton Graves leads the pack of three bulldoggers heading to Las Vegas, including four-time finalist Riley Duvall and first-timer Cody Devers. Graves is the rodeo coach at Northwestern Oklahoma State University, and Devers was one of his former student-athletes. The team roping tandem of header Andrew Ward and heeler Buddy Hawkins will return together to the NFR for the second year in a row. This marks Hawkins’ fourth trip to the finals. They are the defending year-end champions in the Prairie Circuit. Barrel racer Emily Miller Beisel, a past circuit titlist, has earned her third straight NFR qualification, while bareback rider Garrett Shadbolt is riding the momentum of last year’s circuit-finals victory into the Nevada desert for the first time. The history of greatness in the region dates back decades, with world champions like Jarrett, the Etbauer brothers, Roy Duvall, Ote Berry and Janae Ward Massey, just to name a few. This year’s field of circuit finalists includes several former qualifiers: tie-down roper Tyler Milligan; bull rider Trevor Kastner; saddle bronc riders Hardy Braden and Colt Gordon; heelers Billie Jack Saebens and Shannon Frascht; barrel racers Tamara Reinhardt and Tracy Nowlin; and steer ropers Brodie Poppino and Roger Branch. The best in the world like to prove themselves close to home, and many of them will do it later this week.

ALVA, Okla. – Kaden Greenfield was just 3 years old when is father, Shawn, first made the National Finals Rodeo as one of the top 15 steer wrestlers in the PRCA. “I was alive for all of his seven qualifications to the NFR, but the only one I remember was his last year when he finished second in the world,” Kaden Greenfield said, referring to the 2011 season. “It was a crazy experience.” He was 11 years old at that NFR, and that time in his life is still reflected in his own rodeo career, which includes being a steer wrestler for Northwestern Oklahoma State University. In fact, Greenfield has done fairly well early in the Central Plains Region season. This past weekend, he won the steer wrestling title at the Oklahoma State University rodeo in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Greenfield stopped the clock in 4.5 seconds to finish third in the opening round, then dominated the championship round with a 3.7-second run, which was half a second faster than second place. He moved up to sixth in the regional standings. “It was pretty cool,” said Greenfield, a recent transfer from Blue Mountain Community College in his home state of Oregon. “It was my birthday Saturday during the short round. “Ever since I got on a different horse, it’s been going really good.” That horse change was created out of necessity. During the Southeastern Oklahoma State University rodeo the week before, Greenfield’s horse was injured during the opening round in Durant, Oklahoma. For the short round, he jumped on a horse owned by teammate Brent Woodward of Dupree, South Dakota, and won that round. The Rangers had several other contestants find success in Stillwater. Team roping header Jadon Trimble of Coffeyville, Kansas, won the short round while roping with Shane Jenkins of Northeastern Oklahoma A&M. The tandem finished third overall. Heeler Jaydon Laubhan of Follett, Texas, finished second overall while roping with Corbin Culley of Western Oklahoma State College; they placed third in the first round and tied for second in the short round. Header Kellen Alliston of Waynoka, Oklahoma, placed fourth in the opening round with a 6.5-second run with his partner, Dylan Collins of Pratt (Kansas) Community College. The Northwestern women were paced by Jayden Jensen of Fallon, Nevada, who finished fifth in both the short round and average in breakaway roping. Greenfield earned big points in Stillwater by riding Woodward’s horse and having Woodward haze. By having early-season, Greenfield hopes to stay on a roll for the rest of the campaign and advance to the College National Finals Rodeo for the second straight year; he qualified this past June while competing at Blue Mountain. “I went to Blue Mountain because I wanted to stay close to home,” said Greenfield, 21, of Lakeview, Oregon. “My dad went there for two years, so I thought I’d better go there for a couple years. “I came to Northwestern because I wanted to go somewhere that I could practice every day, and this sounded like the perfect place for what I wanted to do.” He’s being coached by Northwestern alumnus Stockton Graves, who, like Shawn Greenfield, last competed in steer wrestling at the NFR in 2011. Graves just finished the 2021 regular season ninth in the world standings and will return to ProRodeo’s championship for the eighth time this coming December. “Stockton just has the same mentality of my dad of being a winner,” Kaden Greenfield said. “I use my dad’s experiences as a way to motivate myself, knowing what he did. It’s great to have someone like him in my corner. Dad pushes me every time I practice to get better.”

Alberta cowgirl heading to National Finals as the No. 1 roper Shelby Boisjoli had already clinched her second straight qualification to the National Finals Breakaway Roping before the regular season came to an end, but that didn’t stop her from closing out the campaign on a high note. Boisjoli won the ProRodeo Tour Finale in Salinas, California, pocketing $7,807 in the process and pushing herself to the No. 1 position in the world standings heading into the finale, which will take place in conjunction with the National Finals Rodeo this December in Las Vegas. “It’s an honor to compete alongside the women I have all year,” said Boisjoli, who finished the 2021 regular season with $52,486 and holds a lead of just less than $1,400 over the second-ranked cowgirl, Sawyer Gilbert of Buffalo, South Dakota. “To compete at this level, it’s super exciting to be going to Las Vegas. “I’m really excited with the direction breakaway roping is going and the way things have changed in a short time. It’s an honor to be a pioneer for the sport.” She has earned the right to be a pioneer and one of the elite breakaway ropers in ProRodeo. She’s done so over a lifetime of competition, something that was just a typical part of her raising near Langdon, Alberta, a community of about 5,000 people southeast of Calgary. As the middle of three daughters to Garth and Sherry Boisjoli, there was a natural progression to battle … whether it was on the basketball court or in the rodeo arena. “I think my parents’ influence is helping me every day, and it will help me every day of my life,” said Shelby Boisjoli, a Cinch endorsee. “They’re always really positive. I talk to them every other day, if not every day.” Garth Boisjoli didn’t let his girls rope off a horse until they could rope the dummy 50 times in a row, but there’s a method to that madness. Each had ropes in their hands at a young age and would swing them; Shelby started roping at age 12. By that time, the family had already established a passion for competition. Makayla, Shelby’s older sister by 16 months, has indicated the sibling rivalry began when Shelby was born, then continued with Marissa came along. There was basketball and soccer. There was swimming and drama classes. If they weren’t at some sort of practice or handling their share of chores, they were riding horses. “We had so much fun growing up,” Shelby Boisjoli said last year. “(Langdon) used to be a really small population, and everybody knew everybody. I don’t remember being in the house when we were little. We were outside from the time we got up in the morning until after dark.” One thing it all did was establish a work ethic the Boisjoli girls carry to this day. “Having a work ethic is extremely important,” she said. “I need to show up at a rodeo and feel that I’ve worked harder than every other girl that’s there. Work ethic and mental game go hand in hand, because I need to know that I can win and I can beat the next girl. “It’s hard not being able to practice, to be out here rodeoing and not have time to practice. I have to talk myself into not having to work every day.” Life has definitely changed for breakaway ropers over the last four years. With its introduction in The American in 2019, the sport has skyrocketed in terms of contestants and the opportunities they have to make a living. In ProRodeo, the National Finals Breakaway Roping inaugurated during the 2020 NFR in Arlington, Texas, and more events are including breakaway roping into their schedules. “It’s been different; I definitely got a taste of what the cowboys go through every year,” Boisjoli said. “There are a lot of highs and lows, and helps helped me learn to control my emotions. “It’s been so fun, going to all the places and seeing the people we get to meet. I’ve gotten to see the ocean. The experience has totally been worth it all.” She moved away from home a few years ago to compete at Ranger (Texas) College, then moved to Stephenville, Texas, to focus on her roping career. In fact, her sisters also live in Stephenville, and they’ve taken their Alberta training to the Lone Star State.  Shelby Boisjoli has taken it to the biggest stages in rodeo. She’s the top dog in a field of top dogs preparing to battle during the NFBR in December for the second straight year. “It’s actually super cool how breakaway roping has taken off,” she said in 2020. “As a little girl with your dad out there for all those late nights, we worked for hours and hours for this. We never thought it would take off anywhere, but it’s as much for our parents as it is for us. They hauled us to so many events over the years, and they were there for the practices. “It’s paying off now.” It is … for her and many other ladies that want to make a living with a rope. No matter what happens from this day forward, she will always remember those magical days at the first NFBR in 2020. She and 14 other women roped inside a makeshift arena in the shape of a baseball diamond, and, in doing so, made a statement that helped change the face of the rodeo world. “It was so special; it’s something I will never forget the rest of my life,” Boisjoli said. “I’ll definitely cherish that moment, that time. I’ll be able to tell my kids one day that I got to rope at the first National Finals.” Most likely, it was just the first of what most insiders perceive is many for the Alberta-born cowgirl. She’s made it two in a row, and she has the background and work ethic to make it happen many  Continue Reading »

It was a dry December, not particularly cold, when my wife-to-be and I went to the Lathams’ place near Goodwell, Oklahoma. It was a common visit for longtime friends. My wife had known all the families around Goodwell for a long time, and I’d become acquainted through the newspaper stories I’d written. With Lynette at my side, those conversations went from interviews to talks with good friends. As we visited, the topic of the NFR came about, and I asked Craig if watching the rodeo on TV made him miss riding broncs; he was still fairly new to this rodeo retirement thing, so it wasn’t out of line just yet. “When you see those good ones, you really get to craving the chance to get on something like that,” he said. “I still miss it.” The subject of the “Eliminator Pen” of broncs came up, and with his dry wit, Craig said, “Just as soon as I start missing bronc riding really bad, they put the E Pen out, and I realize I don’t miss getting on those at all. There’s a reason I’m retired.” When he was diagnosed with cancer so many years ago, I pointedly asked why he chose John’s Hopkins and traveling so far away from home for treatment. His answer was simple: “When I rodeoed, I rode with the best guys going, and I got on the best horses. If I’m going to fight this thing, I’m going with the best there is: The best doctors, the best place to treat this type of cancer, and that’s in Baltimore.” Craig fought. Lori fought. Chaney and now her family has fought. Sadie has fought. Those of us that love and care for Craig have fought, and guess what: We won. It may not seem like it right now, but winners are the ones who continue to slug it out when it’s hard to get off the mat. Craig Latham has spurred the beast. It may not be in the way we had all dreamed, but it’s in a way befitting a true cowboy.

ALVA, Okla. – Camden Hoelting and Austin Lampe had been waiting for the moment for quite some time. Both are juniors at Northwestern Oklahoma State University, and they’ve gone to more than a dozen rodeos over their first two years of competing in college rodeo; still, they’d never earned an event title until this past weekend at the Southeastern Oklahoma State University rodeo in Durant. “It was about going to all the rodeos I’ve gone to in the past two years, so winning this was pretty special,” said Lampe, a heeler from Dodge City, Kansas. “This was only my third time to make a short round and was the first time I’ve placed in a rodeo, and we ended up winning it.” Yes, they did. The tandem stopped the clock in 6.5 seconds in the first round, which saw them finish just out of placing for points, but they stepped things up in the championship round. They finished with a 5.8-second run, and their 12.3-second cumulative time on two runs was the top time by almost a second. In all, they earned 120 points and moved into the top five in the Central Plains Region’s team roping standings. “It helps us a lot being the second rodeo of the year and us not having the best of luck at the first one in Colby (Kansas),” said Hoelting, a header from Olpe, Kansas. “It also helps a lot in confidence when you get the win, especially in Durant, where the roping is always so tough. It puts confidence in your head going into the next one.” They weren’t the only Rangers to have success in southeastern Oklahoma. Header Stran Morris of Woodward, Oklahoma – roping with heeler Jordan Lavins of Western Oklahoma State College – finished third in both rounds and placed third overall. Header Jaden Trimble of Coffeyville, Kansas, placed in a tie for sixth place in the first round with his partner, Shane Jenkins of Northeastern Oklahoma A&M. Steer wrestler Kaden Greenfield of Lakeview, Oregon, earned his way into the short round with a 6.2-second run in the opening round, then won the championship round with a 3.9-second run. He finished third overall. Breakaway roper Hannah Zimmers of Eureka, Kansas, finished second in Durant. She finished sixth in the first round with a 2.6-second run, then followed that with a 2.7 to tie for the short-round win. But the weekend belonged to the Kansas team ropers. “The key to winning was drawing good; if you draw the right steers, you’ve got to use them,” Hoelting said. “We drew the steer in the short round that we needed to draw. They won the first round on that steer, and we won the short round. That makes a big difference.” His partner agreed. “The steers were really good, and we drew the best steer in the pen for the short round,” Lampe said. “We weren’t really trying to be 5.8, but we had the best steer, and Camden got it on both steers really good. “I try to catch two feet on every one no matter where they’re at in the arena.” Lampe spent two years at his hometown Dodge City Community College. When it was time to move on to the next level, he checked out a couple of options but settled on Northwestern. “I wanted to try to be better, and it was a lot better to come to where I knew everybody roped good and worked hard at it,” he said. “That’s the way I want to do it, and I think there are more opportunities to get better in Alva.” Hoelting took a different path, moving directly to Northwestern out of high school. It was the right move at the right time. “I like the community, the small community like where I’m from,” he said. “I like Stockton (Graves, the coach). He’s been there. He’s been to the National Finals Rodeo. He’s going back this year. I thought he’d be a good coach, and he has been. I have a good friend from back home that pointed me in this direction, and Stockton finalized it.”

HEMPSTEAD, Texas – The rains came to town in waves through the final few days of the Waller County Fair and Rodeo, but so did fair-goers. “You can’t do anything about the rain; that’s Mother Nature’s job, but we were certainly pleased with how many people showed up for all the activities in spite of it,” said Matt Hyatt, president of the Waller County Fair Board. “It just proves to me and the others on the fair board that we’re doing the right things.” That’s been the case for a while. Over the past decade, the Waller County Fair and Rodeo has continued to blossom as an exposition. It has grown in every way possible, from a high-quality PRCA rodeo to multiple crowd-pleasing events at the rodeo arena to some incredible acts that make up a consistently solid concert lineup every year. “This year we had so many people excited for the Bellamy Brothers that we had an incredible attendance on Thursday night,” said Mike Higgins, the fair board’s vice president. “That started off a fun final three nights of the fair with great attendance overall and for all three nights of concerts. “I honestly couldn’t believe the crowds we saw Friday night after Hempstead received six inches of rain that day, but the people showed up. We got more rain on Saturday, and even more people showed up that night.” It was a matter of redemption for one of the few fairs in the region to take place in 2020. While much of last year’s fair was pared down, it was a full show for eight eventful days this October. “We had a record year in our Junior Livestock Auction,” Hyatt said. “We had something special for all of our exhibitors, our sponsors and our volunteers. Our vendors seemed very happy. “Most importantly, we raised $70,000 for scholarships. We also had 400 kids in the welding competition and handed out $200,000 in welding scholarships. That’s a big deal to me, because we’re doing all this for the kids.” The rodeo arena is where so many activities took place over the week of the exposition, from the specialty events like The Eliminator and the WPRA invitational breakaway roping to the three nights of the PRCA rodeo, which featured a payout of more than $100,000. “We had great crowds for our rodeo,” said Clint Sciba, chairman of the fair board’s rodeo committee. “We had great crowds for our concerts, too, but we were really affected by the weather with that dirt arena. It was basically a mud arena, but we made it work. We actually moved our steer roping on Saturday morning to New Ulm (35 miles southwest of Hempstead), and that worked out great. “We had top contestants in every event. We had the top personnel, like the crew from Pete Carr Pro Rodeo or Justin Rumford, who has been the clown of the year for a long time. Even in the mud, we proved that we could put on a great rodeo, and Justin helped us entertain the crowd.”   Come hell or high water, the Waller County Fair Board knew they had something special for fair-goers in 2021, and they were able to prove it.

HEMPSTEAD, Texas – Dean Wadsworth’s life is changing fairly rapidly. Just a few years ago, he attempted to ride 130 saddle bronc horses. That’s a lot, but that’s the mindset Wadsworth has had most of his ProRodeo career. He wanted to give himself as many chances to make money as possible. He made some nice money Saturday night during the final performance of the Waller County Fair and Rodeo in Hempstead. He matched moves with Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Big Tex for 83 points to finish in a tie for second place, worth $1,256. The important thing for Wadsworth is a nice advantage in the Texas Circuit at the beginning of the 2022 season. “If you win this rodeo, you’re over a quarter of the way in winnings to qualify for the Texas Circuit Finals Rodeo,” said Wadsworth, 33, of Buffalo Gap, Texas. “With these kinds of horses and this kind of money, you’d be crazy not to come to this rodeo. I’m always excited to get that jump and get started on the new season. “Last year, I didn’t make the (National) Finals, so I may as well get started now.” The Texan has yet to qualify for the NFR, which features only the top 15 contestants in the world standings at the end of the regular season. This year’s rodeo campaign ended Thursday night, and he hopes the jumpstart he got in Hempstead will enable him to at least have a shot at it by the time next September rolls around. Having the opportunity to ride a horse like Big Tex was definitely worth the five-hour drive from west Texas to southeast Texas. It was the second time he’d been on the big, bay gelding, now 21 and a 15-time selection to the NFR. Big Tex was also the Bareback Riding Horse of the Year in 2010. “I don’t think he’s lost a step,” Wadsworth said of the 21-year-old bucking horse. “He’s been in the PRCA longer than I have. “You can win anything on him. Every now and then at about five seconds into the ride, he’ll have a little jucier jump on his juicy days, but even in off days, he’s pretty great.” Just two weeks shy of his 34th birthday, he has other things to tend to than his younger days, but he still loves riding bucking horses. It showed Saturday night. Waller County Fair and RodeoSept. 30-Oct. 2Hempstead, TexasBareback riding: 1. Zach Hibler, 86 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Lady’s Man, $1,884; 2. Bill Tutor, 83.5, $1,444; 3. (tie) Kade Sonnier and Paden Hurst, 82, $879 each; 5. Keenan Reed Hayes, 81, $440; 6. Zachariah Phillips, 80.5, $314; 7. (tie) Tim Murphy and Anthony Thomas, 80, $220 each. Steer wrestling: 1. (tie) Trey Green and Denell Henderson, 3.7 seconds, $1,920 each; 3. Clayton Hass, 4.6, $1,518; 4. Dustin Merritt, 4.7, $1,250; 5. Cody Harmon, 4.9, $982; 6. Sterling Watson, 5.2, $714; 7. Tucker Allen, 5.7, $447; 8. Ryan Lewis, 6.2, $179. Team roping: 1. Tyler Wade/Blaine Turner, 4.5 seconds, $2,832; 2. Kreece Thompson/Chad Williams, 4.9, $2,463; 3. (tie) Todd Arthur/Garrett Busby and Casey Tew/Seth Smithson, 5.1, $1m909 each; 5. Luke Brown/Hunter Koch, 5.2, $1,354; 6. (tie) Shay Carrol/Evan Arnold and Manny Equsquiza/Lane Mitchell, 5.3, $800 each; 8. Clay Robertson/Justin Copp, 5.5, $246. Saddle bronc riding: 1. Logan Cook, 85 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Dirty Flirt, $1,884; 2. (tie) Blaise Freeman and Dean Wadsworth, 83, $1,226 each; 4. Cash Wilson, 82, $691; 5. (tie) Damo Brennan, Parker Fleet and Cree Minkoff, 77, $335 each; 8. Jacobs Crawley, 76, $188. Breakaway roping: 1. J.J. Hampton, 2.2 seconds, $2,050; 2. Cassidy Boggs, 2.5, $1,782; 3. (tie) Jill Tanner and Jordan Jo Fabrizio, 2.6, $1,381 each; 5. (tie) Jordi Edens and Cadee Williams, 2.7 $847 each; 7. Ashley Goforth, 2.8, $446; 8. Jayme Marcrum, 3.0, $178. Tie-down roping: 1. Sherman Lasker, 8.4 seconds, $2,715; 2. Blane Cox, 8.6, $2,429; 3. John Douch, 9.4, $2,143; 4. Ryan Thibodeaux, 10.0, $1,857; 5. (tie) Sterling Smith and Marcos Costa, 10.1, $1,429 each; 7. Clay Elliott, 10.4, $1,000; 8. (tie) Garrett Busby and Tyler Prcin, 10.6, $572 each; 10. Michael Otero, 10.8, $143. Barrel racing: Thursday night: 1. Ericka Nelson, 15.44 seconds, $339; 2. Taycee Matthews, 15.78, $322; 3. Kyndal Schley, 15.99, $255; 4. Deb Guelly, 20,89, $188; 5. Nicole Driggers, 21.33, $121; 6. Nicole Love, 22.96, $67. Friday and Saturday nights: 1. Jamie Olsen, 15.95, $2,279; 2. Tammy Fischer, 16.02, $1,937; 3. Shelley Morgan, 16.04, $1,595; 4. Tiany Schuster, 16.08, $1,368; 5. Lisa Thornton, 16.10, $1,140; 6. Suzanne Brooks, 16.38, $798; 7. (tie) Mandy Cupp and Cassidy Champlin, 16.41, $513 each; 9. Teneille Angland, 16.47, $399; 10. Davie King, 16.49, $342; 11. Keyla Polizello Costa, 16.61, $285; 12. Jennifere Sharp, 16.65, $228. (Because ground conditions were changed due to rain that began Friday morning, the payout for barrel racing was adjusted) Steer roping: First round: 1. Jess Tierney, 10.5 seconds, $945; 2. Cody Lee, 11.2, $782; 3. JW Brown, 11.4, $619; 4. (tie) Vin Fisher Jr. and Ryan Willberg, 11.5, $375 each; 6. Billy Good, 11.6, $163. Second round: 1. Cole Patterson, 10.0 seconds, $945; 2. Cash Myers, 10.1, $782; 3. Thomas Smith, 10.5, $619; 4. Slade Wood, 11.5, $456; 5. Vin Fisher Jr., 11.6, $293; 6. John E. Bland, 11.7, $163. Third round: 1. (tie) Landon McClaugherty and Shay Good, 9.4 seconds, $864 each; 3. Cash Myers, 10.2, $619; 4. (tie) Scott Snedecor and Jess Tierney, 10.7, $375 each; 6. Ty Herd, 10.9, $163. Average: 1. Vin Fisher Jr., 34.7 seconds on three head, $1,418; 2. Jess Tierney, 36.6, $1,173; 3. Slade Wood, 36.9, $929; 4. Cody Lee, 39.3, $684; 5. Billy Good, 43.3, $440; 6. Chet Herren, 44.4, $244. Bull riding: 1. Toby Collins, 87 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Black Beauty, $8,256; no other qualified rides. (All money includes ground money)

HEMPSTEAD, Texas – The last month of Zach Hibler’s life has been a bit of a blur. He’s been in a race to qualify for his first National Finals Rodeo, and it’s been one heck of a challenge. The NFR features only the top 15 contestants in each event, and Hibler’s been right around that No. 15 mark in the bareback riding standings much of the final month of the 2021 campaign. When the regular season came to a close Thursday night, the 24-year-old Texan had clinched his spot, but not by much. Hibler finished with $65,381, just $683 ahead of the No. 16 man, Wyatt Denny. It was a flurry to the finish. “It’s nerve-wracking, but it’s a feeling that is indescribable when it works out in your favor and makes you feel like you can conquer the world,” said Hibler, who finished 17th two seasons ago. On Friday night, he showed what it means to be on a roll, riding Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Lady’s Man for 86 points to take the lead at the Waller County Fair and Rodeo. He has competed inside the Waller County Fairgrounds arena several times over much of the last decade, and his comfort showed. “I think I’ve been coming to this rodeo ever since I started riding bareback horses,” he said. “I came to the Cannon’s school here in 2013, so this has always been a great rodeo for me to come and see them. This is pretty much where I got my start, so I love this rodeo.” Of course, it didn’t hurt that Lady’s Man has performed at the NFR twice over his career, the first time in 2011. “I didn’t know that horse had been to the finals,” said Hibler of Wheeler, Texas, in the state’s Panhandle region. “I just thought it was a really good horse. There is a reason it’s been to the finals.” Even though the Hempstead rodeo started Sept. 30, it is actually the first rodeo of the 2022 season, and the money earned here will count toward next season’s standings. Rodeo is cyclical, meaning the season wraps around itself; the 2022 season begins more than two months before the 2021 world champions are crowned at the NFR in December. “I’ve just been rodeoing so hard just trying to make the finals, I didn’t see any reason to pump the brakes any, so I entered these first few rodeos I could enter and just keep trucking on,” said Hibler, the 2018 Bareback Riding Rookie of the Year. “The NFR is the biggest thing I’ve ever accomplished in my rodeo career. We’re just going to try to keep it simple and have fun. I deserve to be there right now, and I feel like I’m riding better than I ever have. We’re going to roll in full steam ahead and see if we can knock around with the big boys.” If Friday night in Hempstead were any indication, the train is well on its way. Waller County Fair and RodeoSept. 30-Oct. 2Hempstead, TexasBareback riding: 1. Zach Hibler, 86 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Lady’s Man; 2. Bill Tutor, 83.5; 3. Kade Sonnier, 82; 4. Tim Murphy, 81; 5, Zachariah Phillips, 80.5; 6. Rickey Williams, 76.5. Steer wrestling: 1. (tie) Trey Green and Denell Henderson, 3.7 seconds; 3. Clayton Hass, 4.6; 4. Dustin Merritt, 4.7; 5. Cody Harmon, 4.9; 6. Sterling Watson,5.2; 7. Tucker Allen, 5.7; 8. Ryan Lewis, 6.2. Team roping: 1. Tyler Wade/Blaine turner, 4.5 seconds; 2. Kreece Thompson/Chad Williams, 4.9; 3. (tie) Todd Arthur/Garrett Busby and Casey Tew/Seth Smithson, 5.1; 5. Luke Brown/Hunter Koch, 5.2; 6. (tie) Shay Carrol/Evan Arnold and Manny Equsquiza/Lane Mitchell, 5.3; 8. Jason Burson/Corey Hendrick, 5.8; 9. Tanner Tomlinson/Austin Atkinson, 6.4; 10. Cory Clark/Trevor Kirchenschlager, 7.2. Saddle bronc riding: 1. Logan Cook, 85 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Dirty Flirt; 2. Blaise Freeman, 83; 3. Cash Wilson, 82; 4. Damo Brennan, 77; no other qualified rides. Breakaway roping: 1. J.J. Hampton, 2.2 seconds; 2. Cassidy Boggs, 2.5; 3. (tie) Jill Tanner and Jordan Jo Fabrizio, 2.6; 5. (tie) Jordi Edens and Cadee Williams, 2.7; 7. Ashley Goforth, 2.8; 8. Jayme Marcrum, 3.0. Tie-down roping: 1. Sherman Lasker, 8.4 seconds; 2. Blane Cox, 8.6; 3. John Douch, 9.4; 4. Ryan Thibodeaux, 10.0; 5. (tie) Sterling Smith and Marcos Costa, 10.1; 7. Clay Elliott, 10.4; 8. (tie) Garrett Busby/Tyler Prcin, 10.6; 10. Michael Otero, 10.8. Barrel racing: 1. Ericka Nelson, 15.44 seconds; 2. Taycee Matthews, 15.78; 3. Jamie Olsen, 15.95; 4. Kyndal Schley, 15.99; 5. Tammy Fischer, 16.02; 6. Tiany Schuster, 16.08; 7. Lisa Thornton, 16.10; 8. Suzanne Brooks, 16.38; 9. Cassidy Champion, 16.41; 10. Teneille Angland, 16.47; 11. Davie King, 16.49; 12. Keyla Polizello Costa, 16.61. Bull riding: 1. Toby Collins, 87 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Black Beauty; no other qualified rides.

HEMPSTEAD, Texas – Trey Green wasn’t content with the way the 2021 ProRodeo season ended. He battled to the very end with hopes of qualifying for the Texas Circuit Rodeo, which features only the top 12 in each event and features rodeos and contestants primarily from within the Lone Star State. Instead, he finished just outside that magical number, and he’ll have to try again next year. The good news is that the new year began Thursday night with the first performance of the Waller County Fair and Rodeo. Green, a 12th-year PRCA member from Edgewood, Texas, wrestled his steer to the ground in 3.7 seconds to take the early bulldogging lead in Hempstead. “It’s a little muddy, but it’s not bad,” Green said, noting that the area received a considerable amount of rain Thursday afternoon before the rodeo began. “I expected it to be a lot worse with the amount of rain that came through.” The weather didn’t dampen his spirits any, and he proved it as the first steer wrestler to compete. Riding a horse owned by Matt Reeves, an eight-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier, Green took advantage of the situation. “A good start and a fast horse,” he said about the key to his run. “This means a lot. I started late in the season. I barely missed the circuit finals, so getting a start like this is awesome.” Green doesn’t typically travel Reeves nor ride Reeves’ horses, but it worked out for him to kick off his 2022 season. “I knew I had an outstanding chance,” Green said. “My traveling partners and I got up the same night here and Rosenburg (Texas). They had to go to that one. I called up Matt and said I was still coming but my horses ain’t. I he had a good horse, and he said, ‘Yeah, no problem.’ “Matt’s a good guy, a lot of help. I’m glad it worked out.” Bull rider Toby Collins of Stephenville, Texas – originally from southeastern Australia – was the only bull rider to match moves with his animal for the qualifying eight seconds. He also posted the highest-marked ride of the rodeo, 87 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Black Beauty. The Waller County Fair and Rodeo continues with performances at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday in Hempstead. Waller County Fair and RodeoSept. 30-Oct. 2Hempstead, TexasBareback riding: 1. Kade Sonnier, 82 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Coal Thunder; 2. Rickey Williams, 76.5; 3. Kolt Dement, 75; 4. A.J. Ruth, 68; no other qualified rides. Steer wrestling: 1. Trey Green, 3.7 seconds; 2. Matt Reeves, 7.9; no other qualified runs. Team roping: 1. Kreece Thompson/Chad Williams, 4.9 seconds; 2. Luke Brown/Hunter Koch, 5.2; 3. (tie) Shay Carrol/Evan Arnold and Manny Equsquiza/Lane Mitchell, 5.3; 5. Tyler Waters/Tyler McKnight, 9.6, 6. Garett Chick/Calgary Smith, 10.3; 7. Zach Kilgus/Jake Edwards, 13.7; no other qualified runs. Saddle bronc riding: 1. Logan Cook, 85 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Dirty Flirt; 2. Blaise Freeman, 83; 3. Cash Wilson, 82; 4. Damo Brennan, 77; no other qualified rides. Tie-down roping: 1. Sherman Lasker, 8.4 seconds; 2. Sterling Smith, 10.1; no other qualified runs. Barrel racing: 1. Ericka Nelson, 15.44 seconds; 2. Taycee Matthews, 15.78; 3. Kyndal Schley, 15.99; 4. Deb Guelly, 20.89; 5. Nicole Driggers, 21.33; 6. Nicole Love, 22.86; 7. Bryana Lehrmann, 26.45; 8. Timber Allenbrand, 27.13; 9. Jordan Driver, 27.33; no other qualified runs. Bull riding: 1. Toby Collins, 87 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Black Beauty; no other qualified rides.