Monthly Archives: December 2022

Smidt, Waguespack, Thurston add to their world-title collections LAS VEGAS – Caleb Smidt can be quiet and unassuming, preferring to stay in the shadows until he’s called to action. Much like a special forces’ sniper, his shots are deadly. The proof shines in gold four times over. Just weeks ago, he secured his fourth National  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – There were moments during the National Finals Rodeo where bareback rider Tanner Aus was just shaking his head. He had trouble matching his bronc in the third round, then had more trouble the next night when his left foot slipped below the animal’s shoulder on the first jump out of the chute.  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Three-time world champion Tim O’Connell was standing at the South Point Hotel and Casino awaiting his time to go on stage and receive his ninth-round go-round buckle. His phone indicated a message, one that revealed the 10th-round draw for bareback riders. He peaked down, scrolled for a second and saw he’d been  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – J.D. Struxness just finished a rough and rugged 10 days at the National Finals Rodeo, but his work isn’t done. “There’s no time off,” said Struxness, originally from Milan, Minnesota, now living in Perrin, Texas, with his fiancé, Jayden, and their daughters, Everlee and Lilly. “There are some (Texas) Circuit rodeos I  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Cole Franks has spent the last two ProRodeo seasons traveling with three-time world champion bareback rider Tim O’Connell and Jess Pope, who clinched his first gold buckle this season. “I’ve just got to complete the trifecta and have all of us in the rig wearing gold buckles,” said Franks, 21, of Clarendon,  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Before the celebratory beer could flow, Jess Pope’s tears displayed just what it means to be named a world champion. “It’s something I’ve dreamed of since I was a little kid,” said Pope, who won his third straight National Finals Rodeo average championship and dominated the 10 days of competition in Las  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Everything about Tanner Aus’ ride on Calgary Stampede’s Annual News looked good until it didn’t. It didn’t feel good for Aus, and it only got worse. Annual News was part of Thursday’s eliminator pen of bareback horses. It was a fistfight from the time the horse left the chute until the big  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Whew! Garrett Shadbolt needed that. It’s been a rough National Finals Rodeo. He collected just his second paycheck of this year’s championship with an 87-point ride on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s William Wallace to finish third in Friday’s ninth go-round.  That was worth $17,255 and pushed his Las Vegas earnings to $47,308. He  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – A big part of rodeo is the random draw on the animals with which the cowboys are matched for each night. While the steers, calves, bulls and broncs are placed in pens to make them as even as possible. Still, there are some animals that stick out as the better ones. It’s  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – With one night left in the 2022 ProRodeo campaign, Jess Pope is on the verge of his first world championship. He battled through the rigors of the regular season and entered the National Finals Rodeo second in the bareback riding world standings. He then met every challenge he’s faced over the first  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – For the first time in more than two years, bareback rider Tim O’Connell won a go-round at the National Finals Rodeo. It’s been a rarity in the career of the three-time world champion from Zwingle, Iowa. His last title came during Round 2 of the 2020 NFR in Arlington, Texas. On Friday  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Logan Medlin has said one of the greatest aspects of roping with Coleman Proctor is the Oklahoman’s propensity to stay positive even in tough situations. The team ropers faced them two nights in a row when Proctor was unable to secure his head loop onto their steers’ during the sixth and seventh  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Through 18 rounds of the National Finals Rodeo, Cole Franks has been chomping at the bit in hopes of earning his first go-round victory. He was within a whisker of it Thursday night, riding Bridwell Rodeo’s Girl Crush for 87 points to finish in a three-way tie for second place. Instead, Texan  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Sometimes the best heroics in sports come with second-half rallies. Steer wrestler J.D. Struxness is having one of those experiences at the National Finals Rodeo. After collecting just one paycheck through the first five rounds, he placed for the third straight night with a 4.3-second run to finish in a tie for  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – As rodeo relates to other sports, it’s hard to put a comparison for bareback riders. Sure, steer wrestlers are the linebackers of football, and tie-down ropers are akin to 3-point shooters in basketball, but bareback riders? “I think it is every sport of a major athlete combined into one,” said Pope, who  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – When one is raised by a rodeo legend, it’s really hard to not follow in his footsteps. Rod Hay competed in ProRodeo for more than two decades. The 1989 Resistol Rookie of the Year, he qualified for the National Finals Rodeo 20 times, the last coming in 2010. In his native Alberta,  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Cinch cowboy Tristen Hutchings new there was something special coming into the 2022 ProRodeo season. He reeled off some big wins and earned his first qualification to the National Finals Rodeo. His first night competing inside the storied Thomas & Mack Center proved to be magical, and it looked like there was  Continue Reading »

Cinch cowgirl, her horse have two go-round wins so far at this NFR LAS VEGAS – Familiarity breeds content, and Emily Beisel’s main mount Chongo is sassy and happy at the National Finals Rodeo. Despite knocking over three barrels over the course of the first six go-rounds, the two have sped their way to $82,051  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Athletes understand they can’t attack each opponent the same way. If a pitcher knows a batter is a fast-ball hitter, the pitcher will throw more off-speed and try to hit a target directionally. The same can be said in rodeo. For bareback rider Tanner Aus, he tries to make his spur ride  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – He’s a bit soft-spoken, but Cole Franks has no problem hiding the joy he is experiencing during his second trip to the National Finals Rodeo. He’s a bareback rider, and he makes a living riding bucking horses. This is the best chance he has to really cash in on his season, so  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – A night after the lights went out at the National Finals Rodeo, steer wrestler J.D. Struxness flipped a switch. He placed in just one go-round over the first five nights, but he has gone back to the pay window in the opening two rounds of the second half of ProRodeo’s grand finale.  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – It may have been an inside joke, but it’s turned into the tune of magic being made at the National Finals Rodeo. After he made an 89-point, seventh round-winning ride on Big Stone Rodeo’s Mayhem, bareback rider Jess Pope danced a little jig right there in the dirt. When sound director Benje  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Steer wrestler J.D. Struxness didn’t let a bad night ruin the rest of the week, and it very well could have. He came into his fourth National Finals Rodeo in strong contention to win a world championship, but a steer escaped his grasp Sunday night. That no-time was costly, but he didn’t  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – He looks a bit battered, but if asked, Garrett Smith doesn’t seem to mind. “I’ve had some bumps and bruises (since the third round),” said Smith, of Rexburg, Idaho, competing at his fourth National Finals Rodeo. “I feel pretty good. We are sore, but when we ride bulls for a living, we’re  Continue Reading »