Monthly Archives: February 2023

GUYMON, Okla. – In a typical day, Nathan Jestes’ life is pretty unassuming. He’s a husband to Bridget and a daddy to Harper, 2, and Channing, 6 months. There isn’t much to tell about the Wyoming man until you see him change into his superhero outfit, a jersey outfitted with his sponsors and enough padding to protect him while he goes about the job of saving lives. Jestes is a professional bullfighter, and he will return to the Oklahoma Panhandle for the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 5; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 6; and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 7. He will work with another veteran lifesaver, Cody Webster, in protecting everyone during bull riding at Henry C. Hitch Pioneer Arena. “Anytime you get to work such a prestigious event like Guymon and events that are part of the ProRodeo Hall of Fame, it’s one of those things that’s definitely got a unique feel to it,” said Jestes, who works many of the biggest rodeos in the country and travels the rodeo trail with his family. “When you get there, you know where you’re at. It’s always an honor and a privilege.” He’s earned that right. Jestes has been selected to work the National Finals Rodeo four times in his career. He’s also been nominated as the PRCA’s Bullfighter of the Year seven times in his career. While working Pioneer Days Rodeo, he’ll be matched with Webster, a 10-time NFR bullfighter who is the two-time reigning PRCA Bullfighter of the Year. “Web and I have always worked good together,” Jestes said. “He’s one of those guys that when you step into the arena with him, it just makes our job easier. I can trust he’ll have his stuff handled, and he knows I’ll be right there when I’m needed. “It’s just second nature to us anymore. We’re able to react and do our jobs. We can trust each other to do our parts. When you work with someone like that, it just makes your job easier.” Make no mistake: Their jobs aren’t easy, but they are vital. Bulls are aggressive by nature, and it takes a bit of gumption to ride a bucking bovine; it takes more guts to step into the arena and be in a position to keep those bull riders – and everyone else in the arena – safe after each ride ends. To do that, bullfighters use their ability to “read” the animals, react to their maneuvers and control their own athleticism to keep themselves and all others out of harm’s way. It takes special souls to be able to look danger in the eyes and attack it head-on. That’s what happens when Jestes and Webster enter the arena. They are combatants and caregivers all wrapped up in an athletic ball of talent. “I fight bulls because it’s what I love to do,” Jestes said. “I have an amazing schedule, and I work a lot of the best rodeos all year long, and Guymon is one of those. To be selected to fight at the NFR is a huge honor. To get to step down in that arena, to get to breath that air that not a lot of people get to breath and protect the best bull riders in the game, it’s the biggest privilege I’ve ever had in my life, other than being a dad. “With Frontier (Rodeo’s) stock and the prize money Guymon has available, it’s a good time of year for every contestant to come. That makes Guymon the best quality rodeo you can have.”

Cinch stars Boisjoli, Meged to tie the knot, intertwine their roping lives Shelby Boisjoli always believed she’d marry a cowboy. Raised near the town of Langdon, Alberta, just outside Calgary, Boisjoli and her two sisters were raised around horses and cattle while building a fascinating resume of athletic achievements. It served as the catapult for her to become one of the greatest breakaway ropers of this era. It’s also why she’s head over heels for a cowboy who not only shares her interests but also her lifestyle. While Boisjoli is a three-time qualifier to the National Finals Breakaway Roping, Haven Meged is a four-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier and the 2019 world champion tie-down roper. The two Cinch contestants have set a wedding date for May 13 near Lipan, Texas. “It was kind of important to me to be with a cowboy, because that’s how I was raised,” Boisjoli said. “I was raised around cowboys, hard workers and that way of life. It’s great that I have somebody that knows all of that. We never run out of things to talk about. We love our lives equally, and we get to do it together every day.” The couple lives near Stephenville, Texas, and they’ve known each other most of their lives. Meged was raised near Miles City, Montana, where his folks operate the Miles City Livestock Commission, the sale barn in the community of 8,400. He and Boisjoli were around each other often through the years. “The rodeo world gets pretty small sometimes,” said Meged, who became just the fourth man in ProRodeo history to win a college title (while at Tarleton State University) and a world title in the same year. “We’d see each other rodeoing and at the jackpots. We saw each other at the high school nationals and at the junior high nationals. It was just part of growing up in rodeo for the most part.” They actually moved to Texas at about the same time. Boisjoli transitioned to the Lone Star State shortly after high school to attend Ranger College. In 2019, when Meged was setting the calf roping world on fire, she was the reserve college champion breakaway roper. That was the same year popularity of breakaway roping began to skyrocket. She also found her way to Stephenville, the Cowboy Capital of the World. While Meged’s credentials were more known – he became the first Resistol Rookie of the Year in tie-down roping to win the Montana Silversmiths gold buckle since Joe Beaver accomplished the feat in 1985 – Boisjoli was establishing a name for herself. Men and women who compete with a rope were talking about her ability. “Shelby is a much better roper,” Meged said. “She can out-rope me any day.” They laughed about it a bit, but he was certain. She was in the field for the inaugural breakaway roping finals, which took place in conjunction with the NFR during it’s COVID-induced, one-year stay at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. She finished the 2020 season eighth in the world standings. A year later, she was the reserve world champion. In 2022, she earned more money than ever and was fifth on the money list, a testament to how much things have changed with women’s roping. They ride horses extremely well, and they can handle about any task assigned them. They began dating in 2020. By October, it was serious enough to tell everyone on social media. Their first date? “I went and worked the sale barn with him,” Boisjoli said with a laugh. “She’s such a hard worker,” Meged said of his bride-to-be. “She does so much for me, so much for us. She’ll do whatever it takes. Her heart is probably the best thing about her.” That’s a common thread for the pair. They’ve leaned on it already. With both competing at an elite level of rodeo, they tried to figure out the best time to have their nuptials. Springtime seemed best, but that’s difficult when looking at the various schedules. They opted for the second weekend of May knowing their wedding will still be a destination site for friends and family from up North. “Trying to rodeo for a living, we’ve both got our own things going on along with all this trying to get everything ready,” said Meged, who admits that he leaves most of the planning to his partner. He is, however, handling all the plans for the honeymoon, which will be in the Dominican Republic. “Haven makes sure everything is done outside, and he doesn’t have to worry about the wedding planning,” Boisjoli said. “I’ve been taking care of that. He’s been taking care of the horses and pretty much everything that needs to be done outside, so that leaves me free to handle the rest of it. “We actually tried to have the wedding in April. By the time we got to picking a venue, all of the dates were already taken, so May 13 won by default.” It’s also before Meged and Boisjoli take off on the busy summer run. Because they are not able to enter rodeos together, their rigs will part ways once the summertime hits, and they’ll see each other intermittently until rodeo’s regular season comes to a close Sept. 30. “That’s probably the hardest part, the being away from each other,” he said. “We’ll see each other about once a week, sometimes more, sometimes less. It sucks, but it’s also our job. Hopefully someday we can get that changed so we can enter together. “It’s pretty rare that we get to be up at the same rodeo on the same day. When they come, we try to just enjoy it.” From roping to riding to caring for others, the couple shares similar interests. They work together well, and one is a compliment to the other. As they prepare for the next steps in their lives together, they’re at least starting off with the right foot forward. “He does all  Continue Reading »

ALVA, Okla. – In just a few days in mid-February, Northwestern Oklahoma State University senior Jaden Trimble went from nowhere to somewhere in the Central Plains Region’s heading standings. That’s how fast things can change when fortune is on one’s side in team roping. While competing with Cale Morris of Western Oklahoma State College, Trimble earned second-place finishes in both go-rounds and won the overall title at the Kansas State University rodeo in Manhattan, Kansas. “We needed it real bad,” said Trimble of Coffeyville, Kansas. “We didn’t win anything this last semester; it was rough. Winning that rodeo was a great way to start off the spring semester, and I hope it started ta roll. It’s something to build momentum on.” Yes, it is. Trimble and Morris stopped the clock in 6.3 seconds to finish second in the opening round, then were second with a 7.0 in the short round. Those combined runs gave them the shot in the arm they needed, filled with 160 points apiece. Trimble is tied for seventh in the region’s heading standings, and that gives him a chance at some big things in over the next two months. The K-State rodeo is a milestone event. Not only is it the first event of the spring semester every year, but it also marks the halfway point of the 10-event season. It takes place inside Weber Arena on the agriculture school’s campus, and it provides a unique setting for the college competitors from across the region. “That’s a pretty cool experience,” Trimble said. “It’s a really small building with a lot of seating. They fit a lot of people in there and it’s really loud, and that makes it a lot of fun.” It’s also a tight fit for the team ropers. Trimble and other headers will rope the horns, then turn their horses left and drive toward a fence that is in close proximity. That puts a lot of pressure on the heelers to stop the clock in a timely fashion without incurring any penalties. “Cale did a wonderful job,” Trimble said of his partner. “That’s the kind of steers we hadn’t had a lot of luck roping this year, and I would say his job is harder. When it really counted, he had to take a tough shot a lot of people aren’t willing to take.” It paid off and put the Ranger in solid position with five events left on the campaign. Like all contestants in all events, Trimble would love to finish the regular season among the top 3 in the region standings and secure his first bid to the College National Finals Rodeo. “To do that, we’re going to need to place at a few more rodeos,” he said. “I’d just like five more of those (championship) buckles after this. I don’t want to be greedy, but I’d sure be fine with that. “If we just keep our heads down, do our thing and take care of what we need to, the rest is going to fall into place.” While Trimble had the most success of all members of the Northwestern rodeo team, he was joined by tie-down ropers Ben Jackson of Hudson Hope, British Columbia, who placed in the short round and finished third overall, and Denton Oestmann of Auburn, Nebraska, who placed in the long round and finished sixth. Steer wrestler Cameron Fox of Tulsa, Oklahoma, placed fourth in the final round and fifth overall, while Grady Aasby of Highmore, South Dakota, placed in both rounds and finished sixth. For the women, breakaway roper Jentri Hulbert of Arcadia, Nebraska, finished third in the opening round, while barrel racer Julianna Sprague of Kincaid, Kansas, placed in both rounds and ended up sixth overall. Goat-tier Laci Geiger of Emmett, Idaho, finished fifth in both the short round and the aggregate, while Morgan Poust of Hughesville, Pennsylvania, was sixth in the final round and the average. Now at the halfway point of the regional campaign, the Northwestern rodeo teams understand where they stand and what it will take to earn the right to compete at the college finals. “I would love to make the college finals,” Trimble said. “It has been a goal of mine for a long time, but I’m just trying to take it one steer at a time. The points are going to work out at the end as long as I do my job. I don’t want to get ahead of myself. If I’m looking at the points every day, all I’m going to do is fret about it more. “I want to take it steer for steer and let the rest play out. That gives me the best shot at winning.”

Cinch cowgirl shares her passion with the next generation Children’s dreams tend to take on their own roads, serving as pathways to accomplishing their passions whether the kids know it or not. Backyard football games turn into organized contests. Over time, a handful of youngsters will realize their dreams of being Super Bowl champions. For Cinch barrel racer Sherry Cervi, her childhood memories of Martha Josey’s youth races enabled her to develop her love affair with horses and riding them fast. It’s a big part of why she’s a 19-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier and a four-time world champion. She’s offering that as another avenue for young girls who aspire to be the next big name in barrel racing through the Sherry Cervi Youth Championships, a showcase of four events each yearthat give young ladies a competitive edge in a sport she loves. “My memories of going to Martha Josey’s youth race is what started it,” Cervi said. “Martha inspired me to give back to kids. What she’s done for kids and adults over the years is amazing. She’s given so many people their starts. Kids are our future. It’s something I’m passionate about.” The first of four Cervi events happened in January in Tucson, Arizona, near her hometown of Marana, and featured 400 entries. That’s the limit to help with the event’s production, in which the world champion is very involved. “We have great volunteers, and with 400 entries, it makes for a long day already,” she said. “If we didn’t limit it, I’d be putting a lot of stress on our team and all those volunteers. I want it to be something where you can run barrels, and the kids still have time to hang out with other kids and get to know one another. “I met kids when I was younger that I still know. Their goals should be to meet three new friends and stay in contact with them through the years.” The youth championships began in 2008, with Cervi working with a good friend, Shane Parsons, who owns an arena in Ceres, California. She wanted to produce a youth barrel race on the West Coast, because there weren’t many at the time. The whole concept has continued to blossom. “What started out as a little event has become really big,” Cervi said. “The sponsors are awesome, and I have a great team behind me. This is my passion, and they’ve all sacrificed and made it their passion, too. “We give away 10 saddles at each race. We also give scholarships and have a lot of cool prizes. Our goal is kids can come with their families, and it’s a great experience for them and they leave with great memories.” The races of a lifetime Sherry Cervi was born to do this: The training, the racing, the working with children. She is the youngest of two daughters raised by Mel and Wendy Potter, who own a horse ranch in Marana and a farm in Bancroft, Wisconsin. Even now, with her parents aging, Cervi and her husband, 2017 world champion heeler Cory Petska, divide their time between Arizona, their place near Stephenville, Texas, and the family farm in Wisconsin. They still train horses and compete, though their competition schedule has been reduced over time. “Our schedules vary,” she said. “The last couple of years, we spent more time in Wisconsin. My dad’s up there in age, and Cory and I try to help out as much as we can. I’ve got some young horses coming, and I still want to make the NFR. My parents are older, and I really want to spend as much time with them as I can.” Still, if the opportunity allows it, look for Cervi to press for a return to the grandest stage in rodeo. She and James share the record with the most NFR qualifications in WPRA history, and Cervi is the only WPRA member to cross $3 million in ProRodeo earnings. Of course, she purchased her card when she was just 12 years old, a sign of the times. Not long after, the age for admittance into the WPRA was raised to 18. Cervi was 19 years old when she qualified for the NFR for the first time in 1994. A year later, aboard Sir Double Delight, she won the first of four gold buckles. She and Troubles ruled the roost Four years later, while riding Jet Royal Speed, a big bay she called Hawk, Cervi added her second world championship. It proved a few things: her first title was no fluke, she was a whale of a horsewoman and she knew what it took to raise and train great horses. That never stopped. She’s had a stable full of amazing horses over her career. A decade or so later, a second-generation Mel Potter-raised mare, MP Meter My Hay, proved to be a little, yellow lightning bolt of energy. Stingray guided Cervi to both the 2010 and 2013 gold buckles, and the legacy just continued to build. Can she add to it? “Because I know what it takes and the sacrifices you have to make, I have to be committed 100 percent,” Cervi said. “It’s not that I’m not committed, but life continues and things come along that take your attention. Before now, it was all about rodeo. All we thought about was getting to the next rodeo. Age and life responsibilities makes it to where rodeo is somethings not first. “When the time’s right, I do want to be back (at the NFR). I love competing, but there are other things I need to take care of. Being in Wisconsin is where I needed to be and where I wanted to be. When that’s not the case, then we’ll see what happens.” Through all the accolades, Cervi continues to be the same humble and caring person she was before she ever rode speedy horses to fame. She strives to be better at her horsemanship than she was  Continue Reading »

GUTHRIE, Okla. – Ask any of the bull riders competing in this day and age, and most can explain the history of the sport. Dozens of bull riders will be carrying on that legacy and testing their talents at Bullnanza presented by Lane Frost Brand, which is set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 24, and Saturday, Feb. 25, at the Lazy E Arena. Tickets can be purchased at McCoyRodeo.com. “It’s a legendary bull riding, and I’m pretty excited they’re bringing it back this year,” said Josh Frost, a four-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Randlett, Utah. “It was one of the first stand-alone bull ridings ever, and it was around for a long time. “I know Lane Frost Brand is sponsoring it, and they’re one of my sponsors. It should be a pile of great bulls and great money up for grabs.” Josh Frost is a second cousin to the late Lane Frost, who was instrumental in the original Bullnanza in 1989. He helped produce the event, lining up bull riders and bulls to be part of the bull riding. He also competed alongside many other stars in that era. The 1987 world champion from southeastern Oklahoma was killed five months after the first Bullnanza, and his life and legacy were memorialized in the movie “8 Seconds.” “This is Bullnanza, and the history in that building and the namesake of that bull riding is something you want to be involved in,” said Brennon Eldred, a four-time NFR qualifier and four-time PBR World Finals qualifier from Sulphur, Oklahoma. “It’s a pretty big deal, and it’ll be a pretty big deal to be the first event back for me and to try to get the win. “It would be great to put my name in the history books as a Bullnanza champion.” That’s the goal of all 60 men who have put their name in the hat to compete this coming weekend. Just as it was the case 34 years ago during the inaugural Bullnanza, the event is an Oklahoma production. McCoy Rodeo owner Cord McCoy is the man behind the scenes bringing the legendary bull riding back to its original home at the Lazy E. With $15,000 in sponsorship money mixed with the entry fees of 60 cowboys, the purse is expected to exceed $20,000. That is a nice incentive for the men who utilize that money in many ways; in rodeo, dollars not only pay bills but also serve as championship points. The top 15 bull riders on the money list at the end of the regular season will advance to the NFR. “I’m going to be out in San Antonio that weekend, and it worked out that I could trade my semifinals there so I can be at Guthrie on Friday,” said Frost, the reigning two-time reserve world champion. “With that kind of money, it’s worth the trip up there, then I will go back to San Antonio for Saturday’s short round.” There will be 30 bull rides each night, and all cowboys will be matched with top stock, including McCoy’s Ridin’ Solo, which was named the 2020 PBR Bull of the Year. Solo also was selected to buck at the 2022 NFR, proving his worth across multiple levels. “I’ve seen him about every trip the last few years, and he’s awesome,” Eldred said of the Oklahoma-raised bull. “I’ve never been on him. I’d like to have a crack at him. I couldn’t think of a better place than the Laze E. If the time’s right, I’ll let the chips fall where they may.” While he’s focused on the PBR the last five years, Eldred is excited to make his return to PRCA events. Bullnanza, which was a precursor to the PBR three decades ago, is part of the 2023 Xtreme Bulls tour. The Oklahoma bull rider understands the event’s place in rodeo history; not only has he competed at a Bullnanza, but his father-in-law, Donald Owens, was one of the big names in the 1990s. “The legends paved the way for us to do this,” Eldred said. “It’s so cool. I’m going to try to rodeo more this year and try to get back to the yellow bucking chutes (at the NFR). I’m excited to kick it off there. There’s so much history at the Lazy E that you feel a different vibe when you get inside that building.” If history could talk, it would do it at the Lazy E, and the topic would be Bullnanza.

GUTHRIE, Okla. – For Oklahomans who grew up around rodeo, the Lazy E Arena is a storied complex that generates decades worth of memories. It was built in time to produce the 1984 National Finals Steer Roping to take place in conjunction with the National Finals Rodeo, which was housed at the Myriad Arena in downtown Oklahoma City. Shortly thereafter, the first Timed Event Championship began its reign as one of the most unique showcases in Western sports. Since then, it’s hosted countless other championships, including the inaugural stand-alone bull riding known now as Bullnanza presented by Lane Frost Brand, which is set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 24, and Saturday, Feb. 25, at the Lazy E Arena. Tickets are available at McCoyRodeo.com. Cord McCoy knows almost every detail possible about the Lazy E Arena, from attending Bullnanza as a youngster to competing at it when he was an Oklahoma superstar in the PBR. “This place holds a special place in my heart and in the hearts of a lot of Oklahoma kids who grew up around rodeo and bull riding,” said McCoy, owner of Lane, Oklahoma-based McCoy Rodeo, which is producing the PRCA Xtreme Bulls event. “After I got hurt, I got on my first bull back in competition at the Lazy E, so it means a lot to me every time I come back here.” McCoy suffered a serious head injury in September 2004 while competing at the Oklahoma State Fair Rodeo in Oklahoma City. He spent nearly seven months rehabilitating and recovering and was finally cleared to ride in time to compete at the 89er Days Rodeo at the Lazy E Arena in April 2005. While he didn’t have much success that weekend, he built up momentum he needed. An all-around champion most of his life, the cowboy focused solely on bull riding. He battled through the rigors of the PRCA season and earned his first qualification to the National Finals Rodeo. He was 25 years old. “That was a special time for me and my family,” McCoy said. “I’d been able to overcome a lot in that time because of my faith in God and my family, all of which was behind me and pushing me all the way.” As the years advanced, he became a popular figure in the PBR, competing at its World Finals six times. He officially retired as a bull rider a decade ago, but he’s been one of the top bull stock contractors ever since. Two seasons ago, he founded McCoy Rodeo and teamed with third-generation South Dakota stock contractor Joe Waln to begin producing rodeos in the PRCA. By producing Bullananza and returning it to its rightful home at the Lazy E Arena, McCoy is recreating memories for thousands of folks across Oklahoma that want to re-trace the footsteps of some of the greatest events in the state’s Western history. “I’m pretty proud to be from Oklahoma and to produce rodeos in Oklahoma,” McCoy said. “To produce an event like Bullnanza means that we’re doing a lot of things right, and it’s an exciting time to enjoy the rodeo history that we have in Oklahoma and at the Lazy E.”

GUYMON, Okla. – Henry C. Hitch Pioneer Arena is classic and timeless, a natural bowl created by the landscape to offer spectators a perfect venue. While it serves as the perfect setting for the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo, it has been in need of a facelift or two over the years. It has received another in anticipation of this year’s event, set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 5; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 6; and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 7. “We’re replacing our bucking chutes with some new Priefert chutes that not only look good but will help us with the production of our rodeo,” said Jeremy Carman, chairman of the volunteer committee that produces the annual rodeo. “The chutes we’re replacing have been around as long as I can remember. “Those chutes served this community well over the years, but it was time they were replaced.” It’s been a big undertaking, and the volunteers are putting in the bulk of the labor. The chutes, which face the primary grandstands on the west side of the arena, will be sparkling Priefert blue and will match the timed-event chute and boxes on the north end. Joe Ballard of Joe’s Custom Concrete is donating the concrete needed for the project. “Joe has been a good partner to Pioneer Days Rodeo,” Carman said. “He’s helped us several times over the years.” There also will be eight bucking chutes, which is an increase of two, and will be set up to allow for better spacing. The bucking chutes will be tied into the existing back pens, and enhancements will be made to ensure the transfers are all set and easily assessable. “The thing about our arena is that it’s used all year long,” said Ken Stonecipher, the committee’s production director. “We have the big rush in the spring with the Doc Gardner Memorial Rodeo for the college followed by a week of Pioneer Days Rodeo. That’s when the arena and Guymon will have the most exposure, especially with our rodeo being on The Cowboy Channel. “The arena is for the community’s use, and it’s been used well over time. We have ropings and monster truck rallies and concerts … all sorts of things for this community.” Increasing the number of chutes opens more opportunities for sponsors while also enhancing production of the rodeo. Both are important factors when it comes to making everything look good during the Oklahoma Panhandle State University Rodeo April 27-29 and the Pioneer Days Rodeo, which begins competition just two days later. “Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo has been around for 90 years and is still growing in positive ways for this community,” Stonecipher said. “This addition is going to help our arena look sharp, and when we’re on national television, these chutes are going to be a bright spot for our rodeo, for Guymon and for all the Oklahoma Panhandle. “We are glad we partnered with Priefert for our timed-event end, and we’re really excited to put these new Priefert chutes to work. It’s a good move for our rodeo.”