Monthly Archives: March 2023

GUYMON, Okla. – Folks in this part of the world understand the life and legacy of the cowboy. The rugged terrain that makes up the Plains states can be harsh and unyielding. It takes stout men and women who can handle challenges in order to tame this land while raising the feed that feeds a country, which is why cowboys remain a vital part of the landscape in the Oklahoma Panhandle. As it has happened for 91 years, that legacy will be honored and revered during 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, at Henry C. Hitch Pioneer Arena. Not only is it Oklahoma’s richest rodeo, but it’s the only PRCA event in the Sooner State that has been inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. Because of all its credentials and its attractiveness to the sport’s biggest stars each year, there’s something about the area formerly known as “No Man’s Land” that hits a trigger when talking about rodeo. Since the National Finals Rodeo was first established in 1959, only two Guymon-born cowboys have earned the right to compete there, and they share the same last name. Bret Franks was 27 years old the first time he qualified for the NFR in 1997. He followed that up with bids in 1998 and 2000, establishing himself as one of the many top bronc riders coming out of this region. The others – men like Robert and Dan Etbauer, Craig Latham, Tom Reeves, Jeffrey Willert, Jesse Bail, Rance Bray, etc. – had ties to nearby Oklahoma Panhandle State University. But Franks was Guymon through and through. He married a Texas County girl, the former Darla Herald, and they began their family in the community. First there was Clint, then Cole came along, and the youngest of them all has become a subject when talking about the who’s who of bareback riders today. He has qualified for the past two NFRs and capitalized at both. In 2021, he earned a hair more than $150,000 in 10 days in the Nevada desert. This past December, he collected a hair less than $150,000. He’s finished third in the world standings in his inaugural trip, the same year he was the Resistol Rookie of the Year, and placed fourth in 2022. “I don’t really remember a whole lot about that first year,” Cole Franks said. “It was such a blur, because you had so much adrenaline going through you all day every day. This past year, you still had that adrenaline, but you knew what’s going on and how to handle all that. I was a little more relaxed, and but there was a lot less stress. “You knew the routine a little better. This year was a lot easier dealing with that stuff.” He’s earned $300,000 in just 20 NFR go-rounds, more than his old man earned in the three seasons in which he finished in the top 15 combined. That’s how much the money has changed in recent years. Cole Franks was just one of seven contestants with ties to the region who competed at the National Finals, and the best earner was Logan Hay, a bronc buster from Wildwood, Alberta, who attended Panhandle State. Hay pocketed $199,960, while his brother, Dawson, secured $101,405. Wyatt Casper, who was raised in Balko, Oklahoma, earned his third straight NFR qualification, while bareback rider Orin Larsen earned his eighth before an injured thumb took him out of action after the third round. Panhandle State alumnae Beau Peterson of Council Grove, Kansas, earned her first qualification to the National Finals Breakaway Roping, where she placed in four go-rounds and finished fourth in the aggregate race. Bull rider Josh Frost finished second in the world standings for the second straight year after a fantastic performance in Las Vegas, where he earned $181,073. For Logan Hay, he had the time of his life in his inaugural qualification to the NFR. The oldest son of bronc riding legend Rod Hay, he placed in seven go-rounds and finished second in the aggregate race to fellow Canadian and three-time world champion Zeke Thurston. “It was pretty wild to go in there and have that much success on my first one,” said Hay, 26. “I would have never dreamed it would go like that.” It certainly made for a memorable trip to Sin City for Hay, who grew up going to Las Vegas to watch his dad compete, then followed his brother to town in Dawson Hay’s first two qualifications. To be on the same stage as his brother and other elite bronc busters made for the opportunity of a lifetime. Franks also rides bucking horses, but he does so with a rigging instead of a saddle. He’s proven at a young age that he has the ability to compete at a high level. By finishing among the top bareback riders in his first two seasons in ProRodeo, Franks is doing many things right. Of course, he has a legacy to uphold. He finished second in the NFR average race, just eight points behind his traveling partner, Jess Pope, a three-time average champion and the reigning world titlist.    “It doesn’t surprise me that I’ve done that well, because that was my ultimate plan,” said Franks, whose father had his best year when Bret Franks finished third in the final 1998 world standings. “Being there with Jess and seeing him win the world motivates me to do it, too. “It was awesome being there for him, too. That’s really what it’s all about. It’s not a team sport, but it takes a lot of teamwork to get to that point.” There were many great things that happened at the NFR this past December, with the cream of the crop shining brightly in the City of Lights. It’s that type of competition that will be repeated the first weekend in May, when the champions play  Continue Reading »

ALVA, Okla. – When Lacey Geiger was looking for the next level of her education, she had some specific details she needed to hopefully finish her degree. She found them in Northwestern Oklahoma State University and its rodeo coach Stockton Graves. That’s when she opted to move from Central Arizona College to Alva to not only earn her bachelor’s degree but to also compete among the best in the Central Plains Region. “I was looking for a bachelor’s program in something that suited my degree,” said Geiger, a fourth-year student from Emmett, Idaho. “I saw Northwestern had a good rodeo program and that Stockton was the coach, and he has fantastic credentials. The school looked promising and had what I needed.” She proved the choice was right this past weekend when she shared the breakaway roping victory at the Fort Scott (Kansas) Community College rodeo; Geiger and Northeastern Oklahoma A&M’s Bailey Stuva finished the rodeo with a two-run aggregate of 5.7 seconds to split the title. With that, Geiger moved into second place in the regional standings, just 10 points behind Stuva. “It was a great experience, and my horse worked fantastic,” Geiger said of Oatie, a 15-year-old sorrel gelding she’s had for two years. “I couldn’t have asked for a better support team, a better coach or a better horse. Everything just happened to work in my favor. “To me, this is a pretty tough region, so for me to get a little bit of breathing room is important. It’s definitely something that will help me in the long run.” The goal is to finish among the leaders when the region’s season concludes in late April to earn a spot in the field at the College National Finals Rodeo; only the top two teams and the top three individuals in each event advance to Casper, Wyoming, to battle for the national titles. While she hasn’t earned a shot at that level yet, it’s something the Idaho cowgirl has been building toward through her college career. “I’ve definitely learned a lot in college rodeo, and it’s a completely different game coming from high school and junior rodeo,” she said. “I had to get used to it and had to build my skills and confidence in order to get here and get to placing again. I think now that it’s my fourth year and I haven’t made the CNFR yet, it gives me more motivation to make the college finals. It’s definitely a goal of mine.” It’s likely the goal of the hundreds of talented intercollegiate contestants battling through the rigors of the Central Plains season. The rodeo in Fort Scott was the sixth of 10 events on the calendar, and it was a turning point for Geiger and several others. She was joined in the championship round by fellow Ranger breakaway ropers Jentri Hulbert of Arcadia, Nebraska, and Jayden Jensen of Fallon, Nevada. Barrel racer Samantha Chambers of Calhan, Colorado, placed in the opening round, then won the short round to finish second overall. She moved up to third in the region. The Northwestern men were led by their top-of-the line group of steer wrestlers, which featured six cowboys earning points, including the top four led by Emmett Edler of State Center, Iowa, who finished fifth in the first round, won the championship round and had the best two-run aggregate to claim the title. He jumped up to second in the regional standings. Central Plains leader Kaden Greenfield of Lakeview, Oregon, added to his lead by winning the first round and finishing second in the short round and average. Tyler Scheevel of Lester Prairie, Minnesota, finished third overall after splitting second in the opening round with teammate Jacob Haren of Erie, Colorado, who placed third overall. Tevin Cowen of Harrold, South Dakota, and DeQuan Laskey of Jones, Oklahoma, tied for sixth in the opening round. In addition to his success in bulldogging, Haren also added key points as a header while roping with Ry Clark of Oklahoma Panhandle State University; they placed in the opening round and tied for the short-round win to finish second in team roping. Scheevel also scored important points in tie-down roping, placing fifth overall. As a heeler, Rhett Murray of Alma, Kansas, placed fourth in the short round and overall while roping with header Rhett Conkling of Southwestern Oklahoma State University. As the Rangers teams focus attention toward the final four events of the season, they have many positives to take from Fort Scott. It’s the final push to see who will walk away with the coveted regional titles and be among the qualifiers to the college finals. “If you have a coach like Stockton, who is constantly enforcing confidence and hard work and doing the little things right, it definitely helps you as a competitor,” Geiger said. “He’s big into the mental game, which you need in rodeo. He’s definitely a respectable competitor, and I respect him a lot as a coach. He not only helps us in rodeo itself, but he helps us in getting our minds right and pushing us to do well in practice and to work hard. “That’s what it takes to win at any level.”

GUYMON, Okla. – Peering through the reflective glass at his past, Justin Rumford was a comedy act waiting to happen. As a high-schooler in south-central Kansas, his actions oftentimes proved to be a mix of his small-town raising, a life lived on the rodeo trail and a hunger for a good time. He carried that on to the next level when he attended Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva, and it was a big part of his lifestyle in the early stages of his rodeo career. There isn’t anything in rodeo that the fortysomething man hasn’t done. He’s been a bullfighter and a pickup man and a bronc rider and a bulldogger. He’s roped calves and roped steers, and through every layer of his life, he told funny tales, oftentimes about his own life. It made his transition into a popular rodeo clown that much easier. Rumford, who lives in Ponca City, Oklahoma, with is wife and their triplets, 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, at Henry C. Hitch Pioneer Arena. “We like having Rump around, because he’s funny and he’s a lot like the rest of us,” said Jeremy Carman, chairman of the volunteer committee that produces the annual rodeo. “He is a great fit for our rodeo and the people who live out here in the Panhandle. He’s really one of us.” Whether he’s telling reride stories behind the chutes or entertaining the crowds who pile into Hitch Arena, it’s Rumford being Rumford. It’s the way he was as a 16-year-old in Abbyville, Kansas; it’s the way he is in his mid-40s. The stories are different, but they’re still comical. “He’s very easy to work with, because he understands rodeo so well,” said Ken Stonecipher, a longtime committee member and one of the announcers who calls the action in Guymon. “He understands what we need as a rodeo production, and he knows the right times to turn on his microphone and entertain the fans. “It’s almost like he’s visiting with each person in the stands. He makes it comfortable and funny. There’s just something special about the things he does.” It’s the reason why he’s been named the PRCA’s Clown of the Year 10 times over his relatively short career in greasepaint. Rumford’s storytelling and comedic techniques have come from a lifetime of experiences. He utilizes all that for RümpChät, a popular podcast he does with another rodeo personality, Josh “Hambone” Hilton, who is the sound director in Guymon each May. “It’s not just a rodeo podcast, but it’s very agriculture,” Rumford said. “We have a lot of farmers, ranchers and oilfield workers who listen. We’re a blue-collar, beer drinking-man’s podcast.” What’s said on air sometimes transitions into the rodeo arena, and vice versa. With a personality where life imitates art, Rumford is quite at home around bucking horses and timed-event steers. “I totally adjust everything,” he said. “You don’t want to push somebody on what they want to hear. When you’re in die-hard rodeo country, you have to feel it out and see what happens. “In Guymon, they’re rodeo-savvy, but they like to party. They are my kind of people.”

Futurity will showcase rising talent among broncs, cowboys alike GOODING, Idaho – Rodeo fans in southern Idaho have always had an affection for saddle bronc riding, the sport’s classic event. The organizers of the Gooding Pro Rodeo are offering another opportunity to see more bronc busting by hosting the Dirty Rotten Buckers, set for 2 p.m. Saturday, May 27, at Andy James Arena at the Gooding County Fairgrounds. Tickets are on sale now at GoodingProRodeo.com. “Everybody in southern Idaho loves to watch good bucking horses, so I think this will go over really well,” said Mitch Pollock, a National Finals Rodeo qualifier who lives in nearby Twin Falls, Idaho. “Gooding is a small farm town, and yet they pack that place up every year for their rodeo. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a big crowd to watch bucking horses.” Dirty Rotten Buckers is, at heart, a bronc futurity, a chance for stock contractors to test the ability of their younger horses that could grow to be some of the elite buckers on the rodeo trail today. It’s also a competition for the cowboys that ride the wild beasts. “The competitions are equally the same,” said Gene King, who co-owns Dirty Rotten Buckers with Jeremy Gordon. “There are some of these events that are team deals, but that’s not going to be the case with this. If you have one horse you want in the competition, then you can bring it. “For the cowboys, it’s a pretty good deal. We want the college kids, the young bronc riders, to be part of this. We’ll plan to buck some 30-35 horses, so we’ll only need about 45 head of livestock. We’re going to have $20,000 in added money, $10,000 for the cowboys and $10,000 for the horses.” That’s a hefty purse, and it will be part of the attraction to all competitors hoping to be involved. Cowboys and horse owners are looking forward to taking a shot at the lion’s share of the money in the pot. “It’s nice to know that most of the horses at this futurity are going to be proven, so it’s nice and reassuring that you know you have a chance,” Pollock said. “They put up quite a bit of money, so that’s nice. I don’t know another futurity that pays their bronc riders like this. With that much money added, it gives the bronc riders a chance at a nice paycheck.” King said last year’s winner pocketed more than $4,000. That kind of cash will be a nice drawing card for high-level cowboys looking to continue to build on their game. “It’s a great event,” King said. “There are a lot of great, up-and-coming cowboys that come, and we get a lot of great, up-and-coming livestock that you can watch. It’s a very unique event because a lot of time you won’t get this much young livestock at a rodeo at that many young cowboys. You’re going to see a lot of action in a short time during this futurity.” Action just what rodeo fans have come to expect in this part of the world. The College of Southern Idaho has long been a wonderful training grounds for rodeo contestants who want to make a living in ProRodeo, but there’s more to the rodeo history on this landscape. Each year, the Gooding Pro Rodeo features the greatest rodeo stars in the game. The event is set for Thursday, Aug. 17-Saturday, Aug. 19, with a special “Beauty and the Beast” performance set for Wednesday, Aug. 16. By adding the Dirty Rotten Buckers to the schedule of events at the Gooding County Fairgrounds, fair and rodeo manager Don Gill indicated this is a great opportunity to build on an already-successful program. “We’re excited to work with Gene and Jeremy and everybody with Dirty Rotten Buckers to have this futurity in Gooding,” Gill said. “I know the people who love to watch rodeo and have a great time doing it are going to love this event. They’re going to have a chance to see some future stars, whether they’re cowboys or broncs, and they’re going to have a lot of fun while they’re at it.” That is, after all, a Gooding tradition.

Cinch bronc busters combine for big earnings and a world title It was a good year to be a Canadian saddle bronc rider competing at the 2022 National Finals Rodeo. For just the second time in the history of the championship event, six bronc busters from north of the 49th Parallel earned the right to compete at Las Vegas in December. The Maple Leaf flags were waving across the Thomas & Mack Center, and the cowboys’ performances proved the spectacular pride each cowboy held. “It’s pretty awesome that we had over a third of the bronc riders at the NFR,” said Logan Hay, a first-time qualifier from Wildwood, Alberta. “We had a bunch of fans back home that were texting and calling us every night telling us how cool it was to see us at the NFR. It’s cool that Canada was so well represented at the NFR.” It was way more than that. All six Canadian cowboys also are Cinch endorsees, so they not only look great but also ride great. It was evident by the time the NFR came to a close. Combined, they pocketed just shy of $685,000. It was a fantastic 10 days in the Nevada desert, and it only got better when Zeke Thurston added his third NFR average title and his third Montana Silversmiths gold buckle. “I think that says a lot about the bronc riders we’re producing in Canada,” said Thurston of Big Valley, Alberta. “I think the whole country should be proud of that.” It is. Hay and Thurston were joined in Las Vegas by four other Albertans: Kolby Wanchuk of Sherwood Park, Layton Green of Millarville, Kole Ashbacher of Arrowwood and Logan Hay’s younger brother, Dawson. Of the half-dozen, only Logan Hay and Ashbacher were competing at their first finale. It made for some interesting fun. Part of that was having Thurston and the elder Hay involved into the chase for the world title. Those two alone accounted for 67 percent of the Canadian bronc riders’ earnings in Sin City. “That’s what we went there to do,” said Wanchuk, a two-time NFR qualifier who finished the 2022 season eighth in the world standings with more than $210,000, $80,500 of which came in Las Vegas. “To be able to make that happen and virtually everybody having some luck out there was awesome, and then we had Zeke coming home with the world title. “Dawson made one of the best rides I’ve ever seen. Logan won three rounds, so everybody was a force to be reckoned with. It was a hard bronc riding. It was an absolute battle every night.” Yes, it was. Of the 10 rounds, a Canadian won six of them – Wanchuk and Thurston finished in three-way tie for first on the final night. That was a dominating showcase of bronc-riding talent. Thurston won his third gold buckle, and Logan Hay finished third in the world standings with nearly $340,000 – $200,000 of which happened inside the Thomas & Mack Center. Throw in Dawson Hay, who was the third Canuck to cross the $100,000 mark while competing at the NFR for the third time; he closed out the year with $213,122, $101,405 of which came over 10 December nights. “Now that I’ve had time to reflect on it and it wasn’t just happening every night, it was pretty wild to go in there and have that much success at my first one,” said Logan Hay, whose father, Rod, was a 20-time NFR qualifier. “I would have never dreamed it would go like that. Lots of guys’ first NFRs can be a shell-shocker, but I really wasn’t nervous, which is pretty shocking to me. I was waiting to get nervous.” Maybe his experience as a spectator and family member is a reason for that, but there’s no telling what can happen when eight seconds of dynamite explodes out of the yellow bucking chutes. “Being there and riding there are two different things,” said Logan Hay, who placed seven times. “It helps having been there, but I was honestly most nervous before the grand entry. It got really crazy. “Representing Canada in Vegas was awesome. Layton and Zeke were a little bit ahead of us, but the other four of us started together. It was pretty cool for us to all be there together like that.”   Each man has his own pedigree. Thurston and the Hays are sons of NFR qualifiers, while Wanchuk was raised by a rodeo entertainer and a barrel racer. Ashbacher and Green were raised on their family’s ranches, but it all added up to a pretty magical 2022 season. Four of the bronc riders also competed at the Canadian Finals Rodeo, where Thurston made it a clean sweep by winning the average and the Canadian title. “We all wanted to be the ones winning the world, but Zeke is such a great guy and has done so much for bronc riding,” Wanchuk said. “It’s cool to see him win another, and it’s the first finals I’ve been to where he won it.” What also was cool was that Logan Hay was also in the middle of the championship race with Thurston and Californian Lefty Holman. It made the first venture behind the yellow bucking chutes that much more memorable. “That was crazy,” Logan Hay said. “That never really sunk in until the end of the ninth round. Just to have a chance was incredible. Roddy (his dad) told me that night that he was only in the world-championship race one time by the ninth round. It was going to be a long shot for Zeke not to win it, but it was so cool to be in the picture.” In addition to his gold buckles, Thurston also had a level of experience going in. That was his eighth straight trip to the big show; the next closest Canadian in the mix was Green, who was competing at his third. Thurston first won rodeo’s gold in 2016,  Continue Reading »