Monthly Archives: May 2023

ALVA, Okla. – Steer wrestler Kaden Greenfield and tie-down roper Denton Oestmann have quite a story to tell about their rodeo journeys. Between them, they account for two transfers, two Central Plains Region titles, five qualifications to the College National Finals Rodeo and two degrees from Northwestern Oklahoma State University. They will close out their intercollegiate careers by returning to the college finals, set for June 11-17 at the Ford Wyoming Center in Casper, Wyoming. “Closing out my career by making the college finals means a lot,” said Oestmann, a 2023 graduate from Auburn, Nebraska. “Everybody wants to go out with a bang. It would have been a lot nicer to have won the region, but it didn’t quite end up in my favor. Being able to compete at my last college rodeo in Casper is what really matters.” Over his three seasons in Alva, Oestmann has had solid success. He transferred from Iowa Central Community College; while there, he qualified for the college finals in 2019. Greenfield spent two years at Blue Mountain Community College in Pendleton, Oregon, before arriving in Woods County in time for the 2021-22 season. He had competed at the college finale after his sophomore season, then proved to be on top of his game once he moved to Oklahoma. He won the Central Plains each of the past two seasons. A year ago, he made his trip to Casper and found limited success. He placed in the second go-round but left with hopes of having a better run. He earned a chance at redemption with his third straight CNFR bid. “The top goal at the beginning of the year is to be the national champion,” said Greenfield, a Lakeview, Oregon, cowboy who obtained his degree on May 6. “The first thing you have to do is make the college finals, then you have to do good there. In order to make it, you have to set other, smaller goals along the way, so I’d made the goal to win the national title, and then I made the goal to win the region.” That process is easier said than done, especially in the circuit made up of contestants from colleges in Oklahoma and Kansas. It’s recognized by the cowboys and cowgirls as one of the toughest in the country. For bulldoggers, it’s hard to make it out of practices unscathed. Of the top 11 steer wrestlers in the region, eight are from Northwestern. “Our region is full of guys you see at ProRodeos,” said Greenfield, the son of Shawn Greenfield, a seven-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier. “Competing against those guys pushes you to be better.” The old adage that iron sharpens iron is not only eloquent but also serves as proof of greatness. Neither Greenfield nor Oestmann would be in positions to make a run at the college championships had they not overcome the challenges throughout the 10-event campaign. Oestmann, for example, had led the circuit through a good portion of the season but finished second. “My roping has come a long way since I first made the college finals,” he said. “My roping’s matured a lot. I’ll be riding a better horse than when I went out there for the first time.” He’ll actually take two to Casper. One is Short Stack, a sorrel that he has ridden at most of the college rodeos this season; the other is Low Rider, a gray gelding owned by his brother, Jarrett. That’s the one Oestmann plans to ride at the indoor arena. “He’s a veteran, and he’s good in the buildings,” he said, noting that he doesn’t get to ride Low Rider much while in school because the gray is in southeastern Nebraska. “I click with him pretty good when I get to ride him.” That’s important. They have to work as a team, and each combatant needs all the advantages he can get when it comes to competing against the best in intercollegiate rodeo. When the weeklong competition is done at Casper, he and others will try their hands at the professional level. Last fall, Oestmann earned a spot at the Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo, the regional finale that took place in Duncan, Oklahoma. Greenfield is following in his father’s footsteps. He is in his second year competing in the PRCA and will be traveling the rodeo trail with teammate Trisyn Kalawaia and Northwestern rodeo coach Stockton Graves; both have been instrumental in Greenfield’s success while in Alva the last two years. “You can learn a lot, especially from Stockton,” Greenfield said, noting that Graves is an eight-time NFR qualifier. “You’ve got to continue to try to improve, and this will give me a good shot at doing that.” Graves takes a competitive approach to coaching the team; he sets up opportunities for cowboys and cowgirls to learn through pressure situations, and it has worked well in his time with the program. Both Greenfield and Oestmann are in position to be the fourth (and maybe fifth) Northwestern athletes to win national titles, following in the footsteps of bulldoggers J.D. Struxness (2016) and Bridger Anderson (2019) and breakaway roper Taylor Munsell (also 2019). “Northwestern has been good to me,” Oestmann said. “Stockton was really good about how I prepared. I always had an arena rented, and I roped every single day. Stockton knew how hard I was working.” It has paid great dividends. Now, he and Greenfield will make their final few rounds of college rodeo in the place that crowns national titlists each June. “You just have to go make three good runs and let the cards fall where they may,” Greenfield said. “If it works out, then you go make another good run in the short round and see where you end up.” Rodeo’s gold only goes to a select few each year, and those that win the championships will have to overcome all the challenges they face while competing at an optimum level. Greenfield and Oestmann are in the mix and ready  Continue Reading »

GOODING, Idaho – Great athletes come in all shapes and sizes. Usain Bolt is the fastest man in the world, and LeBron James is trying to be his own version of Michael Jordan. Aaron Donald is 285 pounds and is as swift as a man much smaller, which is why he is one of the greatest defensive linemen in the NFL today. In saddle bronc riding, 150-pound men are matched with 1,000-pound horses, and both show incredible athleticism throughout an eight-second ride. That type of agility and power will be on display during the Dirty Rotten Buckers, set for 2 p.m. Saturday, May 27, at Andy James Arena on the Gooding County Fairgrounds. Tickets are on sale now at GoodingProRodeo.com. “This is going to be a special day for us in Gooding,” said Don Gill, manager of the Gooding County Fair and the Gooding Pro Rodeo. “This is a great opportunity for us to show off the great young talent we have in rodeo, both as cowboys and as bucking horses.” Dirty Rotten Buckers is a multilevel competition featuring the rising stars of saddle bronc riding and the up-and-coming equine starts that will be featured in the sport for years to come. Dirty Rotten Buckers has been around for years, but this will be its first year in Gooding. The organization was established by renowned pickup man Bobby Marriott and his wife, Michelle. It was purchased recently by Gene King and Jeremy Gordon, who are handling the heavy-lifting that comes with producing an event like this. “This is a great event,” said King, who also co-owns King Rodeo Co. with his wife, Amanda. “This is a good chance for the stock contractors to show their horses and for the contestants to show their skills. It’s going to be a lot of fun.” It’s also going to be an action-packed day. The event is featuring $20,000 in “added” money, which is mixed with entry fees to make up the overall purse – $10,000 will go toward the cowboys, and $10,000 will go toward the broncs. While the entries will be limited to up to 35 head of horses, it is open to any livestock producer that wants to showcase his/her animal. “If you have only one horse, you can come,” King said. “For the cowboys, it’s a pretty good deal. We want the college kids, the young bronc riders.” Dirty Rotten Buckers will also serve as a chance for rodeo fans to get a taste of the action that comes to town a couple months later. The Gooding Pro Rodeo will take place Thursday, Aug. 18-Saturday, Aug. 20, with a special “Beauty and the Beast” performance set for Wednesday, Aug. 17. All performances take place at 8 p.m. at Andy James Arena. “We teamed up with Dirty Rotten Buckers because we believe in this event, and we thought it would be something our fans would enjoy,” Gill said. “I think this is going to be a great partnership.”

GUYMON, Okla. – Before she could even walk, Summer Kosel was horseback. Her father raised racehorses, so she grew up on the racetrack. Now, the wife and mother of four is testing all her years of horsemanship in rodeo, racing her horses around the cloverleaf pattern that is barrel racing. During Sunday’s fourth performance of the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo, Kosel and her mount, Apollo, stopped the clock in 17.12 seconds to finish third in the second go-round and claim the overall championship at Oklahoma’s richest rodeo. She also won the first go-round, which took place Friday morning, so she pocketed $6,256. “I was very blessed last year to do well enough to get into the Texas rodeos,” she said of the indoor events that cover the schedule through the winter months. “From there, I actually went to California, and this was just the spot I hit on my way home.” She lives in Glenham, in the northern portion of South Dakota. She’s held her WPRA membership since 2017 and is making a run through the ranks as she raises her children. She was 19th in the world standings heading into this weekend’s competition. “I had four kids before I bought my pro card, but I barrel raced all my life,” she said. “I’ve ridden horses since before I could walk. I had a seatbelt on my saddle to doctor cattle in the pasture. After I got married and had my kids, I was taking blown-up horses that nobody wanted and fixing them and making them barrel horses “My husband asked if I wanted to barrel race again, and my kids were old enough to do peewee, so I got back into it. For a while, I just did barrel races in South Dakota and amateur rodeo.” She has something special in Apollo, an 8-year-old bay gelding. Previous owners had hoped to use him as a tie-down roping horse; fortunately, a friend started the gelding on the barrel pattern before Kosel got ahold of him. Now, she loves what she has. The tandem set a new arena record in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and now they have the Guymon title to boot. “He’s very efficient,” said Kosel, whose children are 17, 13, 12 and 8. “He’s just really broke. If I wiggle a pinky or squeeze a butt cheek, he’s moving to get under me.” Like every contestant that competes in rodeo, there are gold buckle dreams. Should she make her way to the National Finals Rodeo in December, she’ll relish it; she’s just not going to worry about it. “We’re going to give it a go, but it’s always in God’s hands.” Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days RodeoMay 1-7All-around cowboy: Coleman Proctor, $6,068 in team roping and steer roping. Bareback riding: 1. Dean Thompson, 92.5 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Gun Fire, $3, 576; 2. Donny Proffit, 88, $2,741; 3. (tie) Tim O’Connell and Orin Larsen, 87, $1,669 each; 5. Leighton Berry, 86, $834; 6. (tie) Cooper Cook and Kade Sonnier, 85, $536 each; 8. Tanner Aus, 84.5, $358.  Team roping: First round: 1. Justin Pruitt/Gralyn Elkins, 6.4 seconds, $2,222 each; 2. Derrick Begay/Colter Todd, 6.6, $1,932; 3. (tie) Lightning Aguilera/Jared Fillmore, Clayton Eggers/Joshua Smitherman and Coy Rahlmann/Jonathan Torres, 6.9, $1,353 each; 6. Shay Dixon Carroll/Evan Arnold, 7.1, $773; 7. Bubba Buckaloo/JR Gonzalez, 7.2, $483; 8. Braden Pirrung/Lane Siggins, 7.3, $193. Second round: 1. Caleb Smidt/Paul Eaves, 5.5 seconds, $2,222 each; 2. Paul David Tierney/Tanner Braden, 6.0, $1,932; 3. (tie) Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin and Clay Smith/Coleby Payne, 6.1, $1,497 each; 5. J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo, 6.2, $1,063; 6. Klay Yaussi/Kash Yaussi, 6.4, $773; 7. (tie) Kolby Krieger/Bo Yaussi and Wyatt Murray/Whitt Crozier, 6.5, $338 each. Third round: 1. Paul David Tierney/Tanner Braden, 6.6 seconds, $2,222; 2. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 6.8, $1,932; 3. Kreece Thompson/Landen Glenn, 7.2, $1,642; 4. Tyler Waters/Douglas Rich, 7.3, $1,353; 5. Bubba Buckaloo/JR Gonzalez, 7.5, $1,063; 6. Rio Nuter/Reece Wadhams, 7.6, $773; 7. Casey Hicks/Steve Orth, 7.9, $483; 8. Klay Yaussi/Kash Yaussi, 8.3, $193. Average: 1. Derrick Begay/Colter Todd, 21.9 seconds on three runs, $3,333; 2. Tyler Waters/Douglas Rich, 23.0, $2,898; 3. Bubba Buckaloo/JR Gonzalez, 23.3, $2,4644; 4. Casey Hicks/Steve Orth, 23.8, $2,029; 5. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 28.9, $1,594; 6. Edgar AguilarJorge Luis Cruz, 29.3, $1,159; 7.Clay Smith/Coleby Payne, 31.3, $725;; 8. Braden Pirrung/Lane Siggins, 32.4, $290. Steer wrestling: First round: 1. (tie) Bridger Anderson and J.D. Struxness, 4.0 seconds, $2,363 each; 3. (tie) Brandon Harrison and Holden Myers, 4.1, $1,704 each; 5. (tie) Termaine Debose and Trell Etbauer, 4.2, $1,044 each; 7. Denell Henderson, 4.3, $550; 8. (tie) Trevin Fox, Marc Joiner, Reed Kraeger and Joe Nelson, 4.4, $55 each. Second round: 1. Cash Robb, 3.8 seconds, $2,528; 2. (tie) Billy Boldon, Trell Etbauer, Stetson Jorgensen, Cameron Morman and Colton Swearingen, 4.5, $1,539 each; 7. (tie) Mason Couch, Cody Devers and Tyler Willis Ravenscroft, 4.6, $256 each. Third round: 1. Mason Couch, 3.9 seconds, $2,529; 2. Kaden Greenfield, 4.2, $2,199; 3. (tie) Cash Robb, Brandon Harrison, Trisyn Kalawaia, Ty Bauerle and J.D. Struxness, 4.6, $1,209 each; 8. (tie) Kalane Anders and Stockton Graves, 4.8, $109 each. Average: 1. Mason Couch, 13.1 seconds on three runs, $3,793; 2. J.D. Struxness, 13.3, $3,298; 3. Trisyn Kalawaia, 14.5, $2,803; 4. Cash Robb, 14.6, $2,308; 5. (tie) Brandon Harrison and Cody Devers, 15.0, $1,566 each; 7. Stockton Graves, 15.6, $824; 8. Kaden Greenfield, 15.7, $330. Saddle bronc riding: 1. Tanner Butner, 90 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Lonesome Eyes, $3,804; 2. Wyatt Casper, 88.5, $2,917; 3. (tie) Brody Cress and Lefty Holman, 86.5, $1,715; 5, (tie) Chase Brooks, Logan Cook and Cort Scheer, 85.5, $676; 8. (tie) Ross Griffin and Stetson Wright, $190 each. Breakaway roping: First round: 1. (tie) Sierra Heinert and Madison Outhier, 2.3 seconds, $2,139 each; 3. (tie) Jackie Crawford and Ashley Goforth, 2.4, $1,542 each; 5. (tie) Amanda Coleman, Rylea Fabrizio and Kenzie Hay, 2.5, $796 each; 8. (tie) Deborah Fabrizio and Alli Masters, 2.6, $99 each. Second round 1. Josie Conner, 2.1 seconds, $2,288; 2. Sierra Heinert, 2.3, $1,990; 3. Deborah Fabrizio, 2.5, $1,691; 4. Cheyenne Bartling,  Continue Reading »

GUYMON, Okla. – Dean Thompson is trying to make a name for himself in professional rodeo. He’s a first-year bareback rider with big-time dreams and an athletic acumen to get him to where he wants to go. Heading into this weekend’s activities, he was fifth in the Resistol Rookie of the Year race and 12th in the world standings. He made a statement during Saturday night’s third performance of the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo, riding Frontier Rodeo’s Gun Fire for 92.5 points to take the bareback riding lead with one day left in the weeklong event. “Before it started, we were (behind the chutes) thinking that horse was something like a dragon,” said Thompson, 21, of Altamont, Utah. “That’s a big bucking horse.” He learned about his match-up through the random draw when it was released Tuesday afternoon. He experienced a bit of trepidation and excitement. Gun Fire has been one of the best bucking horses in ProRodeo for several years, and in 2022, the buckskin mare was named the Bareback Horse of the Year. She earned it over the course of the campaign. She was bucked several times, and the average score was better than 90 points. In 2021, the average score on Gun Fire was almost 92 points. That’s sensational. That year, only one cowboy scored less than 90, and he was just a half point shy of that marking. “When she left out of there, I saw that my markout was good,” Thompson said of the start of his ride, where the heels of his boots were above the break of the horse’s shoulders. “I felt that first jump and saw that I was in a good spot, and then it just got good.” Yes, it did, and it was the arena record to boot. A year ago, eventual world champion Jess Pope was 92 on Gun Fire to set the mark. The rookie from Utah bettered it by a half point, and it was a fight. “I knew that horse was going to be all there, and she was and then some,” he said. With one performance remaining, Thompson will have to ride the storm out to see if he can earn the biggest victory of his young career. It is his highest marking yet, and but he’s just getting started. There are hundreds of great bucking horses in ProRodeo, and he’ll have a shot at many of them. But on this day in the Oklahoma Panhandle, Dean Thompson conquered the beast. Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days RodeoMay 1-7Bareback riding leaders: 1. Dean Thompson, 92.5 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Gun Fire; 2. Donny Proffit, 88; 3. (tie) Tim O’Connell and Orin Larsen, 87; 5. Leighton Berry, 86; 6. (tie) Cooper Cook and Kade Sonnier, 85; 8. Keenan Hayes, 83.5.  Team roping: Third round leaders: 1. Paul David Tierney/Tanner Braden, 6.6 seconds; 2. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 6.8; 3. Kreece Thompson/Landen Glenn, 7.2; 4. Tyler Waters/Douglas Rich, 7.3; 5. Rio Nuter/Reece Wadhams, 7.6; 6. Casey Hicks/Steve Orth, 7.9; 7. Klay Yaussi/Kash Yaussi, 8.3; 8. Derrick Begay/Colter Todd, 8.5. Average leaders: 1. Derrick Begay/Colter Todd, 21.9 seconds on three runs; 2. Tyler Waters/Douglas Rich, 23.0; 3. Casey Hicks/Steve Orth, 23.8; 4. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 28.9; 5. Braden Pirrung/Lane Siggins, 32.4; 6. J.C. Yeaqho/L.J Yeahquo, 33.3; 7. Kellan Johnson/Carson Johnson, 36.4; 8. Kreece Thompson/Landen Glenn, 36.7. Steer wrestling: Third round leaders: 1. Mason Couch, 3.9 seconds; 2. (tie) Cash Robb, Brandon Harrison, Ty Bauerle and J.D. Struxness, 4.6; 6. (tie) Joshua Hefner and Austin Anderson, 5.3; 8. Laramie Warren, 5.4. Average leaders: 1. Mason Couch, 13.1 seconds on three runs; 2. J.D. Struxness, 13.3; 3. Cash Robb, 14.6; 4. (tie) Brandon Harrison and Cody Devers, 15.0; 6. Joe Nelson, 15.9; 7. (tie) Joshua Hefner and Landris White, 16.1. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Tanner Butner, 90 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Lonesome Eyes; 2. Wyatt Casper, 88.5; 3. (tie) Brody Cress and Lefty Holman, 86.5; 5, (tie) Chase Brooks, Logan Cook and Cort Scheer, 85.5; 8. Sam Martin, 84. Breakaway roping: Second round leaders 1. Josie Conner, 2.1 seconds; 2. Cheyenne Bartling, 2.6; 3. (tie) Kodi Hansen and Christi Braudrick, 2.7; 5. (tie) Lari Dee Guy and Madison Outhier, 2.8; 7. Rheagan Cotton, 2.9; 8. Sequin Brewer, 3.0. Average: 1. Josie Conner, 4.9; 2. Madison Outhier, 5.10; 3. Christi Braudrick, 5.4; 4. Jackie Crawford, 5.5; 5. (tie) Cheyenne Bartling and Kodi Hansen, 5.7; 7. (tie) Lari Dee Guy, Rheagan Cotton and Sequin Brewer.   Tie-down roping: Third round leaders: 1. Marley Berger, 7.4 seconds; 2. Kincade Henry, 8.1; 3. Shane Hanchey, 8.5; 4. (tie) Marcos Costa and Bryce Derrer, 8.6, 6. Trenton Smith, 8.9; 7. (tie) Cory Solomon and Ty Harris, 9.3. Average leaders: 1. Ty Harris, 26.0 seconds on three runs; 2. Shane Hanchey, 27.1; 3. Kincade Henry, 27.4; 4. Bryce Derrer, 27.5; 5. Connor Blaise Atkinson, 27.7; 6. Cory Solomon, 27.8; 7. Trell Etbauer, 28.5; 8. Luke Potter, 29.1. Barrel racing: Second round leaders: 1. Taycie Matthews, 16.95 seconds; 2. Wenda Johnson, 17.09; 3. Leslie Smalygo, 17.44; 4. Quincy Sullivan, 17.15; 5. Kathryn Hawkins, 17.16; 6. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, 17.17; 7. Paige Jones, 17.19; 8. (tie) Ivy Saebens and Suzanne Brooks, 17.25; 10. Austyn Tobey, 17.27. Average leaders: 1. Tracy Nowlin, 34.47 seconds on two runs; 2. Paige Jones, 34.49; 3. Quincy Sullivan, 34.64; 4. Ilyssa Riley, 34.73; 5. (tie) Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi and Acey Pinkston, 34.74; 7. Austyn Tobey, 34.76; 8. Ivy Saebens 34.77; 9. Kappie Bryant, 34.79; 10. Suzanne Brooks, 34.90. Bull riding leaders: 1. Junior Souza, 88 points on Frontier Rodeo’s County Jail; 2. Colton Kelly, 86.5; 3. Dustin Boquet, 86; 4. Deklan Garland, 84.5; no other qualified rides.

GUYMON, Okla. – There’s been a bit of a sibling rivalry in the O’Connell house for as long as anyone can remember. Two boys, not far apart in age, was the primary cause, but so was competitiveness and a little bit of spite. Truthfully, it’s a key reason why Tim, the little brother, went on to rodeo excellence. He’s a three-time world champion bareback rider who has qualified for the National Finals Rodeo for nine consecutive seasons, even one in which he only competed for less than three months. “Between rodeo, wrestling and backyard fights, we’ve had a lot going on for a long time,” said Tim O’Connell, 31, of Zwingle, Iowa. Three weeks ago in San Angelo, Texas, the brothers were matched together again. Will O’Connell is co-owner of Championship Pro Rodeo, which had 11 bareback horses selected to the 2022 NFR. Tim O’Connell was teamed with Championship’s Meat Cracker, and the powerful black beauty won the day, causing the champ to take a no-score. Their rematch was Saturday afternoon, and the Iowa heavyweight came out on top, scoring 87 points to take the lead during the second performance of the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo. “Vengeance is a dish best served cold,” Tim O’Connell said. He acknowledged that Will O’Connell is one of his biggest fans and greatest supporters, but that rivalry is three decades old. Older by five years, Will has always known how to get under his little brother’s skin. That’s OK; that wheel rolls both directions. When Tim O’Connell conquered the beast in the Oklahoma Panhandle dirt, his smile was almost as wide as it was in 2016, when he won his first Montana Silversmiths gold buckle. “Will knows how hard I’ve worked in my career, and he wants me to win on his horses,” Tim O’Connell said. “But I know how hard he’s worked on his herd. He takes great care of his horses. He’s feeds them, waters them, exercises them and makes sure they’re taken care of the best that they can be.” O’Connell wasn’t the only contestant to have success Saturday. Josie Conner, the reigning Resistol Rookie of the Year, took the lead in breakaway roping with a 2.1-second run. Conner, a 19-year-old cowgirl from Iowa, Louisiana, earned her first National Finals Breakaway Roping qualification in 2022. She is 12th in the world standings. Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days RodeoMay 1-7Bareback riding leaders: 1. Tim O’Connell, 87 points on Championship Pro Rodeo’s Meat Cracker; 2. Leighton Berry, 86; 3. 3. (tie) Cooper Cook and Kade Sonnier, 85; 5. Keenan Hayes, 83.5; 6. Kolt Dement, 82.5; 7. Ben Kramer, 81.5; 8. (tie) Mason Stuller and Shane O’Connell, 81; 5.  Team roping: Third round leaders: 1. Paul David Tierney/Tanner Braden, 6.6 seconds; 2. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 6.8; 3. Tyler Waters/Douglas Rich, 7.3; 4. Klay Yaussi/Kash Yaussi, 8.3; 5. Derrick Begay/Colter Todd, 8.5; 6. Jacob Hickman/Gavin Foster, 12.6; 7. Jon Peterson/Trae Smith, 16.4; 8. Wyatt Muggli/Daniel Reed, 17.0. Average leaders: 1. Derrick Begay/Colter Todd, 21.9 seconds on three runs; 2. Tyler Waters/Douglas Rich, 23.0; 3. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 28.9; 4. Kellan Johnson/Carson Johnson, 36.4; 5. Wyatt Muggli/Daniel Reed, 45.0; 6. Paul David Tierney/Tanner Braden, 12.6 seconds on two runs; 7. Clay Smith/Coleby Payne, 13.9; 8. Klay Yaussi/Kash Yaussi, 14.7. Steer wrestling: Third round leaders: 1. Mason Couch, 3.9 seconds; 2. (tie) Cash Robb, Brandon Harrison, Ty Bauerle and J.D. Struxness, 4.6; 6. (tie) Joshua Hefner and Austin Anderson, 5.3; 8. Laramie Warren, 5.4. Average leaders: 1. Mason Couch, 13.1 seconds on three runs; 2. J.D. Struxness, 13.3; 3. Cash Robb, 14.6; 4. Brandon Harrison, 15.0; 5. Joshua Hefner, 16.1; 6. (tie) Cal Wolfe and Cameron Morman, 16.8; 8. Nick Guy, 17.1. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Tanner Butner, 90 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Lonesome Eyes; 2. Wyatt Casper, 88.5; 3. (tie) Chase Brooks and Logan Cook, 85.5; 5. Sam Martin, 84; 6. Ean Price, 82; 7. Tegan Smith, 79.5; 8. Blaise Freeman, 78.5. Breakaway roping: Second round leaders 1. Josie Conner, 2.1 seconds; 2. Cheyenne Bartling, 2.6; 3. Kodi Hansen, 2.7; 4. (tie) Lari Dee Guy and Madison Outhier, 2.8; 6. Rheagan Cotton, 2.9; 7. (tie) Hannah Macy and Jackie Crawford, 3.1. Tie-down roping: Third round leaders: 1. Marley Berger, 7.4 seconds; 2. Kincade Henry, 8.1; 3. Shane Hanchey, 8.5; 4. Marcos Costa, 8.6, 5. Trenton Smith, 8.9; 6. (tie) Cory Solomon and Ty Harris, 9.3; 8. Zaine Mikita, 9.7. Average leaders: 1. Ty Harris, 26.0 seconds on three runs; 2. Shane Hanchey, 27.1; 3. Kincade Henry, 27.4; 4. Connor Blaise Atkinson, 27.7; 5. Cory Solomon, 27.8; 6. Trenton Smith, 29.2; 7. Zaine Mikita, 30.2; 8. Marley Berger, 31.7. Barrel racing: Second round leaders: 1. Taycie Matthews, 16.95 seconds; 2. Wenda Johnson, 17.09; 3. Leslie Smalygo, 17.44; 4. Kathryn Hawkins, 17.16; 5. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, 17.17; 6. Paige Jones, 17.19; 7. (tie) Ivy Saebens and Suzanne Brooks, 17.25; 9. Austyn Tobey, 17.27; 10. Cindy Smith, 17.38. Average leaders: 1. Paige Jones, 34.49 seconds on two runs; 2. (tie) Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi and Acey Pinkston, 34.74; 4. Austyn Tobey, 34.76; 5. Ivy Saebens 34.77; 6. Suzanne Brooks, 34.90; 7. Laura Mote, 35.11; 8. Andrea Busby, 35.13; 9. Jimmie Smith-Tew, 35.14; 10. Halyn Lide, 35.18. Bull riding leaders: 1. Colton Kelly, 86.5 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Glory Days; 2. Dustin Boquet, 86; 3. Deklan Garland, 84.5; no other qualified rides.

GUYMON, Okla. – J.D. Struxness is on a two-fold mission this rodeo season. He’s got a gold buckle on his mind, and there’s a tremendous amount of work involved with that. He added to his workload, though, with Izzy, an 11-year-old sorrel mare he’s finishing on the rodeo trail. After nearly two years of work as a steer wrestling horse, The red racer is being put through the paces the best way possible by just doing the work. It seems to be paying off at Oklahoma’s richest rodeo, the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo. He knocked down opening steer in 4.0 seconds Wednesday to share the first-round victory with North Dakotan Bridger Anderson, then was 4.7 to miss out on a second-round payday. During Friday’s first performance, he knocked his steer to the ground in 4.6 seconds to share the third-round lead and own the aggregate advantage with a three-run cumulative time of 13.3 seconds. “It’s a good little boost,” said Struxness, 28, of Milan, Minnesota. “We just came back from California and didn’t have any luck there, so coming back here and doing good (helps you) get on a roll. We’ll take a little break, and you’ll have confidence coming back to the big rodeos.” Competing in Henry C. Hitch Pioneer Arena is nothing new for Struxness, who attended nearby Northwestern Oklahoma State University on a rodeo scholarship. In 2016, he finished second in the Central Plains Region, then followed that with the intercollegiate championship, becoming the first Northwestern cowboy to claim a national title. “We always came here for the college rodeo, then came back the next week for the ProRodeo when I was going to Alva, so it was nice to work it twice,” he said. “I got confidence in this arena by competing that many times a year. It’s nice to finally have some luck, so we’ll see how it holds up,” He followed that magical college season with his first of four qualifications to the National Finals Rodeo, finishing fourth in the final world standings. He added trips to Las Vegas in 2017, ’19 and last season. This year, he’s 20th in the world standings with a great chance to move up depending on how much money he earns in the Oklahoma Panhandle. And he’s doing it all on a horse he has trained in bulldogging on his own. Leaning on hazer and NFR veteran Cameron Morman, Struxness is heading in the right direction. “It takes a lot away from the stress on my end to have someone that solid over there on a solid horse,” Struxness said. “I’m cracking my own horse out this year, and she’s still pretty green. I’ve been bulldogging on her for a year and a half. I took her to the winter rodeos, and it went back and forth a little. She’s handling the pressure good, and hopefully we can have a good summer. “I’ll go to some smaller circuit rodeos in May, then we’ll make our way up north in June and start getting after it.” Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days RodeoMay 1-7Bareback riding leaders: 1. Cooper Cook, 85 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Yellowstone; 2. Keenan Hayes, 83.5; 3. (tie) Mason Stuller and Shane O’Connell, 81; 5, Jess Pope, 78.5; 6. Colt Eck, 74; no other qualified rides.   Team roping: First round: 1. Justin Pruitt/Gralyn Elkins, 6.4 seconds, $2,222 each; 2. Derrick Begay/Colter Todd, 6.6, $1,932; 3. (tie) Lightning Aguilera/Jared Fillmore, Clayton Eggers/Joshua Smitherman and Coy Rahlmann/Jonathan Torres, 6.9, $1,353 each; 6. Shay Dixon Carroll/Evan Arnold, 7.1, $773; 7. Bubba Buckaloo/JR Gonzalez, 7.2, $483; 8. Braden Pirrung/Lane Siggins, 7.3, $193. Second round: 1. Caleb Smidt/Paul Eaves, 5.5 seconds, $2,222 each; 2. Paul David Tierney/Tanner Braden, 6.0, $1,932; 3. (tie) Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin and Clay Smith/Coleby Payne, 6.1, $1,497 each; 5. J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo, 6.2, $1,063; 6. Klay Yaussi/Kash Yaussi, 6.4, $773; 7. (tie) Kolby Krieger/Bo Yaussi and Wyatt Murray/Whitt Crozier, 6.5, $338 each. Third round leaders: 1. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 6.8 seconds; 2. Derrick Begay/Colter Todd, 8.5; no other qualified runs. Average leaders: 1. Derrick Begay/Colter Todd, 21.9 seconds on three runs; 2. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 28.9; 3. Clay Smith/Coleby Payne, 13.9; 4. Tyler Waters/Douglas Rich, 15.7; 5. Bubba Buckaloo/J.R. Gonzalez, 15.8; 6. Casey Hicks/Steve Orth, 15.9; 7. Justin Pruitt/Gralyn Elkins, 18.7; 8. Kellan Johnson/Carson Johnson, 19.0. Steer wrestling: First round: 1. (tie) Bridger Anderson and J.D. Struxness, 4.0 seconds, $2,363 each; 3. (tie) Brandon Harrison and Holden Myers, 4.1, $1,704 each; 5. (tie) Termaine Debose and Trell Etbauer, 4.2, $1,044 each; 7. Denell Henderson, 4.3, $550; 8. (tie) Trevin Fox, Marc Joiner, Reed Kraeger and Joe Nelson, 4.4, $55 each. Second round: 1. Cash Robb, 3.8 seconds, $2,528; 2. (tie) Billy Boldon, Trell Etbauer, Stetson Jorgensen, Cameron Morman and Colton Swearingen, 4.5, $1,539 each; 7. (tie) Mason Couch, Cody Devers and Tyler Willis Ravenscroft, 4.6, $256 each. Third round leaders: 1. (tie) Cash Robb, Brandon Harrison, Ty Bauerle and J.D. Struxness, 4.6; 5. Joshua Hefner, 5.3; 6. Laramie Warren, 5.4; 7. Sam Goings, 6.6; 8. Quentin Wheeler, 19.0. Average leaders: 1. J.D. Struxness, 13.3 seconds on three runs; 2. Cash Robb, 14.6; 3. Brandon Harrison, 15.0; 4. Joshua Hefner, 16.1; 5. Ty Bauerle, 23.0; 6. Sam Goings, 25.7; 8. Quentin Wheeler, 34.7. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Tanner Butner, 90 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Lonesome Eyes; 2. Wyatt Casper, 88.5; 3. Chase Brooks, 85.5; 4. Sam Martin, 84; 5. Tegan Smith, 79.5; 6. Blaise Freeman, 78.5; 7. Brady Hill, 78; 8. Trey Elshere, 76. Breakaway roping: First round: 1. (tie) Sierra Heinert and Madison Outhier, 2.3 seconds, $2,139 each; 3. (tie) Jackie Crawford and Ashley Goforth, 2.4, $1,542 each; 5. (tie) Amanda Coleman, Rylea Fabrizio and Kenzie Hay, 2.5, $796 each; 8. (tie) Deborah Fabrizio and Alli Masters, 2.6, $99 each. Second round leaders 1. Lari Dee Guy, 2.8 seconds; 2. (tie) Hannah Macy and Jackie Crawford, 3.1; no other qualified runs. Tie-down roping: First round: 1. (tie) Connor Atkinson and Cole Clemons, 7.9 seconds, $3,458 each; 3. (tie) Quade Hiatt and Michael Otero, 8.1, $2,493  Continue Reading »

It’s been a good four days for Scott Snedecor. Over the weekend, the four-time world champion steer roper from Fredericksburg, Texas, won three of the first six rounds of the National Circuit Finals Steer Roping in Torrington, Wyoming. With that, he earned a spot in the semifinals, where he finished second, then won the final go-round to claim his first national circuit championship. He earned $8,889 through the process, then loaded up his rig to be part of a contingent of steer ropers driving 500 miles south to the opening two days of competition at the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo. Four days, 12 go-rounds and two championships. He placed in just one go-round in the Oklahoma Panhandle on Monday afternoon but clinched the aggregate title by 8.5 seconds over the runner-up, Brodie Poppino of Big Cabin, Oklahoma. “It was a profitable few days,” said Snedecor, who won rodeo’s gold for the fourth time last season. “Anytime you get a win, it’s always good. To get those two wins back-to-back is a good confidence-builder.” With four world titles and 21 qualifications to the Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping, Snedecor is loaded with confidence. He had thought this was his second Guymon title, but there are no records to indicate he’d claimed the championship before this season. “It’s one of my favorite rodeos,” he said. “It was really tough this year, because the steers were really strong.” That’s what contestants have come to expect with Pioneer Days Rodeo. It’s known as a cowboys’ rodeo, which features great tests for all combatants. Snedecor passed the tests. “I feel good and don’t have any issues,” said Snedecor, who turned 48 in February. “My health is good, my horses are great. The horse I rode is one I seasoned the last couple years, and he makes it easy.” That’s Goose, a 14-year-old gelding he acquired from Oklahoman Shorty Garten. Snedecor had intended the horse to go to a client, but when situations arose that allowed him the opportunity to have Goose in competition, he decided to keep the bay for himself. “I’d sold my good horse a month or two prior to that, and then I had a jackpot and a rodeo to go to,” Snedecor said. “I jumped on him and rode him at the rode and the jackpot, and it went really well. “My wife told me I should just buy him.” He did, and he added $13,336 in just four spring days to show for it. He also earned one of the most coveted prizes in ProRodeo: A Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo trophy belt, which should go well with whichever gold buckle he intends to strap on it. Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days RodeoMay 1-7Steer roping: First round: 1. Landon McClaugherty, 11.7 seconds, $1,715; 2. Cole Patterson, 12.7, $1,491; 3. Brodie Poppino, 13.0, $1,268; 4. (tie) Mike Chase and Tyler Hargrave, 13.7, $932 each; 6. (tie) Don Ed Eddleman and Cash Myers, 13.8, $485 each; 8. Jess Tierney, 14.0, $149.Second round: 1. Trent Sorey, 12.3 seconds, $1,715; 2. Slade Wood, 12.6, $1,491; 3. Trevor Hale, 13.1, $1,268; 4. Scott Snedecor, 13.7, $1,044; 5. Rob Denny, 13.8, $820; 6. Kelton McMillen, 14.0, $597; 7. G.R. Carter, 14.2, $373; 8. Billy Good, 15.1, $149. Third round: 1. Trevor Hale, 12.2 seconds, $1,715; 2. Mike Chase, 12.3, $1,491; 3. Will Eddleman, 12.9, $1,268; 4. Coleman Proctor, 13.4, $1,044; 5. (tie) J. Tom Fisher and Connor McNeil, 13.6, $708 each; 7. Blake Deckard, 13.8, $373; 8. Paul David Tierney, 14.0, $149. Fourth round: 1. Cody Doescher, 9.2 seconds, $17.156; 2. Neal Wood, 11.2, $1,491; 3. Blake Deckard, 11.8, $1,268; 4. (tie) Jake Clay and Dalton Walker, 12.0, $932 each; 6. Will Eddleman, 12.2, $597; 7. Brad Lund, 12.8, $373; 8. Jason Stockton, 12.9, $149. Aggregate: 1. Scott Snedecor, 56.9 seconds on four runs, $3,430; 2. Brodie Poppino, 65.4 $2,983; 3. Cole Patterson, 66.8, $2,535; 4. Jarett Holliday, 74.6, $2,088; 5. Matt Phipps, 76.8, $1,641; 6. Tyler Hargrave, 42.8 seconds on three runs, $1,193; 7. Slade Wood, 43.2, $746; 8. Rob Denny, 43.4, $298. Legacy steer roping: First round: 1. Don Ed Eddleman, 13.8 seconds, $426; 2. Chad Mathis, 16.7, $320; 3. Buck Mekelburg, 17.1, $213; no other qualified runs. Second round: 1. Trent Sorey, 12.3 seconds, $426; 2. G.R. Carter, 14.2, $320; 3. Trey Wallace, 15.3, $213; 4. Dan Fisher, 18.1, $107. Third round: 1. Mark Milner, 14.5 seconds, $426; 2. Marty Jones, 15.8, $320; 3. Tanner Duwe, 20.0, $213; 4. Dan Fisher, 21.4, $107; Fourth round: 1. Brad Lund, 12.8 seconds, $426; 2. Chad Mathis, 13.2, $320; 3. Trey Wallace, 14.9, $213; 4. Don Ed Eddleman, 16.8, $107. Average: 1. Don Ed Eddleman, 52.7 seconds on three runs, $852; 2. Chad Mathis, 29.9 seconds on two runs, $639; 3. Trey Wallace, 30.2, $426; 4. Buck Mekelburg, 35.7, $213.

ALVA, Okla. – When Lindy Munsell first stepped onto the Northwestern Oklahoma State University campus, her big brother had just begun attending the school. She was 14 years old. Eight years later, she prepares for her graduation and life outside of Alva, where she’s earning a degree in health and sports science with a minor in biology. She’s hoping to further her education in radiology technology while finding a way to continue competing. Munsell has done that all her life. Raised near Arnett in extreme western Oklahoma, she followed big brother Hunter and big sister Taylor to Northwestern, and rodeo is a big reason for them all to find their ways to Alva. This past weekend, Lindy Munsell put the finishing touches to her intercollegiate career by winning the breakaway roping title at the Oklahoma Panhandle State University rodeo in Guymon. “I couldn’t have hoped for a better way to end it,” said Munsell, who won both the championship round and the aggregate titles. “I’ve been having some tough luck this year, so I made a horse change for the last four rodeos. I made the short round three of the last four, so it definitely made a difference.” She leaned on Shorty, an 11-year-old gelding owned by her boyfriend, Colt Cunningham; he used the buckskin as a heel horse, but the mount became crucial to Munsell’s success. “I started practicing with him two months ago, and within a month, he was ready to start hauling,” she said of the transition to breakaway roping. It’s important to have an equine partner contestants trust. Any advantage can help in events that are timed in tenths of a second. “In the Central Plains Region, no matter what event it is, there’s going to be some really tough competition,” she said. “You’re going to have to compete well, and at Guymon, all the calves were walking fresh. The start was big. You couldn’t judge the start based on what everybody else was doing.” That’s because the calves had never been run through the chute system. One may take off on a dead sprint, while the next may walk out of the chute. Leaving the timed-event box before the animal gets an adequate head start results in a 10-second penalty. That’s where Munsell’s patience and trust in Shorty came into play. “Scoring was probably the biggest part of me winning, because in the short round, I think there were three of us that had a clean time. A lot of others were having trouble with the start.” The Northwestern steer wrestlers found great success in Guymon, led by Kaden Greenfield of Lakeview, Oregon. Greenfield finished in a tie for third place in the opening round, then won the championship round to dominate the overall title. With it, he secured his second straight Central Plains Region title. Tevin Cowan of Harrold, South Dakota, placed second in the short round and second overall. Jeremy Plourde of Carleton, Michigan placed in both rounds and finished sixth, while Trisyn Kalawaia of Kalawaia, Hawaii, placed fifth in the opening round. Team roping header Horacio Holguin of Meade, Kansas, placed fourth in the short round and fourth overall while roping with Marley Berger of Southwestern Oklahoma State University. The Northwestern tandem of Emmett Edler of State Center, Iowa and Wyatt Montross of Williamsburg, Iowa, earned a spot in the short round by finishing sixth in the opener. Kerry Duvall of Farmington, California, won the first round of tie-down roping with a 10.4-second run but was saddled with a no-time in the final round. It was the final event of the 10-rodeo, Central Plains season. Greenfield and tie-down roper Denton Oestman of Auburn, Nebraska, have secured bids to the College National Finals Rodeo in their respective events. For Munsell, the last hurrah was an ideal end to her college rodeo experience. “I have a lot of pride going to school in Alva,” Munsell said. “It’s so easy, because there’s so much support and family in this area already, and I have so many people I know. I never made trips to Alva until Hunter and Taylor started school. Since I was 14, Alva was like a second home. “Now, it’s just home.”