Monthly Archives: August 2023

Cinch steer roper following in father’s world championship footsteps Cole Patterson is more than a student of the game. He’s the next generation, a world champion and son of a world champion. “Being around these guys my whole life, I feel like I’ve been learning my whole life,” said Patterson, a Cinch endorsee and the  Continue Reading »

Cinch bareback rider finds a new passion for rodeo with baby on the way In the back of his mind, Richmond Champion knew there was something wrong. His arms were numb; his fingers tingled. It was likely the signs of a man who’d been involved in a few crashes over his lifetime. He is, after  Continue Reading »

GOODING, Idaho – With six weeks left in ProRodeo’s regular season, Don Payne hoped some magic would happen once he reached the Northwest portion of the campaign. He may have received it on the final night of the Gooding Pro Rodeo after wrestling his steer to the ground in 3.6 seconds to share the bulldogging  Continue Reading »

GOODING, Idaho – Stetson Wright has achieved rock-star status, especially in this part of the country. His home is in Utah, but he may as well be from southern Idaho, and the crowd reflected that Friday night at the Gooding Pro Rodeo. Before he nodded his head to start his bronc ride on Summit Pro  Continue Reading »

GOODING, Idaho – It’s hard to follow in the footsteps of greatness, but Ty Pope is making an effort to do so as he travels the rodeo trail with his big brother, Jess. It can be an uneasy task, especially after watching the eldest of three boys light the bareback riding world on fire. Jess  Continue Reading »

GOODING, Idaho – Three New Mexico cowgirls put on a roping clinic in southern Idaho on Wednesday night during the Beauty & The Beast special section of the Gooding Pro Rodeo. Jill Tanner of Monument owns the lead after posting a 2.4-second run, while Kassidy Dennison of Tohatchi is second at 2.7 and Quincy Peralta  Continue Reading »

LOVINGTON, N.M. – There was a stretch earlier this season where defending world champion bareback rider Jess Pope was struggling. It may have been the gold buckle hangover or maybe he just wasn’t being matched with the right livestock. He needed things to change; over the last couple of months, they have. He proved it  Continue Reading »

LOVINGTON, N.M. – Being raised by a man who hauls calves to rodeos was the perfect training ground for Cory Solomon. One of his jobs in the family business was to break in fresh calves, animals right out of the pasture that had never been roped. Most competitions prefer a few runs on their cattle,  Continue Reading »

LOVINGTON, N.M. – A year ago, Logan Hay was setting the rodeo world on fire. He’d set a new world record with a 95.5-point saddle bronc ride in his native Alberta, then qualified for the National Finals Rodeo for the first time. He continued his hot streak, earning $200,000 in 10 days and finishing the  Continue Reading »

LOVINGTON, N.M. – Like any sport, rodeo has its share of frustrations. Take Heath Thomas, for example. Things hadn’t gone his way through the first 10 months of the ProRodeo season. He is outside the top 50 in the world standings, and he just wants to earn money wrestling steers. He stands a good chance  Continue Reading »

LOVINGTON, N.M. – For Coy Pollmeier, just competing in the Lea County Xtreme Bulls was exciting. Winning it put the Kansas cowboy over the top. “I’m still trying to take it all in,” said Pollmeier, who posted the highest-marked ride Tuesday night at Jake McClure Arena, but he also was the only man in the  Continue Reading »

Gooding Pro Rodeo recognized as Wilderness Circuit’s best large rodeo GOODING, Idaho – There are few, if any, rodeos across North America that have the atmosphere that’s found over four August nights in this town of 3,700 people. Gooding Pro Rodeo is a spectacle, an event that draws out the greatest of everything that’s part  Continue Reading »

DODGE CITY, Kan. – Brody Cress didn’t allow himself time to stress out about the test he was to face during Sunday’s championship round at the Dodge City Roundup Rodeo. Cress won the first go-round, riding Frontier Rodeo’s No. 777 for 87.5 points. That was the first stage of things to come for the saddle  Continue Reading »

DODGE CITY, Kan. – In the Flint Hills of Kansas, Council Grove is not known as a hotbed for rodeo, but Beau Peterson might be changing that mindset. She grew up there and competed across the state in a variety of events. She’s roped calves and tied goats and done just about any event possible  Continue Reading »

LOVINGTON, N.M. – Taylor Santos is just 28 years old, but he has a firm grasp of the history involved in the sport of rodeo. He knows that the annual event in Lovington not only dates back many decades, but he realizes also the legacy established years ago still looms largely over the region. Santos  Continue Reading »

DODGE CITY, Kan. – Injuries heal, but that doesn’t mean a competitor is ready to get back into the action. Saddle bronc rider Ryder Wright understands that. He missed most of July because of a rib issue suffered the end of June, and he returned to action two weeks ago without much luck. “This time  Continue Reading »

LOVINGTON, N.M. – The Lea County Fair and Rodeo is more than a community gathering; it’s a true spectacle in every form of the word. With admission at just $10 per person, the entertainment value is tremendous. From the carnival rides to the rodeo to the nightly concerts, the Lea County Fairgrounds in Lovington is  Continue Reading »

DODGE CITY, Kan. – Cole Franks has some fond memories of the Dodge City Roundup Rodeo, some of which are approved by his mother; some are not. “It’s cool to come here to this rodeo and do good, especially with the history with it,” said Franks, 22, the 2021 Roundup Rodeo champion bareback rider. “I’m  Continue Reading »

DODGE CITY, Kan. – Olin Hannum has been around rodeo all his life. He was born into it, the son of a five-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier and a longtime administrator in the PRCA. His father, Jack, earned a spot at the NFR in tie-down roping in 1977, then followed that with four trips in  Continue Reading »

LOVINGTON, N.M. – With a nod to the pioneers that made southeastern New Mexico their homes, the lifeblood for folks in this part of the world remains what it was decades ago: Ranching, oil and natural gas. Many of the communities in Lea County were founded in the early 1900s. The epicenter is Hobbs, the  Continue Reading »

Idaho cowboy cashes in with a big-money ride in Dodge City DODGE CITY, Kan. – Growing up in the tiny town of Monteview, Idaho, Tristen Hutchings didn’t have a lot. He was raised around rodeo and found a passion for riding bulls. That love affair carried him to a magical 2022 season, one in which  Continue Reading »

Gooding Pro Rodeo to help raise awareness for Heroes and Horses GOODING, Idaho – Micah Fink has a fiery personality, one that guides him to help others. It came in handy as a Navy SEAL, a true warrior during the years he was in service for the country. His charm is even more fitting now  Continue Reading »

LOVINGTON, N.M. – When Karen and Karole Kemper were youngsters in southern Lea County, they followed their mother’s lead and became involved with arts and crafts. All three ladies showed their talents at the county festival. Their mother, 89-year-old Joyce Kemper, is still planning to show during this year’s Lea County Fair and Rodeo, set  Continue Reading »