Monthly Archives: November 2023

WAVERLY, Kan. – There are times the belt that holds a gold buckle can get tight and suffocating. It’s happened to the greatest of athletes. Jess Pope experienced it early this year. It was less like a trophy and more like a noose. The pressure that comes with being the reigning world champion can be volatile. “I did feel it a little bit at Fort Worth (Texas),” said Pope, 25, the reigning world champion bareback rider from Waverly. “I ended up hurting my neck getting on a horse that I shouldn’t have. I knew better than to get on, but I told myself, ‘You’re last year’s world champion; you have to get on.’ “With hindsight being 20/20, I didn’t have to do anything, so it didn’t take long for me to figure that out either.” The result of that lesson is Pope earning his fourth straight qualification to the National Finals Rodeo, a place where he has excelled. Not only is the Kansas cowboy the defending world titlist, he will arrive in Las Vegas for the Dec. 7-16 finale as the three-time NFR average champion, the second-most prestigious prize in rodeo. He’s dominant when he rides out of those storied, yellow bucking chutes. Over his first 30 NFR go-rounds, he has pocketed $632,253. He averages more than $21,000 per night that he’s riding in the Nevada desert. “Since last December, my year’s been jampacked,” he said. “A year ago in May, I got engaged, and then we went through all the wedding-planning stuff, go to the NFR and win the world title. The following May, we get married, end up buying some land and a house. I’ve just been staying busy. “I got to rodeo with my brother this summer, and that was probably one of the coolest situations I’ve got put into. For me, it was just being able to see the grind that he has put into every day and being able to push him to be better while he pushes me to be better.”   Ty Pope, who won the college bareback riding title and the national circuit finals rodeo championship in 2022, finished the regular season 23rd in the world standings. He wasn’t that far down the list from making the NFR, which features only the top 15 cowboys on the money list. His big brother, though, battled through that early-season neck injury to pocket $127,048; he is 10th in the world standings. With go-round winners earning nearly $31,000 for 10 nights, he has chance to build on his NFR resume and continue to cash in. It’s tough to win a single world championship; it’s even harder when the target is on one’s back as it is for Pope since his Montana Silversmiths gold buckle is the shiniest. “Winning the world title almost seems unreal,” said Pope, who credits part of his success to his sponsors, DewEze, Mahindra, Roxor, Mack Steel, J.D. Hudgins Brahman Bulls, Graham School for Cattlemen, Resistol, Justin, Boomer, Panhandle and Rock & Roll Clothing, Veach’s Custom Leather, Emporia Livestock Sales and T Bar T Cattle Co. “It’s something you try for your whole life and that’s your goal. You went in and experienced all the high emotions of that final night, got your picture taken with it, and then it’s taken away from you for a few weeks. You don’t get it back until February, and it’s got your name on it. That’s when it really set in: ‘Wow, this is actually mine.’ ” It’s also stamped with the year. He will forever be the 2022 world champion bareback rider. “Then you think nobody really gives a darn about it anymore,” he said. “It’s been good, and I’m very excited and very blessed to have it, but at the same time, it’s from last year. Now, let’s try to do it again.” It’s a cherished piece of jeweled hardware, and he added to it midway through the year when he married the former Sydney Odle near Brush, Colorado, her family’s home. The two have been together for years, and the wedding was just the icing on the cake to an already fantastic life. “She’s been to every NFR with me either as a girlfriend or as a fiancé, and she really keeps me grounded,” said Pope, who attended Missouri Valley College on a rodeo scholarship. “She understands this is what I do. We got married on a Sunday, and on Wednesday, I took off to rodeo.” There are times where he’s away from home for weeks at a time. That’s just part of being a professional rodeo cowboy. Riding bucking horses is the best part, but men like Pope will travel tens of thousands of miles in a year in order to make a living on the rodeo trail. Family is big for Pope. Besides Sydney, he’s also got a load of backing in Ty, youngest brother Judd and their parents, Bret and Jennifer. They’ll be just a part of his support system for those 10 magical days in Las Vegas. The Popes will leave their Kansas homes for the Nevada desert with their camper in tow. “It’s nice to have them there and easy to get to,” he said. “If I need to clear my mind, I can just go to the campground and kind of chill out to take my mind off everything and enjoy being around them. I wouldn’t be where I am anyways if it wasn’t for them, Mom and Dad sacrificed a lot for me when I was a kid, “It seems like there is a whole pile of friends and family from around home that go out there, and it just really pushes me to do better because they have that much faith in me.” When he’s home, he’s still a cowboy, and that might just be the thing he loves the most. In addition to his own herd, Pope handles day work around his part of the country. Ranchers and livestock owners will call  Continue Reading »

PERRYTON, Texas – During his first qualification to the National Finals Rodeo, steer wrestler Cody Devers was just trying to hold everything together. He’d suffered a partially torn pectoral ligament in his right shoulder a month before the finale in Las Vegas. He was excited to finally play on ProRodeo’s biggest stage, and he wasn’t going to let a little pain derail him. As he lowered himself onto his first-round steer, that all changed. He toughed it out for four more nights, throwing down each steer until the fifth round. He was unable to finish that run, which took him out of a chance to earn an average payout and ultimately ended his first NFR and the remainder of the 2021 season “I’m looking forward to going back to the NFR again and proving the first time wasn’t a fluke,” said Devers, 28, of Perryton in the northeastern Texas Panhandle. “I’m really looking forward to winning my first go-round buckle the most. I just want to prove that I belong.” He’s done that over the last five years, even after missing most of the 2022 campaign while on injured reserve. He didn’t start competing until July, wrestling steers for just the final three months of the regular season, and still finished 33rd in the final world standings. All that did was help build confidence, which he capitalized on this year. “I won quite a few rodeos last year,” he said. “There were seven or eight that I’d never won before. It was a tough situation. If I would have capitalized on a few different rodeos, I might have still made the finals, but it’s not an easy thing to do.” No it is not. He concluded this year’s regular season with $104,132 and will head to Sin City ninth on the money list. How did he collect so much cash this year? He placed a lot. He is credited with three key victories: Sundre, Alberta; Omaha, Nebraska; and Stephenville, Texas. Rodeo offers no guaranteed salaries. In order to get paid, cowboys must beat most of the contestants in their field. Only the top few at each rodeo earn money, and the competitors must pay a fee in order to make a run. It takes something special to earn six figures in rodeo. “The little mare I bulldogged on and the hazing horse made it a lot easier,” he said. Sassy is a 15-year-old sorrel that Devers and his traveling partners rode when they were competing. Cinch is a 16-year-old palomino gelding haze horse. Having the bulldogging and hazing horses teamed helps them work better together. “Sassy was a barrel horse the first few years of her life, but she proved to be a little to strong and wanted to run more than turn, so I gave her an opportunity to try steer wrestling,” he said. “She has loved racing the steers ever since. She can still get a little anxious in the (timed-event) box, but she still fits me really well; when I nod my head, she knows exactly what to do to give me the perfect go on every steer.” That’s an important trait to have in a mount. “Horsepower is everything in our event,” said Devers, who was the runner-up to the college champion in 2018 while competing at Northwestern Oklahoma State University; he also attended Garden City (Kansas) Community College on a rodeo scholarship prior to finishing in Alva, Oklahoma. “In other events, you don’t have to pass the steer. There is no ability to throw a rope 30 feet to catch something. You and your horse have to physically outrun the steer. If you’re not mounted well, you’re going to run the steers too far and not win near as much as you should.” He’s hoping his tandem will be a guiding force to success in Las Vegas. He will have one of his traveling partners, Marc Joiner, be his hazer at the Thomas & Mack Center, the NFR’s home since 1985. The two have been a strong team all season, so there’s no reason to break up that partnership. He also had Travis Munro in the rig with him through the campaign, and Joe Nelson was part of the squad early in 2023. “They were crucial to me making the NFR,” said Devers, who is sponsored by Cinch, Usher Brand Custom Saddlery, Old 32 Ranch, Devers Performance Horses, Protech Technologies, 100x Equine, Best Ever Pads, Revita CBD, Koolspeed Feed, Vetline Equine and Hyer Boots. “They are a great group of guys, and we had a bunch of comradery in our rig. “We all had different goals in mind for the season. Marc hauled a young horse all year and focused on getting him ready for the years to come while getting his qualifications up for next year. Joe’s horse got sick, so he had to go home and heal him. Travis did a great job of learning and winning at a bunch of new rodeos and almost made his first NFR. We were all good at pushing each other to do better all the time and never dwell on a bad run.” Devers comes from a rodeo family. His father, Marty, was a standout steer wrestler. He won national titles in high school and college and just missed the NFR twice. Sabrina Devers is a barrel racer, and the family has a multi-million dollar horse-selling business that specializes in rodeo and barrel horses. Cody Devers, though, is expanding on that family side of things. He and Brecklyn Stump became engaged this fall while on the East Coast at a rodeo. “I was really nervous, and I had it all planned out,” he said. “We went to North Carolina for a rodeo, and I was going to propose the day before I actually did. We got busy with the rodeo, so it didn’t happen. We were at a lake house, and that’s when I actually asked her. It worked out good, because we didn’t have  Continue Reading »

MILAN, Minn. – Some folks just get by with a little help from their friends. Professional rodeo cowboys thrive in those situations. Steer wrestler J.D. Struxness is a prime example. He had a goal of making it back to the National Finals Rodeo on his horse, Izzy, an 11-year-old sorrel mare. Things were going well, and Izzy was doing her job. That helped Struxness move up the money list, taking advantage of good opportunities and building on his brand of bulldogging. When Izzy suffered an injury and was sidelined for the remainder of the regular season, the Minnesota-born cowboy made the necessary adjustments and will be back in Las Vegas for the fifth time in his career. “You have your ups and downs with the horses and other things that happen, but it’s always exciting and feels good to accomplish one of the goals for the year and get a chance to go back there,” said Struxness, 29, originally from Milan but now living in Perrin, Texas, with his fiancé, Jayden, and their two daughters, Everlee, 4, and Lilly, 2. “It’s a big deal, and having been there before, you feel like you have an understanding of how things go. You know where to go, and you know what you need to do when you get there.” The NFR is a 10-day battle toward the world championship at the $14.9-million rodeo. In a sport where dollars equal championship points, every cent counts. Go-round winners will pocket nearly $31,000 each night. As the money grows individually, so do those chances to win the elusive Montana Silversmiths gold buckle. Izzy is still on injured reserve, and Struxness hopes to have a chance to ride her again. For now, he’ll just pray for her healing and move on, much like he did through the final few months of the season “Only time will tell with her,” he said. “She’s getting better, but we still don’t know. I got to ride her quite a bit this summer before she got hurt. She had really stepped up this year and was playing a role in my success. “When she went down, I went into a little bit of a slump because I was trying to find a horse that was like her, ran like her style.” He found a few that worked for him, like Bridger Chambers’ mount, Ringo. Struxness also mounted Eddie, a powerful bay that was named the Steer Wrestling Horse of the Year and is owned by Canadian Tanner Milan. Those were just two of several horses Struxness rode that helped him accumulate $122,397 through the regular season. He will stroll into the NFR sixth in the world standings, then he will have 10 nights to build on his earnings. The contestants in each event who finish the year with the most earnings will be crowned world champions. “A big part of my success this year was rodeoing up north and getting to see my family all together,” he said, noting that Jayden and the girls spent most of the summer in her native Alberta, and Struxness spent a considerable amount of time rodeoing north of the border; he even qualified for the Canadian Finals Rodeo. “I was able to see my family a little bit almost every week, and that was a huge relief during the summer. “Being around them takes a lot of weight off my shoulders. Being able to have that family time and also being able to get on all the horses I got to ride this year, that opened the door for me to have a lot of success. Having horses like that just makes your job so much easier. There were great opportunities to ride those horses, and they helped me chip away at it all summer long.” While there will be 15 steer wrestlers in the NFR field, there will only be a handful of bulldogging horses. Cowboys want to ride the horses that will give them the best chance at winning, and that’s why Struxness will ride a horse owned by fellow bulldogger Ty Erickson, the No. 5 man in the world standings and the 2019 world champion. “I’m going to ride Ty’s horse, Crush, out there,” said Struxness, who won the intercollegiate national championship in 2016 and qualified for his first NFR later that year. “(NFR veteran) Matt Reeves will be doing the hazing for me. I spent a lot of time thinking about it and trying to figure out what was going to be the best move for me when we got to Vegas, and I think this will give me the best shot.” Seven years ago, he set the bulldogging world on fire in making his first trip to Vegas. He followed that with another in 2017 and has returned in 2019 and last year. Of his four previous NFRs, he has never finished worse than seventh in the final world standings. “I learned a lot about last year as far as it being a stepping stone and having a learning curve,” said Struxness, who credits part of his success to his sponsors, Arena Trailer Sales, Unbeetable Feeds, 4-Star Trailers, Wrangler and Nutrena. “I felt like I was very prepared, but I didn’t have the finals that I wanted. I was able to win a little bit of money. All you can do is try your best and make the decisions you can make for yourself, and when you get out there, just let it roll.” Each day is a new opportunity to cash in, but it’s also a chance for him to spend time with those closest to him. He cherishes his time with his fiancé and girls, watching Everlee and Lilly grow. He’s excited to spend part of his December in the City of Lights with them as he battles for rodeo’s gold. “The girls are getting old enough to where they know what’s going on, so it’s going to be a lot of fun,” Struxness said. “I  Continue Reading »

PRYOR, Okla. – Trying to find one word to describe Coleman Proctor is a bit perplexing. He’s a husband, a father, a cowboy, a partner, a broadcaster and a podcaster. He’s also one of the greatest team roping headers of his generation, proven through multiple qualifications to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and his six top-10 finishes in the world standings. Throw in a fence-fixer and a cattle-doctorer, it adds up to being a cowboy who not only is comfortable in about any situation, but one who thrives when others might just sulk away. In recent years, he’s added single steer roping to his repertoire, and he’s building something with it. He finished the 2023 regular season 20th in the world standings and hopes to be among the top 15 to qualify for the Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping in the near future, all while expecting the best of himself across North America as a team roper. He will venture West in a few days for his eighth NFR in 10 years. Leaning on his heeling partner, New Mexican Logan Medlin, Proctor will arrive in Las Vegas for the Dec 7-16 championship sixth in the world standings with $133,487. The duo had some important victories along the way, but none were bigger than their title at the Cinch Playoff Series Championship in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on Sept. 30, the final day of the regular season. Proctor and Medlin won the second round and advanced in the tournament-style event, then won the championship round. Each man collected a Governor’s Cup and pocketed $35,000 to surge up the standings. Proctor went from 14th to sixth in one weekend. “The way it ended with the Governor’s Cup was pretty special,” Proctor told Steve Kenyon during Kenyon’s 8 Seconds Media podcast. Proctor also credited Medlin and another key part of the team, his horse Heisman, a 15-year-old bay gelding. “Heisman’s done such a great job,” he said of the horse he expects to ride in Las Vegas.“He’s like driving a Ferrari on a short track. Heisman is so good every place I ride him in a short setup. When I ride him at the National Finals, he’s the best horse there. He’s trying to win as hard as I am.” That’s saying a lot, because Proctor is competitive. He’s won NFR go-rounds, the Calgary Stampede’s Rocky Mountain Team Roping and The American. He has his sights set on the Montana Silversmiths gold buckle awarded to the world champion, yet he knows its elusive for a reason; the competition at that level of team roping is unprecedented. “The way the (NFR) field is set, there are going to be a lot of opportunities from top to bottom,” said Proctor, 38, who lives in Pryor, Oklahoma, with his wife, Stephanie, and their daughters Stella, 6, and Caymbree, 4; they’re also expecting another girl in April. “This (is) going to be a fun year at the National Finals, because the field is pretty spread. “(Fellow header) Jake Clay comes in with $100,000 won, and he’s jut two go-rounds back.” Georgian Kaleb Driggers leads the heading world standings with $160,145, and with go-round winners pocketing nearly $31,000 for 10 December nights, any deficit can be made up in a hurry. “We’ve seen teams get hot,” Proctor said. “Even last year, Kaleb comes in with a huge lead and you think the world title is already gone, and it comes down to where he has to catch the last steer or Tanner Tomlinson is the new world champ.” The door is definitely open, and the cowboy raised in the northeastern Oklahoma community of Miami is excited for the chance. Every night he and Medlin make a run in Las Vegas, they’ll be in the mix for $99,000 in prize money. Any time they can collect any of that is a chance to close in on that world title. There are no guarantees in rodeo. Contestants must first pay a fee in order to compete, then they must beat most of the others in the field in order to get paid. That money not only covers business expenses and handles all the bills at home, but dollars equal championship points. The cowboys with the most money won in each event at the conclusion of the NFR will be crowned world champions. “To be … any kind of NFR qualifier, you’ve got to give your whole life to it,” said Proctor, who credits part of his success to his sponsors, Lonestar Ropers, Justin Boots, Wrangler, Purina, CSI Saddlepads, Signature Equine, Coats Saddlery, SpeedRoping.com, Southern Welding, Classic Truck Sales, Community Coffee, Signature Quarters, Professionals Choice, Purina, Red Dirt Hat Co., Western Legacy Co., Compete Equine Performance and KK Branded. “We have the greatest fan base of any professional sport. “Traveling all summer, it’s fun meeting fans of the Toter Tales,” he said of his podcast. “It’s great that they relate to you. It’s not always fun and games, and you don’t always win. (The podcast) is allowing them to be interwoven into your experiences through rodeoing, and I think that really resonates with people in the Western culture.” Those closest to him understand his life and his lifestyle. They support him through every step. His father, Keith, who lives in Nevada, Missouri, is a big part of what led Proctor to rodeo. His mother, Melody, raised her kids around rodeo in Miami. His sisters are close, and he has those girls at home in Pryor that keep him hungry to provide for them while also chasing his gold buckle dreams. While in the Nevada desert for the finale, they will all be part of the experience. Proctor leans on his wife, his mom and his mother-in-law, the ones who care for the kids so he can take care of the many business opportunities the NFR provides him. “It takes a village of people,” he said, also noting that Tiffany Wagner handles everything with the horses so he can focus  Continue Reading »

CARRINGTON, N.D. – It’s crazy how things work out. Take Bridger Anderson as an example. He had competed all year and was inching closer to a second National Finals Rodeo qualification. In order to secure that bid, he had hoped to compete at the Cinch Playoff Series Championship, which featured the top 12 contestants from the tour standings. By the time he realized he wouldn’t be able to compete in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, he had one option left: Edmonton, Alberta. In order to wrestle steers there, though, he needed to have a Canadian Professional Rodeo Association membership. Fortunately, he had one, albeit in a strange quirk of circumstances. “I actually bought my Canadian card to go to Ponoka (Alberta) but didn’t end up getting into Ponoka because I bought my card too late,” said Anderson, 25, originally from Carrington but now living near Hico, Texas. “Thankfully I had my Canadian card and entered Edmonton and got my head off the chopping block on the last day of the season.” The chopping block is also known as the NFR bubble, a place where those close to the 15th spot in the world standings resided as the regular season came to a close Sept. 30. He needed to win to be in, and he did just that, placing high enough to secure $1,100 and secure his spot among the top 15 and return to the grand championship for the first time since 2020. “It took me a couple of years to get back, but I’m excited to go to Vegas and get to compete in the Thomas & Mack,” he said. The Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of the University of Nevada-Las Vegas has been the home of the NFR since 1985, except for that one year. When COVID created a worldwide pandemic, the finale was moved to its one-year home in Arlington, Texas. Now that it’s back in its rightful place, Anderson will have a chance to see what it’s like to battle for rodeo’s gold in the Nevada desert. While this will be his inaugural trip to Las Vegas for the NFR, he has competed in Sin City during December. The last time he did, he came away the champion. “We’ve got a good streak in Vegas,” said Anderson, the 2019 National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association steer wrestling champion while competing at Northwestern Oklahoma State University. “The only time I ever competed there, it went well for me at the Ote Berry Junior World Championships, so hopefully we can go back and continue to have success.” The circumstances have definitely changed. Since six years ago, Anderson has proven to be an elite bulldogger. Three seasons ago, he finished his first NFR ninth in the world standings. He was 32nd the next year and 21st last year, so he’s continued to build his skills in one of the most competitive events in ProRodeo. Anderson finished the 2023 campaign with $85,511, good enough for 14th in the world standings. He trails the top bulldogger, Oregonian Dalton Massey, by $108,000, but that ground can quickly be made up once the cowboys arrive in the City of Lights, where go-round winners will collect $30,706 each day for 10 nights. “We just won a little more, had a few better licks, and we capitalized on a few more steers to end up with enough to be in the top 15,” said Anderson, the son of Glenn and Robin Anderson and brother to Cedar and Dawsyn. “This year, we got my horse, Whiskers, back, and we got to use him all year, which helped us be consistent. We were consistently getting good goes. Justin Shaffer did most of the hazing on my horse, Slim. We had a good crew, and I think that helped a lot.” In addition to Shaffer, Anderson spent the year traveling with Canadian Riley Westhaver and Californian Tucker Allen. Their kindship on the road was beneficial to Anderson’s season. “It was awesome to have that group of guys with everybody wanting to win and keeping a positive mindset to keep everything in check,” he said. “Tucker came real close to making the finals and was in the top 15 for most of the year. Justin had a pretty decent year, and Riley had some trouble, but we just kept pushing each other and trying to win something. It ended up working out for me.” The others all took pride in his accomplishment. Once they arrive in Las Vegas, Shaffer will continue to haze; in steer wrestling, a hazer rides on the right side of the steer to keep that animal in line to help the bulldogger get the best shot at making a good run. As a key member of the team, the hazer can also offer advice on the best ways to win. “We’ve been focusing on the mindset that winning is expected and that losing is a fluke, so that when it goes good, you don’t get too high on it because that’s what we expected to do,” said Anderson, who credits his success to his partners, Cinch, Korral Supply, Signature Quarters, Taylor Bang Cattle Sales, Legendary Steaks ND, AH Inc., DEFY, Hepper Ranch and Performing Horses, Diamond S Performance Horses, New Dawn Crop Performance and Smiles for Jake. “I read a statistic that guys that are most consistent win 42 percent of the time. To make the finals, you’ve got to win 42 percent of the time, which means you’re losing 58 percent of the time. That’s the majority of the time you nod your head. You just realize you’re not going to do good sometimes, and you just have to deal with that. When you do better, it’s what you expected to do.” The mental approach might be the most important aspect for professional rodeo cowboys. They travel North America chasing their dreams, and time on the road can be cumbersome. When slumps come, combatants must continue to face the challenges with a good attitude;  Continue Reading »

ZWINGLE, Iowa – In the fall of 2014, Tim O’Connell was a 23-year-old cowboy about to embark on the trip of a lifetime. He had qualified for the National Finals Rodeo for the first time and had a limited idea of what to expect when he arrived in Las Vegas that December. He’d never felt the excitement of what it means to ride out of those legendary yellow bucking chutes. He’d never experienced the rush of energy that came from the 18,000 fans packed into the Thomas & Mack Center. Fast forward to the present: He will return to the Nevada desert for the 10th straight time and has three world championships and three NFR average titles on his resume. “I’m just as excited for the 10th as I was my first,” said O’Connell, 32, originally from Zwingle but living in Marshall, Missouri, with his wife, Sami, and their sons, Hazen and Stratten. “I don’t know how many bareback riders have ever done 10 straight, but this is a pretty big deal.” Each of the past two years, he missed quite a bit of prep time before the NFR because of injuries. He had surgery in 2021 to remove his tailbone after it was fractured in August. Last year, he had thumb surgery toward the end of the regular season. He didn’t want to have that type of delay this year, so he did something about it. “When I left Sioux Falls (South Dakota at the end of September), I went straight to Tijuana (Mexico) and got some stem-cell injections just to help my body heal and relax at a faster rate,” he said. “It is hard to get through an entire season without getting hurt in some way or another, whether it’s a big injury like the last two years or just getting banged up. “When I got home, I took a week off to start October. I let my body relax for a week, then I picked up my training, getting back in the gym five days a week and building my muscles back up to get my body into the flow. I didn’t really do anything related to rodeo in October, so I just got to spend time with my children, spend time with my wife and just enjoy being home.” Rodeo is a rough sport to play, but bareback riding is the toughest on the body. Cowboys wear specially designed gloves with binds and wedge their hands into a rigging that is strapped tightly to the horse. They are virtually locked onto the animal, and each jump, kick, twist and turn is felt on the body. Cowboys are judged by how well they spur in rhythm with the animal’s bucking motion, so being in the best physical shape is important. When O’Connell suffered a torn left groin early in the year at Denver, he battled through and found a way to compete. In April, he made the first of two trips to Tijuana and allowed the stem-cell injections to go to work. It paid off, and he finished the regular season with $159,326, good enough for fourth in the world standings. He trails the world standings leader, rookie Keenan Hayes, by more than $100,000, but that ground can be made up in a hurry with go-round winners earning nearly $31,000 for 10 December nights. “Realistically, I have a real shot for another gold buckle,” said O’Connell, who attended Iowa Central Community College and won the bareback riding national title in 2015 for Missouri Valley College. “With the amount of money the NFR puts up, there’s no such thing as a safe lead, and I’m just going to go at it with that in mind. “I’ve gone into the finals unhealthy; just being 100 days off surgery is not the right amount of time to get on bucking horses for a world title. I did some things out of character in my riding trying to make up ground, and I put myself in situations that cost me a lot of money and shots at world titles. I’m feeling healthy right now. I’m very calm; I’m the calm hunter, not the hunted. I really feel that I can go in there and do my thing and leave there as a four-time world champion.” He began his ProRodeo career in 2012, but he’d been around rodeo all his life. His father was a pickup man, and O’Connell had been to countless events before he ever nodded his head in competition. He’s ridden small animals and large, and he’s proven what it means to be a cowboy. He also knows that special feeling he gets by strapping on a Montana Silversmiths gold buckle, the wearable trophy only given to world champions each year. “I think I’ve accomplished all my childhood goals, those goals I got when I was that little boy at the rodeo with his dad, watching the rodeo through the panels and watching his dad pick up,” said O’Connell, who credits a great deal of his success to his sponsors, Treetop Ranches, Frontier Rodeo Coffee, 12 Guage Ranch, Panhandle and Rock & Roll Clothing, Justin Boots, Veach’s Custom Leather, Ingram Quarter Horses, MRT Racing Tires, Capri Campers, Twin Cities Featherlight, American Hat Co., Windmill Ceiling Fans, Farm Girl Marketing Solutions, Kleinschmidt Western Wear and Ranch & Co. Interiors. “I wanted to make the National Finals, and I wanted to be a world champion. I definitely accomplished those goals. As I sit today, I have goals in my mind that still need to be met. I think that’s adapting, that’s maturing and that’s just never settling.” As he prepares for his 10th straight NFR, there have been adjustments to his lifestyle over the years. Where he once spent continuous weeks and, possibly, months on the road chasing his dreams, he now finds time to spend with his loved ones. Once he and Sami began their family, that became a priority. Injuries in 2019, ’21 and ’22 – combined  Continue Reading »

WINNSBORO, La. – Some of the greatest bronc busters in Louisiana history are giving back to the next generation of superstars. Led by brothers Cody and Heith DeMoss of Heflin, a free bareback riding and saddle bronc riding school will take place Dec. 27-29 at the Franklin Parish Activity Center in Winnsboro. The clinic has been around for years and has been the driving force for some rising rodeo stars. Take the 2023 National Finals Rodeo as an example. ProRodeo’s championship event will feature two Louisiana newcomers, saddle bronc rider Ryder Sanford of Sulphur and bareback rider Kade Sonnier. In fact, Sanford has already clinched the Resistol Rookie of the Year honor, and Sonnier, who is No. 3 in the world standings, is in a battle with two other cowboys for the award in bareback riding. Both are graduates of this free program. Not only are bareback riders and bronc riders trained, but there are opportunities for pickup men to gain some lessons. It’s an opportunity for anyone of any skill level to improve upon his talents. Students from Louisiana will receive the first opportunities to be part of the lessons, but the school is open to anyone nationwide. In the past, ProRodeo officials have also been involved, and each student has had the opportunity to know what it’s like to judge rides based on the criteria in the rulebook. They will then be critiqued by the officials on site. According to organizers, there are a lot of big-name cowboys who serve as the school’s instructors. Men like the DeMosses, Mike Fletcher, Joey Sonnier, Jared Lavergne, Taylor Broussard, Shawn Frey, Chad Klein, James Boudreaux and world champion Eric Mouton have provided their expert tutelage to the students. In fact, last year’s set of educators accounted for 72 NFR qualifications. The Franklin Parish Sheriff’s Department takes the time to feed lunch to the students daily. That is another blessing school organizers have in keeping the tuition free. The livestock is also donated by some of the top PRCA stock contractors, including Pete Carr Pro Rodeo, Hi-Lo Pro Rodeo and Rafter G Rodeo. More than 250 horses will be bucked over the three-day event.

GRANITE FALLS, Minn. – Some veteran athletes utilize tricks of the trade to excel. Tanner Aus has that in his back pocket should he ever need it. Now 33 years old, he’s the oldest bareback rider heading to this year’s National Finals Rodeo. It’s the eighth time in nine years that he’s finished the regular season among the top 15 in the world standings. The one year he missed, 2018, he was just outside the qualifying mark. “I like to think I’m a little more tactical,” said Aus of Granite Falls, Minnesota. “There are things you have to consider as you start to get older and you take care of your body. You don’t heal quite as fast as you once did. You don’t bounce like you used to, so, yes, my style has changed some over the years but not necessarily on purpose. “Really it’s just me sticking to my fundamentals, the stuff that carries you through. If my style has changed, it’s not deliberate; it’s just me sticking to what I know and trying to continually improve with where I’m at in my career.” He’s had a good career, one that began in 2009 as a second-generation bareback rider. His father, John, was a regional champion in his glory days, and son has followed suit. Tanner Aus went to Iowa Central Community College and Missouri Valley College on rodeo scholarships, earning the 2012 national championship at the Marshall, Missouri, school. He first qualified for ProRodeo’s grand finale in 2015 and has continued to be one of the elite barback riders in the sport. He’s finished among the to 10 in the world standings six times, so his place among the greatest in the game has been established. He won $119,897 during this year’s regular season and will embark on his eighth trip to the NFR as the No. 12 bareback rider in the world standings. “I’m pretty thankful just about every fall when the season goes my way,” said Aus, who shares his life with his wife, Lonissa, and their three children, Bristol, 5; Rowan, 3; and Ember, 1. “I always reminisce about when I was a little kid thinking about making the NFR and the years as a professional that I’ve been making it. It’s just pretty unreal that I’m still living the dream after all these years, still able to do what I love.” That attitude has been a shining light for Aus, something he carries with him whether he’s at a small rodeo in Cherokee, Iowa, or at the Calgary Stampede in Alberta. He can reflect on his first year in Las Vegas, and he can see all the things that happened in 2023 that led to his return to the Nevada desert. “I’d say 2015 was one of those years where there was sort of a changing of the guard, because there were four or five of us that were making the NFR for the first time,” he said. “We were riding against Kaycee Feild and Will Lowe and Bobby Mote, some of the winningest bareback riders ever. I think there are five guys making their first finals this year, so it’s another changing of the guard. “There are a lot of young, really talented guys right now, so that’s probably the biggest difference that I’ve seen recently.” Meanwhile, Aus remains a steady figure in the bareback riding locker room, which is filled with just the top 15 cowboys on the money list at the end of the regular season. It took more money than ever to make that elite company. Put it into perspective: When Aus made the NFR the first time, he arrived in Sin City eighth in the world standings with about $86,000. This year he’s 12th, even though he earned nearly $40,000 more. “I think it was just rodeo,” he said, noting that he earned at least a share of 15 victories. “They let you go to 100 rodeos, and I’m usually going to go to 100 if I’m healthy. I had the best fourth of July ever in the 13 years of trying. “I also made a pretty good chunk of change in Calgary, and that set up my season.” He did well at the biggest rodeo north of the border. He placed in all three preliminary rounds, then finished third overall to collect $27,000 in Canada. “I was lucky to stay healthy throughout the season, and when every dollar counts, I’m going to try to make them count,” said Aus, who credits some of his success to his sponsors, Unbeetable Feeds, Salty Dog Sister Boutique, Granite Falls Dairy Queen, Platform Marketing, John Galt Mortgage Co., Bakko Industries, Carroll Spur Co., Phoenix Performance Products and Wrangler. “When you look at the kind of money it took to make the finals this year, it’s a testament to our sport and our association and our sponsors that rodeo is moving in a good direction.” Competing that much through a given season means the Minnesota cowboy spends a lot of time away from home and away from his growing family. Because he knows the rodeo road as well as anyone, he always comes up with a plan to stay close to his wife and kids beyond video chats and phone calls. “I’m definitely a little more strategic about travel and, with having a family, I do a lot more flying than I ever used to,” he said. “It’s about showing up the places where I need to be and getting back home to my kids as soon as I can. That said, if there are rodeos going on and I’m healthy, I have the blessing of my wife, and I’m going to be gone. “It’s tough leaving home. That’s the hardest part of it. I bring my family with me when I can and miss them and miss them like crazy when I can’t.” Whether they’re in the rig with him while trapsing across the Midwest or just cheering him on  Continue Reading »

INGLIS, Manitoba. – Winning a world championship is never easy. In rodeo, it takes amazing athletic feats and a little bit of luck. Orin Larsen has been close to claiming that Montana Silversmiths gold buckle. In 2019, he finished just behind titlist Clayton Biglow. Three years prior to that, he was third in the final world standings. He finished the 2023 regular season with $147,237 and enters his ninth National Finals Rodeo as the No. 6 man on the bareback riding money list. “I definitely have a shot to win the world this year, especially with the amount of money that’s available when we get to Vegas,” said Larsen, 32, originally from Ingles, Manitoba, but living in the western Oklahoma community of Hydro. “I like my chances, but we’re going to have a locker room full of wolves when we get there, so I don’t expect it to be easy. “I have a decent shot at winning, and we’re not going to hold anything back.” That’s not his style. At 6-foot and 165 pounds, Larsen has made a name for himself by being an aggressive bareback rider. His long legs shine as he spurs in rhythm with the horse’s bucking motion, and that’s been a big reason why he’s won so much over his career. Since he first earned a trip to Las Vegas in 2015, he’s remained one of the elite bronc busters in rodeo. He had to miss most of last year’s NFR after suffering a thumb injury that required surgery on his riding hand, but he bounced back to return to ProRodeo’s grand championship. “Making the finals nine times is a hard number for me to really comprehend,” said Larsen, who won national titles while competing at both the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls and Oklahoma Panhandle State University in Goodwell. “I guess I’ve always wanted to make the NFR numerous times. For this being my ninth time, it’s no different than the first time. “It’s exciting, and I’m extremely grateful to have that opportunity again.” The opportunity is not only to battle for rodeo’s gold; it’s also a chance to build on a season’s worth of success. Go-round winners will pocket nearly $31,000 for 10 nights in Sin City. Save 2022 when his thumb injury forced Larsen to miss most of the championship, he has had his share of luck at the NFR. Even though he placed just one night last December, he still finished 14th in the final world standings. He is a regular when it comes to battling for the world championship. This year was a bit different than others. He sat out the first three months as he healed that damaged thumb. He returned but didn’t ride like he’s used to. “Not knowing if I was ready to be back from an injury like that and still be competitive got to me a little,” he said. “I started in Houston, and things felt slow. It just wasn’t going how I wanted it to go.” He got the adjustment he needed. Larsen left Oklahoma in May, and he didn’t return until the end of September. That four months on the road was not only good for his pocketbook, but it also helped his mental approach. He spent more time in his home country and found success. Of his 10 bareback riding titles, six were in Canada. His biggest was claiming the title in Ponoka, Alberta. “When I went to Canada, everything started clicking for me,” said Larsen, who credits part of his success to his sponsors, Panhandle and Rock & Roll Clothing, Rugged X Expeditions, Durango Boots, Rieta Creek Scoreboards and Tim Cooper Custom Hats. “Once I gained the momentum of that, it just translated back down to the states, and it’s worked well for me down here, too.” In June, he was on the outside looking in. Only the top 15 contestants in the world standings advance to the NFR, and he was just hoping to squeak in. He transformed his season along the way and now stands at the door to a world championship. “It was pretty interesting,” he said. “I was really fortunate in that I drew good everywhere. I started having fun and really enjoying the sport on a more genuine level than I’ve felt in a long time. I think that was the secret of it all: Just having fun going down the road with your pals and getting on the greatest horses in the world. “It felt like I was living it and having fun, and then that translated into my riding.” Part of that process, too, allowed for Larsen to spend more time with family. When he first returned to Oklahoma earlier this year, he spent a lot of time with older brother Tyrel and his family in Weatherford. Hanging out with nephews Charlie and Waylon offered a great break from the troubles on the rodeo trail. While in Canada, where most of the rodeos were in the province of Alberta, he spent considerable time with his younger brother, Kane. “It was an absolute ball up there, and that’s really where most of the momentum shift happened this year,” Orin Larsen said. “I didn’t make it back to Manitoba when I was up there, but our folks came down here in October and were at the Canadian Finals (in Red Deer, Alberta, in early November). Them and my sister will be in Vegas, so that will be good.” The sport of rodeo can be a struggle sometimes. No matter how much cowboys love the freedom that comes with it, the road can be long and lonesome. Over the past year, Larsen has seen many changes that have come with both his physical attributes and his mental game. He understands what it takes to compete at a high level, and he’s gone about the business of making it happen. He’s proven himself as an elite bareback rider, and he’s eager to clear that mountaintop and  Continue Reading »

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. – Growing up in northern British Columbia, Stephen Culling didn’t have the typical childhood of a rodeo cowboy. “My parents are both wildlife biologists,” said Culling, 29, a professional steer wrestler for Fort St. John who has qualified for the National Finals Rodeo for the first time. “We had some pretty interesting adventures. When I was really young, I never went to daycare much. I usually jumped in the helicopter with them; that was a pretty cool thing I got to do. “The things that most people wouldn’t even think about is the way I was growing up. I got to see a lot of cool country from the helicopter and do a lot of things that most people don’t get a chance to do.” Brad and Diane Culling raised Stephen and his older brother, Mac, around the understanding that nothing would be given to them. That foundation is what built the character the youngest still practices today. He relies on that work ethic to make his living in rodeo, a trade he’s plied since 2016. “My parents made me work for everything,” said Culling, who attended both Western Oklahoma State University and Northwestern Oklahoma State University on rodeo scholarships. “If I wanted to buy a snowmobile, I had to go bust my butt. You realize there is value there, that right from a young age that if there’s something you want in life, you aren’t going to be afraid to put your nose to the grindstone to get it.” Culling finished the 2023 regular season with $104,026, good enough for 10th in the world standings. That money is vital; not only does it help cover business expenses and take care of bills back home, it’s also how titles are won. In rodeo, dollars equal championship points, and the contestants with the most money earned at the conclusion of the NFR will be crowned world champions. That’s right; Stephen Culling is in the middle of a world-championship race in his first adventure to the grand finale, set for Dec. 7-16 in Las Vegas. “Making the NFR is a dream come true, something I’ve been working on since I first started bulldogging in high school,” he said. “I feel like in the early days, I was almost just doing it for fun. As the years went by, I just kept working at it. “This is a huge accomplishment for me. That was one of the things I set out to do, and I’m really excited to show up in Vegas.” Culling is involved in one of the most competitive events in the sport. Any steer wrestler in the top 50 has a chance to win on any given weekend, and there are always a few different names that qualify for the NFR each December. He is one of three first-time bulldoggers, joining the No. 15 man, Texan Don Payne, and the world standings leader, Oregonian Dalton Massey, the latter of whom is part of Culling’s traveling posse. Massey and Culling will be riding the same horse, Eddie, which is owned by Canadian Tanner Milan; he will also serve as their hazer, helping keep the steers lined out during each run they make. Eddie, a 10-year-old bay gelding, was named the 2023 Steer Wrestling Horse of the Year. “I’d say 100 guys can go make good enough runs to win some rodeos, but the one thing that separates the guys and puts them in the winner’s circle all the time is horsepower,” said Culling, who credits a good portion of his success with his sponsors, Resistol, CVS Controls, Cinch, Zesterra, VDM Trucking, Tracker Contracting, Trek Air and 8 Seconds Western Wear & Feed. “I’ve always been fortunate to be able to get on good horses. “A few years ago I traveled with Curtis Cassidy and rode Tyson, and now I’ve been on Eddie. I’m pretty blessed that the guys who have horses of the year let me ride them. It’s pretty cool to have the best two horses in the world, and I’ve been able to ride both.”  He rode Eddie at the Canadian Finals Rodeo the first weekend of November and found some success. He placed in three of the final four go-rounds in Red Deer, Alberta, winning the fifth performance. “It wasn’t the finals I’d wanted, because I took myself out of contention to win the Canadian title the first two nights,” he said, reflecting on two broken barriers that added a combined 20 seconds to his runs. “Once you do that, it changes your attitude, and you realize you still have a chance to catch some money in the final few rounds, so that’s what I went for.” Culling started his rodeo life with a rope in his hand. He was a tie-down and team roper. While at some high school rodeos, he realized he spent most of his time waiting to make a run instead of competing, so he opted to add steer wrestling to his portfolio. He also received some tutelage from fellow British Columbia cowboy Clayton Moore, who helped Culling hone in on his skills. “My parents would drop me off at Clayton’s house on Friday afternoon and come pick me up Sunday night,” he said. “We’d bulldog, rope, ride colts and do just about everything. It was pretty instrumental in my career to spend that much time with someone I looked up to and spend that much time with. “He knew I was focused and had goals, and he more so treated me like an equal than a kid from just down the road that he was just helping out. He put me through the ringer pretty early on because he knew I’d survive it. We worked pretty hard at it, that was the main reason that I went from jumping my first steers in January to moving along pretty fast.” It paid off. In 2010, he won the bulldogging titles at both the Canadian High School Finals Rodeo and  Continue Reading »

ALTAMONT, Utah – Dean Thompson isn’t an ordinary first-year rodeo cowboy. He entered 2023 with a boatload of confidence, a swagger he carried through the season while also building upon it. Now, he’s heading to ProRodeo’s grand championship, the National Finals Rodeo, which takes place Dec. 7-16 in Las Vegas. “After having such a great season on my PRCA permit last year, I was all-in and really thought I had a good chance to make it,” said Thompson, 21, of Altamont, a community of 239 souls tucked in the mountains of eastern Utah. “Making the finals this year has been the greatest accomplishment of my life.” It’s a big step for any cowboy who makes a living in the sport, whether they’re newcomers or 20-year veterans. Only the top 15 contestants in the world standings in each event at the conclusion of the regular season earn the right to battle for rodeo’s gold in Sin City. It’s a major accomplishment for someone like Thompson, one of three bronc busters who not only will compete for the world championship but also will battle for the Bareback Riding Resistol Rookie of the Year award. “There’s only one event in rodeo where the Rookie of the Year hasn’t been decided yet,” said Thompson, who attended Western Texas College in Snyder on a rodeo scholarship. “Keenan Hayes, Kade Sonnier and I are in the running for it, and it won’t be decided until the finals are over.” The rookie title goes to the contestants who earn the most money in their respective disciplines. Hayes is the favorite at this stage because he also is the No. 1 man in the bareback riding world standings with nearly $266,000 in earnings. Sonnier is third with $160,000, and Thompson is eighth at $131,452. It’s one thing to have three rookies at the NFR; it’s quite another to have all three among the top 10 prior to their arrival in Las Vegas. “This has been the most entertaining and most electric rookie race in a long time and maybe ever,” Thompson said. “I’m a little biased because I love bareback riding, but I think it’s so cool to be in the mix in such an amazing race.” He’s certainly done his part to be in the where he is, earning at least a share of eight rodeo titles over the course of the regular season, which ended Sept. 30. His biggest wins came at Oregon rodeos in Pendleton and Hermiston, earning $17,000 between those two events during the last month and a half of the campaign. One of this other wins – at Guymon, Oklahoma, in early May – might be the most unforgettable moment of his rookie season. That’s where he rode 2022 Bareback Horse of the Year Gun Fire from the Frontier Rodeo string for 92.5 points. “It’s crazy to see how big of a part of my season that ride was, getting on that horse and being 92.5,” said Thompson, who credits part of his success to his sponsors, Beddy’s Beds and War Bonnet Hats. “I had no idea what that was going to mean. All these months later and after all I went through, that’s my favorite ride. It didn’t feel as great to me until I was able to look back, and I gained a lot of appreciation for what I was able to do.” It’s a moment that brings great pride. He has some amazing things from which to reflect on his inaugural regular season in ProRodeo, and he’ll have 10 more nights to add more memories. The NFR is rodeo’s Super Bowl and World Series wrapped up into a week and a half of competition in the Nevada desert. Some cowboys work for years just to earn the right to compete inside that arena and be part of the electric atmosphere that comes with the yellow bucking chutes. The rodeo trail is long and winding. Cowboys that ride bucking horses for a living will travel tens of thousands of miles and get on about 100 broncs just hoping to qualify for the NFR. Of course, playing the game on the biggest stage in Las Vegas is the goal for any cowboy in any event, but there are only 120 out of thousands of competitors that will get the chance every year. “I feel like I was pretty confident starting this season,” said Thompson, the youngest of four sons born to Chris and Kristie Thompson. “I knew I had a really good shot to make it to the finals on my rookie card, but I can honestly say that my confidence was nowhere near what it is now, because I have accomplished the goal that I’ve always wanted.” Having looked up to his older brothers – Blake, Derrik and Danny – was easy for Dean Thompson. The family raises sheep, and the boys sold them in the market every year as a way to learn to care for others while also being responsible for animals. Rodeo and wrestling were a way of life for Dean Thompson, a four-time state-tournament qualifier and the 2020 state titlist at 152 pounds. “The rodeo and wrestling worlds didn’t really collide,” he said. “In the fall and spring, you had rodeo; in the winter, you had wrestling. I could just roll from one to the other. Wrestling taught me hard work. “Wrestling teaches you how to struggle and understand how to overcome it, and there’s definitely some struggle that happens in rodeo, just a different type. It’s absolutely necessary for every human being if they want to be good at any aspect of their life, they have to be winning to go through days where they have to rely on self-discipline to make it happen.” It’s one of the reasons why he’s excelled at such a young age. While bareback riding is his marquee event, Thompson grew up as an all-around cowboy, also competing in bull riding and steer wrestling, the latter of which is a  Continue Reading »

STEVENSVILLE, Mont. – In the last 10 years, bareback rider Richmond Champion has missed the National Finals Rodeo just twice; ailments had kept him out of action both times. Coming off an injury that forced him to the sidelines in 2022, he rebounded strong. He returned to the game in late-December, then battled through this past season to return to ProRodeo’s grand finale for the eighth time. In the past 12 months, he tested his skills as a television analyst, providing expert commentary for last year’s NFR preshow for Teton Ridge, and he spent quality time with his wife, Paige. The proof arrived Sept. 7 in the form of Forrest Brooks Champion, a little boy weighing 6 pounds, 12 ounces. “He showed up at the beginning of the last month of the season, and life has never been the same,” said Champion, 30, of Stevensville. “Every day is something new; it’s never boring. I think I average about 40 miles a week walking, and I think 38 of those miles are in the house.” Parents with a newborn will do about anything to bring comfort to their baby, and providing soothing steps is just one method the Champions use. For now, young Forrest is on his own sleeping schedule, which seems to coincide with how Dad sleeps when he’s traveling the rodeo trail. If the baby can keep that up for a few more weeks, that would be great. “If we can maintain that sleep pattern all the way through the NFR, that would be great because Vegas nights can get long,” Champion said with a laugh. He and his wife went old-school when they found out they were expecting. They didn’t rely on sonograms to tell them the baby’s gender; they opted to wait until birth. The best part was that Richmond was home when Paige went into labor. “I was actually planning to leave the day he was born,” said Champion, who attended Tarleton State University on a rodeo scholarship. “I was up in Lewiston, Idaho, that day. Paige woke me up at 11:30 at night on (September) sixth and said her water broke, and he came at 6 o’clock on the morning of the seventh.” That’s just a bit of happenstance for Champion. He was home at the right time, which isn’t always the case for rodeo cowboys, men who make a living on the road for weeks at a time. He stayed with his family for an extra day, opting out of riding in western Idaho, and drove straight through to Puyallup, Washington, for his next competition. “Everything’s been amazing,” he said. “As far as the season, it was just a big year from coming back from injury. I really wanted to use last year and the beginning of this year to transform my riding in a way that it would support my neck, and, obviously, if you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse. All the guys I’m riding against keep getting better, so I need to stay at it.” In the spring of 2022, Champion learned about a bulging disc in the middle of his neck that required surgery and months to heal. It is a consequence that comes with being a bareback rider, men who wedge their specially designed gloves into a tight, rawhide rigging that is strapped tightly to a bucking horse. Arms and shoulders and upper bodies are jerked around; it’s recognized as the rodeo event that is toughest on the body. By making slight changes to his riding, he was able to do the things necessary to not only improve on his ability, but also to protect his body in the process. The result was $111,688 and the No. 15 spot in the world standings – the latter is significant, because only the top 15 on the money list at the end of the regular season advance to the NFR. “I’ve never gone into Vegas being 15th, but it’s also the most money I’ve had won in the regular season,” said Champion, who credits part of his success to his sponsors, Cinch, Hooey, Yeti and Hyer Boots. “I think that says something about our sport. I was talking to my brother the other day, and he said, ‘On the plus side, you can’t leave Las Vegas lower in the standings than you’re going in, so you’ve got nothing to lose. You may as well go for it.’ ” Doug Champion’s comment hit a note with his little brother. With go-rounds paying nearly $31,000 per day for 10 December nights, the NFR offers a great opportunity to cash in. The last time he competed in Las Vegas two years ago, Richmond Champion pocketed $80,000. “I’m just excited about going back,” he said. “I got a lot of confirmation on this this year. Being one of the older guys, you start questioning whether you’ve still got it with so many of the younger guys that are doing so well this year. “I feel like I can hang with the Rocker Steiners and Kade Sonniers and Keenan Hayeses, so I’m excited that I’ve got another chance to show it.” The maturation of a rodeo cowboy comes through the experiences he has faced over a career. A decade ago, he was the young gun in the field, a 20-year-old bareback rider still feeling the high of being the first person to win $1 million at The American. Now, he’s a veteran who understands what it takes to perform well no matter the style of horse under him. “I don’t think there was really just one thing that was the key to the success I had this year,” Champion said. “Having last year off and not really caring about rodeo in a sense gave me the amount of time away from it that I needed. I wasn’t trying to rush back, because that would have only hampered me. “I turned out a lot of horses that I didn’t think fit me because I was trying  Continue Reading »

MIAMI, Texas – Always confident in competition, Wyatt Casper doesn’t deny the shimmers of doubts that crossed his mind a few months ago. A nagging injury – a torn right hamstring – haunted him again July 4. He’d just gone through the same pain a year earlier but tried to come back too soon and suffered another setback. In 2023, he knew better and just stayed on injured reserve for 30 days. While his leg ached, the biggest pain he felt came from missing out on a month’s worth of big-money rodeos. No Calgary, Alberta. No Cheyenne, Wyoming. As a saddle bronc rider who makes a living riding equine-powered dynamite, lucrative rodeos like those are vital to his business. He returned to action the first week of August, but things just weren’t clicking the way he had hoped. “A couple of weeks went by, and I just didn’t feel completely right yet,” said Casper, 27, of Miami. “I didn’t really win a whole lot, and I was getting a little down in the dumps.” He didn’t stay there long. In mid-August, he and all the other top bronc riders in ProRodeo converged on the Xtreme Broncs Finals in Rapid City, South Dakota. He won that event and $31,000, a turning point to his 2023 campaign that has propelled him to his fourth straight National Finals Rodeo. “I really needed that to hep push me through to qualifying for the NFR and getting some momentum on my side,” he said. “Bronc riding is all about confidence and just having some good luck go your way. It has to be something where you think every time you get on, there’s not a chance he’s going to throw you off or that you’re going to screw up. You’re going to win some money. “I think that plays a big part of it being in good rhythm and drawing all those good horses and making some money. It goes hand in hand, and all that helps you get some good confidence.” He finished the regular season with $142,421, good enough for eighth place as he heads back to the NFR, set for Dec. 7-16 in Las Vegas. He has credited a consistent approach to his game for keeping him among ProRodeo’s elite saddle bronc riders. His best season to date was 2020, when he finished as the reserve world champion. He would love to improve upon that this year, and the only way to do that is to finish the finale as the No. 1 man. “The big thing was not screwing up any good horses and capitalizing on good draws and making money when you can,” he said. “I don’t feel like I changed anything. I just stuck to the gameplan I’ve always had, and, luckily, it’s been working out good.” He’s definitely been on a roll. He didn’t finish first at many rodeos – he won five event titles and shared the championship at another – but he placed a lot. The only way to earn money in rodeo is to beat most of the cowboys in the field, and he did that a lot through the campaign. It doesn’t hurt that rodeo features unprecedented purses in 2023. As Casper pointed out, the 15th man on the money was Louisianan Ryder Sanford, who earned $125,388. That’s an incredible amount of earnings just to advance to the sport’s grand finale – only the top 15 contestants in the world standings in each event at the conclusion of the regular season qualify for the NFR. “If’ you’d told me when I started that it would take that kind of money to qualify for the NFR, I would have thought you were crazy,” said Casper, who lives outside Miami with his wife, Lesley, and their two children, Cooper and Cheyenne. “It just goes to show what the PRCA is doing and what these rodeos are doing. I know everybody is trying to increase the added money and trying to pay the contestants more money, and it’s showing.” That’s one of the positive things about rodeo; cowboys and cowgirls realize the importance of doing well in competition. Unlike other professional sports, there are no guaranteed contracts. On top of that, contestants must pay a fee in order to compete; while that money is mixed with local dollars to make up the overall purse, men and women must excel at each stop in order to get paid. Casper knew that when he opted to become a professional rodeo cowboy. It’s a life he was meant to live. His folks, John and Amy, started roping as a hobby when they met, and he and his brothers, Ty and Clay, followed suit. Raised near Balko in the Oklahoma Panhandle, Wyatt Casper obtained a rodeo scholarship to Clarendon (Texas) College, where coach Bret Franks helped him transition from roper to bronc rider. Casper took to it so well that he was crowned the 2016 National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association’s national champion while at Clarendon. That opened the doors and helped the young cowboy prosper, and he returns to his roots every now and then to keep his tools sharp. In fact, he’ll utilize those relationships and others as he prepares for the rugged 10 go-rounds in Las Vegas. “I’m going to get on some practice horses and take care of my body, get it in the best shape I can to survive 10 horses,” said Casper, who not only leans on his family but also has support from his sponsors, Cinch, Priefert, Resistol, Superior Livestock, TD Angus, MVP Exceed 6 Way, Western Hauler and Sawyer Hay & Cube. “I’ve got two practice horses that I keep down at Clarendon all the time, and then I think I’ll go to Frontier Rodeo’s (in Freedom, Oklahoma) and get on a couple of broncs there. I just went up to (a PRCA event in) Indianapolis and broke in some new boots and a saddle, and everything seems like it’s set up pretty good.  Continue Reading »

WEATHERFORD, Texas – In some ways, Leighton Berry was destined to be one of the world’s greatest bareback riders. He is a second-generation bronc buster. Twenty years ago, his father, Kirby, was wrapping up a pretty steady career. Now, Kirby Berry is busy watching both Leighton and younger brother Kade spur bucking horses across the county. As the oldest of three children, Leighton Berry has set quite a standard. He finished his fifth regular season in ProRodeo fifth in the world standings, having earned $157,955 through the rigors of the campaign. He will now embark on his third qualification to the National Finals Rodeo, which takes place Dec. 7-16 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. “I just really enjoy making my dad proud and making my family proud,” said Leighton Berry, 24, of Weatherford. “I know whenever I make the NFR, it’s a dream that my dad had; he just didn’t have the support system that I’ve had growing up to get there. I know when my dad is up in the stands for 10 nights in a row watching me perform on the highest level of rodeo that I’m making him proud.” It probably doesn’t take that much to make is father beam, but Berry is an overachiever in that regard. During his inaugural season in 2019, he finished third the Bareback Riding Resistol Rookie of the Year race, then qualified for the NFR for the first time in the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign. “My biggest achievement is knowing that I took what my dad didn’t have and built on it,” he said. “My dad made sure that his ceiling was my floor, and he gave me all the opportunities to grow and get better and perfect the skills I need to have in this sport that I’ve grown to love since I was 15 years old.” He’s done that and more. Just weeks after his initial NFR – which took place in Arlington, Texas, because of the worldwide pandemic – Berry was eager to get his third year rolling. Everything quickly came to a halt, though. He was smashed in the chutes in Odessa, Texas, and suffered a serious mid-back injury that forced him to injured reserve. He had surgery, then went through months of rehabilitation. He finally returned to action the opening week of August and quickly proved that he was not only healed but was also a force in bareback riding. He battled through the final two months of the season and finished the campaign 23rd in the world standings – only the top 15 on the money list in each event at the end of the regular season qualify for the NFR. “Missing out on going to Vegas that year really lit a fire under me,” said Berry, who attended Weatherford College and Tarleton State University. “So going to Vegas last year, I felt more like a rookie. Now, I have two NFRs under my belt, but I have two totally different experiences, two totally different vibes.” He fully understands what it’s like to ride bucking horses for 10 nights in the Nevada desert. He has felt the energy that flows from nearly 18,000 fans packed around a dirt arena about the size of a hockey rink. In fact, he finished the 2022 season third in the world standings with almost $270,000, half of which came last December. “I think God had a plan for me all along this year,” he said. “Coming off the NFR last year I felt really strong, really confident and capable in my abilities. Coming out third in the world, I just knew I was close to getting a gold buckle and doing it at my first NFR in Vegas. I really understood what it’s going to take, and that’s the way I approached it this year.” Like many professional sports, a rodeo season can be like a roller coaster with many ups and downs. He went to the Fort Worth (Texas) Stock Show and Rodeo in February with big plans and big intensions, but he was bucked off and left wanting something more. He got that as the winter months continued into spring, making a highlight reel as the Texan rolled through the Texas swing of indoor rodeos. First he won the title in San Antonio, then he snagged the $50,000 and more at Houston. He concluded it all with the championship in San Angelo. By the time May arrived, he was the No. 1 man in the land, and he had a glimpse of what things looked like from atop the bareback riding mountain. “I started drawing some good horses when it counted,” Berry said. “Leading up to the four-man in Houston, it was basically a grind for me to even get there. If it wasn’t for one round win in San Antonio, I wouldn’t have moved on. If it wasn’t for one round win in Houston, I wouldn’t have moved on. “It was still a battle, but once I got to the end, it always shook out the way it needed to, and I ended up having just the right horse to win the rodeo.” While earning victories in Houston, San Antonio and San Angelo was amazing, he may have done something just as sweet a few weeks later. In June, he won the Parker County Sheriff’s Posse Frontier Days and PRCA Rodeo; it was the third time he’d been crowned the champ in Weatherford. “No matter how vibrant it feels winning the $50,000 in Houston or tying the arena record in San Antonio on the former world champion bucking horse, those feelings mix right in with being 91 points at my hometown rodeo,” he said. “Even though I’m not going into the NFR No. 1 in the world, I was going into the summer and going to that rodeo. “I always look forward to my hometown rodeo, which I think is super-underrated. The stands were packed to capacity, and you’ve got everybody from  Continue Reading »

Organization continues to take strides forward with new officers DODGE CITY, Kan. – Since its inception nearly 50 years ago, Dodge City Roundup Rodeo has not only served the community, but it has done so with a solid base of volunteers. Roundup’s members donate their time and talents to help produce one of the top events in the country, one that draws hundreds of cowboys, cowgirls and fans to Ford County every summer. It’s a dedicated group of individuals that bands together to make it all happen. The group’s leadership has changed many times over the years, and the retirement of Dr. R.C. Trotter after 20 years as Roundup’s president means other changes to its team of officers beginning this fall. Steve Deges, who has spent more than 20 years as a volunteer and 18 years as a director for the largest rodeo in Kansas, has been elected as Roundup’s president. “It is truly an honor to have been nominated by this organization, then to be voted as their president,” said Deges, who joins Roundup secretary Crysta Stella as the newest members of the organization’s board. “I only hope I can hold up to the legacy of those that have blazed the trail ahead of me.” That’s no small task. Over the years, the marquee event of the Dodge City Days celebration has been named the PRCA Rodeo of the Year nine times. In 2012, Roundup was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame and will forever be enshrined along hundreds of world champions and other rodeo dignitaries. “Being an officer for Dodge City Roundup is such an honor to represent our organization,” Stella said. “I get to help promote our organization and continue to grow it and look forward to helping our recruitment of new members. “I’m also in a position where I am getting to help with the visions of what we can continue to provide for entertainment for all ages in our community.” Deges and Stella will join two other officers, treasurer Teresa Winger Martin, who has been involved for 10 years, and vice president Jerry Pegelow, a 26-year Roundup member who has been on the board for 24 years. “It’s an honor to be a member of Dodge City Roundup,” Pegelow said. “We are the youngest rodeo inducted into the Hall of Fame, and we are always one of the top 25 rodeos in the country. It’s amazing what we can do out here in western Kansas. We have a good community, and we all work together. “Roundup is conducting business 12 months out a year, looking at where we’ve been and where we want to go. We’re already planning for next year and beyond.” That aspect is something all volunteers cherish. Most join to be part of something special, and the rodeo is that for the thousands of visitors who pack into Roundup Arena for six nights every year. “Leadership carries the legacy that has been laid within my family to make my community better,” Martin said. “The first goal I have is for the community to be aware that a rodeo is a yearlong production; the event doesn’t just happen in one week a year. “I would also like to see the grounds used for other events, and continued updates to the facility is important to both of these goals. With this comes more community involvement and, hopefully, more people interested in helping. Our organization should be a premier place to volunteer.” It certainly has been over the years. Community leaders have stepped in, whether it’s helping with manual labor or obtaining sponsorships or promoting the rodeo across the state and the region. They attend training seminars and work with the livestock producer and other contractors who help make the rodeo run smoothly every year. “My goals are to maintain the integrity of those who founded this organization 47 years ago,” Deges said. “This facility is 47 years old, and we have a lot of work to do to maintain and make improvements to it to make it a great experience for all that attend.” Work has been ongoing for most of Roundup’s existence, and it will continue. In the last year, the volunteers got their hands dirty preparing an updated ticket booth for an eye-popping new entrance on the west side of the complex. They also worked closely with Victory Electric to enhance the electrical grid around the facility. “I want to continue to make innovative improvements to our facility for our community to enjoy and be proud of,” Stella said. “I would love to see future generations become involved in the sport of rodeo and be part of the family at Dodge City Roundup.” Growth and resurrection are important to any organization, but they are vital to a volunteer group. “I have long believed in the 4H motto: To Make the Best Better,” Martin said. “This is what I hope to accomplish as a Roundup officer.” With the officers in place, the team is not only continuing to build on the foundation that was laid many years ago, it also is pushing toward the next phase of development for an event that not only serves western Kansas but also is celebrated by those that help make ProRodeo great.   “I would like to revitalize our membership with new, younger members so we can keep this organization vibrant and alive for another 47 years,” Deges said. “We have a great team of officers, an outstanding group of volunteers and a wonderful community. Together we can make great things happen.”

Cinch personality is able to share rodeo passion through announcing Anthony Lucia grew up in rodeo, the son of one of the best-known entertainers in the sport’s history. His raising taught the youngest son of Tommy Lucia the importance of timing and preparation. From 2010-13, Anthony Lucia trick-roped in Las Vegas during National Finals Rodeo each December. A second-generation entertainer, he took to it well. It fit his personality. He would be in the arena mere minutes a night, but it was everything he had hoped it would be. He had plenty of time through each day to get ready and made sure he was prepared to put on a show every night. In the years since, Lucia has traded in his rope for a microphone and is one of the rising announcers in ProRodeo. A Cinch endorsee, his personality shines just as it did a decade ago. The main difference? He has zero free time. He is sought-after, and during the 10 days of ProRodeo’s grand finale in Sin City, he can be found all over town doing what he loves. “This year is going to be unbelievably awesome and busy,” said Lucia, who lives near Weatherford, Texas, with his wife of five years, Lisa, the 2017 Miss Rodeo America. “Between my talk show, Live with Lucia, every day at 10:30 (a.m.) on The Cowboy Channel main stage at Cowboy Christmas, then the breakaway finals is going to happen the first Tuesday and Wednesday. “Then Thursday starts and even busier time with the BFO World Championships, then every night I’ll be at the Thomas & Mack (Center) doing PRCA Insider stuff for PRCA social media channels, the Resistol Rookie of the Year banquet and the Golden Circle of Champions celebration. It is the greatest and busiest 10 days of the entire year.” Lucia has earned a schedule like this. He’s been nominated as PRCA Announcer of the Year each of the last two years and has increased his annual workload by a lot. He estimates that he called the action at 130 performances during the 2023 regular season. More than a third of his calendar was spent behind the microphone, and that doesn’t include the number of hours he spends doing his homework. Whether it’s making sure fans have the greatest experience possible while sitting in the stands at a rodeo or knowing everything he can about a guest for his Las Vegas talk show, Lucia hones in on the details necessary to be one of the best. It’s why this December, his will be one of the featured voices at the National Finals Breakaway Roping for the second time in three years. “It’s really exciting to be able to be part of crowning a world champion that week in Las Vegas and getting to do it with Will Rasmussen,” Lucia said. “It’s like a big-time, full-circle moment for me, because I grew up listening to Will. I’ve been friends with him and his family as long as I can remember. His kids and I always hung out whenever my dad worked the Sanky rodeos, so it’s so special that I get to work with a living legend like Will.”  Lucia is becoming a legend himself. His familiarity with the players and his understanding of production prove his versatility and his merit. Just as Tommy Lucia earned his place in the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs and the National Rodeo Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City, Anthony Lucia deserves to have his name mentioned with other elite announcers. In 2022 and 2023, he is nominated with Rasmussen, Wayne Brooks, Bob Tallman, and Garrett Yerigan, another Cinch newcomer who has been named PRCA Announcer of the Year each of the past two seasons. “Just merely to be on the same list as Bob, Wayne, Will and Garrett is unbelievable,” Anthony Lucia said. “It’s an incredible feeling, because my dad taught me to work hard and give it everything you’ve got every performance. Doing your best for the rodeo you’re working and for the fans is how you win in this business. “It’s not necessarily about awards or accolades; it’s about making a living doing some thing you love while growing the sport. When I got the call last year to tell me I was nominated, I was literally crying.” Those happy tears say a lot about the man and also express the passion with which he practices his craft. “I am unapologetically myself,” he said. “I went all in on the announcing in the fall of 2020; before that, I was doing so much television stuff and broadcasting and different things like that, so it’s mind-blowing to see what God has been able to do in my career. It means a little bit more now that announcing is solely how I provide for my family, and I’ve been able to get more opportunities to go to rodeos and announce them. “I don’t know what I did to deserve this, but I’m going to keep going and enjoy every second of it.” Lucia grew up with a rope in his hand. As a youngster, he got into doing tricks with ropes as a way to keep boredom at bay, and all that time helped him develop into one of the top acts in the business. Rodeo is unique in the way that it is both a world-class competition and a brand of entertainment. He has been on both ends of the spectrum. While also doing acts, Lucia was a competitor. He loves to team rope, but he understands now that focusing on one aspect of his life might be the best move. While there was a multi-talented attribute that helped him function, there’s something else that is making him stand out in a field of incredible announcers. “(Fellow announcer) Boyd Polhamus told me a long time ago, ‘At some point, you’re going to have to take one of those things and go all-in with it,’ and at the  Continue Reading »