Monthly Archives: June 2024

Noted television host, benefactor will be featured at Gooding’s pink luncheon GOODING, Idaho – The purpose of the Tough Enough to Wear Pink luncheon in conjunction with the Gooding Pro Rodeo is to raise awareness and funds in the fight against cancer. Organizers, though, look at it as a way to strengthen a giving community while also taking care of families that are affected by the disease and its various forms. There are messages that enlighten and invigorate that may not always be about cancer but are important nonetheless. “Last year, we had Micah Fink with Heroes and Horses as our speaker, and the message he gave matched well with the purpose of our luncheon,” said Don Gill, the fair and rodeo’s manager. “We’ve stayed along the same lines for this year’s luncheon and will be bringing in Fanchon Stinger.” A 15-time Emmy-winning television host, Stinger retired from broadcast news in May 2022 after 30 years as a broadcast journalist. She was a longtime anchor for Fox 59 in Indianapolis who graduated from the University of Michigan with a dual degree in English and communications. She now owns FLS Media and Strategic Solutions, which produces positive and inspirational media, while also serving as co-host of Morning on Merit Street, a lifestyle show airing on Merit Street Media, owned by Dr. Phil McGraw. In 2021, she founded Grit & Grace Nation, a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering young girls to lead. It helps by providing programs that focus on mentorship, career preparation, mental health, developing life skills and etiquette training. She will share that during this year’s Tough Enough to Wear Pink luncheon, set for 11:30 a.m. Friday, Aug. 16, at the Gooding County Fairgrounds. It’s in conjunction with the Gooding Pro Rodeo, set for Thursday, Aug. 15-Saturday, Aug. 17, with a special “Beauty and the Beast” performance set for Wednesday, Aug. 14. All performances take place at 8 p.m. at Andy James Arena. “Last year’s luncheon set records as far as donations made to our Tough Enough to Wear Pink campaign, and everyone at the luncheon received a great message,” Gill said. “I think Fanchon’s going to bring a different but just as honorable message to this year’s luncheon, and I hope the results are just as great as they were last year, if not greater.” Stinger has much more in her repertoire than just being a TV host and organization founder. She has developed a passion for animal welfare and Western sports and owns bulls that compete in the PBR. In addition, she is a contributor to PBR Now, a weekly television program on RidePass. “I truly believe Fanchon will fit in well with the people from southern Idaho and the pride they have in our community,” Gill said. “We’re looking forward to her message and her personality being part of our luncheon.”

Celebrated entertainer to showcase his talents for Estes Park crowds ESTES PARK, Colo. – From his spot inside the fences, Justin Rumford looked up to the crowd packed inside Granny May Arena and marvels. On the footsteps of the Rocky Mountain National Park and surrounded by a picturesque lake and the glorious peaks, he noticed something spectacular that came through the faces in the audience. For a man who was raised in rodeo, he identifies with most of them, even though they weren’t. “Truthfully, a lot of those people aren’t really rodeo fans, but they want to be part of the rodeo experience,” said Rumford, the featured entertainer at Rooftop Rodeo, set for 7 p.m. Friday, July 5-Wedneday, July 10, at the arena inside the Estes Park Fairgrounds. “We’ve got tourists that are stopping by while they’re in Estes Park. We get to cater to people that go to one rodeo a year, and they chose to come to this one. It’s pretty special when you think about it.” The setting is unlike most of the events in professional rodeo. That’s something only Estes Park can offer, but it’s an experience that anyone could enjoy. For folks traveling to or through Colorado, it’s a destination town, and the rodeo has been a major part of the community for decades. “Some people who come to the rodeo in Estes Park may never go to another rodeo,” Rumford said. “When you have a tourist rodeo like that, it’s so important to make those people feel like the show they saw was worth their dollar. “I started my career in Cody, Wyoming, which also has a lot of tourists. You want to appeal to the tourists, but you also have to remember that there are still a lot of people that come to the rodeo because they like rodeo. You want to put on a show for everybody.” That’s the way organizers think. They want nothing but the best, which is why Rumford returns. After a one-year hiatus, the entertainer is back where he rightfully belongs. “When you rodeo for a living, you go to rodeos so you an get a check, but then you have the ones you truly enjoy,” said Rumford, a 10-time PRCA Clown of the Year from Ponca City, Oklahoma. “When I get to Estes Park, it feels like I’m home. That was one of my first rodeos, and I know a ton of people in town. “It’s just fun. It’s one of those rodeo where it’s fun to be there. You’ve got great atmosphere, and how can you beat waking up overlooking that beautiful lake and the mountains surrounding you?” Gates for Rooftop Rodeo open at 5 p.m. Friday, July 5-Wednesday, July 10, with the preshow beginning at 6:30 p.m. and the rodeo beginning at 7 p.m. To order tickets online or to obtain more information about Rooftop Rodeo, which is a Town of Estes Park signature event, log on to www.RooftopRodeo.com. Other ticket inquiries may be made by contacting the Town of Estes Park Events office at events@estes.org or (970) 586-6104.

ALVA, Okla. – The Northwestern Oklahoma State University contingent of College National Finals Rodeo qualifiers is small but mighty. The men will field four cowboys during the seven-day championship, set for June 9-15 at the Ford Wyoming Center in Casper, Wyoming. The group includes two that have played the game at the highest level before: All-around cowboy Jacob Haren of Callaway, Nebraska, and steer wrestler Trisyn Kalawaia of Waiakea, Hawaii. Both were at other schools the first time they qualified. Kalawaia was at Central Arizona College in 2021, and Haren was at Mid Plains Community College in western Nebraska two seasons ago. Now, they’ll be wearing the black vests representing the Rangers, and they understand the meaning behind it. “I think we’ve got a good chance,” said Haren, a senior. “We’ve got some really good bulldoggers, and we’ll do our best. I know all of us are ready to give it a good shot.” He earned his shot to compete at this year’s championship by finishing second in the Central Plains Region all-around standings. He will rope calves and wrestle steers; all the others are steer wrestlers who finished as the top three in the regional standings. Haren finished fourth in bulldogging, surpassed by teammate Emmett Edler of State Center, Iowa, who jumped into third place after a solid finish at the final rodeo of the regular season. They will be joined by Cam Fox of Tulsa, who finished second. “Getting second in the all-around was kind of a blessing,” Haren said. “There were some guys that had a chance to beat me, but it just worked out. It was really the best-case scenario for the team. It’s pretty cool to see ‘E’ go, too. We get to add another person so we can add points to our team.” Each contestant will compete in three go-rounds per discipline. Only the top 12 in the three-run aggregate will advance to the championship round on the final Saturday night. Though Haren didn’t advance that far in 2022, Kalawaia finished sixth overall three seasons ago. “Even though I didn’t do very well, I think it helps that I’ve been there,” said Haren, who competed in tie-down roping and team roping two years ago. “You already know what the start’s going to be. You know how small the arena is and already have a feel for what it’s going to be like.” It helps, too, that the cowboys have been mentored by their coach, Stockton Graves, an eight-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier who graduated from Northwestern. “Stockton said, ‘Don’t be starstruck when you get in there; just go make your runs.’ ” Haren said. “You just have to look at it as a good, four-head average and go from there.”   The Rangers men will be joined by Lauren Hopkins, who won the region’s breakaway roping title to qualify. That status was solidified by an incredible run of success through the 10-event season. “I’m just grateful that it worked out the way it did,” said Hopkins, a senior from Lincoln, California, now living in Lipan, Texas. “I think there are only two short-goes that I didn’t make all year.” A key piece of her success is Patron, a 6-year-old sorrel gelding. Timed-event athletes lean on their equine partners. “I think my horse definitely made a huge difference,” she said. “We really clicked this year, and he helped me a lot. He gives me consistency and a shot every time. I’m just blessed to have had the opportunities I did and was able to capitalize on them.”   Like Haren and Kalawaia, Hopkins was a transfer student. She spent the first few years at Eastern New Mexico University and has taken her classes at Northwestern online. That allowed her the opportunity to train herself and her horses in a setting that worked best for her. “I’m really excited about representing Northwestern in Casper,” Hopkins said. “Stockton was a great coach for me; I am a very like-to-do-my-own-thing kind of person, and he always worked with me in my schedule in what I needed to do.” Graves is wrapping his 13th year as rodeo coach at his alma mater. It’s also his last. Former Rangers assistant Cali Griffin has been tabbed as his replacement, so this group of five will be Graves’ last heading to the college finale. “I think it’s pretty cool to be his last set of kids going to the college finals,” Haren said. “This is one of the larger groups he’s had in a little while, so we want to see him finish strong. When I didn’t do very good last year, he asked us all what our goals were. He’s really good at the mental game. He’s got a pretty good way of putting it how it is.” Over his career, Graves has coached three national champions: steer wrestlers J.D. Struxness (2016) and Bridger Anderson and breakaway roper Taylor Munsell (both in 2019). The Rangers men finished second overall in 2016, thanks to large part to Struxness and fellow bulldogger Jacob Edler, the 2020 world champion and older brother of 2024 college finalist Emmett Edler. While Struxness won the title, Edler finished as the runner-up, just a second off the pace. This year’s group has a chance to surpass that finish. It will come down to which team has the best run over those June days in eastern Wyoming.

PECOS, Texas – What is the best part of Matt Merrit’s job? His answer is short, yet poignant: “It’s the reward of seeing joy in people,” he said. Merritt is a rodeo entertainer and clown, and he returns to the West of the Pecos Rodeo, set for 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 26-Saturday, June 29, at Buck Jackson Arena in Pecos. It will be a chance for him to reconnect with the fans who welcomed him a year ago while also bringing bliss to many others who arrive for the four-day event. “Rodeo is the last affordable sport or venue of any kind, and families get to come and experience just the real joy of watching what we do,” said Merritt, originally from northern Louisiana but now living in North Carolina. “Where I’m from, rodeo was like any other sport like baseball, football or basketball. “It wasn’t crazy or different or weird, so my buddies rode bulls, and I dabbled in steer riding and chute-dogging when I was a little kid.” It didn’t take long for him to find his calling, though. “I was pretty young when I realized I wanted to do the clown thing,” he said. “I didn’t do the whole transition from bullfighter or that I was a bull rider or a bronc rider. I’ve just wanted to be a clown my whole life.” He’s pretty good at it. He’s been nominated as PRCA Clown of the Year, and he’s been one of the featured entertainers for the PBR. He brings a fresh approach to his craft, carrying a longstanding tradition to the next level. “My comedy is definitely off the hip,” Merritt said. “I have gimmicks that I use, but typically what I’m saying and what I’m doing is off the cuff. “I tried telling jokes I found on the internet. They’re funny, and they have a punch line. I had a car act, and I had a dog that dug holes and did all these things. I realized that as soon as I started those acts that people would kind of turn me off because they had a phone in their hand, and they knew there was a joke coming. So, I just started shooting from the hip.” Fans love it, especially those that understand rodeo’s history in Pecos. “Matt was a huge hit last year,” said Anthony Lucia, the event’s emcee. “Matt is an untraditional clown, and he brings a whole different personality to a rodeo in a west Texas town. They are rodeo people, and Matt works his butt off to make sure they’re having fun. He comes up with new and different things. I’m so blessed, because he makes my job simple.” Their work together is anything but easy, though. Both men work hard at their crafts, and it shows in the product. When working the “World’s First Rodeo,” there’s more than history at stake; it’s an honor they understand. “It’s like getting to play at Yankee Stadium for baseball players who get called up to the Major Leagues,” Merritt said. “It’s just the coolest thing I get to do, and it definitely goes on my resume.” Events like the West of the Pecos Rodeo are about making memories, and that’s a big deal of his job. He hopes that young rodeo fans will recall years later something he did or said. There are bits and pieces of his own youth that pop up, and those are the things he considers when he jogs onto the dirt each night. “It’s like the kid that hits the home run, and he remembers the emotion of his dad clapping in the stands and stuff like that,” he said. “I’m going for that approach: Just leave a memory and give something they can remember.” Merritt hits the home run more often than not, and his place in the memories of rodeo fans won’t go away any time soon.

BIG SPRING, Texas – When Anthony Lucia rides into the Rodeo Bowl, his mind is transformed to life in west Texas nearly a century ago. He can feel the heat and the wind. Mostly, though, he can feel the presence of rodeo’s history, the place where Toots Mansfield shined and where Quail Dobbs played. There’s a comfort, one that far surpasses his three-plus decades on this Earth and is realized in the faces he sees in the crowd. He returns for the third year as the emcee of the Big Spring Cowboy Reunion and Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 20-Saturday, June 22, at the Rodeo Bowl, which was built in time for the 1950 event and has been upgraded in the years since. “No matter what side you go to, I can ride up to people and look them in their eyes and know that I’m in this with them,” said Lucia, the reigning PRCA Announcer of the Year from Weatherford, Texas. “It’s a very unique setting, and it’s just got that old-school, fun, summer-rodeo feel. Hopefully I can do it justice. “It’s a great rodeo, and that, coupled with the history, just makes it all very, very special.” The event is celebrating its 90th anniversary. While acknowledging its past, the rodeo is still vibrant. Organizers have continued to increase the local dollars that are added to the purse, which is attracting more contestants. “The Big Spring Cowboy Reunion and Rodeo has a flavor all its own,” Lucia said. “The audience is a really diverse mix of rodeo faithfuls – people who watch The Cowboy Channel every time something’s on – and people that have never seen a rodeo before. It’s really a little bit of a challenge as an announcer to find the right mix of education, entertainment and announcing. “To be honest, that makes it pretty dang fun.” His approach to job is what makes Lucia so valuable to the organizers, the sponsors and the fans. Lucia’s assignment is to provide the details of the rodeo and all its characteristics in an entertaining fashion. He comes by it naturally, having spent his formative years as either an assistant to a specialty act performer or as an entertainer himself. He is the son of Tommy Lucia, who has been inducted into the National Rodeo, ProRodeo and Texas Rodeo Cowboy halls of fame and gained mainstream success with his act involving Whiplash the Cowboy Monkey. Anthony Lucia became a trick roper who was part of several National Finals Rodeos; he also was a competitor. Though he didn’t grow up working the rodeo in Big Spring, he found his way to Howard County when the opportunities allowed. “I don’t remember if I went there with my dad, but I know I entered it every time I could,” he said. “I’ve competed in the slack and in the performance, and it was just always a ton of fun. It was always that arena that was a little challenging as a team roper; if anything steps left, that wall can be somewhat intimidating to your horse. It was still a lot of fun to be part of that rodeo.” What he does in the arena has changed as he’s aged. Lucia has a naturally smooth voice with an equally fluid style. His understanding of the sport from so many levels allows him a distinct advantage as an announcer. He can relate to the competitors and to the entertainers. “When we hired Anthony a few years ago, we took it very seriously,” said Dane Driver, chairman of the volunteer committee. “Anthony has a different sound on the mic. He brings engrained rodeo history, knowledge and understanding of personnel that are similar to a lot of our board members. We feel like he’s up and coming in his career, and his understanding of the legacy of rodeo is perfect for us.” It’s also the mark of a good committee to have someone with Lucia’s pedigree and the most recent Announcer of the Year award. “We’d like to think we helped with that,” Driver said with a laugh. “Anthony is very dynamic, and we’re glad to see other people see what we saw. We’re tickled for him and proud to have him part of our rodeo.”