Monthly Archives: November 2024

POWELL, Wyo. – While atypical for most rodeo cowboys, Brody Wells didn’t actually grow up competing in the sport. Make no bones about it: He was still a cowboy. Raised in the Bighorn Basin near Powell in the northern Wyoming, he grew up in the elements. He and his family hunted, and he spent countless  Continue Reading »

COLUMBUS, Mont. – Weston Timberman was a rodeo cowboy long before he ever realized it. With a dad and an uncle who rode bareback horses, Timberman spent his early childhood with them when times allowed. When the traveling road show that is rodeo passed by his place, cowboys made a pit stop. It was just  Continue Reading »

ALTAMONT, Utah – Dean Thompson’s fantastic year only got better as the calendar moved toward autumn. While riding bucking horses as a professional bareback rider, the young cowboy produced his best season yet, earning $172,197 through the year-long campaign. He will enter his second straight National Finals Rodeo as the No. 4 man in the  Continue Reading »

MERRIMAN, Neb. – On the northern end of the Nebraska Sandhills rest thousands of acres of rolling grasslands. It’s vast yet desolate, a perfect place for cattle and the ranchers that raise them. This is Garrett Shadbolt’s home. It’s why he’s a cowboy and why he’s raising a family, the things that are the most  Continue Reading »

HUNTSVILLE, Texas – It is sometimes hard to comprehend when dreams become reality. Growing up in a rodeo family, Bradlee Miller has fantasized about being one of the best cowboys in the world. To do that, the top hands in the game must first earn qualifications to the National Finals Rodeo, the sport’s grand championship  Continue Reading »

MANDAREE, N.D. – On a September day in 2008, J.C. Yeahquo realized what he was meant to do. “The first time I got to rope off a horse was on my eighth birthday,” said Yeahquo, 24, who is originally from Manderee, grew up in Crescent, Oklahoma, and now lives in Stephenville, Texas. “That was when  Continue Reading »

WAVERLY, Kan. – The edge is a tricky place to be. One step in the right direction can build confidence and sustain hope. One awkward step can spell disaster. Jess Pope was on that ledge most of the 2024 rodeo season. In fact, it wasn’t until the final few weeks of the ProRodeo campaign that  Continue Reading »

MILAN, Minn. – It’s been eight years since J.D. Struxness earned his first qualification to the National Finals Rodeo. From a 21-year-old college student to a family man and father of two little girls, a great deal has changed for the Minnesota cowboy who makes his living wrestling steers and chasing his rodeo dreams. “We’ve  Continue Reading »

PRYOR, Okla – When Coleman Proctor qualified for the National Finals Rodeo for the first time a decade ago, he was on Cloud 9, an exhilarating feeling he’d only dreamed about. So many things have changed over time, but there’s something familiar for the Pryor team roping header as he prepares for his ninth trip  Continue Reading »

STEVENSVILLE, Mont. – Richmond Champion’s sigh of relief could be heard down the Bitterroot Valley. After a year of rodeo and countless battles with bucking horses that outweigh him by hundreds of pounds, the bareback rider held his breath as the regular season came to a close. He knows only the top 15 men on  Continue Reading »

CALDWELL, Idaho – As he has matured, Jacob Lees has learned what it takes to excel as a professional bareback rider. “I feel like I’m really consistent, and I know how to handle a lot of different horses now,” said Lees, 28, originally from Caldwell but now living in Boyd, Texas, with his wife of  Continue Reading »

ESTHERWOOD, La. – Taylor Broussard burst onto the ProRodeo scene a decade ago and was quickly identified as a rising star. He proved it in 2019 with his first qualification to the National Finals Rodeo, the sport’s grand finale that takes place over 10 December nights. He finished the campaign 15th in the world standings  Continue Reading »

MIAMI, Texas – Wyatt Casper is a businessman who has no problem with the hard work it takes to succeed. He toils in a profession that requires dedication, time-commitment and travel. He’s pretty good at it. The business? Rodeo. His occupation? Saddle bronc rider. Why does he do it? To best care for his family,  Continue Reading »

CLARENDON, Texas – At just 23 years of age, Cole Franks has accomplished a great deal in the world of rodeo. Three seasons ago, he won the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association’s bareback riding and all-around championships while helping Clarendon College to the men’s team national title. He then became the Resistol Bareback Riding Rookie of  Continue Reading »

ALVA, Okla. – Home may be where the heart is, but it’s often the most difficult place to play. The Northwestern Oklahoma State University rodeo teams hosted the Central Plains Region teams this past weekend at the Alva Dome, and while there was some rough-sledding, there were a handful of Rangers who found success. “That  Continue Reading »