Monthly Archives: December 2024

LAS VEGAS – Frontier Rodeo’s Full Baggage is a two-time Bareback Horse of the Year and is still bucking at the National Finals Rodeo at 22 years of age. Bradlee Miller is a year younger than the titan, but the two matched together like veterans for 88.5 points during Wednesday’s seventh round of the National  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – The pressure that builds during the National Finals Rodeo is like no other event in the sport. There’s an incredible purse, family cheering, friends cheering, fans with expectations. There’s also the dream of owning a Montana Silversmiths gold buckle, and for those in contention, that just adds to it all. Coleman Proctor  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Every cowboy who has ever competed has dreamed of being in a race for a world championship. J.D. Struxness is living it. He is third in the world standings with $222,105 after placing in Tuesday’s sixth round of the National Finals Rodeo and trails the leader, Will Lummus, by less than $16,000.  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Bradlee Miller barely cracked a smile. His head tilted toward the right, the pain resonating from his neck and shoulder was visible to everyone who saw him. His Monday night ride caused the issue, originally diagnosed as a burner, a pinched nerve in the neck. An MRI taken Tuesday was inconclusive, so  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – The 2024 ProRodeo Rookies of the Year were recognized during Tuesday’s sixth round of the National Finals Rodeo, and Weston Timberman’s smile shined inside the Thomas & Mack Center. He earned the bareback riding rookie title this season long before he arrived in town to compete at ProRodeo’s championship. On opening night,  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Anybody that’s been to this desert city understands that three days in Las Vegas can be really long. That’s been the case for team roping header Coleman Proctor. After placing in the opening two rounds, he and his partner, Logan Medlin, experienced a three-day drought of reaching the pay window at the  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – When things get rolling in this city, it goes fast. Take Tuesday’s sixth round of team roping at the National Finals Rodeo. Five of the 15 tandems posted runs of 3.8 seconds or faster, which is lightning quick, especially considering there are five elements involved: a header, a heeler, two horses and  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Over his five qualifications to the National Finals Rodeo, Wyatt Casper has developed a bit of a routine. He enjoys spending time with his family and also has NFR and sponsor appearances, where he signs autographs and meets with fans. It’s there that he gains a true understanding of what’s special about  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Through the first five nights of ProRodeo’s grand finale, first-year player Bradlee Miller has felt the ups and downs that come with riding bareback horses at an elite level. He’s won two go-rounds outright and placed in two others, but getting on consecutive bucking broncs can be tortuous, especially in his specific  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – J.C. Yeahquo is learning how to handle his business, and that’s an important part of ProRodeo. As a team roping header competing at his first National Finals Rodeo, he’s put on blinders and is staring straight ahead. He’s not affected by the pomp and circumstance of this major event or all that  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Call it good fortune or willing things to happen, but Wyatt Casper is still climbing the ladder that is the National Finals Rodeo. After failing to place on opening night, he has collected nearly $70,000 in Las Vegas money by placing four straight nights, most recently finishing in a tie for fifth  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – With tens of thousands of souls in this city for the National Finals Rodeo, Jess Pope runs into friends from time to time during his business venture. He was reacquainted with an old ally during Monday’s fifth go-round: Frontier Rodeo’s Gun Fire. It was the seventh meeting between the two titans, and  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Through the first half of the 10-day National Finals Rodeo, saddle bronc rider Brody Wells has placed three times and collected just shy of $90,000 in Sin City. He’s earned at least a share of two go-round wins, which offers the lion’s share of the nightly payout. He’s proven that he’s in  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – The third time was the charm for Jacob Lees. It may have taken until the fifth round of his second straight National Finals Rodeo to finally cash a check, but Lees did it in fine fashion, pocketing $30,155 for sharing Monday’s bareback riding title with his good friend, Dean Thompson. It was  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Dean Thompson had a feeling about Monday night at the National Finals Rodeo. Whether it was a premonition or just wishful thinking, he was sure he was going to win the fifth round at his second straight NFR. He didn’t do it outright, but he came close, sharing the title with his  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Before he even arrived in town to compete at his first National Finals Rodeo, Weston Timberman had already proven himself to the folks who know rodeo well. He’s won two straight intercollegiate national championships in bareback riding while competing at Clarendon (Texas) College, and at just 20 years of age, he’s excelled  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – The “eliminator pen” of broncs at the National Finals Rodeo are the most miserable, hardest-to-ride horses in ProRodeo. Most of the cowboys who get on their backs in a regular season hit the dirt, but those that ride them well are rewarded with high scores. Of the 15 horses in the mix  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – It may not have been the biggest payday of Cole Franks’ National Finals Rodeo run this week, but it may have been the biggest ride. He rode Bailey Pro Rodeo’s Little Bug for 85 points to finish in a three-way tie for sixth place in Sunday’s fourth round, pocketing $1,811. More importantly,  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Athletes watch game film to find the tendencies of their opponents. Bronc busters are using technology in a similar fashion. Take saddle bronc rider Wyatt Casper, who was matched with Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Stockyards Babe during Sunday’s “eliminator pen” round during the fourth night of the National Finals Rodeo. He checked  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Dean Thompson needed this. He was already having a solid run at his second National Finals Rodeo, but he was searching for bigger paydays. He got one after posting an 86.5-point ride on Shoutin Shoes of Sankey Pro Rodeo & Phenom Genetics. It moved him into a tie for second place in  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – The bright lights of the City of Entertainment can do some funny things for many who arrive in town for the National Finals Rodeo for the first time. Bareback rider Bradlee Miller seems unfazed. He’s placed in three of four go-rounds with two wins, the most recent coming Sunday night when he  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – J.D. Struxness understands the ups and downs that come with rodeo, especially during those magical 10 days of the National Finals Rodeo. When times are good, ride the wave. When times aren’t so good, figure out a way to pull yourself out of the hole. He’s riding the wave in Las Vegas  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Team ropers J.C. Yeahquo and Buddy Hawkins were the first tandem out of the timed-event box Sunday night at the National Finials Rodeo, and they set a standard that wasn’t beaten. It was tied, however, by three other teams. They stopped the clock in 4.1 seconds, and each of the eight men  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Team roping header J.C. Yeahquo is having the experience of a lifetime during his first qualification to the National Finals Rodeo. “It’s been great,” said Yeahquo, 24, originally from Manderee, North Dakota, raised in Crescent, Oklahoma, and now living in Stephenville, Texas. “I’ve been around great people. Everybody’s helped me fill in  Continue Reading »