Monthly Archives: May 2025

PECOS, Texas – This west Texas community of nearly 15,000 folks is about to experience a population explosion. The reason is the West of the Pecos Rodeo, the World’s First Rodeo and home of some of the greatest competition in Western sports. The history tells a brilliant tale, but the future might be even brighter, thanks to the hard work and dedication of the volunteers that produce the annual event. “Because of our great partners, we were able to increase our ‘added money’ starting this year,” rodeo committee chairman Clay Ryon McKinney said of the local dollars that will be mixed with contestants’ entry fees to make up the overall purse. “We had a lot of people who stepped up to make this happen, and we think it’s going to just help make our rodeo even better.” That’s why the community is ready to host an influx of cowboys and cowgirls into Reeves County for this year’s rodeo, set for 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 25-Saturday, June 28, at Buck Jackson Arena in Pecos. Contestants are always seeking incentives, and the folks in Pecos have rolled out a doozy. The local dollars added in the mix have almost doubled, from $97,200 a year ago to $180,000 in 2025. “That’s a hell of a good incentive to go to Pecos,” said Jake Finlay, a saddle bronc rider from Goodiwindi, Queensland, Australia, who shared the title a season ago with Montanan Sage Newman. “It seems like the money’s starting to match the level of stock. We’ve still gone to Pecos because of those good horses, but increasing the added money is definitely going to help a lot.” Finlay was a college champion at Oklahoma Panhandle State University and has won the national circuit title, too. Now living in Canyon, Texas, with his wife, Janie, and their newborn daughter, he’s eager to earn his first qualification to the National Finals Rodeo. He’s been close on several occasions over his career, finishing among the top 25 three times, but he’s never quite earned a shot over the hump. He finished 21st a year ago, just six spots out of making that magical trip to Las Vegas in December. “Winning Pecos last year was incredibly important,” said Finlay, 30. “Making a good ride on a good horse like that before we get right into the deep of the rodeo season gave me a hell of a lot of confidence going into the rest of the season.” Steer wrestler Tucker Allen utilized his 2025 victory in Pecos to catapult him to his first NFR. He also won the Reno (Nevada) Rodeo title the same week, which helped him build momentum to earn a spot in ProRodeo’s grand championship. He finished 11th in the world standings with $185,000, with nearly half coming during his 10-day run in Las Vegas. “Winning Pecos was pretty damn cool,” said Allen, 25, of Ventura, California. “That’s one of the rodeos you always want to win. It’s like a Cheyenne (Wyoming) or Salinas (California) or Pendleton (Oregon). It’s especially cool not being from there, but I’ve always heard about it. It’s a cool buckle to have.” He left Reeves County with almost $4,300 in his account, but he’ll have an opportunity to double that total if he were to have the same kind of fortune in Pecos this year. While there’s a lot going on that week with big-paying rodeos spread out – it’s almost 1,400 miles from Pecos to Reno – the purse increase just adds more reasons why cowboys and cowgirls must make their way to west Texas. “It’s especially important with Pecos being a tour rodeo,” Allen said. “With the way the tour system is set up now, we almost have to go. I’m glad to hear they upped their money, because that’s even more incentive for us to go. That’s a rodeo you’ve got to work. “I know it’s a hard time of the year, but that’s one of the rodeos you should be going to.”

BIG SPRING, Texas – That’s not makeup on the faces of Clay Heger and Noah Krepps. It’s greasepaint, a longstanding tradition for rodeo clowns and bullfighters who work at such places as the Big Spring Cowboy Reunion and Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 19-Saturday, June 21, at the Surge Energy Rodeo Bowl. Krepps and Heger are bullfighters, the men who stand in the face of danger to keep everyone as safe as possible during bull riding. They’re matadors without capes, using their athleticism to divert the bulls’ attention from fallen cowboys and others in the arena. They’re pretty good at it, too. “I absolutely love fighting bulls,” said Heger, 37, originally from Hells Canyon, Washington, but now living in Stephenville, Texas. Heger has been with Big Spring’s rodeo for more than a decade as part of the Pete Carr Pro Rodeo team. His is an important job, one that entails a variety of tasks. In addition to saving lives in the arena, he and Krepps work closely with other Carr staff members to ensure the care of the animals while also preparing for each performance. “We take care of animal welfare right at the beginning of the day,” Heger said. “The animals eat before we do, because without them, we can’t do what we like to do in rodeo. Animals always come first, then we’re doing what we need to do to get them ready. Whatever else we need to do on either end of the arena, we’re going to do to make the rodeo work.” That’s life on the rodeo trail, something both men enjoy. Their passion involves bullfighting, but they also love the game. “It’s definitely passion,” said Krepps, 36, originally from Jasper, Arkansas, now living in Montgomery, Alabama. “Once I got a little taste of it, it became part of me, and I can’t get it out.” He’s perfectly fine with that, and that’s why he’s excited to return to Big Spring for the community’s marquee event. He arrived in Howard County for the first time a year ago and found something special in it. For one, there’s grand history with the rodeo, which is celebrating its 91st year. The event also takes place in the rodeo bowl, which was built 75 years ago. He has the opportunity to share the dirt with some of the greatest to have ever been part of the sport. “I’ve never seen an arena like that,” he said. “Everybody’d talked about it, but until then, I’ve never seen one built into the ground like that. I loved every bit of it.” Heger and Krepps work in unison to do their jobs as bullfighters. They position themselves in ways that not only helps the fallen bull rider but can also expedite how they can draw the animal out of a bad situation. If need be, they will take the hits that might be meant for others, but their biggest maneuvers come from their years of reading animals and understanding how to keep everyone out of harm’s way. For Heger, he’s spent a lifetime doing this. Whether he’s feeding the animals or watching broncs buck or staring a snorting bull in the eyes, his experiences have served him well. “My dad was a rodeo clown, and I was going to rodeos fresh out of the hospital after being born,” he said. “My brother was a bullfighter, and he let me tag along when he was trying to start fighting bulls, then I got the bug for it, and it took off.” Colt Heger is 17 months older than his little brother, but he was the guiding force. Over his years of battling bovines, Clay Heger has proven himself among the elite. He’s been nominated for PRCA Bullfighter of the Year and has been an integral part of many big-time rodeos. He moved to Texas as a teenager to attend Odessa College and started fighting bulls at intercollegiate rodeos in this part of the country. Returning is a lot like a family reunion. “The committee in Big Spring is just able to adapt to any situation out there,” Heger said. “They’re building a community around that rodeo. It’s a community effort that comes out, and they work year round for it.” Even with just one year under his belt, Krepps has witnessed the same thing. “There’s a lot of appreciation for that rodeo,” he said. “Between the rodeo committee and the community that comes to the rodeo, you can just tell that everybody is really invested and involved with what’s going on. They want it to be good for everybody.”

GUNNISON, Colo. – Bucking horses run in the blood of the Hayes family from Hayden, a community of 1,900 in northwest Colorado. Kaitlynn Hayes was just 9 years old when she got the idea for her business, which now operates as Rocky Mountain Mini Broncs & Bulls/KH Bucking horses. She’s a producer and has been such most of her life. Now, 16 years after she started, she’s created a brand that not only showcases smaller bucking animals but also helps develop young cowboys and cowgirls through a passion they all share. In fact, starting young people out in such a way has already proven to be successful. Her brother, Keenan, is just 22 but already has set records in ProRodeo. Three seasons ago, he collected more than $108,000 en route to setting a new earnings mark for permit-holders, those still on a test drive for the PRCA. A year later, he became the first PRCA rookie to win a bareback riding world championship, finishing the season with single-season earnings mark of $435,050. He returned to the sport’s grand finale again last year, finishing the campaign third in the world standings. The future generation of bucking horse and bucking bull riders is on its way to Gunnison for the Mini Broncs & Mutton Bustin’ set for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 3, at the Fred Field Western Center in Gunnison. This event is a week prior to the Cattlemen’s Days PRCA Rodeo, set for Thursday, July 11-Saturday, July 13. “Karla Rundell and I have become personal friends, and we were talking one day about mini broncs,” Kaitlynn Hayes said. “She told me they used to do them in Gunnison a long time ago, and I thought, “We should bring them back.’ I also thought it would be great if we could do something with the Golden Circle of Champions.” It’s the perfect fit: Mini broncs celebrating the accomplishments of athletic youngsters while also joining with Cattlemen’s Days’ beneficiary. Golden Circle of Champions helps raise awareness and funds for pediatric cancer. In addition to the evening’s festivities, the youngsters in competition will also be on hand during a special clinic for youth that begins at 10 a.m. that day. “I work in health care and have since I was 16 years old,” Hayes said. “I love being able to help people on that side, especially when they are very vulnerable and not really having the best time of their life. I love being able to help them and, at the same time, put a smile on their face and give them something to look forward to while being a friend to them. “The clinic will a peer mentorship, where these kids who ride mini broncs and bulls can talk to the kids who’ve been fighting pediatric cancer and other children and tell them why they do this.” The mini bronc and bulls contestants will come from across the country and showcase their talents on mini bulls and ponies. It’s a great chance to see what rodeo’s future looks like at its most genuine level, where the love of the game can be seen through the smiles of young people.  “I do this for the love I have for bucking horses and children,” she said. ”I love the fact that I get to help make a difference in kids’ lives,” she said. That’s the mindset that helps heal minds, bodies and souls while also creating champions.

BIG SPRING, Texas – The greatest athletes stand on their own talents and how they battle through competition. Historical figures like Babe Ruth, Wilt Chamberlain and Roger Staubach have stood the test of time. Their exploits in their arenas of work are parts of lore, along with the championship resumes they built. Rodeo has its own, but it’s more than the names of Roy Cooper, Ote Berry or Lary Mahan. As a sport based on the Old West, champions also come in animal form, like the great bronc Descent or Bodacious, the bull with a bad reputation. Fans who want to be part of the action that is rodeo also hope to see the electricity that comes from amazing animals and the cowboys that ride them. That’s what many will expect from the Big Spring Cowboy Reunion and Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 19-Saturday, June 21, at the Surge Energy Rodeo Bowl. “One of the great things about our rodeo is our stock contractor,” rodeo committee chairman Cash Berry said of Dallas-based Pete Carr Pro Rodeo. “He’s got some of the best bucking stock in rodeo, and a lot of those animals will be here and be part of our rodeo. “We pay attention to rodeo all over, and if you look at some of the big rodeos that have already happened this year, they’re winning on Pete’s animals. That makes it exciting for us and gives us an idea of what we’re going to see in Big Spring.” Just recently at Kid Rock’s Rock N Rodeo, Texan Rocker Steiner won bareback riding after posting a 90-point ride on Carr’s Worth The Whiskey, a bronc that has received high scores all season. Sage Allen was 89.5 points at San Angelo in April, while Cole Franks was 87.5 points in San Antonio earlier this year. “Pete makes sure to bring the kind of animals that will be a great fit for our rodeo,” said Berry, the fourth generation of his family to be involved in the hometown event. “Everyone wants to see the big rides and big scores, and we’re going to get that. “We see a lot of National Finals Rodeo qualifiers come to our rodeo. Part of that is because we’ve increased our (purse), but another part of that is because Pete brings the horses, bulls and timed-event cattle that makes our rodeo better. Cowboys just want a chance to win, and Pete does a good job of giving everyone who enters our rodeo a shot.” That’s a staple for a quality stock contractor, and the Carr name has been synonymous with that for two decades. He is a 15-time nominee for PRCA Stock Contractor of the Year, a two-time winner of the WPRA Stock Contractor of the Year and has had hundreds of animals selected to perform at the NFR, the sport’s grand finale. In addition, Carr has been inducted into the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame and was named the 2024 Resistol Man of the Year. Add that to the list of great champions that carry the Carr brand, and there’s a lot that goes into making the Big Spring rodeo a success. “We are a historic rodeo, and we pride ourselves in making sure we put on a great event for our fans and for the contestants alike,” said Zach Herrin, a member of the volunteer organization that presents the event. “We trust what Pete and his crew do when they get to town, because we know that’s going to help us be the best rodeo we can be.” A key ingredient in that is working closely with announcer Anthony Lucia, sound director Josh Hilton, the entertainers – rodeo clown Justin Rumford and trick riders Summer & Co. Fearless Equine Stunts trio – and the Carr team to ensure the competition and production are equally as great as they can be.   “We work hard all year to make sure everything comes together for the community,” Berry said. “Once it’s time for the rodeo, we rely on the professionals we bring in to put on the show that has everybody talking about our rodeo for another year.”

Cattlemen’s Days honoring its 125th consecutive celebration GUNNISON, Colo. – For folks in the Gunnison Valley, the word “continuous” is as important as that first cup of coffee in the morning. This is home to the longest-running continuous rodeo in Colorado and one of the oldest events of its kind in the United States. This year marks the 125th consecutive Cattlemen’s Days rodeo, and that sentiment brings such great pride to the people in this community since they’ve fought to make it happen. Cattlemen’s Days began in 1901 as a way for those in the valley to gather and celebrate their Western way of life. The dates were chosen to conduct the event just before the busy haying season. It has continued through two world wars, several other international conflicts and two pandemics. When COVID threatened the rodeo’s cancelation five years ago, community members bonded together. It occurred because a select few realized the rodeo’s impact to the folks in the valley The show must go on, they said. Nothing had stopped Cattlemen’s Days before, and they weren’t about to let it happen in 2020. Local businessman Kevin Coblentz, who had already served as president of the volunteer-based organization two years, stepped in for another and led the charge to ensure the streak continued. He had help from several others and a proud group of residents who found the dollars to make sure there was a rodeo. “Kevin and Brad Tutor were a huge part of that,” said Roger Johnson, a longtime Cattlemen’s Days committee member and a past president. “There were others on the committee that put in their two cents worth and fought to have that.” That’s why the community will celebrate another milestone 125 years after the celebration began with a rodeo on Main Street. This year’s Cattlemen’s Days will take place Thursday, July 11-Saturday, July 13, at Fred Field Western Center in Gunnison, and there’s no better way to honor the event than to look at its legacy. Johnson is a bit of a historian for Cattlemen’s Days. He was president in 2000 during the festival’s centennial celebration and helped organize a video commemorating it. He’d done his research and continues to expound upon the growth and development of Gunnison’s marquee event. “Like everything else, it got started in the late 1800s but wasn’t officially recognized as an organized rodeo until the 1900s,” he said. “The first ones were held just across from my house on the highway here where the railroad tracks split. It featured all sorts of things, but mainly it was bronc riding and horse racing. Those two events stayed for the longest time until horse racing ended a few years ago. “But the rodeo has been continuous even through world wars and the Korean War and the Vietnam War and everything else. We’ve always had a rodeo every year.” Cattlemen’s Days started on the dirt streets downtown. Folks from all over made their way to town, whether by horse and buggy or horseback or any way they could make the trek. Livestock for the rodeo was driven into town from Mergelman Flats, similar to the cattle drives that paved the way for westward expansion of the United States. “That was the only time that herd ever saw a human, so you can just imagine what that was like,” Johnson said. There was a shindig in town, and it may be the only time some families and ranch hands would see friends annually. From 1913-’28, the rodeo and races took place at the Colorado Normal School, now Western Colorado University. It returned to downtown for a few years before the Cattlemen’s Days committee was established in the mid-1930s. The western center that houses the annual gala was created in 1938 and has served as the home of Cattlemen’s Days since. “We’ve had the college’s economics department do our studies for us, and Cattlemen’s Days is still the largest moneymaker of the year for the community,” Jonson said. “They’re saying tourism is taking over as the main staple for Gunnison, but a lot of tourism comes in July when we have Cattlemen’s Days. I still think it’s an extremely important part of the Gunnison community.” The economic impact to the town is important, but there are bigger things at play. This is the community’s jubilee, its county fair. It’s the time of year for class reunions and family gatherings. Children work all year on their 4H projects to have them ready for Cattlemen’s Days. It’s the perfect setting for longtime friends to honor one another and to showcase their pride in Gunnison. “Everything still centers off the rodeo,” Johnson said. “If you didn’t have the rodeo, none of the other things would have taken place in the style they do now.” Johnson served on the committee for about 20 years but continued to volunteer his efforts, working on the timed-event crew until a couple years ago. He’s offered his post to the younger generation, opening opportunities for others to learn the importance of Cattlemen’s Days and what it means to serve the community. Since joining the committee 29 years ago to his status today, Johnson has seen the development of the town’s rodeo. He’s witnessed the growth of the sport from his younger days as a rodeo cowboy originally from Minnesota to the professional athletes competing for more prize money than ever. He’s seen his hometown rodeo go from a small event to one of the top events of its size in the country. Gunnison’s rodeo has an incredible history that has outlived generations of community servants and continues to thrive. It’s foundation was laid on the dirt-and-gravel streets along Main Street and has been built into a magnificent showcase of athletic talent and a community’s fortitude to continue that legacy. Cattlemen’s Days remains a staple in Gunnison, and it’s the perfect reflection of everything that’s right in this picturesque Rocky Mountain community.

BIG SPRING, Texas – There are certain things about west Texas that will likely always be part of its lore. The climate is dry, the terrain rugged. It takes a resilient soul to toil in it. It’s where the West was initially developed, the former Mexican Territory. From here, settlers expanded beyond and found their way to the shores of the Pacific. Those that stayed understood the challenges and the benefits before them. They knew the importance of being hospitable, being there for neighbors and friends while caring for one another. Friends were like family, even if there were miles and time between visits. That mindset helped develop events like the Big Spring Cowboy Reunion and Rodeo, now celebrating its 91st year. The tradition continues with this year’s rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 19-Saturday, June 21, at the Surge Energy Rodeo Bowl. Like the generations before them, organizers have placed a premium on being great hosts to their visitors. In this case, it will be the hundreds of contestants who make their way to Howard County for the three-day event. “I think hospitality is very important, but it’s still a little new to us to some degree,” said Scot Herrin, the rodeo committee’s secretary and the man who leads the charge for the hospitality area. “This will be our fourth year doing it, and I think we get better and better every year. The feedback we’re getting is awesome.” The redirection to creating a specific center came about while Herrin was working in the arena. He’d visit with contestants, who were asking if the rodeo committee offered hospitality, a place where contestants and personnel could congregate for a meal and fellowship. That sparked the idea to create the program.  “I always wanted to have it, and when we started it, we reached out to some businesspeople in the area to see if they would donate their time and expense cooking for our hospitality area,” Herrin said. “They jumped in. Not only have they done it, but they’ve done a good job. The fellowship they have with the contestants as they come through is priceless, too. They just love what they’re doing.” Local businesses have stepped up in a big way to support the rodeo and the people that make it happen. The hospitality area for Thursday night’s performance will be presented by H&P Energy Services, while the Friday morning slack will be served by Iron Equipment Rentals. On Friday night, Endurance Lift Solutions will support the hospitality area, while R.C. Specialties will handle the load Saturday. “Those businesses donate their time, donate their food, and it’s always something really, really good,” Herrin said. “It’s not just sandwiches. We try to start a couple of hours before the (performances), and we’ll really go after the performances. The bull riders are the last event, so they’ll come in and enjoy a meal. I sat down with (bull rider) Dustin Boquet last year while he was eating. It wasn’t his best night, but he was enjoying the food and said, ‘You bet, I’ll be back.’ “I think having a good hospitality makes a difference.” That type of dedication has been noticed. Contestants travel great distances in order to compete. A five-hour drive from Big Spring to El Paso is nothing the men and women who rope and ride for a living. Howard County is also an easy stop for a shot at big cash as contestants from across the Lone Star State make their way to outposts like Reno, Nevada, which begins the same day but continues for another week after Big Spring’s rodeo concludes. Being able to enjoy a home-cooked meal served by smiling faces is always nice, especially for cowgirls and cowboys who stare at highway pavement most of the time and compete for a spare few seconds when it’s time to make a ride or a run. Many contestants also love the history that comes with competing inside the rodeo bowl, which was built 75 years ago. “It’s a very neat setting,” said steer wrestler Gary Gilbert, a South Dakota cowboy who attended West Texas A&M in Canyon before settling in Paradise, Texas. “Big Spring has a great rodeo committee, and they have great hospitality. “I haven’t really used it a lot, but it’s nice to know they have breakfast for slack or still have dinner after the performance. I’m one of those guys that doesn’t like to eat before I bulldog, so it’s nice to get something after a performance at places like that where it’s still available. It sure makes it nice when we’re getting ready to head out again.” Volunteers are pulling out all the stops. Shuttles are available to help contestants maneuver between their homes away from home – elaborate rigs outfitted with horse trailers that feature living quarters – to handle business and grab a bite to eat. “We’ve just got good members of the committee,” Herrin said. “They saw a need, and it takes a little while to get from the contestant parking to the secretary’s office. Some of the members had buggies and realized they could give you a ride. That went over really well. “This year we’re going to try to have even more buggies and try to be more hospitable.” Just like their predecessors did nearly a century ago, organizers of the Big Spring Cowboy Reunion and Rodeo are always looking for ways to make the event better while being perfect hosts to the visitors that are so vital to the community.

BIG SPRING, Texas – Emmie and Jinsen Boyd do things about which most adults wouldn’t dream. Emmie is 9, older than Jinsen by two years, and they perform before large crowds at a young age. In the arena with their mom, Summer, the Boyds are prolific horsewomen who showcase their talents and enthrall audiences across North America as trick riders as Summer & Co. Fearless Equine Stunts team. The trio returns to the Big Spring Cowboy Reunion and Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 19-Saturday, June 21, at the Surge Energy Rodeo Bowl. “Doing this together as a family is every bit as wonderful as it seems like it would be,” Summer Boyd said. “I don’t think I would be doing it if not for them also being interested in doing it with me. It makes all the difference in the world, and it’s fun to do it with them.” The Boyds were a big hit last June when they performed in front of the energized crowd inside the historic rodeo bowl. That makes their adventure back to Howard County even more invigorating for the family. They will be joined by returning funnyman Justin Rumford, a 10-time winner of the PRCA Clown of the Year who has been recognized as one of the elite entertainers in ProRodeo. “The whole experience last year was great,” Boyd said. “It was a great crowd, a great committee and a great community. We just love being in Big Spring. In fact, my oldest said, ‘I think this may be one of my favorite rodeos just because of all those reasons.’ “We really just enjoyed that community.” The rodeo bowl features a unique setting, where the crowd is virtually on top of the action. It makes for a great experience for fans, who are there to see a high-caliber performance from the athletes and the entertainers. That atmosphere, though, is just as incredible to folks like the Boyds, who work about 20 rodeos a year. “I think we adapt to a variety of arenas we work in,” she said. “I think it’s a really important quality to build and adapt to who you’re catering to, who you’re with and what you’re around. I feel like adaptability and being easy to work with are two really important things in what we do. I also love a rodeo committee that is willing to grow. “They want to make it a better rodeo. Some places we go, the committee might be more close-minded because that’s the way things have always been done. The committee in Big Spring had some big ideas and good ideas and are willing to learn from others around them.” Being flexible also allows Boyd and her family to develop the right kind of show. There’s something special about seeing young girls do incredible tricks while horseback. “I try to match the girls with the horses based on speed and what that girl is doing at the time,” Boyd said. “My 7-year-old doesn’t need a horse with as much speed as the 9-year-old does. Emmie is Roman riding this year, so she has two little black ponies for that. She used to trick ride on one of them. She outgrew the pony she was using last year, so she passed it on to my youngest. “We have a pretty good assortment, but the thing I found is keeping all three of us in horses is like slave labor. It’s as much work as trick riding, probably more. I’m always working on a new horse to see who is going to end up fitting and where we can slide it in.” It’s a labor of love, and the proof is in the smiles of each of their faces as they perform their stunts and skills. The trio works to perfect each maneuver and each opportunity to work closely with their horses. Being from Lovington, New Mexico, they have a good understanding of what they’re going to experience in mid-June in Big Spring. “We’re somewhat acclimated to the heat, because my oldest makes us practice no matter what the weather’s like,” Boyd said with a laugh. “It’s never too hot or never too cold for us, because the chances are she’s already made us practice in that weather.” Come snow or heat or dark of night, the Boyds will be ready for what the fans in Howard County want to see when it comes to rodeo week.

GUNNISON, Colo. – Even before he could walk, Michael Albers was making his mark on medical history. “He was the first baby in the world they were able to expand T cells, and he opened the portal for all the other children fighting leukemia,” said his mother, Shelley Albers, who pointed out that Michael’s T cells had been sent to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia by his oncologist, Dr. Maureen O’Brien, now at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. It has led to CAR T cell therapy, a new approach to cancer treatment in which the Philadelphia hospital uses the bodies’ own immune cells, which fight infection, to kill off cancer cells. “Now, there is a huge tower of research at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to this research specifically,” Shelley Albers said. In a 2013 clinical trial, Michael received the immunotherapy blinatumomab, which had been sent to the United States from Munich. After the treatment’s success, he underwent a bone-marrow transplant that was provided by a mother that had donated the blood from her umbilical cord. Blinatumomab was then picked up by Merck, a pharmaceutical company, in December 2014. “It is now the frontline treatment for leukemia in children, and this research has spun off in a lot of different directions for all people,” Shelley Albers said, noting her son was just a few weeks shy of his first birthday when he was undergoing those treatments. Michael’s story is one of the reasons why the volunteers who organize the annual Cattlemen’s Days celebration are so intent on helping with the fight against pediatric cancer. It’s why the group has teamed with the Golden Circle of Champions, a cause that was conceived to raise awareness and provide funds to help local children battling cancer. Cattlemen’s Days is focusing its attention on raising funds and awareness for such diseases through its association with the Golden Circle of Champions. It will be the focus the annual event, set for Thursday, July 11-Saturday, July 13, at Fred Field Western Center in Gunnison. In fact, the opening performance of the rodeo will be Gold Night in recognition of the cause. “Our giving focus is on the Golden Circle of Champions, because we want to put our attention on these kids and help fight childhood cancer,” said Karla Rundell, second vice president of the Cattlemen’s Days committee. “We want everyone wearing gold during the first night of the rodeo and honor any family that has their lives affected by pediatric cancer.” Michael was just an infant when he was undergoing treatment. His T-cell expansion opened the door for more research, which helped develop more procedures to help others – children and adults alike – in their battles with cancer. “This is bigger than us,” Shelley Albers said, adding that her son has been cured for more than seven years. “Dr. O’Brien has been spearheading this, and they’re saving life by life by life on the front range. That’s why I advocate hard, and I advocate like a soldier and a warrior for her and this cause and for these kids to bring awareness.” Shelley Albers and her son were part of the Cattlemen’s Days contingent to the Golden Circle of Champions banquet this past December during the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. Michael was one of 20 children honored during the event, which also featured NFR contestants and other personnel who wanted to be part of the cause. Michael was teamed with steer wrestler Ty Erickson, the 2019 world champion and a nine-time NFR qualifier; tie-down roper Cole Clemons; bullfighter Dusty Tuckness; and clown John Harrison, who has been a featured entertainer at Cattlemen’s Days multiple times. During their red-carpet introduction, Erickson and Clemons showed their own personalities by doing the worm, which not only invigorated the crowd but also enthralled their young counterpart. “It was cool and really fun,” said Michael, who also took in other fun aspects of his trip to Las Vegas. “We went to the M&M store and the Coca-Cola factory, and it was fun going down the red carpet and all that.” At 11, he didn’t really understand the enormity of ProRodeo’s grand finale. Michael is more in tune with his YouTube channels – Albers7 and Icon Slurp – than keeping tabs on the men and women who earn the right to perform in the Nevada desert each year. It didn’t take long before he realized their status in rodeo. He and his mom went to one of the 10 rounds at the Thomas & Mack Center, where Michael held up signs and was recognized on the in-house big screens. “It wasn’t like in your fantasy movie where you think, ‘I would really like to meet this guy,’ ” he said. “But then when you’re there in person, you’re like, ‘Oh, yeah, I know him. He’s my friend.’ ” It’s experiences like those that help drive the cause for Golden Circle of Champions. Contestants wore gold during the Dec. 8 performance of the NFR as a sign of support. “Michael loved the actual rodeo and holding up the cowboy signs,” Shelley Albers said. “Once he developed that personal connection to them and he saw them out in the arena, he had signs we held up for Ty and Cole, and we rooted for them. When the camera pointed to them, he loved that. He thought it was the coolest thing in the world to have that connection.” That bond was created during a special day in Las Vegas. Golden Circle of Champions provided Western outfits for the children, and Michael suited up with a signed cowboy hat, jeans and a nice shirt emblazoned with sponsors’ insignias. Gunnison committeeman Kevin Coblentz even let Michael borrow a Western buckle to tie the outfit together. It’s the perfect accessory for Cattlemen’s Days, which celebrates the ranching and agriculture foundation of the Gunnison Valley. The committee is taking advantage of this “Golden Opportunity” to help raise awareness and funds for Golden Circle of  Continue Reading »

Casper claims first Pioneer Days title, while Pope earns his 3rd GUYMON, Okla. – There was a time a few years ago that Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo featured short-round Sunday. There was a touch of reflection during the final performance of this year’s event, with five of the 10 champions crowned Sunday afternoon. It’s a reminder of why this event was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame 10 years ago. Just as it was when Robert, Dan and Billy Etbauer and their friend, Craig Latham, were dominating bronc riding, the forces came together in 2025 to create a showcase in the Oklahoma Panhandle. Saddle bronc rider Wyatt Casper – fresh off his National Finals Rodeo average championship in 2024 – won Guymon for the first time in his career, while bareback rider Jess Pope took the crown for the third time in four years. “I knew I had a pretty good chance to win this year,” said Casper, who was raised just 40 minutes from Henry C. Hitch Pioneer Arena in the tiny hamlet of Balko, Oklahoma. Casper rode Vold Rodeo’s Gossip Girl for 88.5 points to and collect his first Pioneer Days Rodeo trophy belt, a unique prize in ProRodeo. He also snagged $3,920 “Gossip Girl has been good, and the guys have been high scores on her all last year and the year before,” said Casper, 28, of Miami, Texas, 110 miles south of Guymon in the Texas Panhandle. “I was coming up here pretty confident that we had a pretty good horse.”  Pope was in the same boat. He first won Guymon in 2022 when he rode Frontier Rodeo’s Gun Fire for 91 points. He shared the championship a year ago with Dean Thompson, the reigning world champion; Thompson was 90 on Gun Fire, and Pope matched that score on Frontier’s Breaking News. The good news for the 2022 titlist and five-time NFR qualifier was that he was being matched with electric black horse again. When the dust settled Sunday afternoon, it was valued at 90.5 points and $3,514. “She’s just a unique animal,” Pope said. “Before Breaking News came around, I don’t think there was any other animals that were as unique as (C5 Rodeo’s) Virgil and Gun Fire. I’ve been fortunate enough to get on both of those horses. I’ve been on Gun Fire like six times, and I’ve been on Breaking News three times now. “Every time she jumps in the air, there’s so much electricity coming through your feet that you have to hustle the whole time, but at the same time, it feels just like what a bareback horse is supposed to feel like. She’s just a super special animal.” Pope isn’t too bad himself. He’s a three-time NFR average champion who won that prestigious title 2020-’22. “I believe that I’m one of the best bareback riders that’s ever been in the sport, and I carry myself to that standard,” he said. “I make myself have to try to be that good, but me believing that I’m that good forces me to go out and perform like that. If I don’t, I’m very mad at myself, and so it just makes me want to do it even more.” That’s what it takes to be an elite athlete, especially in rodeo. Casper has been in that capacity for several years. Like Pope, he’s been to the NFR every year since 2020. Last year, he earned $439,332 and finished third in the world standings. He’s 11th on the money list with nearly $53,000 in 2025 earnings but should move up a bit with his win on his home turf. “That feels good to finally get the win here,” Casper said. “I’ve placed second here before and maybe a couple of top 10s, but it’s great to get the win.” The Oklahoma Panhandle has been home to champions for decades, and that continued this year. Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days RodeoMay 2-4All-around cowboy: Coleman Proctor, $6,375 in team roping and steer roping. Bareback riding leaders: 1. Jess Pope, 90.5 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Breaking News, $3,514; 2. Cole Franks and Garrett Shadbolt, 88, $2,342; 4. (tie) Kashton Ford and Sam Petersen, 87, $1,054; 6. Bradlee Miller, 86.5, $586; 7. Clay Jorgenson, 86, $468; 8. Mason Stuller, 85, $351. Team roping: First round: 1. Chet Weitz/Bryce Graves, 7.2 seconds, $2,484; 2. Laramie Allen/Kelby Frizell, 7.5, $2,160; 3. Tanner Green/Josh Patton, 7.7, $R1,836; 4. Zane Thompson/Chad Mathes, 8.1, $1,512; 5. Bubba Buckaloo/Joseph Harrison, 8.7, $1,188; 6. (tie) Nick Sartain/Garrett Gorman and Carson Coffelt/Shane Jenkins, 9.0, $702 each; 8. Cameron Ritchey/Jesse Jolly, 9.1, $216. Second round: 1. Bubba Buckaloo/Joseph Harrison, 7.1 seconds, $2,484; 2. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 7.2, $2,160; 3. Corben Culley/Trent Vaught, 7.3, $1,836; 4. Laramie Allen/Kelby Frizell, 7.5, $1,512; 5. Britton Grinstead/Scott Daily and Wyatt Bray/Paden Bray, 7,7, $1,026 each; 8. Jake Clay/Tanner Braden, 8.2, $216 each. Third round leaders: 1. Dalton Turner/Clay Clayman, 6.1 seconds, $2,484; 2. Chet Weitz/Bryce Graves, 6.6$2,160; 3. Korbin Rice/Cooper Freeman, 6.7, $1,836; 4. Jack Fischer/Cole Cooper, 7.2, $1,512; 5. Brandon Farris/Braden Harmon, 7.6, $1,188; 6. Bubba Buckaloo/Joseph Harrison, 7.7, $864; ; 5. Jake Clay/Tanner Braden, 7.9, 540; 6. (tie) Curry Kirchner/Tyler McKnight and Jeff Flenniken/Buddy Hawkins, 8.9, $108 each. Average leaders: 1. Bubba Buckaloo/Joseph Harrison, 23.5 seconds on two runs, $3,726; 2. Jack Fischer/Cole Cooper, 25.3, $3,240; 3. Curry Kirchner/Tyler McKnight, 28.7, $2,754; 4. Chad Masters/Cory Petska, 30.6, $2,268; 5. Jake Clay/Tanner Braden, 30.9, $1,781; 6. Carson Coffelt/Thomas Jenkins, 31.2, $1,296; 7. Brandon Farris/Braden Harmon, 35.5, $810; 8. Jeff Flenniken/Buddy Hawkins, 36.4, $324. Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Holden Myers, 3.6 seconds, $2,516; 2. Matt Reeves, 3.9, $2,188; 3. Royce Johnson, 4.0, $1,860; 4. Sam Goings, 4.1, $1,532; 5. Hazen Sparks, 4.4, $1,203; 6. Trace Harris, 4.5, $875; 7. Cody Devers, 4.6, $547; 8. Nick Guy, 4.7, $219. Second round: 1. Quint Bell, 3.6 seconds, $2,498; 2. Justin Shaffer, 4.0, $2,172; 3. (tie) Tyler Mann and Riley Westhaver, 4.1, $1,684 each; 5. (tie) Jason Thomas, Riley Duvall and Holden Myers,  Continue Reading »

GUYMON, Okla. – Cole Franks doesn’t have a crystal ball, so he can’t look too far into the future. He did reconcile with his past during Saturday night’s third performance of the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo. He rode Frontier Rodeo’s Oklahoma Line for 88 points to take the bareback riding lead and, in doing so, gave himself a shot to win his true hometown rodeo. Franks is a three-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Clarendon, Texas. It’s where he graduated high school and attended his first two years of college, but Guymon is his hometown. It’s where he was born 24 years ago, and it’s a rodeo in which he wants to compete. Ultimately, he’d love to win it. “After we got the draw, I contemplated even coming, but it’s the hometown rodeo, so it’s hard not to come,” he said. “I knew the horse is decent, but they brought the heat here, and it’s grown really good. I really didn’t think I had a chance, but I figured, ‘Why not?’ It worked.” Yes, it did, but he’s had pretty solid success ever since he turned pro. He was the 2021 Resistol Rookie of the year and qualified for the NFR for the first time. He’s returned twice in the three years since and has earned just shy of $1 million over that stretch. He finished the 2024 campaign sixth in the world standings with $295,896 and is fifth on the money list this season heading into this weekend. This is his best score at his hometown rodeo. “I did really good here last year,” said Franks, the 2021 intercollegiate all-around and bareback riding champion while competing for his dad, Bret, at Clarendon College. “I was 87 last year but didn’t place. I was one spot out. “This rodeo is hard to win money at, but at 88, I should have a good shot at it.” There’s a lot going on with Franks. In addition to a hectic rodeo schedule, he has big plans later this month. He proposed to his fiancé, Dustie Warr, this past December while at the NFR in Las Vegas, and the two will be married in 25 days. “I try to give her as much moral support as I can,” he said. Alas, two days after the nuptials, he’ll be off competing again. That’s the life of a rodeo cowboy. The honeymoon will have to wait, but Franks is hoping they can have a bit of one again this coming December when the NFR returns to Sin City. “She won’t be too happy about waiting that long, so we’ll probably do something,” Franks said with a laugh. “I do want to be in Las Vegas in December.” He has to get there first. Only the top 15 in the world standings at the conclusion of the regular season earn the right to compete for the biggest pay in the sport. He’s done well there over the years, pocketing more than $450,000 in 30 go-rounds inside the Thomas & Mack Center. Still a young bronc buster, he keeps trying to improve his skills with each ride. “Some days, it’s great, but it’s hit or miss,” Franks said. “I didn’t feel like I was riding all that good the last week or so, but I think I fixed that today. It felt a lot better than it has lately, so you just keep plugging along with it.” The greatest athletes in the world always strive to be their best, and the Guymon-born cowboy is one of them. Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days RodeoMay 2-4Bareback riding leaders: 1. Cole Franks, 88 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Oklahoma Line; 2. (tie) Kashton Ford and Sam Petersen, 87; 4. Mason Stuller, 85; 5. (tie) Will Lowe and Roedy Farrell, 82.5; 7. Donny Proffit, 82; 8. Andy Gingerich, 81.5. Team roping: Third round leaders: 1. Dalton Turner/Clay Clayman, 6.1 seconds; 2. Chet Weitz/Bryce Graves, 6.6; 3. Korbin Rice/Cooper Freeman, 6.7; 4. Bubba Buckaloo/Joseph Harrison, 7.7; 5. Jake Clay/Tanner Braden, 7.9; 6. (tie) Curry Kirchner/Tyler McKnight and Jeff Flenniken/Buddy Hawkins, 8.9; 8. Nick Sartain/Garrett Gorman, 9.1. Average leaders: 1. Bubba Buckaloo/Joseph Harrison, 23.5 seconds on two runs; 2. Curry Kirchner/Tyler McKnight, 28.7; 3. Chad Masters/Cory Petska, 30.6; 4. Jake Clay/Tanner Braden, 30.9; 5. Jeff Flenniken/Buddy Hawkins, 36.4; 6. J.C. Yeahquo/Ross Ashford, 42.5; 7. Jhett Vander Hamm/Gralyn Elkins, 44.7; 8. Teagan Bentley/Dusty Taylor, 44.9; 7. Chet Weitz/Bryce Graves, 13.8 seconds on two runs; 8. Dalton Turner/Clay Clayman, 14.7. Steer wrestling: Third round leaders: 1. Shane Frey, 4.1 seconds; 2. Cody Devers, 4.2; 3. Riley Duvall, 4.4; 4. Jace Melvin, 4.5; 5. Matt Reeves, 4.7; 6. Bridger Anderson, 4.9; 7. Cole Walker, 5.0; 8. Trace Harris, 5.1. Average leaders: 1. Matt Reeves, 13.2 seconds on three runs. 2. Cody Devers, 14.5; 3. Sam Goings, 15.0; 4. Trace Harris, 15.1; 5. Tyler Mann, 15.2; 6. (tie) Riley Duvall and Jace Melvin, 15.4; 9. Royce Johnson, 15.5. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Rusty Wright, 86.5 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Top Pick; 2. (tie) Coleman Shallbetter and Brody Wells, 86; 4. Zac Dallas, 85.5; 5. (tie) Thayne Elshere, Waitley Sharon and James Perrin, 82; 8. (tie) Cash Wilson and Traylin Martin, 81.  Breakaway roping: Third round leaders: 1. Aspen Miller, 2.4 seconds; 2. Beau Peaterson, 2.8; 3. Kaydin Finan, 2.9; 4. Erin Johnson, 3.2; 5. (tie) Amanda Terrell and Molly Hamilton, 3.5; 7. Britta Strain, 3.6; 8. Shalee King, 3.8. Average leaders: 1. Aspen Miller, 8.1 seconds on three runs; 2. Beau Peterson, 10.8; 3. Kaydin Finan, 10.8; 4. Shalee King, 11.0; 5. Lari Dee Guy, 11.2; 6. Abby Cox, 11.6; 7. Erin Johnson, 11.7; 8. Taylor Munsell, 12.6 Tie-down roping: Third round leaders: 1. Kyan Wilhite, 7.1 seconds; 2. Landyn Duncan, 8.2; 3. Austin Lawrence, 8.5; 4. Blane Cox, 8.6; 5. Kyle Lucas, 9.2; 6. Ryan Jarrett, 9.5; 7. Lane Webb, 9.7; 8. Denton Oestmann, 9.8. Average leaders: 1. Kyan Wilhite, 25.5 seconds on three runs; 2. Ryan Jarrett, 26.4; 3. Cash Enderli, 27.7; 4. Blane Cox, 27.8; 5. (tie)  Continue Reading »

GUYMON, Okla. – Bubba Buckaloo and Joseph Harrison don’t really rodeo like they used to. The team ropers – and neighbors in southern Oklahoma near Lake Texhoma – have other priorities in their lives. Both train horses, and that accomplishes a couple of things: It allows both to stay closer to home while also making a living as cowboys. Both have qualified for the National Finals Rodeo. Buckaloo is a header, and he played on ProRodeo’s grandest stage in 2018. Harrison is a heeler, and he earned six straight trips to the championship from 2017-2022. Alas, there is no rust in their game, and they’re proving that in the Oklahoma Panhandle this week. They stopped the clock in 7.7 seconds during Saturday afternoon’s second performance of the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo. They sit fourth in the third round, but the tandem has already placed twice so far: Buckaloo and Harrison finished fifth in the opening round, which occurred Wednesday, then won the second round Thursday. They hold a five-second lead in the three-run aggregate. “I’ve placed in some rounds here in the past,” said Buckaloo, 36, of Kingston, Oklahoma. “Last year, my little boy was born during this rodeo, so I didn’t enter, but the year before, I won third, and that’s the best I’ve ever done. This is the most money I’ve ever won out here.” That fact has already been outdone. The duo has already secured nearly $4,000 in Guymon earnings and will secure a few more thousand dollars before the week is done. That’s also the most Harrison has pulled out of Texas County, though he does own a one of the most cherished prizes in the sport: A Pioneer Days Rodeo championship belt. Harrison and his then partner, Charly Crawford, shared the overall victory in 2017. “It’s funny, but I’ve been high call back at this rodeo twice and couldn’t win it,” said Harrison, 37, of Marietta, Oklahoma. “I won third once, and then no good one time. The year that Charly and I won it, we were sixth high call back on two, and everybody else messed up and we split it. This time, we were second on two, and the guys in front of us got us by eight-tenths of a second, so they have a little time to mess with. If they catch clean, chances are they’ll probably get us, and I wish them good luck. “But I really would like to win this rodeo with Bubba Buckaloo.” Guymon is unique in that it features hornless cattle in team roping, and they’re walking fresh, meaning that they’ve come straight out of the pasture and into the rodeo arena. That adds a bit of wildness to the event and adds to the prestige of winning Pioneer Days. “I rope with Joseph all the time, and we usually keep four or five muleys and rope them year ’round,” Buckaloo said. “But having them fresh like this, it’s definitely a chore.”  While many of the 1,100 contestants competing at this rodeo have their sights set on qualifying for the NFR, Buckaloo and Harrison are content in their decision to stay close to home. Their ProRodeo goals involve the Prairie Circuit, a series of PRCA events primarily in Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. “We’re not really rodeoing to try to make the finals,” said Harrison, who lives about six hours from Henry C. Hitch Pioneer Arena. “This is a circuit rodeo for us, and it’s a great, great rodeo and so much fun. We came up here to have a good time and to try to make a little bit of money. “We’ve just been jackpotting and staying around the house. I’ve been entering some colts in the futurities, and that deal has been pretty good.” Whatever success the two find in Guymon is just gravy on top of biscuits. The food’s still good, but why not try to make it better. “It’s been awesome out here, because we’ve slowed down from rodeoing, and the only thing you get to do now is tell stories,” Buckaloo said. “To win Guymon would be awesome.” Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days RodeoMay 2-4 Bareback riding leaders: 1. Kashton Ford, 87 po0ints on Championship Rodeo’s Cajun Queen; 2. Will Lowe, 82.5; 3. Donny Proffit, 82; 4. Andy Gingerich, 81.5; 5. Ty Hawkes, 81; 6. Jade Taton, 77; 7. Owen Brouilette, 76.5; 8. Cole Hollen, 74. Team roping: Third round leaders: 1. Dalton Turner/Clay Clayman, 6.1 seconds; 2. Chet Weitz/Bryce Graves, 6.6; 3. Korbin Rice/Cooper Freeman, 6.7; 4. Bubba Buckaloo/Joseph Harrison, 7.7; 5. (tie) Curry Kirchner/Tyler McKnight and Jeff Flenniken/Buddy Hawkins, 8.9; 7, Clay Smith/Nicky Northcott, 10.6; 8. Chad Masters/Cory Petska, 11.8. Average leaders: 1. Bubba Buckaloo/Joseph Harrison, 23.5 seconds on two runs; 2. Curry Kirchner/Tyler McKnight, 28.7; 4. Chad Masters/Cory Petska, 30.6; 4. Jeff Flenniken/Buddy Hawkins, 36.4; 5. J.C. Yeahquo/Ross Ashford, 42.5; 6. 6. Teagan Bentley/Dusty Taylor, 44.9; 7. Chet Weitz/Bryce Graves, 13.8 seconds on two runs; 8. Dalton Turner/Clay Clayman, 14.7. Steer wrestling: Third round leaders: 1. Cody Devers, 4.2 seconds; 2. Jace Melvin, 4.5; 3. Matt Reeves, 4.7; 4. Cole Walker, 5.0; 5. Trace Harris, 5.1; 6. (tie) J.D. Struxness and Tucker Alberts, 5.2; 8. Tyler Mann, 5.9. Average leaders: 1. Matt Reeves, 13.2 seconds on three runs. 2. Cody Devers, 14.5; 3. Trace Harris, 15.1; 4. Tyler Mann, 15.2; 5. Jace Melvin, 15.4; 6. Tucker Alberts, 17.6; 7. Sawyer Strand, 23.9; 8. Hadley Sanders, 25.9. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Rusty Wright, 86.5 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Top Pick; 2. Zac Dallas, 85.5; 3. (tie) Thayne Elshere, Waitley Sharon and James Perrin, 82; 6. Cash Wilson, 81; 7. Cooper Thatcher, 79; 8. Carson Bingham, 77.  Breakaway roping: Third round leaders: 1. Aspen Miller, 2.4 seconds; 2. Beau Peaterson, 2.8; 3. Molly Hamilton, 3.5; 4. Shalee King, 3.8; 5. Lari Dee Guy, 3.9; 6. Sami O’Day, 4.5; 7. Shai Schaefer, 4.6; Emilee Charlesworth, 12.2. Average leaders: 1. Aspen Miller, 8.1 seconds on three runs; 2. Beau Peterson, 10.8; 3. Shalee King, 11.0;  Continue Reading »

GUYMON, Okla. – Matt Reeves has been a cowboy all his life, but he’s done it at a professional level for 24 years. He’s played the game at an elite level most of his career. He’s done so in little arenas and big. An eight-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier who won its steer wrestling aggregate championship in 2019, Reeves has earned titles at some of the most prestigious events across the country. He’s bulldogged on football fields and in baseball stadiums. His title these days is less cowboy and more Dad, and that’s the best job he’s ever had. Now 46, his days of battling for the elusive world championships are behind him, but he still likes the competition. He proved it during Friday’s first performance of the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo, where he knocked down his steer in 4.7 seconds. “Over the years, Guymon’s been pretty decent to me,” said Reeves, who owns the third-round and aggregate leads with three performances remaining. “I’ve never won it, so it’d be fun to win. I don’t think I’ll win it, but, hey, I’m going to win good money.” That’s the name of the game for men who put their hats in the ring in order to compete in this gladiator sport. He’s won a pile over time – more than $2 million – but it pales in comparison to other professional athletes. Still, he’s had some key wins, like that NFR six season ago and The American in 2020, when he walked away with a $433,000 payday. “I like making money when I go somewhere,” said Reeves, who lives in Cross Plains, Texas, with his wive, Savanah, and their two boys, Carson, 9, and Hudson, 7. “I don’t stay gone as much now, so when I go somewhere, I want to capitalize on it. If I’m going to miss baseball games like I did earlier today, I want to make sure it was worthwhile when I go.” His trip to the Oklahoma Panhandle certainly is paying dividends. Riding Ice, a 7-year-old gray gelding owned by fellow bulldogger and reigning world champion J.D. Struxness, made a veteran run on a tougher steer to move into the rodeo’s lead. “They hadn’t done much on that steer,” Reeves said. “I thought he could be better if I hit the start, which I did. I got a great head catch, which made it work. When his nose came to me, I was able to keep pulling even though he was wanting to resist. He had to fall over flat, so it was OK. “That’s a great horse that J.D. started last year. We’ve done well on him. He’s been good. We’ve been taking him around this spring. He has his good mare, Izzy, but she doesn’t need all this that we have here this weekend, so we rode that gray horse, and it’s gone pretty well. We’re going to keep easing him back into it.” He first qualified for the NFR in 2007, but he’s been part of some magical runs inside the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas because of his prowess as a hazer, where he helps guide steers for fellow bulldoggers while riding on the opposite side of the animal. In fact, he was a key factor in Struxness winning rodeo’s gold this past December. “I’m going to ease around and will go with J.D. for a couple more weeks, then he’ll leave for rodeo over the summer,” Reeves said. “I’ll ease around and take a colt of mine out and get him finished and go from there. I’m a circuit cowboy. If it all works out and baseball’s not in the way, I might go up and haze at Calgary. We’ll see what happens.” Life as a retired bulldogger is a bit different than most might envision, but it works for Reeves. He will always be a cowboy, even if being a dad takes precedence. Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days RodeoMay 2-4Bareback riding leaders: 1. Donny Proffit, 82 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Night Fist; 2. Andey Gingerich, 81.5; 3. Ty Hawkes, 81; 4. Jade Taton, 77; 5. Colton Crawford, 71; 6. Monty Downare III, 69; no other qualified rides. Team roping: First round: 1. Chet Weitz/Bryce Graves, 7.2 seconds, $2,484; 2. Laramie Allen/Kelby Frizell, 7.5, $2,160; 3. Tanner Green/Josh Patton, 7.7, $R1,836; 4. Zane Thompson/Chad Mathes, 8.1, $1,512; 5. Bubba Buckaloo/Joseph Harrison, 8.7, $1,188; 6. (tie) Nick Sartain/Garrett Gorman and Carson Coffelt/Shane Jenkins, 9.0, $702 each; 8. Cameron Ritchey/Jesse Jolly, 9.1, $216. Second round: 1. Bubba Buckaloo/Joseph Harrison, 7.1 seconds, $2,484; 2. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 7.2, $2,160; 3. Corben Culley/Trent Vaught, 7.3, $1,836; 4. Laramie Allen/Kelby Frizell, 7.5, $1,512; 5. Britton Grinstead/Scott Daily and Wyatt Bray/Paden Bray, 7,7, $1,026 each; 8. Jake Clay/Tanner Braden, 8.2, $216 each. Third round leaders: 1. Dalton Turner/Clay Clayman, 6.1 seconds; 2. Korbin Rice/Cooper Freeman, 6.7; 3. Curry Kirchner/Tyler McKnight, 8.9; 4, Clay Smith/Nicky Northcott, 10.6; 5. Chad Masters/Cory Petska, 11.8; no other qualified runs. Average leaders: 1. Curry Kirchner/Tyler McKnight, 28.7 seconds on three runs; 2. Chad Masters/Cory Petska, 30.6; 3. Dalton Turner/Clay Clayman, 14.7 seconds on two runs; 4. Laramie Allen/Kelby Frizzell, 15.0; 5. Bubba Buckaloo/Joseph Harrison, 15.8; 6. Korbin Rice/Cooper Freeman, 17.1; 7. Carson Coffelt/Shane Jenkins, 17.7; 8. Jake Fischer/Cole Cooper, 18.1.  Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Holden Myers, 3.6 seconds, $2,516; 2. Matt Reeves, 3.9, $2,188; 3. Royce Johnson, 4.0, $1,860; 4. Sam Goings, 4.1, $1,532; 5. Hazen Sparks, 4.4, $1,203; 6. Trace Harris, 4.5, $875; 7. Cody Devers, 4.6, $547; 8. Nick Guy, 4.7, $219. Second round: 1. Quint Bell, 3.6 seconds, $2,498; 2. Justin Shaffer, 4.0, $2,172; 3. (tie) Tyler Mann and Riley Westhaver, 4.1, $1,684 each; 5. (tie) Jason Thomas, Riley Duvall and Holden Myers, 4.2, $869; 8. Garrett Oates 4.3, $217; Third round leaders: 1. Matt Reeves, 4.7 seconds; 2. J.D. Struxness, 5.2; 3. Tyler Mann, 5.9; 4. Hadley Sanders, 6.1; 5. Kreece Dearing, 7.3; 6. Brady Buum, 7.2; 7. Tait Kvistad, 13.8; 8. Garrett Curry, 15.6. Average leaders:  Continue Reading »