LOVINGTON, N.M. – If there were a time machine, it may have appeared at the Lea County Fair during Friday’s third performance of the PRCA rodeo.

In the mid-2000s, a young mare named Riverboat Annie was making a name for herself as one of the elite bucking horses in ProRodeo. She was the 2007 reserve world champion bareback horse and was selected to buck at the National Finals Rodeo for 10 straight years.

She didn’t retire; she just changed jobs. Now 24, she’s the matriarch of the Pete Carr Pro Rodeo breeding program and has raised a herd of bucking babies. One of them is the spitting image of Momma, right down to the way the two perform in the arena.

“That horse is really cool,” said Cole Franks, who rode Pink Smoke for 87.5 points to take the bareback riding lead in Lovington. The first time they ever bucked that horse, it was for a gender-reveal for (fellow bareback rider) Anthony Thomas. They bucked it with a dummy, and it was awesome.

“From that moment on, I just couldn’t wait to get on that thing. It was fun, but a little bit harder than I expected.”

It worked in Franks’ favor, and even he recognized the similarities between the two generations of buckers.

“Riverboat wasn’t real tall, but she was built like a tank,” said Franks, a three-time NFR qualifier from Clarendon, Texas. “That’s about how he is, too. He’s built really well.”

A red roan gelding, Pink Smoke is just 6, so he’s got some room to grow, both physically and mentally. The instinct is there. Of course, Riverboat Annie was just 6 years old when she was recognized as the second-best bareback horse in the sport 18 years ago.  

The high-marked ride came at a good time for Franks, who entered the week ninth in the world standings with $116,626. He needs to keep adding to his totals if he wants to remain in the hunt for the world championship. Only the top 15 in the world standings at the end of the regular season advance to the NFR, where the gold buckles are handed out to the titlists.

“As good as this rodeo pays, finishing second would be just fine with me,” he said. “Sure, I want to win, but a check’s a check.”

Every dollar is vital, but so is performing well. That can be a struggle with less than two months remaining in the season, especially for bareback riders. They’ve been on dozens of bucking horses over he last few weeks alone.

“Everybody’s hurting a little bit,” Franks said. “My forearm huts. My neck hurts. My hip hurts. Everything hurts.

“If I don’t have much of a chance of winning money this time of year, especially when I’m hurting like I am, I’ve just got to take a day off. It’s no use getting on a bucking horse for free.”

He’s sore, but he toughed it out Friday night. The rewards outweigh the pain any day.

Lea County Fair and Rodeo
Lovington, N.M.
Aug. 7-10
Bareback riding leaders: 1. Cole Franks, 87.5 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Pink Smoke; 2. (tie) Waylon Bourgeois and Dean Thompson, 86; 4. Richmond Champion, 85; 5. Jayco Roper, 84.5; 6. Orin Larsen, 84; 7. Zach Hibler, 83.5; 8. (tie) Jacek Frost and Jacob Lees, 82.

Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Gary Gilbert, 3.7 seconds; 2. Riley Duvall, 4.0; 3. Jacob Daniell, 4.1; 4. (tie) Grady Payne, Trevor Duhon and Bray Armes, 4.4; 7. Brandon Harrison, 4.6; 8. Tucker Allen, 4.7. Second round leaders: 1. (tie) Gary Gilbert, Jacob Edler and Tyke Kipp, 4.0 seconds; 4. Justin Shaffer, 4.2; 5. (tie) Jake Shelton and Garrett Oates, 4.4; 7. (tie) Marc Joiner and Jacob Daniell, 4.6. Average leaders: 1. Gary Gilbert, 7.7 seconds on two runs; 2. Jacob Daniell, 8.7; 3. (tie) Jake Shelton and Grady Payne, 9.4; 5. Marc Joiner, 10.2; 6. Jacob Edler, 10.4; 7. Colt Honey, 10.9; 8. Riley Westhaver, 11.4

Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. Blane Cox, 9.0 seconds; 2. Ryan Thibodeaux, 9.2; 3. Tyler Calhoun, 9.4; 4. (tie) Chet Weitz and Marty Yates, 9.5; 6. (tie) Paden Bray and Austin Lawrence, 9.7; 8. Joel Harris, 9.8. Second round leaders: 1. Kincade Henry, 8.2 seconds; 2. Marty Yates, 8.3; 3. Ty Harris, 8.7; 4. Monty Lewis, 9.4; 5. Cade Wallis, 9.5; 6. Lane Livingston, 9.6; 7. Blane Cox, 9.9; 8. Cole Clemons, 10.3. Average leaders: 1. Marty Yates, 17.8 seconds on two runs; 2. Kincade Henry, 18.4; 3. Blane Cox, 18.9; 4. Ty Harris, 19.3; 5. Cole Clemons, 20.2; 6. Paden Bray, 20.3; 7. Pecos Tatum, 20.58. Tanner Green, 23.8; 8. Tom Crouse, 23.8.

Breakaway roping: First round leaders: 1. Taylor Munsell, 2.2 seconds; 2. (tie) Cheyanne McCartney and Hali Williams, 2.3; 4. (tie) Timber Allenbrand and Madalyn Richards, 2.4; 6. (tie) Jessi Everett and Macy Young, 2.6; 8. (tie) Shacie Marr, Jackie Crawford and Tibba Smith, 2.7. Second round leaders: 1. Haiden Thompson, 2.3 seconds; 2. Cheyanne McCartney, 2.7; 3. Hali Williams, 2.8; 4. (tie) Taylor Munsell and Bailey Bates, 3.0; 6. Neelley Armes, 3.1; 7. Madalyn Richards, 3.3; 8. Ariana Varischetti, 3.9; 9, Taylor Raupe and Kayce Edwards, 4.1. Average leaders: 1. Cheyanne McCartney, 5.0 seconds on two runs; 2. Hali Williams, 5.1; 3. Taylor Munsell, 5.2; 4. Madalyn Richards, 5.7; 5. Neelley Armes, 6.0; 6. Ariana Varischetti, 6.7; 7. Kayce Edwards, 9.5; 8. Taylor Raupe, 9.7; 9. (tie) Haiden Thompson and Bailey Bates, 15.5; 5. Maddy Deerman, 15.7; 6. Timber Allenbrand, 2.4 seconds on one run; 7. (tie) Jessi Everett and Macy Young, 2.6; 9. Janae Todacheenie, 3.2; 10. Jayden Rodriguez, 3.3. 

Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. (tie) Tanner Butner, on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Chilly Winds, and Q Taylor, on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Dirty Roots, 88 points; 3. Ben Andersen, 86.5; 4. Isaac Diaz, 86; 5. Zac Dallas, 85; 6. (tie) Shorty Garrett and Cooper Thatcher, 84.5; 7. Weston Patterson, 83.5; 8. Lefty Holman, 82.

Team roping: First round leaders: 1. (tie) Cody Snow/Hunter Koch and Roan Oldfield/Jake South, 5.1 seconds; 3. Jr. Dees/Coleby Payne, 5.3; 4. Jeff Flenniken/Buddy Hawkins II, 5.6; 5. Brenten Hall/Kaden Profili, 5.7; 6. Cory Kidd V/Will Woodfin, 5.8; 7. (tie) Chet Weitz/Faron Candelaria and Seth Hall/Pace Blanchard, 5.9. Second round leaders: 1. Cody Carter/Blake Bentley, 4.5; 2. McCray Profili/McCoy Profili, 4.6; 3. Tyson Charley/Cameron Tsinigine, 4.8; 4. Seth Hall/Pace Blanchard, 4.9; 5. Derrick Begay/Colter Todd, 5.1; 6. Paul Tierney/Casey McCleskey, 5.2; 7. Cody Snow/Hunter Koch, 5.4; 8. (tie) Cash Duty/Trae Smith and Will Eddleman/Heryn Ellerd, 5.7. Average leaders: 1. Cody Snow/Hunter Koch, 10.5 seconds on two runs; 2. Seth Hall/Pace Blanchard, 10.8; 3. Jeff Flenniken/Buddy Hawkins, 11.9; 4. Cash Duty/Trae Smith, 12.5; 5. David McCallister, 14.5; 6. (tie) Cory Kidd/Will Woodfin and Brenten Hall/Kaden Profili, 16.3; 8. Shay Carroll/Levi Lord, 17.9.

Steer roping: First round leaders: 1. Quay Howard, 11.6 seconds; 2. Kyle Couthorn, 12.2; 3. Tyler Waters, 13.3; 4. Martin Poindexter, 15.0; 5. Jarett Holliday, 15.6; 6. Reo Lohse, 16.0; 7. Scott Snedecor, 16.1; 8. John Clark, 16.6. Second round leaders: 1. Slade Wood, 11.6 seconds; 2. Ivan Bigsby, 12.6; 3. (tie) Trenton Johnson and Tyler Waters, 12.9; 3. 5. Will Eddleman, 13.0; 6. (tie) Cash Myers and Scott Snedecor, 13.1; 8. Micah Northington, 13.2 Third round leaders: 1. John Clark, 10.2 seconds; 2. Slade Wood, 10.4; 3. Billy Wood, 10.7; 4. Corey Ross, 11.3; 5. Cash Myers, 11.5; 6. Kim Ziegelgruber, 12.4; 7. Jess Tierney, 12.5; 8. Brian Garr, 13.1. Average leaders: 1. Slade Wood, 39.0 seconds on three runs; 2. John Clark, 40.7; 3. Wade Shoemaker, 47.1; 4. Don Eddleman, 51.0; 5. Cash Fretwell, 57.1; 6. Cash Myters, 24.6 seconds on two runs; 7. (tie) Tyler Waters and Ivan Bigsby, 26.2.

Barrel racing leaders: 1. Helen Nowosad, 17.37; 2. Emily Beisel, 17.44; 3. Kiersten Pettus, 17.57; 4. Emma Parr, 17.58; 5. Bristan McCarley, 17.74; 6. Paige Jones, 17.75; 7. Avery Ledesma, 17.78; 8. Sabrina Ketcham, 17.79; 9. Tara Seaton, 17.80; 10. (tie) Fallon Forbes and Dena Kirkpatrick, 17.83; 12. Londyn Ross, 17.92; 13. (tie) Ruby Lightfoot and Kirstin Carlson, 17.93; 15. Jamie Olsen, 17.94.

Bull riding leaders: 1. Rawley Johnson, 86.5 points on Stockyards Pro Rodeo’s Black Magic; 2. (tie) Qynn Andersen and Jessi Petri, 85; 4. Robbie Taylor, 83.5; 5. (tie) Tyce Willis and Ramo De Souza, 81.5; 7. Brad Moreno, 80; no other qualified rides.