Monthly Archives: November 2025

Cinch tie-down roper Shane Hanchey snuck into the field of 15 to make his 16th straight appearance at the National Finals Rodeo. He is the 2013 world champion and a two-time NFR average titlist. (PRCA PHOTO BY HAILEY RAE)   Cinch tie-down roper secures 16th straight trip to grand finale Shane Hanchey utilizes a simple approach to his job. As one of the elite tie-down ropers in professional rodeo, the Cinch cowboy has thrived in the spotlight over the years. The 2013 world champion, Hanchey will make his 16th straight appearance at the National Finals Rodeo, set for Dec. 4-13 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. “I literally treat each year as my first one and try to make the finals each year,” said Hanchey, 36, of Sulphur, Louisiana. “This year was a little more difficult than years past. “I’ve only been on the bubble (to make the NFR) a handful of times, thankfully. I’ve always told myself it’s a lot funner watching the bubble than participating in it.” With only 15 spots open for the NFR, Hanchey snuck into the final position with $127,000 earned through the regular season. The $4,000 he earned on the final weekend at Sioux Falls, South Dakota, shot him into the finale by just $1,600 over the No. 16 man, Texan Quade Hiatt. “I put a lot of pressure on myself to make it, because it would’ve been foreign to me had I not made it,” he said, noting that he would still be in Nevada next week because he is the tie-down roping director for the PRCA. “I think this one is more rewarding; 16 in a row is a major accomplishment, but I try not to think about it. “When people ask about it, it’s hard not to go back all those years. There were a lot of all-night drives and a lot of sleepless nights getting to the next rodeo to make the NFR 16 years in a row.” Of the field, 11 calf ropers are part of the Cinch team, including two-time reigning world champion Riley Webb of Denton, Texas; Kincade Henry of Mt. Pleasant, Texas; John Douch of Huntsville, Texas; Riley Pruitt of Gering, Nebraska; Marty Yates of Stephenville, Texas; Brushton Minton of Witter Springs, California; Joel Harris and Ty Harris of San Angelo, Texas; Zach Jongbloed of Iowa, Louisiana; and 2019 titlist Haven Meged of Miles City, Montana. “Cinch is the only way to go,” said Hanchey, the 2009 Tie-Down Roping Rookie of the Year. “That company’s backed me since my rookie year, and I haven’t looked back. That company is all about values and all about the top competitors. “Now, we’ve got all these young up-and-comers that are wearing Cinch on their sleeves just goes to show what kind of company we represent. They look out for the right guys. It’s sort of like Derek Jeter being with the Yankees his whole playing career; I plan on being with Cinch my whole career, too.” This field of tie-down ropers features four world champions: Hanchey, Meged, Webb and New Mexican Shad Mayfield, who has one in tie-down roping and one in the all-around. The foursome accounts for six Montana Silversmiths gold buckles, and the Cinch men own three-fourths of them. They’ll battle for the top prize in 2025 over the 10-day championship, which features a purse of $13.5 million with go-round winners securing nearly $37,000 per night. When Hanchey won the world title in 2013, he also won the NFR aggregate title, which paid just shy of $48,000. This year’s average winner will walk away with a bonus of $94,036, almost double. It’s a big-time opportunity for Sin City cash, but it’s also where champions will be crowned the final Saturday night. In rodeo, money not only covers expenses that come with the job, but also dollars equal championship points. The contestants in each event with the most money won during the campaign will win rodeo’s gold. Webb leads the charge, just as he did the past two seasons. He’s earned more than $305,000 through the regular season, which concluded Sept. 30. He owns a lead of nearly $50,000 over the field. “I’m looking forward to just letting loose,” said Hanchey, who lives near Carmine, Texas, with his wife, Taylor (a two-time NFR qualifier in barrel racing and a two-time qualifier to the National Finals Breakaway Roping), and their 18-month-old son, Stran; the couple is expecting a little girl in June. “I’ve had the mindset of preparing, working out and practicing, but I have nothing to lose going in 15th. “I wouldn’t even say I have a long shot to win the world title. I don’t think it’s possible for the 14 guys besides Riley Webb, because he’s on a different planet right now. There’s so much money to be won that I want to let loose and win some of those $37,000 rounds, have some fun and show them that I’ve still got it.”

Bareback rider Kade Sonnier will compete at his second National Finals Rodeo in three years when the 10-day championship begins later this next week. He is sixth in the world standings and will battle for rodeo’s gold at Las Vegas. (PHOTO BY DAVE JENNINGS)   CARENCRO, La. – Even business trips to Las Vegas are supposed to be enjoyed. Kade Sonnier didn’t feel that way two years ago when he arrived in the Entertainment Capital of the World, home of the National Finals Rodeo. It was his first qualification to the sport’s grand finale, and he had tasks to handle. “I was so narrow-minded, so goal-oriented and so focused on the end-goal that I didn’t enjoy the process to get there,” said Sonnier, 26, a bareback rider from Carencro. “I didn’t enjoy any aspect of it, and it just went by so fast that I didn’t soak it all in.” He missed out on some of the aspects of advancing to the NFR, rodeo’s World Series that takes place Dec. 4-13 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. He’s right in that this is a business venture, and he has a job to do. Imagine, though, had Tom Brady not enjoyed every Super Bowl appearance. That’s what happened in Sonnier’s rookie season. He still closed out the 2023 campaign on a big note. He earned $112,000 over 10 days, catapulting him to a third-place finish in the final world standings. His sophomore year didn’t go quite as well. Injuries not only sidelined him but also hampered Sonnier’s performance when he was able to compete. Still, he secured $95,000, a substantial annual salary. Alas, he finished 22nd on the money list in a sport where only the top 15 earn the chance to play for the biggest pay in rodeo. He gained redemption in 2025, collecting $171,507 during the regular season, which ended Sept. 30. He will compete at his second NFR as the sixth-ranked bareback rider in the field “This year I’m going to try to take it day to day,” he said. “I didn’t enjoy myself the last time. I didn’t enjoy the company I had. I didn’t enjoy the locker-room time. “This is what you dream about as a kid. It wasn’t until the fifth round that I finally soaked it all in and had tears in my eyes. You’re supposed to do that the first night.” He’ll have that chance to experience all the feelings that come with playing on such a magnificent stage. This is the world’s richest rodeo, which features a $13.5-million purse. Go-round winners will earn nearly $37,000 per night. By the time the curtain draws to a close on that final Saturday, world champions in every event will be crowned. That’s where Sonnier wants to stand. Of course, none of this is even possible without his first NFR adventure in 2018. That was the year his father, saddle bronc rider Joey Sonnier, earned his only trip to Sin City’s championship. Father and son had driven a bit of a rocky road through their early years and rekindled in time for a spectacular family reunion. “I got to spend 10 days ion Vegas to watch my dad,” Kade Sonnier said. “If it wouldn’t be for that, I wouldn’t be doing this. That’s where the flame for rodeo rekindled. That’s pretty much where God told me right then, ‘This is where you need to be.’ I started craving it. I had never been on a bucking horse in my life. I hadn’t thought about riding bucking horses since I was 8 or 9 years old.” Getting to this point became a blessing of faith. His parents, Joey Sonnier and Jamie Lynn Guidry, split when he was young. Kade Sonnier has a strong relationship with both parents, and there was some outside influence to help direct the young man along his path. “When I went to high school, I was fortunate to have rally good baseball coaches and be part of a really good baseball program – we ended up winning two state championships my junior and senior year,” said Sonnier, who credits his return to the NFR to his sponsors, Boot Barn, Resistol, Ariat, Stace Smith Pro Rodeos, Burgess Brothers Bucking Horses, Waggoner Services Inc., The Handmade Heifer and FCA Rodeo. “Those coaches were great role models and did a lot to really help me.” Sonnier played college baseball and spent a semester on the track team at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana, but that bronc riding bug was overwhelming. The first track meet in the spring semester of 2020 helped Sonnier build toward his future. “The track meet was at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana, which happened to be the same weekend as the ProRodeo,” he said, noting that he transferred to McNeese State for rodeo. “My dad had already called Jake Brown, who had just made his fourth or fifth NFR, to see if he had any old spare bareback riding riggin’s, and he said he was coming to Lake Charles for the rodeo and could drop them off. “I don’t think God could have designed it any better. Somebody had already given me spurs, but he gave me everything else.” With equipment in hand, a new career was born. He got with people to teach him the ropes, men like fellow Louisiana cowboy Waylon Bourgeois, who is going to his first NFR this December, and veterans like Kaycee Feild and Tilden Hooper. Feild owns the record for the most bareback riding world championships with six. Sonnier built on natural athleticism. Instead throwing darts to second base or speeding around first en route to another double, he took to spurring 1,200 pounds of equine dynamite. He makes a good living doing it and will have a chance to increase his earnings even more when he arrives in the Nevada desert. The goal isn’t just to be the greatest bareback rider for 2025; it’s also to care for  Continue Reading »

T.J. Gray returns for his second straight qualification to the National Finals Rodeo. His first venture to Las Vegas last December offered a dose of reality, but it also served as a valuable lesson he will have with him when he returns next week. (PRCA PHOTO BY HAILEY RAE)   Cinch cowboy one of six bull riders ready to show off at NFR Only three men in ProRodeo history have ridden all 10 bulls at the National Finals Rodeo. Jim Sharp was the first to do so in 1988, when the Texan won his first world championship. Norman Curry did it two years later. The last time it happened was 31 years ago, when Brazilian Adriano Moraes pulled off the incredible feat in 1994. Bull riding is the most difficult event in rodeo in which to muster a qualified ride. World titlist Josh Frost only managed scores on seven nights, but he won the NFR average title hands down. Cinch cowboy T.J. Gray finished sixth in the aggregate race with three qualified rides. “I think this year we’re going to see a lot more competitive bull riding,” said Gray, 24, of Dairy, Oregon. “I know nobody’s ridden all 10 bulls at the NFR in a long time, but I think I can do it.” It’s mind over matter, and positive thinking can go a long way. He realized a great deal about the Las Vegas experience during his inaugural venture a year ago, and he’s ready to put all those lessons to the test again for this year’s championship, set for Dec. 4-13 at the Thomas & Mack Center, which is celebrating its 40th year as the NFR’s host. “In a negative sense, I learned everything can change at the NFR,” he said. “I came in No. 1, and everything got turned around. There were guys that were way down in the standings that blew past me pretty fast. “This year I’m coming in No. 5, and I learned things can change pretty fast. It doesn’t have to take very long, and I can be back up where I want to be.” ProRodeo’s grand finale features the largest payday in the game with a $13.5 million purse. Go-round winners will pocket nearly $37,000 per night, and the bull rider with the best 10-round cumulative score will add a $94,000 bonus when the curtain closes on that final Saturday night. Gray is one of six Cinch cowboys battling the baddest bovines in the game. Four-time qualifier Tristen Hutchings of Monteview, Idaho, leads the contingent in fourth place with just shy of $300,000 in season earnings. Hayes Weight, a three-time qualifier from Goshen, Utah, is seventh; Jordan Spears of Redding, California, is heading to his sixth finale; and Mason Moody of Letcher, South Dakota, and Jesse Petri of Dublin, Texas, have earned their first bids. A lot happens over a week and a half in the Nevada desert. The stakes are high, which adds to the pressure. The game can be a lot simpler with a strong mindset, and that’s the biggest lesson Gray took from 2024. “Myron Duarte told me last year before I went to the NFR to not change a thing,” Gray said of the retired eight-time NFR qualifier from Hawaii. “He told me to do exactly what I’d been doing all year. Well, I went and changed everything. It took until about the fifth round when I started staying on and when I realized I did not listen to him. “I was thinking I had to do something special instead of just having fun and not caring about the outcome. I’ve kept that in mind this year, and I haven’t been putting pressure on myself or thinking I have to do something special. I’m not trying to be perfect. My riding is good enough.” That change in mentality can go a long way. “I’m going to be happy to show up, not be overwhelmed with the opportunity, be able to live in the moment and enjoy it,” he said. “I think even though I told everyone last year that I wasn’t nervous, in the back of my head, I was definitely nervous.” The best attribute for competitors is to let their natural talent take over. Muscle memory is real, and fundamentals come into play for the greatest in their given game. Million-dollar wide receivers can drop a football if they think about it too much, but they’ll make a spectacular catch without batting an eye. “I’m not really too worried about it all,” Gray said. “It’s going to end up how it ends up, but I’m not counting myself out of a world title at all. “Anything can happen at the NFR.”

Cinch header Kolton Schmidt roped with eight partners through the 2025 regular season; Cinch heeler Jonathan Torres will be his ninth when the two compete next week at the National Finals Rodeo. They are two of 18 Cinch cowboys competing in team roping. (PHOTO BY RIC ANDERSEN)   18 Cinch cowboys will rope for rodeo’s gold while in Las Vegas As the only true partner-related event in rodeo, team ropers rely on their counterparts to have success. They travel together, eat together and compete together. One’s fortune is shared by the other. So is one’s defeat. The goal, of course, is to win world championships, and to do that, headers and heelers have to play on ProRodeo’s biggest stage, the National Finals Rodeo, set for Dec. 4-13 at Las Vegas. Most of the 15 teams in the field have roped together all or most of the season. That’s not the case for Cinch team ropers Kolton Schmidt and Jonathan Torres. They were matched after the regular season came to a close Sept. 30, when both men made the NFR without partners. “Jonathan’s going to be the ninth partner this year,” said Schmidt, 31, a three-time heading qualifier from Barrhead, Alberta. It’s true. The Canadian won the San Angelo (Texas) Stock Show and Rodeo in April with Will Woodfin. He won the Ponoka (Alberta) Stampede in July with Sid Sporer, then closed out the season with the September victory in Bakersfield, California, with Chase Tryan. Through every rodeo – and every partner change – Schmidt kept winning. He finished the year with just shy of $120,000 and will compete in the City of Entertainment as the 14th-ranked header on the money list. Torres, a four-time qualifier from Ocala, Florida, is No. 15 in the heeling standings. They are two of 18 Cinch team ropers who will compete at the 10-day championship, and they are also joined by two other teams that will be new pairings for the NFR: two-time world champion Clay Smith of Broken Bow, Oklahoma, and Coleby Payne of Stephenville, Texas, will rope together, while Dustin Egusquiza of Marianna, Florida, will reunite with Levi Lord of Sturgis, South Dakota. “I’m thankful for the opportunity to go back to the NFR,” said Schmidt, who first qualified nine seasons ago, then returned in 2020. “There has been a lot of time and effort going toward this, but we’re happy to be back. I’m really excited to be part of this group of guys.” Other Cinch headers are standings leader Kaleb Driggers, a two-time world champion from Hoboken, Georgia; Cyle Denison, a two-time qualifier from Iowa, Louisiana; Dawson Graham, a Wainwright, Alberta, cowboy competing at his first NFR; Jake Smith of Broken Bow, now at NFR No. 2; and 12-time qualifier Riley Minor of Ellensburg, Washington. The Cinch heelers include three-time world champion Jade Corkill of Fallon, Nevada; Travis Graves, a 16-time qualifier from Jay, Oklahoma; Lane Mitchell, a first-timer from Bolivar, Tennessee; Brady Minor, a 14-time qualifier from Ellensburg; Try Yates, a four-time finalist from Pueblo, Colorado; Douglas Rich, a three-time qualifier from Herrick, Illinois; and Kaden Profili, who is making his second straight trip to Las Vegas and is from Jacksonville, Texas. Each man understands what it takes to make it to the grand finale, which features a $13.5 million purse. Go-round winners will collect nearly $37,000 per night and per side, so this is a big part of their business strategies. For Schmidt, much has changed since his inaugural adventure to the NFR. “Life is completely different than it was in 2016,” he said. “I’ve got a wife and two boys now, and there’s just a lot that’s changed for me.” He was one of the 119 contestants to compete on a baseball field five Decembers ago, when the pandemic shortened the season and forced a one-year change of venue to Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. “I lost my good horse two years after that, so I’ve just been trying to grow my herd,” Schmidt said. “I feel like that’s been the hardest part.” Oftentimes, life is about overcoming challenges. He’s done that over a career that began 13 seasons ago. He’ll do it again with another new partner, this time surrounded by the legendary yellow chutes and panels inside the Thomas & Mack Center. Schmidt and Torres have been practicing their runs to get ready for the most magical 10 rodeo days of the year. “I’m just going to focus on my job and try to provide him with the best opportunity I can,” Schmidt said. “I’ve just got to handle the cow now. If I do my job, he’ll do his.”

Eight Cinch cowboys are among the saddle bronc riding qualifiers to this year’s National Finals Rodeo, led by four-time world champion Zeke Thurston, who won the third round of the 2024 NFR on Powder River Rodeo’s Miss Valley. (PRCA PHOTO BY ROSEANNA SALES)   Four-time world champion one of eight Cinch bronc riders ready for NFR Zeke Thurston has set a high standard among professional saddle bronc riders. The Big Valley, Alberta, cowboy has won four world championships and six Canadian Professional Rodeo Association titles. He’s claimed the National Finals Rodeo average title three times (2016, 2022-23) and has been to ProRodeo’s grand finale 11 straight years. Las Vegas is his playground, but it’s also the best place to do business. Thurston is the elder statesman in a group of the very best bronc busters in this exclusive field. Oh, and he’s just 31. More than half the 15 cowboys competing in Las Vegas partner with Cinch, and Thurston is not only older than all, but his credentials speak for themselves. He’s a four-time Calgary Stampede titlist and has been among the top five in the world standings in seven of his previous 10 seasons. He’ll arrive in Las Vegas fourth on the money list with $244,268. On the other end of the experience spectrum is 24-year-old Weston Patterson of Waverly, Kansas, a small community in the Flint Hills best known as the home of world champion bareback rider Jess Pope. This is Patterson’s first NFR bid. He launched himself to Sin City with a winning third season in ProRodeo worth nearly $174,000; a year ago, he finished 40th with $44,000. Damian Brennan leads the Cinch contingent as the No. 2 man in the standings with $278,153. He will have just returned from his home in Injune, Queensland, Australia, where he was married recently. Brennan, a four-time NFR qualifier, carries a heavy dose of momentum with him. He had significant wins over the season that catapulted him into a race for the top spot. While Thurston may be the most celebrated Canadian in the field, Dawson Hay of Wildwood, Alberta, isn’t far behind. This is his sixth trip to Las Vegas, but he still has a way to go before he catches his father, Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Famer Rod Hay, who earned 20 NFR qualifications. Dawson Hay is third in the world standings, less than $10,000 behind Brennan. Ben Andersen of Eckville is the third Cinch cowboy from Alberta; he is 14th on the money list with $150,000. This marks the fourth time in his career that Andersen has played on ProRodeo’s biggest stage, having qualified in 2021 and repeating each of the past two years. Kade Bruno sits fifth on the money list, thanks to the $215,000 he pocketed during the rodeo season. Bruno, 25, of Challis, Idaho, had a big win to kick off the season in Fort Worth, Texas, then just held steady for the next seven months. A couple of Wyoming bronc busters round out the field of Cinch cowboys. Brody Wells, 24, of Powell, gained his first NFR bid a year ago and found some success, and that momentum rolled into the 2025 campaign. He is the No. 6 man in the standings, just $360 behind Bruno. His biggest victory came in August, when he cleared more than $37,000 by winning both rounds and the aggregate at the Xtreme Broncs Finals. Brody Cress is only second behind Thurston when it comes to credentials, with nine NFR qualifications and three average championships (2017, ’19 and ’21). Cress is 29 years old and originally from Hillsdale, Wyoming, just outside Cheyenne. He’s been a fixture at the NFR and heads back to Las Vegas 10th with $180,000.

Anthony Lucia is the reigning two-time PRCA Announcer of the Year, but he returns to Las Vegas as one of the three announcers selected to emcee the National Finals Rodeo. (PHOTO BY ROBBY FREEMAN)   Cinch announcer joins veterans inside the Thomas & Mack Anthony Lucia stood surrounded by a packed inside the Thomas & Mack Center with the spotlights trained on him. He was decked out cowboy head to toe while he danced to the music under a laser-light show to kick start the National Finals Rodeo. He was one of the featured entertainers, a trick roper with a lifetime of talent in his hip pocket. For four years, that was his place during ProRodeo’s marquee event in Las Vegas. He will return to the limelight for this year’s NFR, which takes place Dec. 4-13, but the gyrations and rope will be gone. He will be one of three men chosen to emcee the grand championship, joining longtime hosts Wayne Brooks and fellow Cinch endorsee Roger Mooney. “The fact that the National Finals Rodeo Committee thought enough of me to give me that opportunity is the coolest thing in the world that’s happened in my career,” said Lucia of Weatherford, Texas. “When I got the call, I cried, because I cry when things like that happen. “It’s very seldom that I am at a loss for words, but I have been just because of the fact that I get the opportunity to be part of that team.” Lucia previously performed at the NFR from 2010-13, but his career arc has been redirected over time. He’s a team roper, a television personality, has hosted a stage show, operates a podcast and has been announcing for much of the past decade. He’s taken to it all with exceptional ease, but his gig as a public-address announcer for the sport he loves has helped him take flight. As the reigning two-time PRCA Announcer of the Year, Lucia is excited about the next step in his lifetime career. “The NFR can be a monster if you let it,” he said. “But if you become friends with the monster, if you’re spending time with the monster and you’ve seen the monster in the dark, it takes the intimidation factor away. Oh, there are still going to be nerves. It’s an intimidating event, but being there in the capacities I’ve been there in the past gives me confidence. “I know my way around. I know what that energy feels like.” Mooney comprehends that. He’s been one of the voices nine times. He and Lucia will be joined as NFR personnel by three other Cinch cowboys: assistant sound director Josh “Hambone” Hilton, bullfighter Dusty Tuckness (now in his 16th consecutive year at the post), and Garrett Yerigan, a two-time Announcer of the Year who will be one of the men calling the National Finals Breakaway Roping at the South Point Hotel & Casino. “This is a labor of love,” said Mooney of Elijay, Georgia. “Everybody wants to be part of the greatest rodeo on the planet and, quite honestly, everybody needs a job in December if you’re in the rodeo business.” It isn’t without its challenges, though. There will be 118 contestants at this year’s finale, there’s research on all players to provide the most necessary facts possible while not repeating everything, then doing it in just a handful of seconds between runs. “The first four or five rounds is really difficult, because you have a lot of repeat customers,” Mooney said, referring to ticket-buyers who attend multiple nights in a row. “You want to say if this guy’s been there six times and where he’s from and his wife’s name and if they have kids, but you want to mix it up. “From Nights 5-10, then the drama of the actual event itself falls into place: ‘He’s won money five nights in a row; he’s batting a thousand, and Babe Ruth never hit the ball like that.’ The next guy could set a new record or something else could happen. You’ve done all your homework before you get there, and then you’re doing your homework as it happens, because that’s how it happens in Las Vegas.” The NFR is certainly a production befitting the City of Entertainment. With go-rounds paying winners nearly $37,000 per night, the drama unfolds right before the eyes of the emcees, whether they’re veterans like Brooks or Mooney or a neophyte like Lucia. “It was just a matter of time,” Mooney said. “He’s one of the up-and-coming stars in the rodeo announcement industry, and it’s his time.” The trio of voices offer distinct differences. Whether it’s Brooks’ delivery or Mooney’s Southern drawl or the nuances Lucia passes along, it’s a team effort to enlighten and entertain thousands of rodeo night after night. “Roger and Wayne are the veterans, the guys that have been there, done that and have the buckles to prove it,” Lucia said. “They’ve been an immense amount of help when it comes to getting ready. They’ve been awesome in setting me up for success.”

Cooper Cooke of Victor, Idaho, is one of three Cinch bareback riders that will compete at the 2025 National Finals Rodeo. Cooke will return to Las Vegas for the second straight year and will be joined by Texan Cole Franks and Louisianan Waylon Bourgeois. (PRCA PHOTO BY ALEXIS CADY)   Cinch bareback riders will put their exuberance on display at NFR There’s a youth movement in bareback riding at the National Finals Rodeo. The average age of the 15 qualifiers to ProRodeo’s grand finale is 25.2 years of age. While many experts consider that the prime age for elite athletes, there’s something more to consider: Two of the 15 are in their 30s, and one of those is 37. Cinch cowboy Cooper Cooke exemplifies the surge in the younger generation. At 23, he just earned his second straight bid to the NFR, which takes place Dec. 4-13 at Las Vegas. He rides in as the 10th-ranked man in the field with $142,540 in money earned through the regular season. His biggest payday came north of the border. Cooke won the Calgary (Alberta) Stampede, cashing in $64,000 Canadian dollars that count toward his spot in the standings. “That’s probably the most meaningful win I’ve ever had, especially because my family was there to watch it,” Cooke told the Calgary Herald. The Victor, Idaho, cowboy picked up a few other wins, but the key ingredient was cashing in all season. That’s a similar path taken by his fellow Cinch endorsees, Waylon Bourgeois and Cole Franks. This will be Franks’ fourth venture to the Nevada desert in five years, but it is Bourgeois’ first qualification. “I’m just taking it in and enjoying it,” said Bourgeois, 26, of Church Point, Louisiana. “Whenever it’s time to go to work, we’re going to work. I’ve got some goals set. I definitely want to get some round wins. Going after that average title is a big deal, but I think the big thing is taking it in, enjoying it and making memories.” An all-around athlete while crowing up in Cajun country, he advanced to the College National Finals Rodeo three times while competing at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana – he would have made it four in a row had the 2020 season not been hijacked by COVID. Franks made the most of his college experience. He won the intercollegiate bareback riding and all-around titles in 2021 while helping accrue points to help win the team title for Clarendon (Texas) College, which is coached by his father, Bret. Cole Franks then was named the Bareback Riding Resistol Rookie of the Year that season en route to his first NFR; he won $150,000 in Las Vegas that December and finished third in the world standings. He heads back to Sin City fifth on the money list with $200,000 in his pocket. The key to such a successful campaign? He married the former Dustie Warr in May, and the two are expecting their first child in February. “Everything seemed a little easier this year,” said Franks, 24, of Clarendon. “Everything was balanced a little better this year. Life in general was a lot more balanced, so I feel like that translated over to rodeo and just made everything easier.” The young men mature in time, but their energy and their athletic excellence will be on display for 10 December nights in the City of Lights.

J.D. Struxness will have an opportunity to defend his steer wrestling world championship during his seventh qualification to the National Finals Rodeo. Struxness, the 2016 intercollegiate champion, heads to Las Vegas No. 6 in the world standings. (PRCA PHOTO BY ROSEANNA SALES)   MILAN, Minn. – The gleam of gold will tarnish, but what that buckle represents to J.D. Struxness will stand the test of time. He is a world champion, a title bestowed upon him 11 months ago for his accomplishments as one of the elite steer wrestlers in ProRodeo. Struxness returns to the spotlight again – his seventh qualification to the National Finals Rodeo – to defend his crown. “That gold buckle still fits good,” said Struxness, 31, originally from Milan but now living in Perrin, Texas. “The accomplishment of that lifelong goal is a big deal, just like every year, and you get reminded that you’ve got to go back next year because it doesn’t matter what buckle you wear. “Rodeo can be a ruthless game, and it doesn’t take long to remind you what it requires to be good.” Struxness is good, and he’s followed the required curriculum to make that a fact. He burst onto the ProRodeo scene as the 2015 Steer Wrestling Rookie of the Year. In June 2016, he was earned the title of national champion while competing for Northwestern Oklahoma State University. A few weeks later, he won the Cheyenne (Wyoming) Frontier Days Rodeo for the first time, and all that momentum propelled him to his first NFR qualification. He finished that season fourth in the world standings, then returned to ProRodeo’s grand finale in 2017 and ’19 and hasn’t missed one since ’22. He earned the right to battle for another title by finishing the 2025 regular season with $138,672, sixth on the money list. With that, he’ll be part of an elite field at the NFR, which features only the top 15 contestants in each event during the Dec. 4-13 finale. “I’m looking forward to being there and being able to ride my own horses,” said Struxness, who competed last year on Ty Erickson’s Horse of the Year. “I was glad to ride Crush at the finals last year, but my horses were doing good, so I went ahead and gave them a chance. Without good horses, you don’t really have a shot at all to make it back (to the NFR).” That’s true. Crush was critical in Struxness’ gold buckle, but there were a trio of equine partners that are giving him a chance to earn another one: bulldogging mounts Izzy and Ike and hazing horse Jenny. Izzy is the veteran, but she suffered an injury, so Ike, a 7-year-old gray gelding, got moved up to the first team. Jenny, a 6-year-old mare, will be ridden by hazing legend Matt Reeves to help keep the steers lined out. “Ice was supposed to be the B team and get some exposure this year, but right after Calgary, Izzy got hurt and went down for the rest of the year, so Ice became the primary,” said Struxness, who credits some of his success to his sponsors, AH Inc., Purple Wave Auction, Arena Trailer Sales, Unbeetable Feeds, 4-Star Trailers, Equinity, Western Legacy and Ariat. It wasn’t the easiest decision, because horsepower is a vital cog in the world of rodeo. Without the kind of mount that will get him into position to perform at optimum level, there isn’t much of a chance for success. That’s why he talked about it with his wife, Jayden. Together, they realized Ice was the best option. “He was to the point where he was ready for a chance to prove that he could make it,” he said. “We had some big rodeos. We went into the (fourth week of July) where we had some big (Utah) rodeos in Salt Lake City, Spanish Fork and Ogden, and Jayden and I made a deal that if it looked like he wasn’t going to be able to handle it, we’d switch some things up. He did pretty good at the first one, and then we won Spanish Fork again. “For the rest of the year, his confidence just kept getting higher and higher. He was performing with confidence everywhere we went. He really stepped up there and came into himself as a force in the bulldogging-horse world.” That’s reason enough to press the accelerator on the young gelding, but there are other reasons. Struxness knows he’ll need every advantage possible when it comes to competing at the NFR, where go-round winners will pocket $37,000. Last December, he gathered $162,000 in 10 nights and needed every dime possible. He won the world title by just $1,500 over Mississippian Will Lummus, who leads the brigade into Sin City. Struxness trails Lummus by $56,000, but magic happens inside the Thomas & Mack Center, the championship’s home since 1985. he can move into the lead in just two nights. “It’s awesome the way the money’s gone up in rodeo,” Struxness said. “It’s not only PRCA events, but then we’ve got all these outside events where you can make a lot of money. That’s the side the people don’t even really see.” Take his fall. He’s earned $60,000 at rodeos since the 2025 regular season ended Sept. 30, with the biggest portion coming the opening weekend of November. He cleared $36,500 at The Hondo Rodeo, which took place at Chase Field in Phoenix. “There was a time when you maybe had your circuit finals in October or November, and that was about it before the NFR,” he said. “Now, you’ve got these other opportunities. You’re able to win some good money going into the NFR and make it to where your job stays pretty steady.” It also helps with the momentum necessary to excel once he arrives in the City of Entertainment. It wasn’t just The Hondo that allowed the Minnesota cowboy to show off his horsepower; he also did so at the  Continue Reading »

After some struggles at the 2024 National Finals Rodeo, Nebraska bareback rider Garrett Shadbolt let it motivate him this season. He earned nearly $170,000 riding bucking horses and will return to the NFR for the fourth time. (PRCA PHOTO BY PHIL DOYLE)   MERRIMAN, Neb. – Garrett Shadbolt has been on a 12-month mission. It’s redemption he seeks, and he’s given himself a chance to obtain it. He will make that next step during this year’s National Finals Rodeo, set for Dec. 4-13 in the Thomas & Mack Center at Las Vegas. “This is my fourth time going to Vegas,” said Shadbolt, 29, a bareback rider from near Merriman. “I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about how it went last year, and that was pretty bad. I guess I have a lot of ground to make up, so I’m back with a vengeance this time. I’m ready to get back to the NFR and have the performance I should have had last year.” It was a rough 10 days in the Nevada desert for the Nebraska cowboy, but just making it to the sport’s grand championship is quite an accomplishment. Over the last five years, he’s only missed the NFR one time, and that was because an injury sidelined him most of the season. Alas, he battled some of the rankest bucking horses in ProRodeo for a week and a half and never finished among the top six, which is what it takes to get paid at that marquee event. To add to the disappointment is that the NFR features the biggest pay for play each year. It was a chance to cash in, and Shadbolt left Las Vegas like many wannabe gamblers hoping to strike it rich. “It’s always new when you’re in Vegas, and I don’t think a guy’s ever going to get used to that rodeo,” he said. Still, it’s where he and every other cowboy making a living in the sport wants to be each December. His 2025 Revenge Tour commenced early. He was not only earning paychecks, but he cashed in big with the title in February at Rapid City, South Dakota. He continued a solid streak of paydays along the way, finishing the regular season seventh in the world standings with $168,261. “It was a really good year,” said Shadbolt, who credits a portion of his success to his sponsors, Ranada Fashion, Crusty’s Feed Store, Dragonfly Performance Horses, Topp Hereford, Romsa Farm & Ranch and Fuel Grill in Gordon, Nebraska. “I rodeoed harder this year than I have probably since my rookie year. “We put in a lot of work, but I was also traveling with two guys, Bradlee Miller and Gavin French. That was really fun; I haven’t traveled as three guys very often. We just had a really good group of guys put together. It was just a good deal all the way around.” It was in multiple ways. French finished fourth in the Resistol Rookie of the Year race, and Miller will head to his second straight NFR third in the world standings with $207,474. “Bradlee and I started off this year with the plan to finish first and second,” said Shadbolt, who lives in the country with his wife, Katie, and their four children: George, 5; Mavis, 3; Lindin, 2: and Prairie, who was born July 27. “We spent a decent amount of time one and two (in the standings) this year; that was pretty cool. We were splitting wins, which was great. “We were also going one-two at rodeos. I’ve definitely never had that experience in my career before, but it was freaking awesome. We were really hot this winter. Showing up at a rodeo with your traveling buddy, and one guy wins and one guy gets second means you’re doing something right.” He wants to parlay that run of good luck beyond the tables on The Strip and directly to the famous yellow bucking chutes inside the Thomas & Mack. “The thing I probably learned the most last year is about having good gear, which I should know,” he said. “My gear really failed me bad at last year’s NFR, and it cost me a lot of money, so I’ve been working a lot harder to have better gear this year.” He’ll need it. While the bucking horses are the best, so are the 14 other bareback riders. Only the elite in ProRodeo earn the right to compete in Las Vegas. There’s big money available, with go-round winners earning nearly $37,000 per night for 10 days. In his initial venture to the NFR in 2021, Shadbolt accrued nearly $100,000 over 10 December nights. He’d like to get back to that and gain his redemption on the disappointment he had last year. “Traveling with good people made it easier, but 100 percent of my driving force on this year has been to get back to Vegas and rectify how it went,” Shadbolt said. “I thought about it every single time I rode this year. It irritated me so much for a lot of different reasons, but mainly I know I can do so much better. “It really lit a fire under my ass, because I hold myself to a higher standard than that.” It comes from his raising. He is the fifth generation of his family to live and work on the northern portion of Nebraska in the middle of the Sandhills. His faith and work ethic were what drove him to wrestle at Doane College in Crete, Nebraska. When his intercollegiate career was complete, he turned to his roots and riding bucking horses. He’s made a pretty good living at it. In 2019, he was the Bareback Riding Rookie of the Year. Since he started, he’s pocketed $615,000 while spurring 1,200 pounds of equine dynamite. He wants to keep adding to it. Rodeo is an important component to how he feeds his growing family, and diapers for a newborn aren’t cheap. “It was tougher for me  Continue Reading »

Over the last 12 months, Bradlee Miller has earned more than $440,000 riding bucking horses, including $234,000 at last year’s National Finals Rodeo. He returns to the scene of the crime as the third-ranked bareback rider in the world standings. (PRCA PHOTO BY ALEXIS CADY)   HUNTSVILLE, Texas – The life Bradlee Miller had as a professional bareback rider changed Dec. 5, 2024. It was the first round of his first National Finals Rodeo. Miller, who was wrapping his sophomore campaign in ProRodeo, had entered championship as the 11th-ranked cowboy in the world standings. He had earned nearly $140,000 during the regular season, which is a hefty sum. He was content and excited to compete at the sport’s biggest event. Before he nodded his head to start the ride on Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Shady Nights, Miller hadn’t even dreamed of what was possible, but the 86.5-point ride was good enough for second place and served as a catalyst. He placed in eight rounds – a third-place or higher finish seven times – and collected $234,038 during his 10-day stay at Las Vegas. “My confidence was a lot different this year compared to last year,” said Miller, 22, of Huntsville. “When I made the NFR last year, I felt in the back of my mind like it was still a fluke and still like I got lucky to make it. After I did well there, I finally believe that I was meant to be there. “Going into this year, I felt like I was one of the best bareback riders in the world, at least good enough to compete with the best in the world. No matter what horse that’s underneath me, I felt like I could handle anything.” It’s why he’s not only returning to ProRodeo’s grand finale but will arrive as a contender for the world championship. He finished the regular season with $207,474 and sits third in the world standings. Fellow Texan Rocker Steiner leads the pack of bronc busters with more than $300,000 in earnings, but ground can be made up quickly in the Entertainment Capital of the World. The NFR will pay go-round winners nearly $37,000 per night, so Miller could move into the lead in just three nights if everything goes his way. “I’ve just kept getting on bucking horses to keep the momentum from this season,” said Miller, who dominated the Texas Circuit Finals Rodeo in early October, winning three of four rounds and the aggregate title by having the best four-ride cumulative score. “I was 90 points the other day (at The Hondo Rodeo the first weekend in November), so that helps the confidence. “I don’t remember who said it, but you’ve got to practice winning. You don’t practice getting on; you practice winning, so that’s what I’ve been trying to do is going to more rodeos and working on that.” The mentality has certainly paved a way for Miller, a five-time College National Finals Rodeo qualifier while competing at hometown Sam Houston State University for his father, rodeo coach Bubba Miller – he earned four straight trips to Casper, Wyoming, in bareback riding and added another in bull riding. In fact, he still hungers for the chance to compete in bull riding professionally to see if he can be elite in two events. “I’m planning on getting on some (practice) bulls whenever I get home from the NFR,” he said. For now, though, his focus is on riding bucking horses. He finished the 2024 campaign fourth in the world standings with more than $370,000. Rodeo is unique in that money not only helps pay bills, but dollars equal championship points. The contestant in each event with the most money when the NFR concludes will be crowned the world titlist. “My plan was to go back to the NFR No. 1 this year, but then I had to take all of July off,” Miller said, referring to a groin injury that sidelined him for four weeks. “I felt like that hurt my chances, but still going in third, it just adds to the confidence. “I felt like last year I was like one of those songwriters that has one big hit. Do you really believe you’re a good one or not? Now, I feel like I am going in as one of the best in the world this year, not one that got lucky and somehow made it.” He’s adding to the song he started more than a dozen months ago. This verse is a bit more melodic, something that comes with greater experiences. He battled through a neck-and-shoulder injury at Las Vegas; he wasn’t just building confidence but also knowledge of how to overcome challenges. “Looking back, it was kind of a self-inflicted injury,” said Miller, who credits part of his success to his sponsors, Barstow Pro Rodeo, Wrangler, American Hat Co., Pete Carr Pro Rodeo, Gordy And Sons, Triple Deuce Angus, and Queen Creek Health Center. “I built a new neck roll, one that would look better than the one I normally ride with. The seams were cutting into my trap(ezius) muscle, so the neck roll wasn’t supporting my head the way it was supposed to. “Once I figured out what was actually happening, it was a lot easier to mitigate the problem, but I still felt like an idiot.” He didn’t ride like one in 2025. In fact, he picked up a least a share of 14 event titles. Of those, 10 came in Texas. From Dalhart to El Paso to Huntsville and almost everywhere in between, he was riding a success rate like no other. “One thing you don’t realize is that the No. 1 and No. 2 checks pay exponentially bigger than the fourth-, fifth- and sixth-place checks,” he said. “I was having some $10,000 and $20,000 weekends this year instead of the $4,000 and $5,000 weekends the year before.” His biggest victories came at opposite ends of the campaign’s spectrum. He won San Antonio in February,  Continue Reading »

Steer wrestler Bridger Anderson utilized a steady approach to his 2025 regular season. The result is a return to ProRodeo’s grand championship, the National Finals Rodeo, where the North Dakotan will be in a battle for the world championship. (PRCA PHOTO BY CLICK THOMPSON)   CARRINGTON, N.D. – The old adage “slow is smooth; smooth is fast” is a disciplinary message for high-profile athletes. In rodeo, contestants use that mindset on a daily basis, concentrating on the fundamentals to ensure success. Steer wrestler Bridger Anderson took it a step further this year; it wasn’t just a run-by-run approach to posting the fastest times possible but also how he considered his schedule. Even during the busiest times of the 2025 season, a steady pathway paid dividends. “I didn’t do the trailer race,” he said, referring to the many miles contestants sometimes travel in a short amount of time to compete at as many rodeos as possible. “Instead of hitting 14 rodeos over the July Fourth run, I went to one rodeo a day and felt good for the most part. I wasn’t trying to work two rodeos in a day as much. “I was able to get a full night’s sleep most every night, then I felt good when I showed up to rodeos. You only get to go to 80 rodeos a year, so we might as well feel good at 80 of the ones you can get to.” The results were considerable. Anderson had the best regular season of his career, cashing in for $109,328. He sits 12th in the world standings, qualifying for the National Finals Rodeo for the third time in six years. It will be his chance to shine at the world’s richest rodeo, where go-round winners will pocket nearly $37,000 for 10 December nights. “I’m excited to be going back,” said Anderson, 27, originally from Carrington but now living near Millsap, Texas. “The main goal every year is to make the NFR and hopefully go out there and make some money.” This is the sport’s Super Bowl and World Series wrapped in a week and a half of intense competition. It features only the top 15 contestants in each event based on their regular-season earnings. It’s where world champions will be crowned at the conclusion of the NFR, which takes place Dec. 4-13 at the Thomas & Mack Center. In order to battle for those elusive gold buckles, cowboys have to make it to Las Vegas, and that’s easier said than done. The only way to get paid is to beat most of the field at each stop, which is a difficult feat. Anderson collected five rodeo titles, including a shared championship at the Cody (Wyoming) Stampede. That was worth $6,909, so the bulk of his earnings came outside the winner’s circle. “If you win a rodeo, that’s awesome, but second place pays good, too,” said Anderson, who credits a great deal of his success to his sponsorship partners, Cinch, Korral Supply, Golden Harvest, Huwa Enterprises, Hepper Ranch and Performing Horses, Diamond S Performance Horses and Smiles for Jake. “We tried to just click along as much as we could by making patient runs. “I feel like that was the biggest thing this year: Anytime I made patient runs and didn’t try to speed anything up, I usually ended up placing. Every time I got in a hurry, I usually got into a speed-jam, and it didn’t work out very good for me. I really focused on making patient runs most of the year, and I think I did about 80 percent of the time.” He competed with a purpose, and the rewards were plenty. “Not everybody’s going to hit the home run,” he said, using a baseball analogy to explain the steady pace he used. “It’s a matter of getting base hits and getting on base. Eventually the home runs make it to the NFR.” The last time he advanced to the NFR was two seasons ago, and he entered the fray 14th in the world standings with $85,511. The money has changed drastically since then, with 19 bulldoggers earning at least $100,000 in 2025. It takes a higher spot on the money list to advance. “Bulldogging is always really tight; everybody in the top 50 has a shot at making the NFR,” he said. “It’s just a matter of hitting the right lick. When it’s your time to capitalize, be ready for it and ride the wave as long as you can. We do a pretty good job of whoever draws the best steer usually wins something. There are also guys that make the NFR by taking average steers and being able to place on them and even win on them. “I think I’ve progressed over the years and gotten a lot more mature in my bulldogging. I think we’ve gotten considerably better, and we’re at a point now when we make patient runs, we’re getting paid. It’s a matter of trying to be smooth, and we’re starting to incorporate that to where it’s getting pretty consistent.” One aspect that has been dependable has been Anderson’s horsepower. He trusts his main mount, Whiskers, a 16-year-old bay gelding. This year, he added Twix to the mix, bringing in a 10-year-old buckskin gelding as the hazing horse. The two animals were instrumental in his success. “Whiskers was great all year, and then I got a new haze horse, Twix, that worked awesome,” said Anderson, the 2019 intercollegiate national champion at Northwestern Oklahoma State University who first qualified for the NFR in 2020. “Whiskers feels awesome; he’s just a real consistent horse that I think is getting better with age. I would say he’s in his prime right now. I’ve been able to make the high school finals, the college finals and the NFR on him, so he’s been pretty special. “I bought Twix right before Houston, and I practiced on him three days, gave him the day off, and took him to Bay City  Continue Reading »

Jess Pope enters his sixth straight National Finals Rodeo fourth in the bareback riding world standings. He’s had great success at the NFR, with three average titles, a world championship and nearly $1 million in earnings over 50 go-rounds. (PRCA PHOTO BY CLICK THOMPSON)   WAVERLY, Kan. – Jess Pope’s star has shined bright most of the 2025 ProRodeo regular season. The illumination might be even greater in the City of Lights. Pope returns to the National Finals Rodeo for the sixth straight year as the No. 4-ranked cowboy in the bareback riding world standings. With experience on his side and a history of greatness inside the Thomas & Mack Center, Pope is in position to make a run at a second world championship. “I’m looking forward to getting back to Las Vegas and having a chance at a ton of money,” said Pope, 27, of Waverly, Kansas. “Being out there, we get on the best 105 horses that we can come up with as contestants. It’s something I’ve dreamed of, and it still doesn’t seem for real that it’s going to be my sixth one.” He’s done a lot in a short amount of time. He ended 2019 sitting 28th in the standings during his rookie campaign, but Pope has finished among the top five in each of the past five seasons. He’s excelled at a high level. Over his career – and heading into this year’s trip to the Nevada desert – he has earned $1.8 million. It’s an incredible sum, but more than half of it has come when the spotlight is at its brightest. He has cleared $959,154 in NFR earnings since his first qualification in 2020. He’s a three-time NFR average champion, meaning he posted the best 10-round cumulative score consecutively from 2020-22, when he walked away from the Vegas dripping in rodeo gold. Pope rode through the rigors of the 2025 campaign on a hot streak. He earned at least a share of 12 rodeo victories and pocketed $203,629. It’s the most he’s ever earned in a regular season, and he’s looking to add to it. He trails the standings leader, Texan Rocker Steiner, by $100,000, but ground can be made up quickly in Sin City, where go-rounds will pay winners nearly $37,000. That means Pope can burst into the lead in just three rounds. “It’s been a great year,” he said. “It’s one of the best, if not the best. I was just enjoying rodeo and drawing good horses, then I was taking advantage of every opportunity that was put in front of me. “The World’s Toughest Rodeos (a series of events) in the winter were really good to me. During the Texas swing, I didn’t have any big wins at them, but I won a lot of money and placed … I was just kind of that silent guy. That set up everything.” A key victory, he said, came June 8 during the “Riggin’ Rally,” the Darby (Montana) Xtreme Bareback competition. It was worth $13,361, but there was more than money involved for the Kansas champ. “I think all the wins have their own moments, but the ‘Riggin’ Rally’ was probably the biggest one for me, just because it really set a lot of confidence in me going into June and July,” said Pope, who credits a great deal of success to his sponsors, Moly Manufacturing, DewEze, Mahindra, Roxor, JD Hudgins Brahman Bulls, Graham School for Cattlemen, Resistol, Justin, Bloomer, Panhandle and Rock & Roll Clothing, Veach’s Custom Leather, Emporia Livestock Sales and T Bar T Cattle Co. The Darby event also featured only bareback riders, and the field was packed with the top talent in the game; of the entrants, a third the crowd has either been to the NFR or will be competing this year for the first time. The momentum Pope created then continued to build, and he had booked his return trip to Las Vegas a couple months earlier than a year ago, when he had some key late-season earnings to propel him. “It was just more of a sigh of relief for me,” he said. “Going through July and all that, I was looking at making the NFR knowing I was going to make it rather than trying to scratch for every dollar I could to get close to the top 15 by the end of the year (when the season concludes Sept. 30).” That comfort offered him other opportunities, too. He ventured back to the Kansas Flint Hills to do cowboy things and spend time with his family, including his wife, Sydney. “I went home more this year than I ever have,” he said. “We’re building our cattle herd, and our horses are doing good. Sydney’s doing great, so to be a able to get home, work and build our place … you can’t ask for anything more.” The work never stops, but it’s a blessing for a man who likes his time at home even though his job as a bareback rider keeps him on the road often throughout the year. Pope also competes in the most physically demanding event in rodeo, where cowboys wear specially designed gloves with binds on the edges that they wedge into their tight rigging handles. The riggings are strapped tightly to the horses, so men are virtually locked onto an equine athlete exuding extreme force. “I feel really good,” Pope said. “I am just dealing with the normal stuff that I have going on and somethings I’ll deal with forever, but none of it’s anything serious. than that, I feel as healthy as I can.” He’ll need it. The NFR features the top bucking horses in the business, all selected by the top bareback riders in the game. While in Las Vegas, Pope will be joined by one of his traveling partners, Louisianan Kade Sonnier. The two hit the trail together as much as possible, but sometimes their schedules didn’t align. That’s when Pope utilized his wherewithal to  Continue Reading »

Bareback riding world champion Dean Thompson will try to defend his Montana Silversmiths gold buckle during his third qualification to the sport’s Super Bowl, the National Finals Rodeo. Thompson won the average championship in 2024, which catapulted him to the top of the bareback riding mountain. (PRCA PHOTO BY ALEXIS CADY)   ALTAMONT, Utah – Inside a home in this quaint community of 250 people, a cherished trophy rests on a mantel. It’s a Montana Silversmiths buckle, the one Dean Thompson earned 11 months ago. It’s made to be worn, and Thompson does attach it some, but its rightful place is on the home’s centerpiece, a shelf that holds the symbol of a year’s worth of effort, challenges and overcoming all odds to win rodeo gold. “It’s something I’m going to continue looking at,” said Thompson, 23, the reigning world champion bareback rider from Altamont. “It’s just been a shock to the system in a way. It’s crazy to think that all you’ve ever wanted to do is win the world title in bareback riding, and it comes true.” He’s not pinching himself. His dream became a reality, and he’s spent most of the 2025 regular season reimagining every stage of that magical year. He has been recognized at rodeos across the country for his status. His likeness will adorn the program at this year’s National Finals Rodeo, and one night of tickets to the sport’s championship event will feature his image. It comes with the territory of winning a world championship, but so does defending that title. Thompson will get his shot at this year’s NFR, set for Dec. 4-13 at Las Vegas. It marks his third straight qualification to the grand finale, and he will arrive in Sin City eighth in the world standings with $166,536 in season earnings. So, why doesn’t he just wear the buckle that brings him so much pride? “I have, and I’m planning on having a belt made for it, one that makes it worthwhile on really special occasions,” he said. “I’ll maybe wear it to one of my buddies’ weddings or take it to church on the weekends. It’s something that’s for the really meaningful events, but it’s got to have a belt of its own.” There’s something else. “I’ve been wearing my (NFR) average buckle for quite a while, and one day I looked down, and it was tarnished,” said Thompson, who credits a big part of his success to his partners, Sabey Trucking, Rock & Roll Denim, Dan’s Tire Service, Beddy’s Beds, War Bonnet Hats and Kings Peak Ready Mix. “I’d only been wearing it for a month, and I thought, ‘My gold buckle is never getting tarnished.’ “I might wear my second one, but that first one’s got to stay up on the mantel.” It’s a special trophy, for certain, especially for a cowboy who achieved it during his sophomore campaign in ProRodeo. Not only did Thompson earn a spot in the elite NFR field of 15 bareback riders in 2023, he finished third in the race to be the Rookie of the Year. He just kept building in Season No. 2. What happens this year remains to be seen, but there have been many positives that led him back to the Entertainment Capital of the World. “If you look at it like a building, I feel like it’s been a steep staircase climb over the last three years,” he said. “In November 2023, I knew Vegas would be hard, and I think part of the problem was that I’d heard it was going to be. I made it almost too big in my brain where I made it harder than it needed to be. It felt like I was trying too hard, and I was just so tight. It made me slow. “In 2024, I went there and said, ‘Win or lose, I don’t really care. I made it to Vegas, and I’m one of the top riders in the world. I’m going to make the best spur rides I could and see what happens.’ ” What happened was a spectacular display of talent in a field of talented athletes. Thompson won the aggregate championship by having the best 10-ride cumulative score, which paid him more than $86,000. In all, the Utah cowboy cashed in for $239,924. He finished the year with $412,121. He then utilized that momentum into the 2025 campaign. He was steady and strong from the winter months to the fall, a consistent string of success that he hopes to build on when he returns to the City of Lights. “This year I realize that my good spur rides are going to lead to wins,” Thompson said. “Maybe when I roll into Vegas, it’ll be more of me letting my riding speak for itself. Right now, it feels like I’m ready to take the world by storm.” A winning formula comes from a winning mindset. Thompson realized that a year ago, when he redirected his approach to the game. He maintained a strong mental game throughout the regular season, able to overcome the challenges that arise in the midst of riding broncs for a living. “I think one of the things that comes with maturity – and it may be one of the hardest things – is just swallowing your ego, being willing to change,” he said. “You need to be critical of your riding style, seeing the real flaws. The game is also always evolving, and what the judges like, they like. If they don’t like what you’re doing, it’s time to change something. “My wife also went with me quite a bit. She’s my social media manager, my videographer and does all my media stuff. She’s also way more positive than I am, so it’s good to have that with you. It’s so critical to remail positive. She’s a great traveling partner, and it makes leaving the house a lot less difficult.” It’s a nice transition for the couple that just shared  Continue Reading »

Tucker Allen returns to his second straight National Finals Rodeo as the No. 5 man in the steer wrestling world standings. The California cowboy will battle for the most cherished prize in rodeo, the world champion’s gold buckle, during 10 days in Las Vegas. (PRCA PHOTO BY HAILEY RAE)   VENTURA, Calif. – The boundary between confident and cocky can be razor thin, but it’s a necessary balancing act for athletes to become champions. It’s a line Tucker Allen walks, but he’s humble enough to give credit elsewhere. It’s part of the territory he rides as a ProRodeo steer wrestler. He concluded the 2025 regular season with $150,867 and will compete at his second straight National Finals Rodeo as the No. 5 man in the world standings. “I just expect to win when I show up,” said Allen, 26, of Ventura. “I’m not saying you’re going to win every time, but you’ve proven to yourself that you can, and you know the work that it takes to be able to put yourself in those winning situations.” He’s had some help along the way, namely Justin Shaffer, also a two-time NFR qualifier and one of Allen’s traveling partners. Shaffer owns a few excellent horses, and those equine partners were a big part of why three cowboys will be back at ProRodeo’s grand championship, set for Dec. 4-13 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. “Horsepower is the reason, along with the work we put in all year,” said Allen, who will be joined not only by Shaffer but also another member of their posse, Jesse Brown, a six-time qualifier. “I pretty much rode Justin’s horses all year.” The big name is Banker, the 2025 PRCA/AQHA Steer Wrestling Horse of the Year, but there was also MGH, a gray horse that helped Allen to the biggest win of his career: the 2025 RodeoHouston victory, valued at $72,000. Almost half his season earnings came in the fourth largest city in the United States. “The horses Justin has and having him haze for me was big,” said Allen, who credits part of his success to his sponsors, Resistol, Cinch, Best Ever Pads, Roan & Co. and Cedar Gap Wealth Management. “The whole crew – him, Jesse, Holden Myers and Jace Melvin – we’re all good together. It was a cool thing when we showed up, because I can’t tell you one spot that we showed up that one of us didn’t win a check. “When you’re around those guys, it’s hard not to do good.” All but Myers have qualified for the NFR, but he’s a third-generation bulldogger whose father, Rope, and grandfather, Butch, earned world championships. Both Myers and Melvin were among the top 25. In total, the five cowboys pocketed nearly $650,000 during the regular season; Allen, Shaffer and Brown are among the top five on the money list heading to Sin City. “Going last year pretty much helped me take the shock out of competing at the NFR,” said Allen, who earned $92,000 over 10 nights last December and finished 11th in the standings. “Every guy has first-year jitters. It wasn’t a bad finals, but I expect more out of myself this year. I’m more comfortable in that situation. It’s not as mentally taxing because you know what to expect and how to prepare for each day. “There’s a lot that happens at the NFR. You have autograph signings and other obligations. It’s not that I don’t like doing it, but it’s actually more taxing than actually competing. Running a steer is easy.” It’s comfortable. It’s where he can zone in and use a lifetime of lessons provided to him by some of the greatest steer wrestlers in rodeo history: Luke Branquinho and John W. Jones, both world champions with California roots. Fundamentals were a big part of those clinics, which comes in rather handy for Allen, listed at 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds. Technique and horsepower make all the difference. “When Luke taught me how to bulldog, I was 140 pounds, and he never had any kid steers,” Allen said with a laugh. “All of his steers were cattle he kept over from the previous year’s NFR, and they were big and strong. That’s what I had to learn on. There would be times where I’d hook up out of the chute, and I would slide them all the way to the end of the arena.” Having experts on his side was like having Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali in the corner. He also had another great trainer at the house “The guy who raised me, Ted Robinson, is really the reason I’m here,” Allen said. “He showed reined cow horse, and he’s the winningest man in the NRCHA (National Reined Cow Horse Association). I’ve lived with him since I was 13. He and my mom married when I was 13 or 14, and I’ve lived with him up to now. With him, you’re around a winner. He’s mindset wise. “Between him and Luke, they got me in that winning frame of mine, and living with Ted was just incredible. You can’t help but be a winner when you live with and surround yourself with guys like that. I pretty much owe everything to Teddy, Johnny and Luke, especially Teddy.” Allen’s dad, Mike, runs a thoroughbred ranch in Kentucky, and his mom, Marjie, trains horses in California. While she and Robinson are no longer together, Allen’s relationship with all three remains strong. All that equine in his bloodline has proven to be beneficial. He was riding horses at a young age, then got away from it for a few years. When Robinson entered his life, he was back in the saddle. He’s been riding ever since, and much of this year, he was in the saddle on Banker. “We’ve known that he was that caliber,” he said of the horse-of-the-year moniker. “It’s pretty cool to have a stamp on it and for everyone else to think he’s that  Continue Reading »

CLARENDON, Texas – The Clarendon College rodeo team is off to a hot start to the 2025-26 season, the inaugural campaign of the Caprock Region. The Bulldogs have won men’s team titles at all five fall rodeos, from Eastern New Mexico University in mid-September to the home rodeo this past weekend at Childress. The program will celebrate its season while honoring its recent history of excellence during the NFR Sendoff Party & Prime Rib Dinner at 7 p.m. Friday at the Donley County Activity Center. Tickets are $100, which includes two dinners and a chance at the $1,000 cash drawing. There will also be a silent auction and live music. “This is something we’ve been doing the last few years to show off the success our guys have been having in ProRodeo,” rodeo coach Bret Franks said. “It’s a big accomplishment for anyone to make the NFR, and we’ve been very fortunate to have some great cowboys in our program.” It’s true. This year, five Bulldogs will compete at the National Finals Rodeo: saddle bronc riders Brody Wells and Weston Patterson; bareback riders Cole Franks and Sam Petersen; and all-around cowboy Wacey Schalla, who has qualified in both bareback riding and bull riding. Each man has been part of at least one national championship while at Clarendon. Cole Franks, Wells and Patterson were part of the 2021 national championship team; Franks also won the bareback riding and all-around titles that year. Petersen was a key member of the 2023 crew that took the men’s team title. Schalla was the 2024 all-around and bull riding titlist. “These five guys mean a lot to the rodeo team and to Clarendon College as a whole,” Bret Franks said. “This community has really supported them, so we like being able to bring everybody together for a night to celebrate all their success.” Over the last decade, Clarendon College has experienced great success in rodeo, with five individuals accounting for eight championships. Wyatt Casper was the first to bring an intercollegiate title back to the Texas Panhandle when he won saddle bronc riding in 2016. Riggin Smith won the same title three years later. Weston Timberman won bareback riding in 2023 and ’24. Casper owns the most NFR qualifications of the bunch with five from 2020-24. He won the bronc riding average title last December and finished third in the world standings. He just missed making the grand finale this year, finishing 16th on the money list when only the top 15 advance. “Wyatt pretty much kicked this off for us, but we’ve had a lot of talented cowboys that have helped put Clarendon on the college rodeo map,” Franks said. “We’re pretty proud of the guys that will represent us in Las Vegas this year.”

Bareback rider Cole Franks returns for the fourth time to the National Finals Rodeo, where he has found great success in his first 30 rounds of competition in Las Vegas. He finished the regular season fifth in the world standings with a shade more than $200,000. (PRCA PHOTO BY CLICK THOMPSON)   CLARENDON, Texas – Over the past month or so, Cole Franks has been transformed. He went from mild-mannered cowboy to a supporting role on a recurring television program. It’s all part of the life of being a bareback rider, which has been documented for “Hell on Wheels,” a documentary primarily about Rocker Steiner, one of Franks’ traveling partners. The broadcasts shows the behind-the-scenes life on the road for Steiner, Franks and the third member of their posse, Louisianan Waylon Bourgeois, all of whom will be competing together again during the National Finals Rodeo, set for Dec. 4-13 at Las Vegas. A bus driver and videographer joined the traveling trio helping to capture all the significant moments. “It was a little bit of a nuisance, a little challenging during the filming and stuff, and it was one more thing we’d have to worry about and work around,” said Franks, now heading to his fourth NFR in five years. “Even though it was a bit of a pain in the ass, it was a lot of fun. We’ve been watching, and it’s pretty cool to see and know what went into making that and see how it turned out. It’s better than I was expecting.” Traditionally, rodeo cowboys like Franks load up in a pickup with a camper in the bed or in an outfitted van to make it from one rodeo to another. Because of the program, The Cowboy Channel and Boot Barn brought in a bus with a wrap that featured the show’s logo and Steiner’s likeness. It provided a few more comforts of home than the traditional means of travel, but it meant having a camera on board, too. “You just get used to it,” he said. “It was pretty easy to ignore it and still act normal with it.” Life of a rodeo cowboys is anything but normal. Franks and his team can compete at 100 rodeos a year, so that means a lot of time on the road. They might be in New Mexico one night and Oregon the next. That doesn’t allow for much time at home or with loved ones, but Franks made it work. He and the former Dustie Warr were married May 28. They’re also expecting their first child; father and baby share something in common. “Feb. 27 was my due-date, too,” said Franks, 24, who celebrates his birth on Valentine’s Day. “I think this year is probably my favorite year out of them with a lot better things happening in my life this year. Knowing I’m about to be a dad is probably the biggest highlight of my year.” It’s the next phase of life for the man who was born in the Oklahoma Panhandle community of Guymon and raised in Clarendon, Texas, where his dad, Bret, is the rodeo coach at the two-year Clarendon College. Cole Franks is a two-time college champion – three if you count that he was part of the men’s team title – while at the school in 2021, winning the all-around and bareback riding titles. That same year, he tried his hand at ProRodeo and earned his first NFR qualification, handily winning the Bareback Riding Rookie of the Year award by nearly $200,000. Franks will enter the NFR fifth on the money list with $200,362. He trails Steiner, the standings leader, by $100,000, but that ground can be made up quickly in Las Vegas, where go-round winners will pocket nearly $37,000 per night for each of the 10 rounds. “Everything seemed a little easier this year,” Franks said. “Everything was balanced a little better this year. Life in general was a lot more balanced, so I feel like that translated over to rodeo and just made everything easier.” Part of that was having two home-bases. While Clarendon is his element, his bride has spent most of her time near family in northern Utah. Like the Lone Star State, Utah is packed with rodeo talent and many great events with high purses. It’s proximity to big-time rodeos also made for a nice upgrade when the schedule moved to the Northwest in August and September. “Being ‘home’ all year definitely was a big help,” said Franks, who credits a great deal of his success to his sponsors, Boot Barn, Cinch, Pete Carr Pro Rodeo, Western Legacy Co., 287 Ag, Eliason Trucking and KN Double Cone Ranch. “I was never worn out or road weary, ready to be done … well, until the last week or so of rodeo, then I was kind of over it.” The regular season is long; the campaign is actually cyclical and wraps around itself. The 2026 term began Oct. 1 and won’t end until Sept. 30, but the 2025 world champions won’t be crowned until this winter at the NFR, set for Dec. 4-13 in the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. In addition, the cowboys who earned the right to be there have traveled tens of thousands of miles to simply drive along or by The Strip in Sin City. Franks has thrived in his three previous appearances – the one year he hasn’t made it was 2023, when he finished 17th, and only the top 15 on the money list at season’s end advance. In the 30 rounds he’s ridden out of the famous yellow bucking chutes, Franks has earned $453,340; that averages to more than $15,000 per night in the City of Lights. Much has changed since this first venture to the Nevada desert. He has built himself as a man and an athlete, and he’s worked hard to expand on the foundation of being a cowboy. “I feel like when I got my card my  Continue Reading »

Saddle bronc rider Weston Patterson had the best season of his young career with big-time rides at big-time rodeos, like the Calgary Stampede. He will compete at the National Finals Rodeo for the first time as the 11th-ranked man in the world standings. (PHOTO BY EMILY GETHKE/Calgary Stampede)   WAVERLY, Kan. – Growing up near the heart of the East Flint Hills, Weston Patterson envisioned himself a rodeo cowboy. He’s earned that title through grit, determination and a talent he’s working to perfect. Patterson just wrapped his third ProRodeo season with his first qualification to the National Finals Rodeo. He is the 11th-ranked saddle bronc rider in the world standings, having earned $173,735 through the regular season to grasp his place in the sport’s grand finale. There’s a caveat, though. Being a cowboy entails many things. So does being involved in rodeo. A natural all-around athlete, Patterson has done a variety of things in the arena. The fact that he’s excelled on 1,200 pounds of equine dynamite just adds to the lore. “I’ll be honest: I never would’ve seen myself being a bronc rider,” said Patterson, 24, of Waverly, a community of 570 folks about halfway between Ottawa and Emporia, just off Interstate 35. “I grew up with a rope in my hand and wrestling steers. My dad bulldogged. “My dad used to put on bulldogging jackpots what seemed like every weekend, and we had bulldogging steers all the time. All I knew was steer wrestling. I piddled around and roped, did all the junior rodeo things, and I was always really competitive.” That led to chasing as many championships as he could. The most-coveted in rodeo is champion all-around cowboy, the person who could gather the most points by competing in multiple events. He roped and wrestled and started getting on ponies with a bareback rigging. Once he got to high school, though, his focus was on roping. “My dad wouldn’t let me ride any roughstock,” Patterson said, referring to riding bucking animals. “I was too little, but all my buddies were riding roughstock. I hated not being down at the bucking chutes. By the time I was coming into my sophomore year, I convinced Dad into letting me at least ride saddle bronc horses.” His competitive and athletic nature was seen around the Flint Hills. He played baseball as a youngster and was heavily involved with basketball, even participating in travel leagues. Patterson also exceled at football, where he earned all-state honors. It carried over into rodeo, too. “I didn’t want to miss out on any of it,” he said. “My dad asked me one time if I had any interest in doing online school just for the sake of rodeo, and I like sports too much, so I said ‘No.’ ” He’s not done testing his talents across multiple lines, though. He still ropes and bulldogs, which is something that he carried with him with a rodeo scholarship to Clarendon (Texas) College. Patterson was a freshman in 2021 when he finished second in bronc riding at the College National Finals Rodeo; the Bulldogs men won the team title that year, so he has a national title to go with his reserve championship. Even though he knew little about the Clarendon program, there was something that intrigued him. He knew about some of the former athletes, which sparked the interest. The more he looked into it, he realized there was an opportunity to learn from the coach, Bret Franks, a four-time NFR qualifier. By then, two Clarendon bronc riders, Wyatt Casper and Riggin Smith, had won intercollegiate titles. “I really didn’t know what I was going to do,” said Patterson, who credits part of his success to his partners, Cinch, Serratelli Hats, Duck Wild Waterfowl, Graham School and Twin Motors Ford. “I asked my dad, ‘If you were in my shoes, what would you do?’ “He said, ‘If I was you, I’d sign that letter-of-intent to Clarendon and go down there, because that looks like a bronc rider’s boot camp.’ So, I grabbed that piece of paper, signed it and put it in the envelope, and I walked outside in the dark to put it in the mailbox. I didn’t think another thing about it. The only thing Bret told me was that he wanted me there but wasn’t going to beg. That made it pretty danged obvious what he was like, and I respected that.” It’s led to some big things, one of which is his teaming with Casper, the 2016 intercollegiate champion who made the last five NFRs and won the aggregate title a year ago by having the best cumulative score over 10 rounds. Patterson and Casper also travel with Jake Clark and Kade Bruno. While Clark and Casper missed this year’s NFR – Casper finished 16th, and only the top 15 advance – Patterson will find some solace in having Bruno in the mix at ProRodeo’s championship, set for Dec. 4-13 at Las Vegas. Bruno, the No. 5 bronc rider on the money list, is making his fourth straight appearance. “It’s been really handy having somebody in my back pocket to lean on for questions on how things work and where I need to be,” Patterson said. “He’s been really great about answering all my questions, because I don’t know how anything works there.” Every level of life is a learning opportunity. It’s something he realized as a teenager trying his hand on bucking broncs. He gained more knowledge in the Texas Panhandle, then jumped in the rig with Casper, Bruno and Clark. He finished his inaugural season 58th in the standings, then moved up to 40th last year. Patterson made an incredible leap into the NFR field in just three years. “My rookie year was terrible,” he said. “I tore my quad, and I didn’t ride good. I was fortunate to get picked up by Wyatt, and then Kade and Jake were with us. I knew then that I must have some  Continue Reading »

In his 15 years competing professionally, Kyle Irwin is a two-time national circuit titlist and the 2022 National Finals Rodeo average champion. The Cinch steer wrestler will compete at the NFR for the seventh time this December. (PHOTO BY LARA ST JACQUES)   A former average champ, Irwin excited for his return to the NFR Kyle Irwin’s 2025 venture to the National Finals Rodeo will be a bit different than his past few. He was in the building – the Thomas & Mack Center at Las Vegas – working and supporting his friends, fellow steer wrestlers who were battling for world championships. It was a business trip of sorts, because he served as his buddies’ hazer, helping line out the steers for them to make the best runs possible. But there was something missing: His family. Randa, Tripp, Ellie and Ike will be with him this time, his seventh qualification to the sport’s grand finale. He finished the regular season 10th in the world standings with $113,330 and is ready to battle for rodeo gold over the 10 nights of the NFR, set for Dec. 4-13. “I’m excited to have my family back there with me,” said Irwin, 35, originally from Robertsdale, Alabama, but now living in Westville, Florida. “I love seeing the excitement they have for getting to go back, because they see the work I put in to do this and the time away from them. I don’t like to call it a sacrifice, because our men and women in uniform truly sacrifice. “We get to do this, but my wife and kids miss out on me a lot, and I miss out on them a lot. My kids are watching me and seeing all the work and the practices every day into it, so they get to see that work ethic. Then guess what? Do they want to do that? It pays dividends.” Irwin will be one of nine Cinch cowboys in the NFR’s bulldogging field, joined by Will Lummus, Jesse Brown, Justin Shaffer, Rowdy Parrott, Tucker Allen, Tyler Waguespack, Stetson Jorgensen, Scott Guenthner and Bridger Anderson. That’s more than half the contingent of steer wrestlers, so there’s something special that happened through the season for the men wearing Cinch. This isn’t the first year for that, though. Waguespack owns five gold buckles, and he’s joined in the winner’s circle by Jacob Edler (2020), Tyler Pearson (2017) and Luke Branquinho (a five-time titlist) as recent Cinch world champions. Irwin has been close; he finished second in the 2014 world standings and third in 2022. That was the last time he ran a steer in Las Vegas, and much has changed in the three years since. Irwin had his best NFR ever, winning the coveted average championship and more than $150,000 over 10 December nights. He finished the year with $250,000, less than $20,000 behind the titlist, his Louisiana pal, Waguespack. “The biggest thing that’s happened since then is just maturity,” said Irwin, who began his career 15 years ago. “A friend of mine made a comment one time, ‘You’ve done a lot in the last 10 years.’ I made the finals for the first time in ’14, and that was 11 years ago. So, in 11 years, I’ve gotten married and had three children.” He and Randa are raising kids and molding young minds through their labors of love. Tripp’s the oldest, and he will be 9 in January. Ellie just turned 7, and Ike is 4. The family battled through COVID together when the pandemic shut down opportunities in rodeo; he earned less than $30,000 that year. He struggled again in 2021 when his good horse, Scooter, was retired – Irwin co-owned the former Steer Wrestling Horse of the Year with Pearson. Nothing deterred Irwin, though. He found solace this season in returning to the rig with Waguespack, traveling the country with the champ, Stetson Jorgensen and Cash Robb, that last of whom won the NFR aggregate a year ago. “I finally realized you’ve just got to do what you’ve got to do to get back,” Irwin said. “I’ve had great crews. I’ve been around great guys, but it just clicked this year. Maybe desperate times call for desperate measures, but it worked. I had told myself a few years ago that I was going to give myself three more years, and then I was going to be done. Well, it’s been four years. “So, I laughed and said, ‘That’s what I get for telling God what I’m going to do.’ I should know better, because He has the final say on everything.” It’s a good thing he stayed on the job. ProRodeo has seen a surge in financial rewards for contestants. More rodeos are increasing their purses, which means cowboys and cowgirls are able to make better livings now than ever before. As a testament, Irwin finished the 2014 campaign as the reserve world champion with $147,599. He enters this NFR with earnings that total just $34,369 less. That’s a big jump in a little more than a decade. In fact, 19 bulldoggers crossed the $100,000 threshold in earnings for 2025, but only 15 qualified to compete in the Nevada desert “It’s a good living, and we haven’t even gotten to our biggest event yet, the NFR,” he said. “It makes you look at stepping away, but then the rodeos are getting bigger and better. My kids love it, and they still want me to do it.” It’s the children that eventually lead Irwin to make the decision to hang up his spurs. “My kids are getting older, and we’ve got gymnastics, baseball and hopefully football, basketball and junior rodeo, so a guy does ask himself, ‘How long are you going to do it?’ ” Irwin said. “But with companies like Cinch and all my other sponsors, I’ve been able to make a dang good living. “Who would have ever thought that the one thing that just got me to college to get the  Continue Reading »

Louisiana bareback rider Waylon Bourgeois rides Calgary Stampede’s Cincy Whitney during the 2024 Horse Haven Roundup in Kennewick, Washington. Bourgeois has qualified to compete at the National Finals Rodeo for the first time this December after just missing the sport’s championship a season ago. (PHOTO BY ROSEANNA SALES)   CHURCH POINT, La. – Waylon Bourgeois had a fantastic 2024 ProRodeo season. He earned $123,000 riding bareback horses. It wasn’t that long ago when earning that kind of money meant a guaranteed spot among the top 15 cowboys in the world standings and a trip to the National Finals Rodeo. That wasn’t the case for Bourgeois. Instead, he finished 18th on the money list, three spots out of qualifying for that ever-important business venture to Las Vegas. Sure, there was a hint of discouragement, because every man and woman who competes in rodeo wants to battle for the world championship during the sport’s grand finale. “I’m not going to say I was disappointed in myself, because I gave it everything I got last year,” said Bourgeois, 26, of Church Point, a community of 4,000 souls in southern Louisiana. “I fell a little bit short, and that was it. I learned a bunch from it, so I wouldn’t trade that for anything.” It was also a motivating factor into his 2025 campaign. Instead of letting it defeat him, Bourgeois used that experience to drive harder and build his mind and body better. “It just made me hungrier for this year,” he said. “I learned so much from coming that close and falling short, but life isn’t fair. You can’t dwell on it. You can just make yourself better.” He has and will compete at his first NFR as the No. 12-ranked bareback rider in the standings with $137,864. He will also join his traveling partners, Texans Rocker Steiner and Cole Franks, in Las Vegas. It’s a chance for the band of bronc-bustin’ brothers to gather again, this time at the world’s richest rodeo, which features a purse of $13.5 million. Go-round winners in each event will pocket almost $37,000 for each of the 10 nights of competition in the Nevada desert, so it’s an incredible financial opportunity. “It took a lot more to make the NFR than I ever thought it was going to take,” said Bourgeois, who credits part of his success to his sponsors, Cinch, Boot Barn, Parish Rice and Burgess Brothers Bucking Horses. “I never thought about the work and the dedication that you had to put into it to get to this point. I just thought you rode good, and it was easy to make the NFR. “What I found out is you’ve got to grind it out all freaking year and just bust your ass.” It worked, and the rewards can be substantial. Rodeo’s a different type of professional sport, though. There is no guaranteed income; cowboys only earn money when they beat most of the field at any event. There are expenses, from paying for all travel costs to issuing a fee in order to compete at each stop. While the payoffs are getting better, the chance for real profit comes in Las Vegas. That’s why it’s such an important step for the Louisiana man to earn his spot in the NFR’s exclusive field. “I’m just taking it in and enjoying it,” he said. “Whenever it’s time to go to work, we’re going to work. I’ve got some goals set. I definitely want to get some round wins. Going after that average title is a big deal, but I think the big thing is taking it in, enjoying it and making memories.” This is the kind of event that is made for memories, but that’s been Bourgeois’ year in a nutshell. It’s been a whirlwind, from traveling the country by any means necessary to securing his first trip to ProRodeo’s premier championship to being part of a nationally televised documentary to marrying the love of his life. There’s more on the TV show, but the nuptials take precedence. He married his longtime girlfriend, the former Chloe Frey, on Oct. 17 in Eunice, Louisiana, not too far from where he was raised in the state’s coastal plains, some 65 miles north of the gulf coast. “Me and Chloe have been through a lot together,” Bourgeois said. “We met when I was a sophomore in high school and she was a junior. We dated for nine years, and we finally got married. Her family only lives about 15 minutes from me in a little town called Mowata, Louisiana. She comes from a rodeo background.” Yes, she does. In fact, her father, Winston Frey, qualified for the NFR in steer wrestling, and her uncle, Shawn Frey, was an NFR bareback rider. Now, she’ll be in Las Vegas as a newlywed with her husband, who has his own rodeo legacy on which to build. “My dad and his brothers all competed in the bareback riding,” Bourgeois said. “Some went further in their rodeo career than others. My dad competed in college and went to a couple ProRodeos here and there. He was a pickup man at a lot of rodeos. We lived in the country. I don’t know remember how many head we had, but we had cows.” Jeff Bourgeois spends most of his days as a tax assessor, and Eloise Bourgeois is a nurse. Together, they raised three boys on faith and family, and rodeo was always in the picture. Gavin was the first to come along, and Hayden followed two years later. Waylon was the baby, weighing in at more than 9 pounds at birth. The boys did what Southern boys do. Sports were a big part of their lives. Gavin played intercollegiate baseball; Hayden was a college football player; and Waylon went to McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana, on a rodeo scholarship after being involved in multiple sports growing up. “We were super busy as kids,” Waylon Bourgeois said. “I remember going to these  Continue Reading »

Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo committee members, from left, Carson Kane, Bailey Kane, Sherry Stonecipher and Ken Stonecipher pose with Miss Rodeo Oklahoma Cassidy Heskett after receiving the committee of the year award during the Miss Rodeo Oklahoma Hall of Fame Gala & Best of Oklahoma Awards on Saturday in Norman. (PHOTO PROVIDED)   GUYMON, Okla. – It’s been 10 years since the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. The accolades haven’t stopped. In fact, the list of accomplishments for Oklahoma’s only Hall of Fame rodeo are adding up. The most recent came during Saturday’s Miss Rodeo Oklahoma Hall of Fame Gala & Best of Oklahoma Awards in Norman. The Guymon contingent was named the rodeo committee of the year. “Just to be nominated was a big honor for us as a committee,” said Ken Stonecipher, chairman of the volunteer group. “To win this award means a lot to us and to a lot of people in Guymon. We’re very proud to be associated with the Miss Rodeo Oklahoma Pageant and Miss Rodeo America.” Committee members have gone above and beyond. The Guymon rodeo hosts many visiting queens each year, drawing royalty from several states across the country. This past year, 14 were in Texas County for rodeo week. The year before, there were 18. “We consider our rodeo a cowboy’s rodeo, one that the guys can take a lot of pride in when they come to Guymon,” Stonecipher said. “We do a lot of unique things that celebrate the cowboy way of life out here in the Panhandle, but we also do a lot of things to show our cowgirl spirit. Our visiting queens program is one of those things, and we get a ton of support for it. “It’s a testament to our community the way people show up for these girls. They’re excited to see them, and in return, the girls are excited to be part of Pioneer Days Rodeo.” It’s true. The popularity of the visiting queen program has been bolstered by the recent winners of Miss Rodeo America, who have returned to the region to be part of the festivities. “It was so much fun,” said Emma Cameron, the 2024 Miss Rodeo America. “Ken and Sherry Stonecipher do such a great job of keeping us involved and taking us to community events as state queens. It’s a great experience.” The Stoneciphers have been associated with the rodeo for years and both are directors on the volunteer-based committee. They have also hosted visiting queens for the better part of two decades. “That’s the one (rodeo) that all the state queens look forward to every year,” Cameron said. The legacy of Pioneer Days Rodeo is reflected in its motto: Where Champions Come to Play the First Weekend in May; the 2026 event is set for May 1-3. Preparation has already begun, with volunteers working year-round to ensure the top event for contestants and spectators alike. “This is Guymon’s chance to shine on a national stage, so we are diligent about putting on a great event for the community,” Stonecipher said. “Being honored with this award tells us we’re doing something right on a statewide stage, too.”

Payton Dingman hoists her goat-tying title belt alongside Northwestern Oklahoma State University alumnus Perry Dietz after Dingman won the Rangers’ rodeo over the weekend. (PHOTO PROVIDED)   ALVA, Okla. – The Northwestern Oklahoma State University rodeo team said sayonara to the Alva Dome, which has hosted the institution’s annual rodeo on the south end of town for many years. It was a grand celebration befitting the proud status of the team, and Payton Dingman has the title belt to show for it. When Northwestern hosts its rodeo next year, it will take place at the Salt Fork Event Center east of Alva. “We have this new building they’re supposed to finish in the spring, and we’re really excited to go over there,” said Dingman, a sophomore from Pryor, Oklahoma, who won the goat-tying title this past weekend at the Woods County Fairgrounds. “With it being the last rodeo in the Alva Dome, they didn’t give away buckles this year but (title) belts instead. It was super cool that every event champion got these belts.” Dingman earned hers over two rounds in the smallish indoor arena. She stopped the clock in 6.2 seconds to finish as the runner-up in the opening round, then was 6.5 to win the final round and the aggregate race. She snagged 165 points and guided the Northwestern women to a third-place finish. More importantly, she moved into the Central Plains Region lead in goat-tying. “I’m proud of Dingman for being able to step up to the plate for our program,” said Cali Griffin, the Rangers’ coach. “She has her hands full considering I asked her to be my student assistant this year and is the region director. It was also our home rodeo, where she competed in two events, but she’s a gamer. “I can trust her when I need her to step up and compete. It’s been a blast watching her grow up, and now I have the chance to watch her compete for us as a school.” Maturity is what comes with a college education. Competing at this level has its own stresses, and there is a lot that goes on with the team producing the rodeo. From gathering sponsorships to getting the arena ready, a great deal of time and energy goes into the project. “I would say it’s probably been one of the hardest weeks of the school year,” Dingman said. “There’s a lot that goes into it, and Cali wants it to be perfection and all of us to be there when we’re needed. Trying to do that, go to classes and practice makes it a tough week, but when it all pays off, it’s very rewarding.” The payoff came with making a horse change. Dingman has been riding her horse, Dolly, but she opted to borrow a horse owned by Parker McIntyre, a former Central Plains competitor who lives in the Oklahoma Panhandle. “Festus is a little bit stronger than Dolly; he gives me a little bit more send, runs a little bit faster,” Dingman said. “I’ve been visiting a lot with her and spent time out there tying with her, letting her sharpen me up, change some things in my goat-tying to make me a little faster. “At this point in my career, I feel like it’s the little things to nitpick at that have been costing me tenths of a second to win a rodeo.” Dingman led the way for the Rangers. She was joined in the winner’s circle by breakaway roper Trista Regner of Apple Valley, California, who finished third in the opening round; barrel racer Addey Lawson of Maysville, Kentucky, who was fifth in the short round and average; and three cowboys from the men’s team: Steer wrestler Sam Daly of Tryon, Nebraska, who finished fourth overall; and heelers Colter Snook of Dodge City, Kansas, and Sage Bader of Kim, Colorado. Snook finished second in the first round roping with Dexton Hoelting of Western Oklahoma State College, while Bader was sixth in the opener while roping with Mattox Moyer of Oklahoma State University. They were joined in the championship round by breakaway ropers Kinlyn Yado of Otterkein, Indiana, and Katie Ayres of Canby, Oregon; barrel racers Sadie Rempel of Nelson, Nebraska, and Savannah Greenfield of Lakeview, Oregon; steer wrestlers Riley Smith of Poteau, Oklahoma, and Emmett Edler of State Center, Iowa; and heeler Y’Leigh Yarbrough of Cheyenne, Oklahoma. The teams will have a few months off before returning to action in the spring semester. With that, Dingman is planning to capitalize on her borrowed mount for some time. “I think I’m going to be riding Festus for the rest of the year,” she said. “I was a little nervous about it because the only time I’ve gotten to tie on him was when I went out to the Panhandle a few weeks ago. We tied for several days, and I got to make some runs on him. They weren’t perfect, but I got the feeling of him.” They’re making the match work so far and will have six events to perfect it next spring.

Summer Kosel takes advantage of a very fast track inside Andy James Arena. Kosel, a 2023 National Finals Rodeo qualifier, was one of seven ladies to better the previous barrel racing arena record during the 2025 Gooding Pro Rodeo presented by Idaho Ford Dealers. She stopped the clock in 16.66 seconds to win the rodeo. (PHOTO BY LARA ST JACQUES)   Gooding Pro Rodeo earns fifth Justin Best Footing honor in six years GOODING, Idaho – Barrel racing is an event made from a combination of speed, power and equine athleticism, and there’s no better place for the best in the business than Gooding. For the fifth time in the last six years, the Gooding Pro Rodeo presented by Idaho Ford Dealers has earned the WPRA’s Justin Best Footing Award for the Wilderness Circuit, a series of regional rodeos in southern Idaho, Nevada and Utah. “It makes me feel good when the girls pull in here and say, ‘I’m bringing a horse that’s been in rehab, and I need good ground to run him,’ and that’s why they came to Gooding,” said Danny Thomason, the ground supervisor who works meticulously to ensure solid footing. “When I hear things like that, it makes me feel good.” Andy James Arena is well known for being a fast track. Arena records had been tied or broken each year from 2021-’24. Five-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier Dona Kay Rule set the mark with a 16.76-second run in 2023, and that time was matched last year by eventual world champion Kassie Mowry, a six-time finalist. That time was surpassed seven times in 2025, with South Dakotan Summer Kosel taking the gold with a 16.66-second run. In addition, it took a 16.99-second run to even place in Gooding; that time was shared by two cowgirls. “The last two years, we paid 31 places out, and all but one were sub-17-second runs,” said Don Gill, manager of the Gooding County Fair and Rodeo. “Danny does a hell of a job.” The ladies agree. “The purse was so good,” said Kosel, a 2023 NFR qualifier from Glenham, South Dakota. “The ground was very good, and it was great hospitality.” The ground was in such good shape, the cowgirl adjusted what she’d been doing with her prized speedster. Kosel recognized that she’d been a bit tentative with Apollo prior to her arrival, so she switched things up. “I always say a prayer over him, and then I told him, ‘Buddy, we’re just going to send it, and you just do what you do,’ ” said Kosel, who pocketed $6,740 for the win. “I sent him full blown, and he’s so honest that when I sit down or do my little squeezes with my legs, he’ll come around and come back to me. “The second (barrel) felt a little bit wild. I almost sent him a little bit too far past it, but he was firing so hard that he just kept running. I was actually third from last in slack, and there were right around 70 of us in slack. They had run 16.7s, so we knew the ground was good.” The Justin Best Footing Award is not only an incredible honor, but it’s built a sense of pride in both Thomason and Gill. Both are expected to be on hand next month when the rodeo committee is honored by the WPRA during a luncheon that takes place in conjunction with the NFR. “A barrel racer has to trust you to get fast times,” Thomason said. “If they come in slow-loping, they don’t trust you, and they’re not going to get a fast time. I’ve been on both ends of it. I’ve seen my horses go down and other people’s horses go down. That’s the biggest reason I’m always worried about the ground, because I want to take care of these great horses and want everybody happy.” While quality footing is vital in barrel racing, good ground is beneficial for all the other events. The equine athletes need to be comfortable with the flooring beneath them, whether they’re rounding the cloverleaf pattern in 16.66 seconds, helping a cowboy to a 3.4-second bulldogging run or being part of a 90-point bronc ride. “T.J. Korkow complements me every year on the ground for his bucking horses,” Thomason said, referring to the co-owner of Korkow Rodeos, one of three stock contractors in Gooding. “I’ve had calf ropers say something to me every year about it. “Good ground is good for everybody.”