Shank Stephens, riding for Oklahoma Panhandle State University several years ago, competes at Hitch Arena during the Doc Gardner Memorial Rodeo, which takes place Thursday-Saturday in Guymon.
(PHOTO BY DALE HIRSCHMAN)

 

GUYMON, Okla. – When Dusty Moore and Paul Peterson return to town, they’ll have a lot going on.

They are two of the three pickup men who will work the annual Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 1; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 2; and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 3, at Henry C. Hitch Pioneer Arena. They’re also alumni of the Oklahoma Panhandle State University rodeo team.

“It’s pretty cool that we have two of our alumni here for the ProRodeo,” said Shelbie Rose, Panhandle State’s rodeo coach. “The same kind of thing happens at our college rodeo. If the kids want to pick up during the year at practice, they usually get to pick up at the college rodeo, too.”

Pickup men are typically some of the most versatile cowboys. They know how to read livestock, and they’re horsemanship and roping skills are valuable. They can be called on to rescue another cowboy out of a wreck or handle any of the many other duties that come their way.

For decades, the Panhandle State rodeo team has been training great cowboys and cowgirls. The program boasts of seven national team titles and 22 individual champions. The program will host its annual event – the Doc Gardner Memorial Rodeo – from Thursday-Saturday at Hitch Arena.

“The community we have is very vital,” Rose said. “Without it, there would be no Panhandle State rodeo team. It’s not just Goodwell, and it’s not just Guymon. It’s not even just Texas County. Our community is pretty broad, probably the whole Panhandle of Oklahoma and some of Texas, and it reaches a lot further than that.”

The Panhandle State program and the Pioneer Days Rodeo volunteer committee have come to realize not only the community support but also the benefit they have in collaborating with one another.

“I think the two go hand-in-hand,” said Ken Stonecipher, the committee’s chairman. “We can’t do this without them, and that’s not an exaggeration. They come during slack, sort cattle, load cattle, untie calves. The committee has some folks there, too, but without them, we’re not getting that all done.”

The two entities share more than the arena. They share a passion for the sport, and they work closely together to ensure greatness happens for two weeks every spring. This first week belongs to the roughly 500 intercollegiate cowboys and cowgirls, and next week is the return of favor for when more than 1,000 ProRodeo contestants.

“The Guymon ProRodeo committee has been absolutely great to us,” Rose said. “It’s a blessing to have our rodeo right before theirs. It allows us to share equipment and bulldogging cattle. They’ve helped us with roping chutes over the past several years. They always show up to our fundraisers. They buy ads to support our rodeo.

“They’re a very big part of what we do.”

The same can be said of the rodeo program’s work with the PRCA event. Competition for the ProRodeo begins two days after the championship round of the college rodeo and lasts for seven days. Panhandle State contestants and coaches are on hand through the duration.

“I’ve known Shelbie since she was a student on the Panhandle State team, and she has an unmatched work ethic,” Stonecipher said. “You cannot outwork her. From the practice pen to fundraising to building new barns for the kids’ horses, she’s out there.

“When student athletes come to college, they all don’t have the same amount of natural talent, but the thing that overcomes that difference in talent is hard work. Shelbie is a great person to lead that effort.”

Pioneer Days Rodeo will certainly have a Panhandle State flair. Whether it’s the pickup men or student helpers or alumni riding broncs, the university’s reflection is seen throughout the seven-day rodeo. With 10 days of competition at Hitch Arena between the two events, Guymon becomes Rodeo Town.

“Rodeo is a way of life out here,” Rose said. “Most of the people around here are tied to agriculture in some way, so rodeo is naturally a favorite sport. At the college, the rodeo program, by far, has had the most success. It’s a great place to have a rodeo program, because we have a lot of support.

“It’s a staple around here, and people that aren’t from an ag background have really grown to love it because it’s one of the best things that happens around here.”