Sale records are tough to beat
LOVINGTON, N.M. – Amber Groves smiles a bit as she reflects on the past two years at the Junior Livestock Sale at the Lea County Fair and Rodeo. The emotion comes from watching the children succeed, seeing their parents’ pride and everyone on the fairgrounds knowing that a bunch of hard work has been justly […]
Sponsors bring rodeo to life
Local, regional, national supporters help bring top talent to Gooding Pro Rodeo GOODING, Idaho – Maybe the most difficult question to answer in southern Idaho is this: What makes the Gooding Pro Rodeo special? Sure, there’s incredible action with ProRodeo’s elite in the mix. There are incredible bucking athletes and timed-event horses. Those things stand […]
Kids put meaning to special rodeo
LOVINGTON, N.M. – It started with a query from a friend about 15 years ago. That was just the little engine that could for Shona Able and her husband, John. They jumped aboard, and the train has been rolling down the tracks for them ever since. “My friend, Lisa McNeill, was in charge of the […]
Roundup creating food court
DODGE CITY, Kan. – For several years, a transition has been in place at Roundup Arena. Major enhancements have happened, from bettering the electrical to adding aluminum bleachers to an upgraded entryway with a spiffier ticket booth. Every step of the process is done with the audience in mind. That includes a new food court, […]
Hildreth family has a big night
GUNNISON, Colo. – This was the perfect night for the Hildreth family to celebrate. First, Jace and Coy posted the fastest team roping run of Saturday’s third performance of the Cattlemen’s Days PRCA Rodeo, stopping the clock in 5.3 seconds to finish in a tie for eighth place, with $1,129 per man. A few minutes […]
Giving by stock options
Cattlemen’s Days committee buys swine, donates it to family GUNNISON, Colo. – The foundation of every county fair is giving back to the community, especially youth. It’s no different for Cattlemen’s Days, which has been celebrating 125 years for a week and a half. It’s an opportunity for children to showcase their hard work and […]
Crawley riding back into form
GUNNISON, Colo. – Two years and 16 days ago, Jacobs Crawley’s long career as an elite bronc rider was put into jeopardy. He’d suffered a broken back while competing at the 2023 Greeley (Colorado) Stampede. It was bad, a burst fracture of his T12 vertebra and damage to the T11 and L1. He had surgery […]
Pratt adores Gunnison rodeo
GUNNISON, Colo. – Cody Pratt loves Cattlemen’s Days almost as much as locals. Of course, having continued success in one arena is always important, but there’s more to it. There’s a feeling that encompasses the Fred Field Western Center when the rodeo is in town, and it’s even more sensational now celebrating its 125th year. […]
Fireworks blast at Rooftop
NFR champ Lockhart takes the title on final night of Estes Park’s rodeo ESTES PARK, Colo. – Fourth of July may have been six days ago, but there were plenty of fireworks during Thursday’s final performance of the 2025 Rooftop Rodeo. Eighteen-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier Lisa Lockhart provided the dramatic climax with a lightning-fast […]
Mayfield’s mounts handle the job
ESTES PARK, Colo. – Every cowboy knows he needs a good horse under him in order to find success. Shad Mayfield has one in Lollipop, the 2024 tie-down roping horse of the year. She was the guiding force behind his first all-around world championship last season, one that watched him earn nearly $400,000, $111,062 of […]
Hawley jumps in on fair board
LOVINGTON, N.M. – Cynthia Hawley is one of four new faces on the Lea County Fair Board, but she’s hardly a stranger to the exposition. “I’m a Lea County native, born and raised,” said Hawley, whose appointment came from Gary Eidson, the Lea County District 3 commissioner, and was made official in February. “I’ve been […]
Thompson big in Estes Park
ESTES PARK, Colo. – It’s one thing for Rooftop Rodeo to include ladies breakaway roping into its schedule; it’s another to place the event on the same plateau as all the others in its inaugural year. That’s why 70 cowgirls entered into the fray to test their talents in Estes Park, and the competition is […]
Douch rolls into Rooftop lead
ESTES PARK, Colo. – Of the 4 million visitors who arrive in this resort town from Memorial Day to Labor Day, this is an opportunity to take in the scenery and enjoy some recuperation. There was no relaxing for John Douch. He was on a business trip and at work for another day in consecutive […]
Wright stays right on track
ESTES PARK, Colo. – Stetson Wright continues to set a standard for rodeo excellence. He’s an eight-time world champion, five of which came in the all-around race. He’s also a two-time bull riding titlist and earned the saddle bronc riding gold four seasons ago. Oh, and he’s just 25 years old, and he’s been on […]
Clay, Braden are trucking along
ESTES PARK, Colo. – When “Smokey and the Bandit” came out 48 years ago, the lyrics to the title track were, “We’ve got a long way to go and a short time to get there.” The plot centered around a couple of truckers who were bootlegging Coors beer on a quick deadline, but the same […]
Rumford ready for a new crowd
LOVINGTON, N.M. – The sport of rodeo has taken Justin Rumford around the world. Raised in a family that has been involved in the game since before he was born, he has a keen understanding of every aspect, from the competition involved to the entertainment value for fans. It’s as much about showmanship as it […]
Clown excited for Gooding
Halstead eager to entertain enthusiastic crowds that energize rodeo GOODING, Idaho – The first time Dennis Halstead arrived in Gooding County, he quickly realized there was something magical with the community’s marquee event. His second venture five years ago solidified it. There’s just something special about the community tucked in southern Idaho just a few […]
Roundup to add announcer
DODGE CITY, Kan. – The sounds of Dodge City Roundup Rodeo are changing. For the first time in nearly two decades, the biggest rodeo in Kansas will add a second announcer to compliment veteran emcee Boyd Polhamus. Roundup will add the soothing sounds of Andy Seiler to this year’s event, set for 7:45 p.m. Wednesday, […]
Franks spurs win in Pecos
PECOS, Texas – A month ago, Cole Franks was in the Utah mountains exchanging vows with his wife, Dustie. On Saturday night, he was riding one of the top bucking horses in ProRodeo, matching moves with Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Secret’s Out for 90.5 points to win the bareback riding title at the West of […]
Big scores highlight Night 3
PECOS, Texas – Unseasonably mild temperatures didn’t cool the action inside Buck Jackson Arena during Friday’s third performance of the West of the Pecos Rodeo. The “World’s First Rodeo” featured three 91-point rides, two of which came in bull riding by two of the top cowboys in the discipline, eight-time world champion Stetson Wright – […]
Sanford back in NFR rhythm
PECOS, Texas – Ryder Sanford called them a speed bump. When the 2024 regular season came to a close Sept. 30, they were agony. After finishing the 2023 campaign as the Resistol Rookie of the Year and qualifying for the National Finals Rodeo, Sanford was on his way back to being one of the top […]
Town ready for Cattlemen’s Days
GUNNISON, Colo. – The excitement is building, and the anticipation has spread across the Gunnison Valley. It’s time for the annual Cattlemen’s Days celebration, and 125 years of history will envelop not only the town but also the region. This is an opportunity for locals to gather together and enjoy the fellowship of one another […]
Ward, Long begin a hot streak
PECOS, Texas – When the winter and spring were a little colder than usual, team ropers Andrew Ward and Jake Long were eager for the calendar to change into the summer. Despite an unusually mile night temperature-wise during Wednesday’s opening performance, Ward and Long got hot and own the second-round and aggregate leads at the […]
Rangers ride emotions at CNFR
ALVA, Okla. – A student’s education doesn’t end with graduation. No, a good student is always learning, always craving a chance to be better. Even as his sophomore year has wrapped, Northwestern Oklahoma State University cowboy Colter Snook added a few more lessons to his notebook over the past week at the College National Finals […]