About: Ted

GOODING, Idaho – Things are coming together nicely for Nevada team ropers Brodi Jones and Cody Burnside. They just started competing together in ProRodeo this year, though they’ve been friends most of their adult lives. But this is different, and the smiles on their faces revealed their 4.5-second run to put them atop the leaderboard during Thursday’s performance of the Gooding Pro Rodeo after making.    “We knew that steer was slow, so to take a fair shot at winning money, it’s always a question,” said Cody Burnside, 28, of Mesquite, Nevada. “I knew when (Jones) got out and had him stuck we had a chance. I just had to do my job and finish the run. Anytime we go 4.5, that’s the run we try to make. “We’re grateful we drew a good steer and my partner was able to get a good start. When they go left that good, I have a real good chance to finish the run and hopefully win the money.” The bulk of teams were yet to run, but Jones and Burnside set the standard to beat. In fact, that was the winning time in the Gooding arena a year ago. Getting a good start is imperative That job sits on the header, and Jones made the best one. “I called the guys that had that steer back in Castle Rock (Colorado), and everybody was telling me it was real slow,” said Jones, 29, of Wells, Nevada. “I knew I was going to have to see my start and keep the steer in front of me. I tried to the best job for my heeler that I could do.” To be that fast, it all had to work well. A key to the success was the horsepower both men. Coincidentally, both have ties back to Jones. “This is actually a horse I bought from Brody 12 years ago,” Burnside said of Denny, a buckskin gelding. “He’s 17 years old and is Hollywood Dun It-bred horse. He’s just been super good since Day 1.” Jones knows a few things about equine flesh. He’s likes what he has in Nala, a 13-year-old bay mare. “She’s amazing,” Jones said. “She’s pretty special to me, and I’m hoping she’s bred this year and hoping to get a baby out of her.” This is the phase of life the cowboys are in. They know while in Gooding that they are competing against the sport’s elite, men who have competed at the National Finals Rodeo and have won world championships. Their friendship goes well beyond just being partners, but their enjoying the tandem they’ve put together. “This is our first year, but we high school rodeoed together and kind of grew up together,” Burnside said. “It’s been a long time coming for us to ProRodeo together.” Gooding Pro RodeoAug. 13-16Bareback riding: 1. Richmond Champion, 87.5 points on Macza Pro Rodeo’s Stevie Nicks; 2. Sage Allen, 86.5; 3. (tie) Mason Stuller and Jess Pope, 86; 5. Wacey Schalla, 85.5; 6. (tie) Jacek Frost and Tanner Aus, 85; 8. (tie) Mason Clements and Tilden Hooper, 84. Steer wrestling: 1. Riley Duvall, 3.4 seconds; 2. Will Lummus, 3.6; 3. Riley Westhaver, 3.7; 4. Cody Devers, 3.8; 5. (tie) Tristan Martin and Landris White, 3.9; 7. (tie) Jacob Edler, Trisyn Kalawaia and Garrett Oates, 4.0; 10. Don Payne and Darcy Kersh, 4.1. Team roping: 1. Brody Jones/Cody Burnside, 4.5; 2. Riley Kittle/Landen Glenn, 5.5; no other qualified runs. Saddle bronc riding: 1. Zac Dallas, 88.5 points on Summit Pro Rodeo’s Big John; 2. Tanner Butner, 87.5; (tie) Lefty Holman and Ben Andersen, 87; 5. Kade Bruno, 86.5; 6. (tie) Sawyer Eirikson, Logan Hay, Reed Neely and Brody Cress, 85.5; 10. (tie) Cash Wilson and Q McWhorter, 85.   Breakaway roping: 1. (tie) Aubryn Bedke,Kash Gay and Brooke Bruner, 2.1 seconds; 4. (tie) Maddy Deerman, Beau Peterson and Hali Williams, 2.2; 7. (tie) Jessi Everett and Rylee A George, 2.3; 9. Shayla Hall, 2.4; 10. Bradi Good, 2.5; 11. (tie) Martha Angelone, Erin Johnson, Taylor Raupe and Kinlie Brennise, 2.6; 15. Brittany Truman, 2.7. Tie-down roping: 1. John Douch, 7.4 seconds; 2. Bryce Derrer, 8.2; 3. (tie) Seth Hall, Shad Mayfield, Bo Pickett and Chet Weitz, 8.4; 7. (tie) Tyler Calhoun and Brushton Minton, 8.6; 9. Hagen Houck, 8.8; 10. Tom Crouse, 8.9. Barrel racing: 1. Summer Kosel, 16.66 seconds; 2. (tie) Halyn Lide, Kassie Mowry and Anita Ellis, 16.72; 5. LaTricia Duke, 16.74; 6. (tie) Hayle Gibson-Stillwell and Tayla Moeykens, 16.75; 8. Jordan Driver, 16.78; 9. Caitlyn White, 16.87; 10. Katie Hlbert, 16.88; 11. Katelyn Scott, 16.90; 12. Julia Johnson, 16.93; 13. Carlee Otero, 16.96; 14. Tricia Aldridge, 1697; 15. Julie Plourde, 16.99.. Bull riding: 1. Trevor Reiste, 87 points on Macza Pro Rodeo’s Carharts and Lac; 2. Jordan Spears, 86.5; 3. Cutter Kaylor, 86; 4. Luke Mackey, 85; 5. Billy Quinlan, 83.5; no other qualified rides.

GOODING, Idaho – Zac Dallas had a little taste of what it takes to win a world championship when he qualified for last year’s National Finals Rodeo. It was his first trip to ProRodeo’s grand finale, and he’s trying to make sure it’s not his last. He entered this week No. 8 in the world standings with $144,434, and he stands a great chance to add to it. He rode Summit Pro Rodeo’s Big John for 88.5 points Wednesday night to take the saddle bronc riding lead at the Gooding Pro Rodeo. “I had that horse at the same exact (performance) here at Gooding last year, and I was 87.5,” said Dallas, 23, of Las Cruces, New Mexico. “Last year I got behind one jump, but this year I stayed ahead of it, and it felt a lot better. It felt better, and I think the horse was just as good today. I just rode it better.” It showed, but it also helped Dallas to be familiar with the bronc. “John Forbes raised that horse, and he’s a buddy of mine,” he said. “J.D. Hamaker has him, and he’s a good bronc.” The key for success as an athlete is to make sure the fundamentals are strong. “That’s what gets you to the top for the bronc riding,” Dallas said. “Make a good spur out, lift on your rein, stay back and set your feet. It doesn’t matter what horse you have or where you are; if you do things, you’re probably going to get a score and win money.” That’s the name of the game. This is what the cowboys and cowgirls do for a living, and dollars equal championship points. Only the top 15 on the money list in each event when the regular season concludes advance to the NFR. That’s where the world champions will be crowned and handed gold buckles. “Since I started riding broncs, my goal is to win a world title,” Dallas said. “That was my goal last year. That’s my goal this year. I’m getting close as I can during the regular season to get me in range to win that at the NFR.” Richmond Champion has been to the NFR nine times in his career. He’s been in that battle for rodeo’s gold, and he’s been matched with some of the greatest bucking horses over his 11-year career. One of those is Macz Pro Rodeo’s Stevie Nicks, which has been recognized as one of the most electric bareback broncs in the sport. The two matched for the third time Wednesday, and Champion posted an 87.5-point ride to take the bareback riding lead in Gooding. “It’s anybody’s game, but anytime you can get on Stevie Nicks for 87.5 to kick off a rodeo, you’re feeling good about your chances at a good check,” said Champion, 32, a nine-time NFR qualifier from Stevensville, Montana. The Gooding rodeo features three livestock producers who bring some of their top bucking animals to town. Many have been featured at the NFR. “That’s the beauty of everything we’re seeing in these rodeos that get so good and the scores get so good,” Champion said. “It’s not one guy trying to make it with what they have. They’re reaching out and letting everybody bring their better stock in, and that makes rodeos like Gooding great.” He has seen rodeo evolve over time. He first qualified for the NFR in 2014, and the money is definitely greater than it was a decade ago. He sits 19th in the world standings, so every dollar he can earn right now is important. The Gooding rodeo has a big purse, which is attractive, but there are other reasons cowboys arrive in southern Idaho. “The community is in it from the time you show up to the time you leave,” he said. “You know the crowd’s into it. I’ve been seeing the ‘Beer Worthy’ girls for a decade now. “Just this week, there are so many big rodeos a guy can go to, but I don’t think anybody chose not to come to Gooding. I can think of other rodeos where they could have been, and the cowboys chose to be here. They should be proud of that.” Gooding Pro RodeoAug. 13-16Bareback riding: 1. Richmond Champion, 87.5 points on Macza Pro Rodeo’s Stevie Nicks; 2. Sage Allen, 86.5; 3. Mason Stuller, 86; 4. Tanner Aus, 85; 5. (tie) Mason Clements and Tilden Hooper, 84; 7. (tie) Taylor Broussard, Cole Reiner and Waylon Bourgeois, 84; 10. Nick Pelke, 81.5. Steer wrestling: 1. Riley Duvall, 3.4 seconds; 2. Will Lummus, 3.6; 3. Riley Westhaver, 3.7; 4. (tie) Tristan Martin and Landris White, 3.9 each; 6. (tie) Jacob Edler, Trisyn Kalawaia and Garrett Oates, 4.0. Saddle bronc riding: 1. Zac Dallas, 88.5 points on Summit Pro Rodeo’s Big John; 2. (tie) Lefty Holman and Ben Andersen, 87; 4. Kade Bruno, 86.5; 5. (tie) Sawyer Eirikson, Logan Hay, Reed Neely and Brody Cress, 85.5; 9. Q McWhorter, 85; 10. Layton Green, 84.   Breakaway roping: 1. Delaney Kunau, 3.0 seconds; 2. (tie) Kaydin Finan and Talia Seaward, 3.1; 4. Roanie Kasel, 3.3; 5. Oakley Crane, 4.4; 6. Olivia Wosnik, 4.6; 7. Kallie Roeser Foust, 12.3; 8. Summer Williams, 12.5; 9. Danielle Lowman, 12.6; 10. Haley Sage, 13.2.  Bull riding: 1. Trevor Reist, 87 points on Macza Pro Rodeo’s Carharts and Lac; 2. Jordan Spears, 86.5; 3. Cutter Kaylor, 86; 4. Billy Quinlan, 83.5; no other qualified rides.

LOVINGTON, N.M. – When Q Taylor and Tanner Butner left southeastern New Mexico earlier this week, they had to like their 88-point rides sitting atop the saddle bronc riding leaderboard. When the dust cleared Saturday night at the Lea County Fair and Rodeo, they finished tied for fourth. It got a bit Western in Lovington on the final night of the nine-day exposition, with Stetson Wright and Brody Cress sharing the victory with 91-point rides. “Oh, yeah, I’m having lots of fun,” said Wright, 26, an eight-time world champion from Beaver, Utah. “These last couple of weeks, I’ve seemed to hit my groove in bronc riding again. The bull riding clicked was fast coming back, but the bronc riding was so slow. I finally just started creeping up, winning and getting on horses like that.” Wright matched moves with Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Northern Exposure to set new standard. Two rides later, Wells scored big during his rematch with Carr’s Larry Culpepper – he was 90 on the red roan at Pecos, Texas, in June. “Larry is a legendary bronc,” Wells said of the bronc that’s bucked at the National Finals Rodeo six times. “I probably watched Cort Scheer win a round at the 2019 NFR on that horse a thousand times when I was younger. It’s an honor to put your saddle on him. A bronc like that doesn’t come around too often. He’s a special horse.” Each man pocketed $7,299, big earnings with less than two months remaining in the regular season. Wright entered this week 14th in the world standings with nearly $115,000 in earnings. He’s atop the money list in both the all-around ($366,668) and bull riding ($299,521). In Saturday’s bull riding, Wright was bucked down by Carr’s Hostel Take Over. He suffered a concussion. Before he wrapped his hand to the bull, he was happy with his bronc ride. “That was everything that I wanted,” Wright said of his matchup with Northern Exposure. “I didn’t have high expectations on that horse coming in. It’s a young one. They’ve had some low scores, and most of the guys buck off. I just gave him a little more rein, and I was hoping it would help. It looks like it did. I’m just pumped up to be here.” He sat out all of the 2024 campaign with a hamstring injury. It was the first time in five years that someone other than Wright had earned the PRCA all-around world title. He’s back in the hunt for a sixth, and being back on the rodeo trail has been the perfect medicine. “I got super hungry (to compete again),” Wright said. “I got so deprived of it, I couldn’t even think straight. Everybody told me that I should be done that I should hang it up and find a new career. I couldn’t wrap my head around that. I just kept dreaming I’d be back in these situations, these moments. This was everything. “A ride like that is what I shoot for every day. That’s what all these guys are out here doing. I’m just glad to be part of it.” While he competed at his first NFR a year ago, Wells understands the sentiment. Having the opportunity to test his skills on a horse he’s already found success was just icing on the cake. While he was 90, Wells finished second to Tanner Butner. Larry Culpepper, however, guided Zeke Thurston to 92 points to win Oakley, Utah, and Sage Newman to 88.5 to win the Days of ’47 Rodeo in Salt Lake City. This was the bronc’s third victory in a row. “To have him here in Lovington where they’ve got a pile of money up in a one-header, you want to have a bucker like that,” Wells said. “I just showed up trying to be aggressive and glad to hang out. He actually bucked a lot harder than the first time.” Lea County Fair and RodeoLovington, N.M.Aug. 7-10All-around cowboy: Coleman Proctor, $8,749 in team roping and steer roping. Bareback riding: 1. Cole Franks, 87.5 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Pink Smoke, $8,037; 2. (tie) Roedy Farrell, Bradlee Miller, Waylon Bourgeois and Dean Thompson, 86, $3,885 each; 6. Richmond Champion, 85, $1,340; 7. Jayco Roper, 84.5, $1,072; 6. (tie) Toby Deudney and Orin Larsen, 84, $402 each. Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Gary Gilbert, 3.7 seconds, $2,879; 2. Riley Duvall, 4.0, $2,503; 3. Jacob Daniell, 4.1, $2,128; 4. (tie) Bray Armes, Trevor Duhon and Grady Payne, 4.4, $1,377 each; 7. Brandon Harrison, 4.6, $626; 8. Tucker Allen, 4.7, $250. Second round: 1. (tie) Gary Gilbert, Jacob Edler and Tyke Kipp, 4.0 seconds, $2,503 each; 4. Justin Shaffer, 4.2, $1,752; 5. (tie) Jake Shelton and Garrett Oates, 4.4, $1,189 each; 7. (tie) Marc Joiner, Cole Walker and Jacob Daniell, 4.6, $292 each. Average: 1. Gary Gilbert, 7.7 seconds on two runs, $4,318; 2. Jacob Daniell, 8.7, $3,755; 3. (tie) Jake Shelton and Grady Payne, 9.4, $2,010 each; 5. Chance Howard, 10.0, $2,065; 6. Marc Joiner, 10.2, $1,502; 7 Jacob Edler, 10.4, $939; 8. Colt Honey, 10.9, $375. Tie-down roping: First round: 1. Blane Cox, 9.0 seconds, $3,052; 2. Ryan Thibodeaux, 9.2, $2,654; 3. Tyler Calhoun, 9.4, $2,256; 4. (tie) Chet Weitz and Marty Yates, 9.5, $1,658 each; 6. (tie) Paden Bray, Tyson Durfey and Austin Lawrence, 9.7, $663 each. Second round: 1. (tie) Kincade Henry and Quade Hiatt, 8.2 seconds, $2,853 each; 3. Marty Yates, 8.3, $2,256; 4. Ty Harris, 8.7, $1,857; 5. Monty Lewis, 9.4, $1,459; 6. Cade Wallis, 9.5, $1,061; 7. (tie) Lane Livingston and Brody Stallard, 9.6, $464 each. Average: 1. Marty Yates, 17.8 seconds on two runs, $4,577; 2. Kincade Henry, 18.4, $3,980; 3. Blane Cox, 18.9, $3,383; 4. Ty Harris, 19.3, $2,786; 5. Cole Clemons, 20.2, $2,189; 6. Paden Bray, 20.3, $1,592; 7. Pecos Tatum, 20.58, $995. 8. Bryce Derrer, 20.7, $398. Breakaway roping: First round: 1. Taylor Munsell, 2.2 seconds, $2,566; 2. (tie) Cheyanne McCartney and Hali Williams, 2.3, $2,016 each;  Continue Reading »

LOVINGTON, N.M. – If there were a time machine, it may have appeared at the Lea County Fair during Friday’s third performance of the PRCA rodeo. In the mid-2000s, a young mare named Riverboat Annie was making a name for herself as one of the elite bucking horses in ProRodeo. She was the 2007 reserve world champion bareback horse and was selected to buck at the National Finals Rodeo for 10 straight years. She didn’t retire; she just changed jobs. Now 24, she’s the matriarch of the Pete Carr Pro Rodeo breeding program and has raised a herd of bucking babies. One of them is the spitting image of Momma, right down to the way the two perform in the arena. “That horse is really cool,” said Cole Franks, who rode Pink Smoke for 87.5 points to take the bareback riding lead in Lovington. The first time they ever bucked that horse, it was for a gender-reveal for (fellow bareback rider) Anthony Thomas. They bucked it with a dummy, and it was awesome. “From that moment on, I just couldn’t wait to get on that thing. It was fun, but a little bit harder than I expected.” It worked in Franks’ favor, and even he recognized the similarities between the two generations of buckers. “Riverboat wasn’t real tall, but she was built like a tank,” said Franks, a three-time NFR qualifier from Clarendon, Texas. “That’s about how he is, too. He’s built really well.” A red roan gelding, Pink Smoke is just 6, so he’s got some room to grow, both physically and mentally. The instinct is there. Of course, Riverboat Annie was just 6 years old when she was recognized as the second-best bareback horse in the sport 18 years ago.   The high-marked ride came at a good time for Franks, who entered the week ninth in the world standings with $116,626. He needs to keep adding to his totals if he wants to remain in the hunt for the world championship. Only the top 15 in the world standings at the end of the regular season advance to the NFR, where the gold buckles are handed out to the titlists. “As good as this rodeo pays, finishing second would be just fine with me,” he said. “Sure, I want to win, but a check’s a check.” Every dollar is vital, but so is performing well. That can be a struggle with less than two months remaining in the season, especially for bareback riders. They’ve been on dozens of bucking horses over he last few weeks alone. “Everybody’s hurting a little bit,” Franks said. “My forearm huts. My neck hurts. My hip hurts. Everything hurts. “If I don’t have much of a chance of winning money this time of year, especially when I’m hurting like I am, I’ve just got to take a day off. It’s no use getting on a bucking horse for free.” He’s sore, but he toughed it out Friday night. The rewards outweigh the pain any day. Lea County Fair and RodeoLovington, N.M.Aug. 7-10Bareback riding leaders: 1. Cole Franks, 87.5 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Pink Smoke; 2. (tie) Waylon Bourgeois and Dean Thompson, 86; 4. Richmond Champion, 85; 5. Jayco Roper, 84.5; 6. Orin Larsen, 84; 7. Zach Hibler, 83.5; 8. (tie) Jacek Frost and Jacob Lees, 82. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Gary Gilbert, 3.7 seconds; 2. Riley Duvall, 4.0; 3. Jacob Daniell, 4.1; 4. (tie) Grady Payne, Trevor Duhon and Bray Armes, 4.4; 7. Brandon Harrison, 4.6; 8. Tucker Allen, 4.7. Second round leaders: 1. (tie) Gary Gilbert, Jacob Edler and Tyke Kipp, 4.0 seconds; 4. Justin Shaffer, 4.2; 5. (tie) Jake Shelton and Garrett Oates, 4.4; 7. (tie) Marc Joiner and Jacob Daniell, 4.6. Average leaders: 1. Gary Gilbert, 7.7 seconds on two runs; 2. Jacob Daniell, 8.7; 3. (tie) Jake Shelton and Grady Payne, 9.4; 5. Marc Joiner, 10.2; 6. Jacob Edler, 10.4; 7. Colt Honey, 10.9; 8. Riley Westhaver, 11.4 Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. Blane Cox, 9.0 seconds; 2. Ryan Thibodeaux, 9.2; 3. Tyler Calhoun, 9.4; 4. (tie) Chet Weitz and Marty Yates, 9.5; 6. (tie) Paden Bray and Austin Lawrence, 9.7; 8. Joel Harris, 9.8. Second round leaders: 1. Kincade Henry, 8.2 seconds; 2. Marty Yates, 8.3; 3. Ty Harris, 8.7; 4. Monty Lewis, 9.4; 5. Cade Wallis, 9.5; 6. Lane Livingston, 9.6; 7. Blane Cox, 9.9; 8. Cole Clemons, 10.3. Average leaders: 1. Marty Yates, 17.8 seconds on two runs; 2. Kincade Henry, 18.4; 3. Blane Cox, 18.9; 4. Ty Harris, 19.3; 5. Cole Clemons, 20.2; 6. Paden Bray, 20.3; 7. Pecos Tatum, 20.58. Tanner Green, 23.8; 8. Tom Crouse, 23.8. Breakaway roping: First round leaders: 1. Taylor Munsell, 2.2 seconds; 2. (tie) Cheyanne McCartney and Hali Williams, 2.3; 4. (tie) Timber Allenbrand and Madalyn Richards, 2.4; 6. (tie) Jessi Everett and Macy Young, 2.6; 8. (tie) Shacie Marr, Jackie Crawford and Tibba Smith, 2.7. Second round leaders: 1. Haiden Thompson, 2.3 seconds; 2. Cheyanne McCartney, 2.7; 3. Hali Williams, 2.8; 4. (tie) Taylor Munsell and Bailey Bates, 3.0; 6. Neelley Armes, 3.1; 7. Madalyn Richards, 3.3; 8. Ariana Varischetti, 3.9; 9, Taylor Raupe and Kayce Edwards, 4.1. Average leaders: 1. Cheyanne McCartney, 5.0 seconds on two runs; 2. Hali Williams, 5.1; 3. Taylor Munsell, 5.2; 4. Madalyn Richards, 5.7; 5. Neelley Armes, 6.0; 6. Ariana Varischetti, 6.7; 7. Kayce Edwards, 9.5; 8. Taylor Raupe, 9.7; 9. (tie) Haiden Thompson and Bailey Bates, 15.5; 5. Maddy Deerman, 15.7; 6. Timber Allenbrand, 2.4 seconds on one run; 7. (tie) Jessi Everett and Macy Young, 2.6; 9. Janae Todacheenie, 3.2; 10. Jayden Rodriguez, 3.3.  Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. (tie) Tanner Butner, on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Chilly Winds, and Q Taylor, on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Dirty Roots, 88 points; 3. Ben Andersen, 86.5; 4. Isaac Diaz, 86; 5. Zac Dallas, 85; 6. (tie) Shorty Garrett and Cooper Thatcher, 84.5; 7. Weston Patterson, 83.5; 8. Lefty Holman, 82. Team roping: First round  Continue Reading »

Sosebee to expose his personality for fans at Utah’s Own PRCA Rodeo SALT LAKE CITY – The first thing fans will notice about Cody Sosebee is his dialect He’s from western Arkansas, and his roots shine in conversation, as does his personality. Sosebee has a unique flair about him, which is why he’s so good at what he does. As one of the most sought-after clowns and entertainers in ProRodeo, he will lend his talents and southern drawl to Utah’s Own Rodeo, set for 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 5; Saturday, Sept. 6; and Monday, Sept. 8, in the Days of ’47 Arena at the Utah State Fairpark in Salt Lake City. Tickets can be purchased at UtahStateFair.com/tickets. “I’m really pumped to work that rodeo,” said Sosebee, 53, of Charleston, Arkansas. “It’s my first time there, and I’m anxious to get to entertain in front of the great fans. Utah has possibly the best rodeo fans in the world. All the rodeo clowns want to work Utah rodeos because of the beautiful setting and the wild fans.” He will get to for three September nights during the Utah State Fair. Sosebee not only provides comedy relief during the rodeo but also showcases his talents in other ways. Packed into his larger-than-life persona – and a body to match – are boundless amounts of energy, fan-loving acts and knee-slapping comedy. “I think I bring a sense of energy to an event, and I try to bring a new level of energy,” he said. “I try to bring a high level of energy to your show. I think rodeo competes with other extreme sports, and I think we’re in a class of entertainment like those. “When people come to an event, they want to see the level of high energy for the entire two hours they’re there, and that’s what I want to give them.” The rodeo will feature world-class competition, with many of the top cowboys and cowgirls battling for the big bucks in the state’s capital city. Alas, it’s more than a contest. Rodeo features family-friendly entertainment, which is where Sosebee enters the picture. A former bareback rider, he transitioned from the game and onto the stage. He went from spurring bucking horses to showing off talents with his antics and acts. The most intriguing thing about Sosebee is that he’s just being himself, and it works. Over his lifetime, he’s been nominated more than 20 times for PRCA Clown of the Year and Comedy Act of the Year, winning the last in 2018. That was a year after he was selected to work as the barrelman at the National Finals Rodeo, the sport’s grand finale. It was a tribute bestowed upon him by the top bull riders in the game. “Jokes are the unfortunate situations of other people, but you can’t hardly tell some jokes anymore for fear of upsetting some people,” Sosebee said. “I’ve changed my jokes in my acts to being about me; everything’s about me. I laugh at myself. I’m a big, chubby, dancing guy. I look funny when I walk. I sound funny when I talk. It’s OK to laugh at yourself.” Sosebee’s self-deprecating humor appeals to the throngs of people who enjoy his talents. If he’s laughing at himself, others are laughing right along with him.