About: Ted

ALVA, Okla. – Savannah Greenfield is a freshman at Northwestern Oklahoma State University, competing in her first year in the Central Plains Region. There’s a lot of new in her life right now: New friends, new campus, new level of competition. What isn’t new is Greenfield finding success. So far this year, she’s earned points in the three women’s events, barrel racing, goat-tying and breakaway roping. Her greatest success so far came this past weekend at the Kansas State University rodeo in Manhattan. “It was just a cool atmosphere,” said Greenfield of Lakeview, Oregon. “Weber Arena is really cool, and the atmosphere really gets the adrenaline pumping; I’m glad I got to compete there before it gets torn down. The cold weather was not for me, but I made it work. I was just a few out of making the short round in goats, so making it in breakaway, I knew I just had to catch.” This was the final year of Weber Arena before the K-State rodeo moves into a newer complex on the north side of the Central Plains’ largest campus. That’s where Greenfield stopped the clock in 3.2 seconds to secure her spot in the championship round. She was 3.4 seconds in the final performance to finish fourth in the short round and also in the two-run aggregate. “I just wanted to be a faster 3(-second run), and that’s what I did in the short round,” she said. Fellow Ranger Lauren Hopkins of Lincoln, California, also made the championship round in breakaway roping. While they led the way for the Northwestern women, Trisyn Kalawaia of Waiakea, Hawaii, continued his dominance in steer wrestling, proving again why Alva is considered the Bulldogging Capital of College Rodeo. Kalawaia led the way for three Rangers steer wrestlers in the short round, joined by Grady Aasby of Highmore, South Dakota, and Cam Fox of Tulsa. The Hawaiian knocked his steer down in 4.4 seconds to share the first-round win, then was 6.5 seconds to finish fourth in the final round. His two-run cumulative time of 10.9 seconds held up for third place overall. Kalawaia added 125 points to his season total to extend his lead in the Central Plains Region standings. He has 610 points, twice as many as his teammate, Fox, who is second. There are five events remaining in the spring semester. Greenfield is following in the footsteps of her older brother, Kaden, who finished his intercollegiate career at Northwestern. Both are showing off the genes they acquired from their parents, mom Mesa and dad Shawn, the latter of whom was a seven-time steer wrestling qualifier to the National Finals Rodeo. Both Kaden and Savannah are all-around talents, and she’s putting hers on display in college rodeo. “I definitely want to try to make the college finals this year, and I know that I need to make every short round,” she said. “I need to place in the long rounds, and I need to place in the short rounds, and that’s what I plan on doing the rest of these rodeos. I would love to make it in all three events and get the all-around (title) as well.” It’s almost 1,600 miles from Alva to the southern Oregan community of Lakeview, which is not far from the California and Nevada state lines. That’s a long way from the comforts of home, but it’s just what she wanted when she set out to further her education. “I wanted to get out of Oregon and experience something new,” Greenfield said. “I started looking at schools in Oklahoma, and once I toured Northwestern, I knew this was the place for me. It was a big decision, but I’m glad I did it.” There’s a home-like feel to the Alva campus, and there are many opportunities for rodeo athletes to grow. Stockton Graves, an eight-time NFR bulldogger, is in his 13th year coaching his alma mater, and that’s also a drawing card for young cowboys and cowgirls. Greenfield had the perfect teacher in her dad while growing up, and now she’s transitioning a bit to another top cowboy in Graves to provide those lessons. “My dad’s been there, so he knows what it takes, and he’s definitely helped me and my brother a lot,” she said. “I’m just very thankful to have him because he knows what to do. Stockton knows what he’s doing, and he’s been there and done that just like my dad. You want to listen to what he says. He knows what he’s talking about, and he knows what to do to set us up for success and what we need to do to win.” That’s a key factor in why student athletes make their way to Northwestern. They want to be pushed toward success and strive toward championships. “The biggest thing is I definitely just need to practice every day and push myself to become better,” Greenfield said. “You just want to get better.”

GUYMON, Okla. – Dusty Myers was born to do this. A second-generation rodeo clown from Jumpertown, Mississippi, Myers has had a lifelong passion for the sport. His years of experience will be on display as he works the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 3; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 4; and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 5. “For as long as I can remember, this is what I’ve done,” he said. “From a small child, I have loved being in the trailer and on the road. I love going to new places. It’s exciting for me to go to new rodeos, so when I book some new places each year, it is very exciting.” That’s certainly the case for him this year. He will embark on an adventure to be part of one of the greatest rodeos in the PRCA. Guymon’s marquee event has been named the PRCA’s rodeo of the year and is coming off another nomination for the award in 2023. Nine years ago, Pioneer Days Rodeo was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. Why? Because the biggest names in the sport make their way to the Oklahoma Panhandle each spring. The slogan “Where the Champions Come to Play the First Weekend in May” is true in all aspects of the business. Inside Hitch Arena, Myers will work with announcers Andy Stewart and Ken Stonecipher. Stewart has been nominated multiple times for announcer of the year and has worked the National Finals Rodeo. Myers will also be part of the production team headed by Frontier Rodeo Co., the reigning nine-time PRCA Stock Contractor of the Year. “I’ve always heard great things about Guymon, because all the top contestants come there,” said Myers, who has been nominated for Clown of the Year and Comedy Act of the Year and also has been a finalist to be the NFR’s barrelman. “It’s also a big treat for me because I get to work alongside Andy Stewart. Andy and I have worked together a lot, and we’re really good friends.” That comradery will come in handy during the four performances of rodeo in the region once known as “No Man’s Land.” The folks in that part of the country understand the sport and live among the rugged terrain that defines the Panhandle. Myers brings a rustic approach to his style of entertaining. “I call myself a traditionalist,” he said. “I’m really an old-school rodeo clown. I still wear the makeup and the baggy clothes. I still do big-prop acts, and I want to mix it with the dancing, getting up in the crowd and bringing out the laughter. I’m kind of a mixture between what we call an old-school clown and what they call an entertainer.” He’s been doing it a long time and has quite the pedigree. Though he’s in just his sixth year in ProRodeo, Myers is accomplished. He was the NFR alternate in 2020 and is a nine-time IPRA Clown of the Year. He’s been selected to work the International Finals Rodeo 10 times and hosts a great body of honors in regional associations. He also has had some incredible role models, like Mississippi men Lecile Harris and Rudy Burns. “I grew up watching those two gentlemen, and that’s all I ever wanted to do,” Myers said. “Lecile Harris is the reason I’m a rodeo clown.” For many years, Harris was the epitome of a rodeo entertainer. He was so good, he was cast in TV shows and, in 2007, he was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. With that as a guiding light, Myers had a path to follow. He also was influenced by his own father, Cary, who served as a bull rider, a bullfighter and a rodeo clown. “Back in the ’60s and ’70s when he was doing it, all clowns were bullfighters,” Myers said of his dad. “He was more of a regional cowboy and stayed in the Southeast. He didn’t get out as much as I do, but, yeah, I grew up around rodeo. He said he retired when I was born, but we always stayed in touch with the rodeos.” He’s in tune with it more now than ever. He will make sure to have several acts with him when he arrives in Guymon for the first weekend in May. Most importantly, though, he’s excited to engage with the big crowds that pack into the storied stadium. “I tell a lot of jokes, and I like to do a lot of stuff with the crowd,” Myers said. “I try to do a lot of my own material so that it’s new and not something they see all the time. I’ve studied the guys that did that really well, so I enjoy bringing that into my own work.” Clowning greats like Harris, Barnes, Keith Isley, Quail Dobbs and Leon Coffee have all made an impact on what Myers does and says in the arena, but much of what happens comes with the keen understanding that he’s just part of a family-friendly show that includes big-time athletes and fierce competition. “I’m excited to be there and help bring smiles to everybody’s faces,” Myers said. That’s what’s enticing for the event’s organizers. The volunteer committee that produces the annual showcase works hard to provide the best rodeo action and entertainment possible. “When you bring in someone like Dusty to be your clown and your barrelman, you’re bringing in someone who is professional and understands what works in rodeo,” said Stonecipher, who also is the organization’s chairman. “Dusty is funny, and he has a lifetime of experiences in rodeo that I think people in Guymon are really going to enjoy. Add that to his relationship with Andy, and we have a winning combination.”

Five Cinch team members earn gold buckles while in Las Vegas In the revolving world of Cinch endorsees in professional rodeo, the two weeks in Las Vegas to kickstart December proved to be electric and influential. The culmination of the National Finals Breakaway Roping and the National Finals Rodeo was an exclamation point of excellence, with five individuals claiming world championships and many others cumulatively reeling in hundreds of thousands of dollars. From a couple of young guns claiming their first Montana Silversmiths gold buckles to veterans just adding to their collections of the most cherished prize in Pro Rodeo, this year’s championship events were a spectacle many will remember for a long time. “It’s an amazing experience to be able to come back and be able to get on top of the world,” said Keenan Hayes, 21, of Hayden, Colorado, the first rookie to win bareback riding’s gold in the sport’s history. “It’s the coolest thing. I can’t thank everybody enough, like the guys in that (bareback riders) locker room. They kept me (driven) this whole week. “It’s just been a fight, and that’s what I’m here for.” He’s been in the fight for a couple of years. He first set a standard a year ago, when he established the single-season earnings record for a cowboy still competing on his permit. He upped the ante in 2023, first setting the regular-season earnings mark, then breaking the single-season earnings record with $434,050. He closed out his year by pocketing nearly $110,000 on the final day of the season; he won the 10th round with a 90-point ride on J Bar J’s Straight Ringer to collect $30,706, then clinched the aggregate title, worth $78,747. He placed in just five rounds but earned $168,155 during his stay in the Nevada desert. He was dominant most of the season, evidenced by his final points total; Hayes finished with $119,000 more than the runner-up, 2022 titlist Jess Pope. “I’m not surprised at all,” he said about his success through the season. “I’m sure blessed that God gave me this ability and that I get to show it to everyone. It’s just an amazing experience that I wanted to get done my whole life.” The same can be said for 20-year-old tie-down roper Riley Webb, who had a season to remember. While he placed in just five NFR go-rounds, including the Night 3 victory, he was second in the aggregate race to the 2019 world champion, fellow Cinch teammate Haven Meged. That was worth $63,889 and pushed Webb’s NFR payday to more than $172,000. He finished the year with $452,852, nearly $42,000 ahead of Meged. “I just want to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for everything He’s given me,” said Webb of Denton, Texas. “I’m so blessed to be in this situation that I’m in at 20 years old. I’m fortunate to have the support system I have … the horses, the family and all the other. “It’s a dream come true.” The NFR is a boiling pot of pressure packed into the storied Thomas & Mack Center, the finale’s home since 1985. Competing inside those yellow panels and chutes for the second time helped alleviate some of the build-up that can happen when the competition rises. “I was fortunate that I had a great year and a great finals so I didn’t have to go out and win the 10th round to make it happen,” he said. “I was able to just go knock (the calf) down. That came from all the runs and all the miles we’ve gone.” Breakaway roper Shelby Boisjoli-Meged – the wife of the tie-down roping aggregate titlist – also clinched her first gold buckle in record-breaking fashion. She set the regular-season earnings record with $164,549, the breakaway finals earning mark at $33,157 and the single-season earnings standard at $197,706. “This is the first year that I’ve dedicated my whole season to just trusting God’s plan, and I feel like that’s all I did all season,” said Boisjoli-Meged of Stephenville, Texas. “I think that’s the reason I’m standing right here. “It’s been one of those things where my whole family was (in Las Vegas), which was special to me. We lost my uncle two years ago, so my grandparents haven’t been able to really come watch the finals, but they were there this year. I also went through a lot of stuff at the National Finals in 2021 dealing with other things, so to have my whole family there and all the people that have really helped me get there meant a lot to me.” She accomplished her lifelong goal with a special partner, Onna, an 8-year-old sorrel mare that was named the 2023 Nutrena Horse of the Year presented by the AQHA. She is really special, and I owe all this to her,” she said. “I rode her at every single rodeo, so this is hers as much as it is mine.” It wasn’t just newbies holding gold for the first time. The trio of titlists were joined by steer wrestler Tyler Waguespack, who earned his fifth world championship, and saddle bronc rider Zeke Thurston, who clinched his fourth gold buckle. “I come from a great family,” said Waguespack, 33, who scored his third straight title to match the ones he collected in 2016 and 2018. “My dad’s always been there, helping me drive, pushing me to do better and better. We go to the practice pen, and we work hard. We’ve got a lot of trust in the Lord, just pushing us on our way and getting us where we need to be.” The Gonzales, Louisiana, cowboy entered the finale third in the world standings, and he had a little 10th-round magic to pull off another world title. He shared the round title with friend Will Lummus after both made 3.8-second runs. That was worth $27,487; he also moved up one spot to third in the aggregate race, worth $50, 517, to surpass Dalton Massey  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Just a few days after making his final team-roping run of the 2023 ProRodeo season, Coleman Proctor was doing the things Coleman Proctor does. He was practicing and taking care of his daughters, Stella and Caymbree, while his wife, Stephanie, was working. When the horses and steers were put away, the three ventured to a movie; they had earned a break, and it was the perfect time for daddy-daughters bonding. In just a few months, the girls will welcome a little sister, so any time they get with Dad is special and important. It’s just as big for Proctor, one of team roping’s elite headers who has eight qualifications to the National Finals Rodeo. He had just wrapped the richest 10 rounds of the year in Las Vegas, and his mind and body were ready for some down time. “My poor wife,” he said, reflecting on the moments the family shared in the Nevada desert. “We just get home, and she has to go back to work, so I’ve been Mr. Mom and just hanging out with the girls. They’ve been wanting to watch the new Wish movie by Disney. I figured they give up so much and go out to Vegas with us. “They listen and do a pretty dang good job of minding, so I try to reward them when we get home. They got to go to the practice pen with me while I worked on my steer tripping for a little bit, and now we’re just having a lot of fun, daddy-daughter time.” It’s the perfect setting for the cowboy who stays busy most of the time he’s in Sin City. When he’s not competing, he’s often making appearances around town and also hosts the pregame show on the Purina Stage at the steps of the Thomas & Mack Center, the NFR’s home since 1985. Proctor and his heeling partner, Logan Medlin, had moderate success at ProRodeo’s grand championship. They placed in just two performances, but one of those was the Round 3 victory, worth $30,706 a man. All told, they left town with $53,583; $10,000 of that came via a bonus that all qualifiers earned. “When you look at that money, it gets stilted because the money has gotten so good,” said Proctor, originally from Miami, Oklahoma, but now living in Pryor, Oklahoma, with his family. “Las Vegas Events and all the sponsors that make the finals happen has helped make the money so incredible. When you’re out there, it’s just like poker chips; you don’t really put value to them, then you get home and realize it’s sure going to help buy some more Christmas presents. “We didn’t quite have the finals we wanted or the one you imagine when you’re roping the dummy in the barn alleyway, but I thought it was a great finals. My horses felt great, and I had a lot of opportunities. I was disappointed that I missed the 10th steer, because I went out there to spin all 10 for my partner.” Those things happen. They recorded times on five of their 10 runs and were part of a controversy when Medlin was called for a crossfire by the official flagger during the fifth round. Many fans and fellow ropers disagreed with the call, but Proctor took his medicine and moved on, handling the situation with humor and his distinct personality. He realized nothing he was going to say could change the outcome. “I love our team, and I think our team is on the rise,” he said. “We got a lot of confidence, and there were a lot of ifs and maybes during the week. You’ve got 10 days back to back, pressure for all that money each night. You start wondering if you could have done better at this or a little better at that. “Then, at the end of the day, we were as prepared as we’ve ever been. We felt better about it than we’ve ever felt. It just didn’t come our way the way we wanted. So you dust yourself off, enjoy the holidays with family, and then we get ready for how we’re going to start the new year.” Sulking won’t do anybody and good, and Proctor isn’t the kind of person to do that anyway. World champions Tyler Wade and Wesley Thorp earned their gold buckles by having a phenomenal run of things in Las Vegas. They each earned $100,000 more than Proctor and Medlin. “By the time we bought our (NFR) tickets, I probably left there with $45,000,” Proctor said. “That’s not too bad. “It’ll get us started back to the winter rodeos and get going again. Honestly, it wasn’t that long ago that I was just hoping to make the finals once.” He earned his first NFR qualification a decade ago and has only missed the championship twice since then. Both times, Proctor was among the top 20 headers when only the top 15 play on the sport’s biggest stage. It’s the only rodeo in which he can compete that he can walk away with that much money and not consider it a success. “It was such a fun year, and we got to go to some pretty cool places and see a lot of great people,” he said. “We got to win some really cool rodeos, like Calgary (Alberta) and Sioux Falls (South Dakota). “My confidence has gotten higher, and I think our team is getting better. I think we’re ascending I think it’s our time to win, and that’s exciting and motivates you.” Christmas has come at a good time. Proctor and his family need a break from the pressures that come with rodeo, especially the NFR. While in Las Vegas, he had plenty of support and a crew of folks around to him compete and help keep his daughters entertained. He makes sure each person knows how much they are appreciated. “There are a lot of people that give up their time,”  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – The dreams J.D. Struxness had of winning a world championship didn’t fade just because another man walked away with the gold buckle. They’re still vivid, still in his mind and still on the table for the upcoming seasons. Louisiana cowboy Tyler Waguespack may have walked away from the National Finals Rodeo with the title, but Struxness placed in six rounds and collected $117,307 during his week and a half in Las Vegas. His last payday came in Saturday’s 10th round, the final night of the 2023 campaign. He knocked his steer down in 4.2 seconds to finish in a three-way tie for fifth place, worth $4,292. He ended the year ranked fifth in the world standings with $239,704 in earnings. “It’s bittersweet because we wanted to do something more, but to be able to catch a check in the 10th round is always great,” said Struxness, a five-time NFR qualifier from Milan, Minnesota. “It wasn’t quite the check we wanted to get on that steer, but it’s what we got.” Earlier in the week, fellow Northwestern Oklahoma State University alumnus had the same steer and was 3.5 seconds to win the fourth round, so Struxness was hoping for a similar run. It didn’t work out that way. “That still ran a little bit harder than we anticipated, but we were still able to get him thrown down,” he said. “Any time you can add the money, it’s a good thing.” That’s true. The NFR features only the top 15 bulldoggers in the world standings at the end of the regular season. The men in the field can do some big things. Beating most of them is an accomplishment. Unlike his previous run with Anderson, the steer left the chute on Night 10 like it was shot out of a cannon. Struxness utilized his horse, Crush, to catch up in a hurry and still posted a fast run. He was just four-tenths of a second from winning the round, which is just a blink of the eye. “They’re just animals and can do anything at any time, but we did everything we planned to do on him; he just took off a little harder,” he said. “You can’t control that.” Crush is owned by fellow NFR steer wrestler Ty Erickson, and Struxness had help from veteran bulldogger Matt Reeves, who was riding his hazing horse, Kirk. Both animals were instrumental in any successes the Minnesota man had. “They worked awesome, and I was very pleased with our decision to use those horses,” said Struxness, the 2019 college champions while at Northwestern. “Matt did a great job, and that horse worked great on that side all week, too. It was a fairly good week. The better result was what we wanted, but we didn’t accomplish all our goals along the way. We can’t complain too much about it. “You always go out there to make money, and the goal is always to win over $100,000. One of the goals was to be in the top five, and another is to win a gold buckle and win the average title. We were able to accomplish two of the goals we had.” He also has a little momentum on which to build for next season, and he’ll take that with him.