About: Ted

  ESTES PARK, Colo. – After roping together for a couple of years, Pedro Egurrola and J.C. Flake decided to try something else. They separated, which happens in team roping, but they remained close friends. When they had the opportunity to reunite, they opted to do so at one of their favorite events, Rooftop Rodeo. They proved that familiarity breeds content, stopping the clock during Thursday’s second performance in 5.0 seconds to take the first-round lead in Estes Park. “We roped together all last year, then we took and break but decided to get the band back together,” said Flake, 24, a heeler from Grandbury, Texas. “This is our first one back.” It’s a good start to an important rodeo for both. Neither cowboy is among the top 50 in the world standings, and Rooftop Rodeo offers them three chances at the money. They are scheduled to rope their second steer Sunday night, so they have a chance to earn cash in both rounds and the aggregate. “For us, (the key) was to slow down and just make a good run and let us make up the time that way,” said Egurrola, a 28-year-old header from Florence, Arizona. “We just wanted to go down, be smart and be aggressive.” That worked pretty well a year ago. The tandem secured Mountain States Circuit Finals Rodeo title last fall and will compete next week in the national circuit finals, dubbed the NFR Open. They’d love the chance to continue to build on their success from their first night back in the saddle. “Pedro did a great job, and we had a good steer, so we just tried to maximize him,” Flake said. “We’re just thankful to the committee and everyone that let us come here and be part of it. It’s a great rodeo.” Great events like Rooftop Rodeo attract hundreds of contestants, and the cream will rise to the top. Egurrola and Flake hope to be there by the time the rodeo comes to an end. “It comes down to having confidence,” Egurrola said. “It’s about having confidence in your horse, having confidence in your partner. All you can do is do your job, so you’ve got to set up your job to make it easy on your partner.” Headers rope the steers’ horns, then turn the animals to give their heelers the best shot. The clock stops when both have secured loops and turn their horses to face one another. The many runs they’ve made together over the years all played into the run they made Thursday evening. “He’s one of my best friends, so it’s always really fun,” Flake said of Egurrola. “We’re never against each other, and everyone’s on the same team. We’re really close, so that makes it easy.” ResultsRooftop RodeoJuly 5-10Bareback riding: 1. Strawbs Jones, 78 points on Cervi Brothers’ Fire Easy; 2. Kade Sonnier, 76.5; 3. Tim Murphy, 74; 4. Kory Hart, 72; no other qualified rides.   Steer wrestling: 1. Aaron Vosler, 3.6 seconds; 2. Charles Johnston, 5.2; 3. Jace Land, 5.3; 4. Tyke Kipp, 6.3; 5. Yazzie Rooster, 7.4; 6. Clay Reiner, 14.1. Team roping: 1. Pedro Egurrola/J.C. Flake, 5.0 seconds; 2. Rowdy Jones/Jeffrey Williams, 5.5; 2. 3. Kyon Kreutzer/Clancey Kreutzer, 5.7; 4. Zane Murphy/Dustin Taylor, 5.8; 5. Eric Martin/Ryon Tittel, 5.9; 6. Teagan Hunter Karlson, 6.5. Saddle bronc riding: 1. Sam Martin, 84 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Scarlette; 2. Lefty Holman, 82.5; 3. Leon Fountain, 82; 4. Brody Cress, 81.5; 5. Bryan Huey, 79; 6. Carter Sandberg, 78.5. Tie-down roping: 1. Tyler Boxleitner, 9.9 seconds; 2. Zaine Mikita, 12.9; 3. Seth Peterson, 13.1; 4. Garrett Busby, 13.2; 5. J.D. McCuistion, 18.1; 6. Walker Akins, 18.2 Barrel racing: 1. Kelly Allen, 16.11 seconds; 2. Michelle Darling, 16.18; 3. (tie) Rainey Skelton and Heidi Tillard, 16.21; 5. Michelle Merrick, 16.24; 6. Shali Lord, 16.28; 7. Natalie Bland, 16.44; 8. Erin Wetzel, 16.47; 9. Laura Lambert, 16.55; 10. Brittyn Rocha, 16.58. Bull riding: 1. Cody Johansen, 76.5 points on Cervi Brothers’ Wild Time; 2. Ben Bode, 72; no other qualified rides.  

  ESTES PARK, Colo. – The opening night of Rooftop Rodeo featured a shutout by the bulls, an Australian taking the bareback riding lead and a Granny May Arena record in barrel racing. Rainey Skelton may be best known as the daughter of eight-time world champion heeler, but she’s making quite a name for herself at a young age. In 2021 at the age of 17, she won the Women’s Rodeo World Championship barrel racing title. On Wednesday night, she and her horse rounded the cloverleaf pattern in 16.21 seconds to set a new arena record, a feat that was just established a season ago with a 16.36-second run by Tarryn Lee. Skelton was the first barrel racer of the six-day rodeo, and she posted a time that will be tough to beat. The high-marked ride came in saddle bronc riding, when 25-year-old Sam Martin of Goodwell, Oklahoma, rode Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Scarlette for 84 points. He outlasted three other bronc busters, Californian Lefty Holman (82.5), New Mexican Leon Fountain (82) and Wyoming hand Brody Cress (81.5) to the top during the first performance. “This is a great rodeo,” said Martin, who attended Oklahoma Panhandle State University, best known as the Bronc Rider U. “It has a lot of money up for grabs, and it’s beautiful up here.”  While he’s following in the footsteps of Panhandle State standouts like Robert and Dan Etbauer, Craig Latham, Tom Reeves, Jeffrey Willert and Taos Muncy, Martin is hoping to establish himself in their likeness. All have been to ProRodeo’s mountaintop, the National Finals Rodeo, and a handful of them own world championships.   “Right now I’m trying to get my qualifications up so I can hopefully make a run at the NFR next year,” he said. Strawbs Jones, a cowboy originally from Clermont, Australia, but now living in Alberta, took the lead in bareback riding with a 78-point marking on Cervi’s Fire’s Easy. He said he likes riding bareback horses because of its aggressive nature. “It’s like a fistfight every time you nod your head,” he said. Steer wrestler Jace Land of Paradise, Texas, turned in the fastest time of the night with a 5.3-second run. He will make his second-round run Monday during the final performance of Rooftop Rodeo. The men’s timed events – steer wrestling, team roping and tie-down roping – feature two go-rounds, while the other events are just one. All that makes the remaining five nights of Estes Park’s rodeo all important. This rodeo will pay out more than $100,000 over six nights, so it’s a valuable piece of the puzzle for cowboys and cowgirls who rely on their winnings. ResultsRooftop RodeoJuly 5-10Bareback riding: 1. Strawbs Jones, 78 points on Cervi Brothers’ Fire Easy; Kory Hart, 72; no other qualified rides.   Steer wrestling: 1. Jace Land, 5.3 seconds; 2. Yazzie Rooster, 7.4; 3. Clay Reiner, 14.1; 4. Blare Romsa, 17.7; no other qualified runs. Team roping: 1. Rowdy Jones/Jeffrey Williams, 5.5 seconds; 2. Zane Murphy/Dustin Taylor, 5.8; 3. Eric Martin/Ryon Tittel, 5.9; 4. Teagan Hunter Karlson, 6.5; 5. Garrett Busby/Jay McClain, 6.7; 6. Todd Drommond/Jason DeVore, 7.3; no other qualified runs. Saddle bronc riding: 1. Sam Martin, 84 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Scarlette; 2. Lefty Holman, 82.5; 3. Leon Fountain, 82; 4. Brody Cress, 81.5; 5. Bryan Tyler Huey, 79; 6. (tie) Cleve Griffin and Trent Burd, 74 points each; 8. Ross Griffin, 71.5. Tie-down roping: 1. Zaine Mikita, 12.9 seconds; 2. Kail Lee Mayfield, 19.0; 3. Clay Reiner, 20.8; 4. Roan Eugene Hudson, 24.6; no other qualified runs. Barrel racing: 1. Rainey Skelton, 16.21 seconds; 2. Natalie Bland, 16.44; 3. Donna Tippen, 16.74; Loralee Ward, 16.76; 5. Amanda Welsh, 17.08; 6. Lacee Phelps, 17.09; 7. Anna Stark, 17.16; 8. Chris Gibson, 17.23; 9. Brittany Fellows, 17.25; 10. Jill Markelle, 17.39; 11. Gracen Pomroy, 17.53; 12. Shelly Lilly, 17.69; no other qualified runs. Bull riding: No qualified rides.

  GUNNISON, Colo. – There is a breathtaking beauty that comes with the Gunnison Valley, tucked neatly into the picturesque Rocky Mountains. All that is part of the attraction for thousands of people that visit Gunnison each year. For rodeo cowboys and cowgirls, all that just adds to the experience they share as they compete at the Cattlemen’s Days PRCA Rodeo, set for Thursday, July 13-Saturday, July 15, at Fred Field Western Center in Gunnison. The event, which will celebrate its 123rd year, was recognized as one of the very best in ProRodeo. Only 20 rodeos nationwide – five in each of four size categories – earn nominations for Rodeos of the Year, and Gunnison’s marquee event was among them in 2022. It’s quite a distinction for the volunteers that work year-round to produce not only a great community event but also a world-class competition that features many of rodeo’s greatest stars. “There are a lot of reasons why Cattleman’s Days Rodeo deserves to be nominated,” said Andy Stewart, the voice of the rodeo and one of its chief ambassadors. “The committee is always striving to improve this rodeo in any way possible. They continue to spend money where it needs to be spent, and they’re really big on community involvement.” The local event was in the Medium Rodeo of the Year category, which is the largest sect of competitions in ProRodeo. To be recognized as one of the top five is quite an honor, but it’s one that has been earned over the years. “It’s pretty cool whenever you can ride somewhere that they’ve been having a rodeo for over 100 years,” said Tilden Hooper, the 2022 Cattlemen’s Days bareback riding champion from Fort Worth, Texas. “There’s a lot of history. I’m sure every great cowboy I’ve ever looked up to rode here. To get a chance to come here and get to win this rodeo is special to me.” Hooper is a nine-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier and has been around ProRodeo for 17 years. He’s been to a bunch of big events, and he was excited to get the title in Gunnison last summer. “It’s a really good rodeo,” he said. He hasn’t been in the game as long as Patrick Smith, a two-time world champion heeler from Lipan, Texas. Smith is in his 21st year competing in the PRCA and has 13 qualifications to ProRodeo’s grand championship, which takes place each December in Las Vegas. He earned his most recent trip to the Nevada desert in part by winning the Cattlemen’s Days team roping title with newcomer Tanner Tomlinson of Angleton, Texas. The committee has “done a great job of adding money to the rodeo, taking care of all the contestants,” Smith said. “Guys are starting to recognize Gunnison and make sure we’re entered, because it’s that good of a rodeo.” What makes it so good? First and foremost is that the community goes all out for the celebration and for the rodeo. Add to that a good payout, a great livestock producer and tremendous history, and hundreds of cowboys and cowgirls are making sure they have a chance to compete in Gunnison. “There’s a lot of nostalgia and atmosphere in that older arena,” Stewart said. “You have a different feel. It takes you back 50-60 years. This is a really special place. “I hear from a lot of people, and they say it’s a travel destination rodeo. They enjoy the town being so quaint and being able to get on great livestock from Stace Smith Pro Rodeo. It’s an opportunity to slip off in the mountains and enjoy that rodeo.” With all that going for it, many in the sport suspect Cattlemen’s Days PRCA Rodeo will be back in contention for Rodeo of the Year in 2023 and beyond.

DODGE CITY, Kan. – As a youngster, Jerry Pegelow was shown the value of volunteerism and what it means to give back. It’s one of the many reasons he has been a longtime volunteer with Dodge City Roundup, the volunteer group that organizes the annual rodeo. He became a member of Roundup 25 years ago and has served on the board for 23. Over that time, he’s handled many tasks and labored for many hours to help produce Dodge City Roundup Rodeo, set for 7:45 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 2-Sunday, Aug. 6, at Roundup Arena; Dodge City Xtreme Bulls is set for 7:45 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 1. It all comes from those interactions many years ago in his hometown in northeastern Illinois. “It stems back from my childhood years,” said Pegelow, the Ensign, Kansas, location manager for the Pride Ag. “My grandparents and parents were always volunteering at the county fair, and I was on the grounds crew for our county fair. “I remember as a knee-high child, my grandfather would take his tractor and mower and mow everything and fix everything a week before the fair.” Pegelow continues giving of his time and talents for one of the biggest events in southwest Kansas. It was a natural transition, he said, because he knew how important it is to give back. “I was involved in the evolution of that county fair, to where there was something going on at that facility 45 weekends out of the year,” he said. “At one time, it was the third largest county fair as far as attendance in Illinois. “When we moved down here in May of 1997, the Little Britches rodeo was the first thing that was going on. A gentleman I was working with was on the committee at the time.” The rest is history. Now, Pegelow continues to work behind the scenes, helping organize the bucking horses and work the stripping chute to make sure that all saddles, riggings and flank straps are removed from the animals and set aside for their rightful owners. He’s also vice president of the Roundup board. In all, there are 45 directors for Roundup, which has 14 honorary directors, mostly folks who have served Roundup for many years. In all, they make up the group of volunteers that help make everything happen for the rodeo, which takes place during the Dodge City Days celebration. “Volunteers are important to us in order to put on a great show,” Pegelow said. “If it wasn’t for volunteers selling tickets, taking tickets, working the beer stands, working the concession stands, doing all the things that need to be done, we wouldn’t have a production like we do. “In June and into July, there are a handful of people that are down at the rodeo grounds every night working. Come the week of the rodeo, there are dozens of volunteers that are there to help you out.” It takes a village, or at least a good portion of it. There are many aspects that need to be covered. Volunteers handle much of the cosmetic things, like the upgrades to the south grandstands. The new ticket booth was handled by a construction company, but the inside work was all done by volunteers. They’re also the ones who help sort cattle, whether it’s hours before the rodeo or while loading them in contest order. Roundup Rodeo features two full go-rounds in the men’s timed events and doesn’t limit the number of entries, all male ropers and steer wrestlers and most of the barrel racers and breakaway ropers will compete during the day in a section known as “slack.” By the time the volunteers help with that, then get everything organized for the evenings’ paid performances, it’s a full day. It takes dedication, time and a willingness to put forth the effort so it all comes across as seamlessly as possible for the contestants, fans and sponsors. “There are people sorting cattle on the back end,” Pegelow said. “My daughters and their friends and families run the north end. During slack, they’re doing all the sorting so the contractor doesn’t have to go back later and re-sort cattle at the end of the day. Everything is put in order. It takes a well-oiled cog to make it all come off like it does.” It’s one of the reasons why Roundup was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2012. Most volunteers already have full-time jobs, and they spend countless hours at the arena on top of it all. For Pegelow, it’s a passion he’s continued outside of Dodge City. He helps with rodeos from smaller associations, like Kansas Professional Rodeo Association events, and rodeos for the sport’s rising stars; he also judges youth rodeos. “It’s an honor to be a member of Dodge City Roundup,” he said. “We are the youngest rodeo inducted into the Hall of Fame, and we are always one of the top 25 rodeos in the country. It’s amazing what we can do out here in western Kansas. We have a good community, and we all work together. “I think what makes Roundup special is the contestants that come to town. We’ve got world champions every night and (National Finals Rodeo) qualifiers. I’ve gotten to know some of the contestants, and then there are the contract personnel. They become like family. That means something.” Roundup is also vital to Dodge City, Ford County and all of southwest Kansas. Thousands of people make their way to town each August to see rodeo’s greatest stars and witness the labor-intensive work that so many volunteers have produced over time. “Our fan base on the spectator side of things has a lot of people that enjoy the sort of rodeo that come to Roundup,” Pegelow said. “With it being during Dodge City Days, a 10-day festival, it’s also a community affair. I think there are a lot of people around here that take pride in our rodeo.” They do, and it shows  Continue Reading »

  GUNNISON, Colo. – When he was 18 years old, Glenn George weighed his options. He wanted to attend college, but money was sparse. He’d spent the winter pitching hay, then he and six other young men from Gunnison decided the Marine Corps was their best option. The United States was in the middle of the Korean War, and the military branches needed people to serve. “I’d never given it much thought, but it seemed to me that I should try it,” said George, who, at age 90, is still active and possesses a strong mind and great recollection. “With the conflict in Korea, I felt like I could do my part.” Raised in Gunnison, this has always been his home. His service is part of his legacy, and his community has supported him throughout his lifetime. That continues with Cattlemen’s Days and its legendary rodeo, which will honor all veterans and those that are serving with its Patriot Night on Friday, July 14. “We are free because of those that have served or are serving,” said Kevin Coblentz, a longtime member of the Cattlemen’s Days volunteer committee. “We have to honor those people, whether they’re living or they’ve suffered the ultimate sacrifice. When we were looking at ways to celebrate members of our community, having a Patriot Night was a no-brainer.” In fact, active military and veterans will be admitted into the rodeo for free on that Friday night. It’s just one of the many ways they will be honored during Cattlemen’s Days, and the committee has some big things they want to do that evening to not only celebrate their service but make it a showcase for all to cherish.   This marks the 123rd year of the rodeo, which takes place Thursday, July 13-Saturday, July 15, at the Fred Field Western Center in Gunnison. Over his lifetime, George has taken part in many of them in one capacity or another, even serving on the board for 25 years. Whether he was just enjoying the carnival or he was clerking the junior livestock auction, Cattlemen’s Days was always a special time. “I was pretty much born here in Gunnison,” he said of that date in December 1932. “My mother and I went to Salida (Colorado) to have me born. We rode the old Narrow Gauge Railroad from Gunnison to Salida, then rode it back. “Twenty-three years later, I helped dismantle that same track.” After serving in the Marines from 1951-54, he returned home and attended college on the G.I. Bill, which helped ease the financial burden. He built a life and raised a family, and he and his wife, Melva, still live on the edge of town. He knows what Cattlemen’s Days means to this community and why people return to town for it every year. His years in the service and the sacrifices he and others made to protect the country will be honored by his hometown, his family and his friends. That has a special meaning to them all. “I think it’s very appropriate,” George said. “Our small community has had a lot of vets, and they’ve supported the military very well over the years. I think this will fit perfectly with that.”