Popes ride into Gooding lead
GOODING, Idaho – It’s hard to follow in the footsteps of greatness, but Ty Pope is making an effort to do so as he travels the rodeo trail with his big brother, Jess. It can be an uneasy task, especially after watching the eldest of three boys light the bareback riding world on fire. Jess […]
New Mexicans thrive in Gooding
GOODING, Idaho – Three New Mexico cowgirls put on a roping clinic in southern Idaho on Wednesday night during the Beauty & The Beast special section of the Gooding Pro Rodeo. Jill Tanner of Monument owns the lead after posting a 2.4-second run, while Kassidy Dennison of Tohatchi is second at 2.7 and Quincy Peralta […]
Pope earns big check in Lovington
LOVINGTON, N.M. – There was a stretch earlier this season where defending world champion bareback rider Jess Pope was struggling. It may have been the gold buckle hangover or maybe he just wasn’t being matched with the right livestock. He needed things to change; over the last couple of months, they have. He proved it […]
Solomon snags tie-down lead
LOVINGTON, N.M. – Being raised by a man who hauls calves to rodeos was the perfect training ground for Cory Solomon. One of his jobs in the family business was to break in fresh calves, animals right out of the pasture that had never been roped. Most competitions prefer a few runs on their cattle, […]
Hay makes hay in Lovington
LOVINGTON, N.M. – A year ago, Logan Hay was setting the rodeo world on fire. He’d set a new world record with a 95.5-point saddle bronc ride in his native Alberta, then qualified for the National Finals Rodeo for the first time. He continued his hot streak, earning $200,000 in 10 days and finishing the […]
Thomas razes demons with top run
LOVINGTON, N.M. – Like any sport, rodeo has its share of frustrations. Take Heath Thomas, for example. Things hadn’t gone his way through the first 10 months of the ProRodeo season. He is outside the top 50 in the world standings, and he just wants to earn money wrestling steers. He stands a good chance […]
Kansan claims Xtreme Bulls title
LOVINGTON, N.M. – For Coy Pollmeier, just competing in the Lea County Xtreme Bulls was exciting. Winning it put the Kansas cowboy over the top. “I’m still trying to take it all in,” said Pollmeier, who posted the highest-marked ride Tuesday night at Jake McClure Arena, but he also was the only man in the […]
Honors keep coming for event
Gooding Pro Rodeo recognized as Wilderness Circuit’s best large rodeo GOODING, Idaho – There are few, if any, rodeos across North America that have the atmosphere that’s found over four August nights in this town of 3,700 people. Gooding Pro Rodeo is a spectacle, an event that draws out the greatest of everything that’s part […]
Cress collects Roundup victory
DODGE CITY, Kan. – Brody Cress didn’t allow himself time to stress out about the test he was to face during Sunday’s championship round at the Dodge City Roundup Rodeo. Cress won the first go-round, riding Frontier Rodeo’s No. 777 for 87.5 points. That was the first stage of things to come for the saddle […]
Peterson secures short-round bid
DODGE CITY, Kan. – In the Flint Hills of Kansas, Council Grove is not known as a hotbed for rodeo, but Beau Peterson might be changing that mindset. She grew up there and competed across the state in a variety of events. She’s roped calves and tied goats and done just about any event possible […]
Wright in right spot at Roundup
DODGE CITY, Kan. – Injuries heal, but that doesn’t mean a competitor is ready to get back into the action. Saddle bronc rider Ryder Wright understands that. He missed most of July because of a rib issue suffered the end of June, and he returned to action two weeks ago without much luck. “This time […]
Everyone is ready for the fair
LOVINGTON, N.M. – The Lea County Fair and Rodeo is more than a community gathering; it’s a true spectacle in every form of the word. With admission at just $10 per person, the entertainment value is tremendous. From the carnival rides to the rodeo to the nightly concerts, the Lea County Fairgrounds in Lovington is […]
Lovington is special to champs
LOVINGTON, N.M. – Taylor Santos is just 28 years old, but he has a firm grasp of the history involved in the sport of rodeo. He knows that the annual event in Lovington not only dates back many decades, but he realizes also the legacy established years ago still looms largely over the region. Santos […]
Franks drinks to his success
DODGE CITY, Kan. – Cole Franks has some fond memories of the Dodge City Roundup Rodeo, some of which are approved by his mother; some are not. “It’s cool to come here to this rodeo and do good, especially with the history with it,” said Franks, 22, the 2021 Roundup Rodeo champion bareback rider. “I’m […]
Hannum speedy in Dodge return
DODGE CITY, Kan. – Olin Hannum has been around rodeo all his life. He was born into it, the son of a five-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier and a longtime administrator in the PRCA. His father, Jack, earned a spot at the NFR in tie-down roping in 1977, then followed that with four trips in […]
Hutchings wins X Bulls title
Idaho cowboy cashes in with a big-money ride in Dodge City DODGE CITY, Kan. – Growing up in the tiny town of Monteview, Idaho, Tristen Hutchings didn’t have a lot. He was raised around rodeo and found a passion for riding bulls. That love affair carried him to a magical 2022 season, one in which […]
Fair celebrates county’s history
LOVINGTON, N.M. – With a nod to the pioneers that made southeastern New Mexico their homes, the lifeblood for folks in this part of the world remains what it was decades ago: Ranching, oil and natural gas. Many of the communities in Lea County were founded in the early 1900s. The epicenter is Hobbs, the […]
Program teams with local event
Gooding Pro Rodeo to help raise awareness for Heroes and Horses GOODING, Idaho – Micah Fink has a fiery personality, one that guides him to help others. It came in handy as a Navy SEAL, a true warrior during the years he was in service for the country. His charm is even more fitting now […]
Family sews generational seams
LOVINGTON, N.M. – When Karen and Karole Kemper were youngsters in southern Lea County, they followed their mother’s lead and became involved with arts and crafts. All three ladies showed their talents at the county festival. Their mother, 89-year-old Joyce Kemper, is still planning to show during this year’s Lea County Fair and Rodeo, set […]
Band bringing more fun to town
Montana group offering a variety of dancehall music to Gooding Pro Rodeo GOODING, Idaho – For most of its existence, the Exit 53 band stayed pretty close to its home in Hardin, Montana. The four-person group is expanding its reach a little more and will be playing after the final three performances of the Gooding […]
Trotter retiring from Roundup
After 20 years as president, longtime volunteer will step down DODGE CITY, Kan. – For many, Dr. R.C. Trotter is synonymous with Roundup Rodeo. A family physician in Dodge City for four decades, Trotter has built a medical practice, raised a family and been a major influence on folks around him. While doing so, he […]
College stars return ‘home’
Gooding offers a reunion for former College of Southern Idaho greats GOODING, Idaho – For many of ProRodeo’s greatest stars, their summertime visit to this community of 3,700 souls is a refreshing stop on a busy regular season. For others, it’s a return to their old stomping grounds, the intercollegiate homes that helped propel […]
Best foot forward in Gooding
Rodeo honored by barrel racers for having the best ground in the circuit GOODING, Idaho – The best racehorses in the world are adaptable, able to perform at a high level no matter the conditions. The better the foundation, though, the better the chance to see something special on the track. In the world of […]
Xtreme Bulls brings out the best
LOVINGTON, N.M. – Since its inception, the Lea County Xtreme Bulls has been one of the toughest competitions to win. There have been 10 editions of the stand-alone bull riding, which kicks off the PRCA portion of the Lea County Fair and Rodeo. Each year, a different bull rider wins the crown. Kanin Asay, a […]