Campbell donates his time to fair
LOVINGTON, N.M. – When Jimmy Joe Campbell was a little boy, he looked in awe as his father and grandfather worked around the Lea County Fairgrounds. A lifelong county resident, Campbell lives at the house in which he was raised east of Lovington. Like so many youths in the region, he made his way to […]
Champion ready for his return
Bareback rider missed Gooding Pro Rodeo in 2022; he’s eager to get back GOODING, Idaho – Over the last decade that he’s ridden bucking horses for a living, Richmond Champion has only missed the Gooding Pro Rodeo a couple of times. One was last year, when a neck injury sidelined the bareback rider […]
Act will take beauty to Lovington
LOVINGTON, N.M. – When Jessica Blair-Fowlkes rides into Jake McClure Arena during the Lea County Fair and Rodeo, she will do it while standing astride two beautiful gray horses. She will coax them to run and truly showcase their talents inside the massive, dirt floor on the Lea County Fairgrounds in Lovington. Because of […]
Titlists cherish Roundup buckles
DODGE CITY, Kan. – When the Kansas City Chiefs hoisted the Lombardi Trophy as the Super Bowl champions in February, it was the culmination of a season of excellence. It was the prize the players were craving, their goal through the rigors of the campaign. In Dodge City, cowboys and cowgirls battle for a […]
Cook is a natural rodeo clown
LOVINGTON, N.M. – In the summer of 2019, Zack Cook was content in his job as a laborer at the Cody Nite Rodeo in his Wyoming hometown. He’d work during the day and through the evening’s rodeo, then he’d hang out with others around the complex. Little did he know that those conversations would lead […]
Pollock spurs big bucks in Gunnison
GUNNISON, Colo. – A month ago, Will Pollock was standing on the stage in Casper, Wyoming, when his Clarendon (Texas) College rodeo team won its second national title in three years. During Saturday’s final performance of Cattlemen’s Days PRCA Rodeo, Pollock continued his streak by riding Rafter G Rodeo’s Silver Wings for 84 points to […]
Newcomer rides into the lead
GUNNISON, Colo. – During Drake Amundson’s first trip to the Cattlemen’s Days PRCA Rodeo in 2022, things didn’t go very well. His first horse didn’t want to play the game, so he got a re-ride; the second horse promptly bucked the young bareback rider off. During Friday’s second performance of Gunnison’s 123-year rodeo, Amundson […]
Pratt snags the lead in Gunnison
GUNNISON, Colo. – Just like every fisherman has a honey hole, every cowboy has a rodeo that is his sweet spot. Cattlemen’s Days is that for Colorado steer wrestler Cody Pratt, who knocked down his steer in 4.1 seconds during Thursday’s first performance of Gunnison’s rodeo to take the early lead. Originally from Monte […]
The rides of her lifetime
Proctor excited to show trick-riding skills before renowned Gooding crowd GOODING, Idaho – By the time she was 5 years old, Haley Proctor knew what she was going to be. In the years that have passed, her passion for being a trick rider and entertainer has only grown, and it’s why she will be […]
Roundup makes facility upgrades
DODGE CITY, Kan. – There is a new look to Roundup Arena, and folks arriving for this year’s rodeo will see it immediately. A new ticket booth will greet visitors, a way to welcome all who come and to provide a little better protection for the people who assist everyone when they enter the […]
Champs crowned at Rooftop
Young bronc rider rides into money on the final night of Estes Park rodeo ESTES PARK, Colo. – As the curtain dropped on the 2023 edition of Rooftop Rodeo on Monday, the biggest name in the sport stood above all the rest. Stetson Wright has been the winningest cowboy in ProRodeo the last […]
Concerts key for fair, rodeo
ALABAMA, Lawrence, Bowen, others to perform in Lovington LOVINGTON, N.M. – In 1981, a trio of cousins from a small town in the South jumped into the country music stratosphere when the song “Tennessee River” catapulted to the top of the charts. Four decades later, Alabama is synonymous with down-home hits and a nation’s […]
Back where it all began
Boxleitner finds glory at Rooftop, the rodeo that pointed him toward roping ESTES PARK, Colo. – Just two days before his 23rd birthday, Tyler Boxleitner gave himself a bit of a present. He roped and tied his calf in 12.1 seconds during Sunday’s fifth performance of the Rooftop Rodeo to move into a share […]
Harrison grabs 2nd-round lead
ESTES PARK, Colo. – The dreams of being a world champion start early for many cowboys. They might ride stick horses, but they have visions of the yellow chutes at the National Finals Rodeo. It’s what drives most of them; it’s why they travel the country following their passions. Brandon Harrison has had that […]
Hunger hits in Estes Park
ESTES PARK, Colo. – Hunger is the name of the game in bareback riding. For Waylon Bourgeois, it’s all about being young and in his sophomore campaign in ProRodeo. For Richmond Champion, it’s about an injury forcing him to the sidelines for the better part of 2023. No matter their reasons, both men looked […]
Team ropers catch Rooftop lead
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. […]
Skelton breaks arena record
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 […]
Cowboys enjoy Gunnison rodeo
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 […]
Pegelow’s volunteer roots run deep
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 […]
Gunnison rodeo to honor military
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 […]
Harrison excited about return
Award-winning rodeo clown will be back to entertain the fans in Gooding GOODING, Idaho – At most rodeos he works, John Harrison has a way of impacting many people who pay to see a good event. He’s an entertainer, and a darned good one. Harrison is one of the most sought-after rodeo clowns in […]
Hodges ready to ride into Dodge
DODGE CITY, Kan. – There’s a great deal about Robbie Hodges’ job as a rodeo clown that he adores, but there’s one thing that stands out. “I just love being in that barrel and being a guy the bull riders can count on,” Hodges said, referring to his primary position as barrelman and an island […]
Carnival lights Cattlemen’s Days
GUNNISON, Colo. – The lights flicker, the music roars and the smell of goodies fills the air. During Cattlemen’s Days the second full week of July, the carnival attracts hundreds of youngsters – and former youngsters – who enjoy the rides and the cotton candy and funnel cakes that come to town with Colorado-based […]
Parade will honor longtime voice
GUNNISON, Colo. – For 123 years, Cattlemen’s Days is more than a community get-together, more than a county fair. It’s a celebration and a homecoming, a chance for folks who were raised in this neck of the woods to reunite with family and friends. It’s a chance for neighbors to reconnect, an opportunity for […]