About: Ted

Traveling group gathers together as a world champ gets married Slack had just ended on July 2 at the Black Hills Roundup Rodeo in Belle Fourche, South Dakota, and the boys were hungry. The bulldogging traveling posse of Jacob Edler, Stockton Graves, Riley Westhaver and Bridger Anderson were ready to eat. Edler ventured off with some company that was in town to see him: daughter Taylee, fiancé Moriah and her mother, Sholi Glaus. “We needed a stirrup for a saddle, so we headed off to get that and were going to meet them at The Stadium,” said Anderson of Carrington, North Dakota. “We called him to get us a table for lunch, and he said, ‘We’re not headed there now.’ “ ‘Where are you headed?’ ” they asked. “ ‘We’re headed to the (Butte County) courthouse,’ ” they were told by Edler, the reigning world champion steer wrestler from State Center, Iowa. “ ‘I might need Bridger to get ordained so he can marry us.’ “Here I am driving down a gravel road, so I get on my phone, and in about 10 seconds, I become ordained. We went back to the courthouse and had a little ceremony in the room across from the clerk. We celebrated with steak tips afterward.” There in the western South Dakota community of 5,600, the proud parents of 2-month-old Taylee got hitched with Anderson as the officiant and Graves and Westhaver as witnesses. Taylee and Grandma stayed out in the car. It may be a little out of the realm of possibilities for some, but it was just right for Jacob and Moriah Edler. “We talked about it, and we were ready to get married,” he said. “She was over there at slack at Belle Fourche, and we had to be up in Mobridge (South Dakota) that evening. I figured if there’s time, we’ll run over to the courthouse and get married. “We needed an ordained minister, because they didn’t have anybody at the courthouse to do it. Bridger found the information on his phone and became ordained.” It’s the perfect story to tell for Edler, who shocked the rodeo world by winning the Montana Silversmiths gold buckle this past December at the National Finals Rodeo in its one-time home in Arlington, Texas. An Iowa farm boy, he found his way to Northwestern Oklahoma State University to compete in college rodeo for Graves, a Northwestern alumnus who is the team’s coach. Now, they travel together. In fact, all four men are alumni of the Rangers rodeo team, and in 2016, Edler was the reserve college champion to teammate J.D. Struxness. Three years later, Anderson left the College National Finals Rodeo as Northwestern’s second national champion. Like Edler, he qualified for the NFR for the first time last December, and both men are Cinch endorsees. It all makes for one of those obscure Cowboy Christmas stories that go under the radar most of the time. With Edler in the mix, it just adds to the flavor and fun of everything that happened. “Moriah’s mom came over to Mobridge with is, and my mom came over to watch, and we went to the beer stand after the rodeo there in Mobridge,” Edler said, noting that the beer garden served as the couple’s wedding reception. “Bridger’s mom, Robin, got us a cake. Moriah’s mom watched the baby, and we had a good time.” It was just that kind of day. It was a nice break from a two-rodeo day for the boys during their Fourth of July run. Mobridge is more than 200 miles northeast of Belle Fourche, but everyone made it there on time and ready to rumble. It was a day they’ll all remember for their own roles into all that transpired. “The ceremony was a little different, and it sure didn’t take very long,” Anderson said. “They didn’t prepare any vows for me, so I had to wing it.  I’d think we’d have to do a better job if we got time to practice before the next one. It was just ‘Eddy’ and ‘Mo;’ ‘Canada’ (the group’s nickname for Westhaver) and Stockton were there to witness it. We didn’t notice it, but later people pointed out that the three of us were wearing striped light blue shirts, and Eddy was wearing a dark blue shirt. “It turns out we were real dressed up and styled in everything, still covered in dirt from throwing out steers that morning. It was a real bulldogger wedding.” They’re all real bulldoggers, too. Three of the four have NFR experience with the coach owning the most. Graves has been to the NFR seven times and, as it happens, has a chance to make it back an eighth time. Of the foursome, he leads the pack at ninth in the world standings as of July 11. Edler is 21st, Anderson is 26th and Westhaver is just outside the top 50. But it’s time to turn things around. After all, Edler has diapers to buy. Much has changed in the last 12 months. He learned of Taylee’s due date shortly before the NFR began in Texas last December. On the final night of the championship, he announced to the ProRodeo world that he was going to be a dad. Since her birth on May 10, 2021, even more has changed in the man’s mind and soul. “It’s made me grow up even more and realize that I have a lot of responsibilities, but I’m the luckiest guy in the world,” he said. “That little girl means everything to me, and so does my wife. Both of them keep me inspired and keep me wanting to do good. “This is my job now and my living, and I’m very fortunate that Moriah understands that and supports that and wants me to do that. I’ve put my whole life into bulldogging, and last year finally came to the surface and solidified that I know this is what I’m meant to do. I’m  Continue Reading »

LOVINGTON, N.M. – When Cody Sosebee talks, people listen. It’s not that he’s that big of a deal. No, Sosebee is a clown and entertainer, and when it talks during each of the five nights of rodeo action during the Lea County Fair and Rodeo, something comedic usually happens. He returns to this year’s event, set for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 4-Saturday, Aug. 7, at Jake McClure Arena; that also includes Lea County Xtreme Bulls, which is Tuesday, Aug. 3. “After the last year we’ve all experienced around here, Cody is going to be the perfect remedy for this community,” said Trey Kerby, chairman of the rodeo committee and the vice chairman of the Lea County Fair Board. “The crowd really likes him and engages with him. He’s been here several times, and he’s always a crowd favorite.” Sosebee has been a hit just about everywhere he goes. It’s the reason he’s a regular nominee for the Coors Man in the Can and the PRCA’s Clown of the Year. He’s also been selected to work the barrel at the National Finals Rodeo. In 2018, he was named the PRCA’s Comedy Act of the Year. “He definitely has the kind of pedigree our rodeo crowd likes, but that’s not why we like him coming back,” Kerby said. “He’s about as normal a person as you can get and has a heck of a sense of humor.” It comes naturally to Sosebee, 49, of Charleston, Arkansas. He has a true comic’s sense of timing, but he also understands the intricacies that come with rodeo. He was a champion bareback rider before turning his fancy to the comedy and the barrel. He also likes returning to an event like the rodeo in this southeastern New Mexico community.   “There are a lot of cowboys that come to that rodeo from the ranches and the farms,” Sosebee said. He knows cowboy. He’s been one all his life. He may not wear the hat as often, but he understands the Western lifestyle and what rodeo means to a region. Sosebee has been around rodeo as long as he can remember. He also is good friends with longtime Lovington rodeo announcer Andy Stewart, and their rapport is evident. “I like how well Cody works with Andy,” Kerby said. “They’re pretty flawless together.” Much of his humor comes from his size: Sosebee is bigger than most rodeo clowns, and his raw athleticism shows through the extra cushions his body allows. His acts just accentuate it all into one funny package. “Having the ability to laugh at myself is probably my biggest strength,” he said. “I don’t take anything too serious. When I’m watching a comedian, the funniest thing I see is when they’re honestly open and having a good time.” “I am very humbled by it, because I automatically thought of the guys who had come before me who had never been selected to work the finals,” he said. “There’s no way to describe it, because the guys voted for it. I can take that with me forever.”

Estes Park rodeo returns and puts on a heck of a show for big crowds ESTES PARK, Colo. – In January, the members of the Estes Park Western Heritage Inc., began planning an event they didn’t even know if they’d be able to have. The organization is a group of volunteers that annually works with the town of Estes Park to produce Rooftop Rodeo, which just completed its six-day run Saturday night. After having to cancel the 2020 edition of the community’s most prestigious events, there were some challenges that had to be overcome in order for the rodeo to occur this year. “The first numbers regarding capacity for our rodeo were just ugly,” said Mark Purdy, the group’s chairman. “We were going to be allowed just 25 percent of capacity, and we could not have run it at that level. Once we got to 50 percent, it was still ugly, but we started thinking we could possibly pull this thing off. “We also were at 50 percent of our normal sponsorships at April, and we started tightening our budget so we could have it this year. In May, Colorado went full capacity, so we got to add some things back. We just tried to make it as normal as possible.” Over the years, Rooftop Rodeo has been recognized as one of the best events in ProRodeo. Six times it’s been honored as Rodeo of the Year: five times in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association as Small Rodeo of the Year and once as the Medium Committee of the Year in the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association. Regularly it has hosted hundreds of the greatest stars in the game and has been seen as a destination event, but something spectacular happened this year with 830 entries. “We set a record,” Purdy said. “That was just incredible. We were just gratified to see the contestants were coming back. With that, we started seeing other things happen. We had all our box seats sold out three weeks out. We had our stands filled to about 90 percent to 95 percent capacity early in the week, and we were sold out on Friday and Saturday nights. Our traditional sponsors started coming back in a big way.” What they saw was spectacular competition. There were big scores and fast times all week, with one of the biggest winners was Utahan Stetson Wright, who won the bull riding and all-around titles in Estes Park; he is the reigning world champion in both. Actually, the leaderboards of all events were filled with world champions and National Finals Rodeo qualifiers, including saddle bronc rider Sterling Crawley, who claimed the crown with his 83-point ride on the final night. The times in barrel racing were exceptionally fast throughout the week of competition, with NFR qualifier Shelley Morgan winning the title in a time of 16.66 seconds, just two-tenths off the arena record. It all happened because a group of dedicated volunteers made a concerted effort to overcome whatever challenges they faced and produce an incredible event for members of the Estes Park community and the tourists that make it such a vibrant mountain town each summer. “We have a really passionate group of committee people, and they never wavered,” Purdy said. “I know a lot of rodeos and other events had a real big problem with volunteer retainment after the pandemic, but we didn’t have a problem with that. “Everybody stepped up. We were ready for a 50 percent capacity in April, and then it opened up. We also got a handful of new sponsors are now long-term committed to our rodeo. Our future is looking very bright at Rooftop Rodeo.” Rooftop RodeoEstes Park, Colo.All-around cowboy: Stetson Wright, $4,276, saddle bronc riding and bull riding. Bareback riding: 1. Tyler Johnson, 87.5 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Zipper Trick, $5,534; 2. Tray Chambliss III, 86.5, $4,243; 3. Bodee Lammers, 84.5, $3,136; 4. Garrett Shadbolt, 83.5, $2,029; 5. (tie) Lane McGehee, Will Lowe, Luke Creasy and Jake Brown, 83, $876 each. Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Dirk Tavenner, 3.3 seconds, $1,861; 2. Brandon Harrison, 3.4, $1,541; 3. Dalton Massey, 3.7, $1,220; 4. (tie) Tristan Martin and Payden McIntyre, 3.8, $738 each; 6. (tie) Cade Staton, Kyle Broce and Bill Claunch, 3.9, $107 each. Second round: 1. Jule Hazen, 3.4 seconds, $1,861; 2. Grady Payne, 3.5, $1,541; 3. Rowdy Parrott, 3.6, $1,220; 4. (tie) Kyle Irwin, Riley Krassin, Jacob Talley, Will Lummus and Laramie Warren, 3.8, $359 each. Average: 1. Brandon Harrison, 7.9 seconds on two head, $2,792; 2. (tie) Jacob Talley and Will Lummus, 8.0, $2,070 each; 4. Laramie Warren, 8.4, $1,348; 5. (tie) Tyler Waguespack and Riley Krassin, 8.5, $674 each. Team roping: First round: 1. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 4.5 seconds, $1,811 each; 2. Tate Kirchenschlager/Cole Davison, 4.8, $1,499; 3. Coy Rahlmann/Douglas Rich, 5.0, $1,186; 4. (tie) Tanner Tomlinson/Patrick Smith and Rhen Richard/Jeremy Buhler, 5.1, $718 each; 6. Lightning Aguilera/Shay Dixon Carroll, 5.2, $312. Second round: 1. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 4.2 seconds, $1,811 each; 2. John Gaona/Trevor Nowlin, 4.4, $1,499; 3. Colby Lovell/Paul Eaves, 4.5, $1,186; 4. Clay Smith/Jade Corkill, 4.7, $874; 5. (tie) Tyler Waters/Richard Durham and Tate Kirchenschlager/Cole Davison, 4.9, $437 each. Average: 1. (tie) Tate Kirchenschlager/Cole Davison and Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 9.7 seconds on two head, $2,482 each; 3. Tyler Waters/Richard Durham, 10.3, $1,780; 4. Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins II, 10.8, $1,311; 5. Erich Rogers/Paden Bray, 10.9, $843; 6. Jake Orman/Brye Crites, 11.0, $468. Saddle bronc riding: 1. Sterling Crawley, 83 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s 2 week Notice, $5,584; 2. Colt Gordon, 81.5, $4,281; 3. (tie) Jacob Kammerer and Ryder Wright, 79, $2,606 each; 5. (tie) Layton Green, Mitch Pollock, Wyatt Casper and Jacobs Crawley, 78, $884 each. Tie-down roping: 1. Riley Pruitt, 7.3 seconds, $4,054; 2. Trenton Smith, 8.0, $3,627; 3. Bo Pickett, 8.4, $3,201; 4. Andrew Burks, 8.6, $2,774; 5. Tom Crouse, 8.7, $2,347; 6. Ryan Belew, 8.8, $1,920; 7. (tie) Hunter Reaume and Colton Farquer, 8.9, $1,280 each; 9. (tie) Marty Yates and Bryce Barney, 9.1, $427 each. Barrel racing: 1. Shelley Morgan, 16.66 seconds, $4,221; 2. Dona Kay Rule,  Continue Reading »

DODGE CITY, Kan. – John Harrison has worked many of the largest events in ProRodeo over his years as an entertainer – first as a trick rider, now as a rodeo clown and funnyman. He’s never worked the biggest rodeo in Kansas, the Dodge City Roundup Rodeo, set for 7:45 p.m. Wednesday, Aug-Sunday, Aug. 8, at Roundup Arena; Dodge City Xtreme Bulls is set for 7:45 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 3. “Dodge City is one of those legendary rodeos you hear about,” said Harrison, 42, of Soper, Oklahoma. “It’s a special rodeo to get to work. It’s one of the great ones. Anytime you get an opportunity to work one of the great ones, you’re just blessed.” Harrison is more than blessed; he’s also talented. He comes by it quite naturally, but he’s also worked at it. It takes a special determination to become proficient at trick riding, and he toured the country for years doing so. In fact, he was part of the opening act at the National Finals Rodeo as a trick rider before he transitioned to the comedic side of rodeo. He’s so good at it that he’s been recognized for his talents. He’s been named the Coors Man in the Can and the Comedy Act of the Year, and he’s served as the NFR’s barrelman six times in the last eight years. “We’ve seen and heard about John for a few years, and we’re very excited to be able to bring him to Dodge City this year,” said Dr. R.C. Trotter, president of the volunteer committee that produces the annual rodeo. “John has a great list of accomplishments, and we believe he will add a different flavor of comedy for our rodeo.” The grandson of 1962 world champion bull rider Freckles Brown, he has incorporated part of his trick riding into comedy, and it’s one reason why he’s been recognized as a top comedy act in ProRodeo. Add to that a natural southern drawl with his distinct humor, and it’s easy to see why rodeo fans have clamored to see him at work. “My clowning has evolved quite a bit,” Harrison said. “I never worked any amateur rodeos, because I already had my PRCA card with trick riding, so I didn’t have any chance to work on my clowning before I started doing it. “That transition the first few years was tough.” He’s no longer transitioning. When the schedule allows, he travels the rodeo trail with his family, including his wife, Carla, and their children. In fact, Roundup will be the last rodeo he will work with his family in tow; they will return to southeastern Oklahoma so the kids can return to school. Like everyone, Harrison is happy to be back at his job of making people laugh. The cancelations from COVID-19 had negative impact on his business, but he’s seeing the blessings now. “It hit us hard,” he said. “We found out how non-essential rodeo clowns are. I’m blessed with the ones that were still going on and needed a clown. This year, every rodeo I’ve been to is up as far as its crowd. It’s crazy. People are wanting out of the house and doing something as a community. It’s great for me as an entertainer, because they make my job easier. They are ready to let their hair down and get wild. That makes it fun.” That’s good news for the people who make their way to the biggest rodeo in Kansas.

Clements’ honeymoon put on hold; he had bucking horses to ride Everything was picture perfect: An early-June wedding on a Rocky Mountain setting in beautiful Utah. “The ceremony was going to start at 6:30 p.m., and it was a warm day,” Mason Clements said of his June 5 nuptials to his bride, Brianna. “I prayed for some mid-morning, early-afternoon showers to cool it off, and at about 3 or 4 p.m., it started to thunder, lightning and rain. I was starting to second-guess my prayer. “It all turned out beautiful. The sun came back out, and there were a few clouds, the sunset … it was cool. The venue is a rustic-barn setting with an open pasture of grass behind it. I had seven of my best men there to stand with me and support me, and Brianna had seven of her best women.” The setting and the ceremony were the perfect celebration to the beginning of a marriage that is meant to last a lifetime or more. For a rodeo cowboy from Utah, it was a way to celebrate his roots and put his love on display for all to see, for most to cherish. Before them stood Kelly Wardell, a cowboy himself who had served as Mason Clements’ bareback-riding mentor for many years. On that day, he was the officiant, the man that declared them husband and wife, the man that told him to kiss his bride. “Brianna thinks he’s an awesome guy, and she kept telling me to ask Kelly to officiate our wedding,” he said. “I truly believe he set the tone with his words and his speech. It made this journey I’ve taken through rodeo that much better, because Kelly is someone I’ve looked up to and respected for a long time, since 2012. He’s just that guy that will do anything for you, so it’s special that he did that for us.” That’s a common trait among rodeo cowboys. They understand the ups and downs that comes from the game they play, the life they live. But there will always be a calling that many won’t understand; cowboys are competitors, and rodeo means competition. Instead of packing up his new bride for a beach or a resort somewhere special, Mason Clements found himself in a familiar place the day after his wedding, Sunday, June 6 – he was en route to try his hand on another bucking horse. “I entered the Riggin Rally with a 50-50 intention of going,” he said. “About the week of our wedding, I decided I’d better just stay and hang out with her and our families and enjoy the time. The Riggin Rally and the dates are things you can’t change with ProRodeo and the organizers and sponsors that are involved in it. Here I am, about to say ‘I do,’ but I also have a job that pays the bills and is something that I love just as deep. “When I saw the draw, I knew I had to get on that horse.” The animal was Great Nation, owned by Sankey Pro Rodeo and Phenom Genetics. The powerful bay had bucked at the 2020 National Finals Rodeo, so Clements knew there was something special to the horse, and he was right. He scored 89 points to win his section and advance to the championship round, where he was 89.5 points on Calgary Stampede’s Yippee Kibitz, good enough to finish in a tie for third place. He earned $4,815 for his venture to Darby, Montana, and his wife wasn’t at all upset. “She always wanted me to go, but she didn’t want to go the day after the wedding,” Clements said. “ ‘I want you to go,’ she said, ‘and I want you to win and come back as soon as you can. We’ll take care of family stuff.’ “She gave her full support and love there. I also had my awesome traveling partner, Leighton Berry, who came up for the wedding. The next morning, he drove me all the way to Darby, and I slept three-fourths of the way. He made sure I got there on time and got rested. I was really blessed and fortunate to have all the people put in the time and effort to make our day be special for both of us and make sure I was where I needed to be the day after.” The honeymoon is still up in the air. For now, Brianna will join him on the rodeo trail. This is a much different life than she knew before, raised on an oceanfront in Cocoa Beach, Florida, the home of Cape Canaveral. She grew up playing soccer, then moved out West, where she recently graduated from the University of Utah with a bachelor’s degree in communication with an emphasis in journalism. “The summer run would be our unofficial honeymoon,” he said. “We’re planning on going somewhere warm and tropical and relaxing come the end of the season when we can take the whole week off and spend time with each other when everything’s slower.” Brianna Clements understood fully what life with her new husband would be like. He made sure of it when he proposed two years ago, and she agreed to life with a rodeo cowboy. “I couldn’t ask for anything better,” Mason Clements said. “As past years have gone, that first week of June is pretty empty. As luck would have it, there are three rodeos that week before and two to three rodeos the weekend of, and one happened to be the Riggin Rally. It’s the only stand-alone bareback riding event and one of the biggest events of the year.” As of late June, he was 19th in the world standings. That finish in Darby helped with that a bit, but he still needs some help if he hopes to make it back to the NFR for the fourth time in five years. “After Reno, it goes from being a part-time job like it has  Continue Reading »