About: Ted

COMANCHE, Okla. – The first time Ryan Jarrett qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in 2005, he was just 21 years old and looked like he could go days without shaving. Much has changed in the 16 years since, but Jarrett continues to be among the greatest cowboys to have ever played the game. He returns for his 12th trip to the NFR, set for Dec. 3-12 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. During that initial championship, the Georgia-born cowboy qualified in both tie-down roping and steer wrestling, then left Las Vegas as the third-youngest all-around world champion in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association’s history – only legends Ty Murray and Jim Shoulders were younger. Since then, Jarrett has dabbled in multiple events, but he’s maintained a focus on tie-down roping. He’s only missed out on playing on rodeo’s grandest stage just four times in his storied career, including the 2019 season when he finished the regular season 22nd in the world standings – only the top 15 on the money list in each event qualify for the NFR. “It damn sure feels good to know I’ve still got it and can still finish the year in the top 15,” said Jarrett, 36, originally from Summerville, Ga., but now living in Comanche with his wife, Shy-Anne, and daughter, Jurnee. “I’m really excited that it’s going to be in Texas. It’ll be a different atmosphere not being in Las Vegas this year, but it’s nice that it’ll be close to home.” It’s just a 140-mile venture from his home to his playground for 10 December nights, compared to nearly 1,000 miles for his previous NFRs. Alas, because of the COVID-19 global pandemic, Las Vegas was not an option to host ProRodeo’s grand finale in 2020. When Texas offered up the home of the Rangers and the 2020 World Series, the cowboys made the one-year move to ensure the championship took place in a wild and unpredictable year. “It’s been quite the experience,” said Jarrett, who credits his sponsors – Wrangler, Cactus Ropes, WW Livestock, PHT Products and Outlaw Equine – with helping get up and down the road, especially during a tumultuous season. “We did pretty good getting entered so we didn’t have many all-night drives, but we sure put on some miles. “We had a lot of guidelines that you had to follow, and you’d get aggravated with it, but you still want to have the event. I felt like everybody did their part to make sure we had rodeos to go to this year.” That was key. In a normal year, the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association has around 700 events across North America. In 2020, more than half of them were canceled, including many of the largest rodeos. That meant fewer opportunities and more miles between the rodeos that did take place. “When you got there, I’d say there were 150 guys at dang near every rodeo you went to,” he said. “That makes it even tougher, because everything has to go just right for you to win anything.” In rodeo, there are no guaranteed incomes. Contestants must pay an entry fee in order to compete, and they only receive a salary at each rodeo if they do better than most do the field. In tie-down roping, the faster the run, the bigger the paycheck, and there were fewer of them to go by. Jarrett enters this year’s NFR 11th in the world standings after having earned $52,080. While leader Shad Mayfield has a big advantage – Mayfield sits No. 1 with $156,668 – the rest of the field is clumped together. Jarrett is just $15,000 behind the No. 2 man, four-time world champion Tuf Cooper. That ground could be made up on opening night. “Looking back at the season, there were a lot of rodeos that were one-headers,” Jarrett said, referring to one-round rodeos instead of events that featured multiple rounds; by not dividing the money up with more rounds and the aggregate payout, it offers bigger dollars to its top finishers. “I shortened the start, and I finished with a wrap and a hooey quite a bit.” In essence, he took more chances. In timed events, cattle receive a head start based on a barrier system; if Jarrett didn’t allow the calf its appropriate start, then he’d break the barrier. Every broken barrier included a 10-second penalty, meaning he would finish out of the money. Jarrett made sure to be on the barrier each run, risking the potential penalty. He also made one wrap around the calf’s legs instead of two before putting together the final half-hitch to secure the tie. The risk was potentially allowing the calf to break the tie before six seconds elapsed, which would have resulted in a no-time. That was definitely bounty in his risk-reward moves. With COVID breathing down his neck all season long, it was well worth it. When he wasn’t on the road, he allowed himself to enjoy his time at home, which is quite uncommon for ProRodeo cowboys that make their livings traveling North America one rodeo at a time. “When everything shut down, I was contemplating going out to California for that West Coast run, and it all got canceled,” he said “It didn’t bother me whatsoever. Thankfully I’ve got a little business that I can have a little income when I’m not rodeoing. “Plus, it was nice being around here and watching her every day, being around her and getting to hang out with her.” “Her” is Jurnee, who is 21 months old and the apple of her daddy’s eye. She already has a pony to ride and by following in the footsteps of her cowboy daddy, cowgirl mommy and family of true hands around livestock, she’ll likely be involved in the family business as she matures. This will be her first NFR experience, and though she won’t remember any of it except through videos and images, it’s part of a life in  Continue Reading »

STEPHENVILLE, Texas – Jace Melvin has known no other way. In a sense, he was born to be a professional rodeo cowboy, and he thrives in this environment. All roads have pointed to him being considered one of the best, and that’s the case in the 2020 ProRodeo campaign. Melvin earned $46,225 through the regular season and has earned his first Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualification. He sits seventh in the steer wrestling world standings heading into this year’s championship, set for Dec. 3-12 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. “This is a dream come true,” said Melvin, originally from Fort Pierre, South Dakota, but now living in Stephenville. “I’ve worked my whole life for this and for my family, friends and loved ones that helped me get to this point.” Melvin was raised around this sport. He’s an all-around cowboy, but his excellence in steer wrestling has pushed him to be more individually focused on a single event much of the season. It all goes back to the lessons learned through the grueling summers and harsh winters in South Dakota, where family was always the biggest piece of life’s pie. “I remember being on a horse all the time,” he said. “I was super blessed. My mom and my dad’s house was right down the hill from my (paternal) grandma and grandpa, Willie and Delores Melvin. All of them did so much to help me.” He recalled being around 10 or 11 years old and wanting to compete at a 12-under tie-down roping event. Trouble was, while he had competed in breakaway roping, he had never tied a calf down. His grandfather went to the sale barn, purchased a bottle calf, and Melvin had something to practice on. “I’d load this calf, then I’d rope it,” he said. “I’d bring it right back, and we’d load it again. “I never knew my grandpa on my mom’s side, but both my grandmas were super supportive and grew up in the Western lifestyle, ran calves and rode horses. That’s all I ever wanted to do. I was fortunate to have my mom and dad, my grandpa and my grandmas to support the way of life I wanted. They always motivated me to go for my goals and take care of what I wanted to accomplish.” So, when he followed in the footsteps of older sisters Jessica and Jenny into rodeo, it was a no-brainer for the family to follow him with the same encouragement. “It’s so important, because rodeoing is hard,” Melvin said. “You spend a lot of money, spend a lot of time. It’s just a constant struggle to get where you want to go. Never in my life have I had anyone tell me I needed to do something different. Since we’ve been together, Amy has supported my goal.” That’s Amy Kay, to whom Melvin is engaged. In addition to her being another support system, they seem to match together quite well. And to think that the two would have never met had he not stepped outside is comfort zone to move to Texas to attend college – first to Vernon College, then to Tarleton State University in Stephenville. “I actually wanted to stay closer to home to go to college,” he said. “Both my sisters went to college in Texas. Jessica went to Texas Tech to rodeo there, and she was the masked rider for the football team. Jenny went to a junior college in Texas. But when I went to the high school finals as a freshman, I met Bobby Scott, who was the rodeo coach at Vernon. “He said, ‘When you graduate, I’m going to give you a full scholarship, and I want you to come rodeo for me.’ He held up his end of the bargain.” When he transferred to Stephenville, Melvin learned to be more proficient in team roping and tie-down roping. He earned three qualifications to the College National Finals Rodeo while there; two in steer wrestling and one in tie-down roping. He was one of the reasons why the Tarleton State men’s team won the national title in his senior season of 2015. For several years, he’s made a name for himself as an all-around cowboy. The focus to steer wrestling came a year ago, when he finished 24th in the standings. He progressed even more this year and is one of just 15 men who will battle for the world championship at Globe Life Field, home of the Texas Rangers and the 2020 World Series. “I bought my (PRCA) card five years ago; my goal was to make the NFR my rookie year, then my goal was to make it every year,” said Melvin, who credits his sponsors – Wrangler, Resistol, Ag Texas, Purina, Classic Equine, Rockin JM Livestock, Three Flat Energy and Equimedic – for helping him get up and down the rodeo trail. “I don’t regret the years leading up to this one. Every year has been a building block. I’ve honed my skills, and it’s all led up to this. Hopefully I can sustain this and keep it going. I hope to be at a position that I can maintain a high level of consistency and have steady success from here on out.” He proved it in what might be the toughest year to find success in ProRodeo. The year started as normal with big-money opportunities at large indoor rodeos, then the COVID-19 global pandemic knocked everything off kilter. Fear gripped not only the nation, but many nations, and people were isolated for weeks at a time. When rodeo returned, the opportunities were fewer; more than half the typical ProRodeos across North America were canceled, including some of the biggest in the game. Melvin and his traveling posse – Cody Devers and four-time NFR qualifier Jule Hazen – went to work to make sure everything came out as well as possible. “It was unique,” Melvin said. “Rodeos seem to be somewhat clustered most years. With all  Continue Reading »

HILLSBORO, Texas – Chad Rutherford has earned a milestone; he has qualified to the National Finals Rodeo for the first time in his 10-year career. As one of the top 15 bareback riders on the money list who will battle for the coveted world championship at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, Rutherford has the adulation of his fellow competitors. “I am very happy for Chad,” said Orin Larsen, a six-time NFR qualifier from Inglis, Manitoba. “To have gone through what he’s gone through and make it this year, everybody is excited to see that Chad going to the finals,” said Tim O’Connell, a three-time world champion from Zwingle, Iowa. In a sport where greatness is defined by playing on the sport’s grandest stage, Rutherford has been close. He finished among the top 25 twice, the last time in a season he’ll likely never forget but one that makes this milestone season of 2020 even more memorable. “Finally making the NFR is massive, life-changing,” said Rutherford, 29, of Hillsboro, who enters the NFR 15th in the standings with $37,412 in season earnings. “This is the culmination of a lot of things I’ve experienced, the emotions I’ve felt and the things I’ve gone through.” He’s gone through a great deal in his career, in his lifetime. In June 2017, many things changed for the Texas cowboy, who was raised near Itasca, just a few miles from where he lives now. Sitting eighth in the standings at the time, he was involved in a serious wreck in which the horse he was attempting to ride at the Reno (Nevada) Rodeo came down on top of him. “I caught both his back feet on my back, right on my shoulder blade and rib cage,” he said. “I broke eight ribs in 13 places, broke my collarbone and my shoulder blade and collapsed a lung. It was pretty touch-and-go there for a little bit; I almost didn’t make it out of the hospital.” He remained there for several days, but the pain continued – both physically and emotionally. His wife at the time flew from Texas to Reno to get him home, and a few days after that asked for a divorce. “My truck broke down, too,” Rutherford said. “My finances went to the toilet, and my career was seemingly going down the toilet and my marriage was over. I was at the lowest I’d been in my life. I wasn’t sure where it would go from there. All this happened within three weeks of itself.” Time heals, though. So does faith and having the right people involved. It wasn’t long, and Rutherford was more like the Bionic Man, rebuilt, refurbished and as hungry as ever. In fact, the way his life has happened since that fateful day has shaped him beyond the physical tests bareback riding gives him; they’ve built his heart and his faith even greater, which happens to benefit how he rides bucking horses. He met the love of his life, Katie, a few weeks after his miserable experience, and they have built a family, which includes 2-year-old James. It provided personal relief to go along with physical healing. “I think my biggest benefactor as far as riding was taking the time I did the last two years,” he said. “My entire career has been plagued with injuries and not being able to finish the seasons like I needed to. Whenever I got hurt bad in 2017, I tried to come back that fall and found out my body needed more healing time. “I was just taking my time to actually heal and train like I’ve never been able to before. That’s the biggest reason I’ve been able to rodeo like I did this year and ride as well as I did. I had to completely change my riding, and the only way to do that was to take the time. Having my wife in my corner was extremely important. She pushed me harder than anyone’s ever pushed me before.” He sees it through faithful eyes and an understanding that God’s timing is perfect. From the wreck to the time away from the game to meeting Katie and having James, things have happened for a reason and have guided Rutherford to this place and time. “I’m riding better than I ever have, and not only is my riding better than it’s been in the past, but I’m twice the competitor that I was in the past,” said Rutherford, who credits much of his success to his sponsors, Kimes Ranch Jeans and Barstow Pro Rodeo. “That wreck I went through three years ago was one of the biggest blessings in my life. It pulled everything back and made me start over. “I had to start from the ground up with my physical training. My body was riddled after I got hurt. The aftershock of what I went through with my nerve damage was far worse than the injury itself.” When he looks back 15 years, he realizes this rodeo lifestyle would likely have never happened if fate hadn’t intervened. Football was Chad Rutherford’s future, he thought. Football is big in Texas; the problem was, Rutherford isn’t. “I played football when I was younger, and my whole plan through high school was me growing taller, go to college and play ball,” he said. “I’m 5-5; when sixth grade hit, I quit growing. I was one of the smallest but most ranked offensive linemen. I started on varsity all four years. Through broken ankles or broken wrists, I never missed a game or practice. I was driven to play college ball; it just never happened.” When football scholarships weren’t available, he reached into his own athleticism to come up with another avenue to pay for college. He found it in bareback riding and went on to Hill College in Hillsboro to try his hand at the most physically demanding event in rodeo. Bareback riders wedge a hand into a rigging, which is strapped  Continue Reading »

RAMONA, Kan. –Tanner Brunner took a different approach to the 2020 ProRodeo season than many of his fellow steer wrestlers. “There were some guys that had the mentality that they had to rodeo harder because there weren’t as many opportunities as other years,” said Brunner, 27, from the rural community of Ramona. “My game plan was to go to the rodeos that made sense travel-wise and not try to break ourselves trying to get to every single rodeo. For a couple of weeks, I stayed home and went to one rodeo that week.” It paid off in a season that was as unpredictable as it was delayed, and the Kansas cowboy will return to the National Finals Rodeo for the third straight year. He earned $45,885 and heads to ProRodeo’s championship event sixth in the world standings. It’s the highest he’s been ranked over the past three years, but it also came with the least amount of money earned – in rodeo, dollars equal points, and only the top 15 on the money list in each event earn right to compete at the NFR; at its conclusion, the contestants in each event who have the most earnings will be crowned world champions. The lower figures, of course, came in a season that was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. When the world shut down in mid-March, so did the sport, and it didn’t return for two and a half months. Beyond that, more than half the events on a typical year were canceled, including many large rodeos that provide big paydays to its top finishers. “It was a lot different than normal,” said Brunner, who credits his sponsors – Zesterra, Coats Saddlery, Cow Camp Ranch, SportsZone, MJE Livestock Equipment, the Kansas State University Rodeo Club, Animal Health International and Outpost Western Store – with helping him get up and down the rodeo trail. “There were a lot of miles between rodeos with none of the big rodeos to make it worth driving for. “I got to see some different country that we’d never seen before. That was a good change. I really commend the committees that went through everything to put on the rodeos and continue having the rodeos. It couldn’t have been easy.” COVID also made a change in the postseason. Since 1985, the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas has been home to the NFR; because of the pandemic and with limitations set forth in Nevada, that wasn’t possible this year. The alternative is pretty nice, though; the NFR will take place Dec. 3-12 at Globe Life Field, home of the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas. “It’ll be nice, and I can’t say I’ve ever competed in rodeo at a baseball stadium before,” said Brunner, who, like his parents and sister, was a member of the K-State rodeo team while attending college in Manhattan, Kansas. “Making the change in places may change my routine up a little bit. The arena setup is a little different, so we’ll have to get used to that. “I just have to figure out what works best for my horses.” Those horses are Miss Kitty and Slick, both of which Brunner recently purchased. Miss Kitty is the bulldogging horse, and Slick serves as her teammate and hazing the steers in a more direct path. Both horses have been instrumental in guiding Brunner back to the NFR to compete for the coveted Montana Silversmiths gold buckle that is awarded to the world champion. Former NFR qualifier Cole Edge will ride Slick and serve as Brunner’s hazer. “I think having experience plays a lot into having a good season,” he said. “There’s also something about not having to worry about who’s on the other side. With Cole over there hazing, I feel completely comfortable. Those guys have been a great crew year in and year out. They’re great guys to travel with. “This year was a nice break that we didn’t have to run the rubber off the tires. It was a lot more enjoyable to be out on the road, and we had a little more free time. That helps the horses feel good, too, which is always important.” That will play into things once the team arrives in Arlington. This will be a much different trip from his home in the Kansas Flint Hills. Instead of driving 20 hours-plus to Las Vegas, it will take him close to seven hours – just a common drive for a rodeo cowboy that might drive hundreds of miles in a given day to get from one event to another. Arlington is also just two hours from Sean Mulligan’s home in Coleman, Oklahoma, where Brunner will spend some time preparing for the championship. “The horses and I will be acclimated to the weather,” he said. “We’ll practice four to five times a week a couple weeks before the NFR. It’ll be exciting to be in a new place.” It also may be the ideal situation for him to develop the cohesiveness necessary. “I’m feeling pretty confident in myself and with my horses,” Brunner said. “We won’t try to do too much. I was super aggressive my first year and tried to do too much. Last year, I couldn’t find a groove to get in. “Ideally, I’ll take what the steers give me and make the most of every opportunity I can while I’m there.” It’s all about being comfortable, and it takes repetition to make everything come together well. “Being a three-time NFR qualifier is a great accomplishment,” he said. “I’m glad that I am able to make it three times in a row and hopefully make the NFR every coming year. “I know what works for me, and I know what doesn’t work for me. I need to find the right combination of things that I know will help me perform to the best of my ability and get the most of my horses’ ability. I want to practice enough to get the start but  Continue Reading »

WAVERLY, Kan. – Jesse Pope didn’t grow up in a typical rodeo family, but that didn’t deter him from developing a passion for the sport. In just his second season in ProRodeo, the 22-year-old bareback rider from Waverly has already proven his place among the best in the game. He has earned his first qualification to the National Finals Rodeo, the sport’s grand finale that will take place Dec. 3-12 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. “This is everything I’ve dreamed about since I was a little kid,” Pope said. “I’ve wanted to make the NFR and be a world champion. I still have some dreams to fulfill, but at least I filled one of them.” His dreams have revolved around rodeo, a sport in which he’s competed most of his life. What’s more telling is that neither of his parents ever competed; they have just supported him along the way and have sown that with his younger brothers, Ty and Judd. What has grown out of that patience and encouragement is a world-class flair that has benefitted Jesse Pope to $49,612 and the 11th spot on the money list at the conclusion of the regular season. He will be one of just 15 bareback riders all battling for that elusive world championship in a year that has been disrupted by the COVID-19 global pandemic. “Rodeoing this year was difficult,” said Pope, who credits his sponsors – Panhandle and Rock and Roll Clothing, Resistol, Bloomer, Veach’s Custom Leather, Emporia Livestock Sales and T Bar T Cattle Co. – with helping him get down the road. “It was harder to fly to rodeos, because there were so many flights canceled. “At every rodeo you went to, you were competing against the best in the world. You were riding against the top 30 everywhere you were nodding your head. There was no room for mistakes. I think this year was a lot tougher to rodeo and make money than it was last year.” The proof is in the elite. A year ago, most of the bareback riders at the NFR had earned more than $100,000 in the regular season. This year, only Pope’s traveling partner, three-time world champion Tim O’Connell, crossed that threshold. And travel they did. With fewer rodeos, cowboys were forced to the highways more and riding less. It just came with the change. It also meant that many of ProRodeo’s largest events were canceled with the fear of the pandemic driving away large crowds and opportunities to support communities. “There wasn’t a set track of rodeos,” said Pope, a senior at Missouri Valley College. “Usually you can make a run. If you were going to the West Coast, there were four rodeos you could go to within an hour. There just wasn’t that opportunity this year. “We went from Weatherford, Texas, to Vernal, Utah, overnight. There were a lot of overnight drives.” That’s what it takes to compete at a high level sometimes, especially in a world gripped by COVID-19. For a young man just wrapping up his second campaign in ProRodeo, it provided incredible lessons; he’s used to that. In 2018, he was the champion of the permit holders challenge in Las Vegas. The next year, he finished second in the race for the Rookie of the Year title. His career has been a pattern of steady growth since he was a child. He began riding roughstock ponies at age 6, thanks to a man named George Steinberger, who operated rodeo bible schools and conducted practices every Tuesday in Richmond, Kansas. That’s where Pope got his start, much like world champions Jeffrey Collins and Will Lowe, two other well-known Kansas cowboys. Pope began competing in an all-roughstock association based in Kellyville, Oklahoma, and it wasn’t long before his parents, Bret and Jennifer, developed a sister group in Kansas. In fact, his parents also invested in bucking ponies, and it all has led to his introduction into ProRodeo, where he proved to be one of the best in 2020. “I don’t know how my parents did it,” Jesse Pope said. “They busted their butts to make sure I got to do it. “I got on those ponies until I was 12 years old. I started growing a lot, so Mom and Dad shut me down from it so I didn’t get hurt. I took a break in there and just rode bulls. I started getting on bareback horses in the spring semester of my freshman year in high school.” It wasn’t always just roughstock for Pope. He did some day work with his middle brother, Ty where they roped a ton of wild cows. “I team roped quite a bit and chute-dogged in junior high,” he said. “That’s how I annihilated my ACL, so I quit after that.” He continued to battle for all-around points until he finished his high school career. “When I came to college, coach (Ken) Mason told me that if bareback riding is what I wanted to do, then that’s what I needed to do,” Pope said. “Bareback riding was my main focus after that.” It’s a good thing. He finished the 2019 campaign in 28th place in the world standings and remained among the leaders all this season. Only the top 15 money-earners at the end of the regular season in each event qualify for the NFR, and only the contestants with the most money earned at the conclusion of the finale will be crowned world champions. That’s a goal Pope placed on himself as a young cowboy those many years ago. He knows traveling with one of the greatest bareback riders alive is beneficial to his career, and it will likely lead to more great things ahead. “Being around Tim is awesome,” Pope said. “He’s a very driven individual, and I love it. There are always positive vibes in the truck. We always strive to make each other better. I wouldn’t want to travel with anybody else.” That process also turned  Continue Reading »