About: Ted

Canadian sits 4th in BFO heading into Charlotte Motor Speedway event CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Exactly one-year ago, Aaron Mercer stepped into the freestyle bullfighting arena for the first time ever. Now, he is the No. 4-ranked man in the Bullfighters Only Pendleton Whisky World Standings and has proven to be a quick study of the sport. Since the first of May, he has two wins (in Las Vegas and Redding, California) and two second-place finishes (in Woodward, Oklahoma, and Kennewick, Washington). “A lot of people say if you don’t win, you’re the first loser, but I don’t look at it that way,” said Mercer, 26, of Calgary, Alberta. “This is so new to me, making short rounds at these deals is crazy for me. “I had only stepped around nine fighting bulls when I went down to the (United) States. I’d been watching guys on videos … Justin Josey, Toby Inman and Colt Oder, and those guys are so rank. To be able to make the short round with them is just crazy. I never thought I’d be doing it.” Mercer has pocketed more than $13,500 to assume his spot among the top five bullfighters in the BFO. He will have that momentum with him when he competes at Charlotte Motor Speedway as BFO joins the race-day experience for the Coco-Cola 600 on Sunday, May 26. “Winning Redding or finishing second at Woodward and Kennewick is cool, and you want to keep that streak going,” Mercer said. “My confidence is high. Every time I step out in the arena, my brain is working so fast and my mind is going 100 miles per hour, and I’m like, ‘What am I doing here?’ ” Charlotte is the second stop of the 2019 BFO Speedway Series, with five more events slated for later this season –all set up around major NASCAR races. This weekend marks the BFO’s second time in Charlotte in eight months; the first event took place last September at the Charlotte Motor Speedway’s ROVAL 400 and was a big hit among NASCAR fans. “I’m excited for it,” Mercer said. “It’s going to be different for me, but I’m ready to go tear one up.” BFO’s menagerie is a new experience for the rookie bullfighter, but each step-through and flip over a charging bull seems to progress the talented Calgarian. That’s why he will be a threat during Sunday’s nine-man bullfight, which features nine fighters battling to advance to the Hooey Championship Round. “Freestyle bullfighting is a game of life and death, a game of inches and a game of deception,” Mercer said. “I seem to learn pretty good when I get thrown into something new and different. I’m not out of the woods yet, but I think I’m on my way. “I thought I had a limit, and I think I can go over it. I’ve been able to push myself further than I ever thought I would. You’ve got to test your limits or you’re not going to go very far in this industry.” He also understands what it means to be an Albertan at the top of the heap. Canadians have a special sense of patriotism when it comes to competition, especially when they’re battling for world championships. Through just the first few months of the season, Mercer has placed himself in contention for the 2019 crown. “I’ve got Canada backing me up,” Mercer said. “All eyes are on me, and I’m OK with that.” CONTESTANTS Tucker Lane Brooks Forsythe Aaron Mercer Toby Inman Riley McKettrick Justin Josey Andres Gonzales Weston Rutkowski Chase Blythe

There was a time that Josh “Hambone” Hilton did just about anything he could to be involved in rodeo. No matter the task, he kept his eyes and ears open to every experience. Like a sponge, he ingested every ounce of knowledge, hoping that one day he’d be able to put it all to use. That day came a few years ago. Though he’s best known for being the first Music Director of the Year in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association in 2017, there’s much more to Hilton. In the world of professional rodeo, he has become a go-to guy for many in the business when it comes to production and giving fans the best experience they can get. “To call him a music director is such an insult, because he is so much more involved,” said Boyd Polhamus, a four-time PRCA Announcer of the Year who has worked the National Finals Rodeo 21 times in his career. “I’d call him a quality-control coach. He’s looking over the overall production. He sees it all, because his job is to play music in conjunction with what is happening. “He has a very good eye for production. He’s been trained in it and understands it.” Born and raised around rodeo in the tiny village of Sidney, Iowa, Hilton utilizes every experience he’s ever had into the business at hand. He’s seen so much in the game, and he has an arsenal of sounds, gadgets and music to make everything melt together flawlessly. “My dad rode bulls, and my brother and I grew up rodeoing,” said Hilton, who now lives in Weatherford, Texas, with his wife, Whitney. “It was always part of us, and I always wanted to be around it. The Sidney rodeo has always been so much to me, because of being around and working with guys like Jerry Dorenkamp and Scott McClain. It was a huge thing for those guys to come to town.” Now he is one of those guys. He travels the country, not only providing the sound effects for events but also helping create new ways to entertain audiences. He was one of the guiding forces behind Bullfighters Only, an freestyle bullfighting organizations that features the greatest athletes in the game as they tangle with aggressive and agile beasts that were bred for that kind of fight. It all developed because of his relationship with Las Vegas Events, who hired Hilton to handle production for various events across the Nevada desert town during the 10-day NFR. “I had the idea to do bullfighting at the arena at Cowboy Christmas,” he said. “I talked to Aaron Ferguson about the idea, and he was all in. He took it full bore. That was just supposed to be a one-time bullfight. By the time the event came around (in December 2015), it was a whole new beast. Ferg’s vision was perfect for it.” But so is Hilton’s. He introduced electronic dance music to the bullfights. It was innovative and remains a key ingredient in the BFO format. “They wanted a whole new look, feel and sound to freestyle bullfighting,” Hilton said. “Now that style is being used everywhere.” Now four years later, Bullfighters Only is the premier freestyle bullfighting organization in the world. The year-end championship will take place over those same 10 days of the NFR. But as the key production consultant for Las Vegas Events, Hilton continues to thrive in his element. “Josh is just a very likeable person, and that’s what helped him not only being good at what he does, but when he’s around people, he’s just a fun person,” said Benje Bendele, a mentor to Hilton who has worked as sound director of every NFR since 2000. “People don’t want to be like him; they want to be him. “He has been involved in several rodeos with production prior to becoming a music director. That carries over. He’s not afraid to speak up, and that’s a great trait to have. He’s also a good front man. For Las Vegas Events to trust him, to hire him to take care of so many stages, means a lot. That’s a great recommendation, because there’s a lot of production for those stages.” Not bad for a man who grew up in a town of just 1,000 in Iowa’s southwestern corner. He has invested heavily into his business – he has spent more than $100,000 in equipment and sound alone – but it is paying off. He’s come a long way from his beginnings. “The first sound system I bought was $12,000,” Hilton said. “I remember, because Mike Cervi loaned it to me. He said to get what I needed and to pay him back when I could. Now the technology has changed the game so much. I blame Benje a lot, because he’s pushed this industry to the level it’s at.” There are dozens of music directors involved in rodeo. In 2017, the PRCA opted to recognize the best of them for the first time by creating the Music Director of the Year award. Based on a vote of PRCA members, Hilton earned the first honor. He’s up for the award again this year and will learn his fate during the awards ceremony in December at Las Vegas. “That award was huge,” he said. “To have legendary announcer and my friend, Bob Tallman, call my name was amazing. I live in Texas now because of Bob. He married my wife and I. That was really special to have him say my name.” And like his mentors Tallman, Bendele and Polhamus, Hilton has become one of the preeminent men in his field in ProRodeo. “He doesn’t just have one or two sound effects he has an arsenal of sound effects,” Polhamus said. “He’ll be able to play it even if it’s never happened at a rodeo before. He’s part entertainer, too. His entertainment value is outstanding, because he has a great sense of humor. He’s not lazy, and  Continue Reading »

GUNNISON, Colo. – Every year since its inception, many of the greatest cowboys in the country make their way to this picturesque town for the annual Cattlemen’s Days celebration and PRCA rodeo. Two of the greatest cowboys to have ever been here are repeat visitors, working the annual rodeo as pickup men for Stace Smith Pro Rodeo, one of the most decorated livestock firms in the sport. Jason Bottoms and Shawn Calhoun are two of the premier pickup men in the land, and they are regulars in the Gunnison Valley. “We’re just tickled to have guys of that caliber here in Gunnison,” said Kevin Coblentz, chairman of the volunteer committee that produces the rodeo. “They are great cowboys, and I know the bareback riders and bronc riders love knowing they have guys like that to help them at Cattlemen’s Days.” Each man has been selected to work the National Finals Rodeo, an honor bestowed on them by the top cowboys who play the game. Once they’ve earned the right to compete at the NFR by finishing the regular season as the leaders, the top 15 bareback riders and saddle bronc riders vote on who will rescue them for 10 straight December nights in Las Vegas. Calhoun was named to the NFR in 2012, while Bottoms’ three ventures to the Nevada desert came in 2005, ’07 and ’11. While the world has seen their talents on the biggest stage of the sport, the folks in Gunnison have seen them up close for many years. They are just two of the faces that come with the Smith Pro Rodeo, an Athens, Texas-based firm that has been named PRCA Stock Contractor of the Year 11 times. They are just a few of the biggest names in the game that are expected to be part of Cattlemen’s Days this year, with three performances set for Thursday, July 11-Saturday, July 13, at Fred Field Western Center in Gunnison. This year marks the return of entertainer John Harrison, who has been named the PRCA Comedy Act of the Year three times and Coors Man in the Can twice. His brand of comedy and his award-winning acts were a big hit for fans in Gunnison last July. “A lot of people don’t know this, but John is the grandson of Freckles Brown,” Coblentz said, pointing out that Brown is a ProRodeo Hall of Fame inductee who won the bull riding world title in 1962 at the age of 41. “When you have that kind of legacy, it says something. “But what I think is even bigger is that he’s an outstanding horseman, and a lot of people around here can appreciate that. When he adds that to the comedy, it really makes something cool happen.” Announcer Andy Stewart returns to call the action, providing his baritone voice and distinct flavor to every ride and run that takes place during each performance. From Colliston, La., Stewart has been nominated as PRCA Announcer of the Year each of the past nine seasons, and there’s a good reason for it. Gunnison-raised Linda Alsbaugh serves as the rodeo secretary and has for many years. She offers a great understanding of Cattlemen’s Days to her tasks of the behind-the-scenes work that goes on throughout rodeo week. She, too, is well decorated. Alsbaugh and her late husband, Art, were recipients of the 2012 Donita Barnes Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2015, she was named the PRCA Secretary of the Year. “Hands down, I think we bring the best rodeo personnel to our event every year,” Coblentz said. “The cowboys know that when they get here, and it shows in every level of our rodeo.”

GUYMON, Okla. – Saturday night’s third performance of the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo began precisely at 7:30 p.m. The rain started moments thereafter, but it didn’t dampen the spirits of the contestants in the mix and the thousands of fans in the stands. While many people ran for cover as the thunderstorm hit, they stuck around the best they could to partake in the biggest event to hit the Oklahoma Panhandle each spring. Meanwhile, Jake Long and Clay Smith were trying to figure out the best way to handle their situation. “I tried to stay in the trailer as long as I could,” said Long, an eight-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier in heeling from Coffeyville, Kansas. “It’s not the most fun thing to get rained on when you have to run one, but like anything, once you’re out in it, it’s fine.” Neither he nor his header let any of it bother them during their ran-dampened Saturday night, posting a 5.2-second run – the fastest of the rodeo so far. They took the third-round lead and sit fourth in the average with a three-run cumulative time of 32.6 seconds on three runs. “Most of our success there was with the draw,” said Smith, the reigning world champion header and four-time NFR qualifier from Broken Bow, Oklahoma. “We had a pretty good one. It waited on us and let us have a chance. You have to have a cow like that to be 5 (seconds) in those conditions. “Jake heeled him really fast, and that helped; it was a combination of things.” Guymon is different than any other event in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association in that it features hornless cattle in team roping. Most rodeos featured horned Corriente steers, but Guymon adds to the flavor of this hometown event by also having walking fresh cattle for every team – none of these animals have ever been through a rodeo chute system, much less been part of a rodeo run. “They’re fun, and they’re challenging, but they haven’t been very nice to me in the past,” Long said. “I won this rodeo when it was on horned cattle. But it’s interesting to rope muleys. Man, they can make you feel really silly.” That’s unless things go well, which happened Saturday night. “We watched when they roped one in 5.4, and it was an unbelievable run,” he said. “We drew such a good one that we got to make a normal run (like roping horned cattle), which doesn’t happen very often around here.” Long and Smith have had a terrific start. Smith sits second in the heading world standings with nearly $64,000 in season earnings; Long is third in heading with more than $56,000. So far this year, they have earned big dollars by winning titles at four prestigious events, and they’re just going to add to it. Elliott seriously injured Saddle bronc rider Clay Elliott, a three-time NFR qualifier from Nanton, Alberta, was seriously injured during Friday’s first performance of Pioneer Days Rodeo. Elliott was bucked off Frontier Rodeo’s Delta Force and landed on his head and suffered multiple spinal fractures. He had fractures in the C3, C4, C5 and C6 vertebrae and has surgery to fuse the C5and C6 vertebrae, said Rick Foster, program director for the Justin Sportsmedicine Team. “Surgery went well, and there were no neuro deficits, so the outcome is good,” Foster said, noting that the procedure took place at Swedish Medical Center in Denver. “He also had a thoracic spine fracture that was treated non surgically. “Typically, that injury would mean six months plus of being out of action.” Elliott was part of the storied rodeo program at Oklahoma Panhandle State University, which is just 10 miles from Guymon. He won the Central Plains Region for Panhandle State in 2015 and has since won a Canadian championship. Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days Rodeo April 29-May 5 Results through the first performance Bareback riding leaders: 1. Garrett Shadbolt, 87 points on Powder River Rodeo’s Joker; 2. (tie) Ty Breuer and Will Lowe, 85; 4. Logan Patterson, 84.5; 5. Taylor Broussard, 83.5; 6. Tanner Aus, 81.5; 7. Dylan Riggins, 80.5; 8. (tie) Brazos Winters and Mason Clements, 80. Team roping: Third round leaders: 1. Clay Smith/Jake Long, 5.2 seconds; 2. Tanner Green/Jake Clay, 5.4; 3. Brett Christensen/Chase Boekhaus, 6.0; 4. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 6.1; 5. Cooper White/Tucker White, 6.2; 6. Jake Orman/Walt Woodard, 6.3; 7. (tie) Garett Chick/Ross Ashford and Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp, 6.9. Aggregate leaders: 1. Garret Chick/Ross Ashford, 29.4 seconds on three runs; 2. Manny Egusquiza Jr., 29.8; 3. Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp, 31.5; 4. Clay Smith/Jake Long, 32.6; 5. Brett Christensen/Chase Boekhaus, 33.5; 6. Cooper White/Tucker White,35.3; 7. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 37.6; 8. Nick Sartain/Austin Rogers, 40.5. Steer wrestling: Third round leaders: 1. Matt Reeves, 4.0 seconds; 2. Jule Hazen, 4.1; 3. Tom Uttermark, 4.4; 4. Richard Coats, 4.8; 5. Tyrel Cline, 4.9; 6. (tie) Eli Lord and Denell Henderson, 5.1; 8. Cody Devers, 5.3. Aggregate leaders: 1. Blake Mindemann, 15.9 seconds on three runs; 2. Billy Boldon, 16.9; 3. Matt Reeves, 17.3; 4. Tristan Martin, 17.9; 5. T.J. Hall, 18.2; 6. (tie) Jule Hazen and Denell Henderson, 18.6; 8. Hunter Washburn, 20.0 Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Wade Sundell, 90 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Big News; 2. Isaac Diaz, 87.5; 3. Tyrel Larsen, 87; 4. Mitch Pollock, 86; 5. Colt Gordon, 85; 6. Hardy Braden, 84; 7. (tie) Taos Muncy and Rusty Wright, 83. Tie-down roping: Third round leaders: 1. Cooper Martin, 9.2 seconds; 2. Ryan Jarrett, 9.3; 3. Will Howell, 9.4; 4. Paul David Tierney, 10.1; 5. Luke Meier, 10.4; 6. (tie) Seth Cooke and Jase Staudt, 10.6; 8. Justin Smith, 11.1. Aggregate leaders: 1. Ryan Jarrett, 38.3 seconds on three runs; 2. Cooper Martin, 31.4; 3. Jase Staudt, 32.5; 4. Paul David Tierney, 33.9; 5. Will Howell, 34.2; 6. Chase Williams, 35.9; 75. Ty Harris, 36.1; 8. Robert Mathis, 37.1. Barrel racing: Second round leaders: 1. Ivy Hurst, 17.39 seconds; 2. (tie) Billie  Continue Reading »

GUYMON, Okla. – Over the years, Clayton Hass has always held a special place in his heart for the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo. He’s won a bunch of money in the Oklahoma Panhandle, but he’s never walked away from “No Man’s Land” with the title. That changed Sunday, when he wrestled his steer to the ground in 4.3 seconds to win the Guymon title. “It was very important to do well,” said Hass, a three-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Stephenville, Texas. “I was behind the 8 ball a little; I’ve had an OK winter, but not great.” He was 27th in the world standings heading into this week, and the $4,363 he earned will surely propel him up the money list. That’s vital, because only the top 15 contestants on the money list in each event advance to the NFR at the conclusion of the regular season. After three straight years competing in Las Vegas in December, Hass has missed the last two opportunities. Other winners at the 87th Pioneer Days Rodeo were all-around champion Ryan Jarrett, bareback rider Garrett Shadbolt, team ropers Cody McClusky and Joe Mattern, saddle bronc rider Wade Sundell, tie-down roper John Douch, barrel racer Kylie Weast and bull riders Stetson Wright and Trevor Rieste. Hass took advantage of things when the time came Sunday. He was second in the aggregate race heading into the final performance, just three-tenths of a second behind Nick Guy of Sparta, Wisconsin. “I knew my steer was good,” he said. “Nick was 4.2 on him in the first round, so I knew I had Nick outdrawn a little bit; if I did my job, he’d have to hump up to get me. Regardless of whether we were first or second, we just had to make a solid run, and we both did.” That wasn’t the only tie-in between Guy and Hass. The Texan’s horse was sore from an incident earlier in the week, so he leaned on Chuck, a 16-year-old buckskin gelding that Guy is leasing from Kyle Whitaker. Guy’s steer then ran a little harder than Hass’, leading to the victory by 1.1 seconds. “My horse is a little sore, so I called Nick to see if I could get on that horse, Hass said. “Nick hazed for me.” Even though both were battling for the top spot at a big rodeo this time of year, they were also willing to help one another. That’s what separates rodeo from most other sports, and it’s what separates the bulldoggers from other events. “We all get along pretty dang good and help each other out,” he said. “It’s pretty awesome. I’m in some other events, and it ain’t that way. We see it as if we’re competing against the steers, so we cheer each other on. We push for each other and haze for each other. It’s pretty cool comradery.” Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days Rodeo April 29-May 5 Results All-around cowboy: Ryan Jarrett, $4,814 in team roping and tie-down roping. Bareback riding: 1. Garrett Shadbolt, 87 points on Powder River Rodeo’s Joker, $2,414; 2. Bill Tutor, 86, $1,851; 3. (tie) Ty Breuer and Will Lowe, 85, $1,126 each; 5. Logan Patterson, 84.5, $563; 6. Taylor Broussard, 83.5, $402; 7. Paden Hurst, 82.5, $322; 8. Tanner Aus, 81.5, $241. Team roping: First round: 1. Brice Boatright/Chad Mathes, 6.3 seconds, $1,843; 2. Joshua Torres/Jonathan Torres, 6.9, $1,515; 3. Cole Morgan/Derrick Jantzen, 7.0, $1,288; 4. Laramie Allen/Jace Davis, 7.1, $1,061; 5. Jake Orman/Walt Woodard, 7.4, $834; 6. Cody Hilzendeger/J.C. Flake, 7.5, $606; 7. Cole Patterson/Darin Suit, 7.8, $379; 8. (tie) Jeff Johnston/Dustin Dan Harris and Blake Hughes/Braden Harmon, 8.1, $76 each. Second round: 1. Tate Kirchenschlager/Cesar de la Cruz, 5.6 seconds, $1,743 each; 2. Paul David Tierney/Tanner Braden, 5.9, $1,515; 3. Luke Brown/Paul Eaves, 6.2, $1,288; 4. Kellan Johnson/Carson Johnson, 6.6, $1,061; 5. Blake Hughes/Braden Harmon, 6.9, $834; 6. Cale Markham/Brye Crites, 7.0, $606; 7. (tie) Jesse Stipes/Jake Smith and Ryan Jarrett/Matt Kasner, 7.2, $265 each. Third round: 1. Clay Smith/Jake Long, 5.2 seconds, $1,743; 2. Tanner Green/Jake Clay, 5.4, $1,515; 3. Brett Christensen/Chase Boekhaus, 6.0, $1,288; 4. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 6.1, $1,061; 5. Cooper White/Tucker White, 6.2, $834; 6. Jake Orman/Walt Woodard, 6.3, $606; 7. (tie) Garett Chick/Ross Ashford and Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp, 6.9, $265 each. Aggregate: 1. Cody McCluskey/Joe Mattern, 24.8 seconds on three runs, $2,614; 2. Brice Boatright/Chad Mathes, 25.1, $2,273; 3. Chad Masters/Joseph Harrison, $1,932; 4. Cory Kidd/Brady Norman, $1,591; 5. Garret Chick/Ross Ashford, 29.4, $1,250; 6. Manny Egusquiza Jr./Dustin Searcy, 29.8, $909; 7. Blake Hughes/Braden Harmon, 30.4, $568; 8. Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp, 31.5, $227. Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Nick Guy, 4.2 seconds, $1,763; 2. (tie) Tyler Murray and Shayde Etherton, 4.3, $1,307 each; 4. (tie) Tanner Brunner and Tyler Pearson, 4.4, $699 each; 6. Ryan Swayze, 4.6, $304. Second round: 1. Hunter Cure, 4.0 seconds, $1,763; 2. (tie) Matt Reeves, Don Payne and Cody Doescher, 4.1, $1,155 each; 5. Clayton Hass, 4.2, $547; 6. (tie) Richard Coats and Brady Reneau, 4.3, $152 each. Third round: 1. Matt Reeves, 4.0 seconds, $1,763; 2. Jule Hazen, 4.1, $1,459; 3. Clayton Hass, 4.3, $1,155; 4. Tom Uttermark, 4.4, $851; 5. Chad Van Campen, 4.5, $547; 6. J.D. Struxness, 4.7, $304. Aggregate: 1. Clayton Hass 13.3 seconds on three runs, $2,644; 2. Nick Guy, 14.4, $2,188; 3. Trell Etbauer, 15.3, $1,732; 4. Chad Van Campen, 15.4, $1,277; 5. Blake Mindemann, 15.9, 4821; 6. Billy Boldon, 16.9, $456. Saddle bronc riding: 1. Wade Sundell, 90 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Big News, $2,955; 2. Isaac Diaz, 87.5, $2,266; 3. Tyrel Larsen, 87, $1,675; 4. Mitch Pollock, 86, $1,084; 5. Colt Gordon, 85, $690; 6. Hardy Braden, 84, $493; 7. (tie) Taos Muncy, Cort Scheer and Rusty Wright, 83, $230 each. Tie-down roping: First round: 1. (tie) Glenn Jackson and Shane Hanchey, 8.9 seconds, $1,644 each; 3. Reese Riemer, 9.3, $1,300; 4. (tie) John Douch, Robert Mathis and Cheyenne Harper, 9.6, $841 each; 7. (tie) Westyn Hughes and Tyler Milligan, 9.8, $268. Second round: 1. Tyler  Continue Reading »