About: Ted

LOVINGTON, N.M. – Trey Kerby makes no bones about what makes Lovington’s rodeo so great. “Pete Carr and his crew are one of the most important parts of our rodeo,” said Kerby, chairman of the rodeo committee for the Lea County Fair and Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 8-Saturday, Aug. 11, at Jake McClure Arena; that also includes Lea County Xtreme Bulls, which is Tuesday, Aug. 7. “That’s what keeps this rodeo as big as it is, with the big names and the people that come to town. They will travel a long way to do it. They will turn down a rodeo closer to them so they can get on the stock Pete Carr has.” He’s referring to Dallas-based Pete Carr Pro Rodeo, one of the largest livestock producers in the sport. Carr has been nominated five times as Stock Contractor of the Year in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. Over the last five years, the Carr firm has had more animals selected to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo than any other stock contractor. Over the last 13 years, the company has had four animals selected as PRCA Bareback Horse of the Year: Real Deal, Big Tex, Deuces Night and Dirty Jacket. “It’s a pretty important role in our rodeo,” Kerby said. “If you’ve just got some stock, you’re not going to get the big names to show up to your rodeo. That’s who our fans come to watch, the best of the best. Anything that can get the best guys and the best girls here is pretty important to us.” The proof is in the firepower that is the Lea County Fair and Rodeo. Last year’s champions read like a list of who’s who of the greatest stars in rodeo: Bareback rider Orin Larsen, a three-time NFR qualifier; steer wrestler Matt Reeves, a six-time NFR qualifier; saddle bronc rider Heith DeMoss, a nine-time finalist; tie-down roper Cory Solomon, a five-timer; and barrel racer Taci Bettis, who earned her first trip to Vegas last year. Larsen posted the highest-marked ride of last year’s rodeo, a 90-point marking on Carr’s Scarlet’s Web, a 16-year-old bay mare that has bucked at the NFR 11 times. “Any win like this, big or small, is huge for me at this point,” said Larsen of Ingles, Manitoba. “That’s just a great horse that I’ve wanted to get on for a long time. “It was pretty cool to get on her here.” He wasn’t the only one who found success on Carr bucking horses. Sterling Crawley, a four-time NFR qualifier, placed on Carr’s Miss Molly in Lovington a year ago. “This is a great rodeo,” Crawley said. “The bucking stock is outstanding. When you go to a Pete Carr rodeo, everybody’s got a chance to win. “This is a good time of year. This rodeo has a lot of money, and the crowd is always good. That’s hard to pass up.” That is the perfect combination for fans who take in the Lea County Fair and Rodeo in 2018.

GUYMON, Okla. – The Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo has always been the centerpiece to the annual community celebration. It’s a big deal in Texas County, Okla., with thousands enjoying the festivities around town around the first weekend of May. It’s also a huge undertaking, with dozens of volunteers working diligently year-round to make sure event goes off without a hitch. With outstanding weather all week long, the 2018 edition of the ProRodeo Hall of Fame event was one of the best in recent history. Hundreds of contestants made their way to the Oklahoma Panhandle to battle for that prestigious title, and thousands of fans flocked to Henry C. Hitch Pioneer Arena to enjoy the shows. “If I put a grade on our rodeo this year, I would give it an 85 or a 90,” said Mitch Egger, in his first year serving as chairman of the volunteer committee that produces the annual rodeo. “I think everything went well, and the ticket sales were good. “I think the action was amazing, and everyone really enjoyed the return of the muley team roping. Our stands were a third full for those events during slack, so that says something about having muleys.” Hornless cattle were used in team roping for the first time since 2007. It had always been a staple of Guymon’s rodeo, but there were 11 years that the cattle weren’t available, so the committee utilized traditional corriente steers. After the rodeo struggled financially, Egger made it a point that the committee was to be a good steward of the money it invested into the largest annual event in Guymon. “We’re about $20,000 profitable after the 2017 expenses were paid,” said Egger, who operates a financial planning business. “We had great volunteers. They were absolutely outstanding. “Our sponsorships were up a little, but the biggest thing was that we cut expenses. We made little changes that made a big difference. We streamlined concessions to make it easier.” Sponsors are a key ingredient to producing an event the size of Pioneer Days Rodeo. It’s a marketing opportunity for them: Their brand awareness is increased in front of a large audience, and they show their support for helping produce one of the best rodeos in the country. “The sponsors seemed to be happy, which is what we want,” he said. “We implemented a few changes this year, and we’re already looking to build on that for next near. We’re already looking at some things we want to do next year to attract more people, especially for our two afternoon performances.” Like any building project, each block added to the foundation will just make it stronger. That’s exactly what Egger and the rest of the committee is doing.

California’s Colt Oder stands tall among the Redwoods FORTUNA, Calif. – Colt Oder only thought he’d been to the northern reaches of his home-state before. “I’ve been to San Francisco, but another four or five hours further and I wasn’t sure that I’d still be in California,” he said. Raised in the southern California town of Moorpark, Oder found true north on Friday when he competed in the Bullfighters Only stand-alone event in Fortuna. Not only was it his first time competing among the Sequoia trees and rowdy fans that Fortuna is known for, he also walked away as the event champion. “I had a pretty weak first round and didn’t think I was going to make it out, but the cards played in my favor and I made the short round,” said Oder, who won his opening round with a 79-point fight, then put together an 86-point bout with Costa Fighting Bulls’ Little Foot to claim the top prize and $6,000. “Colt is one of the most persistent people I’ve ever met,” said Aaron Ferguson, BFO’s founder and CEO. “He’s been to five of our Development Camps in two years and is getting better with every bull that he fights. Pair that with his unbelievable toughness, and the kid is going to be a big factor in the sport.” Oder was joined in the Hooey Championship Round by the other three of the BFO’s most promising rookies: Alex McWilliams of Paso Robles, Calif.; Tucker Lane of Oak Grove, Mo.; and Chance Moorman of Lytle, Texas. “I fought Little Foot last year in Lewiston (Idaho), and I didn’t capitalize on it,” said Oder, who also scored his first BFO win in Crosby, Texas, earlier this year. “When I got back to the short round here and I had Little Foot, I knew I had a good opportunity to make up for it. “I was pretty happy to have Little Foot in the short round. He’s a solid, honest bull that will come to you with a lot of head for the whole bullfight. Once you’re in a zone, you’ll stay hooked up with you. I knew I could do a solid flat-foot jump right out of the gate.” The victory propels the California bullfighter ahead in the Pendleton Whisky World Standings with $16,400. The recent windfall should ensure Oder’s berth into the 2018 BFO Las Vegas Championship, held annually at Tropicana Hotel & Casino and featuring the biggest prize money in the game. “This is a huge confidence-booster for me,” Oder said. “It was great to get the win in my home state. The money should bump me up a little bit in the standings, and I was needing it.” RESULTS Round 1: 1. Alex McWilliams, 82.5 points; 2. Miles Barry, 79; 3. Kris Furr, 0. Round 2: 1. Tucker Lane, 85 points; 2. Knox Dunn, 81; 3. Seth Wilson, 0. Round 3: 1. Chance Moorman, 87 points; 2. Justin Ward, 84.5; 3. Justin Josey, 76. Round 4: 1. Colt Oder, 79 points; 2. Beau Schueth, 77.5; 3. Eli Sharkey, 77. Championship Round: 1. Colt Oder, 86 points; 2. Chance Moorman, 84; 3. Tucker Lane, 82; 4. Alex McWilliams, 0.

LOVINGTON, N.M. – For Judy and Bill King, being volunteers for the Lea County Fair and Rodeo has been an important part of their lives. She was the horse superintendent from 2007-17, a position that had her overseeing about 35 youngsters involved in the horse program and their families. That means she and her husband have impacted the lives of hundreds of Lea County residents. “All the youth have been good kids and have a great future ahead of them,” said Judy King of Knowles, N.M. And that, in turn, is what has been the driving force behind the couple’s volunteerism. Whether it involved gathering the sponsorships necessary for the awards or feeding the families, the Kings have been an important piece of the puzzle for all those involved in the Lea County Fair and Rodeo’s horse show. In fact, every year, two saddles and 22 buckles are needed for the awards. During her first year in the position, Judy King found a bit of divine intervention in obtaining the prizes. Realizing she had no money to pay for such items, she began searching for an appropriate saddle-maker to assist. Twister Cain’s Twister Saddle Co. answered the call. The timing didn’t look to be in King’s favor. Cain explained that every saddle was custom made by hand, and there weren’t any in stock. However, the American Junior Rodeo Association had ordered two extra saddles and did not need them, so they were transitioned to work for the Lovington horse show. Cain offered the saddles even though he knew the funds weren’t readily available. He explained that it was “a God thing,” and that King could mail the money to him when she had it. By the end of business that day, the Kings had the money necessary to cover the cost of the prizes, and their faith had paid off. Every year since, the horse show winners have received the prizes they’ve earned. But the work the Kings have done over the years hasn’t gone unnoticed. “They’ve put in a lot of time and effort into making our horse show what it is,” said Kathy Welborn, vice chairwoman of the Lea County Fair Board. “They have been amazing volunteers.” Judy King has established a June horse clinic with a renowned trainer for exhibitors and also helped find sponsors for youngsters who couldn’t afford the clinics. During the horse shows, Welborn said, Judy King was dedicated to the supervision in the horse barn and helped maintain the animals’ well-being. Having Bill by her side has always been a big plus for Judy King, and they handled everything they could for horsemanship and horses in Lea County. “It’s a really big job,” Welborn said. “They deserve a lot of credit for doing a big job they aren’t paid to do.” But that’s the importance of volunteerism, and the Kings have proven it for several years.

LOVINGTON, N.M. – This is the type of concert lineup fairgoers have come to expect at the Lea County Fair and Rodeo. “I think this year’s artists are some of the best that we’ve had in quite a while,” said Kathy Welborn, vice chairwoman of the Lea County Fair Board. “We have TobyMac on Faith and Family Night (Wednesday, Aug. 8), and he’s absolutely amazing. What he brings to our fair and rodeo is awesome. “The fact that it’s on Faith and Family Night, which is one of our biggest nights because we open our gates to everyone at no cost.” But that’s just one night featuring a six-time Grammy-award winning artist. The other five nights are outstanding, including the final night of the fair, which features another award-winning artist, Martina McBride. Even when it’s not free, the Lea County Fair and Rodeo offers a great entertainment value: Adult tickets are just $10, with children 6-12 getting through the gates for just $5; children 5 and younger are free. “We’ve just got some great shows set for our community,” Welborn said. “It’s actually more than our community, because we advertise all over the region. We have a big draw, and a reason is a concert lineup like this.” Friday, Aug. 3: Polo Urias and Grupo Intocable Tuesday, Aug. 7: Koe Wetzel Wednesday, Aug. 8: TobyMac Thursday, Aug. 9: Aaron Watson Friday, Aug. 10: Easton Corbin Saturday, Aug. 11: Martina McBride The opening two groups are the perfect place for Hispanic Heritage Night and to kick off the fair in rodeo in New Mexico’s southeastern-most county. Wetzel is from Stephenville, Texas, and is best known for playing Texas rock ’n’ roll. Watson has been on the scene for nearly two decades and is well known in rodeo circles for his haunting song, “July in Cheyenne,” about the death of bull riding legend Lane Frost. Corbin has had some chart-toppers and in 2010, he won three American Country Music awards: Breakthrough Artist of the Year, Single by Breakthrough Artist and Video by Breakthrough Artist. McBride has the longevity and award-winning legacy to go with her beautiful voice. The south-central Kansas woman. She has multiple nominations for Female Artist of the Year and has earned nearly 20 national honors for her music. “I’m so impressed with our lineup this year,” Welborn said. “It’s been amazing to see our concert lineups over the years. The kids love to get out there and dance. For me, that’s what’s really fun: Seeing our kids having fun.” The adults join them, especially with the top acts performing for six of the exposition’s 10 nights.