About: Ted

LOVINGTON, N.M. – The rodeo history in southeastern New Mexico is as rich as the rugged terrain that makes up Lea County. It’s proven in the men who laid the foundation for the rich rodeo tradition, men like Jake McClure, Troy Fort, Sonny Davis, Roy Cooper and Jimmie Cooper. It reappears every summer when this community hosts the Lea County Fair and Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 9-Saturday, Aug. 12, at Jake McClure Arena; that also includes Lea County Xtreme Bulls, which is Tuesday, Aug. 8. “One thing I look at is that we’re off the beaten path to be this big of a rodeo,” said Trey Kerby, chairman of the Lea County Fair Board’s rodeo committee. “A lot of people have to drive a long way to get here. That says a lot about something that’s been around for 82 years.” Rodeo’s greatest stars converge on this community of about 11,000 over the course of the five performances. Every winner from the 2016 rodeo has already competed at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, which is a tell-tale sign of the greatness that happens inside the fairgrounds’ arena. “This is always a big rodeo that everybody wants to win,” said Cody Rostockyj, last year’s winner from Lorena, Texas. Over the years, Lovington’s rodeo has been recognized as one of the best large events in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. That’s no small task; the Lea County Fair and Rodeo has been listed with rodeos like the Pendleton (Ore.) Roundup and Cheyenne (Wyo.) Frontier Days. “It’s something special to be down in the middle of our rodeo,” said Kerby, who grew up in Lea County and has been around his hometown rodeo all his life. “A lot of the contestants come straight from Sikeston (Mo.) just to compete here. It says we’re doing something right for them to come all that way to be here. “We pay good, and we make it a good rodeo with good livestock. I think that’s attractive to the cowboys who come here.” It’s also something that helps attract fans from all over the region to Lovington; they know where the top cowboys will be in early August every year. “We don’t just draw from Lea County,” Kerby said. “We have many people come from west Texas, up north in New Mexico … pretty much all over. There aren’t a lot of things here but ranches and people who know rodeo, so it means a lot to me that they make their way here.” What is it that makes the Lea County Fair and Rodeo so special to those rodeo fans and the hundreds of contestants that area part of the annual event? “It’s an accumulation of everything: the world-class stock and the world-class athletes that come to do it,” he said. “If anybody follows rodeo, they know just about everybody that shows up here.”

Layton Green riding into world-title contention with victory in Pollockville POLLOCKVILLE, Alberta – Every young cowboy has dreamed of being one of the very best in the field. Layton Green is living out his dreams one bucking horse at a time, and he’s doing everything he can to make them happen in 2017. “This has been outstanding,” said Green, who on Saturday night scored 91 points on Calgary Stampede’s Stampede Warrior in the championship round to win the inaugural Hardgrass Bronc Match in Pollockville. “I’ve been dreaming of making the National Finals Rodeo all my life, and this will make it one step easier. “To win the first-ever Hardgrass Bronc Match is awesome.” It should be. It’s the first event of its kind; the stand-alone bronc riding was co-sanctioned by the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association and the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. That means money won will count toward contestants’ qualifications for bot the NFR and the Canadian Finals Rodeo. Heading into this weekend’s event, Green was No. 1 in the CPRA standings with $33,703 and fifth in the PRCA with $76,073. He will pad those standings with the $7,061 he earned Saturday night. “That was the third time I’ve had Stampede Warrior this month,” said Green, 23, of Meeting Creek, Alberta. “I won the short round in Ponoka (Alberta), and I was 91.5 points on him to win the first round in Calgary.” Green shared the first-round victory with Nebraskan Cort Scheer; both cowboys were 87 points – Scheer spurred Calgary’s Weekend Departure, while Green matched moves with Calgary’s Yesterday’s Delivery. By winning the opening round, Scheer and Green were the first two to select from the pen of short-round horses. “Cort picked Wild Cherry, which I was also 91.5 in Calgary, too, in the four-man round,” Green said. “It was unreal. There was a pile of people here in the crowd, and everybody rodeo really good. It came down to whoever spurred the best, whoever rode the best, was going to win it. “Because of the horses they had here, everybody had a chance to win it.” That’s true. Green didn’t even post the highest score of the night. That honor belonged to Clay Elliott of Nanton, Alberta, who spurred Calgary’s Tiger Warrior for 92 points to win the short go-round. With Green finishing second, he earned the highest two-ride cumulative score to win the championship. “Everybody had fun,” he said. “It was probably one of the best bronc matches I’ve ever been to.” The leaderboard proved it. Of the top five in the final score, only Green hasn’t been to the NFR. “Rodeoing with your idols is great,” he said. “I’ve looked up to guys like Cort Scheer and Tyler Corrington for a while now, and to be able to ride at that level and to be able to ride against guys like that is awesome.” If he keeps it up, he’ll be doing so at the CFR in Edmonton, Alberta, in November and again at the NFR in Las Vegas in December. Hardgrass Bronc Match Pollockville, Alberta July 29, 2017 First round: 1. (tie) Cort Scheer, on Calgary Stampede’s Weekend Departure, and Layton Green, on Calgary Stampede’s Yesterday’s Delivery, 87 points, $2,543 each; 3. Jacobs Crawley, 85, $1,795; 4. Jake Watson, 84, $1,297; 5. (tie) Clay Elliott and Colton Miller, 83.5, $648 each; 7. (tie) Lane Watt and Justin Berg, 83, $249. Short round: Clay Elliott, 92 points on Calgary Stampede’s Tiger Warrior, $2,100; 2; Layton Green, 91.5, $1,725; 3. Jacobs Crawley, 89.5, $1,350; 4. Jake Watson, 88, $950; 5. Cort Scheer, 87, $600; 6. Justin Berg, 85, $375; 7. Colton Miller, 83, $225. Average: 1. Layton Green, 178.5 points on two rides, $2,792; 2. Clay Elliott, 175.5, $2,294; 3. Jacobs Crawley, 174.5, $1,795; 4. Cort Scheer, 174, $1,297; 5. Jake Watson, 172, $798; 6. Justin Berg, 168, $499; 7. Colton Miller, 166, $299; 8. Lane Watt, 83 points on one ride, $199.

DODGE CITY, Kan. – Dodge City Roundup is more than a local rodeo with regional appeal. It’s a world-class championship that will feature nearly 1,000 contestants all vying for their share of the large purse available. “We are very pleased to have upgraded our status to a Wrangler Gold Tour rodeo, which means we’re offering more of a purse than ever before,” said Dr. R.C. Trotter, president of Roundup, set for 7:45 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 2-Sunday, Aug. 6, at Roundup Arena; it also includes A Whole Lotta Bull, which features the Xtreme Bulls Tour and Bullfighters Only freestyle bullfighting on Tuesday, Aug. 1. “We want our fans to see the best rodeo they can possibly see each year, so we want to have the best contestants. That’s why we put up $20,000 in committee purse in every event, and that’s why we have the best livestock.” It’s working. Take Chet Johnson, who won the saddle bronc riding championship in Dodge City a year ago. “Dodge City is one of those bucket-list type of rodeos, where everyone wants to win it,” said saddle bronc rider Chet Johnson, a four-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Gillette, Wyo. “It’s got such a history to it, and it’s an icon in the sport. To put that notch on your belt is a huge one.” Roundup will feature preliminary go-rounds Wednesday-Saturday, with the top 12 contestants in each event advancing to Sunday’s championship round. The final night will be a who’s who in rodeo. “A lot of guys get nervous when they make the short round here, because this is probably the rankest short round you’ll ever see,” said Tim O’Connell, the reigning bareback riding world champion from Zwingle, Iowa, who won the Roundup crown last year en route to his first gold buckle. “This is a very prestigious rodeo. In the three years that I’ve been here, they break arena records all the time. If you want to be a rank horse rider and be in the 90s, this is the place to be.” The fans that experience Roundup feel the same way, and there will be a ton of excitement through all six nights of the rodeo. The rodeo is the crown jewel of a community celebration, Dodge City Days. “To me, this is more than just a rodeo,” Trotter said. “That’s why we want to reach out to others around us, with our red-white-and-blue Friday and our Tough Enough to Wear Pink night on Saturday. We will honor first-responders on Friday and help raise money and awareness for Circle of Hope. “Because we have such a great rodeo with amazing partners, we are able to do a lot of great things. It’s one of the things that makes me most proud of being part of Roundup Rodeo.”

Trace Adkins, Gretchen Wilson headline a top concert lineup LOVINGTON, N.M. – World-class talent makes its way to Lovington each August. This year’s Lea County Fair and Rodeo concert lineup is proof, with top headliners Trace Atkins and Gretchen Wilson closing out this year’s exposition at the Lea County Fairgrounds in Lovington. “We’ve been able to bring the planning and organizing for the fair and rodeo back in house, and it shows what we are capable of doing,” said Corey Helton, chairman of the Lea County Fair Board. “Jim Kemp has worked tirelessly on getting everything done appropriately, and his hard work has paid off. “We have always had strong musical acts at our fair and rodeo, and it’s nice to see that after a couple of years struggling, we have returned to the top with this year’s lineup.” Adkins, whose raspy bass-baritone voice is as recognizable as his 6-foot-6-inch frame and signature goatee, has had three No. 1 hits on the country charts, including “(This Ain’t) No Thinkin’ Thing,” “Ladies Love Country Boys” and “You’re Gonna Miss This.” He will perform Friday, Aug 11, after the rodeo ends. Wilson will finish the nine-day fair and rodeo on Saturday, Aug. 12, bringing her “Rowdy” personality to Lea County. Best known for her 2004 Grammy Award-winning single “Redneck Woman,” Wilson’s newly released album is called Ready to Get Rowdy, including the single “Rowdy.” She has charted 13 singles on the country charts, five of which have reached inside the top 10; besides “Redneck Woman,” she also hit the charts with “Here for the Party,” “When I Think about Cheatin’,” “Homewrecker” and “All Jacked Up.” The concerts kick off Friday, Aug. 4, with Hispanic Heritage Night at the fair and rodeo. The concerts will include Conjuncto Primavera and Virlan Garcia. Conjuncto Primavera was formed in the Mexican state of Chihuahua four decades ago and has been nominated for many Latin Grammy Awards. It was awarded the Latin Grammy award Best Norteno for its album Amor Amor. Garcia specializes in Norteno, Corridos and bandas. He has had a huge hit with “Fuego Cruzado.” After three days off, the concerts return with the Josh Abbott Band on Tuesday, Aug. 8, following the Lea County Xtreme Bulls. Known for its Texas Country genre, the band originated a decade ago in Lubbock, Texas. This region is nothing new to the group. The group performed in Lovington just four years ago, but this is where its roots lie. Abbott founded the band in 2006 while attending Texas Tech University, and it was a hit in 2013. There’s no reason to expect anything different now. Danny Gokey will perform on Faith and Family night on Aug. 9. He gained fame as he dealt the death of his wife just a month before performing on “American Idol.” He placed third on the show and has a powerful message to share through his music. Cassadee Pope makes her Lea County Fair and Rodeo debut. Like Gokey, Pope gained fame through reality television, being part of the third season of “The Voice.” “This is an exciting return to the type of concerts we want to share with the people here in Lea County,” Helton said. “I love that we have bands that have been a hit in the past returning, and I’m very excited we have both Trace Adkins and Gretchen Wilson performing this year. “That says a lot about what we have to offer.”

SALINAS, Calif. – Many things have changed for Toby Inman since 2009, the last time he earned the freestyle bullfighting title in Salinas. One thing that hasn’t: He is still one of the smoothest men to have ever tested his skills on the California Rodeo Salinas track. He proved it this past weekend by dominating the Bullfighters Only competition – he won the first three rounds and won the overall championship on a four-fight total of 335 points, 25.5 points better than the runner-up, Weston Rutkowski. “I was feeling good the first three rounds and was on top of my game,” said Inman of Davis Junction, Ill. “I had good draws, and I was soaking up every bit of it. “I’m going to enjoy this for a while.” He should. He’s adapted his game considerably since his last Salinas title, then in his mid-20s. Now in his mid-30s, Inman returned to the winner’s circle by showcasing his athleticism in a different way. “My style has changed to fit how I move now,” he said. “I don’t move as fast, but I’m still fighting as good I’ve always fought even though I’m slowing down more. I’ve always jumped bulls, but nowadays, jumping isn’t good enough. You’ve got to pull off these big tricks to get a check. “When I was younger, I just did it. I could run a marathon, but I didn’t train for it. Now at 34 years old, I’ve got to run a mile or two to get in shape. I train my body more than I did before.” The biggest score of the weekend came in the second round when Inman posted an 89-point fight. He began with a running “gainer” over the black Spanish bull. The animal stayed close, and Inman was remained just out of harm’s way for the entire fight. “It would’ve been cool to take all four nights, but I’ll take what I’ve got,” he said. “I’m glad I got to town early, because I was soaking up as much of Salinas as I could. That rodeo and the people there are awesome.” RESULTS Round 1: 1. Toby Inman, 85 points; 2. Zach Flatt, 81; 3. Beau Schueth, 79.5. Round 2: 1. Toby Inman, 89 points; 2. Cody Emerson, 85; 3. Beau Schueth, 80. Round 3: 1. Toby Inman, 85.5 points; 2. Weston Rutkowski, 80.5; 3. Cody Emerson, 78. Round 4: 1. Beau Schueth, 84 points; 2. Zach Flatt, 83; 3. Weston Rutkowski, 82. Average: 1. Toby Inman, 335 points on four fights; 2. Weston Rutkowski, 319.5; 3. Zach Flatt, 312.5.