About: Ted

ESTES PARK, Colo. – For Cort Scheer, there is nothing better than being on the rodeo trail. “I’m having fun again,” said Scheer of Elsmere, Neb. “We’re back in the old traveling group again. We’re laughing, we’re golfing, we’re fishing. I give God all the glory; I got a lot closer to God this year. “I’m really excited, and I’m having a blast.” It showed Sunday night during the fifth performance of Rooftop Rodeo, where he rode Cervi Rodeo’s Shot Glass for 82.5 points to move fifth place in saddle bronc riding. With one performance remaining in this year’s event, he stands a good chance to add to his season earnings in Estes Park. “When you draw good horses like that, and it’s just fun,” he said. “Half the battle is drawing good horses; the rest of it is just getting lucky and staying on.” He’s more than lucky. Scheer is good. He’s a five-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier who has finished No. 2 in the world standings twice. He’s and an established veteran of the game, and so is Shot Glass. “He’s been a good horse for a long time,” he said. “I was really happy to get on him. My job was just to take care of business.” If he remains in that same position when the rodeo concludes Monday, Scheer will add about $1,300 to his pocket. He can use every dollar possible; he is 25th in the world standings with $27,629, but only the top in the standings in each event at the conclusion of the regular season advance to the NFR, ProRodeo’s grand championship that takes place each December in Las Vegas. “We’ve been going up and down the road hoping we know where we’re going and hoping the family can find us,” he said with a laugh. “ Scheer and several other cowboys took the 2016 season away from rodeo, but now he’s back with a vengeance. He realized that while he was away from the game, he still had a great opportunity to hone his skills. “Last year all I did was get on good horses everywhere I went, and it helped with my confidence,” he said. “Now I don’t have to worry about anything. It makes a guy ride good when all he gets on is good horses.” That included Sunday night in Estes Park. “I’ve only been here maybe five times,” Scheer said. “I love this place. This is one of the prettiest places in the world. We golfed two miles north of here, and it’s one of the nicest courses I’ve ever hit. “The committee around here bends over backwards for you. It’s great.” Rooftop Rodeo Estes Park, Colo. July 5-10, 2017 Leaders through third performance Bareback riding: 1. Jake Brown, 84.5 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Rose Puff; 2. Steven Dent, 873; 3. (tie) Buck Lunak and Orin Larsen, 81.5; 5. (tie) Dantan Bertsch, Seth Hardwick and Zach Hibler, 81. Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Billy Bugenig, 3.8 seconds, $1,573; 2. Cody Doescher, 3.9, $1,302; 3. Wade Sumpter, 4.0, $1,031; 4. Blaine Jones, 4.1, $760; 5. (tie) Justice Johnson and Errol Frain, 4.4, $380 each. Second round leaders: 1. Blaine Jones, 3.5 seconds; 2. Blare Romsa, 3.7; 3. Cody Cabral, 3.9; 4. (tie) Cody Pratt, Cameron Morman and Billy Bugenig, 4.0; 7. (tie) Baylor Roche and Hunter Cure, 4.1. Average leaders: 1. Blaine Jones, 7.6 seconds on two runs; 2. Billy Bugenig, 7.8; 3. Cody Cabral, 8.6; 4. (tie) Cody Pratt and Hunter Cure, 8.7; 6. Baylor Roche, 8.8. Team roping: 1. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 4.7 seconds; 2. Lane Ivy/Buddy Hawkins, 5.1; 3. Matt Sherwood/Walt Woodard, 5.2; 4. Ty Blasingame/Tanner Luttrell, 5.3; 5. (tie) Marcus Theriot/Cody Doescher and Joshua Torres/Jonathan Torres, 5.4. Saddle bronc riding 1. Layton Green, 84.5 points on Cervi Rodeo’s Payback; 2. Hardy Braden, 84; 3. (tie) Tanner Lockhart and Brody Cress, 83.5; 5. Cort Scheer, 82.5 points; 6.  (tie) Colt Gordon and Roper Kiesner, 82. Tie-down roping: First round: 1. Cooper Martin, 7.8 seconds; 2. Westyn Hughes, 8.0, $1,314; 3. (tie) Tim Pharr, Jake Pratt and Tuf Cooper, 8.1, $767 each; 6. (tie) Tyler Prcin and Lane Livingston, 8.2, $137 each. Second round leaders: 1. Taylor Santos, 7.5 seconds; 2. (tie) Blane Cox and Westyn Hughes, 7.8; 4. (tie) Justin Smith, Scott Kormos, Cimarron Boardman and Caleb Smidt, 7.9. Average leaders: 1. Westyn Hughes, 15.8 seconds on two runs; 2. Caleb Smidt, 16.5; 3. Jake Pratt, 16.8; 4. Sterling Smith, 17.6; 5. Robert Mathis, 17.9; 6. Blane Cox, 18.0. Barrel racing: 1. Taci Bettis, 17.36 seconds; 2. Kelley Schnaufer, 17.48; 3. Christine Laughlin, 17.51; 4. Tammy Fischer, 17.56; 5. Sidney Forrest, 17.58; 6. Ashley Shafer, 17.59; 8. (tie) Shelby Janssen and Kaylee Burnett, 17.66; 10. Ari-Anna Flynn, 17.68. Bull riding: 1. Scottie Knapp, 87 points on Cervi Brothers’ Po-Boy; 2. Remi Wildeman, 83; 3. (tie) Tyler Ray Viers and Hawk Whitt, 81; 5. Trevor Reiste, 79; 6. Garrett Uptain, 77.   -30-

DODGE CITY, Kan. – There are many reasons why Dodge City Roundup Rodeo is considered one of the best. Five years ago, the annual event was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. Over the years, it has been recognized as Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association’s Rodeo of the Year nine times. Each August, hundreds of the sport’s greatest stars converge on the community to be part of the high-flying, big-money action. This year’s rodeo is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 2-Sunday, Aug. 6, at Roundup Arena. The kick-starter to the weeklong festivities will be Bulls Night Out, which features Xtreme Bulls and Bullfighters Only’s freestyle bullfighting on Tuesday, Aug. 1. “I think we focus on pleasing three groups of people,” said Jeff Dodson, a 16-year volunteer on the rodeo committee that produces the annual event. “First of all, we want to put on a good show for the crowd. We get the best contestants, and we want to give the fans something special to experience. “We want to please the contestants, so we want to have the best grounds and the best stock available along with a good payout. We also want our sponsors to say they’re glad to be part of this. You want to keep your sponsors coming back year after year and getting behind you.” Dodson joined Roundup in 2002. A year later, he was one of the directors. Most of his tenure, he has been the guy sitting atop the timed-event chute helping with that aspect of the competition: Once the animal is loaded, he waits for the contestant’s nod to release the animal into the arena. “I joined Roundup because most of my friends are involved with it,” he said. “I love the sport. It’s a good way to get involved without being a competitor.” He is one of many volunteers who help with all the behind-the-scenes work that comes with producing one of the biggest events in southwest Kansas. “Volunteers are the cornerstone to what we do at Roundup Rodeo,” said Dr. R.C. Trotter, the volunteer committee’s president. “It takes a great amount of man hours to get the arena set up, to make sure all the fine details are covered and to have each performance be successful.” It’s working. Last year, the event was recognized as one of five nominees for PRCA Large Outdoor Rodeo of the Year. On top of that, the rodeo is one part of the community celebration, Dodge City Days. “I feel great about that nomination and the fact that I’m part of something special,” said Dodson, who works for Kansas Feeds. “It’s an honor and a thrill to be part of Roundup. It’s a lot of hard work, but when it’s over, you realize that you were part of it. You see the full stands and the huge crowd that loves the rodeo; I get to say that I was part of it.”

EAGLE, Colo. – When the Tough Enough to Wear Pink campaign was established in ProRodeo 13 years ago, it was to raise money and awareness in the fight against breast cancer. For some communities, the campaign is about giving locally and fighting all levels of cancer. That’s the case with the TETWP at the Eagle County Fair and Rodeo, which takes place Wednesday, July 19-Saturday, July 22, at the Eagle County Fairgrounds. “We partner with the Shaw Regional Cancer Center, and it’s really amazing that we get to benefit its patients,” said Hanna Albertson, chairwoman of the fair and rodeo’s advisory committee. “I think it’s important that we give back locally.” It is, and those at the cancer center in nearby Edwards, Colo. “The Eagle County Fair and Rodeo came to us seven years ago about partnering when they started the Tough Enough to Wear Pink campaign,” said Christine Albertson, community outreach and events manager for the center. “They donate funds raised on Friday (July 21), with 50 cents from each ticket sold going to Shaw. Some of the kids want to donate their proceeds from the animals they show at the fair.” Christine Albertson has been with Shaw since 2012, and in that time, Tough Enough to Wear Pink has contributed $27,785 to the cancer center. That money is utilized in various ways to assist patients with their treatments. “We get funding through a lot of entities, but we appreciate the relationship we have with the fair and rodeo,” she said. “The rodeo attracts lots of people from all over, and funding is a great asset. The money helps with patients who need extra services. It helps with our social workers, nutritionist and other areas. “The money is definitely needed for those patient services.” That includes Jack’s Place, a 12-room cancer caring home. “Patients come and stay on a pay-what-you-can philosophy,” Christine Albertson said. “They can come with their caregiver. We get a lot of patients from out of town. They might have five days of treatment, and this lodge allows them to stay without spending so much money.” There are also services for patients using Jack’s Place: yoga, meditation, acupuncture. There also is a full kitchen, so the patients can take groceries and prepare their own food. “It’s just a nice place to relax, especially in the wintertime when it’s snowing.” Some of the benefits are because of the generosity of so many who give to the cancer center, including the Eagle County Fair and Rodeo.

VERNAL, Utah – Beau Schueth finally got what he’s been looking for over the last 11 months. “It definitely feels good to finally get a win,” said Schueth, who earned the Bullfighters Only-Vernal championship, which took place in conjunction with the Dinosaur Roundup Rodeo. “That’s pretty huge.” Schueth opened the three-day bullfights by matching moves with 12X and Costa’s Portuguese Power for 85.5 points. He then held on with the highest bullfighter score to win the tie-breaker over Dayton Spiel of Parade, S.D., to claim the title – Spiel posted his 85.5-point fight on Saturday, the final night of the competition. “I thought I had a good bullfight, but I didn’t know if 85.5 points would hold up,” said Schueth, 25, of O’Neill, Neb. “Now that I’ve got the W, I’m looking to keep things rolling through the next few weeks.” Once the powerful black bull locked in on Schueth, the fight was on. “He was a real stout black bull,” he said. “I like starting them with a fake to my right. Just looking at him, I didn’t think he was going to really blow through (the fakes) hard, so I knew it was going to be a tight bullfight the whole time. Luckily I had a back fake out of there after I made a couple of rounds and step-throughs.” As the fight progressed, Schueth was the aggressor and continued to keep the bull within firing range. That’s important in freestyle bullfighting, because half the score is based on the animal, its willingness to stay in the fight and its aggressiveness. Schueth’s final maneuver – the one he was “selling” the fight on to hopefully impress the judges even more – was to be his patented spine grind, in which the he jumps over the bull and lightly touches the animal’s back with his cleats; it’s much like how skateboarders and snowboarders grind on a rail. “He got my drag foot and flipped me over,” Schueth said. “At least I got over him, but I would’ve liked it better if I’d been able to land on my feet. “He was definitely a fun little bull, but you know you’re going to fight good ones when Manuel (Costa) brings the pen.” The weekend marked BFO’s first trip to Vernal. By being out the first night, Schueth noticed that the crowd didn’t know what to expect at first. That changed quickly. “Once they figured out what we were doing, they really got into it,” he said. “They loved it. It was cool to see how much they got into it. That was awesome.” RESULTS Round 1: Beau Schueth, 85.5 points; 2. Weston Rutkowski, 82; 3. Zach Arthur, 75. Round 2: 1. Evan Allard, 78 points; 2. Travis Gidley, 73.5; 3. Ely Sharkey, 70.5. Round 3: Dayton Spiel, 85.5 points; 2. Justin Josey, 83; 3. Kris Furr, 75.

ESTES PARK, Colo. – Bareback rider Jake Brown has qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo each of the past two seasons. He credits his success to just one philosophy: Have fun. “If I take care of business and ride like I know how, I think I have a chance to win the gold buckle,” he said of the trophy awarded to world champions. “Don’t overthink anything. I just need to go out and ride bareback horses, have fun every time and see how the cards fall.” It’s been a pretty solid formula since 2015. He sits fourth in the world standings with more than $71,000 in earnings so far this season, and he’s looking to add to it at Rooftop Rodeo. He took the bareback riding lead Saturday night after riding Cervi Rodeo’s Rose Puff for 84.5 points. “She’s been around a long time,” said Brown, 27, of Cleveland, Texas. “I got on that horse in 2010, and I knew she was good. She’s proven herself for 15 years. I expected a good horse, and that’s exactly what she was.” That’s the kind of rides he needs if he wants to continue to climb the standings ladder. He is about $45,000 behind the bareback riding leader, reigning world champion Tim O’Connell. Having success in Estes Park can go a long way: The winner can expect a payout in excess of $6,000. “I’d say the biggest difference in my riding the last few years is I’ve gotten a lot more confident,” Brown said. “I’m staying calm and riding the horse they give me, not trying to overdo anything. I just want to relax and have fun every time.” Two more performances remain at Rooftop Rodeo, so Brown will have to wait until it concludes Monday to see how he finishes. Still, that kind of score should put the Texan in position to cash a big check. “This is awesome weather,” he said, referring to the cool mountain temperatures in Estes Park. “I like it when you don’t sweat very much, and up here it’s great. They have a great crowd, a great rodeo. It’s hard to beat this.” He’s certainly going to try while competing in the most physically demanding event in rodeo. “I guess I’ll keep doing it until I’m not winning anymore,” Brown said with a laugh. “The main thing is I love it. If I’m having fun, I just want to keep doing it. Right now, I’m having a blast.” Rooftop Rodeo Estes Park, Colo. July 5-10, 2017 Leaders through third performance Bareback riding: 1. Jake Brown, 84.5 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Rose Puff; 2. Steven Dent, 873; 3. (tie) Buck Lunak and Orin Larsen, 81.5; 5. (tie) Dantan Bertsch, Seth Hardwick and Zach Hibler, 81. Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Billy Bugenig, 3.8 seconds, $1,573; 2. Cody Doescher, 3.9, $1,302; 3. Wade Sumpter, 4.0, $1,031; 4. Blaine Jones, 4.1, $760; 5. (tie) Justice Johnson and Errol Frain, 4.4, $380 each. Second round leaders: 1. Blaine Jones, 3.5 seconds; 2. Blare Romsa, 3.7; 3. Cody Cabral, 3.9; 4. (tie) Cody Pratt, Cameron Morman and Billy Bugenig, 4.0; 7. (tie) Baylor Roche and Hunter Cure, 4.1. Average leaders: 1. Blaine Jones, 7.6 seconds on two runs; 2. Billy Bugenig, 7.8; 3. Cody Cabral, 8.6; 4. (tie) Cody Pratt and Hunter Cure, 8.7; 6. Baylor Roche, 8.8. Team roping: 1. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 4.7 seconds; 2. Lane Ivy/Buddy Hawkins, 5.1; 3. Matt Sherwood/Walt Woodard, 5.2; 4. Ty Blasingame/Tanner Luttrell, 5.3; 5. (tie) Marcus Theriot/Cody Doescher and Joshua Torres/Jonathan Torres, 5.4. Saddle bronc riding 1. Layton Green, 84.5 points on Cervi Rodeo’s Payback; 2. Hardy Braden, 84; 3. (tie) Tanner Lockhart and Brody Cress, 83.5; 5. (tie) Colt Gordon and Roper Kiesner, 82. Tie-down roping: First round: 1. Cooper Martin, 7.8 seconds; 2. Westyn Hughes, 8.0, $1,314; 3. (tie) Tim Pharr, Jake Pratt and Tuf Cooper, 8.1, $767 each; 6. (tie) Tyler Prcin and Lane Livingston, 8.2, $137 each. Second round leaders: 1. Taylor Santos, 7.5 seconds; 2. (tie) Blane Cox and Westyn Hughes, 7.8; 4. (tie) Justin Smith, Scott Kormos, Cimarron Boardman and Caleb Smidt, 7.9. Average leaders: 1. Westyn Hughes, 15.8 seconds on two runs; 2. Caleb Smidt, 16.5; 3. Jake Pratt, 16.8; 4. Sterling Smith, 17.6; 5. Robert Mathis, 17.9; 6. Blane Cox, 18.0. Barrel racing: 1. Taci Bettis, 17.36 seconds; 2. Kelley Schnaufer, 17.48; 3. Christine Laughlin, 17.51; 4. Tammy Fischer, 17.56; 5. Sidney Forrest, 17.58; 6. Ashley Shafer, 17.59; 8. (tie) Shelby Janssen and Kaylee Burnett, 17.66; 10. Ari-Anna Flynn, 17.68. Bull riding: 1. Scottie Knapp, 87 points on Cervi Brothers’ Po-Boy; 2. Remi Wildeman, 83; 3. (tie) Tyler Ray Viers and Hawk Whitt, 81; 5. Trevor Reiste, 79; 6. Garrett Uptain, 77.