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ALVA, Okla. – Home may be where the heart is, but it’s often the most difficult place to play. The Northwestern Oklahoma State University rodeo teams hosted the Central Plains Region teams this past weekend at the Alva Dome, and while there was some rough-sledding, there were a handful of Rangers who found success. “That was our hometown rodeo, but it’s also a pretty tough place to compete because of the way it’s set up,” said Dale Lee Forman, a junior from Highmore, South Dakota, who placed in the championship round and the aggregate race “It’s where you want to do well, but everybody has trouble in that pen.” Forman started off with a 7.0-second run in the opening round to earn a spot among the top 12 goat-tiers in the short-go. Once in the finale, she stopped the clock in 6.5 seconds to finish fourth in the round and fifth in the average with a two-run cumulative time of 13.5 seconds. “I just had it in my head that this is my hometown event and that I don’t want to freak out,” she said. “I was just more relaxed, and I think that really helped me out.” So did Dee Dee, a horse she’s had for several years. The bay mare has made for a solid partner, and that helped Forman find her comfort zone. “She started out as my barrel horse and just as the years went on, she became my goat horse,” Forman said. “She’s been my goat horse since I was a sophomore in high school, so we’ve been together a long time. She’s not your typical college goat horse. She’s really little and not as strong as a lot of other horses, but she’s as solid as she can be. We’ve just come a long way together.” Forman was one of three Rangers women in the short round, joined by breakaway roper Jaci Traul of Fort Scott, Kansas, and barrel racer Stormi Hopkins of Claremore, Oklahoma, the latter of whom finished third in the first go and fifth overall. “I think our team has a lot of talented people on it, and I know everyone has worked super hard this semester,” said Forman, who also competes in barrel racing. “I’d say we just need to keep grinding in the practice pen and be confident. When something goes wrong, go on to the next one and try again. Don’t let one bad rodeo wreck the rest of them.” That’s sound advice, and it’s something steer wrestler Logan Mullin has kept in mind all season. He had his best finish at the Alva rodeo, sharing the first-round victory after posting a 4.2-second run. He was 6.4 seconds to finish fifth in the championship round, and his two-run cumulative time of 10.2 seconds as good enough for second overall. “I knew we had good steers, but I also knew it was going to be a fast start, so we had to take an aggressive start,” said Mullin, a senior from Clay Center, Kansas. “I had a good horse under me and a good hazer, and that helped a bunch.” The horse? It’s a 12-year-old bay gelding Mullin owns and calls Easy. Teammate Emmett Edler of State Center, Iowa, leads the Central Plains’ bulldogging standings and has been riding Easy all season; while Mullin hazes for Edler and three to four others at every rodeo, Edler was his hazer while riding Bullfrog, a hazing horse owned by the Swayze family in Freedom, Oklahoma. “Easy is the horse Emmett and I hauled all summer, so he’s been good for us,” said Mullin, who acquired the horse a few years ago and has been competing on the bay ever since. “He was pretty green when I first got him, but he’s been great. He’s finished now, and like his name says, he’s super easy.” Mullin led the way for the Northwestern men, which featured eight cowboys in the final go-round, four of whom were bulldoggers. Jacob Haren, a graduate student from Callaway, Nebraska, placed in both rounds and finished third in the average; Edler finished second in the short round and placed fourth overall; and Scout Cutsinger of Claremore finished sixth in the long round. Tie-down roper Hazen Sparks of Talihina, Oklahoma, earned a third-place finish in the first round with a 10.2-second run, and Rhett Murray of Alma, Kansas, also advanced to the final go-round. The team roping tandem of Kyler Altmiller of Canadian, Texas, and Sage Bader of Kim, Colorado, also roped in the short round. The Alva rodeo was the final event of the fall portion of the Central Plains season, and the teams will return to competition in four months. The final five rodeos will decide which teams and which individuals will advance to the College National Finals Rodeo, where the champions will be crowned. “I just want to try to keep the ball rolling,” Mullin said. “I want to make the runs I need to make. I had a very slow fall, so this is a great way to wrap it up and remind myself that, yeah, I can bulldog at these college rodeos.”

ALVA, Okla. – When L.J. Yeahquo to transfer to Northwestern Oklahoma State University, he did it for two primary reasons. “I want to complete my MBA, get my master’s degree in business in April, and continue to rodeo,” said Yeahquo, a graduate student and team roping heeler on the Rangers rodeo team from Mandaree, North Dakota. “I also wanted to come to school here because of Cali. She’s the reason I wanted to come to Northwestern to continue to rodeo.” Cali Griffin is in her first year as the rodeo coach, and she’s been a major influence on the men’s and women’s teams in a short time. Her style and personality resonates with the student athletes, and Yeahquo is proof that good things come to those who wait. Partnering with header Delton O’Steen of Murray State College, Yeahquo won the team roping title this past weekend at the Oklahoma State University rodeo in Stillwater. “It’s pretty neat, because that’s the only rodeo in the Central Plains that me and my brother hadn’t won,” he said, referring to his longtime heading partner, J.C. Yeahquo, who will rope at his first National Finals Rodeo this December with Buddy Hawkins. “It’s nice that I was able to get that one in.” The brothers began their intercollegiate careers at Western Oklahoma State College in Altus and finished second at the 2021 College National Finals Rodeo. While his brother has focused on ProRodeo in 2024, L.J. Yeahquo is continuing to get a foothold in college, albeit at a new school and with a new partner. While he’s made a name for himself as a heeler, Yeahquo is pretty savvy on both ends of the team roping spectrum. He trains heading horses, so he began the region season as a header. “After the first couple of rodeos, it wasn’t very beneficial to me, so I went back to heeling,” he said, pointing out a simple strategy that helped him and O’Steen take the top spot in Stillwater. “Catch the cow; win the prize.” That sophomoric approach is one that pays off more times than not. Yeahquo and O’Steen stopped the clock in 6.6 seconds to finish third in the opening round, then were 5.9 seconds in the championship round to win it and the aggregate race. The 160 points Yeahquo earned pushed him into a tie for seventh in the region standings. “That was the first rodeo Delton and I roped together,” said Yeahquo, who is originally from western North Dakota now lives in nearby Crescent, Oklahoma. “Delton did a good job of scoring, riding and roping, and he made it easy to give me layups.” Yeahquo led the way, but other Rangers scored in Stillwater. Header Colter Snook of Dodge City, Kansas, moved into the stop spot in the standings by placing in both rounds and finishing third in the average while roping with Cale Morris of Western Oklahoma. A trio of others – tie-down roper Jacob Haren of Calloway, Nebraska, and steer wrestlers Emmett Edler of State Center, Iowa, and Logan Mullin of Clay Center, Kansas – also made the championship round. Kinlyn Yadon of Otterbein, Indiana, was the driving force for the Northwestern women. She finished in a tie for second overall in goat-tying, placing fourth in the first round and second in the short round. “The key for me was preparation and confidence,” said Yadon, a freshman. “This past week before Stillwater, we really just grinded. We put a lot of work into our practices and focused in on what we needed to do, and I really think it paid off this weekend.” Her success at OSU was the first of her intercollegiate career, but it’s something on which she hopes to build. “To be completely honest, I’ve had a rough season so far,” she said. “I don’t think I’ve even put one good run together, so I think my long-go run in Stillwater is helping me get the ball rolling.” The 125 points she gathered pushed her into a tie for sixth place in the Central Plains’ goat-tying standings. Teammate Payton Dingman of Pryor, Oklahoma, won the short round and finished fourth overall and is tied for first in the region. The comradery they’ve acquired in a few weeks helps everyone as they build toward a future together in Alva. “I was originally going to go to Fort Scott (Community College) to be with Cali,” Yadon said of Griffin, who was the assistant coach in southeastern Kansas last season. “When she came here to Northwestern, I jumped ship and came with her. Cali and I have been friends for a long time, so I came out here to be coached by her.” It’s paying off. The Rangers men are fourth in the region with six events remaining, while the women are third in the standings. Both teams are well within range of taking the top spots when the 10-event campaign concludes next spring. The next step is a week and a half away, when Northwestern hosts its rodeo at the Alva Dome. “I just want to focus on the next one in front of me, so I want to make it back to the short-go again at Alva and just put two runs together,” said Yadon, who also competes in breakaway roping. “Then in the spring season, I just want to do the best I can on each goat I’m given.”

DUNCAN, Okla. – Things had to go Ryan Jarrett’s way if he was to win another Prairie Circuit tie-down roping championship. They did. Jarrett placed in Friday’s second round and won the third to claim the aggregate title during his three days of competition at the Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo, earning $6,267 along the way. That pushed his season earnings in the Oklahoma-Kansas-Nebraska region to $22,698, and he won the year-end championship by just $119 over Cash Fuesz of Eureka, Kansas. “I hope I’m comfortable here,” Jarrett said of the Stephens County Arena, just 10 miles or so from his home near Comanche, Oklahoma. “I think I’ve been to the circuit finals 11 or 12 times since they’ve been here in Duncan. I like getting at the barrier, where some people are a little hesitant and think they’ve got a spot in the average. “In my mind, I just want to go rope this one.” He closed out his weekend with a 7.4-second run to take the round title and the lion’s share of the cash in the final go-round. That also helped him win the aggregate title by two seconds over Austin Lawrence of Sperry, Oklahoma. With his solid work so close to home, the 40-year-old qualified for the national circuit finals, which is now called the NFR Open and takes place next July at Colorado Springs. “That’s perfect,” said Jarrett, a 14-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier and the 2005 all-around world champion. “I was hoping something like this would work out. I really didn’t think I could catch Cash. It just worked out in my favor that he didn’t get along very well.” Fuesz didn’t place in any of the three nights, which enabled Jarrett to slide into the top spot. By finishing as the runner-up for the year-end title, Fuesz will join Jarrett in Colorado next summer. “That was a nice 5-year-old that I rode all three rounds here,” Jarrett said of Crackerjack. “He’s just something I’ve been fiddling with. The horse is just a winner. I’ve rode some special horses, but he’s a winner. I’ve won several dollars on him this year, and he took to it.” The days of all-night drives and rodeoing hard to battle for world championships have changed to traveling with his cowgirl wife, Shy-Anne, and their daughter, Jurnee. He finished the 2024 campaign 46th in the world standings, but that’s OK by him. “We’ve just been easing around rodeoing, enjoying it,” he said. “We never drove all night, so that was a plus. It’s pretty nice when you can do that.” It’s also pretty nice to win the circuit title just a few miles from home. Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals RodeoOct. 17-19Duncan, Okla.Bareback riding: First round: 1. Gauge McBride, 84 points on Silver Creek Rodeo’s Bare Naked, $2,166; 2. (tie) Jayco Roper and Bryce Eck, 81, $1,354 each; 4. Quintonn Lunsford, 73, $541. Second round: 1, Bryce Eck, 84 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Big League, $2,166; 2. Gauge McBride, 82, $1,624; 3. Qintonn Lunsford, 81, $1,083; 4. Jayco Roper, 79, $541. Third round: 1. Jayco Roper, 86 points on Hi Lo Pro Rodeo’s Rose Gold, $2,166; 2. Bryce Eck, 82, $1,625; 3. Quintonn Lunsford, 77, $1,093; 4. Dylan George, 76, $541. Average: 1. Bryce Eck, 247 points on three rides, $3,249; 2. Jayco Roper, 246, $2,437; 3. (tie) Gauge McBride and Quintonn Lunsford, 231, $1,218 each. Year-end champion: Bryce Eck. Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Cody Devers, 4.9 seconds, $2,279; 2. Riley Westhaver, 5.3, $1,709; 3. Jacob Edler, 5.4, $1,139; 4. Trisyn Kalawaia, 5.6, $570. Second round: 1. Chance Howard, 5.4 seconds, $2,279; Mason Couch, 5.6, $1,709; 3. Cody Devers, 5.8, $1,139; 4. Travis Munro, 6.1, $570. Third round: 1. Cody Devers, 4.8 seconds, $2,279; 2. Jarek VanPetten, 5.1, $1,709; 3. (tie) Mason Couch and Riley Duvall, 5.5, $855 each. Average: 1. Cody Devers, 15.5 seconds on three runs, $3,418; 2. Travis Munro, 18.5, $2,564; 3. Trisyn Kalawaia, 23.1, $1,709; 4. Riley Duvall, 27.4, $855. Year-end champion: Cody Devers. Breakaway roping: First round: 1. Taylor Munsell, 2.6 seconds, $2,279; 2. Beau Peterson, 3.0, $1,709; Winter Williams, 3.3, $1,139; 4. Christi Braudrick, 3.5, $570. Second round: 1. Cheyanne McCartney, 2.1 seconds, $2,279; 2. Tia Wallace, 3.0, $1,709; 3. Beau Peterson, 3.1, $1,139; 4. Taylor Munsell, 3.3, $570. Third round: 1. Jenna Lee Hays, 2.7 seconds, $2,279; 2. Taylor Raupe, 2.9, $1,709; 3. (tie) Christi Braudrick, Cheyanne McCartney, Tia Wallace and Taylor Munsell, $427 each. Average: 1. (tie) Cheyanne McCartney and Taylor Munsell, 9.2 seconds on three runs, $2,991 each; 3. Beau Peterson, 9.7, $1,709; 4. Christi Braudrick, 10.7, $855. Year-end champion: Taylor Munsell. Saddle bronc riding: First round: 1. Cooper Thatcher, 81 points on Mo Betta Rodeo’s Wally, $2,279; 2. Weston Patterson, 80, $1,709; 3. Trent Burd, 79, $1,139; 4. (tie) Heston Harrison and Denton Ward, 77.5, $285 each. Second round: 1. Weston Patterson, 82.5 points on New Frontier Rodeo’s Kate’s Hot Daughter, $2,279; 2. Ean Price, 80.5, $1,709; 3. Trent Burd, 79, $1,139; 4. Denton Ward, 78.5, $570. Third round: 1. Weston Patterson, 84.5 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Cross Fire, $2,279; 2. Tanner Hayes, 83.5, $1,709; 3. Ean Price, 82, $1,139; 4. (tie) Sam Martin and Dahlyn Thomas, 80, $285 each. Average: 1. Weston Patterson, 247 points on three rides, $3,418; 2. Trent Burd, 235.5, $2,564; 3. Denton Ward, 234.5, $1,709; 4. Tanner Hayes, 230.5, $855. Year-end champion: Roper Kiesner.Tie-down roping: First round: 1. Paul David Tierney, 9.3 seconds, $2,279; 2. Tyler Milligan, 9.4, $1,709; 3. Kason Dyer, 9.5, $1,139; 4. Austin Lawrence, 10.7, $570. Second round: 1. Coy Arnold, 8.9 seconds, $2,279; 2. Blake Carter, 9.1, $1,709; 3. Paul David Teirney, 9.3, $1,139; 4. Ryan Jarrett, 9.5, $570. Third round: 1. Ryan Jarrett, 7.4 seconds, $2,279; 2. Tyler Milligan, 8.2, $1,709; 3. Denton Oestmann, 8.8, $1,139; 4. Clint Graves, 8.9, $570. Average: 1. Ryan Jarrett, 28.2 seconds, $3,418; 2. Austin Lawrence, 30.2, $2,564; 3. Tyler Milligain, 30.4, $1,709; 4. Connor Matheson, 33.8, $855. Year-end  Continue Reading »

DUNCAN, Okla. – The race for the region’s breakaway roping championship just got a little tighter. Cheyanne McCartney of Kingston, Oklahoma, entered the Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo with a $516 advantage over Taylor Munsell of Alva, Oklahoma. After the opening two nights of competition, both ladies have earned go-round wins and share the two-run aggregate lead heading into Saturday’s final round of the 2024 season. Munsell won the opening round with a 2.6-second run, and McCartney was half a second faster to win Friday’s second go-round. Both earned $2,279 for their wins. The difference? Munsell captured a fourth-place check on Night 2, worth $570, and moved into the No. 1 spot in the circuit. The lead is just $54, so it will come down to which cowgirl has the best run during the third round. For her part, McCartney posted the fastest run of the rodeo so far, stopping the clock in 2.1 seconds. It was a big momentum shift for the three-time qualifier to the National Finals Breakaway Roping, an event at which she won the average title last December. “I had a lot of trouble this last rodeo season,” she said. “It was one of those years where it was one thing after another, and I didn’t really have a horse that fit me. I would say the biggest thing I did to prepare for this was I bought this horse from Will Howell at the beginning of August, and I’ve just had a chance to make runs on her and get with her, and she fits my style.” The horse is Diamond, an 11-year-old palomino mare, and she was a driving force for McCartney once she arrived in Duncan. “If you don’t have a horse and a partner that fits you, roping is really hard,” said McCartney, who pushed her season earnings to $18,747. “You’ve got to have a teammate, so I’m really looking forward to making some more runs and going to more rodeos on her.” While the dollars earned help crown this year’s regional titlist, the money earned this weekend also count toward the 2025 world standings. Every penny is vital for McCartney, who is eager to return to Las Vegas in 14 months. “Not having the season I wanted, I came home and just started regrouping,” she said. “You don’t have any time to feel sorry for yourself, because it all starts back over October first. I’m glad to get some money on the board, because it’s a marathon, not a sprint. I’ve had years where the beginning of my season started off slow, and then I’ve had seasons where the middle and end are slow. “You just have to keep your head down. You just have to keep working and stay focused all season, because it’s a long road.” Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals RodeoOct. 17-19Duncan, Okla.Bareback riding: First round: 1. Gauge McBride, 84 points on Silver Creek Rodeo’s Bare Naked, $2,166; 2. (tie) Jayco Roper and Bryce Eck, 81, $1,354 each; 4. Quintonn Lunsford, 73, $541. Second round: 1, Bryce Eck, 84 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Big League, $2,166; 2. Gauge McBride, 82, $1,624; 3. Qintonn Lunsford, 81, $1,083; 4. Jayco Roper, 79, $541. Average leaders: 1. Gauge McBride, 166 points on two rides; 2. Bryce Eck, 165; 3. Jayco Roper, 160; 4. Quintonn Lunsford, 154. Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Cody Devers, 4.9 seconds, $2,279; 2. Riley Westhaver, 5.3, $1,709; 3. Jacob Edler, 5.4, $1,139; 4. Trisyn Kalawaia, 5.6, $570. Second round: 1. Chance Howard, 5.4 seconds, $2,279; Mason Couch, 5.6, $1,709; 3. Cody Devers, 5.8, $1,139; 4. Travis Munro, 6.1, $570. Average leaders: 1. Cody Devers, 10.7 seconds on two runs; 2. Chance Howard, 11.1; 3. Travis Munro, 12.1; 4. Trisyn Kalawaia, 17.4. Breakaway roping: First round: 1. Taylor Munsell, 2.6 seconds, $2,279; 2. Beau Peterson, 3.0, $1,709; Winter Williams, 3.3, $1,139; 4. Christi Braudrick, 3.5, $570. Second round: 1. Cheyanne McCartney, 2.1 seconds, $2,279; 2. Tia Wallace, 3.0, $1,709; 3. Beau Peterson, 3.1, $1,139; 4. Taylor Munsell, 3.3, $570. Average leaders: 1. (tie) Cheyanne McCartney and Taylor Munsell, 5.9 seconds; 3. Beau Peterson, 6.1; 4. Christi Braudrick, 7.4. Saddle bronc riding: First round: 1. Cooper Thatcher, 81 points on Mo Betta Rodeo’s Wally, $2,279; 2. Weston Patterson, 80, $1,709; 3. Trent Burd, 79, $1,139; 4. (tie) Heston Harrison and Denton Ward, 77.5, $285 each. Second round: 1. Weston Patterson, 82.5 points on New Frontier Rodeo’s Kate’s Hot Daughter, $2,279; 2. Ean Price, 80.5, $1,709; 3. Trent Burd, 79, $1,139; 4. Denton Ward, 78.5, $570. Average leaders: 1. Weston Patterson, 162.5 points on two rides; 2. Cooper Thatcher, 159; 3. Trent Burd, 158; 4. Denton Ward, 156.Tie-down roping: First round: 1. Paul David Tierney, 9.3 seconds, $2,279; 2. Tyler Milligan, 9.4, $1,709; 3. Kason Dyer, 9.5, $1,139; 4. Austin Lawrence, 10.7, $570. Second round: 1. Coy Arnold, 8.9 seconds, $2,279; 2. Blake Carter, 9.1, $1,709; 3. Paul David Teirney, 9.3, $1,139; 4. Ryan Jarrett, 9.5, $570. Average leaders: 1. Paul David Tierney, 18.6 seconds on two runs; 2. Coy Arnold, 19.9; 3. Blake carter, 20.3; 4. Ryan Jarrett, 20.8. Team roping: First round: 1. Mason Appleton/Rance Doyle, 4.6 seconds, $2,279; 2. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 4.8, $1,709; 3. Tyler Hobert/Shannon Frascht, 5.4, $1,139; 4. J.C. Yeahquo/Buddy Hawkins, 5.9, $570. Second round: 1. J.C. Yeahquo/Buddy Hawkins, 5.4 seconds, $2.279; 2. Corben Culley/Tator Taton, 5.6, $1,709; 3. Mason Appleton/Rance Doyle, 6.7, $1,139; 4. Tyler Hobert/Shannon Frascht, 8.1, $570. Average leaders: 1. (tie) Mason Appleton/Rance Doyal and J.C. Yeahquo/Buddy Hawkins, 11.3 seconds on two runs; 3. Tyler Hobert/Shannon Frascht, 13.5; 4. Wyatt Muggli/Casey McCleskey, 20.4. Barrel racing: First round: 1. Emily Beisel, 16.18 seconds, $2,279; 2. Tana Renick, 16.41, $1,709; 3. Matay Eklund, 16.42, $1,139; 4. Ari-Anna Flynn, 16.43, $570. Second round: 1. Tana Renick, 15.98 seconds, $2,279; 2. Tracy Nowlin, 16.25, $1,709; 3. Mataya Eklund, 16.30, $1,39; 4. Chelsie Shoop, 16.31, $570. Average leaders: 1, Tana Renick, 32.39 seconds on two runs; 2. Emily Beisel, 32.52; 3. Mataya  Continue Reading »

DUNCAN, Okla. – Five days ago, Cody Devers wasn’t thinking much about wrestling steers. He was getting married to Brecklyn, so there were higher priorities in his life, but he couldn’t help but think of the Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo. “I asked her to start dating me here about three or four years ago, and I ended up winning it,” said Devers, 29, of Perryton, Texas. “Maybe it’s going to be good luck now that I’m married to her.” It could be. Devers finished the 2020 circuit season as the year-end champion, then won the aggregate title at the regional finale the next October. Duncan has been good to the Texas cowboy, and he proved it again Thursday night during the first go-round of this year’s championship. He knocked his steer down in 4.9 seconds to win the night and collect $2,279. “The circuit finals has slowly been adding a little bit more money every year, so a guy like me in my position that comes in the middle of the pack, it gives him a chance,” he said. “If he really does his job, he’s got a chance of winning the year-end. It helps having three rounds, so we’re going to try and do our job and see where it lands. We’re not planning on winning it after the first one; we’re not planning on losing it. We’re just going to do our job.” Every dollar helps. He entered the weekend eighth in the regional standings. With his earnings on opening night, he moved to third place. Jarek VanPetten, the season leader heading into the weekend from Cimarron, Kansas, failed to gather a time, so those in the chase position gained ground. Jacob Edler, the second-ranked man from Alva, Oklahoma, added $1,139 and inched within $500 of VanPetten. Competing at his sixth Prairie Circuit finale, Devers took advantage of the situation and his team, which included his bulldogging mare, Sassy, and his hazer, fellow competitor Riley Duvall of Checotah, Oklahoma. “I trusted my mare,” Devers said. “She’d been a little bit sore on me toward the end of the year, so I gave her about a month off. It’s probably the first time I’ve rode her bulldogging-wise since the end of the (regular season, which concluded Sept. 30). She took the start, and I knew she could catch the steer. She just ran him down.” Sassy might need to keep it up if the Texan hopes to return to the national circuit finals, the NFR Open, which takes place next July in Colorado Springs, Oklahoma. It will feature only the year-end and finale aggregate champions in each event. By making a strong start, he’s moved within a go-round victory of catching VanPetten. “That NFR Open is huge, and they put it at a pretty good time of year where we can work three really good tour rodeos at the same time,” Devers said. “It’s a good opportunity, and that’s where I want to be.” Devers is a two-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier who finished too far down the money list to advance back this year. He graduated from Northwestern Oklahoma State University, where he earned a second-place finish at the College National Finals Rodeo. In fact, Devers led the way for the quartet of former Rangers who placed Thursday: Riley Westhaver was second, Edler was third and Trisyn Kalawaia was fourth. There are two nights remaining on the circuit season, and it will come down to Saturday’s showcase to decide who will earn the right to compete in Colorado Springs next summer. “We just need to make consistent runs,” Devers said. “If I don’t beat myself up (on the start), I feel like I should do very well.” Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals RodeoOct. 17-19Duncan, Okla.Bareback riding: 1. Gauge McBride, 84 points on Silver Creek Rodeo’s Bare Naked, $2,166; 2. (tie) Jayco Roper and Bryce Eck, 81, $1,354 each; 4. Quintonn Lunsford, 73, $541. Steer wrestling: 1.  Cody Devers, 4.9 seconds, $2,279; 2. Riley Westhaver, 5.3, $1,709; 3. Jacob Edler, 5.4, $1,139; 4. Trisyn Kalawaia, 5.6, $570. Breakaway roping: 1. Taylor Munsell, 2.6 seconds, $2,279; 2. Beau Peterson, 3.0, $1,709; Winter Williams, 3.3, $1,139; 4. Christi Braudrick, 3.5, $570. Saddle bronc riding: 1. Cooper Thatcher, 81 points on Mo Betta Rodeo’s Wally, $2,279; 2. Weston Patterson, 80, $1,709; 3. Trent Burd, 79, $1,139; 4. (tie) Heston Harrison and Denton Ward, 77.5, $285 each.Tie-down roping: 1. Paul David Tierney, 9.3 seconds, $2,279; 2. Tyler Milligan, 9.4, $1,709; 3. Kason Dyer, 9.5, $1,139; 4. Austin Lawrence, 10.7, $570. Team roping: 1. Mason Appleton/Rance Doyle, 4.6 seconds, $2,279; 2. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 4.8, $1,709; 3. Tyler Hobert/Shannon Frascht, 5.4, $1,139; 4. J.C. Yeahquo/Buddy Hawkins, 5.9, $570. Barrel racing: 1. Emily Beisel, 16.18 seconds, $2,279; 2. Tana Renick, 16.41, $1,709; 3. Matay Eklund, 16.42, $1,139; 4. Ari-Anna Flynn, 16.43, $570. Bull riding: 1. Jesse Hopper, 84 points on Beutler & Son Rodeo’s Black Panther, $2,260, 2. (tie) Jackson Ward and Fulton Rutland, 81, $1,412 each; 4. Coy Pollmeier, 68.5, $565.

HEMPSTEAD, Texas – Susan Shollar has seen this before, but she’s still amazed. During the junior livestock and exhibition auction at this year’s Waller County Fair and Rodeo, donors spent $1,469,500 on the animals and other exhibits over the course of the Oct. 5 sale at the fairgrounds in Hempstead. “It’s amazing to me, because it is right behind our record year,” said Susan Shollar, chairwoman of the Waller County Fair Board’s auction committee. “Our best year was $1,483,000 in 2022. Last year we went down a little bit, but we popped up this year. “The best part, though, is that we used to have just a handful of people that pretty much carried the auction. That has spread out unbelievably over the past three years. We’ve gotten so many supporters from the area that have begun giving that it’s taken a little bit of the load off our longtime, faithful supporters in what they’ve spent with us. Our auction is growing like crazy.” It’s a positive step for the longtime exhibition, which just wrapped its 80th year. The growth in the county fair has been exponential, and the rewards are passed along to the community and for the next generation of leaders. “These new businesses from our area wanted to be involved as much as they can,” Shollar said. “Without all these donors, the ones that have been with us for so long and the new ones who have come in, we wouldn’t have the fair and rodeo. The kids would not receive compensation for their projects without them. We couldn’t do anything without them. “We do rentals because we are a privately owned entity, so we have to maintain this fairgrounds all year. However, we couldn’t do those rentals and we couldn’t get the renters we do without the supporters who have, in the past few years, really helped us have a premier facility. Without the buyers, the kids wouldn’t sell their projects. They use this money on next year’s project and for school.” The fair and rodeo is about providing an agriculture-based event together that provides fun for members of the communities and beyond, but the mission is about supporting the youth of Waller County and raising money and awareness for the future. The biggest seller during the auction was a pig that went for $40,000. There were other animals that went for $30,000 or more, and that money goes toward the exhibitors that showed those animals. Those same donors, though, have been a major force behind the upgrades that have made the fairgrounds a premier facility in southeast Texas. “When I started with the fair board 15 years ago, the fairgrounds was pretty much like it was when I was in high school and showed there,” she said. “I am so proud to be part of what has been done over the last few years. We’ve done some great things with this facility, and this year we had a free kids’ day, where any kid 12 and under could come, and we had all kinds of activities. “A lot of those people couldn’t come without being able to have a day like that.” The prospects for the future are still bright. “I work in those elite boxes at the rodeo arena, and our donors are the people that helped us build the arena as it is now,” Shollar said. “Everybody wants to be involved. I had two people come up to me during the rodeo and ask how to get involved. It’s just great to see.”

DUNCAN, Okla. – When it comes to a gladiator-like event in rodeo, nothing gets closer than bull riding. Cowboys weighing close to 150 pounds will test their mettle on bulls 10 times or more than their body size. It’s a game of man vs. beast, athletes all. The bulls have the advantage, of course, because they can torque their bodies in unseemly ways because of the prowess and power they possess, but the men who ride them are pretty savvy, too. The battle of the bulls to decide the regional champion will come down to the final three days of the season during the Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17-Saturday, Oct. 19, at the Stephens County Arena in Duncan. “I’ve qualified for the circuit finals twice, but I just never had any luck,” said J.R. Stratford, 22, of Byers, Kansas. “This year the circuit has treated me a lot better.” That’s true. The championship in southern Oklahoma features the top 12 contestants in each event, and they are cowboys and cowgirls from – and who competed at rodeos – primarily the Oklahoma-Kansas-Nebraska region. Stratford won 16 rodeos, and most of those were events in which the money counted not only for the world standings but also were included on the Prairie Circuit’s money list. Stratford finished the year with $24,536 in regional earnings and leads the pack heading into the finale. He owns a lead of just less than $2,000 over another Kansan, Coy Pollmeier of Fort Scott. “I was pretty fortunate to get some pretty big wins in the circuit this year,” said Pollmeier, 24, who scored victories in Abilene, Kansas; Hill City, Kansas; and Claremore, Oklahoma. “That was really helpful just toward my standings and to keep me going. Some days it’s like you get lucky because there are not as many other guys actually riding their bulls, so the payout is better.” Bull riding is the only event in which ground money counts toward the standings. If a rodeo pays the top six spots but only three cowboys ride their bulls, the total dollars of the final three payouts are combined and spread out to the trio of men who stayed on. Claremore, for example, was slated to pay eight spots, but only Pollmeier and two other cowboys collected the cash. That’s also what will make the circuit championship so intriguing next week. While Stratford and Pollmeier are on the top steps of the standings, a handful of others could make a significant move in Duncan. “Looking down that list of bull riders, all of them on any given day can win rodeos and make good rides,” Stratford said. “It’s cool to see the talent we’ve got coming this year. The bulls are going to be great, and it’s only going to take one round to square this thing up. It’s going to come down to whoever rides the best and has the best finals. “I think I’d rather have it that way. That keeps you sharp and wanting to do your job correctly, so I’m looking forward to it. It’ll be a riding contest.” The season has been very similar. Colton Byrum of Mound City, Kansas, sits third in the standings with a little more than $19,000; that’s some heavy lifting among the leaders through the rigors of the year-long campaign. On the national stage, Pollmeier finished the regular season 35th in the world standings. That secures him some qualifications for the big, winter rodeos starting in January and continuing through April. “After last year going into the winter rodeos, I felt like I was able to handle myself a little bit better with the high-pressure situations,” he said. “I was able to appreciate them and being able to be there. I felt like it showed this year that I was able to mature over the last two years, and it felt a lot better.” Consistency is important. The bulls win most of the time, so cowboys look to increase their riding percentages. That’s how they build their resumes. Stratford, who qualified for the 2022 National Finals Rodeo, finished the 2024 regular season 19th, just four spots removed from advancing to the grand finale again. The money earned at the circuit finals not only decides the year-end champion, those dollars also count toward the 2025 world standings. “It’s a huge bonus that the circuit finals gets to count for next year, so I’m going to go ahead and try to get a jump on the season,” Stratford said. “My goal is set on winning the circuit, and I’ve never done that. I’d like to get it done this year.”

HENDERSON, Texas – When Ryan Ellis looks around at the Rusk County Expo Center this week, he reflects on the things that mean the most to him. He’s directing traffic, trying to get everything in order for the Black Gold Stampede, which takes place at 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday at the complex in Henderson. The two days of competition is the culmination of a year’s worth of work by him and the other volunteers that help organize the annual event. “I get a lot of pride in the fact that we’ve been able to maintain a top-quality PRCA rodeo in a time where there’s a lot of competition from other things outside rodeo to entertain folks,” said Ellis, chairman of the rodeo committee. “We are able to keep a good, clean, family event that is still a big part of our community,” The work that goes into preparing for the rodeo is extensive, from gathering the sponsors that help pay for the fiesta to getting the arena ready to making sure the fan experience is excellent. It takes a steady group of dedicated people to make sure everything is as flawless as possible. “I’d say we have grown our committee to about 20 people,” Ellis said. “It’s not just volunteering for the week of the rodeo. We have eight or 10 meetings a year, and there’s a core group in there that does the bulk of the work, but we rely on everyone. “It’s hard for us to stay relevant every year and make money and compete with other rodeos to get the contestants. It’s never easy, but we have the strongest committee we’ve had in 20 or 25 years, so that just makes it easier.” The group has implemented a few updates. First and foremost, the dates moved to the second weekend in October, which helped draw more contestants to town. With the Texas Circuit Finals Rodeo taking place at Waco this weekend, too, local organizers are hedging their bets to draw more cowboys and cowgirls to Henderson. “Last year we moved to the weekend after Texas Circuit Finals, which didn’t really pay off,” Ellis said. “So, we’re trying this move this year, and we’re already seeing that our numbers are up as far as contestants.” That’s good for the fans, who will get to see many of the top players in the game. The goal is to put on the best performances for the fans to see and for sponsors and organizers to enjoy through the two days of action. That’s why the rodeo will also feature a behind-the-chutes tour for the first time prior to both nights of rodeo. “We wanted to offer something for the crowd so they can understand what goes on at the rodeo,” Ellis said. “We figured this would be a great way to make that happen. “We’re always looking for ways to improve our rodeo for the contestants and the fans.” Part of that equation is working closely with livestock producer Pete Carr Pro Rodeo. “When you’ve got a stock contractor like Pete, he helps your rodeo be the best that it can be,” Ellis said.

HENDERSON, Texas – Everyone needs a dose of honesty, a quick response to something important. Friends are great, but so are advisors. When businessmen work together, they can forge relationships that last for years, such is the case with Pete Carr and the organizers of the Black Gold Stampede, which takes place at 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday at the Rusk County Expo Center in Henderson. “Pete has been just great, because he always gives me his honest opinion; at the end of the day, he’ll say, ‘We’re going to do what you want to do,’ ” said Ryan Ellis, chairman of the volunteer committee that puts together the annual rodeo. “He told me, ‘Whatever you want to do in that arena is what we’re going to make happen.’ “At the same time, he knows so much about rodeo and about what goes on behind the scenes that he’s always a phone call away. When I ask if something we’re about to do is a good idea or not, he’ll tell me honestly. I appreciate that.” Carr owns Dallas-based Pete Carr Pro Rodeo, one of the elite livestock producers in ProRodeo. The firm has 15 nominations for PRCA Stock Contractor of the Year, and Carr was recently inducted into the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame, alongside his legendary bronc, two-time PRCA Bareback Horse of the Year Dirty Jacket. Now in his 20th year of owning the company, Carr continues to excel at an elite level. There will be 19 animals with the Rafter C brand performing at this year’s National Finals Rodeo, the sport’s grand finale that takes place over 10 days each December in Las Vegas. “Pete is a great source of experience in what he sees, and he’s easy to tell us what he thinks will help our rodeo,” Ellis said. “He’s also been really good about not outpricing our market so we’re able to afford him. He’s been great for us.” He’s also been great for the contestants. The Carr team has been recognized for its top-flight production, working closely with announcer Andy Stewart. This year, the rodeo will also feature entertainer John Harrison, has won the Triple Crown for rodeo entertainers: Comedy Act of the Year, Coors Man in the Can and Clown/Barrelman of the Year each of the past two years. The contractor, announcer, entertainer and rodeo committee have to work together to put on the kind of show that attracts a big audience. “We like the way our team works together,” Ellis said. “With Pete, anytime I call, he’s going to answer the phone or call me right back. He can either help me or give me resources that can. “He tells me all the time, ‘I want your rodeo to be successful, and I want y’all to be successful.’ That means a lot to me, and it’s one of the big reasons we like having Pete as our stock contractor.” Ellis’ relationship with Carr is more than a mentorship, and that collaboration what makes the Black Gold Stampede a success every year.

HEMPSTEAD, Texas – When Dorothy said it in the “Wizard of Oz,” it made for a good movie in the 1930s. When Cory Solomon says it now, he means it. There’s no place like home, and he proved it Saturday night during the final performance of the Waller County Fair and Rodeo. He roped an tied his calf in 7.7 seconds to win his hometown rodeo and collect nearly $3,200. “When I walked u here today, I was like, ‘Today’s a new year,’ ” said Solomon, 34, of Prairie View, Texas. “it’s a new start. I had a great calf today. I’ve been struggling this last year. I roped good; I just struggled drawing and went through a lot of adversity. “Last year is gone, and this is the first rodeo of the new year, and I’m blessed to start it off with a win.” ProRodeo’s regular season wrapped Sept. 30, but the Hempstead rodeo is the first event of the 2025 season. Solomon finished the 2024 campaign with about $75,000 in earnings, which forced him to 26th on the money list. He fell short of qualifying for the National Finals Rodeo for the 11th time in his career, but he’s already focused on what’s in front. “I’m one of those guys that enjoys being home with my family,” said Solomon, who finished the 2023 season sixth in the world standings with $246,331, more than $117,000 of which came during those magical 10 days last December in Las Vegas. “Rodeo’s getting big, and it’s definitely changed. I started rodeoing a little late this year, and we had a kids camp. I like helping kids, so it’s good to be around for that. These little rodeos around here are what made me who I am “But I’m going to go hard this year. The purses are going up all over, like Houston is increasing it’s purse. Other rodeos are going up, and the (NFR) is adding more money. Making $75,000 is a hell of the year, but that just shows how great rodeo’s going.” When he first qualified for the NFR in 2011, that kind of earnings would have certainly secured his shot for the world championship. This year, though, each cowboy in the top 15 who will compete in Las Vegas earned at least six figures. By not joining that elite field, Solomon has his mind and body focused on returning in 2025. For now, though, he’s just enjoying his time at home. He first started competing at the Waller County Fairgrounds when he was 6 years old, so he’s seen all the recent changes that have made it into one of the premier facilities in southeast Texas “I’ve been to rodeos all over the world from here to Canada, and what they’ve done here is just a blessing,” he said. “This rodeo draws the top guys, the top girls and the top horses. To be able to house all that with the new barn is definitely a big change.” Waller County Fair and RodeoOct. 3-5Hempstead, TexasBareback riding: 1. Brayze Schill, 86 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Borrowed Money, $1,884; Bodee Lammers, 80, $1,4444; 3. Anthony Thomas, 77, $1,067; 4. Kade Sonnier, 74, $691; 5. Tim Murphy, 70, $440; 6. Hayden James, 65, $314; 7. Lane McGehee, 64, $251; no other qualified rides. Steer wrestling: 1. Brandon Harrison, 3.6 seconds, $2,157; 2. Daryl Joe Elliott, 4.2, $1,904; 3. (tie) Landris White and Cody Harmon, 4.6, $1,523 each; 5. (tie) Emmett Edler, Cole Walker and Ryan Nettle, 4.7, $1,142 each; 8. (tie) Cade Staton and Colton Swearingen, 4.8, $825 each; 10. (tie) Joe Nelson and Marc Joiner, 5.0, $254 each. Tie-down roping: 1. Cory Solomon, 7.7 seconds, $3,196; 2. Tanner Green, 8.0, $2,820; 3. (tie) Chantz Webster, Cash Fuesz and Clint Singleton, 8.2, $2,131; 6. Treg Schaack, 8.4, $1,692; 7. Paul David Tierney, 8.6, $1,504; 8. John Douch, 8.7, $1,316; 9. Marcos Costa, 8.8, $1,128; 10. Adam Gray, 8.9, $752. Breakaway roping: 1. (tie) Shayla Hall and McKenna Brennan, 2.1, $3,638 each; 3. (tie) Hali Williams, Britta Strain, Carlee Martinez and Haley Mason, 2.2, $1,869 each; 7. Rylee George, 2.3, $1,011; 8. Aspen Miller, 2.4, $909; 9. Cassidy Boggs, 2.5, $808; 10. (tie) Payton Scalzo and Quincy Sullivan, 2.6, $657 each; 12. (tie) Lari Dee Guy and Bailey Jay, 2.7, $404 each; 15. (tie) Jade Mitchell, Shyra Cline and Abbie Williams, 2.8, $67 each. Saddle bronc riding: 1. Mitchie Story, 86 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Django, $2,222; 2. Skinny Parsons, 82, $1,704; 3. Brady Hill, 81.5, $1,259; 4. (tie) Chris Williams and Leon Fountain, 80, $667 each; 6. Dean Wadsworth, 77; 7. Garrett Long, 76, $296; 8. Sam Southern, 75.7, $222. Team roping: 1. Coy Brittain/Colton Brittain, 4.3 seconds, $3,711; 2. Billy Bob Brown/Josh Patton, 4.4, $3,275; 3. (tie) Manny Egusquiza/Eddie Medina and Jace Bland/Tyson Thompson, 4.5, $2,620 each; 5. Bubba Buckaloo/Joseph Harrison, 4.6, $2,183; 6. (tie) Cory Kidd/Dustin Davis and Joshua Torres/Caleb Hendrix, 4.7, $1,856 each; 8. (tie) Colby Lovell/Ty Arnold, Curry Kirchner/Tyler McKnight and Cory Smothers/Tyler Ishman, 4.8, $1,237 each. Barrel racing: 1. Jolene Montgomery, 15.15 seconds, $3,207; 2. Steely Steiner, 15.27, $2,566; 3. (tie) Acey Pinkston, Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi and Katie Halbert, 15.32, $1,657 each; 6. (tie) Liz Pinkston and Molly Otto, 15.41, $882 each; 8. Aspen Adams, 15.42, $722; 9. (tie) Rachelle Riggers and Jane Fabro, 15.43, $601 each; 11. Ilyssa Riley, 15.45, $481; 12. (tie) Shelley Morgan and Jo Fisher, 15.46, $361; 14. Cheyenne Wimberley, 15.47, $241; 15. Kenna Kaminski, 15.48, $160. Bull riding: 1. (tie) Jacob Carige, on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Deviant, Tyler Kippes, on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Grindstone, 85 points, $3,081 each; 3. Cutter Kaylor, 84, $2,145; 4. Kolt Achenbach, 77, $1,553; no other qualified rides.

HEMPSTEAD, Texas – Bodee Lammers has always been athletic, and a decade ago, it took him to west Texas to play football at Sul Ross State University. After a year, he had an opportunity to test his hand at being a bronc buster. He was hooked, and he’s been chasing that rodeo high ever sense. On Friday night, he matched moves with Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Wilson Sanchez for 80 points to take the bareback riding lead at the Waller County Fair and Rodeo. “Coming down here to this rodeo, it’s kind of a mixed pen of horses,” said Lammers, 28, of Tolar, Texas. “You’ve got some young ones, you’ve got some horses that have been around for a while, and then you’ve got horses like that, so I was real tickled to draw an NFR horse at this rodeo.” Wilson Sanchez has been selected to the National Finals Rodeo eight times and has been one of the go-to bucking broncs in the mix when the animal arrives in Las Vegas. Cowboys have won multiple go-rounds on the back of the powerful mount. Carr is well known for having some incredible bucking horses, so it’s a natural fit for a Texas bareback rider to be matched with a Texas bronc. “I go to quite a few Carr rodeos, because he puts on a lot of rodeos in our (Texas) Circuit,” said Lammers, who just wrapped up his 2024 regular season 48th in the world standings. “I go to a lot of smaller rodeos, so making the circuit finals is a big deal for me.” There are a dozen or so regions in ProRodeo, and money not only counts toward the world standings, but dollars earned in the Lone Star State count toward in the circuit, and the top 12 earn the right to compete at the championship, which takes place next week in Waco, Texas. That’s been a goal for Lammers, who suffered through two years of injuries and didn’t return to the game until this past March. “I got a late start to the 2024 season anyways, so I was just happy to finish the year out,” said Lammers, who finished the year with eight victories, including wins at Texas rodeos in Longview and Cleburne. “I had some goals to finish a little higher than I did, but with this rodeo being so close to the house, I figured I’d come down here and get a little circuit money for next year. I’ll go to Rosenburg (Texas) tomorrow then go to the circuit finals, and after that I’ll take a little time off and just get healed up for January.” Riding bareback horses isn’t for the weak. Cowboys strap their riggings tightly around the animal’s chest, then wear specially designed gloves with binds that they wedge into the rawhide handles. They are virtually locked onto the bronc as it bucks, which helps make bareback riding the most physically demanding event in rodeo. Lammers has had to overcome three bulging discs in his neck and a broken pelvis, but he’s back riding at the top of his game. “I started to feel like I was getting the hang of this in the spring of 2021,” he said. “I went to the college rodeos that fall (2020), and I was thinking things were making progress. Then, for whatever reason, the light bulb went off in the break between the fall and spring semesters, and when the spring rodeos rolled around, I just started placing at those college rodeos and would hit some small ProRodeos and go to some good amateur rodeos and was just placing everywhere. “I thought, ‘Maybe I do have this figured out a little bit.’ ” Waller County Fair and RodeoOct. 3-5Hempstead, TexasBareback riding: 1. Bodee Lammers, 80 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Wilson Sanchez; 2. Anthony Thomas, 77; 3. Kade Sonnier, 74; 4. Tim Murphy, 70; 5. Hayden James, 65; 6. Lane McGehee, 64; no other qualified rides. Steer wrestling: 1. Brandon Harrison, 3.6 seconds; 2. Landris White, 4.6; 3. (tie) Emmett Edler, Cole Walker and Ryan Nettle, 4.7; 6. Cade Staton, 4.8; 7. Logan Mullin, 5.1; 8. Chance Howard, 5.3; 9. (tie) Gary Gilbert, Garrett Curry and Riley Westhaver, 5.3. Tie-down roping: 1. Tanner Green, 8.0 seconds; 2. (tie) Chantz Webster, Cash Fuesz and Clint Singleton, 8.2; 5. Treg Schaack, 8.4; 6. Paul David Tierney, 8.6; 7. Marcos Costa, 8.8; 8. Adam Gray, 8.9; 9. Hagen Houck, 9.0; 10. (tie) Troy Reese, Connor Atkinson and Tate Teague, 9.8. Breakaway roping: 1. (tie) Shayla Hall and McKenna Brennan, 2.1; 3. (tie) Hali Williams, Britta Strain, Carlee Martinez and Haley Mason, 2.2; 7. Rylee George, 2.3; 8. Aspen Miller, 2.4; 9. Cassidy Boggs, 2.5; 10. Payton Scalzo, 2.6; 11. (tie) Lari Dee Guy and Bailey Jay, 2.7. Saddle bronc riding: 1. Skinny Parsons, 82 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Beer Thirty; 2. Dean Wadsworth, 77; 3. (tie) Liam Pauley and Roper Kiesner, 72.5; 5. Cooper Lane, 72; 6. Nick LaDuke, 71; 7. Warwich Southern, 70; 8. Bryan Huey, 66. Team roping: 1. Coy Brittain/Colton Brittain, 4.3 seconds; 2. Billy Bob Brown/Josh Patton, 4.4; 3. (tie) Manny Egusquiza/Eddie Medina and Jace Bland/Tyson Thompson, 4.5; 5. Bubba Buckaloo/Joseph Harrison, 4.6; 6. (tie) Cory Kidd/Dustin Davis and Joshua Torres/Caleb Hendrix, 4.7; 8. (tie) Colby Lovell/Ty Arnold and Curry Kirchner/Tyler McKnight, 4.8; 9. (tie) Paul David Tierney/Casey McCleskey and Chris Francis/Cade Passig, 4.9. Barrel racing: 1. Steely Steiner, 14.27 seconds; 2. (tie) Acey Pinkston, Brittany Pozzi-Tonozzi and Katie Halbert, 15.32; 5. (tie) Liz Pinkston and Molly Otto, 15.41; 7. Aspen Adams, 15.42; 8. (tie) Rachelle Riggers and Jane Fabro, 15.43; 10. Ilyssa Riley, 15.45. Bull riding: 1. (tie) Jacob Carige, on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Deviant, Tyler Kippes, on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Grindstone, 85 points; 3. Cutter Kaylor, 84; 4. Kolt Achenbach, 77; no other qualified rides.

HEMPSTEAD, Texas – Things don’t always go as planned. Teams don’t always win. The guy doesn’t always get the girl. When Darcy Kersh arrived in town for the first performance of the Waller County Fair and Rodeo, he had envisioned a solid night of calf roping and bulldogging. He didn’t think he’d break the barrier in both events. Both instances took him out of a chance at money, but he still had a smile on his face knowing he’s doing something he loves. “It’s just a lot more opportunity,” said Kersh, 25, of Charter Towers, Queensland, Australia. “The rodeos pay so much more money over here. There are more guys at the, and we’re just going against the best people in the world, and that’s the thing for me. I want to be the best, so I need to compete against the best.” Now living in Stephenville, Texas, Kersh wrapped up the 2024 regular season a few days ago 38th in the steer wrestling world standings. He’s hoping to do a little better now that the new campaign is under way – a 12-month rodeo season runs Oct. 1-Sept. 30, so there are plenty of chances ahead of the Aussie to see where this run of rodeos takes him. “We came down to the steer wrestling jackpot (Wednesday) night, and it was pretty cool,” he said of the bulldogging-only event that offered contestants opportunities to qualify for The American, a stand-alone rodeo that takes place each spring in Arlington, Texas. “It’s always a good rodeo here in Hempstead.” Kersh put his name in the hat to be the all-around cowboy by competing in two events. He grew up doing that in team roping, tie-down roping and steer wrestling, but he focused on the latter when he moved to the United States about four years ago to attend Oklahoma Panhandle State University. Now competing in ProRodeo, he spent the last several months traveling with Hawaiian Trisyn Kalawaia and Louisianan Tristan Martin; Kalawaia finished the 2024 season 20th on the money list, while Martin was 16th.  Only the top 15 advance to the National Finals Rodeo in December, so they all will be pushing for that in the next few months. “The goal is the NFR,” Kersh said. “It’d be pretty cool to be the first Australian to make the NFR in the timed-events.” Yes, it would. Waller County Fair and RodeoOct. 3-5Hempstead, TexasBareback riding: 1. Kade Sonnier, 74 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Rockin The Boat; 2. Hayden James, 65; no other qualified rides. Steer wrestling: 1. Taylor Pavlovsky, 5.5 seconds; 2. Jeremy Burkhalter, 8.0; 3. Chase Pope, 8.3; 4. Sterling Walton, 13.5; 5. Darcy Kersh, 14.7; no other qualified runs. Tie-down roping: 1. Brokk Baldwin, 9.9 seconds; 2. Dakota Felton, 10.6; 3. Darcy Kersh, 23.2; no other qualified runs. Breakaway roping: No qualified runs Saddle bronc riding: 1. Skinny Parsons, 82 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Beer Thirty; 2. Dean Wadsworth, 77; 3. Liam Pauley, 72.5; 4. Nick LaDuke, 71; 5. Warwich Southern, 70; 6. Heston Harrison, 64; no other qualified rides. Team roping: 1. Quisto Lopez, 10.4 seconds; 2. Todd Arthur/Charles Henry, 12.3; 3. Tyler Waters/Jessen James, 19.2; Chet Weitz/Austin Rogers, 19.7; no other qualified rides. Barrel racing: 1. Acey Pinkston, 15.32 seconds; 2. Billie Harmon, 15.74; 3. Jessi Wade, 15.82; 4. Taylour Latham, 15.83; 5. Jennifer Sharp, 20.48; 6. Alex Odle, 20.81; 7. Jimmie Smith, 25.50; 8. Preslie Reid, 26.15; no other qualified runs. Bull riding: 1. (tie) Jacob Carige, on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Deviant, and Tyler Kippes, on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Grindstone, 85 points; 3. Kolt Achenbach, 77; no other qualified rides.

DUNCAN, Okla. – Bryce Eck is a bareback rider, but he takes to his trade with a workmanlike approach to business. It’s worked. He is the No. 1 bareback rider heading into the Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17-Saturday, Oct. 19, at the Stephens County Arena in Duncan. Most importantly, he’s already clinched the year-end championship, so all he needs to do is compete at the regional finale to secure his title. “I went to quite a few circuit rodeos this year,” said Eck, 20, of Redfield, Kansas. “I placed second at Phillipsburg, Kansas, and that was a pretty big one for me.” It was, but that $2,218 payday was just a drop in the bucket for a man who cleared $23,442 competing primarily at events in Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. He has a lead of about $12,000 over the No. 2 man, Rhett Robbins of Brookville, Kansas, which gives Eck an advantage that can’t be caught. “Winning the circuit was one of my big goals this year, so it feels good,” he said. “I’m still going to do my job at the circuit finals and just get a head start on next year’s rodeo season.” Here’s the thing about rodeo: Youngsters test the waters on their permits in order to earn enough money to purchase their PRCA cards and become competing members. Eck has done that this year and began his rookie campaign Oct. 1 when the new season opened. Because the regional championship is in the middle of the opening month, those dollars count toward the 2025 world standings. “I look forward to really getting after it on my card and trying to win the Rookie of the Year next year,” Eck said. He began his journey just a few years ago, then attended Fort Scott (Kansas) Community College on a rodeo scholarship to heighten his preparation. After two years at his hometown school, Eck transferred to Missouri Valley College, which, like Fort Scott, is well known for having top-of-the-line bareback riders. “I learned everything I know from Fort Scott, and now I just wanted to come somewhere else for a year to see what else I could learn,” he said. “I‘ve had a lot of help, and I look up to my dad a lot and my older brother, Colt. Of course, there’s coach (Chad) Cross at Fort Scott and now coach (Ken) Mason at Missouri Valley.” With the year-end title in his grasp, Eck will advance to the national circuit finals rodeo, which is called the NFR Open and takes place next July in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He will be joined by the bareback rider that has the best three-ride cumulative score in Duncan. “I’m looking to make the NFR,” he said of the National Finals Rodeo, the sport’s grand finale. “I want to win the Rookie of the Year and make the NFR next year, and every big rodeo I can get into gets me a little closer to that. “I’m really confident heading into the circuit finals. I’ve been practicing a bunch, and I’m more confident in myself than I was two or three months ago, so I keep getting better every day.”

DUNCAN, Okla. – Cheyanne McCartney has found contentment out of a frustrating 2023 rodeo season. After three straight qualifications to the National Finals Breakaway Roping in Las Vegas, McCartney will not return to defend her aggregate championship at the South Point Equestrian Center. She will, however, be the No. 1 cowgirl heading to the Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17-Saturday, Oct. 19, at the Stephens County Arena in Duncan. “I have not had a very good ProRodeo season,” said McCartney of Kingston, Oklahoma. “It just didn’t go very good, but I’ve had a really good year at the futurities and the roping jackpots; my ProRodeo season has not been what it usually is. “I was excited to finish the regular season off on a high note, going in to the Prairie Circuit Finals No. 1.” It’s not a big lead, but it’s still something in which she takes great pride. McCartney holds just a $516 advantage over the No. 2 cowgirl, Taylor Munsell, a two-time circuit champion from Alva, Oklahoma. While those two are atop the money list, most of the ladies in the field have a chance to move into the top spot by the time the three-day championship concludes. “There’s a good group of ropers in our circuit, especially Taylor,” McCartney said. “I think anytime your name is above everyone else’s, it is on a high note. Going into the circuit finals, I have some confidence, and that money counts toward next season’s standings, so I’m looking forward to the opportunity.” While the circuit title is on the line, there’s much more to this championship. The year-end and aggregate champions in each event advance to the national circuit finals, which is called the NFR Open and takes place next July in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Each layer of this cake offers great financial incentives. “That’s something that I’ve wanted to accomplish,” she said of qualifying for the NFR Open. “I really wanted to accomplish it last year, and I was close – I won second in the average at our circuit finals – so that’s definitely a goal of mine. It’s some thing I’ve worked toward, so I’m keeping my head down and staying focused. “I think that’s every girl’s goal going in is to get a spot in the NFR Open. I’m looking forward to a chance to hopefully compete at it.” She expects the competition to be tough once the girls nod their heads inside the Stephens County Arena, because it’s been that way all season. McCartney utilized some key runs in Gordon, Nebraska; Guymon, Oklahoma; and Kansas City, Missouri, to secure her spot atop the standings. Now comes the time she lets her work take care of the results. “I’m a roper that doesn’t think too much about the race,” McCartney said. “Yes, I think everyone wants to win it, but I’m more of a one-calf-at-a-time person and focusing on what I need to do.”

ALVA, Okla. – Emmett Edler has started the Central Plains Region season on fire, and he doesn’t seem to be cooling off anytime soon. Edler, who won the all-around championship in Manhattan, Kansas, to kickstart the campaign, won three titles this past weekend to lead Northwestern Oklahoma State University to the men’s team title at the Southeastern Oklahoma State University rodeo in Durant. He won his second all-around title and tacked on championships in tie-down roping and steer wrestling to dominate the competition. Edler, a senior from State Center, Iowa, placed in both rounds of tie-down roping and finished with a two-run cumulative time of 25.4 seconds to claim the title. He also won the opening round of bulldogging and finished fourth in the championship round to win the steer wrestling crown. He owns the all-around lead in the regional standings, is first in bulldogging and third in tie-down roping through three events. In Durant, he accounted for 290 team points for the Rangers – 150 came in steer wrestling. The rest of the team made up the other 200 points for Northwestern to outlast Northeastern Oklahoma State University by just five points for the men’s title. The Rangers women were just 20 points behind Southeastern for the team title, but the runner-up finish was the best so far for Northwestern, which was paced by freshman Payton Dingman of Pryor, Oklahoma; she placed in both rounds and finished third overall in goat tying. She is the Central Plains leader, as is breakaway roper Jaci Traul of Fort Scott, Kansas. Traul won the long round and placed in the short-go to finish fifth overall. While Traul led the way among the breakaway ropers, Hannah Hughes, also of Fort Scott, snagged a third-place finish in the opening round before surrendering to a no-time in the final round. Savannah Greenfield of Lakeview, Oregon, earned her spot in the short round in both breakaway and goat tying. In the latter, she and Dingman were joined by Dale Lee Forman of Highmore, South Dakota, and Morgan Poust of Hughesville, Pennsylvania. In addition to Edler scoring big for the Rangers men, graduate student Jacob Haren of Callaway, Nebraska, also scored in two events. His 5.1-second run was good enough for third in the championship round, and he finished fourth overall. Haren finished fifth in the final round and aggregate in team roping while competing with teammate Rhett Murray of Alma, Kansas. Colter Snook of Dodge City, Kansas, remained strong, winning the opening round and finishing sixth overall in team roping while competing with Cale Morris of Western Oklahoma State College; Snook is the No. 2 header in the regional standings. Five other Northwestern cowboys advanced to the short round, including Kaden Harland of Buffalo, Oklahoma, who placed in both rounds of tie-down roping and finished fourth overall. Brock Beltz of Palmyra, Pennsylvania, finished fifth in the long round. The steer-wrestling field included Hazen Sparks of Talihina, Oklahoma, who placed second in the short round; Logan Mullin of Clay Center, Kansas, placed in both rounds and finished sixth overall; and Scout Cutsinger of Claremore, Oklahoma.

DUNCAN, Okla. – The aches and pains that Roper Kiesner felt were getting the better of him. He needed – and took – a break from the game of rodeo. He did that for more than a couple years before returning to action late in the 2023 season. Now at age 30, he’s at the top of his game and is the No. 1 saddle bronc rider heading into this year’s Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17-Saturday, Oct. 19, at the Stephens County Arena in Duncan. “For the past two years, I had stopped just because my body got to hurting too much,” said Kiesner, now competing at the regional finale for the 10th time in his career. “I’ve broken 17 bones, and I’ve had seven surgeries over my career. My body couldn’t do what I was wanting it to do. It was getting in my head a little bit, and I just wasn’t riding to the ability that I know I could ride. “So, I took just a little bit of time off from rodeo to get my head right and let my body heal. I went to training rope horses down in Texas, and then I was going to a little open rodeo in Meeker, Oklahoma, to team rope at, and I got to talking to my old bronc-riding buddy, Joe Lufkin.” The two decided to ride broncs again for the fun of it. “Joe got off his horse, and he was like, ‘Man, that was a lot of fun; that’ll be the last one I ever get on, though,’ ” Kiesner recalled. “I was like, ‘You know what? My body still feels pretty dang good. I think I’ve still got a few more years left on me.’ So, I went ahead and bought my (PRCA) card again. “That was right at the end of July (2023), so I had about a month to make the circuit finals. I won about $7,000 in August and made the circuit finals last year. I rodeoed through the wintertime and got into some of the big rodeos. I won about $10,000 outside my circuit, but I was just focused on my circuit this year and trying to get my qualifications up so I could rodeo a little bit more for 2025.” It worked. He has earned $17,119 in the region made up of contestants and events primarily in Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. He picked up seven victories, four in the region and three others that were outside the region but co-approved so that money counts toward the Prairie Circuit: Kansas stops in Longford, Eureka, Fredonia and Phillipsburg and rodeos in Ashland, Missouri; Magnolia, Arkansas; and Dayton, Iowa. “Probably my biggest win would be Phillipsburg, where I was 90 (points) to win it,” said Kiesner of Ripley, Oklahoma. “That was pretty exciting. I put on a good ride, and I tipped my hat, and then when they said 90, boy, I threw my hat, and I jumped around. The whole crowed enjoyed it.” He built off that victory, and it was a major stepping stone into why he’s the top man on the money list heading into the three-day championship. He owns a lead of nearly $6,000 over the No. 2 bronc rider, Cooper Thatcher. Ean Price, the defending year-end titlist, is third and still in contention to catch the leaders. “It’s always been a goal of mine to win my circuit,” Kiesner said. “Going in No. 1 and having a good lead on the standings makes me feel really good. I’ve set myself up for a good chance to win the circuit, and I’m excited to see what happens.”

HEMPSTEAD, Texas – In the 1989 Universal Studios’ movie “Field of Dreams,” Kevin Costner’s character heard the whispering echoes of the same phrase: “If you build it, they will come.” The Waller County Fair Board has had the same sound reverberating for years, and members of the organization have acted upon that. The upgrades for the Waller County Fairgrounds have been a major source of pride for the community and for people who use it. “We’ve increased a lot to the facility,” said Paul Shollar, the fair board’s president. “We certainly want to make this complex something that’s put in use as many weeks as we can throughout the year, and we believe this is the best way to do it.” One of the biggest moves came over the last two years, when construction crews covered the rodeo arena and built a stadium that is not only elaborate but also makes a statement. It was unveiled in time for the 2023 Waller County Fair and Rodeo, but the work didn’t end there. The fair board has just expanded on everything with several other upgrades that will be ready for this year’s exposition, which takes place Thursday, Sept. 26-Saturday, Oct. 5, in Hempstead. “We’ve added four more elite boxes and have two of them still available for the fair and rodeo,” said Dustin Standley, a longtime fair board member. “We’ve upgraded to a premier sound system for the rodeo arena, and we have added three more Big Ass Fans to help with climate control. We’ve installed an underground sprinkler system, which will expedite our ability to water the arena. That’s just what we’ve done in the arena complex.” The biggest steps have taken place outside the covered arena, including the addition of a 102-stall barn that features concrete alleyways. A few acres north of the fairgrounds are accessible, and that ground will feature a 200-foot-by-200-foot rock pad for contract personnel, trucks and trailers and will have six RV plugs with water included. “We’re just opening things up a little bit to make it a little better for the people that come to work our rodeo,” Shollar said. “We’re opening this up to increase donor parking while also allowing our contract personnel a little more privacy.” In addition to the stall barn and more RV hookups on the east side of the complex, rodeo contestants will also take note of other positive changes. A 50-foot-by-20-foot wash rack has been added to the complex, as has a 120-foot-by-120-foot warmup arena. The contestants’ entry gate has been moved to the northeast side of the complex. “All of our contestants will come through that gate and won’t have to fight coming through the crowd,” Shollar said. “If they’re at the stall barn, they can go to the warmup area. The minute they’re warmed up, they can come directly across to that gate and come into the fairgrounds there.” These are just the changes that have happened since the fair and rodeo closed last October, and it’s a symbol of the work that continues to be done to make the Waller County Fair and Rodeo the premier exposition in southeast Texas. “We’re doing all this to help make for a more comfortable and efficient facility for both the fair and for our renters,” said Clint Sciba, a longtime fair board member. “We are always looking for ways to make it a better experience for everyone involved.”

DUNCAN, Okla. – Since the inception of the PRCA’s circuit system 47 years ago, the Prairie Circuit has been a hotbed for steer wrestling. Not only are there some outstanding homegrown bulldoggers, but men from out of the area – and even out of the United States – make their way to the Oklahoma-Kansas-Nebraska region in order to compete with the best. No other year has this been more prevalent than 2024. All 12 men in the field are in contention to win the year-end championship during the Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17-Saturday, Oct. 19, at the Stephens County Arena in Duncan. Jarek Van Petten of Cimarron, Kansas, leads the way on the money list with $17,211, but Tyler Pearson of Atoka, Oklahoma, is at the bottom of that order and can still run away with the crown if he has a solid three days of competition in Duncan. With a large purse awaiting the players, anything can happen over the long weekend. Pearson, the 2017 world champion who is closing in on his sixth National Finals Rodeo qualification, moved to Oklahoma several years ago as a more centralized location. Originally from Mississippi, he’s collected $11,326 so far this season, and he’s still on the bottom rung of the standings ladder. “This is, by far, the most money it’s ever taken to make the finals,” said Riley Duvall, the No. 3 man in the standings with $14,461. “It usually takes around $8,500.” That increase is vital for contestants who make their livings in rodeo. They compete for prize money, and only the top few collect cash at each rodeo. That means they must beat most of the field in order to be paid. In addition, they cover their own expenses, so every penny counts, especially in rodeo, where dollars equal championship points. Duvall and Pearson make up the most NFR bids among an elite field of bulldoggers; Duvall is a four-time qualifier, but the top 12 includes Cody Devers of Perryton, Texas, a two-time qualifier, and Jacob Edler, who earned his shot in 2020 and won the world title that year, from State Center, Iowa. Edler is a two-time average champion in Duncan who won the year-end title in 2022; Duvall did the same two years prior and also won the aggregate in 2016. Devers was the 2021 average titlist. Edler sits second in the standings, just $1,700 behind Van Petten. Trisyn Kalawaia of Hilo, Hawaii, the defending year-end winner, is fourth with $14,131. Below them, in order, are Chance Howard of Sallisaw, Oklahoma; Mason Couch of Bronaugh, Missouri; Travis Munro of Townsville, Queensland, Australia; Devers; Adam Musil of Crescent, Oklahoma; Emmett Edler, Jacob’s younger brother also from State Center; Riley Westhaver of High River, Alberta; and Pearson. Only the top four contestants will earn money in Duncan during each go-round, and the top four in the aggregate will cash in the most. Every dollar is critical, but the bulldoggers wouldn’t have it any other way.

HEMPSTEAD, Texas – The popularity of the Waller County Fair and Rodeo concert series has only continued to blossom over the years. “We’ve been very lucky over the years to have people who are diligent in bringing in great concerts,” said Paul Shollar, president of the Waller County Fair Board. “We’ve had Cody Johnson here before he made a big name for himself, and we’ve had quite a few others. That’s something we take a lot of pride in here in Waller County.” There are reasons behind it, and the trend of outstanding music being offered during the exposition continues with this year’s fair, set for Sept. 26-Oct. 5 at the Waller County Fairgrounds in Hempstead. Originally from Lubbock, Texas, the Josh Abbot Band is in the Texas Country genre and has had two albums reach the top 10 on the country charts. It is highlighting the opening Saturday night of the series on Sept. 28. This year’s fair opens two days earlier than normal thanks to hosting the CPRA Finals Rodeo. Country artist Glen Templeton will perform after the rodeo at the CRC Hospitality Building on Thursday, Sept. 26, and Friday, Sept. 27. “We’ve got a lot going on that opening weekend, and I think having the Josh Abbott Band in town is an excellent way to showcase the start of our fair,” Shollar said. The opening night of the PRCA rodeo on Thursday, Oct. 3, is a perfect fit for Western artist Chancey Williams, a former saddle bronc rider who has developed a big following with his style of music. He has competed in and performed his music during the coveted Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo in his home state of Wyoming. He was recently inducted into the Frontier Days Hall of Fame on Sept. 6.   Josh Ward returns to Waller County to perform during the exposition. He last put on a show inside the fairgrounds in 2020, and the expectations for the Friday, Oct. 4, show are out of this world. Ward left his work in the oilfield to pursue a life in music, and it was the right move. He has staying power, but that was catapulted by 13 straight No. 1 songs on the Texas Country charts. The final show of the fair on Saturday, Oct. 5, will feature Texas music legend Kevin Fowler and his opener, Trent Willmon, the latter of whom had three consecutive albums reach the top 50 on the country charts two decades ago. Now a producer and songwriter, Willmon has produced songs and albums for Cody Johnson and albums for Fowler, among several other credits; he’s also won a CMA award for his producing talents. Fowler was raised in Amarillo, Texas, and began playing in rock bands in his home state, then transitioned into a solo act in the early 2000s. In addition to putting his talent on stage, Fowler also has had other artists find success with songs he has written. He’s known for an energetic show, which adds to the enthusiasm of the night. “Kevin draws a party crowd, and there’s not a better party the first weekend in October than our fair and rodeo,” Shollar said. “The folks that come to our fair are excited to have a good time, and I think all of our concerts are going to provide that.”

ALVA, Okla. – Jaci Traul put a little more student into her role as a student-athlete during her performance this past weekend at the Colby (Kansas) Community College rodeo. Traul took a cerebral approach to her job and came away with the breakaway roping championship. She roped her first calf in 2.5 seconds to finish the opening round in a three-way tie for fifth place, then stopped the clock in 2.3 seconds to win the championship round and the aggregate title. The 130 points she earned in northwest Kansas pushed her to a tie for second place in the Central Plains Region standings. “I knew going into the long-go that I drew one of the better calves but that he was going to try and he was probably going to go right, like he did,” said Traul, a senior from Fort Scott, Kansas. “My game plan was to just knock the barrier out and put it on him with my first shot, and that’s what we did right before he took off to the right. “Coming back into the short-go, I knew with that set of girls and those calves that it was probably going to be fairly tight. I just made it my goal and made it my mindset that I was going to try to put a time on the board where they knew they were going to have to beat me.” It was the right call at the right time. “My initial goal this season was to get out ahead of them coming into the fall and knowing when we end the fall we’ll be coming into the spring, so I am very excited that we were able to get some points on the board pretty quickly this season,” she said. Traul led the way for the Rangers, which featured 11 competitors in the championship round. The women, who finished sixth in the team standings, also had goat-tiers Payton Dingman of Pryor, Oklahoma (third); Dale Lee Forman of Highmore, South Dakota (fifth); Savannah Greenfield of Lakeview, Oregon (eighth); and Morgan Poust of Hughesville, Pennsylvania (12th) in the final performance. The Rangers finished third in the men’s team race, led by senior Emmett Edler of State Center, Iowa; he finished second in steer wrestling and 10th in tie-down roping. He was joined by fellow calf-roper Kerry Duvall of Oakdale, California, who placed fourth. In bulldogging, Hazen Sparks of Talihina, Oklahoma, finished sixth, Grady Aasby of Highmore was 10th, and Jacob Haren of Callaway, Nebraska, was 11th. Team roping heeler Evan Barrios of Crescent, Oklahoma, finished fifth while roping with Garrett Novotony of Oklahoma State University. Northwestern has had two champions successive weeks to kick start the 2024-25 Central Plains campaign; a week before, Edler won the all-around title in Manhattan, Kansas, so Traul was excited to get her name on that leaderboard. “My horse is kind of a freak of nature,” she said of Jerry, a 17-year-old bay gelding. “I bought him from some really good family friends of ours, and he was just a heel horse when we bought him. They were kind of roping some calves on him to see where he was at, and I was in a situation with horses and needed something, and it just worked out that he fell into my lap. He has exceeded all of the expectations I could have ever had.” Being well-mounted is important in rodeo, and time-event contestants understand the importance of having a trusted equine partner in their corners. Jerry wasn’t the only soul who helped Traul out when it was time to compete, though. Cali Griffin is the Rangers coach, taking over the program this season, and her work with the team members is already showing dividends. “I was ecstatic when we found out Cali was coming, because she’s known me since I was about 9 years old,” Traul said. “I honestly credit a lot of my roping to Cali, so when she came to Alva, I was over the moon. Having her back in my corner 24/7, I think, has really helped my mental game. Also knowing that one of the people who really put the love for this sport in my heart is with me every day also helps a ton.”

HEMPSTEAD, Texas – The Waller County Fair Board is expanding the community’s annual exposition, and that means bigger opportunities for fairgoers at this year’s event. The Waller County Fair and Rodeo will begin Thursday, Sept. 26, and continue through Saturday, Oct. 5, at the Waller County Fairgrounds in Hempstead. It’s two days longer than years before, and that’s a good thing. “It gives our community more to come watch,” said Paul Shollar, the fair board’s president. “The CPRA is having its finals at our facility, so that’s what’s going to kick off our fair and rodeo. We’re bringing in our carnival a day earlier. Our vendors are coming in a week earlier to make sure that we have vendors on site for everybody coming to the CPRA Finals.” It’s a big step, but that’s been a common trait for the fair board. Over the last decade, many infrastructure and other upgrades have been added. There’s a fresh look and a fresh feel to everything happening inside the fairgrounds. That includes the rodeo arena, which was reconfigured, updated and covered in time for the 2023 fair. The plan behind that was to have a facility that could be used more often by as may suitors as possible. It seems to be working. The CPRA Finals will encompass the opening three days of the fair, but the rodeo arena will be busy during all 10 days of the expo. The Sydney Arthur Memorial Breakaway roping will begin at 10 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 29. “We wanted to do something special when the CPRA said they wanted to come,” said Shollar, who pointed out that local fan favorite Glen Templeton will perform in the CRC Hospitality Building the first two nights of the CPRA Finals. “We wanted to make sure we give those cowboys and cowgirls a full effect of a finals and not just a rodeo on Thursday and Friday.” The Josh Abbott Band will be the headliner for the opening Saturday. Hudson Westbrook will be the opening act that evening, and the Lonely Road Band will perform at the Wagon Wheel. “Our opening weekend has always been a big deal for us, but I think we’re offering so much more than we ever have,” Shollar said. “By adding two more days to our schedule, it’s a great chance for our community to see some excellent rodeo action the entire fair. We’re also showing off our community and this fair to a new set of people who are going to come to the CPRA Finals. “I really think this is going to open a lot of things up for the fairgrounds and the community.” In fact, the fair board is really opening opportunities for fairgoers on that first Saturday. The day begins with the fair parade at 10 a.m., followed by the Little Mister and Miss Waller County pageant at noon. From 12:30-3:30 p.m., all children 12-under get in free with a paying adult, and the fairgrounds are theirs. “We had two generous sponsors that wanted to bring back the good old days of a county fair,” said Sharon Burger, a fair board member. “We will have a greased-pig contest, a pet show, the duck-pond game and the old bucket-ball toss. “We’ll also have complementary snow cones and popcorn for the kids. We’ll close out the day with mutton bustin’ at 4 and the queen coronation at 5, and the final performance of the CPRA Finals will start at 7.” While that is considered the opening weekend, festivities begin six days prior to the exposition with the Next Generation Barrel Race on Friday, Sept. 20. The Next Generation Junior Breakaway Roping and the Next Generation Junior Tie-Down Roping will run Saturday, Sept. 21, and the Waller County Youth Rodeo is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 22. “We’ve extended that to put on the kids’ deal they have down at Houston,” Shollar said. “That all takes place the weekend before, along with the largest welding competitions going on, so we’re actually going to have three full weekends of activities.” It adds up to another growing trend for the Waller County Fair and Rodeo.

DUNCAN, Okla. – Much has changed since Allan Dessel worked his first Prairie Circuit Finals. That was in 2010, when the rodeo was in Park City, Kansas, and Dessel was teaching school in Soper, Oklahoma. In 14 years since, he has moved back to his native Iowa and operates a bookkeeping business, all while still working as a rodeo clown at up to 50 performances a year. He will return the regional finale, the Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17-Saturday, Oct. 19, at the Stephens County Arena in Duncan. “My office is actually in Cherokee, but my home address is in Paullina,” he said of the communities that are about 25 miles apart in northwestern Iowa. “It’s exciting to go back to the Prairie Circuit Finals. This is my first circuit finals I’ve worked since 2013, so it’s been a while. I’ve heard a lot of good things about the rodeo there in Duncan, so I’m ready to come back.” Dessel began his rodeo career at age 15, when he fought his first bull. He was following in the footsteps of his father, a bullfighter in the 1970s and ’80s. Dessel’s mom was a barrel racer, so her son was horseback even before he was born. Allan Dessel fought bulls and was selected to work several big events as such. He fought at his first PRCA rodeo the day after his 19th birthday at Cherokee, his hometown. That was in 2003, and he continued to chase his bullfighting dreams. He began the transition from bullfighter to clown three years later at the urging of his peers. He moved to Soper to learn from John Harrison, the most awarded entertainer in the PRCA today, and earned the right to work as a clown in the association in 2008. He’s focused on that side of the business for the last five years, and it’s just part of who he is. “I feel like my walk-and-talk is really strong, but my dance act is very much crowd-participation,” Dessel said. “It’s not a classical clown act at all. I do dance evolution. I do every major dance hit, starting with the Charleston all the way up until now, and I do it in four minutes. It’s like (announcer) Roger Mooney always says, ‘It doesn’t matter if your 6, 66 or 96, you’re going to know one of the songs in there.’ I don’t wear a mic, so I don’t say anything during the dance. We just play music, and I dance. It’s kind of like being in a small bar, and you always have fun in a small bar. If there’s one person in a small bar having fun, then you’re all having fun.” Now 40 years old, making those kinds of moves in a four-minute span can be exhausting. “It hurts; every day it hurts,” he said with a laugh. “I’m definitely not in the shape I should be in, but I try to eat right and work out on the weekends at least. “Everybody says, ‘Hey, you must work out a bunch,’ and I am like, ‘No, but if you do that dance act three days a week, that’s enough.’ ” Dessel had never really considered clowning until he got the push from Harrison, who had transitioned from trick rider to full-fledged rodeo entertainer and comedian. “I didn’t really see it until John said something, and then I started thinking about it,” he said. “I was always the kind of guy that was willing to do whatever it took to make a rodeo work.” He’s still that guy, and he’ll be doing it in Duncan.

SALT LAKE CITY – Orin Larsen is on the outside looking in. He’s qualified nine straight times for the National Finals Rodeo and entered this week of competition 16th on the money list; only the top 15 in the world standings in each event earn the right to play for the sport’s biggest pay this December in Las Vegas. He’s doing everything in his power to make it 10 in a row, and he got a big push during Monday’s final performance of Utah’s Own PRCA Rodeo at Utah State Fairpark. He rode Summit Pro Rodeo’s Game Trail for 90 points to earn the bareback riding title and pocket $3,913. “I got on Game Trail in 2020 at the tour finale in Rapid City (South Dakota),” said Larsen, 33, originally from Inglis, Manitoba, now living in the tiny western Oklahoma community of Hydro. “She was good then, but she was way better this time around. She was good that time, but she was better today.” It was not only a boost to his financial status – money earned in Salt Lake City pushed his annual salary to more than $112,000 and shot him to 14th in the standings – but it helped his confidence. Any time a bronc buster can score 90 points out of a possible 100, it’s a big deal. “Right out of the box, she got at it,” Larsen said of Game Trail, who has guided cowboys to championships at six events this year, including the prestigious Cheyenne (Wyoming) Frontier Days. “That kind of caught me off guard, and I felt like I was trying to play catch up from there on out. I was just trying to hit something. “I was expecting her to trail off a little bit, and then start at it, but she pretty much did it right there. At that point, you just rely on what your body already knows and just press in your subconscious you know how to do this stuff.” While he’s pocketed six figures this season, most of that has come in the last couple of months of rodeoing. He struggled early in the campaign, but he’s found a great deal of success since July. That’s been a game-changer, but he’s still in chase-mode. He has just three weeks remaining in ProRodeo’s regular season to earn his spot back in Sin City. “Yeah, it blows,” Larsen said, a breath of desperation and relief coming in one sigh. “It’s a position that I’m fortunate enough not to have been really familiar with in the past, but I’m just taking it one horse at a time. I don’t want to be in this position, but it puts a little added pressure, which I like and enjoy and am going to play to my advantage.” Utah’s Own PRCA RodeoSept. 6. 7 and 9Salt Lake CityAll-around cowboy: Jake Hannum, $1,600, tie-down roping and team roping. Bareback riding: 1. Orin Larsen, 90 points on Summit Pro Rodeo’s Game Trail, $3,913; 2. (tie) Jaceklane Frost, Bradlee Miller and Donny Proffit, 87, $2,217 each; 5. Lane McGehee, 86.5, $913; 6. Dean Thompson, 86, $652; 7. Sam Petersen, 85, $522; 8. Taylor Broussard, 84.5, $391. Steer wrestling: 1. Tyler Waguespack, 3.6 seconds, $1,665; 2. Jesse Brown, 3.9, $1,448; 3. Coby Brown, 4.0, $1,230; 4. Zach Trapp, 4.2, $1,013; 5. Olin Hannum, 4.4, $796; 6. (tie) Eric Logan, Seth Peterson and Jake Stocking, 4.5, $362 each. Team roping: 1. Kaden Richard/Whitt Crozier, 6.0 seconds, $2,443 each; 2. (tie) Hagen Peterson/Chase Tryan and Rhen Richard/Coby Drake, 6.2, $1,965 each; 4. (tie) Ben Jordan/JR Gonzalez and Chris Olson/Riley Oberg, 6.6, $1,328 each; 6. Cole Eiguren/Tyler Eiguren, 7.0, $850; 7. Willow Wilson/Todd Wilson, 8.5, $531; 8. Travis Whitlow/Tyler Whitlow, 10.2, $212. Saddle bronc riding: 1. Logan Hay, 89 points on Kirsten Vold Rodeo Company’s Crossbreed’s Cap, $3,863; 2. Ben Andersen, 88.5, $2,962; 3. Cash Wilson, 88, $2,189; 4. Jake Finlay, 87.5, $1,417; 5. (tie) Dawson Hay and Ryder Wright, 86.5, $773 each; 7. Q Taylor, 86, $515; 8. Q McWhorter, 85, $386. Tie-down roping: 1. Britt Bedke, 8.8 seconds, $1,989; 2. (tie) Jake Hannum and Jase Staudt, 8.9, $1,600 each; 4. Colton Kofoed, 9.5, $1,211; 5. Justin Brinkerhoff, 10.1, $951; 6. Rylee Rogers, 11.3, $692; 7. Seth Hall, 13.3, $432; 8. Booker McCutchen, 13.7, $173. Breakaway roping: Aspen Miller, 1.9 seconds, $2,438; 2. Kash Gay, 2.1, $2,090; 3. (tie) Zoie Bedke, Peggy Garman and Willow Wilson, 2.3, $1,470 each; 6. (tie) Kaydin Finan, Ryland Lufkin, Harley Meged and Jill Tanner, 2.4, $609 each; 10. Makayla Boisjoli, 2.5, $232. Barrel racing: 1. McKenna Coronado, 17.01 seconds, $1,893; 2. Caitlyn White, 17.37, $1,623; 3. Anita Ellis, 17.44, $1,352; 4. Katelyn Scott, 17.47, $1,172; 5. Haylee Woodward, 17.51, $901; 6. Amanda Butler, 17.52, $721; 7. Sharon Harrell, 17.57, $541; 8. Sandy Bywater, 17.58, $361; 9. Terri Wood Gates, 17.64, $270; 10. Jordan Argyle, 17.68, $180. Bull riding: 1. Luke Mackey, 86 points on Summit Pro Rodeo’s Kermit, $4,561; 2. Dixon Tattrie, 85, $3,642; 3. Miles Johnson, 82, $2,855; 4. Braden Richardson, 80.5, $2,067; no other qualified rides. 

ALVA, Okla. – The new Central Plains Region 10-event season kicked off in a different location and a different feel, but the Northwestern Oklahoma State University rodeo team came out with two titles, strong finishes and a boatload of confidence. Senior Emmett Edler of State Center, Iowa, earned his first all-around championship at the Kansas State University rodeo, which opened the 2024-25 campaign for the first time. The event was conducted the event at the outdoor arena at Cico Park instead of its longstanding home inside Weber Hall, which is undergoing renovations. “It was a really good weekend,” said Edler, who also shared the steer wrestling victory at the PRCA rodeo in Fort Madison, Iowa, over the same time frame. “It can be a little bit tricky traveling like that, especially in the fall, but it’s not too bad. We got up in all of our events (at Manhattan) on Saturday, so it worked out pretty good. I went up to Fort Madison Friday morning, and then got to Manhattan about 3 in the morning on Saturday and did all of the events then.” Edler, who qualified for the College National Finals Rodeo in steer wrestling this past June, placed in both rounds and finished second overall in bulldogging and also finished sixth in tie-down roping to claim the all-around prize.  “It’s huge to start the season off on the right foot,” he said. “It helps build confidence going into these next rodeos, and I plan to just keep doing the same thing, keep chipping away and keep winning every time. Hopefully I’ll be in good position by the end of the year.” Edler was joined in the winner’s circle by sophomore Colter Snook, a sophomore header from Dodge City, Kansas, who won the team roping championship with his heeler, Cale Morris of Western Oklahoma State College. The tandem stopped the clock in 6.8 seconds to win the first round, then managed a 7.8-second run in the final round to finish as the runner-up in the short-go; their cumulative time of 14.6 was the best of the weekend. “Cale bagged,” Snook said of his partner’s heeling prowess in Manhattan. “I just laid up, because I knew it was going to be somewhat soft.” Times weren’t that fast, and there were a lot of teams that missed, so securing a time was a priority for Snook and Morris. By not rushing, they took advantage of the situation. “I just ran in the middle of (the steer), and Cale heeled him fast,” Snook said. “Sometimes the rounds get tough, but I think if you catch one, you make it back to the short-go nine times out of 10. That’s my goal. I want to catch all my steers and make the (college) finals.” Payton Dingman kicked off her rookie intercollegiate campaign in a big way, finishing second in the women’s all-around race. A breakaway roper at heart, she added goat-tying to her repertoire once she arrived in Alva, and it has already paid off. Dingman finished the first round of goats in a tie for fourth place with a 7.7-second run, then posted a 7.4 in the final round to finish second overall. She also placed in both rounds of breakaway roping – including a 2.3 to finish second in the long round – to close out her first weekend in the Central Plains. “I was a little nervous going into it, just because it was my first college rodeo,” said Dingman, a freshman from Pryor, Oklahoma. The nerves were amped a bit more; it was her first time tying goats after a couple years. That came about because new coach Cali Griffin had asked Dingman to try it again. “I haven’t tied goats in over two years, so the first week I was in Alva, Cali asked me to come out and tie with the girls and maybe get another event. I tied about two goats, and Cali said, ‘You’re tying goats for the rest of the year.’ ” It wasn’t anything new for Dingman, who had competed in the event most of her life. Burnout came in, and she focused her attention on breakaway roping. That break is now, over, and Dingman likely will be involved in multiple events for the remaining nine events on the calendar. “Just being around the girls here, and definitely with Cali encouraging me and pushing me and making practices fun, that makes it better,” she said. “I’ve definitely had so much fun. The horse I’ve been tying goats on is actually one of my breakaway horses. I just kind of trotted her around the pen and did some get-offs, and she took to it.” While Dingman, Snook and Edler were the top hands for the Rangers this past weekend, there were several others who made their marks. Savannah Greenfield of Lakeview, Oregon, was in line with Dingman by finishing among the ladies who placed fourth in the long round of goat-tying, while Dale Lee Forman of Highmore, South Dakota, made the short round in goats. Breakaway roper Morgan Poust of Hughesville, Pennsylvania, was also among the Northwestern women in the championship. Steer wrester Tevin Cowan of Harrold, South Dakota, finished third in the opening round after making a 5.3-second run. He failed to place in the short round and the aggregate. Tie-down ropers Logan Mullin of Clay Center, Kansas; Kerry Duvall of Oakdale, California; and Jacob Haren of Callaway, Nebraska, also made the championship round with Edler. Mullin ha the greatest success, posting a 10.8-second run to finish second in the opener; Duvall was 11.0 seconds to finish third in the long round. While many college sports have a preseason campaign, rodeo is a game that goes directly into the competition. The Rangers now have a starting point to gauge their progress, and the confidence is building with a new coach on the sidelines. “Cali’s been a really good coach,” Edler said. “I think she’s taken a lot of good things Stockton did  Continue Reading »