It’s a great Roundup
I’d been around rodeo quite a bit the first time I walked onto the grounds of the Dodge City Roundup Arena in 1994, but I took a major step in my career on that acreage. I was still a wet-behind-the-ears journalist trying to take in everything the newspaper game had to offer while working at […]
Young buckers
The latest edition of ProRodeo Sports News included a wonderful feature on young bucking horses. What’s great about a piece like that is it shows the tremendous athleticism of these bucking beasts and the bloodlines that are a big piece of the development of these athletes. The story stands for just a few of the […]
Re-ride stories
One of the great things about being behind the scenes at a big event like the Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo is hearing the stories I can’t always report. Whether it’s about a late-night fight or an overserved cowboy, the tales are magnificent. Oftentimes they’re one-sided, so you have to take them for what they […]
Easter vacation
This weekend we celebrate the Lord’s Resurrection, typically a time with family or others close to us. Typically, though, it’s not a time off the rodeo trail. Rodeo, as we know, is cyclical, meaning that seasons revolve around themselves. For instance, the 2012 season began in October, even though the 2011 season didn’t wrap until […]
A hero and his cowboy meet again
Professional basketball used to have the slogan, “NBA action is fantastic.” The reality is that no other sport is more FAN-tastic than rodeo, because most of the cowboys and cowgirls who make their living on the rodeo trail understand the common man; they know how much much hard work goes in to paying for those […]
Phifer paints with pictures
Over the past couple of years, I’ve gotten to know a little more about rodeo photographer James Phifer. He’s worked the Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo, the Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping and the Timed Event Championship. There’s a great reason he works these prestigious events, along with countless other events throughout the year: […]
Rodeo’s elite dominates RNCFR finale
OKLAHOMA CITY – It’s a cliché, but it’s true in ProRodeo: The cream rises to the top. No statement was more obvious than the final day of the 2012 Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo, which crowned eight national champions on Sunday afternoon, seven of whom were part of the 2011 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Two-time […]
Bitter rematch — and semifinalists
Reigning world champion bareback rider Kaycee Feild rode Bar T Rodeo’s Bitter Robin for 78 points on Saturday night, securing his spot in Sunday’s semifinals. The last time the two matched moves together was during the second round of the 2011 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. That was worth 89 points and the go-round victory. Feild […]
Second round results
Bareback riding: 1. (tie) Tanner Aus, Granite Falls, Minn., on Southwicks Rky Mtn Rodeo’s Hard Times, and Tyson Thompson, Bradley, Calif., on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Big Lights, 82 points, $3,976; 3. Mac Erickson, Sundance, Wyo., 81, $2,468; 4. Luke Creasy, Brownfield, Alberta, 80.0, $1,645; 5. (tie) Joe Gunderson, Agar, S.D., Kaycee Feild, Payson, Utah, and […]
Pierce speeds to big payday at RNCFR
OKLAHOMA CITY – Carlee Pierce and Rare Dillion have set the barrel racing world on fire over the last 12 months. The tandem upped the ante on Saturday night during the fourth performance of the Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo, posting a 15.16-second run to win the second go-round and the two-run average title and […]
Burk moves into position for RNCFR title
OKLAHOMA CITY – Sometimes karma works out quite well; just ask Blair Burk. The Oklahoma cowboy returned to his old stomping grounds at Jim Norick Arena and found it to his liking on Saturday afternoon. Burk, of Durant, Okla., roped and tied his calf in 8.5 seconds to take the second-round lead in tie-down roping […]
Night 2 about to start at the RNCFR
We’re just moments away from bucking the first bareback horse at the second performance of the 2012 Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City. This will conclude the first round, and I’ll plan on updating information as I can get it and as time allows. At the end of the night, we’ll have the […]
Updated results at RNCFR
Bareback riding: 1.(tie) Seth Hardwick, Laramie, Wyo., on J-J Rodeo’s Freckled Doll, and Brian Bain, Culver, Ore., on J-J Rodeo’s Bar Bandit, 81 points, $3,976 each; 3. (tie) Luke Creasy, Brownfield, Alberta, Kaycee Feild, Payson, Utah, 80.0, Will Lowe, Canyon, Texas, and Cody DeMers, Kimberly, Idaho, 80.0, $1,440 each. Steer wrestling: 1. (tie) Luke Branquinho, […]
Cooper carries winning legacy in OKC
OKLAHOMA CITY – The nostalgia of rodeo in this city was a major motivator for the reigning world champion tie-down roper. You see, Tuf Cooper wasn’t even born yet when his father, legendary roper Roy Cooper, won the first of eight ProRodeo world championships inside Jim Norick Arena during the 1976 National Finals Rodeo. Now […]
Third-perf results so far at the RNCFR
Bareback riding: 1. Tyson Thompson, Bradley, Calif., 82 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Big Lights; 2. Mac Erickson, Sundance, Wyo., 81; 3. Casey Colletti, Pueblo, Colo., 78; 4. Troy Vaira, Richey, Mont., 77; 5. Will Lowe, Canyon, Texas, 75; 6. (tie) Bo Casper, Fort Scott, Kan., and Cody DeMers, Kimberly, Idaho, 74. Average leaders: 1. […]
Results from RNCFR’s third performance
Bareback riding: 1. Tyson Thompson, Bradley, Calif., 82 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Big Lights; 2. Mac Erickson, Sundance, Wyo., 81; 3. Casey Colletti, Pueblo, Colo., 78; 4. Troy Vaira, Richey, Mont., 77; 5. Will Lowe, Canyon, Texas, 75; 6. (tie) Bo Casper, Fort Scott, Kan., and Cody DeMers, Kimberly, Idaho, 74. Average leaders: 1. […]
Leaders so far at RNCFR
Bareback riding: 1. (tie) Seth Hardwick, Laramie, Wyo., on J-J Rodeo’s Freckled Doll, and Brian Bain, Culver, Ore., on J-J Rodeo’s Bar Bandit, 81 points; 3. (tie) Luke Creasy, Brownfield, Alberta, and Kaycee Feild, Payson, Utah, 80; 5. Codi Myers, Samnorwood, Texas, 79; 6. Tanner Aus, Granite Falls, Minn., 76. Steer wrestling: 1. Luke Branquinho, […]
That’s horsepower
With a tie in bareback riding, the three horses that lead cowboys to the winners circle in the two bronc events all came from the same stock contractor: J-Bar-J Rodeo. Three-time saddle bronc riding world champion Cody Wright rode Sweatin Bullets for 82 points to take the lead in his event; Brian Bain rode Bar […]
First performance results from RNCFR
Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo First Performance First-round leaders Thursday, March 29 Bareback riding: 1. (tie) Seth Hardwick, Laramie, Wyo., on J-J Rodeo’s Freckled Doll, and Brian Bain, Culver, Ore., on J-J Rodeo’s Bar Bandit, 81 points; 3. (tie) Luke Creasy, Brownfield, Alberta, and Kaycee Feild, Payson, Utah, 80; 5. Codi Myers, Samnorwood, Texas, 79; […]
Champs rule opening night of RNCFR
OKLAHOMA CITY – The world champions proved their gold buckle talent on the opening night of the Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo. Of the seven events that are part of the competition, three were won contestants who have won multiple titles in their respective disciplines – three-time steer wrestling world champion Luke Branquinho, three-time barrel […]
Your RNCFR media is covered
We will have the Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo covered. I’ll keep up with it here as much as possible, but you can also keep up with it by following RNCFR and the Lazy E Arena on Facebook and Twitter. You can also catch video interviews of the evening winners; just click HERE. Oh, and […]
Check out the match-ups yourself
I got the daysheets for the upcoming Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo today from the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, and you can see them, too, by clicking HERE. If I wasn’t already looking forward to the four days of competition, this would get me going. The field is first class, and that means the first […]
They own the world
There are eight world champions in this year’s Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo field, and that’s a huge indication of what a wonderful championship this weekend’s festivities will be. Below is information I provided for a special section that ran earlier this week. Enjoy. If 2011 was any indication, Kaycee Feild is following quite well […]
Rodeo is on the air and online
Steve Kenyon is bringing his award-winning broadcast back to Oklahoma City for the Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo. Kenyon, the 2009 winner for the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association’s Media Award for Broadcasting, will call the action for all five performances of ProRodeo’s National Championship on ProRodeoLive.com; broadcast times are 7:15 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 12:45 […]