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Sunday nights are big nights for rodeo fans who watch their favorite folks on television, and tonight is no different At 7 p.m. Central, both the Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series event from St. Louis and “The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business” will be televised, the PBR on VERSUS and Jet and Cord McCoy on CBS-TV. Then at 8:30 p.m. Central, the San Antonio Livestock Show and Rodeo will air on Great American Country. What that means is the PBR will have competition for three-quarters of its two-hour program. A lot of PBR fans will want to find out what happens on the second episode of “The Amazing Race.” So what will you watch, and what will you record?

Beginning Tuesday, the top cowboys and cowgirls will begin their run at the $50,000 top prize delivered to the winners in each event of RodeoHouston, one of the biggest events each year. This year, though, it will not be part of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, the top sanctioning body in the sport. However, it will be sanctioned by the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association and the Professional Bull Riders, which will have five athletes – Reese Cates of El Dorado, Ark.; Cord McCoy of Ada, Okla.; Dusty LaBeth of Louisburg, Kan.; 2001 Chance Roberts of Jewett, Ill.; and Fabiano Vieira of Perola, Brazil – in the field, having earned their place by being in the top five of non-seeded money-earners in the PBR, meaning they were not seeded in the Built Ford Tough Series. So money earned at Houston will count toward qualifications to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo for the barrel racers and for the PBR World Finals. With $50,000 going to the winner of Houston’s Shootout, there is plenty of incentive for everyone who has entered, but the qualifications for the world championships are a bigger piece of the prize puzzle for WPRA and PBR members. Forty contestants (or tandems in team roping) in each event of the men’s events – bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping and bull riding – while there will be 50 barrel racers. The bracketed format will feature eight cowboys in each event and 10 barrel racers in each of five Super Series. The top money-earners in each event through the three rounds of each Super Series advance. It’ll be quite interesting to see how things break down. Check back here, and I’ll try to keep you posted on the happenings inside Reliant Stadium.

If you’ve seen TwisTED Rodeo before, you’ll note the layout redesign. The new and very improved look is thanks to the fine folks at RodeoAttitude.com, one of the most valuable resources for people looking for information on rodeo. I’ve had a great relationship with Cindy Meyers and her crew of great folks, and I appreciate that business relationship and the friendship that comes with it. Jimmy Meyers did a wonderful job tweaking the TwisTED Rodeo product. Hopefully you like it as much as I do. I definitely appreciate the work Jimmy has done on making it better.

In working on the promotion for the Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days Rodeo, I heard a great story about how the annual showcase went from a little event to a large affair. It’s been 19 years since Robert Etbauer won his second straight saddle bronc riding world championship in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. Melyn Johnson was working at the Guymon Daily Herald, and she was assigned to do a story on Etbauer and his bronc riding brothers, all living in the neighboring town of Goodwell, home of one of the top rodeo programs in the country at Oklahoma Panhandle State University. During their gathering, Johnson asked Etbauer if he competed in the Pioneer Days Rodeo. Of course, he did; it was considered a hometown rodeo to those who lived in the Oklahoma Panhandle. Johnson pressed further, asking if the Pioneer Days event was a good rodeo, but Etbauer pressed back, saying it’s always good to compete at your hometown rodeo. So Johnson asked another way: “If this weren’t your hometown rodeo, would you enter?” Etbauer said no. There wasn’t much prize money, and the rodeo wasn’t set up to be cowboy-friendly. Those things made it tough on the organizers to draw many contestants, much less the top names in the game. So Johnson said, “Why don’t you join the rodeo committee and make it better?” Etbauer replied, “I will if you will.” Within weeks, Robert Etbauer walked into businesses all over town and talked about the potential of the Pioneer Days Rodeo. He knocked on many doors and gained sponsors, and before long, the money raised for Pioneer Days Rodeo doubled. Of course, it’s hard for people to say no to a man wearing a world champion’s gold buckle when he walks into their doors and talks about taking their community into the big time of ProRodeo. Nearly two decades have passed since Etbauer made that commitment, and Pioneer Days Rodeo has grown into one of the top stops in the game. Most big-time players won’t miss it, and a big reason behind that is the commitment of many who have followed in Etbauer’s footsteps.

The History Channel has a new series, “Only in America with Larry the Cable Guy.” It airs Tuesdays, and it’s something I’ve been interested in seeing. I just haven’t done it yet. On Wednesday afternoon, I had a friend send me the YouTube link to the show’s episode that aired this week and will air again Sunday on Larry’s visit to RodeoHouston. It was as educational to non-rodeo types as it was funny, and you should check it out HERE. Whether you like Dan Whitney’s humor or not — that’s Larry’s real name — you will probably get a kick out of watching the segment. You’ll even see a little of Whitney come out after a bull sends the Larry character right out of him.

I was a little surprised when I got the results from the final go-round of the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo on Saturday night. An arena record 93-point ride occurred in bareback riding; that wasn’t a surprise. But learning that Tilden Hooper’s ride on Classic Pro Rodeo’s Big Tex wasn’t the record-breaking ride was a shock – Hooper and Big Tex danced to the tune of a world record-tying 94 points last year. That honor went to Kaycee Feild, who matched moves with JK Rodeo’s Brother. It helped Feild to the San Antone victory and the biggest paycheck of any winner in the field, $18,927. But there were plenty of big paychecks. Congratulations to the winners: – Steer wrestling, Stockton Graves, Newkirk, Okla., $17,371 – Team roping, Chad Masters, Clarksville, Tenn., and Jade Corkill, Fallon, Nev., $15,038 each – Saddle bronc riding, Heith DeMoss, Heflin, La., $18,408 – Tie-down roping, Cody Ohl, Hico, Texas, $16,853 – Barrel racing, Britany Fleck, Mandan, N.D., $14, 519 – Bull riding, Ardie Maier, Timber Lake, S.D., $17,890

“To Be Continued” seems to be the perfect name of the opening night of “The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business,” the 18th season of the CBS-TV reality series. Oklahoma cowboy brothers Jet and Cord McCoy took off on their second trip around the world for $1 million in the 12-week series that premiered Sunday night. Through the hour-long episode, there were plenty of twists and turns as the 11 teams faced their first challenge, finding the answer to a clue issued by host Phil Keoghan. As the show concluded, 10 of the 11 teams had reached the first “pit stop,” the ending point of each episode and usually rest area for the competitors. The one pair that didn’t meet up with Keoghan were the McCoys, ranch-raised cowboys from tiny Tupelo, Okla., that have been rodeo stars throughout much of their lives. The other teams, though, learned the pit stop wasn’t much of a break though; Keoghan urged all the teams to continue racing and handed them their next clue. “Stakes are high, but as you know, second chances don’t come free,” he said, referring to the theme of this season’s series, which features some of the most popular teams from previous seasons – the McCoys were on Season 16, which aired last spring. The first challenge had each team running through a plethora of paper airplanes to find the name of Qaantas. The first eight teams to do so earned the right to fly from Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia, on the first leg of the race, while the final three teams were scheduled to land 90 minutes later. The McCoys were on the first flight. “Man, it is awesome,” Jet said as he drove to Los Angeles International Airport. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity … again,” Cord responded. But that didn’t mean they arrived first in Sydney. Another passenger on the first flight became ill, so the plane diverted to Honolulu, putting those eight teams behind. The McCoys fell behind the pack a little, then missed a train and a ferry. That put the brothers in last place, but they remained upbeat. “This race can turn anywhere at any time,” Cord said. Once in Australia, the teams faced their first “road block,” where one of the partners must scuba dive into a tank filled with sharks, stingrays and other sea life in search of a compass. Jet took to the water for Team McCoy. “I’m from Oklahoma; I don’t do water. I don’t even take a bath,” Jet said with a laugh. The teams then used the compass to help decipher the massage made with the flags: Go to the “MANLY 16 FT SKIFF SAILING CLUB. FIND THE COMMODORE. (Tell him) I AM BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA.” Every team found the club and the commodore, and all but the McCoys were able to give the message, the last piece of the puzzle, to the commodore. In fact, Jet was still having trouble deciphering the puzzle when the show ended and the bold letters, “To Be Continued,” blared across the screen. The father-daughter tandem of Gary and Mallory Ervin won the first leg of the race and the “express pass,” which will enable the team to skip a challenge along the way. The McCoys, however, don’t know their fate. As the only team who didn’t reach the pit stop in the opening episode, they may be eliminated. But that information is “To Be Continued.”

Colby Yates is fantastically talented. As a bull rider, he’s proven it with qualifications to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and the Professional Bull Riders World Finals. On Saturday night, he won the Iron Cowboy at the home of the Dallas Cowboys, Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. He’s also a pretty talented song writer and singer, which is something he takes with him on the bull riding circuit. I got to hang with Colby a couple years ago and learn a little more about him and his then-wife-to-be, Katie. Seeing them celebrating Colby’s big win Saturday night was surely special.

How much money can you make in a day? On Saturday, Cody Whitney collected $24,449 by winning the Seminole Hard Rock Xtreme Bulls Tour stop in San Antonio. He won the first round, the championship round and, of course, the aggregate title. That’s what they call 40 percenting an event, meaning Whitney, of Asher, Okla., earned 40 percent of the prize purse available. It’s a pretty nice feeling when it happens. “I don’t think you could ask for much more,” Whitney told ProRodeo Sports News’ Marvin Olberding. Whitney who rode Andrews Rodeo’s Outlaw for 91.5 points to win the opening round and $7,191 and D&H Cattle Co.’s Slim Chance for 92.5 points to win the second and $5,273. “I was pretty confident getting on that last bull,” he said in a story posted on the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association’s website, ProRodeo.com. “I rode him here at the Xtreme Bulls last year in the long round, and I went 92 on him. I knew I had enough bull to get enough points to win, so it was up to me to stay on him.” So let’s break this down: – Whitney earned $12,225 for each ride. – He had two qualified rides, staying on his bulls for 16 seconds. That equals $1,528 per second of work. Most people would take that kind of wage. Of course, most people wouldn’t tie their hand to a bucking beast or pay a fee to do so. So maybe Whitney earned his San Antonio salary.

The Iron Cowboy tournament format is rather interesting. Typically it’s man vs. beast, but inside Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Saturday night, it was man vs. man, and even when the beast won, it came down to which man stayed atop the bull longer. Sometimes it came down to hundredths of a second. Still, Colby Yates won the event and $50,000 in his home state of Texas’ biggest Professional Bull Riders event of the year. Yates rode just two bulls, but he might’ve had the best ride of the year so far when he matched moves with Carillo Cartel for 92.25 points. The biggest part of that was the pressure on Yates. You see, that ride happened during the quarterfinals during his match with J.B. Mauney, who had just scored a 90 on Chicken on a Chain. Yates knew he had to score above that phenomenal score if he was going to advance to the semifinals. As the bull spun, Yates let go with his outside leg and spurred for most of the eight-second ride. His 3.2-second ride was better than Valderon de Oliveira’s 3.0, so Yates advanced to the finals to face Austin Meier, where Yates earned the title by staying on his bull 2.5 seconds, just hundredths of a second longer than Meier. The format was strange but exciting, and Yates earned the right to the title.

Twenty-four cowboys from the Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series will see their likenesses on the biggest screen in sports. The Dickies Iron Cowboy Invitational presented by Winstar World Casino will begin at 7 p.m. (Central) Saturday at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and will air on a “tape-delay” programming beginning at 8 p.m. It will feature a tournament-style format, where the cowboys will compete against one another in an effort to advance in the bracket. It’s a different type of format for the sport, and it looks pretty interesting. Oklahoman Austin Meier is the top seed in the tournament, and the top eight seeds have received first-round byes. Meier will face the winner of the Stormy Wing-Pistol Robinson match. Most bull riding arenas seat 8,000-18,000 fans, but last year’s event at Cowboys Stadium drew 46,500 fans, according to the PBR. That’s a lot of bull power. So who do you think will win the Iron Cowboy? What do you think of the format?

The bottom line is that Jet and Cord McCoy are competitors, from brotherly contests growing up to competing for rodeo championships or racing around the world for $1 million. That’s why they’re back competing in the CBS-TV reality series “The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business,” which will air at 7 p.m. (Central) Sundays beginning Feb. 20. Season 18 of the show will feature the return of contestants who did not win the top prize their first time on the series. The brothers, who grew up on the family’s ranch near the southeast Oklahoma community of Tupelo, finished second last spring in Season 16 of the reality program. During the 12-week series, the cowboys became fan favorites, and already there is a distinct buzz about Season 18. So what drew the McCoys back to the show? “I think it’s the thing that drew us the first time,” said Jet McCoy, 31, a five-time International Professional Rodeo Association champion who lives in Ada, Okla., with his wife, Ashlee, and their daughter, Ti Silver. It’s the “competition and just being entered and a shot at $1 million.” Eleven teams will begin the race around the world for the top prize. Along the way, they will face challenges through the various legs of the race. Typically the first team to conclude a leg of the race earns a prize, while last team will be subject to elimination. The team that completes the final leg of the race will be crowned champion. “Everybody’s been there, done that,” Jet said of this season’s cast. “A lot of teams that are returning, it was just one mistake, one thing happened that knocked them out, and it’s something they could learn from. The McCoys made a few mistakes in Season 16, but they overcame most of them. In fact, the brothers won four of the 12 legs of the race – they won two sailboats, a trip to Alaska, a trip to Patagonia and a trip to Maui. “When we got done the first time, I thought, ‘Wow, what a once-in-a-lifetime experience,’ ” said Cord McCoy, 30, who also owns five IPRA titles and has qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and the Professional Bull Riders World Finals. “Surprise. Apparently there was some ‘Unfinished Business’ for us.” The race was recorded over 28 days last November and December. In fact, the brothers took off on their venture just days after Cord celebrated his wedding for the former Sara Best – the Maui trip was used for the honeymoon. And while there was a familiarity in the situation – Cord had just proposed to Sara before the Season 16 race, then had to leave for a month without contact with his new fiancé – it was still difficult for the McCoys to say goodbye. “It was more difficult for me this time,” Jet said. “The first time you really didn’t know what it was going to be like. It was the first time I had been away from my family since we’d been married. This time I knew what it was going to be like, so it was definitely harder.” Since the show was recorded months ago, it enables the brothers to watch each episode, typically with those closest to them. “We had more family get-togethers from the ‘Amazing Race 16,’ ” Cord said. “We had 12 family reunions. That was so awesome to spend that much time with your whole family. I’m looking forward to it.” So is his brother. “That was, by far, the most fun for me the first time around,” Jet said. “Every Sunday night we had a big get-together with family and friends.” This season’s series, “The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business,” has an appropriate name. The race around the world is amazing, the brothers said, and they’d like to improve upon their second-place finish from last spring. “We don’t have any regrets from the first race, but on the other hand, to be that close and finish second is a big disappointment,” Jet said in a CBS video biography on the cowboys. “There are so many outside variables in this thing that it’s really anybody’s game. In this game, everybody’s already been through once, so they know what to expect … or think they do. “So it’s going to be tough. It’s going to be all out. It’s going to be interesting.”

The McKennon Wimberly Benefit & Bull Riding has been moved because of conflicts at the original arena. The event is confirmed for March 24-26 at the Palo Pinto County Livestock Association Arena, 800 FM 1821 N, Mineral Wells, Texas. There will be a barbecue dinner and Calcutta at the Expo Center. The bull riding, futurity bull competition, mutton busting competition and a classic bull riding will take place at the arena. Tickets are $16 for box seats ant $10 for general admission. Donations can be made to the McKennon Wimberly Benefit Fund, First Financial Bank, College Park, P.O. Box 1299, Weatherford, TX 76086. Silent auction donations can be sent to 606 Southland Dr., Weatherford, TX 76086. Contact Luann for more information at (817) 565-6708.

In his two trips to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, team roper Matt Sherwood has made the most of his opportunities. Both times, in 2006 and ’08, Sherwood walked away from the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas with the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association heading world championships. On Thursday, he added to a long list of accomplishments by signing a partnership agreement with MAXX Sunglasses – Sherwood joins barrel racer Tana Poppino in endorsing the Colorado-based company. “I wear sunglasses whenever I am competing or practicing outdoors and also when I am driving from rodeo to rodeo, which is a constant part of my life,” Sherwood said. “I really like MAXX sunglasses because they are a quality product offered in dozens of styles at a price that everyone can afford. I think it is exciting that the company is expanding its presence in the sport of rodeo.” In association with the agreement facilitated by Sherwood’s representative, Mike Donnell of Donnell Rodeo Promotions, the team roper will serve as a marketing associate for MAXX, showing off the company’s logo while competing, conducting clinics or making public appearances. He will also wear MAXX sunglasses when practical. “We started our involvement in rodeo and the western lifestyle market with our sponsorship of pro barrel racer Tana Poppino,” said Lauren Williams, MAXX’s director of public relations. “We have been so pleased with the acceptance of our product in this market and so impressed with the quality of the people we have met in the rodeo world that we wanted to expand our involvement with the sponsorship of another top rodeo athlete. “Matt Sherwood is a quality individual, a proven winner and will be an excellent representative for us. This also is consistent with our belief that a strong sports marketing program will help our company and our retailers market to consumers with active, outdoor lifestyles.”

Developed in 1985 by the Lazy E Arena near Guthrie, Okla., the annual Timed Event Championship is a rugged test of the top all-around timed-event cowboys in the world. This year’s championship is scheduled for March 4-6 and will feature, as always, 20 excellent competitors. It’s a showcase of folks who can rope anything and wrestle steers; even guys who can’t bulldog sure give it a shot. It’s one heck of a show, and the contestants must rope a calf, head, heel, rope and tie down a steer and wrestle a steer, and they must do it in each of the five go-rounds over three days. It’s unique, mystical and grueling, and only the best need apply.

This is as seen in newest edition Short Round magazine, the official publication of Championship Bull Riding. For subscriptions, go to http://theshortround.com/. Just click on the link, and it’ll take you to the PDF: CBR-NFR Click on this link, and you can see the two-page spread: CBR-NFR-spread

What does the future hold for bull riding? You’d think there is nothing but a bright future for the sport, born from the most popular event in rodeo. But there are some that are concerned. Count world champion and bull riding legend Cody Custer as one of the latter. He believes young cowboys are testing their skills on bulls they have no business trying ride, animals that are a better fit for high school or college cowboys. That’s why he was excited to have a showcase of boys vs. steers be part of the Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series event in Oklahoma City this weekend. “What we’re trying to do with our association is match these kids up with bulls that are appropriate for their age and their skill level,” Custer said, referring to the Out West Junior Bull Riding, an organization for developing bull riders in western Oklahoma that has worked in conjunction with the eastern Oklahoma-based JBR. “I think because the bucking bull industry has grown so much, we have a bunch of people involved that don’t understand the process involved in developing bull riders. What we’re running into is kids that are way overmatched with the animals they’re trying to ride.” In Oklahoma City, the two Oklahoma associations came together for a steer riding for youngsters 10-13. It’s a way to continue taking youngsters up the bull riding ladder, as it were. From mutton busting to bull riding, the process has missed a few rungs. The JBR and Out West groups will meet each June for a finals that will have an estimated $40,000 in awards and money available for the young contestants. “With Little League Baseball, there’s a purpose to develop these kids along against kids their age,” Custer said. “The Little League World Series doesn’t bring in the best college teams to play against the top Little League teams, but in bull riding, guys bring in bulls that are way too much for these kids. “These kids need to develop against livestock that is fit for their age and for their skill level. They get old enough to get on some calves, then they get on these born-to-buck type bulls. The kids that are tough as nails may make it, but in the process, their bodies are taking more damage than they need.” In the age groups that competed in Oklahoma City, the 10-and-under cowboys wrapped their hands to steers weighing around 450 pounds, with the next level being 550- to 600-pound steers. The oldest group will be tested against 800- to 950-pound steers. “They’re pretty big steers, but their not hot bred,” he said, referring to the animals that are bred to perform. “These steers have got good timing, and they help the kids learn to ride the bucking motion.” Custer has a vested interest in the development of bull riders, not only as one of the game’s greats but also as a father of a young cowboy who wants to play on the biggest stages in the sport: Brett Custer was one of the few young bull riders to score a qualified ride Friday night inside the Ford Center. “The thing that moves me toward it is I’ve got a 13-year-old boy who thinks he wants to be a star bull rider,” Cody Custer said. “I want to give him the best opportunity to do it, and I think steer riding is the way to go at his age.” Even the greatest names in the sport return to the fundamentals of bull riding, things they learned when they were youngsters and kept referring to when they won world titles. So teenagers and pre-teens who skip a process in their athletic development might be missing a major part in their potential. A good example is a professional baseball team, which conducts fielding and batting practice prior to almost every game. In that process, each player reverts to his fundamentals to prepare to play at an elite level. Batting practice is about timing and rhythm, not hitting a 98-mph fastball or a mind-bending changeup. “The only thing you learn from hitting the ground all the time is that you won’t like it,” Custer said. Putting the youngsters on steers – as compared to “hot” young bulls – slows down the situation and allows them to get a firm grasp on bull riding’s basics. It’s something Custer hopes all bull riders have, no matter their skill level. “I hope they’re going to see my mentality isn’t just trying to take care of my little boy, which part of it is, but it’s also about caring for the sport of bull riding,” he said. “The Lord showed me a couple years ago that I could reach these younger guys, so that’s where my focus is and has been. “I don’t think we have a very big pool of great bull riders, and I’m concerned about bull riding’s future. It’s important to me that we develop bull riders by allowing them to go through the process to reach greatness.”

I had a wonderful visit with one of bull riding’s greats on Saturday, and I learned many things from Cody Custer in the process. In talking about the importance of fundamentals, Custer revealed a lesson he learned from ProRodeo Hall of Famer Denny Flynn, who prepared for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo by going back to the basics. In fact, Custer said, Flynn purchased two pasture bulls, not animals that were bred to be rodeo bulls. And for 30 days prior to the NFR, Flynn rodeo both those bulls. Not once in 60 tries did Flynn get bucked off. But he didn’t expect to get knocked into the dirt by a couple of pasture bulls. He was just working on technique, getting his rhythm, preparing his mind and building his confidence. That year, he rode nine of 10 bulls at the NFR. Fast-forward to 2010. Corey Navarre of Weatherford, Okla., took the same approach. When he got to Las Vegas this past December, he rode six bulls at the NFR, finished second in the average, won nearly $70,000 and finished fourth in the final world standings with $146,120. Going back to the basics was a good move for Flynn and Navarre. Maybe more bull riders should consider that lesson.

GUYMON, Okla. – Every elite athlete can point to their early development as a starting point to excellence. For six of the qualifiers to last season’s Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, their foundation was laid in No Man’s Land with their education at Oklahoma Panhandle State University. From world champions like Jeff Willert and Taos Muncy to veterans like Tana Poppino to up-and-coming stars like Seth Glause, Ardie Maier and Cort Scheer, their 2010 seasons were rewards for work that began around Goodwell, Okla., home of one of the premier collegiate rodeo programs in the country. “It dang sure is a big deal to go to school there and to do well in rodeo,” said Scheer, 24, of Elsmere, Neb., one of three saddle bronc riders to play on the sport’s biggest stage. “When you look at the people who have gone to school there and done well in ProRodeo, it’s a big deal.” So is the NFR, which takes the top 15 contestants in each event for the season-ending championship. Scheer had the best run of the Panhandle contingent, placing in seven of 10 go-rounds, winning the ninth round and pocketing more than $70,000 during his two-week stay in Las Vegas. All that catapulted Scheer to fourth in the world standings and earnings of better than $152,500. But that’s in the past, and the future is what’s most important in ProRodeo. That’s why the six NFR qualifiers are already looking forward to getting together the first weekend in May for a little Panhandle State reunion during the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 6; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 7; and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 8 at Henry C. Hitch Pioneer Arena. “That’s just a great rodeo, and it’s one everybody wants to win,” said Muncy, world champion saddle bronc rider. “You always enjoy coming back for the rodeo, but you also want to win it.” Muncy knows all about that. He won the Guymon title in 2007, the year he won the college and world championships. This past season, he placed in three NFR go-rounds and walked away from the Thomas & Mack Center with $23,444. He finished the year ranked No. 9 with more than $122,000. But he’s not the only Panhandle State alumnus to have earned that coveted belt that goes to the Guymon champion. Last season, Poppino won the barrel racing crown for the first time in her storied career. “It feels good to come to this rodeo and do this well,” said Poppino, a three-time NFR qualifier. “This is a really tough place to win because there are so many great girls here. It’s nice to be able to win this one. “I ran at Guymon’s rodeo while I was still in college and it was just a little rodeo, so it is great to finally win it.” In Las Vegas this past December, Poppino placed in both the first and second go-rounds, but that was it. She finished with $11,863 in NFR earnings, but it didn’t take away from the phenomenal season that took her to the championship. Besides winning in Guymon, the Big Cabin, Okla., cowgirl also won in Fort Worth. Wins at big rodeos like Guymon and Fort Worth are a key ingredient in remaining one of the elite contestants in their event. For Willert, the 2005 world champion bronc rider from Belvedere, S.D., big rodeos were instrumental in his qualifying for his sixth trip to the NFR. He won events in Greeley, Colo., and Tucson, Ariz., then finished the season No. 12 in the world standings. Glause competed in ProRodeo’s grand finale for the second time in his career. A bull rider from Rock Springs, Wyo., the 22-year-old Glause knows just how tough the NFR can be. He placed in just one go-round and left Las Vegas with just $3,672 in earnings. Still, he finished 15th in the world standings and has earned the respect of thousands of other bull riders who have never made it that far. Until 2010, Maier was in that group, even though he’s been considered one of the top bull riders in the game. Maier, of Timber Lake, S.D., parlayed wins in San Antonio; Fort Madison, Iowa; St. Paul, Ore.; and Union, Ore., into his first NFR qualification. “That was the best year I’ve had,” Maier said. Maier rode just two bulls, but he won the final go-round. That’s a pretty nice precursor to kick-starting the new year. “I didn’t have the greatest finals, but I thought it ended good,” he said. “It felt good.” And that’s the kind of feeling he hopes will carry him to a second straight trip to the NFR. He knows being consistent is important, just like it was a decade ago when he was part of the Panhandle State rodeo team. “I always like going back to Guymon, because it’s a great rodeo and you get to see a lot of friends,” Maier said. “One of the years when I was going to school there, I placed in bareback riding in Guymon. “I’d love to do good in Guymon. I’ve never won Guymon. I’ve ridden some bulls there but never did win it. It’s sure one I’d like to win.”

Taos Muncy is an outstanding bronc rider, a three-time qualifier to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo who won the world title in 2007, his first trip to play on ProRodeo’s biggest stage. He was just 20 years old when he first wore that gold buckle. It takes dedication, athleticism and an extreme focus to continually battle for world titles. And maybe that’s why he wasn’t the least bit awestruck when Clay Walker wished him well Saturday night in San Antonio. Of course, it could be because Muncy didn’t know Walker, even when Walker shook Muncy’s hand and offered greetings. Extremely focused cowboys don’t have time to pay attention to all those other things, like pop culture and music, especially from artists who have been making music since 1993, the year Muncy turned 6 years old. Or maybe Taos was just oblivious to the situation. That seems more realistic.

In his career, Chris Shivers has had more 90-point rides in Professional Bull Riders events than any other cowboy, and that didn’t stop during the first night of the premier tour event in Oklahoma City. Based on statistics from the PBR’s 90 Point Club, Shivers has 85 scores in the upper echelon of rough-stock scores, including Friday night’s 90.5 on Pure Smoke, a 5-year-old bull owned by Ken and Tex Beshears and world champion tie-down roper Cody Ohl. Shivers is a two-time PBR world champion, and his 85 rides that scored in the 90s is 13 ahead of two-time world champ Justin McBride (retired) and 39 ahead of three-time world champ Adriano Moraes (retired). But as far as timeliness, it’s the first time this year the 32-year-old Louisianan has scored above 90. He added $3,850 to his pocketbook, and just as importantly, he’ll add some points to his place in the Built Ford Tough Series standings. But he’s got two more days of competition in Oklahoma’s capital city. What do you think Shivers’ chances are to win The Split by WinStar World Casino Invitational presented by Express Employment Professionals?

It’s strange for me to think it’s been five years since Stockton Graves won the steer wrestling title at the Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo. That’s the reality. He’d already qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo before he qualified for the national circuit championship. But he used his pedigree, a high degree of talent and a gifted horse to capture the coveted title in 2006. That season, he earned victories at eight rodeos en route to his third straight trip to the NFR, ProRodeo’s marquee event. While in Las Vegas, he earned his first Montana Silversmiths go-round buckle by winning on the fourth night of the 10-round competition. This year Graves gets an added bonus in qualifying for the DNCFR. Since the championship moved from Pocatello, Idaho, to Oklahoma City, his travel time is just an hour and a half from his home in Newkirk, Okla. That’s pretty handy. But winning another national championship would be pretty handy for Graves, who clinched the Prairie Circuit year-end championship by winning the regional finale this past October in Park City, Kan. Of course, he’s been down this road before. That’s an advantage, too.

While checking out the Oklahoma City media market this week, I noticed an advertisement for The Split by WinStar World Casino Invitational presented by Express Employment Professionals, which is Friday-Sunday at the Ford Center. I thought it was a great marketing campaign to have Cord McCoy’s photo in the advertising the event, given he’s an Oklahoman by birth and a fan favorite by his personality. He’s also a local rodeo hero, having claimed five International Professional Rodeo Association titles in his career. He’s also qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and the PBR World Finals. There are a lot of attributes for the PBR to consider when marketing an event in the state’s capital city. But I find it a little strange that he’s a major player in promoting the event even though he’s only in the field as an alternate. Would that have been the advertising plan had Cord not made the draw? Nonetheless, it proves the power of positive people. That’s great news for the PBR and the people who know Cord McCoy.

It’s been a long few weeks for McKennon Wimberly since the 22-year-old bull rider suffered a serious injury at the Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series event in Anaheim, Calif. To see more, go HERE. He had surgery to repair a broken jaw, and he was hospitalized at the University of California-Irvine for several days. Just this week, he was released to a rehab center in Dallas, where his recovery will continue. The type of concussion, the brain injury that was involved will mean a long recovery. In the interim, family, friends and fans are putting together the McKennon Wimberly Reief Benefit & Bull Riding for March 24-25 at the Parker County Sheriff Posse Arena in Weatherford, Texas. There will be a barbecue dinner and Calcutta, the bull riding, futurity bull competition, mutton busting competition and a classic bull riding. Tickets are $16 for box seats ant $10 for general admission. Donations can be made to the McKennon Wimberly Benefit Fund, First Financial Bank, College Park, P.O. Box 1299, Weatherford, TX 76086. Silent auction donations can be sent to 606 Southland Dr., Weatherford, TX 76086. Contact Luann for more information at (817) 565-6708. This is what’s great about rodeo folks: They’re already rallying around an injured cowboy, who is showing great signs of improvement. McKennon’s mother, Paula, has posted such information on her Twitter account. That’s great news. Let’s continue to pray it continues. As a friend said, “We have witnessed a miracle.”