Luck of the draw
Bareback rider Matt Bright made his big return to the arena Thursday night at RodeoAustin. It was the first time since he suffered a broken back at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo three and a half months ago. Bright, a Tennessean who now lives in Azle, Texas, scored 73 points on the first of two […]
Sharing my passion
I visited with third-graders today, and I got to share my passion for rodeo and the stories that come with it. I loved seeing the wide-eyed looks they gave as I shared the stories from the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and the various pieces I’ve done on the McCoy family. I even showed them how […]
He’s a real Swingler
Like many bullfighters, Mark Swingler got his start in the business after converting himself from being a bull rider. But for the last 17 years, the Texan has focused on entertainment, transitioning yet again. It was quite natural for the greasepaint-wearing bullfighter to transfer his abilities to being a rodeo clown, the barrelman/funnyman. It’s the […]
Keeping her day job
Jody Sheffield is the epitome of a circuit cowgirl, someone who works a full-time job and competes at events closer to home. But she won the Pendleton (Ore.) Roundup last year and earned the right to play at some big events this winter and spring. One of those was RodeoHouston. Her husband, also a rodeo […]
LaValley making a statement
Dusty LaValley is a two-time qualifier to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, having finished ninth in the 2008 bareback riding world standings and 10th last year. He’s doing all the right things early this season to finish even higher when the 2011 season ends. He won more than $7,000 at RodeoHouston, which doesn’t count toward […]
McCoys race to first place in fifth leg of CBS reality series
With the father-daughter team of Gary and Mallory Ervin hot on their tails, brothers Jet and Cord McCoy sprinted to the “pit stop” in first place during the fifth leg of “The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business.” It marked the first time in the 18th season of the CBS reality TV series the cowboys have met […]
Scheer makes the most of his trip to Houston
Cort Scheer made a good living during 10 days in Las Vegas for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, where he earned a little more than $70,000 But over the last 20 days, the saddle bronc rider topped it. Scheer, of Elsmere, Neb., competed in nine go-rounds at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and earned […]
Can a quadruple crown really happen?
In talking to Stran Smith on Friday, we got to talking a little about his friend, 14-time world champion Trevor Brazile. This last year, he won the tie-down roping world title, the heading world title and the all-around world title, the latter a Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association record eighth. In winning three gold buckles, Brazile […]
Feild moves past world champs
Having a good start to any competition can pay off. That philosophy allowed Kaycee Feild to move on to Saturday night’s championship round of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Feild was one of 12 bareback riders in Friday night’s Wild Card round, where only the top two cowboys advanced. Canadian Luke Creasy won the […]
Smith getting some cherished time
He’s not quite sure how long of a break he’ll take, but Stran Smith will not be competing for some time. On Thursday, the 2008 world champion tie-down roper revealed he needs to heal. He had surgery a few weeks ago, then took a shot at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. He came back […]
Shane Hanchey wins $50,000
Shane Hanchey, coming off his first trip to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, won tie-down roping during the RodeoHouston Shootout and the $50,000 first-place prize. Scott Kormos finished second.
Cannon wins Houston again
Clint Cannon has made a pretty good living at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo over the past three years. He won the bareback riding shootout round two seasons ago. On Saturday afternoon, he won it again. Overall, he won more than $58,000. Three-time world champion Will Lowe finished runner-up.
Team roping champs reign
Cody Doescher and Tommy Edens won team roping at Houston and the $50,000 first-place prize. They qualified for Saturday’s festivities by finishing fourth in the second semifinal.
Ride of a different Cort
Cort Scheer’s first horse stalled at the gate, so after he secured a qualified ride, the Nebraska cowboy took his re-ride at Houston. Hey, $50,000 was on the line. So Scheer took advantage with a $60,350 finish, $50,000 of it from winning Saturday’s saddle bronc riding shootout.
Stockton cashes in big
Stockton Graves posted a 4.6-second run in RodeoHouston’s Shootout round Saturday afternoon, then he went straight to the pay window where he collected more than $58,000 for his work Harris County, Texas.
Sheffield earns big title
When she won the Pendleton (Ore.) Round-Up Rodeo last year, Jody Sheffield called it the biggest win of her career. I think she surpassed it Saturday by winning the shootout round at RodeoHouston.
Welsh wins Houston
Bobby Welsh won the bull riding at Houston with the only qualified ride in the shootout.
Gorsuch turns up heat in semifinal
Dean Gorsuch has experienced almost everything in a career that has earned the Nebraska cowboy two steer wrestling world championships. On Friday night, Gorsuch didn’t make a run on the steer that was selected for him during the random draw at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. There was a problem, so Gorsuch had to […]
Cervi still dominating Houston
The last several times Sherry Cervi and Stingray have competed inside Reliant Stadium for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, they’ve won. Cervi, the three-time and reigning Women’s Professional Rodeo Association barrel racing world champion, got a big boost in her 2010 season by winning RodeoHouston. This year, she and her trusty mount started hot, […]
Durfey chasing national title
OKLAHOMA CITY – In just five years, Tyson Durfey has gone from relative obscurity to the national spotlight, considered one of the best tie-down ropers in the world. Durfey’s list of accomplishments is growing, and he’s itching to add the Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo title to his resume. “It would be a pretty big […]
Final Houston series concludes
Tie-down roper Jerome Schneeberger didn’t win a single go-round during Super Series V at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. In fact, he didn’t even place until Tuesday’s final run of the series. But the 11-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier roped consistently, posting runs of 11.3 seconds, 11.0 and 11.1. That was good enough […]
Poppino carrying newfound confidence into RodeoAustin
AUSTIN – To say the 2011 has been frustrating for barrel racer Tana Poppino might be a huge understatement. The three-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo from Big Cabin, Okla., has struggled on the rodeo trail. Both her horses, Amigo and Goose, have suffered some injuries, and that just compounds a potential lack of confidence in […]
Community pride in arena is a reason for rodeo’s success
GUYMON, Okla. – The Hitch name is as much a part of the Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles as the communities the family ranch surrounds. It’s only fitting, then, that one of the biggest stadiums in No Man’s Land wears the family name. Henry C. Hitch Pioneer Arena is home to many of the big events […]
Woolsey collecting Houston cash
Utah bull rider Steve Woolsey has started off the final Super Series of RodeoHouston as hot as anybody can. Woolsey, a five-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier hasn’t posted a big ride in two rounds inside Reliant Stadium, but the 79 Sunday and the 81 Monday were round wins and worth $2,000 each. Woolsey also […]