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  Young family acquires 100 percent of Championship Pro Rodeo LEEDEY, Okla. – Rodeo is a peculiar sport, one that was bred by a multitude of proud folks who were excited to show their talents. Born through ranching and raising livestock in the American West, rodeo was founded on the skills used virtually every day on cattle operations. It took talented cowboys to corral and sometimes tame the beasts that roamed the grasslands and prairies. More than anything, rodeo is a lifestyle that envelops passion and a drive to excel. It’s how Will and Dusta O’Connell have lived their lives. It’s how they met and how they began developing a family, and it’s what guided them into the path they’re now on as owners of Championship Pro Rodeo. “My love for rodeo runs deeper than all the other things I’ve done,” said Will O’Connell, a cowboy raised by a rodeo family in Zwingle, Iowa, who now lives on a ranch in western Oklahoma with his bride and their infant son, Jasper. “Day-in-and-day-out care and love for livestock is what I like more than just about anything – getting to know each animal and their individual characteristics. “Being around them each day is what drives me.” His direction to this life has all been a bit of an interesting tale. He began working with Championship Pro Rodeo several years ago, then moved into a partnership as a co-owner with Jimmy Roth. A few weeks ago, the O’Connells acquired the remainder of the ownership stake from Roth and are building their stock production company while raising a family. “Jasper has brought a new element into our lives,” said Dusta O’Connell, the oldest of three children born to renowned rodeo clown Ted Kimzey and Jennifer Spencer. “It’s more work with a baby, no doubt, but it’s also how we grew up. I attended my first National Finals Rodeo when I was 2 weeks old. Will’s dad, Ray, was a pickup man, so this is nothing new to us. “I wouldn’t know any other way. Jasper is going to learn what it means to work hard and to work for your money.” Will O’Connell grew up in the saddle alongside his father while he either played around rodeo arenas or helped with the chores. He began as a contestant, then got into the labor side of things, working with a variety of livestock producers and learning about the business of rodeo. “I rode bulls, rode broncs, picked up and fought bulls all in the PRCA,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a pickup man, a bullfighter or a contestant, there is a point in your life when what your doing in rodeo is no longer a possibility. Being a stock contractor is a way for me to never have to leave the sport. “I will always be able to stay involved and show the love I have for animals.” As the daughter of an entertainer, Dusta O’Connell and her two younger brothers were part of their father’s entourage and eventually followed in his footsteps as entertainers and trick riders. Big sister still does it with Tricked Out Trickriding. In addition, she also is still a competitor; rodeo has a strong hold on her heart. “I’ve been a barrel racer for years and roped all through college,” she said. “There’s something about how the adrenaline hits differently when you’re competing. “I have a more unique perspective; I’m still actively competing. I want the ground to be good and want everything to be as fair as we can possibly get it. I still really enjoy getting to compete.” The contest is a big part of the sport, and the O’Connells know that as well as anyone. Between their own years in the competition ring, their little brothers own 19 NFR qualifications, 10 Montana Silversmiths gold buckles and six NFR average championships. Tim O’Connell is the eldest at age 31, just four years younger than his only sibling, and has nine trips to the finale in bareback riding, three world titles and three NFR average crowns. Next in line is Sage Kimzey, who, at age 28, is an eight-time qualifier in bull riding with three average titles and seven world championships. The baby of the group is Trey Kimzey, a two-time bull riding qualifier at age 24. “With them, it’s even better for our production business,” Dusta O’Connell said. “Sage, Tim and Trey are all students of the game, and they study it inside and out. Not only do they study their riding, but they are also studying the animals. They are invaluable resources, whether we’re buying or selling or just taking care of our animals. “We always consult our brothers. Nobody knows more of those bulls in the industry than the Kimzey boys, and Tim studies those horses like nobody else. They don’t see our animals through rose-colored glasses like we do, so we get unbiased opinions about things, and that helps us make the best decisions.” When it comes to Championship Pro Rodeo, the O’Connells seem to be doing all the right things. Last year, they had 13 animals selected to perform at the NFR, and that number may keep growing. It’s about paying attention to detail  while trying to build a dominating livestock production firm. “A lot of people don’t, but I pack my own grain everywhere we go,” Will O’Connell said. “I want our animals eating the right things to make them perform at their best every time we buck them. My main objective is to take care of them.”   It shows in how those animals perform. Whether it’s watching saddle bronc Heaven on Earth win the fourth round of the 2022 NFR with eventual world champion Zeke Thurston or watching bareback horse Meat Cracker get the better of his brother in San Angelo, Texas, there’s pride in everything Will and Dusta O’Connell do and pride in the animals under their care.   “More than anything, the reason we got  Continue Reading »

  GUNNISON, Colo. – Eighteen years have passed since Hurricane Katrina wrecked theGulf Coast, killing nearly 1,400 people and costing $100 billion in damages. Countless animals perished; hundreds were badly injured. Some livestock stood in floodwaters for days and suffered damage from that. Jerry Thornton learned about one of those, rescued the young stallion and took it to his Tennessee home. A lifelong horse trainer, he took that colt in and more than made a home for the smallish, black stud. He worked with the horse like he’s done so many others and found there was something special in the animal’s mind. He will show that off during the three performances of the Cattlemen’s Days PRCA Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 13-Saturday, July 15, at Fred Field Western Center in Gunnison. “I don’t normally rescue animals,” said Thornton, 74. “I tried to help the people with him, and he turned out to be a star. He’s very unusual. His age and breed are unknown. Since training him, I have performed all over the country with him, done music videos, been in TV commercials and have performed at horse shows and competitions. “If there’s anything horse-related, we try to be there.” Thornton is also a specialty act, and since the early 1980s, he has performed at rodeos across North America. This will be his first time at Cattlemen’s Days, and he’s excited to show how well Bojangles excels when they are in front of a crowd. “I have different breeds of horses and have trained horses to do different things,” Thornton said. “This horse has a unique personality. He’s a smaller horse, probably 14.1 hands tall. Nobody knew where he came from. “He was like a yearling when I got him. He had stood in water for three weeks, and because he was taller than most of them, there were animals that had lived on his back to stay out of the water. Nobody would claim him after the hurricane.” Thornton and Bojangles will perform a liberty act, where the animal is directed to follow commands and showcase the relationship between horse and trainer without the trainer being on the horse or holding the reins. Fans will see the communication it takes for trainer and horse to work together. “When I come to Gunnison, the kids, especially, will love him,” he said. “Everybody wants their picture taken with him. “What drives me is the idea of getting these unique horses to perform and do different stunts. I’ve been doing this since I was 16 years old, and this is something I still really enjoy.” Over the years, Thornton has shown many incredible horses. He was part of the Command Performance Rodeo that was produced in 1982 for President Ronald Reagan, and he has seen a great deal of the United States while showing many others his training prowess. “I think it’s important to keep the Western tradition alive, as far as costuming and showing these horses,” Thornton said. “This is our Western heritage.”

  ALVA, Okla. – Denton Oestmann and Kaden Greenfield feel a bit of a sting, a bit of a loss. Their final days as intercollegiate athletes came to an end without the fanfare both had envisioned at their last College National Finals Rodeo. By the time the national champions were celebrated Saturday night, both Northwestern Oklahoma State University cowboys had turned their attention to the next phase of their rodeo careers. “Obviously, I would have wanted it to go quite a bit different,” said Oestmann, a recent Northwestern graduate from Auburn, Nebraska. “I made a good run on my third calf; it’s not going out with a bang, but it ended a lot better than it started.” He roped and tied his final intercollegiate calf in 8.4 seconds to finish third in the third go-round at the Casper Events Center. That gave him the spark of momentum he will need as he sets out to compete at the professional level, testing his skills against the greatest cowboys in rodeo from time to time. “There are a lot of lasts: the last time I’ll ever be considered a college kid or wear a vest while roping; my last college finals,” Oestmann said. “I didn’t have any good luck on my first two runs, but I can’t stay down dwelling on it. I was mad about it, but by the time I got back to the trailer and unsaddled, I was OK. You can’t let the bad stuff cloud the future. You just have to move on.” That’s a common theme. For Greenfield, a second-generation steer wrestler from Lakeview, Oregon, his focus is intently on professional rodeo. He placed fourth in the second round in Casper, but the other two rounds are ones to forget. “I don’t think I’ll rate this college finals very high,” he said. “It’s hard. It’s definitely not the week I wanted, but now it’s time to get ready for the summer.” He’s already deep into it. Traveling with Northwestern rodeo coach Stockton Graves and fellow Rangers bulldogger Trisyn Kalawaia, he started his new week in Colorado preparing for a big run of ProRodeos. He’ll have miles in between runs to think about the last few years of college life, a four-year run that he’ll likely never forget. He began at Blue Mountain Community College in his home state of Oregon, then transferred after two years to Alva. He made the college finals all three years that there was one for him – the 2020 championship was canceled because of COVID. “It was a great four years,” said Greenfield, the son of seven-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier Shawn Greenfield. “Moving to Alva helped me as a bulldogger so much. I feel like I really grew as a bulldogger.” He also grew as a young man, which is a valuable tool for student athletes. As they mature through the early stages of early adulthood, they learn to take the steps necessary and find a passion they want to explore. Greenfield is following in his father’s footsteps, but he’s also going about it in his own way. “You’ve got to learn from different people, and there’s so much to learn,” he said. “You get their input and learn what they do. Nobody bulldogs the same. You have to figure out how you do it, and then you take what others are doing and what makes them successful and figure out how to make it work for you.” Like Greenfield, Oestmann started his intercollegiate career elsewhere. The Nebraska cowboy competed for Iowa Central Community College his rookie season, qualifying for the college finals in 2019. He then transferred to Northwestern and continued to develop as a student and as a roper. “As a whole, college was good to me,” he said. “Alva was really good to me. Stockton was good to me. I made a lot of friends. I think I should have won the region one time while I was there, made it to Casper one more time than I did, but there’s nothing a guy can change about it now. “I was lucky enough to get to go to the college finals twice.” With time, his reflections of college life will be about his friends, his rodeo victories and competing on the sport’s biggest stage. Of the thousands of cowboys and cowgirls who compete in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association, only a few ever get to say they were college finalists. That’s an elite status they’ll always have, and it’s one that will follow them through whatever professional success sits on their horizons.

  BIG SPRING, Texas – The talk of the town in this community of nearly 26,000 folks has been the Big Spring Cowboy Reunion and Rodeo. It’s fitting, with the annual rodeo having one of its most successful weekends in years. Hundreds of cowboys and cowgirls made their way to this west Texas city to showcase their talents and ride for the glory that comes with the sport. Moreover, thousands of fans flocked into the Rodeo Bowl to witness it all. “We had some big names, like J.J. Hampton, Will Lowe and J.B. Mauney,” said Cash Berry, president of the volunteer committee that organizes the annual rodeo. “We were blessed to get past world champions to compete here, and the whole county’s been a buzz with what we had this year. “I’ve heard many wonderful comments about the upgrade in the facilities and what they saw with the contestants that came to Big Spring.” The committee has made some significant changes to the complex and to how it handles the business at hand. This was the second straight year that featured increased local dollars in the purse. In years past, the committee included $2,500 per event; the “added money” has increased to $5,000, which is a major attraction to the cowboys and cowgirls that make their livings in the sport. The added money is mixed with the contestants’ entry fees to make up the total purse. “Last year we didn’t quite see the benefit of increasing the added money,” Berry said. “This year, we were in our second year at $5,000, and we could see where it paid off. We still have some things to improve, but we’re re-energized and ready to move on and keep making it bigger and better.” Some bigger and better things happened inside the arena this past weekend. Leighton Berry, the No. 1 bareback rider in the world standings, won his event, while Lowe, a three-time world champion, finished third. Eight-time world champion heeler Rich Skelton snagged a second-place paycheck while roping with Kolby Kreiger, while 2015 saddle bronc world champ Jacobs Crawley rode his way to a tie for second place. Mauney, a two-time PBR world champion, captured the bull riding title in Big Spring with a 90.5-point ride on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Ice Storm. Reigning world champion Martha Angelone and nine-time WPRA titlist Kelsie Domer shared the breakaway roping title. “We were about 1,500 better as far as our overall crowd count,” Berry said. “We’re still waiting to find out the final numbers, but we saw some significant improvements.” That’s the goal every year. The local organizers want more people involved and more people to enjoy three nights of world-class competition and family-friendly entertainment. They realize there are many alternatives for people, which is why they work with Carr and his team of professionals to produce an event that so many witnessed. “I’m the fourth generation involved with this,” Berry said. “My great-grandad was on the first board. My dad was president before I took the reins from him. We’ve got a family investment here. I’ve got a really great group of guys. The board I have right now has a lot of passion. We know it’s going to add more work on us. I think we’re going to reap those rewards.” It takes dedication and a sincere appreciation for community for individuals to volunteer to produce an event of this magnitude. Each person takes his or her work seriously, and they know it involves a team effort to pull it off year after year. “We had our end-of-the-year meeting after cleaning up the place Sunday,” he said. “You could see it on the guy’s faces: This was an event we could all hang our hats on and say we’re proud to have put it on.” That teamwork extends from each member of the committee to each person they hire. Berry pointed to the relationships the committee has with Carr and his crew, announcer Anthony Lucia, sound director Josh Hilton, clown and entertainer Matt Merritt, trick rider Jessica Blair Fowlkes, Shane Simon with Real Screen Video and all the others that make the rodeo happen. “Pete and his crew not only produce our rodeo and do a dang good job, but Pete is instrumental in our success,” Berry said. “The best part of our rodeo is the people, the contract acts, Pete Carr and his people. Those guys are professionals, and they do their best to make our rodeo a world-class event. “I’ve made lifelong friends because of the people we bring into help us with our rodeo. It’s nice to see them come back every year.” There is no rodeo in Big Spring without a cowboy reunion.  

Rooftop Rodeo’s annual procession returns after a three-year hiatus   ESTES PARK, Colo. – The sounds of horse’s hooves clacking along the pavement on Elkhorn Avenue have been missing. They’ll return this summer. With them will be the return of the Rooftop Rodeo Parade, which begins at 10 a.m. Thursday, July 6. It will be the first time since 2019 that the rodeo’s parade has been part of one of the major summertime events in Estes Park. “When COVID hit in 2020, it shut down most of what makes Estes Park so great,” said Rob Hinkle, the community services director for the Town of Estes Park. “Most of our businesses were shuttered or virtually non-existent, and those businesses are the major sponsors that make the rodeo happen. In working with the Estes Park Western Heritage, we realized in good conscience that we couldn’t put on a rodeo that year. “Because we didn’t know what to expect the next year, we had to wait to see if we could even have a rodeo in 2021. Because of that, we decided against having some of the extra things, like the parade. By the time we got everything lined up for last year’s rodeo, it was too late to pull everything together to have the parade, so the goal was to come back in 2023.” The time has come, and the community is excited. The parade has been a major part of the rodeo experience for many in Estes Park, and it will come marching down the avenue in just a few weeks. The parade will begin near Big Horn Restaurant on West Elkhorn Avenue and head east to the intersection at Big Thompson Avenue, North St. Vrain Avenue and East Wonderview Avenue, where the parade will take a right turn on North St. Vrain. It will remain in that direction until making another right turn on Fourth Street, ending at Estes Park Fairgrounds. As crowds of people pack the parade route, they will see a spectacle that is special to the folks in Estes Park and the surrounding communities. Whether it’s the Cervi Rodeo team leading a herd of bucking horses down the road or hearing the bells ring on antique firetrucks, there is something for people of all ages along the way. “The return of the parade is an important part of bringing the full Rooftop Rodeo experience to Estes Park,” said Cindy Schonholtz, Rooftop Rodeo’s coordinator. “We’re excited to promote Rooftop Rodeo with a parade that we know will bring smiles to many faces.” Gates for Rooftop Rodeo open at 5 p.m. Wednesday, July 5-Monday, July 10, with the preshow beginning at 6:30 p.m. and the rodeo beginning at 7 p.m. For more information about Rooftop Rodeo, which is a Town of Estes Park signature event, or to order tickets online, log on to www.RooftopRodeo.com. Other ticket inquiries may be made by contacting the Town of Estes Park Events office at events@estes.org or (970) 586-6104.

GUNNISON, Colo. – His words were direct, a reflection of the work he’s been doing to not only promote the Cattlemen’s Days celebration but also the service men and women. “Our Patriot Night is going to be amazing,” said Kevin Coblentz, a longtime member of the volunteer committee that produces the annual exposition. “We have some special things planned for that night, and I can promise you that our opening is going to be powerful. “Nobody will want to miss this.” Patriot Night at Cattlemen’s Days PRCA Rodeo begins at 7 p.m. Friday, July 14, at the Fred Field Western Center in Gunnison. All former and active service military will be admitted free, a way the volunteer committee is giving back to those that served. There are three nights of rodeo, and each has a special event attached to it. The opening night, set for Thursday, July 13, is Pink Night, which honors the legendary status of the Cattlemen’s Days Tough Enough to Wear Pink campaign, the largest in ProRodeo. The campaign has raised millions of dollars, which has been utilized locally.   The final performance, set for Saturday, July 15, will honor the Gunnison Ranchland Conservation Legacy, a tip of the cap to the generations of ranching families that have continued to look after this land and their neighbors. “Our Patriot Night is a way to honor those that have served and sacrificed for our country,” Coblentz said. “It doesn’t matter if they’re from Gunnison or have lived here, we just want to honor them for serving. If they’ve come from anywhere and have served in the U.S. military, then we want to honor them on that Friday night.” The idea behind Patriot Night was developed several years ago, and Cattlemen’s Days organizers have expanded upon it over time. It’s not just military, Coblentz said. The committee will honor those that serve locally, like police officers, sheriff’s officers, firefighters and ambulance crews. “Those are the folks that serve this community,” he said. “We’re going to honor Jill Adams, who recently passed away. She was the paramedics captain in Gunnison and had spent 30-plus years as a paramedic. She and people like her are valuable to a community like ours.” The Gunnison Volunteer Fire Department will be on hand to properly display the giant American flag, and other officers from the various branches will help with aspects of the Friday night production of the rodeo. “When we salute these heroes and honor our service men and women, we want to do it with purpose and meaning,” Coblentz said. “I promise that this will be a rodeo performance that everybody will want to see, because they’re going to witness something unlike anything ever seen in Gunnison.”  

CASPER, Wyo. – The smile isn’t likely to leave Weston Timberman’s face anytime soon. He’s just 19 years old and has already proven to be one of the best cowboys in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association, claiming the bareback riding championship and serving as a major reason why the Clarendon (Texas) College rodeo team won its second men’s national title in three years. “It’s pretty surreal, and I’m still trying to grasp it all,” said Timberman, a freshman from Columbus, Montana. “It’s pretty awesome to be able to bring back two titles to Clarendon. “It’s hard to beat the national championship I won for bareback riding, but for it to help the team ring home the national title is just as cool in my eyes.” That’s just what happened in 2021. Cole Franks won the bareback riding title, and the Clarendon men won their first college crown. This year, Timberman stood out in a group of six standouts that guided the bulldogs another crown, the fourth overall for rodeo coach Bret Franks; he also won the 1997-98 men’s titles while coaching at his alma mater, Oklahoma Panhandle State University. “We had a good bunch of guys that like to win,” said Franks, a three-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier in saddle bronc riding. “We have a real close-knit group that worked hard, and that plays out in the end. We had a meeting going in, and the goal was to get all six of our guys into the short round.” They came close. Because the Clarendon men finished second in the Southwest Region standings, the Bulldogs had a full team of six cowboys in the mix. Timberman was joined by fellow bareback rider Sam Petersen of Helena, Montana, who advanced to the championship round.   In saddle bronc riding, only Cauy Masters of Leon, Iowa, failed to make the short round, and the other three all finished strong: Dylan Hancock of Golconda, Illinois; Slade Keith of Stanfield, Arizona; and Will Pollock of Utopia, Texas, finished fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively. Each bronc rider secured points, which made a difference when it came time to tally the final team standings. “We had six guys ride in three rounds each, and we had just one missed markout that kept us from having all six in the short-go and getting to ride for a fourth time,” Franks said. “To compete that well with four freshmen, one sophomore and Will, who was competing for the third year, means something. It’s impressive that they were able to compete at that level. “This group is really determined and mentally tough. That’s the key to it.” It’s important. After Masters was saddled with a no-score in the second round, he bounced back in the third round. Overall, he finished 19th. Hancock placed in the second, third and final go-rounds, while Keith placed in the first, third and fourth rounds. Pollock added points in the second round and in the aggregate. Timberman was a bit more dominant. He won the first round and shared the top score on championship night, placing in the second and third rounds. He accumulated 320 points and was the CNFR’s top rookie. “When you have a team like we have, it makes you step up every chance you get,” said Timberman, whose father, Chris, and uncle, Kelly, rode bareback horses; Kelly Timberman was the 2004 world champion. “It seems like throughout the year, I was constantly being pushed by my teammates.” It paid off in a big way, not only for Timberman but for the rodeo team in general. Franks took control of the program in 2015. In that eight-year span, the Bulldogs have earned two men’s team titles and five individual crowns. Saddle bronc rider Wyatt Casper was the first in 2016, followed by Riggin Smith in 2019. Cole Franks won both the bareback riding and all-around national titles in 2021, and Timberman adds another piece of rodeo gold to the mix. “We focus on mental toughness more than anything,” Bret Franks said. “You have to be ready for everything, from being confronted with a tough situation on horses and not letting that beat you before you get started to riding through being a little sore. “These guys are really good about not letting the moment be bigger than the ride. I think that helped them as much as anything.” Playing the game at an elite level takes a lot of talent and mental fortitude. The Clarendon rodeo team has shown that year after year. “Bret brings a lot of consistency to us, keeping track of us,” Timberman said. “He makes sure we’re up in the morning, making sure we work out or are getting on the spur board or on the bucking machine. He has a couple of sayings that stick with you. “There’s a bunch that Bret brings to the table. He’s definitely got that old-cowboy mentality.” Being a champion means mixing superb talent with an old-school approach, and the Clarendon College rodeo team continues to prove it.

Thousands of fans see many great things each year at Rooftop Rodeo ESTES PARK, Colo. – Just hearing the name of the town conjures up incredible memories for millions of people who have found their way to this destination community over the years. Of course, the valley is encapsulated by the majesty that is this part of Colorado, and it serves as the pathway in and out of Rocky Mountain National Park. The beauty that surrounds Estes Park is a major attraction, but so are the fascinating shops and the people that make the community so special. What’s even greater are the extra things that help bring hoards of people to town every year, like Rooftop Rodeo, set for 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 5-Monday, July 10, at Granny May Arena in Estes Park inside the Estes Park Fairgrounds. It’s a chance to see a little bit of Americana while also enjoying something that is uniquely Colorado. Most importantly, it’s a chance for all to understand the Western legacy that has made Estes Park what it is today. This is more than guided horseback rides through mountainous trails. This is a chance to witness a lifestyle that once was a staple of this territory not that long ago. “We’re very proud to play a part in showing off our Western heritage through the sport of rodeo,” said Cindy Schonholtz, Rooftop Rodeo’s coordinator. “We offer people a great chance to see the beauty of the Western lifestyle.” They’ll also be doing so while experiencing an award-winning rodeo that’s been around for many years. Because of the magnitude of Rooftop Rodeo, many of the top athletes from around the world will make their way to this Rocky Mountain town in early July. Part of that is the vibrant purse that’s up for grabs for cowboys and cowgirls in the competition, yet another aspect is a chance to enjoy all the experiences Estes Park has to offer. “If you’re on vacation and looking for a home away from home, then Estes Park is an excellent place to be in July,” announcer Andy Seiler said. According to the Town of Estes Park, the rodeo hosts somewhere around 10,000 people each year. They may get some concessions or enjoy one of the six to eight vendors that comes out to the rodeo each year, then they find their seats inside the grandstands as they prepare to enjoy the show. Over the course of the six-day rodeo, fans will see roughly 85 bucking horses, 55 bulls, 80 steers and 50 calves. This year’s field is loaded with nearly 600 entries of cowboys and cowgirls who plan to ride for the money and glory when they arrive in Estes Park. More than 90 bull riders, 90 bronc riders and 160 barrel racers have thrown their hats into the ring.   Fans will witness world champions and rising stars all mixed into evenings of high-flying, major-intensity competition, as each combatant rides, ropes or wrestles his or her way to the big purse up for grabs. “Our goal is to always put on a great show for the fans,” Schonholtz said. “If we put on a great competition for the cowboys and the cowgirls, then the fans will get a great show.” Gates for Rooftop Rodeo open at 5 p.m. Wednesday, July 5-Monday, July 10, with the preshow beginning at 6:30 p.m. and the rodeo beginning at 7 p.m. For more information about Rooftop Rodeo, which is a Town of Estes Park signature event, or to order tickets online, log on to www.RooftopRodeo.com. Other ticket inquiries may be made by contacting the Town of Estes Park Events office at events@estes.org or (970) 586-6104.

GUNNISON, Colo. – The history of the Cattlemen’s Days celebration dates back to 1900, when folks in the Gunnison Valley were looking for a way to gather together to celebrate. Now in its 123rd year, it continues to be a community gathering and so much more. Generation after generation has grown up in Gunnison County making their way to town every July to show what they’ve raised or enjoy the rides or take in the award-winning professional rodeo. This year’s edition of the Cattlemen’s Days Rodeo is set for Thursday, July 13-Saturday, July 15, at Fred Field Western Center in Gunnison. It’s been recognized by the cowboys who play the game, honored as one of the elite rodeos in North America with its nomination for PRCA Medium Rodeo of the Year. It’s also been named the best medium-size rodeo in the Mountain States Circuit. “It is Colorado’s longest continuous running rodeo in America and the third oldest rodeo in the country,” said Andy Stewart, the event’s rodeo announcer. “It’s part of history in a great ranching town. The people are wonderful, and the scenery is beautiful. It’s one of my favorite rodeos.” What’s not to like? Cattlemen’s Days was built on a foundation laid by hard work, passion and caring for one another. Whether it’s the sixth generation of one family showing livestock or a newcomer to this community patching a quilt together to put on display, this event is for all to enjoy and preserve. More importantly, it’s become a global happening. People from all over the world have made their ways to this Rocky Mountain town with picturesque views and a feeling of home. Beyond that, the week of Cattlemen’s Days is also reunion week for families and classmates who return to their hometown to honor their heritage. “Before any of us were ever born, this celebration was a big part of the Gunnison community, and it is our job to not only continue Cattlemen’s Days but to enhance it and make it better for years to come,” said Brad Tutor, first vice president of the volunteer committee that produces the annual event. “We work with other community leaders to bring this thing together, and we take a lot of pride in it.” They should, because it is a vital piece of Gunnison lore. It was established in a time when travel wasn’t nearly as easy and when the conveniences of life weren’t within reach on a minute-to-minute basis. For those that weren’t raised around agriculture, Cattlemen’s Days offers the opportunity to learn the origins of their food while doing so in a fun and entertaining setting. “We pride ourselves on helping bring the people in our community together,” Tutor said. “Of course, our marquee event is the rodeo. We have the best stock contractor in rodeo with Stace Smith, and that, in turn, helps us draw the best cowboys to town. It’s really the show to see during Cattlemen’s Days.” In fact, the rodeo has featured record numbers of contestants in recent years. Before they earn their world championship gold buckles, they first make their way to Gunnison to showcase their talents for thousands to see. “It’s just an awesome event overall that does so much for all of Gunnison Valley,” Stewart said.

GUNNISON, Colo. – In his hometown of Charleston, Arkansas, Cody Sosebee can walk outside in the summertime and begin sweating in just a few steps. The town of 2,300 souls is surrounded by trees and creeks and has a lake on its south side. It’s not far from the Arkansas River and the Oklahoma state line. July temperatures soar into the 90s, and with humidity levels so high that one could cut with a knife, it feels more than 100 degrees on most days. That’s when it’s easy to reflect on last year’s work trip to the Gunnison Valley. It’s why he’s looking forward to returning to Cattlemen’s Days PRCA Rodeo, set for Thursday, July 13-Saturday, July 15, at Fred Field Western Center in Gunnison, where Sosebee will again serve as the featured entertainer and funnyman. “Last year, I took a picture of my thermostat, and it was like 40 to 50 degrees,” he said with a smile, knowing full well there will be milder temperatures when he arrives this year. “It was just like a big, outside air conditioner.” There are many aspects to his job that Sosebee enjoys, and one of those is experiencing different communities with different climates while getting to entertain thousands of people over just a few days. His talent and likeability are reasons why the volunteers on the Cattlemen’s Days committee asked him to return, and he’s excited to put on a show for all who come to see Gunnison’s rodeo. “We really enjoyed having Cody last year and are glad to have him back,” said Brad Tutor, first vice president of the Cattlemen’s Days committee. “He’s got a lot of great acts and does a great job of interacting with our crowd. He is as funny as anyone we’ve ever had, and that makes it fun for everybody.” That’s the idea. Rodeo is equal parts of great competition and family fun, which is where the Arkansas man comes into play. In addition to his acts, he will also be part of the show throughout, offering rib-ticklers for anyone and everyone. His comedy transcends generations, which is why he’s so sought-after. Sosebee has been a regular nominee for PRCA Clown of the Year and PRCA Comedy Act of the Year, the latter of which he won in 2018. He’s worked some of the largest rodeos in the world, including the Cheyenne (Wyoming) Frontier Days and the National Finals Rodeo. He’s traveled the country extensively and has a star on the map so he knows to return to Gunnison when he can. “Before last year, I’d worked Gunnison a long time ago,” Sosebee said. “I was super excited to get to go back to Gunnison, and I’m excited to go back again this year. When there’s been years in between, you can see the strides of success that those people have made. They understand the importance of hiring a good stock contractor, good sound and a good announcer, and I think it shows in the product they give their fans. “That arena is so inviting, because the grandstands are full and people are wanting to get closer to the arena to see you. It’s an awesome setting to work. The other clowns that have worked there know that it’s a special rodeo.” That’s true. In 2019, the rodeo was recognized as the best in its category in the Mountain States Region, a series of PRCA rodeos in Colorado and Wyoming. Last year, Cattlemen’s Days Rodeo was nominated as one of the top five Medium Rodeos of the Year across North America. There’s a reason for that success. “I think that rodeos that are super invested in the long term are doing the right things,” Sosebee said. “There are some rodeos that just have a place in your heart. You know it’s going to be a great time and have great crowds. Gunnison falls into both of those categories. “That rodeo committee works hard, and that makes it easier to work with those people. They’re all-in, and the people in that community are all-in for the rodeo. It’s like watching the top guys. They’re fun to watch. They’re committed. They’re going for it. When a rodeos are excited to grow, they’re fun to work.” Of course, Sosebee’s job is about fun, and he wants to enjoy his time in the arena while bringing joy to others. He works closely with announcer Andy Stewart, and the two banter back and forth to make sure everyone is entertained. “To me, Andy is one of the easiest announcers to work with, because he brings a lot of passion to what he does,” Sosebee said. “He’s even on a different level at Gunnison. Andy will match the energy with the crowd. The rowdier they get, the rowdier he’ll get. Before you know it, we’re in the middle of a party in the middle of that arena. “He sets me up with great crowd interaction. Andy wants to have the best possible performance, and he wants me to have the best possible performance. He’s a very unselfish person, and he wants us all to put on a great show for the crowd.” Because of that, the big man with a big personality is able to showcase his talents before thousands of people each night. Whether he’s in Prescott, Arizona, or Cheyenne, Wyoming, or Gunnison, Colorado, Sosebee is on top of his game. “My job allows me to entertain people,” he said. “They buy a ticket to be entertained. When you see them laughing and cheering and having fun, I don’t think that’s a job. It’s like I realized last year when I was soaking in the scenery after the rodeo was over: I get to sit to where I can see the Tenderfoot Mountain and all the stuff that surrounds that arena, and I just get to soak it all in. “I get to go to places my family has never been. You forget that it is a job.”

Gizmo McCracken to be featured entertainer at this year’s Rooftop Rodeo ESTES PARK, Colo. – For most of his life, Dale “Gizmo” McCracken has been a comedian. He spent some time on stage in Branson, Missouri, then transitioned that into a career as a rodeo clown. It’s carried him to locales all across North America, but it’s never brought him to Estes Park. That changes this year when he will serve his role at Rooftop Rodeo, set for 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 5-Monday, July 10, at Granny May Arena in Estes Park inside the Estes Park Fairgrounds. “I’m going to be the rookie in town,” said McCracken, ever the comedian. “It’s pretty neat. It’s nice to get to go to places I’ve heard a lot about and heard about how pretty it is there. I think it’s something we’re going to really enjoy.” He knows a few things about that. His business is putting smiles on people’s faces. He wears greasepaint and, true to his nickname, he has plenty of gadgets that play into his schtick; he presents his comedy for folks of all ages. Even before he is set to arrive in Estes Park, McCracken understands that the Rooftop Rodeo crowd will be a bit different from the typical run of rodeos he’s been involved with, where fans know a little more about the sport they are enjoying. “The nice thing about that is you have people there that are from all over the country,” he said. “You’ll have people that have never seen a rodeo; they’ve heard about it, so for me, it’s important for us to make a good impression on a lot of those newcomers. It reminds me of our Branson days, where people would come from all over to be entertained.” Rodeo is the perfect mix of Western sports and family-friendly entertainment. While watching cowboys ride bucking horses and bulls is fun, there’s something special about a clown that wants to see people happy. He did that on stage, and now he does it on dirt. McCracken grew up around livestock. He helped his father break ponies to ride, and then, while in his teens, he took up bullfighting, working at rodeos to help keep cowboys safe during bull riding. He always utilized his comedic chops, so it was an easy transition to being a rodeo clown. “The challenge is the biggest difference between the rodeo arena and a stage show,” McCracken said. “When you walk out on a stage, everybody in the theater looks at you. When you walk into an arena, you have other things they can look at, so I have to do some different things to be seen by the audience. I have more freedom to do comedy material, too. Branson is way more scripted.” That’s not how McCracken works a rodeo crowd, and he plans to keep doing this for a few more years. He’s not far removed from being named the 2017 PRCA Comedy Act of the Year, an honor for which he’s been nominated 12 times. “I’ve been doing this longer than a lot of those other guys have been alive,” he said. “To still be able to be mentioned with them and to still be relevant means a lot to me. “It’s just exciting to still be in demand.” Gates for Rooftop Rodeo open at 5 p.m. Wednesday, July 5-Monday, July 10, with the preshow beginning at 6:30 p.m. and the rodeo beginning at 7 p.m. For more information about Rooftop Rodeo, which is a Town of Estes Park signature event, or to order tickets online, log on to www.RooftopRodeo.com. Other ticket inquiries may be made by contacting the Town of Estes Park Events office at events@estes.org or (970) 586-6104.

GUNNISON, Colo. – The foundation for success is surrounding oneself with the very best.   It’s a philosophy used by the local organizers of the Gunnison Valley’s biggest annual event, and it’s paying off. The Cattlemen’s Days celebration will honor its 123rd year this July, and that principle is why its ProRodeo has been honored as one of the best. Fans will have the opportunity to witness it all during this year’s rodeo, set for Thursday, July 13-Saturday, July 15, at Fred Field Western Center in Gunnison. Cowboys in the Mountain States Circuit have recognized the Cattlemen’s Days Rodeo as the best in its classification. That honor came in 2019. Last year, the contestants and other members of the PRCA upped the honor, nominating the Gunnison rodeo as one of the top five Medium Rodeos of the Year from events across North America. “We have some dedicated volunteers who have given their time and their effort to make our rodeo as great as it can be,” said Brad Tutor, first vice president of the Cattlemen’s Days committee. “We decided a long time ago that we wanted to have the best in the business working our rodeo. “That’s why we went out and hired Stace Smith, who is one of the greatest stock contractors in rodeo. That’s why we brought in Andy Stewart, who has been nominated so many times as Announcer of the Year. That trend has just continued.” The cowboys have recognized that. Only five rodeos in each of four categories receive nominations; that’s quite an honor. Of the nearly 700 events the PRCA sanctions each year, Cattlemen’s Days was recognized as one of the top 20 overall. Gunnison’s name has been mentioned along with events like the Calgary (Alberta) Stampede, Cheyenne (Wyoming) Frontier Days, Rodeo Houston, the Pendleton (Oregon) Round-Up and several other highly honored events. “Just to have your name in the same category with those rodeos is an amazing experience,” said Tyler Hanson, the volunteer group’s second vice president. “It says a lot about our committee to be in the same category as those rodeos. It says a lot about our community, too.” From 2004-14, nobody in rodeo was better than Texas-based Stace Smith Pro Rodeo, which was named PRCA Stock Contractor of the Year for 11 straight campaigns. The firm is just one of several pieces to an incredible puzzle that makes Cattlemen’s Days such a well-recognized event. The committee has added several other award-winners to the mix. Amanda Corley Sanders was recognized as the PRCA Secretary of the Year in 2017, and she handles the behind-the-scenes workload in Gunnison. Shawna Ray was the 2019 Timer of the Year, and she will return to the valley for the second straight year. Ted Harbin, a media award winner for both the PRCA and the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association, has been part of the team since 2017. Funnyman Cody Sosebee, the 2018 Comedy Act of the Year, returns to showcase his brand of entertainment, while fellow Arkansan Robby Freeman adds his specialized eye to the show as the 2021 Photographer of the Year. “Every person that comes to Gunnison to work with our rodeo brings his or her own talents with them,” Tutor said. “When you bring in professionals with that kind of ability to help you put on a community event like this, you are telling everyone that you care. We care about Cattlemen’s Days, and we care about our rodeo. “These people become family to us, and we look forward to having them come home to us every year.”

Schonholtz takes the control as coordinator of longstanding Rooftop Rodeo ESTES PARK, Colo. – There is a bit of a cowgirl in everything Cindy Schonholtz does, and it’s guided her back to the Rocky Mountains. It’s perfectly fitting as she begins her role as the Rooftop Rodeo coordinator, working with the town of Estes Park to help produce one of the greatest annual spectacles in this community. Over the years, Rooftop Rodeo has been an award-winning event tucked at the base of the Rocky Mountain National Park. “Estes Park is a very special place, and I want everybody to know the history and the Western tradition of Estes Park,” Schonholtz said. “I don’t want that to ever get lost. I think we see that in a lot of mountain towns, where they’re losing their Western heritage. Estes Park has done a great job of keeping it, and I hope to help with that and promote that to the community and visitors alike.” She knows a thing or two about the Colorado tourist town and knows a lot about rodeo. She served on a volunteer rodeo committee in southern California and was also the director of the Miss Rodeo California pageant until she took a position with the Colorado Springs-based PRCA as the coordinator for animal welfare and membership development in 1998. While at the PRCA, she created the industry outreach department and served as its director and was also the CEO and president of the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund, which provides financial assistance to cowboys that are unable to compete because of injury or any substantial life occurance. She remained in those roles until 2017, when she took over as the general manager of the St. Paul (Oregon) Rodeo. Over the past few years, she developed a consultant business to assist with rodeo management, which is how she landed at Rooftop Rodeo. Her first year at the helm is set for 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 5-Monday, July 10, at Granny May Arena inside the Estes Park Fairgrounds. She also serves as the general manager of the Redding (California) Rodeo. “I always expect to have an amazing event,” Schonholtz said. “So much of that has to do with bringing the community, the volunteers, the contestants and the contract personnel into one cohesive unit and celebrate our Western heritage. “A lot of it is giving back to the community through different charities. I think that’s where the sport of rodeo has so much popularity in today’s time. It’s because of our patriotism and because of our history. Rodeo is back to the basics, supporting the community and the Western legacy.” That’s the overall point of view. As the point person for an event that features the mixture of family-friendly entertainment and world-class competition, Schonholtz focuses on a simple detail. “I want every person who comes here to leave with a smile on their face,” she said. That attention to detail makes all the difference in the world. Gates for Rooftop Rodeo open at 5 p.m. Wednesday, July 5-Monday, July 10, with the preshow beginning at 6:30 p.m. and the rodeo beginning at 7 p.m. For more information about Rooftop Rodeo, which is a Town of Estes Park signature event, or to order tickets online, log on to www.RooftopRodeo.com. Other ticket inquiries may be made by contacting the Town of Estes Park Events office at events@estes.org or (970) 586-6104.

ALVA, Okla. – Steer wrestler Kaden Greenfield and tie-down roper Denton Oestmann have quite a story to tell about their rodeo journeys. Between them, they account for two transfers, two Central Plains Region titles, five qualifications to the College National Finals Rodeo and two degrees from Northwestern Oklahoma State University. They will close out their intercollegiate careers by returning to the college finals, set for June 11-17 at the Ford Wyoming Center in Casper, Wyoming. “Closing out my career by making the college finals means a lot,” said Oestmann, a 2023 graduate from Auburn, Nebraska. “Everybody wants to go out with a bang. It would have been a lot nicer to have won the region, but it didn’t quite end up in my favor. Being able to compete at my last college rodeo in Casper is what really matters.” Over his three seasons in Alva, Oestmann has had solid success. He transferred from Iowa Central Community College; while there, he qualified for the college finals in 2019. Greenfield spent two years at Blue Mountain Community College in Pendleton, Oregon, before arriving in Woods County in time for the 2021-22 season. He had competed at the college finale after his sophomore season, then proved to be on top of his game once he moved to Oklahoma. He won the Central Plains each of the past two seasons. A year ago, he made his trip to Casper and found limited success. He placed in the second go-round but left with hopes of having a better run. He earned a chance at redemption with his third straight CNFR bid. “The top goal at the beginning of the year is to be the national champion,” said Greenfield, a Lakeview, Oregon, cowboy who obtained his degree on May 6. “The first thing you have to do is make the college finals, then you have to do good there. In order to make it, you have to set other, smaller goals along the way, so I’d made the goal to win the national title, and then I made the goal to win the region.” That process is easier said than done, especially in the circuit made up of contestants from colleges in Oklahoma and Kansas. It’s recognized by the cowboys and cowgirls as one of the toughest in the country. For bulldoggers, it’s hard to make it out of practices unscathed. Of the top 11 steer wrestlers in the region, eight are from Northwestern. “Our region is full of guys you see at ProRodeos,” said Greenfield, the son of Shawn Greenfield, a seven-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier. “Competing against those guys pushes you to be better.” The old adage that iron sharpens iron is not only eloquent but also serves as proof of greatness. Neither Greenfield nor Oestmann would be in positions to make a run at the college championships had they not overcome the challenges throughout the 10-event campaign. Oestmann, for example, had led the circuit through a good portion of the season but finished second. “My roping has come a long way since I first made the college finals,” he said. “My roping’s matured a lot. I’ll be riding a better horse than when I went out there for the first time.” He’ll actually take two to Casper. One is Short Stack, a sorrel that he has ridden at most of the college rodeos this season; the other is Low Rider, a gray gelding owned by his brother, Jarrett. That’s the one Oestmann plans to ride at the indoor arena. “He’s a veteran, and he’s good in the buildings,” he said, noting that he doesn’t get to ride Low Rider much while in school because the gray is in southeastern Nebraska. “I click with him pretty good when I get to ride him.” That’s important. They have to work as a team, and each combatant needs all the advantages he can get when it comes to competing against the best in intercollegiate rodeo. When the weeklong competition is done at Casper, he and others will try their hands at the professional level. Last fall, Oestmann earned a spot at the Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo, the regional finale that took place in Duncan, Oklahoma. Greenfield is following in his father’s footsteps. He is in his second year competing in the PRCA and will be traveling the rodeo trail with teammate Trisyn Kalawaia and Northwestern rodeo coach Stockton Graves; both have been instrumental in Greenfield’s success while in Alva the last two years. “You can learn a lot, especially from Stockton,” Greenfield said, noting that Graves is an eight-time NFR qualifier. “You’ve got to continue to try to improve, and this will give me a good shot at doing that.” Graves takes a competitive approach to coaching the team; he sets up opportunities for cowboys and cowgirls to learn through pressure situations, and it has worked well in his time with the program. Both Greenfield and Oestmann are in position to be the fourth (and maybe fifth) Northwestern athletes to win national titles, following in the footsteps of bulldoggers J.D. Struxness (2016) and Bridger Anderson (2019) and breakaway roper Taylor Munsell (also 2019). “Northwestern has been good to me,” Oestmann said. “Stockton was really good about how I prepared. I always had an arena rented, and I roped every single day. Stockton knew how hard I was working.” It has paid great dividends. Now, he and Greenfield will make their final few rounds of college rodeo in the place that crowns national titlists each June. “You just have to go make three good runs and let the cards fall where they may,” Greenfield said. “If it works out, then you go make another good run in the short round and see where you end up.” Rodeo’s gold only goes to a select few each year, and those that win the championships will have to overcome all the challenges they face while competing at an optimum level. Greenfield and Oestmann are in the mix and ready  Continue Reading »

GOODING, Idaho – Great athletes come in all shapes and sizes. Usain Bolt is the fastest man in the world, and LeBron James is trying to be his own version of Michael Jordan. Aaron Donald is 285 pounds and is as swift as a man much smaller, which is why he is one of the greatest defensive linemen in the NFL today. In saddle bronc riding, 150-pound men are matched with 1,000-pound horses, and both show incredible athleticism throughout an eight-second ride. That type of agility and power will be on display during the Dirty Rotten Buckers, set for 2 p.m. Saturday, May 27, at Andy James Arena on the Gooding County Fairgrounds. Tickets are on sale now at GoodingProRodeo.com. “This is going to be a special day for us in Gooding,” said Don Gill, manager of the Gooding County Fair and the Gooding Pro Rodeo. “This is a great opportunity for us to show off the great young talent we have in rodeo, both as cowboys and as bucking horses.” Dirty Rotten Buckers is a multilevel competition featuring the rising stars of saddle bronc riding and the up-and-coming equine starts that will be featured in the sport for years to come. Dirty Rotten Buckers has been around for years, but this will be its first year in Gooding. The organization was established by renowned pickup man Bobby Marriott and his wife, Michelle. It was purchased recently by Gene King and Jeremy Gordon, who are handling the heavy-lifting that comes with producing an event like this. “This is a great event,” said King, who also co-owns King Rodeo Co. with his wife, Amanda. “This is a good chance for the stock contractors to show their horses and for the contestants to show their skills. It’s going to be a lot of fun.” It’s also going to be an action-packed day. The event is featuring $20,000 in “added” money, which is mixed with entry fees to make up the overall purse – $10,000 will go toward the cowboys, and $10,000 will go toward the broncs. While the entries will be limited to up to 35 head of horses, it is open to any livestock producer that wants to showcase his/her animal. “If you have only one horse, you can come,” King said. “For the cowboys, it’s a pretty good deal. We want the college kids, the young bronc riders.” Dirty Rotten Buckers will also serve as a chance for rodeo fans to get a taste of the action that comes to town a couple months later. The Gooding Pro Rodeo will take place Thursday, Aug. 18-Saturday, Aug. 20, with a special “Beauty and the Beast” performance set for Wednesday, Aug. 17. All performances take place at 8 p.m. at Andy James Arena. “We teamed up with Dirty Rotten Buckers because we believe in this event, and we thought it would be something our fans would enjoy,” Gill said. “I think this is going to be a great partnership.”

GUYMON, Okla. – There’s been a bit of a sibling rivalry in the O’Connell house for as long as anyone can remember. Two boys, not far apart in age, was the primary cause, but so was competitiveness and a little bit of spite. Truthfully, it’s a key reason why Tim, the little brother, went on to rodeo excellence. He’s a three-time world champion bareback rider who has qualified for the National Finals Rodeo for nine consecutive seasons, even one in which he only competed for less than three months. “Between rodeo, wrestling and backyard fights, we’ve had a lot going on for a long time,” said Tim O’Connell, 31, of Zwingle, Iowa. Three weeks ago in San Angelo, Texas, the brothers were matched together again. Will O’Connell is co-owner of Championship Pro Rodeo, which had 11 bareback horses selected to the 2022 NFR. Tim O’Connell was teamed with Championship’s Meat Cracker, and the powerful black beauty won the day, causing the champ to take a no-score. Their rematch was Saturday afternoon, and the Iowa heavyweight came out on top, scoring 87 points to take the lead during the second performance of the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo. “Vengeance is a dish best served cold,” Tim O’Connell said. He acknowledged that Will O’Connell is one of his biggest fans and greatest supporters, but that rivalry is three decades old. Older by five years, Will has always known how to get under his little brother’s skin. That’s OK; that wheel rolls both directions. When Tim O’Connell conquered the beast in the Oklahoma Panhandle dirt, his smile was almost as wide as it was in 2016, when he won his first Montana Silversmiths gold buckle. “Will knows how hard I’ve worked in my career, and he wants me to win on his horses,” Tim O’Connell said. “But I know how hard he’s worked on his herd. He takes great care of his horses. He’s feeds them, waters them, exercises them and makes sure they’re taken care of the best that they can be.” O’Connell wasn’t the only contestant to have success Saturday. Josie Conner, the reigning Resistol Rookie of the Year, took the lead in breakaway roping with a 2.1-second run. Conner, a 19-year-old cowgirl from Iowa, Louisiana, earned her first National Finals Breakaway Roping qualification in 2022. She is 12th in the world standings. Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days RodeoMay 1-7Bareback riding leaders: 1. Tim O’Connell, 87 points on Championship Pro Rodeo’s Meat Cracker; 2. Leighton Berry, 86; 3. 3. (tie) Cooper Cook and Kade Sonnier, 85; 5. Keenan Hayes, 83.5; 6. Kolt Dement, 82.5; 7. Ben Kramer, 81.5; 8. (tie) Mason Stuller and Shane O’Connell, 81; 5.  Team roping: Third round leaders: 1. Paul David Tierney/Tanner Braden, 6.6 seconds; 2. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 6.8; 3. Tyler Waters/Douglas Rich, 7.3; 4. Klay Yaussi/Kash Yaussi, 8.3; 5. Derrick Begay/Colter Todd, 8.5; 6. Jacob Hickman/Gavin Foster, 12.6; 7. Jon Peterson/Trae Smith, 16.4; 8. Wyatt Muggli/Daniel Reed, 17.0. Average leaders: 1. Derrick Begay/Colter Todd, 21.9 seconds on three runs; 2. Tyler Waters/Douglas Rich, 23.0; 3. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 28.9; 4. Kellan Johnson/Carson Johnson, 36.4; 5. Wyatt Muggli/Daniel Reed, 45.0; 6. Paul David Tierney/Tanner Braden, 12.6 seconds on two runs; 7. Clay Smith/Coleby Payne, 13.9; 8. Klay Yaussi/Kash Yaussi, 14.7. Steer wrestling: Third round leaders: 1. Mason Couch, 3.9 seconds; 2. (tie) Cash Robb, Brandon Harrison, Ty Bauerle and J.D. Struxness, 4.6; 6. (tie) Joshua Hefner and Austin Anderson, 5.3; 8. Laramie Warren, 5.4. Average leaders: 1. Mason Couch, 13.1 seconds on three runs; 2. J.D. Struxness, 13.3; 3. Cash Robb, 14.6; 4. Brandon Harrison, 15.0; 5. Joshua Hefner, 16.1; 6. (tie) Cal Wolfe and Cameron Morman, 16.8; 8. Nick Guy, 17.1. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Tanner Butner, 90 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Lonesome Eyes; 2. Wyatt Casper, 88.5; 3. (tie) Chase Brooks and Logan Cook, 85.5; 5. Sam Martin, 84; 6. Ean Price, 82; 7. Tegan Smith, 79.5; 8. Blaise Freeman, 78.5. Breakaway roping: Second round leaders 1. Josie Conner, 2.1 seconds; 2. Cheyenne Bartling, 2.6; 3. Kodi Hansen, 2.7; 4. (tie) Lari Dee Guy and Madison Outhier, 2.8; 6. Rheagan Cotton, 2.9; 7. (tie) Hannah Macy and Jackie Crawford, 3.1. Tie-down roping: Third round leaders: 1. Marley Berger, 7.4 seconds; 2. Kincade Henry, 8.1; 3. Shane Hanchey, 8.5; 4. Marcos Costa, 8.6, 5. Trenton Smith, 8.9; 6. (tie) Cory Solomon and Ty Harris, 9.3; 8. Zaine Mikita, 9.7. Average leaders: 1. Ty Harris, 26.0 seconds on three runs; 2. Shane Hanchey, 27.1; 3. Kincade Henry, 27.4; 4. Connor Blaise Atkinson, 27.7; 5. Cory Solomon, 27.8; 6. Trenton Smith, 29.2; 7. Zaine Mikita, 30.2; 8. Marley Berger, 31.7. Barrel racing: Second round leaders: 1. Taycie Matthews, 16.95 seconds; 2. Wenda Johnson, 17.09; 3. Leslie Smalygo, 17.44; 4. Kathryn Hawkins, 17.16; 5. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, 17.17; 6. Paige Jones, 17.19; 7. (tie) Ivy Saebens and Suzanne Brooks, 17.25; 9. Austyn Tobey, 17.27; 10. Cindy Smith, 17.38. Average leaders: 1. Paige Jones, 34.49 seconds on two runs; 2. (tie) Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi and Acey Pinkston, 34.74; 4. Austyn Tobey, 34.76; 5. Ivy Saebens 34.77; 6. Suzanne Brooks, 34.90; 7. Laura Mote, 35.11; 8. Andrea Busby, 35.13; 9. Jimmie Smith-Tew, 35.14; 10. Halyn Lide, 35.18. Bull riding leaders: 1. Colton Kelly, 86.5 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Glory Days; 2. Dustin Boquet, 86; 3. Deklan Garland, 84.5; no other qualified rides.

GUYMON, Okla. – Dean Thompson is trying to make a name for himself in professional rodeo. He’s a first-year bareback rider with big-time dreams and an athletic acumen to get him to where he wants to go. Heading into this weekend’s activities, he was fifth in the Resistol Rookie of the Year race and 12th in the world standings. He made a statement during Saturday night’s third performance of the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo, riding Frontier Rodeo’s Gun Fire for 92.5 points to take the bareback riding lead with one day left in the weeklong event. “Before it started, we were (behind the chutes) thinking that horse was something like a dragon,” said Thompson, 21, of Altamont, Utah. “That’s a big bucking horse.” He learned about his match-up through the random draw when it was released Tuesday afternoon. He experienced a bit of trepidation and excitement. Gun Fire has been one of the best bucking horses in ProRodeo for several years, and in 2022, the buckskin mare was named the Bareback Horse of the Year. She earned it over the course of the campaign. She was bucked several times, and the average score was better than 90 points. In 2021, the average score on Gun Fire was almost 92 points. That’s sensational. That year, only one cowboy scored less than 90, and he was just a half point shy of that marking. “When she left out of there, I saw that my markout was good,” Thompson said of the start of his ride, where the heels of his boots were above the break of the horse’s shoulders. “I felt that first jump and saw that I was in a good spot, and then it just got good.” Yes, it did, and it was the arena record to boot. A year ago, eventual world champion Jess Pope was 92 on Gun Fire to set the mark. The rookie from Utah bettered it by a half point, and it was a fight. “I knew that horse was going to be all there, and she was and then some,” he said. With one performance remaining, Thompson will have to ride the storm out to see if he can earn the biggest victory of his young career. It is his highest marking yet, and but he’s just getting started. There are hundreds of great bucking horses in ProRodeo, and he’ll have a shot at many of them. But on this day in the Oklahoma Panhandle, Dean Thompson conquered the beast. Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days RodeoMay 1-7Bareback riding leaders: 1. Dean Thompson, 92.5 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Gun Fire; 2. Donny Proffit, 88; 3. (tie) Tim O’Connell and Orin Larsen, 87; 5. Leighton Berry, 86; 6. (tie) Cooper Cook and Kade Sonnier, 85; 8. Keenan Hayes, 83.5.  Team roping: Third round leaders: 1. Paul David Tierney/Tanner Braden, 6.6 seconds; 2. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 6.8; 3. Kreece Thompson/Landen Glenn, 7.2; 4. Tyler Waters/Douglas Rich, 7.3; 5. Rio Nuter/Reece Wadhams, 7.6; 6. Casey Hicks/Steve Orth, 7.9; 7. Klay Yaussi/Kash Yaussi, 8.3; 8. Derrick Begay/Colter Todd, 8.5. Average leaders: 1. Derrick Begay/Colter Todd, 21.9 seconds on three runs; 2. Tyler Waters/Douglas Rich, 23.0; 3. Casey Hicks/Steve Orth, 23.8; 4. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 28.9; 5. Braden Pirrung/Lane Siggins, 32.4; 6. J.C. Yeaqho/L.J Yeahquo, 33.3; 7. Kellan Johnson/Carson Johnson, 36.4; 8. Kreece Thompson/Landen Glenn, 36.7. Steer wrestling: Third round leaders: 1. Mason Couch, 3.9 seconds; 2. (tie) Cash Robb, Brandon Harrison, Ty Bauerle and J.D. Struxness, 4.6; 6. (tie) Joshua Hefner and Austin Anderson, 5.3; 8. Laramie Warren, 5.4. Average leaders: 1. Mason Couch, 13.1 seconds on three runs; 2. J.D. Struxness, 13.3; 3. Cash Robb, 14.6; 4. (tie) Brandon Harrison and Cody Devers, 15.0; 6. Joe Nelson, 15.9; 7. (tie) Joshua Hefner and Landris White, 16.1. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Tanner Butner, 90 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Lonesome Eyes; 2. Wyatt Casper, 88.5; 3. (tie) Brody Cress and Lefty Holman, 86.5; 5, (tie) Chase Brooks, Logan Cook and Cort Scheer, 85.5; 8. Sam Martin, 84. Breakaway roping: Second round leaders 1. Josie Conner, 2.1 seconds; 2. Cheyenne Bartling, 2.6; 3. (tie) Kodi Hansen and Christi Braudrick, 2.7; 5. (tie) Lari Dee Guy and Madison Outhier, 2.8; 7. Rheagan Cotton, 2.9; 8. Sequin Brewer, 3.0. Average: 1. Josie Conner, 4.9; 2. Madison Outhier, 5.10; 3. Christi Braudrick, 5.4; 4. Jackie Crawford, 5.5; 5. (tie) Cheyenne Bartling and Kodi Hansen, 5.7; 7. (tie) Lari Dee Guy, Rheagan Cotton and Sequin Brewer.   Tie-down roping: Third round leaders: 1. Marley Berger, 7.4 seconds; 2. Kincade Henry, 8.1; 3. Shane Hanchey, 8.5; 4. (tie) Marcos Costa and Bryce Derrer, 8.6, 6. Trenton Smith, 8.9; 7. (tie) Cory Solomon and Ty Harris, 9.3. Average leaders: 1. Ty Harris, 26.0 seconds on three runs; 2. Shane Hanchey, 27.1; 3. Kincade Henry, 27.4; 4. Bryce Derrer, 27.5; 5. Connor Blaise Atkinson, 27.7; 6. Cory Solomon, 27.8; 7. Trell Etbauer, 28.5; 8. Luke Potter, 29.1. Barrel racing: Second round leaders: 1. Taycie Matthews, 16.95 seconds; 2. Wenda Johnson, 17.09; 3. Leslie Smalygo, 17.44; 4. Quincy Sullivan, 17.15; 5. Kathryn Hawkins, 17.16; 6. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, 17.17; 7. Paige Jones, 17.19; 8. (tie) Ivy Saebens and Suzanne Brooks, 17.25; 10. Austyn Tobey, 17.27. Average leaders: 1. Tracy Nowlin, 34.47 seconds on two runs; 2. Paige Jones, 34.49; 3. Quincy Sullivan, 34.64; 4. Ilyssa Riley, 34.73; 5. (tie) Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi and Acey Pinkston, 34.74; 7. Austyn Tobey, 34.76; 8. Ivy Saebens 34.77; 9. Kappie Bryant, 34.79; 10. Suzanne Brooks, 34.90. Bull riding leaders: 1. Junior Souza, 88 points on Frontier Rodeo’s County Jail; 2. Colton Kelly, 86.5; 3. Dustin Boquet, 86; 4. Deklan Garland, 84.5; no other qualified rides.

GUYMON, Okla. – Before she could even walk, Summer Kosel was horseback. Her father raised racehorses, so she grew up on the racetrack. Now, the wife and mother of four is testing all her years of horsemanship in rodeo, racing her horses around the cloverleaf pattern that is barrel racing. During Sunday’s fourth performance of the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo, Kosel and her mount, Apollo, stopped the clock in 17.12 seconds to finish third in the second go-round and claim the overall championship at Oklahoma’s richest rodeo. She also won the first go-round, which took place Friday morning, so she pocketed $6,256. “I was very blessed last year to do well enough to get into the Texas rodeos,” she said of the indoor events that cover the schedule through the winter months. “From there, I actually went to California, and this was just the spot I hit on my way home.” She lives in Glenham, in the northern portion of South Dakota. She’s held her WPRA membership since 2017 and is making a run through the ranks as she raises her children. She was 19th in the world standings heading into this weekend’s competition. “I had four kids before I bought my pro card, but I barrel raced all my life,” she said. “I’ve ridden horses since before I could walk. I had a seatbelt on my saddle to doctor cattle in the pasture. After I got married and had my kids, I was taking blown-up horses that nobody wanted and fixing them and making them barrel horses “My husband asked if I wanted to barrel race again, and my kids were old enough to do peewee, so I got back into it. For a while, I just did barrel races in South Dakota and amateur rodeo.” She has something special in Apollo, an 8-year-old bay gelding. Previous owners had hoped to use him as a tie-down roping horse; fortunately, a friend started the gelding on the barrel pattern before Kosel got ahold of him. Now, she loves what she has. The tandem set a new arena record in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and now they have the Guymon title to boot. “He’s very efficient,” said Kosel, whose children are 17, 13, 12 and 8. “He’s just really broke. If I wiggle a pinky or squeeze a butt cheek, he’s moving to get under me.” Like every contestant that competes in rodeo, there are gold buckle dreams. Should she make her way to the National Finals Rodeo in December, she’ll relish it; she’s just not going to worry about it. “We’re going to give it a go, but it’s always in God’s hands.” Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days RodeoMay 1-7All-around cowboy: Coleman Proctor, $6,068 in team roping and steer roping. Bareback riding: 1. Dean Thompson, 92.5 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Gun Fire, $3, 576; 2. Donny Proffit, 88, $2,741; 3. (tie) Tim O’Connell and Orin Larsen, 87, $1,669 each; 5. Leighton Berry, 86, $834; 6. (tie) Cooper Cook and Kade Sonnier, 85, $536 each; 8. Tanner Aus, 84.5, $358.  Team roping: First round: 1. Justin Pruitt/Gralyn Elkins, 6.4 seconds, $2,222 each; 2. Derrick Begay/Colter Todd, 6.6, $1,932; 3. (tie) Lightning Aguilera/Jared Fillmore, Clayton Eggers/Joshua Smitherman and Coy Rahlmann/Jonathan Torres, 6.9, $1,353 each; 6. Shay Dixon Carroll/Evan Arnold, 7.1, $773; 7. Bubba Buckaloo/JR Gonzalez, 7.2, $483; 8. Braden Pirrung/Lane Siggins, 7.3, $193. Second round: 1. Caleb Smidt/Paul Eaves, 5.5 seconds, $2,222 each; 2. Paul David Tierney/Tanner Braden, 6.0, $1,932; 3. (tie) Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin and Clay Smith/Coleby Payne, 6.1, $1,497 each; 5. J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo, 6.2, $1,063; 6. Klay Yaussi/Kash Yaussi, 6.4, $773; 7. (tie) Kolby Krieger/Bo Yaussi and Wyatt Murray/Whitt Crozier, 6.5, $338 each. Third round: 1. Paul David Tierney/Tanner Braden, 6.6 seconds, $2,222; 2. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 6.8, $1,932; 3. Kreece Thompson/Landen Glenn, 7.2, $1,642; 4. Tyler Waters/Douglas Rich, 7.3, $1,353; 5. Bubba Buckaloo/JR Gonzalez, 7.5, $1,063; 6. Rio Nuter/Reece Wadhams, 7.6, $773; 7. Casey Hicks/Steve Orth, 7.9, $483; 8. Klay Yaussi/Kash Yaussi, 8.3, $193. Average: 1. Derrick Begay/Colter Todd, 21.9 seconds on three runs, $3,333; 2. Tyler Waters/Douglas Rich, 23.0, $2,898; 3. Bubba Buckaloo/JR Gonzalez, 23.3, $2,4644; 4. Casey Hicks/Steve Orth, 23.8, $2,029; 5. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 28.9, $1,594; 6. Edgar AguilarJorge Luis Cruz, 29.3, $1,159; 7.Clay Smith/Coleby Payne, 31.3, $725;; 8. Braden Pirrung/Lane Siggins, 32.4, $290. Steer wrestling: First round: 1. (tie) Bridger Anderson and J.D. Struxness, 4.0 seconds, $2,363 each; 3. (tie) Brandon Harrison and Holden Myers, 4.1, $1,704 each; 5. (tie) Termaine Debose and Trell Etbauer, 4.2, $1,044 each; 7. Denell Henderson, 4.3, $550; 8. (tie) Trevin Fox, Marc Joiner, Reed Kraeger and Joe Nelson, 4.4, $55 each. Second round: 1. Cash Robb, 3.8 seconds, $2,528; 2. (tie) Billy Boldon, Trell Etbauer, Stetson Jorgensen, Cameron Morman and Colton Swearingen, 4.5, $1,539 each; 7. (tie) Mason Couch, Cody Devers and Tyler Willis Ravenscroft, 4.6, $256 each. Third round: 1. Mason Couch, 3.9 seconds, $2,529; 2. Kaden Greenfield, 4.2, $2,199; 3. (tie) Cash Robb, Brandon Harrison, Trisyn Kalawaia, Ty Bauerle and J.D. Struxness, 4.6, $1,209 each; 8. (tie) Kalane Anders and Stockton Graves, 4.8, $109 each. Average: 1. Mason Couch, 13.1 seconds on three runs, $3,793; 2. J.D. Struxness, 13.3, $3,298; 3. Trisyn Kalawaia, 14.5, $2,803; 4. Cash Robb, 14.6, $2,308; 5. (tie) Brandon Harrison and Cody Devers, 15.0, $1,566 each; 7. Stockton Graves, 15.6, $824; 8. Kaden Greenfield, 15.7, $330. Saddle bronc riding: 1. Tanner Butner, 90 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Lonesome Eyes, $3,804; 2. Wyatt Casper, 88.5, $2,917; 3. (tie) Brody Cress and Lefty Holman, 86.5, $1,715; 5, (tie) Chase Brooks, Logan Cook and Cort Scheer, 85.5, $676; 8. (tie) Ross Griffin and Stetson Wright, $190 each. Breakaway roping: First round: 1. (tie) Sierra Heinert and Madison Outhier, 2.3 seconds, $2,139 each; 3. (tie) Jackie Crawford and Ashley Goforth, 2.4, $1,542 each; 5. (tie) Amanda Coleman, Rylea Fabrizio and Kenzie Hay, 2.5, $796 each; 8. (tie) Deborah Fabrizio and Alli Masters, 2.6, $99 each. Second round 1. Josie Conner, 2.1 seconds, $2,288; 2. Sierra Heinert, 2.3, $1,990; 3. Deborah Fabrizio, 2.5, $1,691; 4. Cheyenne Bartling,  Continue Reading »

GUYMON, Okla. – J.D. Struxness is on a two-fold mission this rodeo season. He’s got a gold buckle on his mind, and there’s a tremendous amount of work involved with that. He added to his workload, though, with Izzy, an 11-year-old sorrel mare he’s finishing on the rodeo trail. After nearly two years of work as a steer wrestling horse, The red racer is being put through the paces the best way possible by just doing the work. It seems to be paying off at Oklahoma’s richest rodeo, the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo. He knocked down opening steer in 4.0 seconds Wednesday to share the first-round victory with North Dakotan Bridger Anderson, then was 4.7 to miss out on a second-round payday. During Friday’s first performance, he knocked his steer to the ground in 4.6 seconds to share the third-round lead and own the aggregate advantage with a three-run cumulative time of 13.3 seconds. “It’s a good little boost,” said Struxness, 28, of Milan, Minnesota. “We just came back from California and didn’t have any luck there, so coming back here and doing good (helps you) get on a roll. We’ll take a little break, and you’ll have confidence coming back to the big rodeos.” Competing in Henry C. Hitch Pioneer Arena is nothing new for Struxness, who attended nearby Northwestern Oklahoma State University on a rodeo scholarship. In 2016, he finished second in the Central Plains Region, then followed that with the intercollegiate championship, becoming the first Northwestern cowboy to claim a national title. “We always came here for the college rodeo, then came back the next week for the ProRodeo when I was going to Alva, so it was nice to work it twice,” he said. “I got confidence in this arena by competing that many times a year. It’s nice to finally have some luck, so we’ll see how it holds up,” He followed that magical college season with his first of four qualifications to the National Finals Rodeo, finishing fourth in the final world standings. He added trips to Las Vegas in 2017, ’19 and last season. This year, he’s 20th in the world standings with a great chance to move up depending on how much money he earns in the Oklahoma Panhandle. And he’s doing it all on a horse he has trained in bulldogging on his own. Leaning on hazer and NFR veteran Cameron Morman, Struxness is heading in the right direction. “It takes a lot away from the stress on my end to have someone that solid over there on a solid horse,” Struxness said. “I’m cracking my own horse out this year, and she’s still pretty green. I’ve been bulldogging on her for a year and a half. I took her to the winter rodeos, and it went back and forth a little. She’s handling the pressure good, and hopefully we can have a good summer. “I’ll go to some smaller circuit rodeos in May, then we’ll make our way up north in June and start getting after it.” Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days RodeoMay 1-7Bareback riding leaders: 1. Cooper Cook, 85 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Yellowstone; 2. Keenan Hayes, 83.5; 3. (tie) Mason Stuller and Shane O’Connell, 81; 5, Jess Pope, 78.5; 6. Colt Eck, 74; no other qualified rides.   Team roping: First round: 1. Justin Pruitt/Gralyn Elkins, 6.4 seconds, $2,222 each; 2. Derrick Begay/Colter Todd, 6.6, $1,932; 3. (tie) Lightning Aguilera/Jared Fillmore, Clayton Eggers/Joshua Smitherman and Coy Rahlmann/Jonathan Torres, 6.9, $1,353 each; 6. Shay Dixon Carroll/Evan Arnold, 7.1, $773; 7. Bubba Buckaloo/JR Gonzalez, 7.2, $483; 8. Braden Pirrung/Lane Siggins, 7.3, $193. Second round: 1. Caleb Smidt/Paul Eaves, 5.5 seconds, $2,222 each; 2. Paul David Tierney/Tanner Braden, 6.0, $1,932; 3. (tie) Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin and Clay Smith/Coleby Payne, 6.1, $1,497 each; 5. J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo, 6.2, $1,063; 6. Klay Yaussi/Kash Yaussi, 6.4, $773; 7. (tie) Kolby Krieger/Bo Yaussi and Wyatt Murray/Whitt Crozier, 6.5, $338 each. Third round leaders: 1. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 6.8 seconds; 2. Derrick Begay/Colter Todd, 8.5; no other qualified runs. Average leaders: 1. Derrick Begay/Colter Todd, 21.9 seconds on three runs; 2. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 28.9; 3. Clay Smith/Coleby Payne, 13.9; 4. Tyler Waters/Douglas Rich, 15.7; 5. Bubba Buckaloo/J.R. Gonzalez, 15.8; 6. Casey Hicks/Steve Orth, 15.9; 7. Justin Pruitt/Gralyn Elkins, 18.7; 8. Kellan Johnson/Carson Johnson, 19.0. Steer wrestling: First round: 1. (tie) Bridger Anderson and J.D. Struxness, 4.0 seconds, $2,363 each; 3. (tie) Brandon Harrison and Holden Myers, 4.1, $1,704 each; 5. (tie) Termaine Debose and Trell Etbauer, 4.2, $1,044 each; 7. Denell Henderson, 4.3, $550; 8. (tie) Trevin Fox, Marc Joiner, Reed Kraeger and Joe Nelson, 4.4, $55 each. Second round: 1. Cash Robb, 3.8 seconds, $2,528; 2. (tie) Billy Boldon, Trell Etbauer, Stetson Jorgensen, Cameron Morman and Colton Swearingen, 4.5, $1,539 each; 7. (tie) Mason Couch, Cody Devers and Tyler Willis Ravenscroft, 4.6, $256 each. Third round leaders: 1. (tie) Cash Robb, Brandon Harrison, Ty Bauerle and J.D. Struxness, 4.6; 5. Joshua Hefner, 5.3; 6. Laramie Warren, 5.4; 7. Sam Goings, 6.6; 8. Quentin Wheeler, 19.0. Average leaders: 1. J.D. Struxness, 13.3 seconds on three runs; 2. Cash Robb, 14.6; 3. Brandon Harrison, 15.0; 4. Joshua Hefner, 16.1; 5. Ty Bauerle, 23.0; 6. Sam Goings, 25.7; 8. Quentin Wheeler, 34.7. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Tanner Butner, 90 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Lonesome Eyes; 2. Wyatt Casper, 88.5; 3. Chase Brooks, 85.5; 4. Sam Martin, 84; 5. Tegan Smith, 79.5; 6. Blaise Freeman, 78.5; 7. Brady Hill, 78; 8. Trey Elshere, 76. Breakaway roping: First round: 1. (tie) Sierra Heinert and Madison Outhier, 2.3 seconds, $2,139 each; 3. (tie) Jackie Crawford and Ashley Goforth, 2.4, $1,542 each; 5. (tie) Amanda Coleman, Rylea Fabrizio and Kenzie Hay, 2.5, $796 each; 8. (tie) Deborah Fabrizio and Alli Masters, 2.6, $99 each. Second round leaders 1. Lari Dee Guy, 2.8 seconds; 2. (tie) Hannah Macy and Jackie Crawford, 3.1; no other qualified runs. Tie-down roping: First round: 1. (tie) Connor Atkinson and Cole Clemons, 7.9 seconds, $3,458 each; 3. (tie) Quade Hiatt and Michael Otero, 8.1, $2,493  Continue Reading »

It’s been a good four days for Scott Snedecor. Over the weekend, the four-time world champion steer roper from Fredericksburg, Texas, won three of the first six rounds of the National Circuit Finals Steer Roping in Torrington, Wyoming. With that, he earned a spot in the semifinals, where he finished second, then won the final go-round to claim his first national circuit championship. He earned $8,889 through the process, then loaded up his rig to be part of a contingent of steer ropers driving 500 miles south to the opening two days of competition at the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo. Four days, 12 go-rounds and two championships. He placed in just one go-round in the Oklahoma Panhandle on Monday afternoon but clinched the aggregate title by 8.5 seconds over the runner-up, Brodie Poppino of Big Cabin, Oklahoma. “It was a profitable few days,” said Snedecor, who won rodeo’s gold for the fourth time last season. “Anytime you get a win, it’s always good. To get those two wins back-to-back is a good confidence-builder.” With four world titles and 21 qualifications to the Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping, Snedecor is loaded with confidence. He had thought this was his second Guymon title, but there are no records to indicate he’d claimed the championship before this season. “It’s one of my favorite rodeos,” he said. “It was really tough this year, because the steers were really strong.” That’s what contestants have come to expect with Pioneer Days Rodeo. It’s known as a cowboys’ rodeo, which features great tests for all combatants. Snedecor passed the tests. “I feel good and don’t have any issues,” said Snedecor, who turned 48 in February. “My health is good, my horses are great. The horse I rode is one I seasoned the last couple years, and he makes it easy.” That’s Goose, a 14-year-old gelding he acquired from Oklahoman Shorty Garten. Snedecor had intended the horse to go to a client, but when situations arose that allowed him the opportunity to have Goose in competition, he decided to keep the bay for himself. “I’d sold my good horse a month or two prior to that, and then I had a jackpot and a rodeo to go to,” Snedecor said. “I jumped on him and rode him at the rode and the jackpot, and it went really well. “My wife told me I should just buy him.” He did, and he added $13,336 in just four spring days to show for it. He also earned one of the most coveted prizes in ProRodeo: A Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo trophy belt, which should go well with whichever gold buckle he intends to strap on it. Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days RodeoMay 1-7Steer roping: First round: 1. Landon McClaugherty, 11.7 seconds, $1,715; 2. Cole Patterson, 12.7, $1,491; 3. Brodie Poppino, 13.0, $1,268; 4. (tie) Mike Chase and Tyler Hargrave, 13.7, $932 each; 6. (tie) Don Ed Eddleman and Cash Myers, 13.8, $485 each; 8. Jess Tierney, 14.0, $149.Second round: 1. Trent Sorey, 12.3 seconds, $1,715; 2. Slade Wood, 12.6, $1,491; 3. Trevor Hale, 13.1, $1,268; 4. Scott Snedecor, 13.7, $1,044; 5. Rob Denny, 13.8, $820; 6. Kelton McMillen, 14.0, $597; 7. G.R. Carter, 14.2, $373; 8. Billy Good, 15.1, $149. Third round: 1. Trevor Hale, 12.2 seconds, $1,715; 2. Mike Chase, 12.3, $1,491; 3. Will Eddleman, 12.9, $1,268; 4. Coleman Proctor, 13.4, $1,044; 5. (tie) J. Tom Fisher and Connor McNeil, 13.6, $708 each; 7. Blake Deckard, 13.8, $373; 8. Paul David Tierney, 14.0, $149. Fourth round: 1. Cody Doescher, 9.2 seconds, $17.156; 2. Neal Wood, 11.2, $1,491; 3. Blake Deckard, 11.8, $1,268; 4. (tie) Jake Clay and Dalton Walker, 12.0, $932 each; 6. Will Eddleman, 12.2, $597; 7. Brad Lund, 12.8, $373; 8. Jason Stockton, 12.9, $149. Aggregate: 1. Scott Snedecor, 56.9 seconds on four runs, $3,430; 2. Brodie Poppino, 65.4 $2,983; 3. Cole Patterson, 66.8, $2,535; 4. Jarett Holliday, 74.6, $2,088; 5. Matt Phipps, 76.8, $1,641; 6. Tyler Hargrave, 42.8 seconds on three runs, $1,193; 7. Slade Wood, 43.2, $746; 8. Rob Denny, 43.4, $298. Legacy steer roping: First round: 1. Don Ed Eddleman, 13.8 seconds, $426; 2. Chad Mathis, 16.7, $320; 3. Buck Mekelburg, 17.1, $213; no other qualified runs. Second round: 1. Trent Sorey, 12.3 seconds, $426; 2. G.R. Carter, 14.2, $320; 3. Trey Wallace, 15.3, $213; 4. Dan Fisher, 18.1, $107. Third round: 1. Mark Milner, 14.5 seconds, $426; 2. Marty Jones, 15.8, $320; 3. Tanner Duwe, 20.0, $213; 4. Dan Fisher, 21.4, $107; Fourth round: 1. Brad Lund, 12.8 seconds, $426; 2. Chad Mathis, 13.2, $320; 3. Trey Wallace, 14.9, $213; 4. Don Ed Eddleman, 16.8, $107. Average: 1. Don Ed Eddleman, 52.7 seconds on three runs, $852; 2. Chad Mathis, 29.9 seconds on two runs, $639; 3. Trey Wallace, 30.2, $426; 4. Buck Mekelburg, 35.7, $213.

ALVA, Okla. – When Lindy Munsell first stepped onto the Northwestern Oklahoma State University campus, her big brother had just begun attending the school. She was 14 years old. Eight years later, she prepares for her graduation and life outside of Alva, where she’s earning a degree in health and sports science with a minor in biology. She’s hoping to further her education in radiology technology while finding a way to continue competing. Munsell has done that all her life. Raised near Arnett in extreme western Oklahoma, she followed big brother Hunter and big sister Taylor to Northwestern, and rodeo is a big reason for them all to find their ways to Alva. This past weekend, Lindy Munsell put the finishing touches to her intercollegiate career by winning the breakaway roping title at the Oklahoma Panhandle State University rodeo in Guymon. “I couldn’t have hoped for a better way to end it,” said Munsell, who won both the championship round and the aggregate titles. “I’ve been having some tough luck this year, so I made a horse change for the last four rodeos. I made the short round three of the last four, so it definitely made a difference.” She leaned on Shorty, an 11-year-old gelding owned by her boyfriend, Colt Cunningham; he used the buckskin as a heel horse, but the mount became crucial to Munsell’s success. “I started practicing with him two months ago, and within a month, he was ready to start hauling,” she said of the transition to breakaway roping. It’s important to have an equine partner contestants trust. Any advantage can help in events that are timed in tenths of a second. “In the Central Plains Region, no matter what event it is, there’s going to be some really tough competition,” she said. “You’re going to have to compete well, and at Guymon, all the calves were walking fresh. The start was big. You couldn’t judge the start based on what everybody else was doing.” That’s because the calves had never been run through the chute system. One may take off on a dead sprint, while the next may walk out of the chute. Leaving the timed-event box before the animal gets an adequate head start results in a 10-second penalty. That’s where Munsell’s patience and trust in Shorty came into play. “Scoring was probably the biggest part of me winning, because in the short round, I think there were three of us that had a clean time. A lot of others were having trouble with the start.” The Northwestern steer wrestlers found great success in Guymon, led by Kaden Greenfield of Lakeview, Oregon. Greenfield finished in a tie for third place in the opening round, then won the championship round to dominate the overall title. With it, he secured his second straight Central Plains Region title. Tevin Cowan of Harrold, South Dakota, placed second in the short round and second overall. Jeremy Plourde of Carleton, Michigan placed in both rounds and finished sixth, while Trisyn Kalawaia of Kalawaia, Hawaii, placed fifth in the opening round. Team roping header Horacio Holguin of Meade, Kansas, placed fourth in the short round and fourth overall while roping with Marley Berger of Southwestern Oklahoma State University. The Northwestern tandem of Emmett Edler of State Center, Iowa and Wyatt Montross of Williamsburg, Iowa, earned a spot in the short round by finishing sixth in the opener. Kerry Duvall of Farmington, California, won the first round of tie-down roping with a 10.4-second run but was saddled with a no-time in the final round. It was the final event of the 10-rodeo, Central Plains season. Greenfield and tie-down roper Denton Oestman of Auburn, Nebraska, have secured bids to the College National Finals Rodeo in their respective events. For Munsell, the last hurrah was an ideal end to her college rodeo experience. “I have a lot of pride going to school in Alva,” Munsell said. “It’s so easy, because there’s so much support and family in this area already, and I have so many people I know. I never made trips to Alva until Hunter and Taylor started school. Since I was 14, Alva was like a second home. “Now, it’s just home.”

GUYMON, Okla. – For decades, breakaway roping was a bit of a stepchild to traditional rodeo, a starting point for rising stars and a way for young women to show off their abilities. That changed four years ago when The American made breakaway roping part of its lucrative rodeo, and the rest of the Western sports world took notice. There are more opportunities for female ropers to make a living in the sport than ever before, and it’s still in the growing stages. While it has been a hit in the Oklahoma Panhandle for a while, breakaway roping will be one of the featured events at this year’s Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 5; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 6; and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 7, at Henry C. Hitch Pioneer Arena. “We’ve had an evening of breakaway roping before, but the rodeo committee opted to be sanctioned by the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association so that money counts toward the ProRodeo world standings,” said Ken Stonecipher, the production manager of the Pioneer Days Rodeo committee. “For the better part of the past two decades, we were known as a cowboys’ rodeo, and we want to be known as a cowgirls’ rodeo, too. We’ve got unlimited entries, so we could legitimately see hundreds of breakaway ropers come to Guymon this year. It will also have the same added money as the other events.” “Added money” refers to the amount of local dollars the volunteer committee puts into the pot. In Guymon, each event will start with $8,000 in local money, which will then be mixed with contestants’ entry fees to make up the total purse. Each event will have its own fee per contestant, and the numbers of cowboys or cowgirls per event will vary. “We’ve got seven full days of rodeo, so it’s no small task to put this thing on,” said Stonecipher, who also serves as one of the rodeo’s announcers. “When we decided to add breakaway roping to our performances, we wanted to give every competitor a good chance, which is why we set it up in the format we did.” All breakaway ropers will compete in one go-round, which begins at 5 p.m. Thursday, May 4. The cowgirls with the top times will advance through to the progressive round, which will be part of the four paid performances. The lady with the fastest two-run cumulative time will be crowned champion. Pioneer Days is unique in that it will feature all events associated with rodeo. Not all rodeos have steer roping, while others don’t have breakaway roping. Opening the doors to all types of competitors ensures the cream of the crop will be showcased in Guymon during the first week of May. Rodeo week kicks off with two days of steer roping beginning at noon Monday, May 1; there will be two go-rounds per day, and the top cumulative time on four runs will earn the first Pioneer Days trophy belt of the week. Two days of men’s timed events will follow beginning Wednesday, May 3. The fastest aggregate times will advance to the progressive round, which will take place over the weekend. Barrel racers will have the opportunity to compete in two go-rounds. The first round begins at 8 a.m. Friday, May 5, and the ladies with the 40 fastest times will return through the performances. All others will make their second runs around the cloverleaf pattern later Friday. The roughstock events – bareback riding, saddle bronc riding and bull riding – will be just one go-round, with the top score taking the lion’s share of the prize money. “We’ve been rodeoing in the Panhandle for 91 years, and we’ve got a lot to be proud of around here,” Stonecipher said. “Pioneer Days Rodeo is the hallmark event of our community celebration, so we want to keep it that way by making it fun and entertaining for the crowd and a great competition for the cowboys and cowgirls. “We’ve got the best stock contractor in the PRCA with Frontier Rodeo, and everybody around here already knows what that means for an event production and outstanding bucking stock. We’ve got a dedicated group of volunteers who just try to do better every year. That’s not an easy job, but it’s one we all take a lot of pride in.”

ALVA, Okla. – Kade Chace is a tie-down roper at heart, but he’s expanding his horizons. In recent months, his friends at Northwestern Oklahoma State University have talked Chace into trying his hand at steer wrestling, and he’s taken to it rather well. This past weekend at the Southwestern Oklahoma State University rodeo in Weatherford, the cowboy picked up points in both events to lead the way for the Rangers rodeo team. “I like that rodeo, because there are a lot of people that come out and support it,” said Chace, a Northwestern junior from Cherokee, Oklahoma. “I haven’t had much luck (this year), so I told myself to go out there and rope one and see what happens. I did my job in the Friday performance.” He roped and tied his first-round calf in 10.7 seconds to finish fourth in the long round. He actually competed in both events Friday night and knocked his steer down in 4.9 seconds to finish in a three-way tie for third place in the opening round with teammates Jeremy Plourde of Carleton, Michigan, and Tevin Cowan of Harrold, South Dakota. “I also made a good bulldogging run in the long round,” Chace said. “I haven’t been doing it very long. It was good to get that feeling. I had a lot of support from my rodeo team.” There are a bunch of great bulldoggers at Northwestern, with six of the top seven steer wrestlers in the Central Plains Region being Rangers. They’ve all given a hand to the newcomer, with Hawaiian Trisyn Kalawaia offering the use of his bulldogging horse. In Saturday’s championship round, Chace didn’t secure his steer and was saddled with a no-time, but he excelled in tie-down roping. He stopped the clock in 10.5 seconds to finish third in the short round, and his two-run cumulative time of 21.2 seconds was good enough for third overall. “I drew a great calf in that calf roping, and I just wanted to do my job,” he said. “I roped him and tied him down, and my horse worked great. I didn’t have much luck in the bulldogging, but I had a great horse. Trisyn let me ride one of his bulldogging horses, and I can’t thank that guy enough.” There are two rodeos remaining in the Central Plains season, with the teams traveling to Hays, Kansas, this next weekend and to Guymon, Oklahoma, the final weekend of April. Chace is hoping to continue his hot streak and jump into the top three in the regional tie-down roping standings by season’s end and secure his spot at the College National Finals Rodeo. “I think if I can continue to do what I did in Weatherford, I could sneak in there,” he said. “My plan is to do my job and let it all play out from there. If I do my job and my horse does his job, I really like my chances.” His horse is Romeo, a sorrel gelding that he acquired from his WPRA world champion sister, Kelsie Domer. “She didn’t really get along with him, so I told her to let me have him so I could see if I could get them to like each other,” Chace said. “I had him for a couple of years; he worked great for me, so I just bought him. He’s easy to ride, and he does the same thing every time so I only have to worry about myself.” Fellow Northwestern tie-down roper Denton Oestman of Auburn, Nebraska, added to his regional lead by finishing second in the long round in Weatherford, while the team roping tandem of Camden Hoelting of Olpe, Kansas, and Austin Lampe of Dodge City, Kansas, finished in a three-way tie for fourth place in the opening round. None of those Rangers had much luck after that. In bulldogging, Wyatt Fields of Silsbee, Texas, led the way for Northwestern by winning the championship round and finishing third overall. Both Chace and Plourde failed to place after their first-round runs, but Cowan was 6.1 in the short round to finish sixth overall. Barrel racer Samantha Chambers of Calhan, Colorado, finished sixth in the short round and sixth overall. With just two rodeos left on the campaign, it’s down to crunch time for all the Rangers. Chace can do wonders if he can continue to score points in multiple events. After years of being pestered to try his hand at steer wrestling, he likes how he has been transformed. “It was a good feeling to get points in both events,” Chace said. “I had a lot of family there watching and supporting me. It felt good with all that practice and to see all those guys do it. I had a bunch of other team members cheering for me, so it was a lot of fun.”

SAN ANGELO, Texas – First-year ProRodeo cowboys aren’t supposed to do the things that Keenan Hayes is doing. He is dominating the Resistol Rookie of the Year bareback riding standings with more than $85,000 in earnings. He’s also No. 2 in the world standings, besting most of the established veterans in most physically demanding events in the sport. On Saturday night, Hayes made two world-class rides to walk away with the San Angelo Cinch Chute-Out title and $7,500. He packaged that with his victory a year ago at the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo when he was on his permit, a qualifying level in ProRodeo that he maintained while setting new earnings records. “I love the energy in this place,” said Hayes, 20, of Hayden, Colorado. “I was 110 (percent) the whole time.” He rode Championship Pro Rodeo’s The Crow for 80.5 points to win the long round, then matched moves with Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Top Notch for 89 points to win the title. He added $7,500 to his already solid winter campaign, where he sits second in the world standings behind Texan Leighton Berry, who earned a share of the San Angelo rodeo’s bareback riding title Friday night. “I was really excited to get on that horse,” he said of Top Notch, which has been a fixture at the National Finals Rodeo for several years. “It was really fun. “I had good luck here last year and was lucky enough to continue this year. This is one of my favorite rodeos, so I’s an awesome place to do it.” The Chute-Out features a unique format. Ten contestants compete in the opening round, with only the top three advancing to the championship round, where the top score or fastest time wins the title and the lion’s share of the money. Hayes wasn’t the only top dog to find his way to the title Saturday night: He was joined by No. 1 steer wrestler Dalton Massey of Hermiston, Oregon, and Stetson Wright of Milford, Utah, who leads the all-around race, is second in saddle bronc riding and is fourth in bull riding. Wright qualified for the three-man finals in both of his events, winning the bronc riding crown with a 91-point ride on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Larry Culpepper. Massey stopped the clock in his final bulldogging run in 3.3 seconds to win the top prize. “It was a tough group of guys, and it went my way,” said Massey, who won RodeoHouston a few weeks ago to move into the standings lead. “I had a great steer. I knew I had one of the steers I really wanted. I got a great start; I knew he was going to let off, and Remey Parrott hazed for me, and Tanner Milan’s horse worked great. Everything worked out for me.” It also worked out well for tie-down roper Riley Pruitt of Gering, Nebraska. Pruitt, who won the NFR average title in 2016, won the long round in 7.4 seconds. In the Chute-Out, Michael Otero had posted a 7.7-second run. Pruitt raced through his tie and, despite fumbling his wrap, stopped the clock two-tenths faster. “When I threw my hands up, I knew it would be close,” said Pruitt, who is 10th in the world standings. “Luckily I was going fast enough that I made up for a couple of them bobbles.” Other winners on the final night of the San Angelo stock Show and Rodeo inside Foster Communications Coliseum were team ropers Dustin Equsquiza and Levi Lord, bull rider Jeff Askey and barrel racer Lindsay Sears, a two-time world champion who last won ProRodeo gold in 2011. San Angelo Stock Show and RodeoCinch Chute-OutApril 15Bareback riding: 1. Keenan Hayes, 88 points on Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Top Notch, $7,500; 2. Jayco Roper, 87.5, $3,000; 3. Taylor Broussard, 87, $2,000. Steer wrestling: 1. Dalton Massey, 3.3 seconds, $7,500; 2. Jacob Talley, 3.4, $3,000; 3. Stockton Graves, 4.0, $2,000. Team roping: 1. Dustin Equsquiza/Levi Lord, 4.0 seconds, $7,500; no other qualified runs. Saddle bronc riding: 1. Stetson Wright, 91 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Larry Culpepper, $7,500; 2. Kade Bruno, 89.5, $3,000; no other qualified rides. Tie-down roping: 1. Riley Pruitt, 7.5 seconds, $7,500; 2. Michael Otero, 7.7, $3,000; Riley Webb, 8.8, $2,000. Barrel racing: 1. Lindsay Sears, 13.80 seconds, $3,000; 2. Jordon Briggs, 14.42, $2,250; 3. Sherry Cervi, 19.48, $1,500; 4. Hailey Kinsel, 25.99, $750. Bull riding: 1. Jeff Askey, 88 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Bandit, $7,500; no other qualified rides.