O’Connell avenges brotherly feud
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 […]
Rookie ignites a bit of Gun Fire
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 […]
Struxness bolts into Guymon lead
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 […]
Snedecor stays on roll in Guymon
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 […]
Munsell closes career with win
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 […]
New event to be part of rodeo week
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 […]
Chace scores points in all-around
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, […]
Hayes wins another Angelo title
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 […]
Berry rides momentum to title
SAN ANGELO, Texas – Leighton Berry has earned a significant income in just a short time. Now in the fourth month of the year, the Weatherford, Texas, cowboy has already earned more than $115,000 and sits No. 1 in the bareback riding world standings. Nearly $11,000 of that has come over the last couple of […]
Mowry Wills herself to the top
SAN ANGELO, Texas – Kassie Mowry was in a bit of a hurry during Thursday’s 10th performance of the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo. It’s good for her to be in that position, because she’s used to going fast. She trains barrel racing horses, and she’s pretty darn good at her job. She and […]
Angelo’s Harris thrills crowd
SAN ANGELO, Texas – A San Angelo cowboy shined brightly Wednesday night at his hometown rodeo. The crowd inside Foster Communications Coliseum is always loud and always on point when it comes to enjoying the rodeo performances, but the sound exploded during Ty Harris’ 7.9-second run. It was his first of at least two runs, […]
FHSU to induct inaugural class into rodeo hall
There’s a lot going on this spring at Fort Hays State University in western Kansas. The school’s rodeo club is celebrating its 60th anniversary in style, introducing its inaugural class for induction into the Fort Hays State University Rodeo Hall of Fame during the college’s rodeo weekend, Thursday, April 20-Sunday, April 23. A reception, set […]
Erickson grapples Angelo lead
SAN ANGELO, Texas – It takes many elements for cowboys to find success in rodeo. For steer wrestler Ty Erickson, he needs a good bulldogging horse, a good hazer riding a good horse and a steer that helps them be fast. When it all comes together, elite cowboys like Erickson make it look easy. “The […]
Kimzey triumphant at X Bulls
SAN ANGELO, Texas – The smile that pierced across Sage Kimzey’s lips revealed more than the emotions of winning a bull riding title; he’s done that countless times in his storied career. No, this smile said more in its creases and lines than many others. It showcased a sign of the times and an understanding […]
Hall, Bray speed to round lead
SAN ANGELO, Texas – Thursday’s run didn’t work out the way the team roping tandem of Brenten Hall and Paden Bray had hoped. The duo suffered a five-second penalty when Bray only secured one leg instead of two in his heel loop, pushing their first-round time to 9.0 seconds. That takes them out of title […]
Guymon rodeo to honor Latham
GUYMON, Okla. – Over three-plus decades, Craig Latham left his mark on the Oklahoma Panhandle. He followed in the footsteps of his older brother, Deke, and moved to Goodwell to attend Oklahoma Panhandle State University, known nationally as Bronc Rider U. He was one of many that just added to that legacy, establishing himself early […]
Casper rides into title contention
SAN ANGELO, Texas – Wyatt Casper is on the lookout for a new favorite rodeo. He might have found it Thursday night, when he rode Lancaster & Jones Rodeo’s Angel Fire for 86 points to move into second place in saddle bronc riding during the fifth performance of the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo. […]
Fields finding his way in rodeo
ALVA, Okla. – There was a time a few years ago that Wyatt Fields was learning techniques to better his curve ball. He was a pitcher whose fastball reached up to 90 mph and carried him to a college team. About three years ago, though, injuries caught up with him. Throwing that many pitches can […]
Pope shines brightly in Angelo
SAN ANGELO, Texas – In his first three years of competing inside Foster Communications Coliseum, Jess Pope hasn’t had much luck at the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo. That changed this year. He rode Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Painted River for 87 points to move into a tie for the bareback riding lead during […]
Wilson takes lead on a fun ride
SAN ANGELO, Texas – There’s a fine line between having fun and having too much fun, and Cash Wilson was walking a tight rope Saturday night. “I was really having fun, and then I was having too much fun and set my rein down and spurred over my rein and about got myself in trouble,” […]
Eldridge takes top bulldogging spot
SAN ANGELO, Texas – Dakota Eldridge just plain needed that. On the opening night of the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo at Foster Communications Coliseum, Eldridge flattened his steer to the ground in 3.4 seconds to take the first-round steer wrestling lead and give him an edge as he readies for his second-round run […]
Panhandle shines during NFR
GUYMON, Okla. – Folks in this part of the world understand the life and legacy of the cowboy. The rugged terrain that makes up the Plains states can be harsh and unyielding. It takes stout men and women who can handle challenges in order to tame this land while raising the feed that feeds a […]
Geiger ropes Fort Scott crown
ALVA, Okla. – When Lacey Geiger was looking for the next level of her education, she had some specific details she needed to hopefully finish her degree. She found them in Northwestern Oklahoma State University and its rodeo coach Stockton Graves. That’s when she opted to move from Central Arizona College to Alva to not […]
Rumford just himself in the arena
GUYMON, Okla. – Peering through the reflective glass at his past, Justin Rumford was a comedy act waiting to happen. As a high-schooler in south-central Kansas, his actions oftentimes proved to be a mix of his small-town raising, a life lived on the rodeo trail and a hunger for a good time. He carried that […]