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CLARENDON, Texas – A quartet of Clarendon College saddle bronc riders made a big statement this past weekend at the Vernon (Texas) College rodeo. The top four men were all Clarendon College cowboys, and they were a  key reason why the Bulldogs won the men’s team title at Vernon. “We had another good weekend,” said Bret Franks, the rodeo team’s coach. “I’d say those four were on top of their game and made the most difference for us. It was good to see how well we competed.” Weston Patterson of Waverly, Kansas, led the way for the Bulldogs, placing third in the opening round with an 81-point ride, then winning the championship round with an 85 to clinch the average with a cumulative score166 points. He finished just ahead of teammates Dylan Hancock of Golconda, Illinois, and Slade Keith of Stanfield, Arizona, both of whom placed in both rounds and finished tied for second in the aggregate with 163 points on two rides – Keith won the first round with an 84. Fellow bronc buster Reno McGill of Gardnerville, Nevada, finished fourth in the short round with an 82.5-point ride and placed fourth overall. “We scored 450 points as a team to win the title, and we got 380 points in bronc riding,” Franks said. “If we didn’t get any other points along the way, we still would have won the rodeo because of the points we got in bronc riding.” That’s a powerful statement, but it’s proof of the dominant showing the Bulldogs put on in rodeo’s classic event. Patterson also added points by placing fifth in the long round of bareback riding, while Sam Petersen of Helena, Montana, placed in both the final round and the aggregate. Clarendon team ropers Clay Freeman of Wickenburg, Arizona, and Hayden Bass of Plainview, Texas, placed fourth in the opening round. With the victory, Clarendon College moves into second place in the Southwest Region’s men’s standings. The Bulldogs supplanted Tarleton State University in the race for the regional title and made up ground on the leader, Western Texas College, with six events remaining on the 2022-23 calendar. For the Clarendon College women, barrel racer Quincy Sullivan of Peralta, New Mexico, placed in both go-rounds of barrel racing. Her 17.16-second run in the championship round was the second-fastest of the weekend, which was also good enough to help her to a second-place finish in the round and move up to third place in the aggregate. “There are some things we’ll continue to work on, but I like the direction we’re heading,” Franks said. “It’s nice to move up the standings at each rodeo, but our main goal is to finish the season with the regional title.”

HEMPSTEAD, Texas – The Waller County Fair Association keeps track of 26 Junior Livestock and Expo Auction grand- and reserve-champion money-earning records. There were 18 of them broken this year. “We have the most awesome supporters and buyers in the state of Texas,” said Susan Shollar, a member of the Waller County Fair Board who oversees the auction each year. “We have some very loyal supporters and buyers through the years, and we also added some new buyers this year that helped. “Another thing that helped is that our buyers have started combining their efforts, so we got a lot of group purchases.” That consolidation resulted in an all-time record of $1.352 million in auction sales and an all-time record of $128,000 raised toward scholarships for youth. “Our kids are very hard-working, and the buyers know that and appreciate that,” Shollar said. “They like to show the kids they appreciate it.” There was also a caveat involved in the mix this year. The fair board allows anyone to add money to the exhibitors. That could be $1 or any amount above it, and Shollar expects the total money raised to increase to about $1.5 million by the time those extras are added into the total. “We have a lot of people that wanted to give to the non-auction exhibitors to help them offset their higher feed prices through the year,” she said. “Our supporters are behind the kids 100 percent in Waller County.” The primary purpose of the fair and rodeo is to showcase youth and agriculture while also providing a future for youngsters in the county. The people in Waller County are doing that year after year, and it’s showing in the final product every October. The fair board is also continuing its 10-year vision of upgrading all facilities within the Waller County Fairgrounds. The next step is the production of a covered rodeo arena that will feature corporate sky boxes (Diamond Level), a new press box, new working pens, a return alley among other updates. “We still have some sponsorship opportunities that are available for the capital campaign, but they’re going fast,” said Dustin Standley, who has been part of the fair association for several years. “Anyone that’s interested can call me (281.924.6357) or Clint Sciba (281.615.0299) to be involved in this process and help us continue to improve the facilities at the fairgrounds.” These are all the next steps involving one of the most progressive expositions in Texas. Shollar has been around it for more than a dozen years, even though she doesn’t have children involved in showing or being part of the auction. “We’re doing all this for the right reasons,” she said. “It’s a lot of work, but we enjoy the work. We enjoy the comradery, but more than anything, we enjoy seeing the types of people and the types of future leaders that come out of this. The fair board members, the parents and our supporters see the same thing.”

ALVA, Okla. – A view of the Central Plains Region steer wrestling standings early in the 2022-23 season reveals what most in this part of the world have known for a long time. The top men on the tally all come from Northwestern Oklahoma State University, also known as the Bulldogging Capital of College Rodeo. Sophomore Emmett Edler just added his name to the list this past weekend when he placed second in both rounds to win the aggregate title at the Oklahoma State University rodeo in Stillwater. “We’re Bulldogger U for a reason, especially this year,” said Edler, 20, of State Center, Iowa. “We’ve got a lot more guys than we did last year that come to practice every day and work at it. It’s kind of a motley crew, but we feed off each other.” He sits fourth in the Central Plains Region, and all the men in front of him are his teammates: Quade Potter of Stockville, Nebraska, sits No. 1, followed Kaden Greenfield of Lakeview, Oregon, and Cameron Fox of Tulsa, Oklahoma. In fact, six of the top nine steer wrestlers in the region are Rangers: Tyler Scheevel of Lester Prairie, Minnesota, and Trisyn Kalawaia of Waiakea, Hawaii, are tied for eight. While Edler won in Stillwater, five others added points to their totals. Potter won the first round and placed in the short round to finish third, and Greenfield placed in the opening round and finished fifth overall. Fox and Jacob Haren of Erie, Colorado, each placed in the final round. It all comes down to the preparatory work done by the team in practice. Coach Stockton Graves, an eight-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier in steer wrestling, leads the charge, but he also has a bit of help from other Northwestern alumni, notably a couple of 2020 NFR qualifiers, Bridger Anderson, the 2019 college bulldogging champion, and Emmett’s brother, Jacob Edler, who also won the 2020 world championship. “Stockton is a great influence and helps set a tone,” Emmett Edler said. “Just being here in Alva, my brother, Bridger and (Rangers alumnus) Riley Westhaver are at practice every day. There are a lot of good resources here if you want to be a bulldogger and you want to get better.” It’s part of the college rodeo experience. They’re not only students in the classroom, but they earn their lessons in the practice pen. It paid off in Stillwater, where Emmett Edler rode his horse, Jacob, to the title; the horse was trained by the elder Edler, therefore, earning his name. “I had two good enough steers, got two great starts and I used the steers right and made two great runs,” Emmett Edler said. “You’ve got to be on the barrier and make good, smart runs. “I definitely needed it. I had struggled at the first two rodeos. I just wasn’t using my head and wasn’t bulldogging as good as I needed to. I needed to get everything collected and go bulldog like I know I can.” Tie-down roper Denton Oestman of Auburn, Nebraska, roped and tied his first-round calf in 9.3 seconds to finish second in the go-round. In team roping, header Ben Jackson of Hudson Hope, British Columbia, placed in both rounds and finished fourth overall while roping with Zach Dunlop of Western Oklahoma State College. The Kansas tandem of Camden Hoelting of Olpe and Austin Lampe of Dodge City placed in both rounds and finished fifth. There was a quartet of breakaway ropers who gathered points for the Northwestern women, led by Jayden Jensen of Fallon, Nevada, who placed in the second round and finished third overall. Jentri Hulbert of Arcadia, Nebraska, won the first round with a 2.5-second run, then finished fourth in the short round and fourth overall. Laci Geiger of Emmett, Idaho, and Taralee Haddock of Elbert, Colorado, each gathered first-round points. Goat-tier Morgan Poust of Hughesville, Pennsylvania, finished third in the opening round, but her time was a little too long in the short round to place. Each step of the process is about getting better, whether that’s in the rodeo arena or the classroom. Competing in intercollegiate sports provides a chance to learn in all aspects of life. “I think I have become a lot better competitor over the past year,” said Emmett Edler, who also borrowed his brother’s hazing horse to have a solid team of equine partners at OSU. “Before this, I could put some good runs together, but when it came to seal the deal and finish, I was lacking a little bit. “Over the summer, I went home and circuit rodeoed. I kept putting myself into position that I could win and gain more and more confidence over the summer and fall.” It’s important to do well individually, and he gets a chance to sharpen his game every day in practice by competing with his teammates and with their mentors. They learn how to wrestle steers correctly, and the idea is then to carry that over into each college rodeo. “Practice is a lot of fun, but at the same time, we’re not there to mess around,” Emmett Edler said. “We’re there to bulldog and bulldog correct. “This ream is really good this year. We’ve got a lot of great bulldoggers, and I expect to see nothing but black (Northwestern) vests when it comes time to go to the college finals.”

GUNNISON, Colo. – This community in the middle of the Rocky Mountains is a true rodeo town, and the evidence is proven each July during its Cattlemen’s Days celebration. The people in this town of more than 6,600 love their annual rodeo, and so do the cowboys that compete for a living. Further evidence was issued last week when the Cattlemen’s Days Rodeo was nominated for the PRCA’s Medium Rodeo of the Year. “I think this nomination is a real big deal for the people in Gunnison,” said Brad Tutor, first vice president of the Cattlemen’s Days volunteer committee. “We have a lot of big rodeo fans, and this is the highlight of the year. It’s the biggest event Gunnison puts on. “For us to be recognized for our sponsors, for our community and for everyone that puts this thing on means something.” It’s been almost 25 years since Cattlemen’s Days received a nomination for top rodeo, and only five events across the country are up for the honor in each size category: small, medium, large outdoor and large indoor. In essence, PRCA members have selected Gunnison’s rodeo as one of the top 20 in North America. “It’s quite an honor to be nominated again,” Tutor said. “What it really says about our committee is that we build a lot of relationships with our contractors, our stock contractor, our announcer, our secretary, our clowns, our bullfighters, our photographer and all those that come in and help us with our rodeo. “Building those relationships really helps. We have great communication with those experts, and we ask what we can do to help them do what they need to do.” Besides the rodeo’s nomination, there are several other parts of the 2022 Cattlemen’s Days that are also recognized by the PRCA, including Stace Smith Pro Rodeo, which is up for Stock Contractor of the Year; secretary Amanda Sanders; timer Shawna Ray; and photographer Robby Freeman. Gunnison’s designation is also a tribute to local organizers who have overcome recent challenges while also working to produce an event for the community. “This is what the people on our committee love to do,” Tutor said. “I think it’s a combination of things. A key reason, I think, is the fact that we put on a rodeo in 2020 during the COVID year. We worked tirelessly. We put that on for the people who compete in rodeo or work in rodeo to have a place to make a living. “They remember it. Then, putting on good rodeos the next two years has really paid off for us. Those people haven’t forgotten us. More than half the rodeos in a normal year were canceled in 2020, and there were still many that didn’t happen again in 2021. By us being able to have our rodeo stay continuous, we made a statement to our community and to the people in rodeo.” The previous two years saw record numbers of competitors making their way across mountain passes to be sure to be part of Cattlemen’s Days. In 2022, the numbers were still big, with more than 400 cowboys and cowgirls hoping to win the title in their respective events. That field included more than a dozen world champions who accounted for 24 Montana Silversmiths gold buckles. A couple of them came away with the wins in Gunnison: Team roping heeler Patrick Smith, a two-time world champ, was part of the winning tandem in team roping with Tanner Tomlinson, while 2012 titlist Mary Walker earned a share of the barrel racing crown with National Finals Rodeo qualifier Jimmie Smith. Other NFR qualifiers who claimed the championships in Gunnison were bareback rider Tilden Hooper and bull rider Jeff Askey. “We had the best stock contractor in rodeo in Stace Smith, the best announcer with Andy Stewart, a past winner of Secretary of the Year with Amanda Sanders and last year’s Photographer of the Year in Robby Freeman,” Tutor said. “We draw the best of the best that the PRCA has to offer. I personally think it’s the best rodeo Colorado puts on. We’re proud to be nominated. “I want to commend the committee and commend the volunteers who come in and help us. The people that dedicate their time and their lives get the kudos for this nomination. They deserve it for all they do to make our rodeo so successful.”

CLARENDON, Texas – Led by a couple of event victories and several other top placings, the Clarendon College men’s rodeo team won its home event this past weekend. “We had a lot of people step up and do good for us, and that’s what it takes to win in our region,” Clarendon College rodeo coach Bret Franks said. “I think the Southwest Region is the toughest in college rodeo, so any time you can win in this region, it’s a big deal. “Winning at home makes it even better.” Sam Petersen of Helena, Montana, won the bareback riding title, scoring 82 points to win the first round and 77 points to finish second in the championship round. His two-ride cumulative score of 159 points was good enough to claim the overall title. Petersen is now in second place in the Southwest Region’s bareback riding standings. Fellow bareback rider Weston Patterson finished fifth in the first round and also placed in fourth in steer wrestling. He earned two spots in the short round but was unable to finish because he was in a battle for the saddle bronc riding title in ProRodeo’s Prairie Circuit, which had its finals this past weekend. Patterson finished the season as the circuit’s champion and will advance at the national circuit finals rodeo, called the NFR Open, in July. “When you have pro athletes that are competing at the college level, you realize they have some goals they want to meet,” Franks said. “This was a good opportunity for Weston to win a PRCA championship and set himself up good for next season, and I didn’t want him to miss out on that. “I was worried our chances to win this weekend would be hurt by him not being here for the short-round, but everybody else stepped up big and helped us pull through.” Dylan Hancock of Golconda, Illinois, also walked away with a title, scoring 159 cumulative points to win saddle bronc riding. He was 75 points in the long round to advance to the short go-round, where he had the highest-marked ride of the rodeo, an 84, to win the final round and the average title. Teammate Slade Keith of Stanfield, Arizona, won the first round and finished in a tie for second in the championship round; he finished second, just a point behind Hancock in the aggregate. With the points he earned in Clarendon, Keith moved regional lead in the saddle bronc riding standings. “I was really proud of how many kids we had in the short round,” Franks said, noting that bull rider Hadley Miller of Boyd, Texas, competed in the final round but didn’t place. “I think it says something to see that many black vests in the short-go at our hometown rodeo.” For the women, Quincy Sullivan of Peralta, New Mexico, stopped the clock in 2.3 seconds to finish as the runner-up in the first round of breakaway roping. She placed fifth in the final round and finished fourth overall. She is eighth in the regional standings. The Bulldogs men finished with 495 points to outlast Southwest Region leader Western Texas College. That helped Clarendon College move up to third place in the Southwest Region with seven events remaining on the 2022-23 schedule. “We’ve made some good strides, but we need to keep putting ourselves in position at every rodeo if we want to win the region,” Franks said. “I think we have the ability to do that.”

DUNCAN, Okla. – Taylor Munsell came into the Chisholm Trail RAM Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo a bit behind the eight-ball. She trailed breakaway roping year-end leader Addie Weil by $1,700 and needed to make up some ground over the final three nights of the region season. She was slowed opening night when Munsell was saddled with a no-time, and her quest to claim the circuit title seemed even further away. “We didn’t start the weekend out super great, definitely not how we wanted,” said Munsell of Alva, Oklahoma. “We had a gameplan but didn’t follow that, so we went back to the drawing board and decided we’d go at the go-round (wins) and see how it fell.” It fell her way. She won both the second and third rounds and finished third in the aggregate race with a cumulative time of 4.1 seconds, pocketing $4,224 over the final two nights to secure the year-end championship. “Addie didn’t feel well, and she’s been in and out of the hospital for a few days,” Munsell said of the Edna, Kansas, cowgirl. “She came back, bared down and roped good, too, but it fell my way this weekend.” In a sport where dollars equal points, Munsell finished the circuit season with $12,616, about $1,400 ahead of Weil. “My confidence level is definitely a lot better now,” said Munsell, who sits fourth in the world standings and will return to the National Finals Breakaway Roping for the second straight year when the event takes place in late November. “This is a great end to the year. “This is a really big start up. This is the last place I get to go where it’s this kind of setup, a rodeo atmosphere, until I go ack to Vegas. I’m done rodeoing until, just jackpotting a few times between now and then. I’ll save my good horses for Vegas and just enter a few jackpots along the way. I want to keep sharp, and I’ll go down to Texas and rope with some of those guys that area going to Vegas, too.” Colt Eck was in a similar situation to Munsell: He needed to have a great run inside the Stephens County Arena if he were to have a chance to win the Prairie Circuit’s title. “I decided to compete in this circuit this year, and it paid off for me,” said Eck, 20, of Uniontown, Kansas, a junior on the Missouri Valley College rodeo team. He trailed veteran Yance Day of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, by about $2,300 prior to the start of the circuit finale. He then won the first go-round, split the victory in the second round and placed fourth on Saturday night. He finished second in the aggregate race and earned $6,984 to surpass Day for the year-end title. “I drew some really good horses,” Eck said. “This was a good way to finish off the year.”               Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals RodeoOct. 13-15Duncan, Okla.Bareback riding: First round: 1. Colt Eck, 81.5 points on New Frontier Rodeo’s Law Dog, $1,926; 2. Mike Fred, 80.5, $1,445; 3. Jayco Roper, 80, $963; 4. (tie) Trevor Lattin and Yance Day, 78 $241 each. Second round: 1. (tie) Jayco Roper, on Frontier Rodeo’s Delta Ship, and Colt Eck, on Rafter H Rodeo’s Country Boy, 82.5 points, $1,686 each; 3. Ty Blessing, 80, $963; 4. Yance Day, 74, $482. Third round: 1. Jayco Roper, 82 points on Salt Creek Rodeo’s Super Soaker, $1,926; 2. Yance Day, 80.5, $1,445; 3. Owen Brouillette, $963; 4. Colt Eck, 79.5, $482. Average: 1. Jayco Roper, 244.5 points on three rides, $2,890; 2. Colt Eck, 243.5, $2,167; 3. Yance Day, 232.5, $1,445; 4. Ty Blessing, 228, $722. Year-end champion: Colt Eck. Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Bridger Anderson, 3.9 seconds, $1,928; 2. Cody Devers, 4.5, $1,445; 3. (tie) Tucker Alberts and Blame Mindemann, 5.3, $722 each. Second round: 1. Jacob Edler, 3.7 seconds, $1,926; 2. Travis Munro, 4.3, $1,445; 3. Tanner Brunner, 4.7, $963; 4. Blake Mindemann, 4.9, $482. Third round: 1. Travis Munro, 4.6 seconds, $1,926; 2. Cody Devers, 4.8, $1,445; 3. Riley Duvall, 5.0, $963; 4. Jacob Edler, 5.3, $482. Average: 1. Jacob Edler, 15.0 seconds on three runs, $2,890; 2. Travis Munro, 16.5, $2,167; 3. Gus Franzen, 16.8, $1,445; 4. Tanner Brunner, 19.7, $722. Year-end champion: Jacob Edler Team roping: First round: 1. Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins, 4.4 seconds, $1,926; 2. Bubba Buckaloo/Joseph Harrison, 5.2, $1,445; 3. Trevor Howard/Cody Heflin, 5.6, $963; 4. Jake Cooper Clay/Billie Jack Saebens, 6.0, $482. Second round: 1. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 4.4 seconds; 2. Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins, 4.6, $1,445; 3. Curry Kirchner/Reagan Ward, 4.7, $963; 4. Jake Clay/Billie Jack Saebens, 4.8, $482. Third round: 1. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 4.4 seconds, $1,926; 2. Jake Clay/Billie Jack Saebens, 4.9, $1,445; 3. Tyler Hobert/Chase Boekhaus, 5.1, $963; 4. Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins, 5.4, $482. Average: 1. Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins, 14.4 seconds on three runs, $2,890; 2. Jake Clay/Billie Jack Saebens, 15.7, $2,167; 3. Tyler Hobert/Chase Boekhaus, 23.7, $1,445; 4. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 27.7, $722. Year-end champion header: Andrew Ward. Year-end champion heeler: Buddy Hawkins. Breakaway roping: First round: 1. KeAnn Hayes, 2.4 seconds, $1,536; 2. Alyssa Bigon, 2.5, $1,152; 3. Ari-Anna Flynn, 2.9, $768; 4. Hannah Lee, 11.8, $384. Second round: 1. Taylor Munsell, 2.1 seconds, $1,536; 2. Alyssa Bigon, 2.3, $1,152; 3. Addie Weil, 2.6, $768; 4. KeAnn Hayes, 2.8, $384. Third round: 1. Taylor Munsell, 2.0 seconds, $1,536; 2. Hannah Lee, 2.1, $1,152; 3. (tie) Mollie Bassett, Addie Weil and Mikayla McCoy, 2.5, $294 each. Average: 1. KeAnn Hayes, 7.9 seconds on three runs, $2,304; 2. Ari-Anna Flynn, 9.1, $1,728; 3. Taylor Munsell, 4.1 seconds on two runs, $1,152; 4. Alyssa Bigon, 4.8, $576. Year-end champion: Taylor Munsell.   Saddle bronc riding: First round: 1. Tyrel Larsen, 82.5 points on Silver Creek Rodeo’s Bunny Gal, $1,926; 2. Trent Burd, 80.5, $1,445; 3. Luke Richard Price, 79.5, $963; 4. Ean Price, 78, $482. Second round: 1. Cody Ballard, 80 points on Rafter H Rodeo’s Bet The  Continue Reading »

DUNCAN, Okla. – In his first appearance at the Chisholm Trail RAM Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo, Austin Lawrence is closing in on his first year-end championship in the region. He didn’t make the fastest run of the night during Friday’s second round at the Stephens County Arena in Duncan, but he did enough to move into the aggregate lead and hold onto his advantage in the Prairie Circuit tie-down roping standings. “Tonight was very important,” said Lawrence, 23, of Sperry, Oklahoma. “That calf took a hard right. She probably wasn’t a round-winning calf, and I knew that, so I just had to get her knocked down and do the best with what I drew. Hopefully I can draw better tomorrow.” There’s one night remaining in the 2022 circuit season, and Lawrence owns a lead of $2,783 over Cody McCartney. Lawrence wants to close out the three-day championship on a high note, whether that’s earning more money in the third round or clinching the aggregate title with the best cumulative time by the time Saturday comes to a close In the region made up of contestants and rodeos primarily in Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska, Lawrence had a lead of less than $2,300 over McCartney. Lawrence extended it a bit Thursday while placing second in the opening go-round, just one spot ahead of McCartney. The final say in who wins the year-end title will come down to Saturday night. “I never dreamed I’d be at this stage, getting to compete like this,” said Lawrence, who trains horses for a living and works with his grandfather, who has been one of the guiding forces in his life. “I ride anywhere from eight to 10 (horses) a day and work with my grandpa. He taught me everything I know. “My grandpa roped a lot of calves, and he did cutting and showed horses. He got me into team roping and roping calves. He’s a huge part of my success and where I’m at. All my thanks is to him, my family, my support behind me. I couldn’t do it without them and my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.” Of course, it takes a solid campaign to be in a position to win a year-end championship. That winner in each event in each circuit – along with the average winners at the circuit finales – will advance to the national circuit finals rodeo, now called the NFR Open, which takes place next July in Colorado Springs, Colorado. A big reason for his success is Cora, a 5-year-old more that Lawrence has trained and is owned by Jamie Perkins. “She just worked good all year and gave me every chance to win something everywhere we went,” Lawrence said. “She’s just easy. As soon as you ask her to, she runs to her spot every night. She’s probably not the best horse around, but she lets me do my job and is just so easy to ride.” Like any cowboy, there’s a dream to chase National Finals Rodeo qualifications and gold buckles, but he’s just now getting his first taste of the big stage in Duncan. If things go well, he may test his skills and those that Cora possesses and see where 2023 takes him. “Financially it’s tough, but if I keep winning, keep money rolling in, hopefully I’ll get to go as much as I can this (next) year,” he said, noting that money earned after Oct. 1 counts toward the 2023 season. “I’d like to get into some of the bigger rodeos throughout the winter, and if goes well, we’ll keep going. If it dies off, then we’ll rodeo in the circuit.” Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals RodeoOct. 13-15Duncan, Okla.Bareback riding: First round: 1. Colt Eck, 81.5 points on New Frontier Rodeo’s Law Dog, $1,926; 2. Mike Fred, 80.5, $1,445; 3. Jayco Roper, 80, $963; 4. (tie) Trevor Lattin and Yance Day, 78 $241 each. Second round: 1. (tie) Jayco Roper, on Frontier Rodeo’s Delta Ship, and Colt Eck, on Rafter H Rodeo’s Country Boy, 82.5 points, $1,686 each; 3. Ty Blessing, 80, $963; 4. Yance Day, 74, $482. Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Bridger Anderson, 3.9 seconds, $1,928; 2. Cody Devers, 4.5, $1,445; 3. (tie) Tucker Alberts and Blame Mindemann, 5.3, $722 each. Second round: 1. Jacob Edler, 3.7 seconds, $1,926; 2. Travis Munro, 4.3, $1,445; 3. Tanner Brunner, 4.7, $963; 4. Blake Mindemann, 4.9, $482. Team roping: First round: 1. Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins, 4.4 seconds, $1,926; 2. Bubba Buckaloo/Joseph Harrison, 5.2, $1,445; 3. Trevor Howard/Cody Heflin, 5.6, $963; 4. Jake Cooper Clay/Billie Jack Saebens, 6.0, $482. Second round: 1. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 4.4 seconds; 2. Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins, 4.6, $1,445; 3. Curry Kirchner/Reagan Ward, 4.7, $963; 4. Jake Clay/Billie Jack Saebens, 4.8, $482. Breakaway roping: First round: 1. KeAnn Hayes, 2.4 seconds, $1,536; 2. Alyssa Bigon, 2.5, $1,152; 3. Ari-Anna Flynn, 2.9, $768; 4. Hannah Lee, 11.8, $384. Second round: 1. Taylor Munsell, 2.1 seconds, $1,536; 2. Alyssa Bigon, 2.3, $1,152; 3. Addie Weil, 2.6, $768; 4. KeAnn Hayes, 2.8, $384. Saddle bronc riding: First round: 1. Tyrel Larsen, 82.5 points on Silver Creek Rodeo’s Bunny Gal, $1,926; 2. Trent Burd, 80.5, $1,445; 3. Luke Richard Price, 79.5, $963; 4. Ean Price, 78, $482. Second round: 1. Cody Ballard, 80 points on Rafter H Rodeo’s Bet The Ranch, $1,926; 2. (tie) Weston Patterson and Ean Price, 79.5, $1,204 each; 4. Hardy Braden, 79, $482.Tie-down roping: First round: 1. J.T Adamson, 8.2 seconds, $1,926; 2. Austin Lawrence, 8.5, $1,445; 3. Cody McCartney, 9.2, $963; 4. Wyatt Muggli, 9.6, $482. Second round: 1. Ryan Jarrett, 7.9 seconds, $1,926; 2. Clint Graves, 8.6, $1,445; 3. Hagen Houck, 9.3, $963; 4. Wyatt Muggli, 10.1, $482. Barrel racing: First round: 1. Emily Griffin, 16.35 seconds, $1,926; 2. Ivy Hurst, 16.38, $1,445; 3. Michelle Darling, 16.42, $936; 4. Emily Beisel, 16.43, $482. Second round: 1. Ivy Hurst, 16.01 seconds, $1,926; 2. Emily Beisel, 16.28, $1,445; 3. Taylor Jonson, 16.36, $963; 4. Tammy Peterson, 16.43, $482. Steer  Continue Reading »

DUNCAN, Okla. – Andrew Ward and Buddy Hawkins are full-time team ropers and part-time mathematicians. They held the regional lead heading into this weekend’s Chisholm Trail RAM Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo, about $7,000 ahead of the field. That’s significant in the circuit’s standings but it didn’t clinch the season championship, so the tandem went to work. They stopped the clock in 4.4 seconds to win Thursday’s first round. “This was a really important run for us,” said Hawkins, 35, originally from Columbus, Kansas, now living in Stephenville, Texas. “We’ve done some math, and if we happened to do pretty good tonight, it would probably cinch the year-end title in the Prairie Circuit, which has been the home circuit for us most of our lives.” He’s correct. The $1,926 each man pocketed on the opening night of the regional finale secured their circuit championships: Ward in heading, and Hawkins in heeling. They are a lock to compete at the 2023 NFR Open, the event formerly known as the National Circuit Finals Rodeo and host of year-end and circuit finals average winners from each region in ProRodeo. Winning the circuit title isn’t an easy task, but Ward and Hawkins are having another exceptional season. Not only did they win the region made up of contestants and rodeos primarily from Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska, they have earned their third straight bid to compete together at the National Finals Rodeo. They are one of three teams in this weekend’s field that will compete in December at Las Vegas. “These guys are great,” Ward, 33, of Edmond, Oklahoma, said of the other teams in the mix in Duncan. “Everybody has a chance to win the day money. We feel like our circuit’s stacked. We’ve been on the other side of it when we’ve made a good run and watch them come get us and knock us completely out of the money. “To be able to win the day money is awesome, and we’re thankful, but it’s not always going to happen that way just because of how stacked this field is.”   It comes down to the little things that make a run be successful, and that’s just what they’ve been. They earned their first NFR bid in the COVID-infested 2020 campaign, then roped for the championship at its one-time home of Arlington, Texas. They returned to the sport’s grand finale in 2021 in its return to Las Vegas and promptly set a new team roping standard at the Thomas & Mack Center by roping 10 steers in a cumulative time of 54.7 seconds. They each earned just shy of $116,000 in a week and a half in the Nevada desert. “I think a lot of it is we think a lot alike,” Hawkins said. “If you’re going into the runs with the same mentality – whether it’s the Bob Feist Invitational or Cheyenne with the long start or at the NFR or San Antonio with the shorter barriers and smaller arenas – each mentality is so important, so I think it adds to our success. “On the night, it was the run we needed to make, and we stayed disciplined. It seems like when we try to do what we do best, we end up on top over the course of the year. If we try to out-perform these other guys that are so talented, it’s very difficult, especially when you consider there are 12 teams and there’s only one first place, so your odds right off the bat are a little bit lower.” Each run they make together gives Ward and Hawkins a chance to gel even more. They made a statement at the NFR last year, but all they see are opportunities to improve. “I don’t know if we gained more confidence at the NFR last year,” Ward said. “Setting the record was special, but it was just part of roping good out there. I think what’s given me confidence this year is that I’ve gotten to experiences (Las Vegas) for a year. “It’s a different building, so it’s something you’ve got to learn about I didn’t feel like I did my absolute best, so I think I can bring a little better out there.” If they continue to rope like they did on opening night in Duncan, they stand a good chance. Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals RodeoOct. 13-15Duncan, Okla.Bareback riding: First round: 1. Colt Eck, 81.5 points on New Frontier Rodeo’s Law Dog, $1,926; 2. Mike Fred, 80.5, $1,445; 3. Jayco Roper, 80, $963; 4. (tie) Trevor Lattin and Yance Day, 78 $241 each.   Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Bridger Anderson, 3.9 seconds, $1,928; 2. Cody Devers, 4.5, $1,445; 3. (tie) Tucker Alberts and Blame Mindemann, 5.3, $722 each.   Team roping: First round: 1. Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins, 4.4 seconds, $1,926; 2. Bubba Buckaloo/Joseph Harrison, 5.2, $1,445; 3. Trevor Howard/Cody Heflin, 5.6, $963; 4. Jake Cooper Clay/Billie Jack Saebens, 6.0, $482. Breakaway roping: First round: 1. KeAnn Hayes, 2.4 seconds, $565; 2. Alyssa Bigon, 2.5, $424; 3. Ari-Anna Flynn, 2.9, $283; 4. Hannah Lee, 11.8, $141. Saddle bronc riding: First round: 1. Tyrel Larsen, 82.5 points on Silver Creek Rodeo’s Bunny Gal, $1,926; 2. Trent Burd, 80.5, $1,445; 3. Luke Richard Price, 79.5, $963; 4. Ean Price, 78, $482.Tie-down roping: First round: 1. J.T Adamson, 8.2 seconds, $1,926; 2. Austin Lawrence, 8.5, $1,445; 3. Cody McCartney, 9.2, $963; 4. Wyatt Muggli, 9.6, $482. Barrel racing: First round: 1. Emily Griffin, 16.35 seconds, $1,926; 2. Ivy Hurst, 16.38, $1,445; 3. Michelle Darling, 16.42, $936; 4. Emily Beisel, 16.43, $482. Bull riding: First round: 1. Fulton Rutland 86.5 points on McCoy Rodeo’s Homegrown, $2,087; 2. Trey Holston, 82, $1,605; 3. Logan Hunter, 77, $1,124; no other qualified rides.

DUNCAN, Okla. – The greatest cowboys and cowgirls always seem to be in the field of ProRodeo’s biggest championships. That is true, whether it’s the National Finals Rodeo, the sport’s grand finale that takes place in December, and the Chisholm Trail RAM Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday at the Stephens County Arena in Duncan. This week’s list of elite contestants boasts of more than 30 that have played or will play on the sport’s premier stage, a defining factor in showcasing the type of talent that resides in the region made up of challengers and events primarily from Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. “We like to look at this as a mini-NFR,” said Joe Henderson, chairman of the volunteer committee that produces the circuit finale. “We have some of the best stock contractors in rodeo that are part of the Prairie Circuit, and we have some of the best contestants. If you look at the talent that will be involved in our rodeo, you can see why we’re excited to bring it to town every year.” The field includes five cowboys that have been crowned world champions, men like steer ropers Rocky Patterson and his son, Cole, who account for five gold buckles between them; Rocky Patterson is a four-time world champion, and Cole Patterson is the reigning titlist. The list also includes steer wrestler Jacob Edler, header Nick Sartain and tie-down roper Ryan Jarrett, who was the 2005 all-around world champion. Jarrett is one of the locals in the field. He lives just miles from the Stephens County Expo Center in nearby Comanche, Oklahoma, and he is also a former circuit titlist. Sartain won his gold buckle in 2009, while Edler was crowned in 2020. Edler leads a contingent of 12 bulldoggers, a group that includes seven NFR qualifiers: Stockton Graves, Riley Duvall, Tanner Brunner, Bridger Anderson, Cody Devers and Blake Mindemann. Brunner just solidified his fourth qualification in five years. Team ropers are led by Sartain, but also in the mix are headers Andrew Ward, Coleman Proctor and Bubba Buckaloo and heelers Buddy Hawkins, Logan Medlin, Billie Jack Saebens and Joseph Harrison. Ward and Hawkins set the new standard for the fastest 10-run cumulative time at the NFR last December. In addition to the Pattersons, there are five other steer ropers who have qualified for the Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping, including Thomas Smith, Roger Branch, Mike Chase and Chet Herren. Jarrett will be joined in the tie-down roping field by Trent Creager, who earned his NFR bid in 2010. Two-time National Finals Breakaway Roping qualifier Taylor Munsell will be joined this year by Beau Peterson in Las Vegas, while Leslie Smalygo will make her initial trip to the Nevada desert and will be joined by fellow barrel racer Emily Beisel. Tamara Reinhardt, a past circuit titlist, also is a past NFR qualifier. Saddle bronc riders Tyrel Larsen and Hardy Braden both have had success in the region and have competed at the NFR in the past, while bull rider Trey Holston is making his first NFR. “The circuit finals is a great way for the top talent in our part of the world to fight for another championship,” Henderson said. “The circuit system was developed to showcase the best talent in the various regions of the country, and I’d say the Prairie Circuit is tough to beat as far as having the best talent overall. “We’ve got world champions and NFR qualifiers at our rodeo every year, and they come to Duncan to put on a show and prove why this is the best circuit in the country.”

DUNCAN, Okla. – Cowboys that make a living on the rodeo trail know the end of the rainbow resides in Las Vegas. It’s home of the National Finals Rodeo, which offers a $14 million payout. It’s where world champions will be crowned, but the road to the Nevada desert is long, winding and filled with challenges. Only the top 15 contestants in the world standings at the conclusion of the regular season advance. It’s where Jacob Edler expected he’d be in December. The 2020 world champion steer wrestler finished his 2022 campaign off the mark and, instead, found his way back home to Alva, Oklahoma, in mid-July and focused his attention to one thing: winning the Prairie Circuit championship. “One of my goals this year was to win the Prairie Circuit,” said Edler, 28, originally from State Center, Iowa. “That’s one thing in my career I’ve never done. “I decided things weren’t really falling into place being out on the big trail, and I have a young horse; I knew I needed some incredible things to happen to make the NFR this year. I decided to pack it up, go home and tour my young horse around to get his confidence up and get my confidence up and get everything set up for the 2023 rodeo season.” He hopes to close out his regional title at the Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13-Saturday, Oct. 15, at the Stephens County Arena in Duncan. Edler has earned just shy of $18,000 in the regional made up of rodeos and contestants primarily in Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska and owns a lead of $5,200 over the field. “Going into Duncan, I’m going to show up, do my job and put my head down, and we’ll see how it all falls into place,” he said. “I would like to leave with a circuit title and an average title when it’s all said and done.” He’s been close before. In that magical 2020 season, Edler utilized momentum he gained at the circuit finale to have great success at the NFR. He first won the average championship in Duncan, then did the same thing at the NFR, culminating in his first Montana Silversmiths gold buckle. “I wanted to go back to the NFR this year, but God’s timing isn’t our timing,” he said, noting that by returning to the Plains states early, it allowed more time for him to spend with his wife, Moriah, and their 1-year-old daughter, Taylee. “It was really good for me to come back home. I was able to work on our place, work on our home and spend quality time with my wife and daughter. It’s been nice to reset and get life a little bit in order and feel like we’ve got a game plan.” Part of that intention has a lot to do with Mud Duck, the bulldogging horse he owns with good friend Tyler Shau. In fact, most of Edler’s circuit earnings were won on the 9-year-old black gelding, and the time spent traveling in the circuit helped the two band together even more. “Tyler bought him off the track in Claremore (Oklahoma) five years ago, and I was with him the day he bought the horse,” Edler said of Shau, who owns Diamond S Performances Horses with his wife, Jackie. “He and his wife spent time with him. They tried to run barrels on him first, and he didn’t really like barrel racing. They tried roping on him. They started hazing on him, and then they swapped him over to bulldogging. “Along with Mud Duck, I have a hazing horse named Jerry. He used to be my wife’s barrel horse, and those two have a very close bond. They’ve just made a great team this past month and gave me a lot of success.” Edler will need all the assistance he can get. The top five men in the circuit standings have all been to the NFR, with Edler’s traveling partner and former college coach, Stockton Graves, in second place. Graves owns multiple circuit titles in his storied career. “Having Stockton on my tail motivates me,” Edler said. “We’re both extremely competitive people. We travel together and push each other to be better, but at the end of the day, we do want to beat each other.” The good news for the Iowa-born cowboy is that he’s got a great partner in Mud Duck. “Everything from this season worked out the way I needed it to,” he said. “If I wouldn’t have come home and gotten that horse to some rodeos and seasoned him, I wouldn’t have the confidence in him going into 2023 and feel like we’re ready to handle everything I’m going to throw at him.” It’s that type of swagger that may give when he arrives in Duncan.

ALVA, Okla. – When Cameron Fox decided to further his education at Northwestern Oklahoma State University, he did so to become a better steer wrestler. He’s not only a student in the classroom but also a student of the game, and he’s taking all his lessons to heart. This past weekend, he put all that work to use by winning the bulldogging championship at the Southeastern Oklahoma State University rodeo in Durant. “I drew two good steers and tried to use them the best I could,” said Fox, 22, of Tulsa, Oklahoma. “I was able to make two good runs, and it was a pretty good weekend for me.” Yes, it was. With it, he moves into a tie for the Central Plains Region lead and gave the Rangers a spark they needed early in the season. Fox won the first go-round with a 4.2-second run, then stopped the clock in 4.4 seconds to finish third in the championship round. He had the fastest time in the aggregate by just one-tenth of a second over teammate Trisyn Kalawaia of Waiakea, Hawaii, who posted the fastest run in the weekend, in 3.6 seconds, to win the short go-round. Teammate Kaden Greenfield of Lakeview, Oregon, was second in the final round with a 4.0-second run; he finished fourth overall. Another Northwestern bulldogger, Isaiah Naauao of Haiku, Hawaii, finished third in the long round but didn’t place in the final standings. “I’ve only been steer wrestling for two years,” said Fox, who transferred from Connors State College. “Going to school here has been helping my bulldogging a lot more and helped me progress through the steps I need.” Much of that falls on rodeo coach Stockton Graves, a Northwestern alumnus who has qualified for the National Finals Rodeo eight times. Alva is known as being the Bulldogging Capital of College Rodeo, and having four steer wrestlers earn points in Durant is proof. “I want to go pro after I’m done, and I knew Stockton could help me a lot,” Fox said. “He’s helped me with finishing and being a lot more patient, feeling steers a lot more. I’m really learning by breaking down my runs and focusing how I take each step through the process.” Technique is important, but so is athleticism. Fox played football at McLain High School in Tulsa, then he opted to try his hand in rodeo. It’s been a good transition. After his horse suffered an injury, Fox opted to ride a Spongebob, a horse owned by a friend. “I rode him at Harrison, Arkansas, at a rodeo last week, and he felt really good, so I just decided to stay on him,” Fox said. While he had the most success at the Southeastern rodeo, there were others who earned points for the Rangers. Team roping heeler Sage Bader of Kim, Colorado, placed third in the short round and fourth overall while roping with Caden Remington of Southwestern Oklahoma State University. In tie-down roping, Kade Chase of Cherokee, Oklahoma, posted a 9.7-second run to finish third in the long round, while Denton Oestman of Auburn, Nebraska, was 10.0 to finish fourth in the opening round. The key to success is finding consistency through repetition. That’s been the case for Fox, who leans on his coach and teammates to improve. “They all help to push you to make you want to be as good as they are,” he said of fellow bulldoggers. “Between Stockton and everyone else, they’re helping me progress at it.”

HEMPSTEAD, Texas – A week ago, Cole Franks closed out his 2022 regular season by winning the bareback riding title in Stephenville, Texas, on a Pete Carr Pro Rodeo bucking horse. He repeated his fortune a bit Saturday night by riding Carr’s Painted River for 86.5 points to win the first event of the 2023 campaign at the Waller County Fair and Rodeo. It’s a positive step for a young cowboy trying to make his name in the game. “I’ve seen her quite a bit, but I’ve never been on her,” said Franks, 21, of Clarendon, Texas. “Those first three or four jumps were really cool with her going back and forth. It was a little bit more than I was expecting. I knew she was going to have some move, but they were a little more honkey than I thought they’d be, and it could mess you up a little bit. “Other than that, it felt really good. That horse is just cool” The mare helped him to a $1,839 payday and gave the 2021 Resistol Rookie of the Year a great start to his third season in ProRodeo. Like Franks, Painted River is a second-generation NFR competitor. She’s sired by Korczak and out of River Boat Annie, two Carr animals that have performed at ProRodeo’s grand finale. Franks is the son of Bret Franks, a three-time NFR qualifier in saddle bronc riding. The Frankses have had a longstanding relationship with the Carr firm, and that’s come into play over the course of Cole Franks’ young career. “I’ve been a round Pete and all his horses since I was born,” he said. “He’s pretty much family to us. It’s cool to come to his rodeos all the time and do good. “Making the NFR is stuff you dream about when you’re little, and it’s awesome to see it come to fruition. I never would have guessed it would have come this early in my career.” He made his first trip a year ago during his inaugural season. To say 2021 was great is only tipping the iceberg. He started it off by winning the intercollegiate bareback riding and all-around titles while helping Clarendon College to the men’s team title. He followed that by being named the top bareback riding rookie, making the NFR and finishing third in the world standings. Returning to the sport’s grand finale in his sophomore season is just further proof of the talent he possesses. Staying active in October is important to keep his body in shape for Las Vegas, where he will get on 10 of the best bucking horses in the world. “Right now, I’m just trying to get the momentum early and try to keep it going,” Franks said. “It’s always good to just keep getting on. We’ve been rodeoing all year, and it can wear you out pretty fast. I feel like if I can keep going now, I can get on 10 in a row pretty easy. “I feel good, for the most part. I’m ready for a little bit of a break. It’ll be good to do stuff at home and take a couple weeks off instead of worrying about the next rodeo, but I feel good going into the NFR.”   Waller County Fair and RodeoSept. 29-Oct. 1Hempstead, TexasAll-around: Nelson Wyatt, $2,962 in tie-down roping and team roping. Bareback riding: 1. Cole Franks, 86.5 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Painted River, $1,839; 2. Bradlee Miller, 85, $1,410; 3. Leighton Berry, 84.5, $1,042; 4. Mason Stuller, 82.5, $674; 5. Sam Petersen, 82, $429; 6. Dean Thompson, 81.5, $306; 7. Kade Sonnier, 78.5, $245; 8. A.J. Ruth, 74, $184. Steer wrestling: 1. Tyler Ravenscroft, 3.2 seconds, $2,573; 2. Jacob Talley, 3.4, $2,237; 3. Cash Robb, 3.7, $1,902; 4. (tie) Riley Duvall and Rowdy Parrott, 3.8, $1,398 each; 6. (tie) Jacob Edler and Denell Henderson, 3.9, $727 each; 8. (tie) Cade Goodman and Logan Lemmel, 4.0, $112 each. Team roping: 1. Jake Orman/Corey Hedrick, 4.1 seconds, $2,968; 2. (tie) Pedro Egurrola/James Flake, Forrest Fisher/Heath Kocurek and Cory Kidd/Lane Mitchell, 4.2, $2,544 each; 5. Clint Keller/Michael Jones, 4.3, $2,120; 6. Manny Equsquiza/Cutter Thomison, 4.5, $1,908; 7. Cory Clark/Blaine Vick, 4.6, $1,696; 8. Garrett Tonozzi/Dustin Davis, 4.7$1,484; 9. (tie) Shay Carrolll/Evan Arnold and Payden Emmett/Lucas Falconer, 4.8, $1,166 each; 11. (tie) Curry Kirchner/Reagan Ward and Billy Bob Brown/James Blankenship, 4.9, $530 each.   Saddle bronc riding: 1. Zac Dallas, 86 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Pretty Woman, $2,200; 2. Sterling Crawley, 84, $1,686; 3. (tie) Jacobs Crawley and Dean Wadsworth, 82.5, $1,026 each; 5. Jake Burwash, 81.5, $513; 6. (tie) Jace Angus and Dylan Hancock, 80, $330 each; 8. Isaac Richard, 79, $220. Tie-down roping: 1. Blane Cox, 7.8 seconds, $3,518; 2. (tie) Kyle Lucas and William Wyatt, 8.2, $2,963 each; 4. Richard Newton, 8.4, $2,407; 5. Treg Schaack, 8.6, $2,037; 6. Andrew Burks, 8.9, $1,667; 7. Cheyenne Stanley, 9.0, $1,296; 8. Jerry Adamson, 9.1, $925; 9. (tie) Brock Beckham and Clay McCuistion, 9.2, $370 each. Breakaway roping: 1. (tie) Taylor Hanchey and Tibba Smith, 2.2 seconds, $2,464 each; 3. Brandy Gilbert, 2.5, $1,895; 4. (tie) Jordan Jo Hollabaugh and Brandi Good, 2.6, $1,453 each; 6. Cheyenne Britain, 2.8, $1,011; 7. Chelsea Putnam, 2.9, $758; 8. McKaitlin McKee, 3.0, $505; 9. Jordi Edens, 3.1, $379; 10. Cassidy Boggs, 3.3, $253. Barrel racing: 1. Ilyssa Riley, 15.51 seconds, $3,224; 2. Kelly Allen, 15.58, $2,579; 3. Laura Mote, 15.51, $2,096; 4. Natalie Bland, 15.66, $1,612; 5. Sissy Winn, 15.68, $1,290; 6. Rainey Skelton, 15.72, $967; 7. Suzanne Brooks, 15.74, $806; 8. Savannah Woodvin, 15.79, $725; 9. Jetti Lorenz, 15.80, $645; 10. Tiany Schuster, 15.83, $564; 11. Bryana Lehrmann, 15.88, $484; 12. Sadie Wolaver, 15.89, $403; 13. Jackie Jatzlau, 15.91, $322; 14. Victoria Procter, 15.94, $242; 15. (tie) Kendall Kennedy and Presley Smith, 15.97, $81 each. Steer roping: First round: 1. Cash Myers, 10.6 seconds, $1,018; 2. Clay Long, 11.4, $842; 3. (tie) Vin Fisher Jr. and Tony Reina, 11.8, $579 each; 5.  Continue Reading »

HEMPSTEAD, Texas – It’s been more than a year since Dustin Boquet felt normal. He suffered three injuries in eight months and opted to sit out the remainder of the 2022 season. His first rodeo back in competition was Friday’s second performance of the Waller County Fair and Rodeo. It wasn’t just his first jump into competition; it was also the first bull he’d been on since May. “I knew I had a pretty good bull, so I figured I may as well come try it out and see if I can stay on,” said Boquet, 28, of Bourg, Louisiana, now living in Murchison, Texas, a community of 350 people about 175 miles north of Hempstead. “I broke my arm in September last year, and I came back, went to the (National Finals Rodeo) and broke it again, only higher up. I came back this year and went to nine events, then I broke my (left) collarbone in three pieces; the middle piece was kind of just floating, so I had surgery on that. I figured we’d just give it the rest of the year and come back fresh and ready to rock ’n’ roll in 2023.” The regular season of rodeo concluded Sept. 30. Because the Waller County Fair and Rodeo ends on Oct. 1, the money earned in Hempstead counts toward the 2023 standings. Boquet bucked off Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Outa Here on Friday night, but he understands that’s just part of the game he plays; bulls win most of the time.    Still, he was quite content to get back to business. He’s a two-time NFR qualifier, having earned his trips the last two years. He’s been up and down the road since turning pro in 2013, so his body may have been telling him it was time for a bit of a rest. “We know when we start rodeoing that you’re going to get hurt; you just don’t know when and you don’t know how bad,” he said. “Keeping a good attitude and keeping good faith helps a bunch. It’s trusting the process. He’s got a plan for every single one of us. We’ve just got to trust God’s timing and go with the flow. “I know every rodeo athlete sometimes wonders if they still love it. This morning when I woke up, I texted a buddy of mine and said, ‘I feel like a kid in a candy store. I’m ready to rock.’ I’ve still got the passion for it and I still love it, so I’m ready to go on.” Waller County Fair and RodeoSept. 29-Oct. 1Hempstead, TexasBareback riding: 1. Bradlee Miller, 85 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Cool Change; 2. A.J. Ruth, 74; no other qualified rides. Steer wrestling: 1. Tyler Ravenscroft, 3.2 seconds; 2. Jacob Talley, 3.4; 3. Cash Robb, 3.7; 4. (tie) Riley Duvall and Rowdy Parrott, 3.8; 6. Jacob Edler, 3.9; 7. (tie) Cade Goodman and Logan Lemmel, 4.0; 9. (tie) Riley Westhaver, Dylan Schroeder and Clayton Hass, 4.2 Team roping: 1. Jake Orman/Corey Hedrick, 4.1 seconds; 2. (tie) Pedro Egurrola/James Flake and Cory Kidd/Lane Mitchell, 4.2; 4. Clint Keller/Michael Jones, 4.3; 5. Manny Equsquiza/Cutter Thomison, 4.5; 6. Garrett Tonozzi/Dustin Davis, 4.7l; 7. (tie) Shay Carrolll/Evan Arnold and Payden Emmett/Lucas Falconer, 4.8; 9. (tie) Curry Kirchner/Reagan Ward and Billy Bob Brown/James Blankenship, 4.9.   Saddle bronc riding: 1. Zac Dallas, 86 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Pretty Woman; 2. (tie) Jace Angus and Dylan Hancock, 80; 4. Reginald Lecourt, 78; 5. (tie) Parker Kempfer and Parker Fleet, 74.5; 7. Cole Franks, 73; 8. (tie) Isaac Diaz and Clint Franks, 72. Tie-down roping: 1. Blane Cox, 7.8 seconds; 2. William Wyatt, 8.2; 3. Richard Newton, 8.4; 4. Treg Schaack, 8.6; 5. Andrew Burks, 8.9; 6. Cheyenne Stanley, 9.0; 7. Jerry Adamson, 9.1; 8. (tie) Brock Beckham and Clay McCuistion, 9.2; 10. Paden Bray, 9.4. Breakaway roping: 1. (tie) Taylor Hanchey and Tibba Smith, 2.2 seconds; 3. Brandy Gilbert, 2.5; 4. (tie) Jordan Jo Hollabaugh, 2.6; 6. Cheyenne Britain, 2.8; 7. Chelsea Putnam, 2.9; 8. McKaitlin McKee, 3.0; 9. Jordi Edens, 3.1; 10. Loni Lester, 3.4. Barrel racing: 1. Ilyssa Riley, 15.51 seconds; 2. Kelly Allen, 15.58; 3. Laura Mote, 15.51; 4. Sissy Winn, 15.68; 4. Molly Pritchard, 16.25; 5. Rainey Skelton, 15.72; 6. Suzanne Brooks, 15.74.   Bull riding: 1. T. Parker, 86.5 points on Lancaster & Jones Pro Rodeo’s Mr. Quick; no other qualified rides.

HEMPSTEAD, Texas – Tyler Ravenscroft had one goal in mind when he made the 300-mile drive from Durant, Oklahoma, to the Waller County Fair and Rodeo. He wanted to qualify to return to this part of the country next spring to compete at RodeoHouston, one of the biggest regular-season events in professional rodeo. He gave himself a great chance during the first performance of Hempstead’s rodeo Thursday night, wrestling his steer to the ground in 3.2 seconds. “I just wanted to be patient and use the cow that I was drawn,” said Ravenscroft, a senior at Southeastern Oklahoma State University from Nenzel, a hamlet of less than 20 people in north-central Nebraska. “I knew he was a really good steer. He went off in Stephenville (Texas) last week. I knew it was a good chance to get something done here.” All he did was set a new arena record, the first time the since the rodeo became associated with the PRCA more than a decade ago. He had a bit of help, though. His hazer was Sean Mulligan, his uncle and a four-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier who has also hazed at the NFR many other times throughout his established career. “That’s the fastest run I’ve ever had,” said Ravenscroft, 22, who is planning to make a run at his own NFR qualification in 2023; because this rodeo ends Oct. 1, the money earned in Hempstead counts toward next season’s standings. “I’m glad I got Sean to come down here for me. “I needed the best in the business.” Ravenscroft got that in more ways than one. Everything must go perfectly to post a run that fast, from Mulligan’s haze to getting a good start to riding the right horse. His is an 8-year-old sorrel mare named Cherry Bomb. “She’s one Sean and I started when I was a freshman in college,” he said. “She’s my pride and joy. She did so much, from getting the start to giving me confidence all through the run. I know she’s going to stand there (in the timed-event box), and she’s going to give me the best go she can.” That means running straight toward the steer so the bulldogger can jump from her back and onto the steer. Once there, Ravenscroft still had some work to do, and much of that was doing everything technically well. “I’ve been practicing the last couple of weeks of hustling to the (steer’s) nose, because I’ve been behind all the time,” he said. “As soon as I got my feet on the ground, I knew I wanted to go to the nose.” By doing so, he was able to utilize his momentum and that of the steer to turn the animal over on its side and stop the clock. The caveat is that the winner from the Waller County Fair and Rodeo will earn a spot in the RodeoHouston lineup next March. He had no time to celebrate, though. He and Mulligan quickly loaded their horses back in the trailer and headed north. They had nearly five hours to drive, and Ravenscroft is scheduled to compete at his hometown college rodeo Friday morning in Durant. He’ll need to pay close attention to the route, though, because he stands a great chance to return to the Houston area in five months. Waller County Fair and RodeoSept. 29-Oct. 1Hempstead, TexasBareback riding: 1. Bradlee Miller, 85 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Cool Change; no other qualified rides. Steer wrestling: 1. Tyler Ravenscroft, 3.2 seconds; 2. Cody Harmon, 4.3; 3. Justin Shaffer, 4.5; 4. Jeffrey Boriski, 5.1; no other qualified runs.   Team roping: 1. Wyatt Imus/Caleb Anderson, 11.3 seconds; Rusty Barnett/Michael Fortenberry, 14.2; no other qualified runs. Saddle bronc riding: 1. Zac Dallas, 86 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Pretty Woman; 2. Reginald Lecourt, 78; 3. (tie) Isaac Diaz and Clint Franks, 72 points; no other qualified runs.   Tie-down roping: 1. James Berry, 9.8 seconds; 2. Benny Mosley, 14.4; 3. Jim Mike Hutto, 18,7; 4. Michael Otero, 20.7; no other qualified runs. Breakaway roping: 1. Taylor Hanchey, 2.2 seconds; 2. Jordan Jo Hollabaugh, 2.6; 3. Cheyenne Britain, 2.8; 4. Lari Dee Guy, 3.7; 5. Beau Peterson, 5.3; 6. Jackie Crawford, 16.3. Barrel racing: 1. Ilyssa Riley, 15.51 seconds; 2. Kelly Allen, 15.58; 3. Sissy Winn, 15.68; 4. Molly Pritchard, 16.25; 5. J.J. Baldwin, 16.27; 6. Lauren Davang, 16.42. Bull riding: 1. T. Parker, 86.5 points on Lancaster & Jones Pro Rodeo’s Mr. Quick; no other qualified rides.

DUNCAN, Okla. – Yance Day’s life has changed considerably since he first started riding bareback horses. It’s about to change again. Day and his girlfriend are due to have a baby girl in November. He’ll need to keep padding his pocketbook in anticipation for her arrival, and he’ll have his chance to do so at the Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13-Saturday, Oct. 15, at the Stephens County Arena in Duncan. “Getting ready to have a baby has given me a whole new perspective on things,” said Day, 32, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma. “I’m really excited about everything that’s coming my way and everything that’s happened. It makes me realize it’s not about me. I’ve got people that are counting on me.” As a rodeo cowboy, life has always been about what he can do on the back of a bucking horse. With a family in his future, his talents pave the way for how he pays for formula, baby food and diapers. He sits No. 2 in the Prairie Circuit’s bareback riding standings, but that comes with a bonus caveat: The leader, Nebraskan Garrett Shadbolt, has been focused on returning to the National Finals Rodeo and didn’t get to his minimum of circuit rodeos; that means Shadbolt is ineligible to win the year-end title. “I’d love to win the circuit,” Day said. “If I could do that, I could go to the national circuit finals (now called the NFR Open). I’d really like to win that, too.” This isn’t his first trip to Duncan, which has hosted the circuit finals every year since 2012. He just wants it to be his most memorable. Wisdom comes from age and experience, and he has that. With the bigger picture in front of him, he’s more focused on what he wants and how to achieve it. “In most of the years I’ve been to the circuit finals, I didn’t take care of business like I needed to,” he said. “I was just riding for myself.” He not only rides for a family, he has figured out every way he can care for others in his life, too. When he’s not riding bucking horses, he is driving a dump truck for his brother’s business. That, combined with success in the rodeo arena, has provided some financial rewards, and he’s not looking back now. The Prairie Circuit is made up of rodeos and contestants primarily from the Oklahoma-Kansas-Nebraska region. He won four titles at events in Manhattan, Kansas; Haysville, Kansas; Cheyenne, Oklahoma; Durant, Oklahoma; and an event in Wichita Falls, Texas, that also was co-sanctioned in the Prairie Circuit. “My plan this year was to stick around the circuit, make the circuit finals and get my qualifications up,” Day said, referring to being among the top 50 in the world standings so he can compete in big, indoor rodeos through the winter. “I wasn’t getting into any of those last year. “I’ve got my qualifications up, so I’m going to go to those big Texas rodeos in the winter and see what happens. If I hit a good lick over there, then I’m going to be chasing the NFR (qualification) hard. I’m looking forward to it; I’m hungry for it.”

BFO bullfighters will be part of their own border war at State Fair of Texas DALLAS – Inside Fair Park Coliseum on the grounds of the State Fair of Texas, history holds its breath and awaits the future. From roller derbies to professional hockey and basketball games, it was the epicenter of Dallas sports more than a half century ago. For many, its place in rodeo lore is well-established, the first home of the National Finals Rodeo from 1959-1961. In just days, it will be the home of the Bullfighters Only Red River Rumble, which will begin at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7, and Saturday, Oct. 8, and will feature the top freestyle bullfighters in the sport battling head-to-head just like the Longhorns and Sooners will that Saturday morning. It’s Oklahoma vs. Texas, but the bovines involved in this battle are real. “I think it’s just cool to be part of the history of that coliseum,” said Weston Rutkowski, a four-time BFO world champion from Haskell, Texas. “With the NFR starting there in 1959, I grew up knowing all the rodeo greats that went to that coliseum and competed. “There’s so much history in that one building. It’s not only being from Texas, but knowing we’re part of an event that just adds to the history.” Team Texas and Team Oklahoma will feature five-man squads, and they will battle head-to-head in the opening round. Held in conjunction with the State Fair of Texas, this BFO event is as big as Big Tex standing guard over the fairgrounds. There will be five winners out of the opening round of competition, with the four bullfighters that posted the highest scores advancing to the championship round. Those four will then battle with the top animals from Penthouse Fighting Bulls to see which one will come out the victor and walk away from Dallas with the lion’s share of the prize money and the edge rolling into the BFO World Finals. “It’s pretty special to get to compete in that event,” said Austin Ashley of Purcell, Oklahoma, who will represent his home state in the bullfight. “I got to be part of it. It was such a cool event to have in that old coliseum where they had the NFR back in the day. “The crowd really gets into it, and the atmosphere was electric.” Expect that and more for this year’s showcase, which will feature established veterans mixed with some of bullfighting’s rising stars. Rutkowski is the winningest man in the field, but he will be joined by Beau Schueth, a past reserve world champion and a regular at BFO World Finals, and Aaron Mercer, a two-time world titlist. The format helps highlight the symphony of a freestyle bullfight, where men utilize their athletic skills and bull savvy while facing agile Mexican fighting bulls that were bred for this type of fight. Based on a 100-point scale, the bulls will score up to 50 points for their aggressiveness, athleticism and ability to stay in the fight, while the bullfighters will score up to 50 points for their performance to remain close to the animal while performing maneuvers around and sometimes over the bull. The Red River Rumble is also a chance to highlight the college rivalry that has been ongoing for more than 120 years. The event’s champion will be able to carry that title and all the bragging rights with them to their respective side of the Red River, which divides Oklahoma and Texas. “When you’re raised in Texas, you grow up hearing about the game,” Rutkowski said. “That weekend is well-known for being about OU vs. Texas. It goes with the demographic in this part of the world. “I have to hold my ground and represent Texas well.” Ashley knows it all too well. His hometown is just 19 miles from the University of Oklahoma, so he knows what the OU-Texas rivalry means. Transitioning it to the bullfighting ring is just his way of extending it in his favor. “It’s a pretty big honor to get to represent the state where I was born and where I grew up,” Ashley said. “It’s hard to describe all the emotions that go into it. “This is my home state. There’s a lot on the line for it.” This is also the last bastion of hope for title contenders and others hoping to make the December trip to Las Vegas to battle for the 2022 BFO world championship. “This is the last big-money event there is,” Ashley said. “It gives some of the guys that are a little lower in the standings one last shot to get a jump on the guys that are in the top five. “We’re going to fight a good set of bulls, and the talent is great on both sides.” That just adds to the intrigue of the Red River Rumble. “This is the last stop before the BFO World Championship at Resorts World in Vegas,” Rutkowski said. “There’s a lot riding on this event. If I’m going to win my fifth world title, or if someone else is going to win the world title, then it puts that person in a great position to do that. “A lot comes down to this event, but I expect noting less than for all those guys to show up and lay it all on the line.” Team TexasWeston RutkowskiAlex McWilliamsAaron MercerZach CallReynaldo Aguilar Team OklahomaAustin AshleyEly SharkeyTyler MansellCauy KrautConnor Larrivee

DUNCAN, Okla. – Team roping header Andrew Ward is a two-time national champion who would love to win a third. His paths took different circumstances, but his route remained the same: He first had to do well in his home region, the Prairie Circuit, in order to advance to the national circuit finals rodeo, now dubbed the NFR Open. Ward’s first crown came at the 2018 RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo, where he and his brother, Reagan, shared the event title; they were the year-end champions in the 2017 Prairie Circuit standings. In 2020, Andrew Ward teamed with veteran heeler Buddy Hawkins to win the circuit, then roped their way to the national titles in their respective disciplines. They’ll take their next steps at returning to the national circuit finale at the Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13-Saturday, Oct. 15, at the Stephens County Arena in Duncan. “We compete in such a great circuit, and this is a really good chance to going to Colorado Springs (for the NFR Open),” said Ward, 32, of Edmond, Oklahoma. “We prioritize going to our circuit rodeos.” That’s been the case for much of Ward’s career. He was 18 years old when he and Reagan first hit the rodeo trail, and they focused on competing at events close to home – the Prairie Circuit is made up of rodeos and contestants primarily from Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. They were regular qualifiers to the regional championship in Duncan, which features only the top 12 in the standings in each event. Ward and Hawkins lead the circuit standings with $26,518 each. They own a $6,000 lead over the No. 2 tandem, Paul David Tierney and Tanner Braden, so they’d like to have a good showing at the circuit finals and secure another year-end title. Only the circuit champions and the champions from three days of competition in Duncan advance to the national championship. Everything is progressing nicely for Ward and Hawkins. In addition to leading the circuit, they’re also third in the world standings. They’ve made the National Finals Rodeo each year they’ve been together; they also established a new 10-round aggregate record in winning the NFR average a year ago – it’s the second-most coveted title in round outside of winning a world championship. “We really aren’t concerned about the NFR yet,” Ward said “We get concerned about having a good event in Duncan, because we can build up our money for next year.” The 2022 regular season comes to a close Sept. 30, and money earned after Oct. 1 counts toward the 2023 world standings. “If we have a good week, we can win between $4,000 and $6,000,” he said. “If we can do that, we can win the year-end title and go to Colorado Springs next year. It’s a really big deal to set up your next season early.”

HEMPSTEAD, Texas – The purpose of the Waller County Fair and Rodeo is simple: Provide an exposition for the communities in the region while also showcasing and giving back to the youth in the county. There are some traditional fair activities, like the rodeo, the livestock shows, the carnival and the concerts, but the Waller County Fair Association also has some hidden gems that remain a big part of the fair’s identity. From the Junior Fair Board to Ag Voyage and the Barnyard Buddies to Creative Living, every step of these ornamental aspects of the annual expo is vital to the growth and development of young people while also giving an outlet to others who want to be part of the fair and rodeo. “The Creative Living is important because it promotes hands-on learning of life skills that our young people are going to need later in order to become productive adults,” said Melissa Hegemeyer, chairwoman of Creative Living. “It is so important because with technology, electronic games and other innovations bombarding them, even the most elementary life skills tend to get pushed aside.” Placed in the Barbara Carpenter Building, Creative Living is home to non-animal exhibits, like baked goods, favorite recipes, decorated confections, canned goods, constructive clothing and accessories, needlework, creative arts and handicrafts, horticulture, photography, fine arts, collective hobbies and quilts. “In the open division, exhibitors ranch from preschool (as young as 3 years old) to golden living (62 and older), so we welcome all ages,” Hegemeyer said. “Our auction division is for 4H and FFA participants. The youth spend many hours creating marketable items to be judged, and winners in each age group make it to the Junior Livestock Auction. “It’s very important for us to continue to encourage our youth to learn the arts and crafts that make up family traditions. Being a 4H club manager for 12 years and being a part of the Creative Living building now for 20 years makes me so proud we continue to offer an environment that encourages the importance of hands-on learning and valuable life skills that are so vital for the youth of Waller County.” Now in its eighth year, Barnyard Buddies will take place 9 a.m-1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28. Barnyard Buddies offers Waller County special-needs students a way to enjoy a day at the fair. “It’s just great to see the smiles on their faces and them laughing and having a good time,” said Julie Abke, the chairwoman of the Junior Fair Board who oversees the Barnyard Buddies. “They do appreciate it, and they do like it.” The same can be said for those involved with Ag Voyage, which is a way of teaching youngsters about where their food sources come from and the importance of agriculture. There are many children within the school system that don’t have the ability to show animal, so Ag Voyage gives them the opportunity to understand about the importance of agriculture. “Because the fair’s all about education, we thought it would be nice to have an educational committee,” said Kristy Hyatt, chairwoman of the committee. “We will teach kids about different cuts of meat, where cotton comes from or what grain is used food-wise.” Young exhibitors are part of the foundation of a county fair, but there’s much more to it in Waller County. The fair association also works closely with teenagers who are part of the Junior Fair Board, a group of juniors and seniors who work with the Waller County Fair Board to help run the fair and other associated events. There are 38 teens involved this year. “The hope is for them to build up money to hopefully go to school, but we also want to help mentor them and have them come back when they get a little older and run the fair,” said Linda Randall, co-chair of the Junior Fair Board. “When the chairman of the Junior Fair Board and I started, we began doing livestock shows. “Last year, we were able to give out almost $40,000 in scholarships, with them raising their own money putting on these livestock shows and other events to raise money for these scholarships.” All the money the Junior Fair Board earns is returned in scholarship dollars. It’s also vital because the younger board members are hands-on in doing all the tasks it takes to produce an event the size of the Waller County Fair and Rodeo. From setting up and getting the fairgrounds ready for the exposition to helping tear down once the event is over, there are many things to be done. “I’m here to see the kids be successful,” Randall said. “I want to help these kids learn the livestock aspect and see the livestock industry be as successful as it can be, and I want to see these kids come back and be able to help. “To be able to help these kids give back and watch their growth is why I’m here. That means the world to me.”

DUNCAN, Okla. – The last time Cody Sosebee served as the entertainer at the Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo, the event took place at the Lazy E Arena near Guthrie, Oklahoma, and legendary announcer Clem McSpadden called the action. It’s been 15 years since that happened, and much has changed in the world of rodeo and in Sosebee’s world. Still, there are some things that remain the same as he returns to Oklahoma for the Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13-Saturday, Oct. 15, at the Stephens County Arena in Duncan. Since his last circuit finale, the Charleston, Arkansas, man was selected to be the barrelman at the National Finals Rodeo, an honor that was voted on by the bull riders who compete there. That was five seasons ago, and in 2018, Sosebee was named the PRCA’s Clown of the Year. Those honors reveal how much people in the PRCA appreciate the work Sosebee has done over his well-established career. Each year, he’s nominated to be the association’s top clown and barrelman. “I didn’t expect either one of those honors,” he said. “I was an old guy in my career choice. Just walking down the hallway at the NFR and bumping into those bull riders, it made me feel good because they thought of me to help protect them at the biggest rodeo they’re ever going to be part of. “When I run into a top-end NFR bull rider and know he took time to vote for me, that’s something I’ll have with me the rest of my life. The money’s been spent, but getting acknowledged for your craft really humbles me.” He takes none of his honors lightly, but that’s also part of the Sosebee schtick. Being a bigger person, he utilizes that into his comedic acts. He dances as if he were in his 20s and not in his 50s. He plays on his strengths and his wit, which has served him quite well. “Jokes are the unfortunate situations of other people, but you can’t hardly tell some jokes anymore for fear of upsetting some people,” Sosebee said. “I’ve changed my jokes in my acts to being about me; everything’s about me. I laugh at myself. I’m a big, chubby, dancing guy. I look funny when I walk. I sound funny when I talk. “It’s OK to laugh at yourself.” He’s done that most of his comedic career. He wasn’t always a clown, but he’s been involved in rodeo all his life. Before he got into being a funnyman, Sosebee was a bareback rider. In fact, he qualified for the International Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City. But being funny has made him a legend, and he’s excited to show off his entertainment value when he arrives in Duncan next month. “My biggest challenge is I want to know what I’m doing is still effective,” Sosebee said.“When it’s not, that’s when I’ll start slowing down and still do it at a professional level. I don’t ever want to go in with an amateur attitude. People are paying their hard-earned money to see us, and they deserve a pro level.”

ALVA, Okla. – Growing up in southwest Nebraska, Quade Potter has seen his share of success in that region of the country. Now a junior transfer at Northwestern Oklahoma State University, Potter returned as close to his old stomping grounds as he could in Colby, Kansas, and found his way back to the top. In the first Central Plains Region rodeo of the 2022-23 season, the Stockville, Nebraska, cowboy won the steer wrestling title at the Colby Community College rodeo. “That actually helped my confidence a lot,” Potter said of the victory. “This was one of my worst summers rodeoing, so it was nice to go to the first college rodeo and win that one to get my confidence back up. “That rodeo is about two hours from my house, so it was pretty easy for my parents and my sister to come down and watch.” A year ago, Potter was in his second season at Mid-Plains Community College, attending classes in McCook, Nebraska, about 30 miles from his home. He advanced to the College National Finals Rodeo this past summer, then opted to make the move to Alva to further his education. “I decided on going to school here mainly because of (rodeo coach) Stockton (Graves),” he said. “I knew this was the bulldogging school of the region. I knew getting around all these kids that really wanted to be good and really pushed themselves would help me out a lot. I just wanted to be around these kids and this atmosphere.” It doesn’t hurt that Northwestern is known as the Bulldogging Capital of College Rodeo. Two of the school’s three rodeo national champions were steer wrestlers – J.D. Struxness in 2016 and Bridger Anderson in 2019 – and both have qualified for the NFR. So has Graves, who has earned a spot in the championship eight times, including the 2021 season. Potter indicated that half the 12-man field in Colby’s championship round were Rangers, so the promotion is justified. In fact, three of them earned points, led by Potter, who won the first round a 4.0-second run, the fastest of the weekend. He was 5.1 to finish the short round in a tie for third with teammate Tyler Scheevel of Lester Prairie, Minnesota, and won the aggregate with a two-run cumulative time of 9.1 seconds. Scheevel also finished in tie for third in the opening round and finished third overall, while Kaden Greenfield of Lakeview, Washington, placed in both rounds and finished fifth. “I knew coming down here that this region was going to be way tougher with a lot more guys and a lot of the quality of guys,” Potter said. “For me, it was just going up in competition. I knew I’d have to up my game. I just wanted to be around all the guys that are really competitive. “I knew that would help me take another step.” He was assisted in his success in Colby by his horse, Balboa, which he’s had a little more than three years. “There are a lot of guys in Nebraska that have ridden him,” Potter said. “It took a long time for me and him to start clicking, but once it did, it started working out really well. “I drew a pretty good steer in the first round, and I used in really well. I didn’t have a very good steer in the short round, but I had a pretty good lead, so I had some time to spare. That helped me out, because I didn’t make that good of a run in the short round.” It worked out just fine, but Potter wasn’t the only Ranger who had some great success in Colby. In fact, Kerry Duvall of Farmington, California, utilized a 9.3-second run, also the fastest of the rodeo, to win the short round and take the average title in tie-down roping. Jacob Haren of Erie, Colorado, finished fifth in the championship round and the aggregate, while Kade Chace of Cherokee, Oklahoma, earned a share of the first-round title. The Kansas duo of Camden Holting of Olpe and Austin Lampe of Dodge City won the first round of team roping, placed third in the short round and finished second overall. Iowans Emmett Edler of State Center and Wyatt Montrose of Williamsburg finished fifth in the short round and fifth overall, while Isaiah Naaugo of Haiku, Hawaii, and Logan Mullin of Clay Center, Kansas, placed fourth in the long round. The women were guided by barrel racer Samantha Chambers of Calhan, Colorado, who placed in both go-rounds and finished second in the aggregate race. Breakaway roper Jaci Traul of Fort Scott, Kansas, stopped the clock in 2.6 seconds to finish in a tie for sixth place in the opening round. The season may have just begun, but Potter said the Rangers rodeo team is ready for business, thanks to Graves and his attention to the details. “Knowing how much success Stockton’s had in rodeo and as a coach helps,” Potter said. “Having him every day coach us helps everyone a lot. Having a world champion like Jacob Edler and guys like that around to help us is great, too. I don’t think you’re going get any better practice than what we’ve got here.”

Work is set to begin to build a top for Waller County Fair and Rodeo arena HEMPSTEAD, Texas – A little more than a decade ago, a select few that were part of the Waller County Fair Association had an unlikely vision for the future of the Waller County Fairgrounds. It’s coming to fruition, and the next step in the process will begin just as soon as this year’s Waller County Fair and Rodeo is complete; the expo runs Sept. 24-Oct. 1 in Hempstead. “As soon as the fair is finished this year, we’re going to start tearing everything down at the rodeo arena so we can start to build our covered arena,” said Jason Neel, chairman of the Waller County Fair Board’s capital improvements committee. “Deconstruction starts next month, and the building arrives in December. “The construction for the new building starts in January. We plan to be complete with the building before our next fair.” With that, the fair association is opening the door for more activities to take place in Hempstead, a community of nearly 5,400 in a county that boasts of almost 60,000 residents. That means there will be more livestock shows, more horse shows, more ropings and other equine-related events and more bull ridings. The covered arena allows for any events in any type of weather, whether they’re demolition derbies, tractor pulls, lawnmower races or concerts. That’s just the tip of the iceburg. “With the arena being covered, that will help out with the amount of events we will be able to book throughout the year rain or shine,” Neel said. “We hope to become more competitive in the market to draw events, which helps with the publicity and the crowds we can get. “It will be nice to be able to book events without people being concerned about the weather.” The process is huge, but it’s not the first time the fair board has handled this type of endeavor. In recent years, there have been improvements around the fairgrounds, including new restrooms and remodeling done at Edmonds Hall and the show barn. “The community response on the capital improvements we’ve done so far is that we’ve had a ton more rental,” said Matt Hyatt, the fair board’s president. “We’re putting nice weddings in Edmonds Hall. We’ve had lots of quinceaneras. With the new addition in the entertainment pavilion, we have fixed the roof. Even if it’s raining, you can still have a nice party there.” The key is having as many of the complex’s buildings available for use 365 days a year. It’s all come about because of the support from sponsors and the community. “We have secured nearly all of our sponsorships to fund this covered arena with a few spots left to fill,” Neel said. “We have secured our agreement with the bank, and they are on board to support us with this addition to the fair and rodeo.” Most of the funding will come from sponsorships, and the fair association has been creative in finding ways to cover the costs of the project. The major funding sources will receive suites in the new building for their support. “We’ve got 15 spots sold so far,” Hyatt said. “This thing is going to be paid for by sponsors. We have incredible sponsors and incredible crowds that come to our fair and rodeo every year. We couldn’t have done this with out them.” There are still boxes remaining for anyone interested in being part of the covered rodeo arena, and board members are excited about the potential of filling all of those suites in time. In addition to creating protection from potential weather, the building will also allow for a comfortable complex for those attending the events and competitors alike. “We have designed the building to where the eaves will allow air flow into it,” Neel said. “Natural air flow where it doesn’t get trapped in the design of the building helps make things more comfortable. We’re also looking at putting in some large fans to help with that. Just getting the air moving is a big deal.” That’s what renters, attendees and fairgoers will see when the building is complete before the 2023 Waller County Fair and Rodeo. This year’s event will be the last time the fair will feature an all-outdoor rodeo and other specialty events during the eight-day exposition. There will be a slight reduction in the number of rentals that the fairgrounds receives for the rodeo arena while construction is under way, but there is a contingency plan in place. Once the show barn was remodeled a few years ago, it is now operational for some events that can utilize a smaller arena. “This is a huge undertaking,” Hyatt said.  “We’ve got a great crew, and while this is a little daunting, it’s also very exciting. This is going to be a huge addition to what we have. I think it’s going to be huge for the community as well.  It’s going to open it up for a lot of events we’ve never had before. “Ten years ago, it was a pipe dream of ours to have a two-arena fairgrounds. That’s where we’re going to be with the show barn we have now and the covered arena we’ll have a year from now. The idea for all this was scratched out on a napkin 10 years ago, and now we are here. We had a committed group of people that wanted this done, and it’s all happening because of the donors that have come forward.”

HEMPSTEAD, Texas – A decade ago, members of the Waller County Fair Association were seeking a prominent PRCA stock contracting firm to help the community’s rodeo grow. They found it with Dallas-based Pete Carr Pro Rodeo, and the two entities have matured together over time. The proof is in everything that happens during the nine-day fair and the three days of ProRodeo competition at the Waller County Fair and Rodeo, set for 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29-Saturday, Oct. 1, at the Waller County Fairgrounds in Hempstead. “When you look at how much our rodeo’s grown since we decided to become a part of the PRCA, I think you can point a lot of fingers directly at Pete Carr and what he’s done for us,” said John Schluens, co-captain of the fair board’s rodeo committee. “We have a strong relationship with Pete, and we get a lot of the top names at our rodeo because of it.” It’s not just the cowboys and cowgirls that fans in southeast Texas have come to expect; it’s also the names of the animals that comes with Carr and his team of professionals. Cowboys have won the Waller County title on world champions like Real Deal, Dirty Jacket and Big Tex, along with a host of other great bucking horses and bulls that make firm stand out. Over the last 17 years, Carr has had dozens of bucking beasts that have been selected to perform at the National Finals Rodeo. Even more telling is the fact that only 100 bareback horses, 100 saddle broncs and 100 bulls are chosen each year, and there are Carr horses mixed deep in every category. Over the last year, the company’s founder and owner, Pete Carr, has re-invested into his bucking stock, adding to his herd more incredible animals. From a young stallion to help the future of the Carr breeding program to some rising bucking stars that have NFR experience, the herd has been charged with more electricity for events like the Waller County Fair and Rodeo. “Since we first brought Pete on board, we’ve asked him to make sure that every cowboy and cowgirl that comes to our rodeo has a chance to win, and he’s done that year after year,” said Clint Sciba, co-chairman of the rodeo committee. “Pete wants to put on the best rodeo he can for Waller County. He brings great stock, but there’s more to it. “Pete is also very big on the production of a rodeo. We love that, because we want people who come to our fair and rodeo to be entertained as much as they enjoy the competition. I think together we have proven that to the people in Waller County.” Yes, they have. Along with announcer Andy Stewart and other pieces of the puzzle, the rodeo seems to run without a hitch. That’s because of the teamwork that was established years ago between the Carr team, Stewart and the dedicated volunteers that help make the large exposition happen every year. There are countless amounts of man-hours that come into play when producing an event the size of the Waller County Fair and Rodeo. From an organizational standpoint, it takes dozens of volunteers who care. Waller County has that, and they work in unison with the Pete Carr Pro Rodeo staff to ensure great things happen each fall in Hempstead. “Everything we do is with a purpose, and there’s a big reason why we’ve been teamed with Pete Carr for so long,” Schluens said. “It works, and it just keeps getting better.”

HEMPSTEAD, Texas – From the time he auditioned for “American Idol” nearly 12 years ago to his path toward the top of country music, Scotty McCreery has been a hit. He’ll have his talents and well-recognized vocals on display during the opening Saturday night of the Waller County Fair and Rodeo on Sept. 24 at the Waller County Fairgrounds in Hempstead. This opens the door for music fans of all ages to see one of the top acts in country music and provides another level of entertainment for the people of Waller County. “This is definitely going to be something new for the county,” said Michelle Husky, co-chairman of the entertainment committee for the Waller County Fair Association. “It’s going to bring a lot more people from outside the county, and it’s going to be a bit of a challenge for our county, because we haven’t had an act this big at our fair and rodeo before.” It may be a bit more than volunteers have experienced in the past, but that’s a good thing for the fair association, which produces the annual event as a sole entity; the association cares for the property, pays for all upgrades and works with sponsors to produce the annual rodeo. “We decided we would do our big Nashville acts the first Saturday of our fair and rodeo,” Husky said, noting that the event runs Friday, Sept. 23-Saturday, Oct. 1. “By doing it then, our carnival hasn’t started yet, and it will allow for more parking and more people. We could accommodate 5,000 people. “With that, there are different aspects we have to consider to make sure everybody that comes has a good experience.” The evening will kick off with Ella Langley opening with her 9 p.m. show, leading into McCreery’s on-stage exploits, the same that led him to win Season 10 of “American Idol” and helped him reach the top with five consecutive No. 1s, “In Between,” “This is It,” “Five More Minutes,” “You Time” and “Damn Strait.” “Ella’s new, but she’s getting quite a following,” Husky said. “When we booked Scotty, I went to his people to see who they wanted to open for him, and they sent us suggestions. We booked Ella, and later we found out she was going to be touring with Cody Johnson.” It’s just the first of four nights of top-level concerts that will be part of the Waller County Fair and Rodeo. On Thursday, Sept. 29, Donice Morace will open for Glen Templeton; Cody Wayne starts off Friday, Sept. 30, before leaving the stage for Cory Morrow; and Hayden Haddock will kick start the final night on Saturday, Oct. 1, and Casey Donahew will close down the nine-day exposition. “I thought last year we had one of the best lineups we’d seen at our fair until this year,” Husky said. “This is, by far, the best lineup we’ve seen here. We’ve had people from the Pasadena Strawberry Festival reach out to us asking how we were able to get this lineup.” The big reason falls upon the sponsors who support the Waller County Fair Association. One sponsor offered to pay the majority of the fees if a top artist could be part of the series in Hempstead, so the entertainment committee made it happen. Some of the acts are returning to Waller County, offering a bit of well-established presence to an already stacked lineup. Templeton has played at the fairgrounds a few times, including a show that benefitted a couple that was injured in a motorcycle wreck. Having him return to follow the opening night of the PRCA rodeo is a big part of what makes this year’s concert series so attractive. “We upped our committee to 13 members, and everyone’s so excited, so gung-ho,” Husky said. “Even though they’re going to work a lot of long hours, we’re excited that we’re bringing something so big to Waller County. The concerts are so big for Waller County, for the kids who work so hard on their projects to be able to enjoy the fair and have a good time they’ve earned.”

Cinch bulldogger chasing every dollar in final weeks of regular season With the final month of ProRodeo’s regular season under way, Cinch steer wrestler Bridger Anderson is hoping to take advantage of the few opportunities before him. There are some big-money events over the next few weeks, and he plans to hit the biggest of them. They will be his best chance to return to the National Finals Rodeo when it commences in December. “I feel like I’m doing my job fairly well,” said Anderson, 24, of Carrington, North Dakota. “There have been a few times when I dang sure needed to capitalize a little more, but we have confidence in our abilities, and we’re ready to finish this thing out.” As of Aug. 29, he was 23rd in the bulldogging world standings, $8,700 out of the qualifying mark to make the NFR, which takes place Dec. 1-10 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. Only the top 15 on the money list when the regular season comes to a close Sept. 30 will advance to ProRodeo’s grand championship, so he has some work to do. Here’s the rub: Timed-event contestants can only compete at 75 rodeos in a given year, and he’s been to more than 65 of them. With only little time remaining on his 2022 campaign, Anderson is going to hedge his bets on rodeos he knows will offer huge paydays. It will be a scramble to the finish line, but that’s typically the case in steer wrestling, which is regularly the most competitive when it comes to figuring out NFR qualifiers annually. “It’s insane how good the competition is in bulldogging,” said Anderson, the 2019 intercollegiate champion while competing at Northwestern Oklahoma State University. “The caliber of guys and the caliber of horses that are going right now is incredible. Anybody from first to 50th has the ability to make the NFR. “It’s crazy the amount of talent that’s out on the road right now.” He should know. He’s one of the elite bulldoggers in the game. He qualified for the 2020 NFR, when the sport’s premier event was moved to Arlington, Texas, because of COVID restrictions, and he’s eager to match his skills in Las Vegas, home of the NFR since 1985. Anderson also knows more about the best bulldoggers and their horses this year. His primary mount, Whiskers, has been sidelined since June, so Anderson has been jumping on other horses in order to ply his trade this season. “I’ve had to have ridden half the horses in the PRCA,” he said with a laugh. “Thankfully, I have a lot of good friends.” He started the campaign on Whiskers, rodeoing with Riley Westhaver and Joe Nelson. They split apart a few weeks ago, and Anderson has been traveling with Kyler Dick, Tucker Allen and Justin Shaffer while riding Shaffer’s horse, Gray. “I feel like Gray and I are meshing really well,” Anderson said. That’s good. His biggest score so far this year came about a month ago when he won the California Rodeo Salinas and pocketed $11,558. It was a big boost to his pocketbook and his spot in the standings, and it provided the spark he needed to make a significant run at ProRodeo’s finale. “Salinas was huge,” he said. “It was right before the cutoff for making it into San Juan Capistrano (California), and it gave me a little momentum. It gave me a boost to my season to try to have a shot to make the NFR. “I think the season was going good, but I hadn’t won a whole lot. I was bouncing around on horses after mine got hurt, so we were trying to figure that out. Winning Salinas was a turning point, and I dang sure caught some momentum. I couldn’t have done it without Jesse Brown for letting me ride his horse and for Quinn Campbell on the hazing side of it.” Anderson comes from a rodeoing family. His parents, Glenn and Robin, were ropers, as is his younger sister, Cedar, who followed him to college in Alva, Oklahoma. Youngest sister Dawsyn is focused on her academics at the University of Montana. Bridger Anderson was a quality athlete in high school, a state champion wrestler and a football player, until the end of his junior year. He opted out of other sports to focus on bulldogging as a senior. That’s when his parents offered him a Christmas present he’ll never forget: Training with five-time world champion Luke Branquinho. That served as a game-changer, and Anderson advanced to the then-dubbed Jr. NFR in 2017 – that was the last time he competed in Las Vegas, and it wasn’t inside the Thomas & Mack. He won the title at that event and watched an NFR performance, and he had plenty of motivation to be one of the best to have ever played the rough-and-tumble game of steer wrestling. “It’s pretty important to have a good mental game,” he said. “Having momentum and having confidence is huge for that. At this point, you’re just trying to stay focused to compete to the best of your ability to finish out the season.”   His advantage comes on Shaffer’s Gray. When it was time for the cowboys to head to the Northwest to finish out the 2022 regular season, Anderson loaded the other three into his new Korral Supply Signature Quarters trailer and made sure the gray horse was with them. “The first time I rode Gray was in Prescott (Arizona around the Fourth of July),” Anderson said. “I won money on him the first four or five times I rode him, so I knew I’d have a chance with him. I’m just really fortunate that Justin and Tucker let me in their rig. “For the next month, I’ll go to the best rodeos I can find and make use of the last of my rodeo count.” If the old adage “Where there’s a will, there’s a way” rings  Continue Reading »