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ESTES PARK, Colo. – There were 13 National Finals Rodeo qualifiers and four world champions who own a combined eight gold buckles that competed in Friday’s third performance of Rooftop Rodeo. That was just in team roping, and the leaderboard changed in a hurry. The fastest run of the first round came with the tandem of header Coleman Proctor and heeler Logan Medlin, who stopped the clock in 4.3 seconds. “I didn’t score great, which put me behind,” said Proctor, a six-time NFR qualifier from Pryor, Oklahoma. “I knew I had to let go of (the rope) pretty quick. Luckily it went on; I don’t know how. Then (the steer) tee’d up at the end of it, and Logan shut him down … our typical run. I just turn them, and he waxes them down, and that lets us be fast.” After Eric Martin and Ryon Tittel set the bar Thursday night with a 5.0-second run, a slate of teams chased it down. By the time Friday’s runs were done, Martin and Tittle were pushed to seventh place. In front of them stood 12 men, and 10 of them have all played the game at ProRodeo’s grand finale. “Coleman does a good job,” said Medlin, a two-time NFR qualifier from Tatum, New Mexico. “I think team roping is 80 percent of the header; I can only do so much. He does a good job of setting (the steers) on the end of (the rope) and pulling them where I think they’re going to go, and I’m just trying to catch them by two feet.” It’s working. Proctor sits seventh among headers in the world standings, and Medlin is the No. 8-ranked heeler. “Any time you’re making good runs consecutively, it feels like it’s easier to stay in the groove,” Proctor said. “It’s a good time of year to have our horses working and firing. We couldn’t do it without them. I’m so fortunate to have Admiral back (from injury), and Jesse James is back in the herd. “We’ve got the horse of the year on the heel side. Having some good equine athletes helps us stay in the groove. Momentum is a sweet thing. If you can keep it going, a lot of magical things can happen, especially in July.” Medlin’s, Drago, was named the 2021 PRCA Heeling Horse of the Year and has been big for the team’s successes. “This is a good time of year to be catching steers,” Medlin said. “They’re giving a lot of money away. We get to go to a bunch of rodeos. Any time you can leave a rodeo with a time, you can build off it, and we’re trying to ride that momentum right now.” Doing so in the Rocky Mountains is also a plus during a long summer run. Both men left their homes a few weeks ago and may not see their families for weeks to come, so finding comfort on the rodeo trail is important. “I love this rodeo,” Proctor said. “It takes awhile to get through that canyon, but it’s always worth getting here and getting to hang out for a day or two.” Of course, finding success helps, too. “It’s one we always like to come to,” Medlin said. “The committee always does a good job of giving us a place to stay. The hospitality is great, and it’s a good place for horses. We always have Estes Park on our to-do list.” Rooftop RodeoJuly 6-11Bareback riding: 1. Bill Tutor, 87 points on Cervi Brothers’ Jelly Bean; 2. Chad Rutherford, 84; 3. (tie) Tyler Griffin and Waylon Bourgeois, 83.5; 5. Luke Thrash, 80; 6. Will Lowe, 79; 7. Casey Colletti, 78; 8. Mark Kreder, 73.5. Steer wrestling: 1. Jace Logan, 4.9 seconds; 2. (tie) Cody Pratt and Walt Arnold, 5.0; 4. Chisum Docheff, 5.2; 5. (tie) Hadley Jackson and Riley Westhaver, 5.7.   Team roping: 1. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 4.3 seconds; 2. Brenten Hall/Chase Tryan, 4.6; 3. Kolton Schmidt/Cole Davison, 4.7; 4. (tie) Payden Emmett/Lucas Falconer, Luke Brown/Hunter Koch and Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp 4.8; 7. Eric Martin/Ryon Tittel, 5.0; 8. (tie) Kellan Johnson/Carson Johnson and J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo, 5.3. Saddle bronc riding: 1. Ross Griffin, 85 points on Cervi’s Two Cookies; 2. Statler Wright, 84.5; 3. Houston Brown, 83; 4. Jake Watson, 82.5; 5. Spencer Wright, 82; 6. (tie) Brody Cress and Will Pollock, 81; 8. Ben Anderson, 80.5. Tie-down roping: 1. Ryan Thibodeaux, 9.4 seconds; 2. Brody Stallard, 10.4; 3. Seth Hall, 10.9; 4. Kaiai Nobriga, 11.2; 5. Zaine Mikita, 11.3; 6. (tie) Pryce Harris and Colby Anders, 11.4; 8. Gavin Liggett, 11.5. Barrel racing: 1. Josey Owens, 16.49 seconds; 2. Carly Cervi, 16.57; 3. Kathryn Varian, 16.62; 4. Elizabeth Ellis, 16.67; 5. Kaycee Willbanks Colletti, 16.70; 6. Wendy Hoefer, 16.74; 7. Leslie Smalygo, 16.85; 8. Peyton Stepanoff, 16.86; 9. Acey Pinkston, 16.87; 10. (tie) Chris Gibson and Shawnee Williams, 16.93. Bull riding: 1. Jesse Flores, 87 points on Cervi’s Skim Walker; 2. Brody Yeary, 85.5; 3. Robbie James Taylor, 84.5; 4. J.R. Stratford, 84; 5. Koby Radley, 82; 6. Jackson Ward, 79; 7. Jeff Askey, 78.5; 8. Corye Daily, 70.

DODGE CITY, Kan. – The trophies are unique in sports, even in rodeo. They are the Dodge City Roundup buckles awarded champions in each event each year. They are some of the most respected and prestigious awards in professional rodeo. Cowboys have placed winning in this western Kansas community atop their priority lists. Hundreds of them will return for this year’s Roundup Rodeo, set for 7:45 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 3-Sunday, Aug. 7, at Roundup Arena; Dodge City Xtreme Bulls is set for 7:45 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 2. Even if they’ve won the title before, cowboys and cowgirls can’t have enough of those glistening and distinguishable buckles, courtesy of Western Beverage. “My traveling partner won this title in 2018, and he wears his buckle all the time,” 2021 saddle bronc riding champion Lefty Holman said. “It’s got the Budweiser logo on it, which sets it apart. It’s a cool buckle. I’ll definitely be wearing it.” Holman, of Visalia, California, qualified for the 2020 National Finals Rodeo. Injuries slowed him a bit last season, yet he still finished the year 18th, just three spots from the magical top 15 that earn their qualifications to ProRodeo’s grand championship. Travis Rogers grew up just a few hours from Dodge City in Tuttle, Oklahoma. He won the Prairie Circuit’s tie-down roping title last year, thanks in large part to the money he earned in western Kansas. “Dodge City has always been my favorite rodeo, so to win it is pretty sweet,” he said. After his winning ride in the championship round last year, bull rider Dustin Boquet of Bourg, Louisiana, just took a long look at the silver buckle with the star and beer logo and knew exactly what he was going to do. “My dad always wanted a belt buckle from here because he’s a Budweiser man,” he said. “I’d made up my mind that I was going to give it to him. “I’m pretty fired up to win that for him.” Sometimes the best trophies are ones that can be admired from anywhere, but the highlights of last year are ones that can be memorialized by the folks who won the titles. Take barrel racer Jordon Briggs of Tolar, Texas, for example. She utilized the momentum she gained at Roundup to carry her to her second NFR; more importantly, she built upon it and won her first world title. Bareback rider Cole Franks of Clarendon, Texas, won both the first round and the final round with 90-point-plus rides, setting a Roundup Arena record with a 93-point ride on Frontier Rodeo’s Gun Fire in the championship round. Team ropers Clay Smith and Jade Corkill added another Roundup buckle to their trophy cases with their win. Steer wrestler Tucker Allen pointed to his win in Ford County as a major milestone in his season, while team roping-heeler Paden Bray of Stephenville, Texas, took advantage of the busy week to add some dollars in tie-down roping to win the all-around title. They all left Dodge City with some big-time money and some special hardware.

ESTES PARK, Colo. – For many ProRodeo cowboys, a trip to this scenic community is a break from the monotony of the road and the heat of the summer. That’s really not the case for Jace Logan. He lives in the Rocky Mountain town of Yampa, Colorado, only 130 miles west of Estes Park. Through the winding roads in between, it takes better than three hours to make his way to Rooftop Rodeo, where he competed during Thursday’s second performance. He took the steer wrestling lead after a 4.9-second run. He will return to town Sunday night to make his second-round run and hope that he fits in the money somewhere along the way. “We knew coming in it was a fresh set of steers,” said Logan, a 21-year-old cowboy in his fourth year competing in the PRCA. “Just watching the other guys, you see (the steers) were hesitating a little bit, so first things first, you’ve got to score sharp, then it was a matter of setting up your run.” He did that and did it well, with the assistance of his two partners: Hazer Jesse Jolly and Logan’s horse, Sparky. “I take a lot of pride in him,” he said. “We raised him from a colt. I’ve done all the training on him. It’s a process.” It’s one that seems to be working for the Colorado cowboy. He’ll continue to keep himself busy competing at rodeos in the Mountain States Circuit, a region made up of contestants and rodeos primarily in Colorado and Wyoming. “I’ll mainly be circuit rodeoing,” Logan said. “I want to do well in the circuit and hopefully crack the top 50 and go from there.” The top 50 is magical in rodeo, because it allows contestants to advance to the big building rodeos that begin in January. Those typically offer big purses and can set up a cowboy’s season. “This is one of the top circuit rodeos,” he said. “A lot of the other guys that are rodeoing hard stop through here. Hopefully my time holds up and sets me up for that second run.” Rooftop RodeoJuly 6-11Bareback riding: 1. Tyler Griffin, 83.5 points on Cervi’s Silence of the Lambs; 2. Luke Thrash, 80; 3. Will Lowe, 79; 4. Casey Colletti, 78; 5. Mark Kreder, 73.5; 6. Grant Worthington, 67; no other qualified rides. Steer wrestling: 1. Jace Logan, 4.9 seconds; 2. Cody Pratt, 5.0; 3. Chisum Docheff, 5.2; 4. Hadley Jackson, 5.7; 5. Marc Joiner, 6.0; 6. Cole Trainor, 6.9; 7. Matt Jodie, 7.0; 8. Talon Roseland, 8.5.   Team roping: 1. Eric Martin/Ryon Tittel, 5.9 seconds; 2. Jake Deveraux/Quincy Reynolds, 6.2; 3. Paul Beckett/Jesse Jolly, 6.3; 4. (tie) Kellan Johnson/Carson Johnson and J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo, 9.3; 6. Tanner Tomlinson/Patrick Smith, 10.2; 7. Brooks Dahozy/Seth Hall, 14.6; 8. Jaden Coseo/Ty Eeverson, 19.7. Saddle bronc riding: 1. Ross Griffin, 85 points on Cervi’s Two Cookies; 2. Houston Brown, 83; 3. Jake Watson, 82.5; 4. (tie) Brody Cress and Will Pollock, 81; 6. Lefty Holman, 80; 7. Alan Gobert, 79.5; 8. Chris Williams, 78.5. Tie-down roping: 1. Ryan Thibodeaux, 9.4 seconds; 2. Seth Hall, 10.9; 3. 3. Kaiai Nobriga, 11.2; 4. Zaine Mikita, 11.3; 5. Pryce Harris, 11.4; 6. Gavin Liggett, 11.5; 7. Cash Enderli, 11.7; 8. Chance Derner, 11.9. Barrel racing: 1. Carly Cervi, 16.67 seconds; 2. Kathryn Varian, 16.62; 3. Elizabeth Ellis, 16.67; 4. Kaycee Willbanks Colletti, 16.70; 5. Wendy Hoefer, 16.74; 6. Leslie Smalygo, 16.85; 7. Chris Gibson, 16.93; 8. Latricia Mundorf, 16.98; 9. Kelly Kennedy-Joseph, 17.02; 10. Carlee Otero, 17.13. Bull riding: 1. Jesse Flores, 87 points on Cervi’s Skim Walker; 2. Koby Radley, 82; 3. Jeff Askey, 78.5; 4. Corye Daily, 70; no other qualified rides.

GUNNISON, Colo. – Over the last few years, the popularity of the Cattlemen’s Days PRCA Rodeo among contestants has blossomed so much that there is now an influx of cowboys and cowgirls converging on Gunnison. About 400 contestants have put their hats into the ring to compete at this year’s rodeo, set for Thursday, July 14-Saturday, July 16, at Fred Field Western Center in Gunnison. With that many contestants ready for the action, there are more than can fit in the three performances, and many will still compete but in an extra session. For many years, that session – known as “slack” in rodeo terms – took place after the opening performance of the rodeo on Thursday nights. That changes this year. “We decided to move our slack from Thursday night to Thursday morning,” said Kevin Colbentz, a past president of Cattlemen’s Days and a longtime member of the volunteer committee. “It’s a combination of things that led us to that decision, but first and foremost was being accommodating to the contestants who are trying to go to other rodeos. “It also allows our committee to catch its breath. The last two years, we have had so many contestants that we were finishing up in the early morning hours that Friday.” By moving the slack time to 9 a.m. Thursday, July 14, committee members hope to relieve the pressure that came with those late nights. It also opened the door for more contestants to take part in the rodeo in Gunnison and still make it to other rodeos that are taking place at the same time. “There are a bunch of rodeos going on the same week as Cattlemen’s Days,” said Brad Tutor, first vice president of the Cattlemen’s Days committee. “Since 2020, we’ve seen our entries skyrocket, and we want to be able to put on the competition these contestants deserve. By moving the timing of our slack, we’re able to help them compete here and the other places they can get to.” In the timed events, the rodeo will feature 10 contestants (and tandems in team roping) during each performance. That means in team roping, 30 teams will compete in the performances, but there is an excess of 27 other teams. The same goes for tie-down roping, steer wrestling and barrel racing. Thursday morning’s slack also will feature 31 bulldoggers, 32 tie-down ropers and 55 barrel racers – 145 runs, which will take just a few hours. “This is going to be our first year to have our slack in the morning,” Coblentz said. “We’re going to see how the contestants like it, make sure it still makes sense for everyone. If the contestants come back to us and say they’d rather do it after Thursday’s performance, then we’ll probably move back. “We just want to make it as good for the cowboys and cowgirls as we possibly can. If we do that, then we’ll make our rodeo better for everyone.” About 400 contestants have put their hats into the ring to compete at this year’s rodeo, set for Thursday, July 14-Saturday, July 16, at Fred Field Western Center in Gunnison. With that many contestants ready for the action, there are more than can fit in the three performances, and many will still compete but in an extra session. For many years, that session – known as “slack” in rodeo terms – took place after the opening performance of the rodeo on Thursday nights. That changes this year. “We decided to move our slack from Thursday night to Thursday morning,” said Kevin Colbentz, a past president of Cattlemen’s Days and a longtime member of the volunteer committee. “It’s a combination of things that led us to that decision, but first and foremost was being accommodating to the contestants who are trying to go to other rodeos. “It also allows our committee to catch its breath. The last two years, we have had so many contestants that we were finishing up in the early morning hours that Friday.” By moving the slack time to 9 a.m. Thursday, July 14, committee members hope to relieve the pressure that came with those late nights. It also opened the door for more contestants to take part in the rodeo in Gunnison and still make it to other rodeos that are taking place at the same time. “There are a bunch of rodeos going on the same week as Cattlemen’s Days,” said Brad Tutor, first vice president of the Cattlemen’s Days committee. “Since 2020, we’ve seen our entries skyrocket, and we want to be able to put on the competition these contestants deserve. By moving the timing of our slack, we’re able to help them compete here and the other places they can get to.” In the timed events, the rodeo will feature 10 contestants (and tandems in team roping) during each performance. That means in team roping, 30 teams will compete in the performances, but there is an excess of 27 other teams. The same goes for tie-down roping, steer wrestling and barrel racing. Thursday morning’s slack also will feature 31 bulldoggers, 32 tie-down ropers and 55 barrel racers – 145 runs, which will take just a few hours. “This is going to be our first year to have our slack in the morning,” Coblentz said. “We’re going to see how the contestants like it, make sure it still makes sense for everyone. If the contestants come back to us and say they’d rather do it after Thursday’s performance, then we’ll probably move back. “We just want to make it as good for the cowboys and cowgirls as we possibly can. If we do that, then we’ll make our rodeo better for everyone.”

ESTES PARK, Colo. – Ross Griffin and Tyler Griffin share a last name and a passion for competing in rodeo. That’s about all they have in common, other than taking the lead Wednesday during the opening night of the 2022 Rooftop Rodeo. Tyler Griffin is 19 and rode Cervi Rodeo’s Silence of the Lambs for 83.5 points to take the bareback riding lead; Ross Griffin is 25 and rode Cervi’s Two Cookies for 85 points to ride to the top in saddle bronc riding. “I just drew a really good horse, and it was a nice night,” said Ross Griffin of Tularosa, New Mexico. “She was really good today and gave me every opportunity to make a good ride.” Two Cookies has been selected to the National Finals Rodeo four times, and cowboys have won go-rounds on the horse. “I knew that horse had been to the NFR, and I’d seen them win a lot on it,” he said. “I didn’t really look into it, but it’s a great horse.” Tyler Griffin is pretty new to ProRodeo. He just finished his first year at Southeastern Oklahoma State University, and he’s competing this year on his PRCA permit. If he wins at least $1,000 this season, he will be eligible to obtain his card and be an official member of the association. He rode like a veteran Wednesday. “I didn’t know that horse,” he said of Silence of the Lambs. “I really didn’t know how good she was going to be, and little did I know that she was the best out of the pen tonight.” With each ride, with each step in the process of competing in rodeo, the young bareback rider is learning more about the business. He’s also learning about himself in the process. Three weeks ago, he was competing at the College National Finals Rodeo; now he’s competing against the best cowboys in the game. “Over this Fourth (of July run), we’ve been getting on a lot of horses, and the more I get on, the more comfortable I’m getting,” Tyler Griffin said. “Right now, I’m just feeling good and ready to spur one every day.” It’s also nice to be able to compete in the picturesque Rocky Mountains and the setting Rooftop Rodeo creates for every cowboy and cowgirl that arrives. “The arena’s in a beautiful spot,” Ross Griffin said. “There are mountains all over. The town shows up, and they love to watch the rodeo. They also give you a bonus if you win the performance.” This year marked the first time Tyler Griffin made his way to the resort community, and he’s found it to his liking. “I’ll be back next year, without a doubt,” he said. “This place is electric. I would love to be here on a Saturday night; it would be crazy.” Rooftop RodeoJuly 6-11Bareback riding: 1. Tyler Griffin, 83.5 points on Cervi’s Silence of the Lambs; 2. Luke Thrash, 80; Grant Worthington, 67; no other qualified rides. Steer wrestling: 1. Marc Joiner, 6.0 seconds; 2. Matt Jodie, 7.0; 3. Talon Roseland, 8.5; 4. Tanner Jackson, 9.6; 5. Rudy Buum, 11.1; 6. Kyle Irwin, 13.5; 7. Cody Mumma,14.6; 8. Cole McNamee, 18.9.  Team roping: 1. Jake Deveraux/Quincy Reynolds, 6.2 seconds; 2. Tanner Tomlinson/Patrick Smith, 10.2; 3. Brooks Dahozy/Seth Hall, 14.6; no other qualified times. Saddle bronc riding: 1. Ross Griffin, 85 points on Cervi’s Two Cookies; 2. (tie) Brody Cress and Will Pollock, 81; 4. Lefty Holman, 80; no other qualified rides. Tie-down roping: 1. Ryan Thibodeaux, 9.4 seconds; 2. Seth Hall, 10.9; 3. Gavin Liggett, 11.5; 4. James Kolacek, 12.6; 5. Wyatt Uptain, 13.9; 6. Chris McCuiston, 17.5; 7. Luke Meier, 27.0; 8. J.D. McCuiston, 31.0. Barrel racing: 1. Leslie Smalygo, 16.85 seconds; 2. Donna Tippen, 17.17; 3. Wendy McKee, 17.42; 4. Mila Hancock, 18.34; 5. Tanna Hansen, 18.48; 6. Jolie Hannah, 19.59; 7. Mackenzie Scott, 22.17; 8. Heidi Tillard, 22.23; 9. Natalie Bland, 23.15; no other qualified times. Bull riding: 1. Jesse Flores, 87 points on Cervi’s Skim Walker; 2. Corye Daily, 70; no other qualified rides.

LOVINGTON, N.M. – In this part of the world, the Mexican culture is alive and well, and the people of Lea County, New Mexico, celebrate it. It’s a salute to many ancestors who once roamed this part of land when it was the Mexican territory. From hard-working individuals who toil in the heat throughout most of the summer to those who offer their service to the community, Hispanic men, women and children have proven vital to southeastern New Mexico. The Latino culture is celebrated every year during the Lea County Fair and Rodeo, but fair board members are expanding that to the festival by showcasing Tomas Garcilazo during the four nights of this year’s rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 3-Saturday, Aug. 6, at Jake McClure Arena. “Tomas has been around for many years and is one of the most celebrated specialty acts in rodeo,” said Trey Kerby, vice chairman of the Lea County Fair Board and chairman of the board’s rodeo committee. “I think he will be a great fit for our rodeo, our fans who come every night and to the people in the Hispanic community that want to celebrate their culture at the rodeo.” Garcilazo not only lives in his Mexican culture, he thrives in it and showcases it and performs before tens of thousands of fans a year with his wife, Justine, and his oldest son, Louis. When he’s old enough, the youngest Garcilazo, Gaspar, will likely join the troupe. Tomas Garcilazo is a charro and carries with him a family tradition of La Cherreria, a skill performed through the generations only by the Mexican charro. As did his elders, Garcilazo takes pride in his horsemanship and roping skills, which will be on display during each of the three Stampede performances. “When you bring someone to provide a treat, it’s nice because you contribute something to the community,” said Garcilazo, who has been selected to perform the opening act at the NFR more than a dozen times and has been named the PRCA’s Dress Act of the Year four times. “It’s going to bring more people together.” Lovington’s rodeo is more than a competition. The stampede will feature the very best in the sport, but it’s also an action-packed couple of hours of entertainment. To help make a rodeo even more entertaining, specialty acts provide theatrics, and Garcilazo is the best at what he does. “It’s an honor because specialty acts are so competitive,” he said. “I’m very flattered that what I do as a charro and representing my culture and my tradition with my horses and myself has been recognized with those contractors, committees and contestants that are part of the PRCA. “I emphasize the tradition a lot. The heritage is very strong. For me, it is big that those are being carried on in modern day and that it is a privilege for me to keep up with this way of life. Cattle, horses and roping were all involved in my childhood.” Those lessons learned decades ago are still vibrant in his mind. That’s why he continues to entertain and show the world his talents. “On my mother’s side, they are all churros,” Garcilazo said. “I grew up competing all my life. I picked my skill with a rope and had a vision to develop this with the horses. “It’s a way of developing my dream. My rope, as a child, was a toy. Now, I develop the artistry with a rope in such an extensive way. It takes time, effort, patience and the (willingness to) develop all the desires to succeed in horse and roping skills.” It is Garcilazo’s passion to share his talent and heritage with the world. “Being in the entertainment business, you get to see the different traditions and different people from different personalities,” he said. “When you develop something with passion with your heart and express this on stage, it shows. When I see a performer, when they do these with their heart, it shows right away. I have a lot of passion for what I do, and I hope everyone sees that.”

GUNNISON, Colo. – When Jackson Irby reflects on his youth, he points to the lessons he gained while showing exhibits at the annual Cattlemen’s Days celebration. He learned through leathering projects and cake decorating before he started showing pigs, steers and other livestock. He got involved with the Catch A Calf program at the National Western, which opened the door for him to make a trip to Wyoming with Dr. Tim Holt to check on some calves a ranch owner was donating to Gunnison. “We drew blood from them that day to make sure they were gong to be good for the altitude they were going to,” said Irby, the fifth generation of his family to be involved in showing. “That was really good for a 4H kid to get to know all that.” The sixth generation of his family has taken over the showing reins with daughters Teara-Rose, 16, and Jayden, 15. They will be involved in this year’s Cattlemen’s Days, set for Friday, July 8-Saturday, July 16, at Fred Field Western Center in Gunnison. “This year, Teara has a market steer, two market goats and a breeding goat,” Irby said. “Jayden will show a market steer, two market pigs and a breeding heifer. This is her second year with the heifer, so she’s got a calf this year. She’s planning to turn the calf into her market project next year. “She’s going to have that calf from the day it’s born until the day she loads it on the truck. In a normal year, kids don’t get their steers until October, so she’s going to have a real bond with that calf by the time she shows it next year.” It’s all part of the process for many youngsters in Gunnison County. They work all year to prepare their exhibits for Cattlemen’s Days. Like he experienced a couple of decades ago, Irby’s daughters are learning life’s lessons on a daily basis. “They get to see the process of life,” he said. “They understand where that animal came from. They understand the work they have to put in to make that animal your friend, to be able to work with that animal and allow that animal to show better when it comes time to show it.” It’s something they’ve been doing for years, so it’s a natural experience for the Irby girls and many others who are involved in 4H and showing their exhibits. Every step of the way is an educational experience, whether it’s feeding the animals before they eat or just getting the right diet for the animals. They have an advantage with their father, who shares his own experiences with his daughters. Because he was in their shoes years earlier, Irby has been able to teach them from a young age. Now, his children are passing that on to others, even as teenagers. “The girls do a lot more off-the-site activities to show some of the other kids that don’t know more of an idea of how to do it and how to help them,” Irby said. “It also helps them get out in the community a little bit more, and it shows anyone that food doesn’t just come from the grocery store.”

GUNNISON, Colo. – When Stace Smith decided he was going to produce rodeos, he knew he wanted the cowboys in the field to determine the outcome. That’s not always the case. Sometimes it’s the luck of the draw. One steer might stand out in a herd of 20. One bronc may be much better than all the others. That gives the fortunate person – who was matched with than animal by random draw – an advantage over the rest. “We try to make it as even as possible,” said Cody Kidd, general manager of Stace Smith Pro Rodeos. “In our regards, we do it for the contestants. We want to make it as fair as we can across the board. We want a guy who enters to have as good of a chance as anybody else. “We want to make it an equal playing field, then the true talent of the cowboy comes out, too.” For better than 20 years, the 11-time PRCA Stock Contractor of the Year has produced the annual Cattlemen’s Days PRCA Rodeo, set for Thursday, July 14-Saturday, July 16, at Fred Field Western Center in Gunnison. Smith and his crew will bring the right kind of livestock to make for fantastic competition through the three days of action. That means he’ll have consistency in calves, steers, broncs and bulls, even if that means hiring outside firms to also come to Gunnison and bring their best animals. A year ago, all three roughstock events were won on something other than a Smith-owned animal. Will Lowe won bareback riding on Hurst & TNT’s Casino, while bronc rider Tegan Smith won on Hurst & TNT’s Charlie’s Angels. Ky Hamilton won the bull tiding title on Rafter G’s Johnny Cash. “Stace is very well known to sub-contract and ask the subs to bring their best animals in,” Kidd said. “That’s the whole reason why we keep the animals even.” It’s one of the things that makes Cattlemen’s Days rodeo such a good event, but there are others. Foremost among them, Kidd said, is the legacy that is Gunnison and its rodeo, which will celebrate its 122nd year. “Tradition is a big thing in Gunnison … that and family atmosphere,” he said. “We talk to people every year that go there, whether they’re originally from Gunnison or it’s a destination spot, and they said the reason they come back is they were brought there as a kid. “It’s a small town in Colorado that has a ton of tourists, but it also has a bunch of loyal locals that love that rodeo. You get both aspects: You get the tourist side of things for people who do like us and get out of the heat in Texas, then you get the locals that are die-hard.” It’s there that the Smith brand of competition mixed with entertainment comes into play. Kidd and his crew want to make sure it all happens for fans and contestants when they get to the rodeo. Having such knowledgeable fans makes it easy. “The locals there are really as good to us, and they know rodeo,” Kidd said. “When the judges mess up a score, those people let them know it. If there was a rodeo where the fans could judge it, that would be the one because they know it that good.”

LOVINGTON, N.M. – His own children are in their 30s, yet Clyde Wilhoit continues to serve the youth of Lea County. Andy Wilhoit started showing animals at the Lea County Fair and Rodeo a quarter century ago. His younger brother, Trace, followed suit, and it seemed like a good time for them to learn the lessons that come with showing exhibits at the local fair. Clyde Wilhoit had shown pigs and horses when he was a kid, raised on a farm near Portales, New Mexico, about 90 miles north of Lovington. He moved to town in 1978 and served as the yard manager at the local livestock auction. Once his boys got involved in showing, he recalled all the important parts of life that he gained while living on a farm in eastern New Mexico. He still shares that with people who ask him, and it’s why he’s the livestock superintendent at the Lea County Fair and Rodeo, which will have its 10-day run from Friday, July 29-Saturday, Aug. 6, at the Lea County Fairgrounds in Lovington. “My first year as the swine superintendent was 1999,” Wilhoit said. “I did that for 21 years, then they asked me to be the livestock superintendent.” He went from assigning pens to swine exhibitors and making sure all things with the pig show went right to overseeing every other animal superintendent before the fair and during their time on the fairgrounds. He handles the entire management for all eight species that are shown and offers himself as a support system or a backup plan if situations arise. “I enjoy doing this,” said Wilhoit, who works for Legacy Reserves when he’s not volunteering. “I have helped with anything they’ve asked me to do in the livestock barn. That’s pretty much what I’ve been doing since we got started.” Andy is now 35 years old, and Trace is 31. Both of the Wilhoit boys are married with three children each. “Both of my sons are involved as the swine superintendents,” Wilhoit said. “They enjoyed their time exhibiting at the fair, and they’re both volunteers now also.” While pigs seem to be the favored choice for the Wilhoits, there have been several species they have shown over their years as youngsters. Clyde Wilhoit actually raises and sells show goats. Everything he does with the fair is because of the children and what they get out of their experiences. “I try not to butt into other people’s business, but if I’m asked to help, I do,” he said. “I think it is good because of what it teaches the exhibitors. It teaches the responsibility of caring for something else and seeing a project through to the end. “The best part of the fair, to me, is the livestock shows because it’s something for the future of Lea County. It’s for these kids who exhibit what they have raised and show what they have done in the summer, take pride in what they’ve done and hopefully make the sale at the end.”

LOVINGTON, N.M. – The highlight of the Summer & Co. Fearless Equine Stunts team isn’t what Summer Boyd can do on horseback. It’s what the rest of her team does. “The best part of my team would be my two little girls,” Boyd said of daughters, Emmie, 7, and Jinsen, 4. “We’ve just been performing together the last few years; it’s the greatest thing for me.” She and her husband, Seth, have lived in Lovington for the past eight years and been trick riding for 11. Originally from Alamogordo, New Mexico, she’s been perfecting her craft over time and now has the opportunity to showcase her love for horses with two of the most important people in her life. They will perform at Jake McClure Arena during the mutton busting slack on Saturday, July 30, then again during the Lea County Xtreme Bulls, which begins at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 2. “It means a lot to be able to work that,” Boyd said. “People say in our industry that a lot of times you never get hired at your hometown rodeo. To be acknowledged and to be part of the event means so much to us. It’s a rodeo we go and watch when we’re at home, so this means so much.” This is the next step for Boyd, who was raised around horses and has had a longtime passion for doing tricks while riding them. Her love affair with trick riding stems back to before she tried her hand at it and continues with passing along her skills to her daughters. “When I grew up, we raised a lot of horses and broke a lot of horses,” she said. “I don’t remember seeing it anywhere, but trick riding was something I always wanted to do. I guess I was bored just sitting on a horse, so I found someone to teach me and found a saddle. “It’s the only discipline where the horse has to do it because it wants to, because you can’t use your feet or use the reins to help them through things. If they don’t want to do it, it becomes apparent pretty quickly.” Even with horses that seem to care for her daughters as much as she does, Boyd does try to corral her children’s fearless nature. “There are things we may do at home that maybe we don’t perform yet, because it’s important to me that they’re safe,” she said. “It’s the mother in me. It’s amazing to me what they can do anyway, but at the same time, I will do what I need to do to keep them safe.” Traveling and performing with her daughters just enhances the experience. Emmie is the youngest person to have ever done a shoulder stand, Boyd said. “It does add a degree of excitement, traveling with your small children all the time,” Boyd said. “As far as performing, it’s great. My oldest and I alternate laps. She’s like performing with another adult, and she’s performing tricks that some adults can’t do. She’s never nervous. She never requires a pep-talk. “You can’t expect the crowd to have fun unless you’re having fun, and she makes it easy. Jinsen helps us close out the show; she’s the icing on the cake.”  

GUNNISON, Colo. – Over the last two years, an influx of dozens of ProRodeo’s elite athletes have made their way to this mountain community. They’ve not only competed at the Cattlemen’s Days PRCA Rodeo, but many have left with money earned in the Gunnison Valley. That includes 12 former world champions that account for 24 gold buckles. “We’ve always had world champions and (National Finals Rodeo) qualifiers who have been part of our rodeo, but we’ve been really blessed recently,” said Brad Tutor, first vice president of Cattlemen’s Days, which set this year for Thursday, July 14-Saturday, July 16, at Fred Field Western Center in Gunnison. “We have Stace Smith as our stock contractor, so that helps us get some of the bigger names to Gunnison.” Since 2020, three world champions – bareback rider Will Lowe, header Levi Simpson and saddle bronc rider Ryder Wright – have all left Gunnison with at least a share of the Cattlemen’s Days crown. Better yet, though, is the number of NFR qualifiers who have earned the title. Last year alone, six of the eight winners have all competed at ProRodeo’s grand finale. Being in Gunnison is a big deal to the men and women that make their livings in the sport. “This is a great rodeo,” said Garrett Tonozzi, a two-time qualifier originally from Fruita, Colorado, but now living in Lampasas, Texas, with his wife, Brittany Pozzi-Tonozzi, a two-time world champ. “Doing well here means a lot. I always wanted to go to Gunnison when I was a kid. “This is my home. Western Colorado is where I’m from. I love coming back. This is an awesome rodeo.” It’s a sentiment that has been shared over the years by many cowboys and cowgirls. “Gunnison has been really good to me over the years,” said Shali Lord, a two-time NFR qualifier from Lamar, Colorado. “It’s one of our better Colorado rodeos, and we always like to go over there. They have good hospitality for the contestants, and the ground’s aways good. “I’ve done well there with different horses. It seems like all my horses like the same places, which is really cool, and all of my horses have liked Gunnison.” That doesn’t hurt. Lord has padded her annual salary well over the years by competing in Gunnison, so that always helps make the five-hour venture a lot better. “The committee there does so much to help you, either by feeding you or giving you hay,” said Lord, who last won the Cattlemen’s Day crown in 2020. “The grandstands are packed every night. There’s a lot going on, and there is a lot of support from the community, which I think is very important.” It is, and it’s what makes Cattlemen’s Days such a special event every year.

Sosebee will get to experience the rodeo’s unique personality this year GOODING, Idaho – In his years as a professional rodeo clown, Cody Sosebee has received many accolades. He’s been named the PRCA’s Comedy Act of the Year and has been selected to work the National Finals Rodeo, the sport’s premier championship that takes place each December in Las Vegas. He’s been recognized as one of the top clowns and top barrelmen in the business. But he has yet to experience the Gooding ProRodeo. He’ll get his first shot at it this year, with performances set for Thursday, Aug. 18-Saturday, Aug. 20, with a special “Beauty and the Beast” performance on Wednesday, Aug. 17. All performances take place at 8 p.m. at Andy James Arena. “Sose is going to be wowed by the crowd,” said Steve Kenyon, the rodeo’s announcer since 2002. “He’s going to be entertained by the fact that they are there to be entertained.” Those words are the reasons why so many elite cowboys, cowgirls and personnel love what they experience every year in this southern Idaho community. It’s why so many return to town annually to be part of the fun and frivolity for which Gooding’s rodeo is so well known. This will be Sosebee’s first trip to this rodeo, and he’s already looking forward to it. He brings a rotund sense of humor, a larger-than-life personality and an ability to make fun of himself when given the chance. On top of that, he packs a trailer-load of acts to keep fans on the edges of their seats. “My greatest honor has been getting chosen by the bull riders to work the NFR in 2017, which was followed up close by winning the Comedy Act of the Year in 2018,” he said. “I didn’t expect either one. 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.” His humble nature comes from his small-town Arkansas raising. He lives in a town of 2,500 people, and he cherishes that time he spends with them. He also loves getting on the road and sharing his experiences with his “rodeo family.” By being able to work an event like the Gooding Pro Rodeo, he knows he’ll get to hang out with ProRodeo’s elite, the sport’s biggest stars. “You’re getting to walk out there with the best in the PRCA,” Sosebee said. “It’s like being asked to play pickup ball with Michael Jordan.” He understands that, because he’s worked so many of the biggest rodeos in the world. He’s a fixture at the Cheyenne (Wyoming) Frontier Days, and he’s clowned at rodeos all across America. He now gets to add Gooding to his list of accomplishments. Now in his 50s, Sosebee has no plans to stop doing what he loves. “We’ve had great role models to follow like Ted Kimzey, Rudy Burns, Lecile Harris, people we’ve held high and respected,” he said. “I’ve seen them still do funny stuff after 50 years old. “My biggest challenge is I want to know what I’m doing is still effective. 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.” Sosebee has the right attitude and personality for rodeo, and it’s going to be something to witness once he goes to work in southern Idaho. “He has a down-home feel, and let’s face it: Gooding is small-town America,” Kenyon said. “Sose and Gooding are going to get along well together.”

Estes Park rodeo was lifted from ashes of the pandemic into a fruitful event ESTES PARK, Colo. – The volunteers that formulate this community’s annual ProRodeo were a bit skeptical last year. Still in the throes of the pandemic, the organizers were unsure of what to expect with Rooftop Rodeo. With more than 90 years under the rodeo’s belt, the Estes Park Western Heritage Inc. – a group of volunteers that works with the town of Estes Park to produce the annual event – faced unprecedented times. “Last year was the hardest year I have ever been involved with, but it was also the most satisfying experience in helping put the rodeo together,” said Mark Purdy, chairman of Western Heritage. “Things were changing so quickly, so in January, I asked our board to meet once a week on Zoom. “At the end of April, we were at 30 percent of our normal cash sponsorship. On May 4, we learned that we could hit the go-switch and have our rodeo, but we knew we had to get serious. We had to cut back on a lot of things. We canceled mutton busting and the behind-the-chutes (tour), and they didn’t get added back until three weeks before our rodeo.” It was a lot of late decisions by the committee, which is already focused on this year’s 96th anniversary of Rooftop Rodeo, set for 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 6-Monday, July 11, at Granny May Arena in Estes Park inside the Estes Park Fairgrounds. But that came with the territory in 2021. At least people were up for gathering together, which wasn’t the case two years ago when COVID had its grips on the world. “By June 20 of last year, we were at 100 percent of our cash sponsorships,” Purdy said. “By rodeo time, we were at least 20 percent above that, a record amount of sponsorships for our rodeo. It’s a testament to the generous people of our community. Our sponsors not only gave, but they kept giving. “We were blessed that the town had canceled everything before the rodeo, so we were the first public event to happen in Estes Park last year. We broke every record we had: a record number of contestants; a record number of fans in the seats; even our saloon had a record, selling 35 percent more than it had ever sold.” It was also a testament to the resiliency of the Western Heritage members who kept their heads down and focused on what they could muster. They knew that battling through the restraints of a global pandemic would be the right medicine, and they wanted to give that to the community and the visitors who make Estes Park a summertime hot spot. From the dust of the volcano that was COVID to its best year ever, Rooftop Rodeo continued to blossom through the challenges of the pandemic and beyond. “It was just a band of us getting together and gutting it out, hoping for the best and planning for the worst,” Purdy said. “Luckily it turned out well.”

DODGE CITY, Kan. – With eyes firmly on the future, members of the Dodge City Roundup Rodeo committee have always been progressive when it comes to putting on a world-class rodeo. It’s one of the many reasons the event was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame a decade ago, and it’s why thousands of fans pack into Roundup Arena for six nights of action each summer. This year’s rodeo is set for 7:45 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 3-Sunday, Aug. 7, at Roundup Arena; Dodge City Xtreme Bulls is set for 7:45 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 2. New to the landscape is breakaway roping, an all-girls event that’s been around for decades but has witnessed a resurgence in the last few years. Money and events have increased for breakaway ropers since 2019, and it’s still growing. “We’ve seen what people are seeing with breakaway roping, so the committee decided to add it to our rodeo this year,” said Dr. R.C. Trotter, Roundup’s longtime president. “We want to showcase it this year and see what our fans think of it. I think they’re going to be excited to see what we have to offer.” In 2019, The American rodeo in Arlington, Texas, was the first big-time event to showcase breakaway roping, and a teenager – Madision Outhier – earned the first title. She went on to become the first breakaway roping Resistol Rookie of the Year, earning that title last season. The first National Finals Breakaway Roping took place in 2020; the third year of the grand finale is already scheduled for the end of November in Las Vegas. Roundup will be one of the highlighted events on the ladies’ schedule. It will feature a purse of about $30,000 for the cowgirls, which is an opportunity at good money for elite ropers. “With Dodge City adding breakaway roping, it’s awesome for us and for breakaway roping,” said Erin Johnson, the No. 1 breakaway roper in the world standings and a two-time NFBR qualifier from Fowler, Colorado. “Dodge City is one of those iconic rodeos and is one of the ones everyone wants to go to and to win. “If I sat down and wrote a list of 25 rodeos on my bucket list, that would be one of them. It’s close to home, and it’s a rodeo I’ve heard about since I was little bitty.” The field will include 80 ropers, with 20 competing each day for the four preliminary performances; 15 will compete during the morning “slack” of the rodeo, and the remaining five will be part of the evening performance. The top 12 times will advance to Sunday’s championship round. The cowgirl with the fastest two-run cumulative time will be crowned the inaugural Roundup Rodeo breakaway champion. “I’m super excited they’re giving breakaway roping a try,” said Johnson, who was raised near Burlington, Colorado, near the state’s border with Kansas. “I think the committee and the fans are going to be happy. I know they won’t have any trouble filling it with ropers.” It’s a good sign for the sport and for the spectators who enjoy a fast-paced, high-energy event at Dodge City Roundup.

Rooftop Rodeo committee has been a longtime partner with Cinch ESTES PARK, Colo. – Rooftop Rodeo was a Cinch rodeo before being one was cool. There was a time not long ago when another Western clothier had a stranglehold on ProRodeo marketing, and the Colorado-based manufacturer was left to its own devices. David Dean, the chairman and CEO of parent company Miller International, found brilliant avenues around the situation, and members of the Estes Park Western Heritage Inc. were right beside him. “Western Heritage was established in 2012 after the rodeo was produced by a town committee for the first 80 years of the rodeo’s existence,” said Mark Purdy, chairman of the group, which features volunteers that now work with the town of Estes Park to produce the annual event. “We wanted to establish a stand-alone non-profit; we’d do all the sponsorships and give every dime back to the town.” As the levels of organization grew, the founders realized they needed special people to be involved on Western Heritage’s board and asked Dean to be a director. Not only did he agree, but he also brought a powerful punch to the table: The Cinch brand. Alas, the Cinch Outlaws were born, and members of the committee wore the Cinch shirts with pride. They still do and will during this year’s Rooftop Rodeo, set for 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 6-Monday, July 11, at Granny May Arena in Estes Park inside the Estes Park Fairgrounds. “It was a fun thing in our minds,” Purdy said with a laugh. “We called ourselves the Pirate Rodeo. We were a constant fly in the ointment for the PRCA, and David started supplying our entire committee with Cinch committee shirts. We never have paid a dime for those, and we have a bunch of committee members. We have six performances, so we have six different colored shirts to use each year, and David has never balked once about providing them for us.” While the PRCA’s primary clothing sponsor had naming rights of the National Finals Rodeo and had a monopoly on banners and placements at rodeos, the Cinch Outlaws continued to make their ways across the rodeo circles. They wore their Cinch Rooftop Rodeo shirts all over Las Vegas each December during the NFR and even had patches made with a skull and crossbones to showcase their marauder theme. “We actually had somebody stitch in a Cinch insignia, and we wore those everywhere we could,” Purdy said. “We couldn’t have Cinch banners that were visible from the arena, but we had them up in the tent where we had our queens’ luncheon. The PRCA balked at that, but we assured them the banners were not visible from the arena.” That all changed a few years ago when the PRCA opened its doors to more sponsorships and allowed the monopoly to end. Since then, Cinch banners have been proudly displayed inside and out at rodeo arenas across the country. “What a lot of people don’t know is that before the chains broke and allowed Cinch in the door, Cinch had been putting a lot of money into the rodeo ecosystem – high school rodeo, college rodeo and senior ProRodeo – and now there are quite a few rodeos that are Cinch-based,” Purdy said. None, though, were Cinch through and through like Rooftop Rodeo was a decade ago. In fact, the committee has gone a step further; when the makers of Cinch started brewing Gold Buckle Beer, Estes Park volunteers started selling it at the rodeo. Both brands are important fixtures when the rodeo is in town. “We’ve covered our arena in Cinch,” Purdy said. “It’s up on our scoreboard. It’s going to be on our center gate. David Dean and Cinch have been fabulous partners of Rooftop Rodeo, and I hope they will be for years to come.”

PECOS, Texas – Over the last 11 years of the West of the Pecos Rodeo, one of the greatest bucking horses in the sport has reigned supreme. Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Dirty Jacket has carried cowboys to the Pecos bareback riding title six times, including each of the past two years. The 18-year-old bay gelding has been selected to buck at the National Finals Rodeo every year since 2009 – he was just 5 years old in his first appearance at ProRodeo’s grand finale. “This was my 17th year in Pecos, and I’m proud to have been at that rodeo so long,” said Pete Carr, owner of the Dallas-based livestock firm. “It’s the oldest rodeo in the world, and we love being part of it. A lot of our animals buck good there, but there’s something about it that really fits Dirty Jacket. He’s been winning there for 10 years.” Dirty Jacket has been exceptional at just about every community in which he’s been showcased, but there seems to be something special that happens when he performs inside Buck Jackson Arena. Clint Cannon learned that in 2012, when he matched moves with the powerful bucking for 90 points to win the prestigious Pecos buckle. In the years since, Dirty Jacket has proven his mettle time after time. Taylor Price scored 88.5 points to win in 2013; two years later, Ryan Gray set a West of the Pecos record with a 92-point score. Jamie Howlett was 88.5 to win in 2017, then Kaycee Feild utilized his 91.5-point winning ride last year to catapult himself to his record sixth world champion’s gold buckle. Most recently, though, bareback riding leader Jess Pope scored 89 points this past Friday night to collect another big victory in an already successful season. The $3,600 he earned in west Texas pushed Pope’s season earnings to nearly $116,000, and there are still three months remaining in the 2022 ProRodeo season. Pope has a lead of nearly $45,000 over the field. “He’s always been that good,” said Pope, the NFR average champion each of the past two years from Waverly, Kansas. “That has a lot of try and a lot of heart; he is a special horse. Not many horses can be hauled like he has been and still do what he does at his age. “He’s got the biggest heart you’ll ever really see in a horse.” It was the first time the two-time NFR qualifier had matched his skills with Dirty Jacket, and it was everything Pope had hoped it would be. “I told (my fiancé) Sydney a couple of months ago when Tim (O’Connell) got on him in San Angelo that I hope I could get on him before he gets retired,” Pope said. “I was pretty tickled when I saw my name next to his on the call backs; I might have squealed a little bit.” Dirty Jacket is a two-time Bareback Riding Horse of the Year, earning those championships in 2014-15. In 2013, he was the reserve world champion bareback horse, and the year before that, he was third in the voting for horse of the year. His trademark explosion out of the bucking chutes has been showcased time after time. In 2014, after having stayed at home on the Carr ranch to heal from an injury, Dirty Jacket returned to action during the championship round of the Cheyenne (Wyoming) Frontier Days Rodeo and promptly guided Richmond Champion to the title with a 91-point ride. At the NFR that December, Champion won the fifth round and Caleb Bennett won the 10th round on the world-class horse. Over the years, cowboys continuously have found their ways to the top on the back of Dirty Jacket. Since his first appearance in Guymon, Oklahoma, in May 2008, there have been more than 40 victories associated with the stout bay gelding. That includes the victory in Guymon that year, when, as a 4-year-old, he guided Jared Schlegel to the title in the Oklahoma Panhandle with an 87-point ride. They also won that rodeo the next three years, all with 87s: Jared Smith won in 2009, three-time world champion Will Lowe in 2010 and Matt Bright in 2011. Bill Tutor added a fifth Guymon title with an 87.5-point ride in 2018. “I had a pretty good feeling from the first time I saw him that there was something to him, and that’s why I purchased him from Jim and Maggie Zinser,” Carr said. “We were still a young company when I bought him and another Night Jacket colt, a mare named Outa Sight. We loaded them in the trailer with Deuces Night, a Night Jacket mare Wes Stevenson had purchased, and brought them all back to Texas. “I was fortunate enough to get Deuces Night from Wes a year or so later, and all three of those horses were phenomenal for us. They all went to the NFR. They all bucked great. Dirty Jacket has been exceptional from Day One.” To further consider Dirty Jacket’s greatness, one has to see what the bucking horse has done when he’s switched to saddle bronc riding. He’s continued to excel; of his 12 qualifications to the NFR, he’s been bucked in broncs three times. In his first year under the saddle, Rusty Wright won the title in Eagle, Colorado, after posting a 91-point ride. Raised on the Zinser Ranch in Michigan, the son Night Jacket – possibly one of the most prolific breeding stallions in ProRodeo history – Dirty Jacket was destined for greatness. Carr purchased him as a colt, then put him through the paces before realizing he had something special. After seeing how he handled himself in different situations, Carr opted to test Dirty Jacket at his first rodeo in Guymon 14 years ago. The big equine athlete has been winning ever since.

GUNNISON, Colo. – Growing up on the outskirts of this picturesque Rocky Mountain town, Tyler Hanson learned the value of hard work and what it means to be part of a community. He operates Umbrella Bar Hay & Cattle Co. and is following in his family’s footsteps as one of the chief committee members for Gunnison’s Cattlemen’s Days celebration. He’s been around the community gathering all his life, so it’s a natural fit. “My first recollection is probably when I was 4 or 5 years old and showing in the open horse show,” said Hanson, 34, the committee’s second vice president. “My uncle Bret and my dad both served as president of the committee, and I’ve had cousins and other family that have been on the committee. I have extended family that is still on the committee, and my brother and my wife are still part of it.” The tasks of the volunteers who help organize the annual event are numerous and detailed, but each member does it in honor of the community in which they serve. That’s why it’s nice that he and his wife, Hannah, can work together and share their love for the celebration with their 14-month-old son, Colby. “I showed constantly in the open horse show all the way through high school,” he said. “I did 4H. We used to have steer riding, and I competed in that for three or four years. I also have competed in the Watershed Team Roping since I was 7 or 8 years old. “Volunteering for Cattlemen’s Days is a tradition in the Gunnison community. For these ranching families, that’s our week not to worry about the work and go to town and enjoy ourselves. For me, I wanted to be part of Cattlemen’s Days to help in keeping our rodeo around.” The annual PRCA rodeo is set for Thursday, July 14-Saturday, July 16, at Fred Field Western Center in Gunnison. It will feature many of the top stars in professional rodeo and some incredible action. “I believe our rodeo is getting a resurgence back in it,” Hanson said. “For a lot of people, having a rodeo is becoming a lost art. I wanted to help keep rodeo in our community and keep the agriculture background in this valley in front of other people who haven’t been raised the way I was raised.” Both a life in agriculture and a presence in rodeo are important to the Gunnison cowboy. He attended Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colorado, where he team roped and rode bulls while working toward a degree in equine management. He returned home and is hoping to continue to energize his community and the people who care about keeping the tradition alive. “Agriculture is what started this whole valley,” he said. “To me, it feels like this valley is losing touch with that aspect of our lives, and that’s a key reason I think it’s important to keep Cattlemen’s Days around for it. “For me, it’s giving back to the community. There was huge community support when I was a young kid learning the tradition of Cattlemen’s Days. It’s important that we keep doing this for the next generation.” Now that he’s a father, the urgency has been amplified. “I want my son to experience what I did growing up with Cattlemen’s Days, learning what there is outside the ranching world in the Gunnison Valley,” Hanson said. “That’s probably the biggest reason I got involved in team roping. Without Cattlemen’s Days, I wouldn’t have known there was a big rodeo world outside of this valley.” Beyond the annual celebration, he remains involved in the community in other ways. He’s a member of the Farm Service Agency board and serves as Gunnison County’s FSA representative. He’s been on the board of the Gunnison Roping Club and continues to be an active member of the group. He knows the importance of keeping children involved, and his focus is pointed toward having horses involved. There is a sense of healing that happens with horses in people’s lives. He has experienced it, whether it was roping during one of the PRCA performances in front of a big crowd or being one of many family members who were part of horseracing when it was part of Cattlemen’s Days. “The fact that we’re going to have our 122nd celebration of Cattlemen’s Days is the reason it’s special,” Hanson said. “It’s lasted over time. A lot of things come and go throughout the years, but Cattlemen’s Days is still here and it’s still the biggest week in the Gunnison Valley visitor-wise and money-wise. It’s still a big deal for the families. That makes it a big deal for us, too.”

Ron Ball made his mark with people in Estes Park and at Rooftop Rodeo ESTES PARK, Colo. – Ron Ball live a full life of being a servant to others. After graduation from South High School in Denver, he served in the United States Marine Corps. He wrapped up his stint while living in California, then served in the Los Angeles Police Department, retiring as a detective sergeant after 20 years. He promptly returned to Colorado and gathered with the people in and around Estes Park for 36 years before his death last summer. Whether he was a cowboy singer, a Western artist, a Rooftop Rodeo Rider or an organizer with the annual rodeo, he was always serving others and showing his passion for the Western lifestyle. “Ron did a lot for our rodeo,” said Holly Spreitzer, a former Miss Rooftop Rodeo and a member of Estes Park Western Heritage Inc., a group of volunteers that works with the town of Estes Park to produce the annual rodeo. “He was so into putting into the community and into our rodeo.” His life and legacy will be honored at this year’s Rooftop Rodeo, set for 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 6-Monday, July 11, at Granny May Arena in Estes Park inside the Estes Park Fairgrounds. His memorial will take place during Military Night on Sunday, July 10. “I met Ron in 2015, and it was one of my first years I attended Rooftop Rodeo,” said Spreitzer, who helped plan his funeral last August and is organizing the memorial. “He definitely made an impression. He was a fan of Roy Rogers, and he reminded me a lot of Roy Rogers when I saw him dressed up in his outfits during the rodeo. “I was inspired by Dale Evans for my rodeo queen outfits. We had an immediate connection. That year I got to sing with him. He did a concert every year, and I got to meet him and his wife. I got to know them and spend a lot of time with them. I got to learn about his story and how he got involved with things, especially with our rodeo in Estes.” Whether he was serving in the Marine Corps or trying to solve crimes in L.A., Ball was always a cowboy singer and Western artist at heart. As a youngster, his love of being a singer, artist and cowboy pointed him in that direction. He got his first wrangling job at age 13, but he’d attended the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo three years before that. The fire had been lit, and years of sharing his passions with others just continued to stoke the flames. Being friends with Roy Rogers and having sung with him and the Sons of the Pioneers was a highlight of his life, as was the extension of that when Rogers’ son, Roy “Dusty” Rogers Jr., asked Ball to sing at the family’s museum and theater in Branson, Missouri. During his own Western shows, Ball paid tribute to Rogers with music and stories. He also dressed the part. “He’d been fascinated by the Western industry,” Spreitzer said. “His grandmother was an artist who did the exhibits in the Denver museum. When he was a kid, he would help her paint and design them. He was always interested in art and music. “When he was in California, he got to know a lot of people, and one of those was Roy Rogers. He was a big fan and became one of his personal friends. Throughout the years, he really wanted to portray the Western industry and all it stood for. Roy even gifted him a few items, and that really meant a lot to Ron. When he moved to Estes Park after his career with the LAPD, he wanted to keep the Western industry alive, and he always kept up with it.” He maintained contact with other Western artists and created a Western art show in Estes Park. He invited them to be part of the community. Spreitzer’s relationship with Ball and his wife, Janie, was strong. She considered him to be another grandfather in her life, and she adored their relationship. Celebrating him is an honor she won’t forget. “No matter how big Estes Park grew, he was one of the people who made sure we remembered our Western roots and how Estes Park was a big, wholesome community,” she said. “Everything that Ron did was with the idea of being a helping hand.”

GUNNISON, Colo. – On the verge of his first National Finals Rodeo qualification, Tegan Smith needed every dime he could muster. He found it in the Rocky Mountains town of Gunnison, a community of nearly 6,700 people with the most established history of rodeo in Colorado, now celebrating 122 years this summer. He won the saddle bronc riding title at Cattlemen’s Days PRCA Rodeo, and the more than $2,000 he earned helped him earn a spot among the top 15 on the money list and advance to ProRodeo’s championship event. “It was great timing for me,” said Smith, who finished 10th in the 2021 world standings. “All the other boys were in Calgary winning big money, and we decided not to go up there, so it was nice to win some money stateside.” The Calgary Stampede is one of the best-known rodeos in the world, but it offers its purse to just 20 contestants in each event. That leaves a lot of cowboys and cowgirls out of the loop, so those can take advantage of events like Cattlemen’s Days, set for Thursday, July 14-Saturday, July 16, at Fred Field Western Center in Gunnison. Smith wasn’t the only contestant to take advantage of the Colorado cash. Bull rider Ky Hamilton and barrel racer Molly Otto also utilized their earnings in Gunnison to advance to the sport’s grand finale in Las Vegas. “Every little bit helps when you’re in a situation like that,” said Smith of Winterset, Iowa. “You have to get what you can when you get the chance.” While he didn’t advance to the NFR for the 16th time in his career, three-time world champion Will Lowe made his trip to Gunnison pay off.  He rode Hurst & TNT’s Casino for 88 points to snag the bareback riding title last season. It was the first time in his storied career that Lowe had claimed the Cattlemen’s Days crown and the trophy rifle awarded to bareback riding winners each year. The team roping tandem of Rhett Anderson and Cullen Teller stopped the clock in 4.0 seconds to win their event, while Blane Cox posted a 7.4-second run to win the tie-down roping title. “The crowd was really good,” Cox said. “They packed the stands. The cooler weather makes it really nice, too.” Cox is from Cameron, Texas, and also is a past NFR qualifier, so his trip to the Rockies paid off in more ways than one. A couple of steer wrestlers – Wyatt Jurney and NFR qualifier Jace Melvin – stopped the clock in 3.5 seconds to share the bulldogging title. It was a big move for each as they were building to their seasons, and they appreciated the opportunity to run at good money while also enjoying the community’s hospitality. “This is a great rodeo; I’m glad to be here,” Melvin said. “It’s a good-paying rodeo, adds great money and has a lot of guys here. It just helps toward the end goal. “This is a neat rodeo. You get to drive through good country to come here. It was great to see a rodeo with standing-room only. It was a perfect rodeo.” It’s a stop on the calendar for many of the top contestants in ProRodeo, and there’s a lot to offer them once they arrive. Cowboys like Smith realize they have a good chance to make good money. He rode Hurst & TNT’s Charlie’s Angels for 88 points to win his Gunnison title, but he gained a true appreciation for what he witnessed in this community. “That rodeo has great hospitality, and they’ll do just about anything for you,” he said. “That’s a great committee. It’s a good rodeo all the way around.”

CASPER, Wyo. – This was not what he had planned when he arrived at the College National Finals Rodeo, but Kaden Greenfield knows the reality of rodeo. After advancing to the college finals as a sophomore at Blue Mountain Community College a year ago, the Northwestern Oklahoma State University junior had visions of big success inside the Ford Wyoming Center. “It was definitely not the week I was hoping to have,” Greenfield said. “You’ve just got to learn where you can and move on to the next one.” He began the week by not registering a time in the first of three go-rounds. That meant his shot at becoming the fourth Ranger to win a college title in the last six years fell away. The disappointment rang with him and his supporters, but it didn’t linger long. Greenfield was 3.8 seconds to finish third in the CNFR’s second round. “I knew I was out of it after the first round,” he said. “I drew a second-round steer that left good and ran straight, so I knew I had a chance to place. I had nothing to lose, so I just decided to go for it.” That was one of the bright spots for the young cowboy, but each disappointing grade in college opens the door for bigger opportunities. After suffering another no-time in the third round, Greenfield’s week in Casper concluded. It didn’t take away from some major accomplishments he’s had, including the circuit title in the ever-tough Central Plains Region and being the top steer wrestler of the year for Northwestern, dubbed the “Bulldogging Capital of College Rodeo.” “It was a good year for me, especially moving down from my old region and into this big region, where I was able to prove myself,” Greenfield said. “Struggling at the college finals is definitely going to motivate me. I know what I need to work on in the practice pen, and now I’ll work harder for the next year.” The work has already begun. As a rookie competing in ProRodeo – he won The Cowboy Channel Rookie Roundup presented by Resistol in April – he will finish out his summer by competing at events big and small across the country. “I’ll start Wednesday in Reno (Nevada),” he said. “After that, we’ll get into the swing of rodeoing pretty hard.” When he returns to the Alva, Oklahoma, campus in August to start classes and begin his senior year of college rodeo, Greenfield knows just where his focus will be. “I will have a COVID year (of eligibility) that I could use if I wanted, but I don’t think I will,” Greenfield said. “My goal is to win the region again, make it to the college finals again and be in the mix for a national title.”

GUNNISON, Colo. – Mackenzie Bode is anything but a typical Gunnison resident. She moved here to town a few years ago to attend Western Colorado University, and she decided to stick around. She landed at job as the annual giving and scholarship officer for the university’s foundation and opened herself up to be involved in the community. That includes her membership on the committee that organizes the annual Cattlemen’s Days celebration, set for Thursday, July 14-Saturday, July 16, at Fred Field Western Center in Gunnison. “I fell upon Western by happenstance,” said Bode, who lived in southern California for several years before finishing her adolescence in Fort Collins, Colorado. “I played competitive softball when I was in high school, and considered taking a scholarship to play in college. “I’ve always lived in bigger cities when I was growing up, but I knew I was a small-town girl. Western was the perfect fit, and the Gunnison community was the perfect fit. I had the opportunity to try almost anything here. It was the lifestyle I wanted to live.” To know Bode is to realize it’s a wise combination. She also is a good fit for the Gunnison Valley and all that comes with living in the Rocky Mountain community. Her baby steps into the Cattlemen’s Days committee came five years ago when she served as an intern for Meagan Mensing, chairwoman for sponsorships. “She brought me in as a student to do social media,” Bode said. “From there, it grew to handling social media for Cattlemen’s Days, then media for (Cattlemen’s Days) Tough Enough to Wear Pink, and photography for the rodeo and all TETWP events. Today I’m honored to serve TETWP as the development and media director and continue my role on the Cattlemen’s committee. I’ve gotten to know more people on the committee, people who grew up in Gunnison, on ranches and who only know the Western lifestyle. Here I am today, and those people have taken me under their wings and are showing me the ropes, literally. “I just caught my first steer; 5-year-old me would be going nuts if she knew.” Country living is definitely the life for her. “Growing up, I would have loved to have done 4H and be riding horses,” she said. “I’ve always been a horse girl, but I didn’t grow up doing any of that. We lived in California from when I was 7 to about 14 or 15, and the area we lived in definitely was not in the Western lifestyle. “That was a hard decision I made when I chose to come to Western. If I had stayed close to home and gone to (Colorado State University), I would have studied agriculture and equine science. I knew if I decided to come to Western, I’d have to get my foot in the door another way and that’s what got me involved in the community.” She had the foresight to understand the importance of volunteerism in the community, especially for the Gunnison Valley’s biggest event. At just 24, she has much to learn, but she’s embracing all that is out there for her. It’s just what events like Cattlemen’s Days need: Members of the community who are willing to step up and handle a big-time role in an established celebration. It helps, too, that she’s part of a youth movement for people of her generation that also see the need. “Since 2018, I’ve been totally engulfed in Cattlemen’s Days and the Western lifestyle,” Bode said. “I m doing what I’ve wanted to do my whole life and still growing and learning each day, which is all I could ask for.” Cattlemen’s Days will celebrate its 122nd year this July, and it’s a way to honor the generations of families and hard-working people that made Gunnison what it is today. She wasn’t raised in the county, nor did she spend her summers working in the hayfields or working cattle with her family. But Bode is as much of the community as anyone, and Gunnison is very much part of who she is and what she wants to continue to become. “When I graduated college, I was already pretty deep in the Gunnison community,” she said. “Everybody told me I needed to leave and see what’s out there. I did a horsemanship internship in Washington, and I traveled around a little bit trying to figure out who I was post college. Finally, I got the opportunity to come back full time with my new position at the WCU Foundation and TETWP’s growth, and I jumped on it. “Why would I leave a place that I’m so connected to? I didn’t move here for the college itself. I moved here for the lifestyle and for the community. I picked the kind of community I wanted to live in, and now I’m here living the dream and can’t wait to pay it forward to the next. More and more each day, I get to be the person that little Mackenzie always wanted to be.”

Cinch announcer has handled rodeo’s challenges and come out on top Andy Stewart uses a workmanlike approach to just about everything he does. It comes from his raising in northern Louisiana, the son of two people who believed in hard work in order to survive. His mother worked for a food-distribution company handling personnel and finance, worked for the city of West Monroe and also served as a school bus driver. His dad was a successful building contractor who built custom homes and also owned the North America Team Roping Association. If someone hands Andy Stewart a hammer, he can do some amazing things. If someone hands him a microphone, he’ll blow their socks off with what he can do. It’s led to a fantastic career, one he anticipates doing for years to come. “At one time in my career, I had somebody hire me that really excited me a lot, booked quite a few rodeos with me, but because of some misunderstanding, he pulled all the rodeos from me,” said Stewart, a Cinch ProRodeo announcer from Collinston, Louisiana. “Being raised in church and knowing God had something for me and my life, I prayed a lot about it. “Within a week, I had filled seven of the nine dates. That’s when I realized, ‘This is where I’m supposed to be and what I’m supposed to be doing.’ ” After attending two semesters of college, he realized that wasn’t a good fit, so he entered the “real world” and went to work, much of which was done in the construction business. “I ran a feed and tack store when Shelley and I first got married,” he said. “Then I switched my focus to rodeo announcing in the early 1990s; I would work construction between rodeos. I would go off and travel, doing construction for different companies.” He also competed in team roping, which was gaining in participant popularity. He was a header because he wanted to get his money’s worth; if he paid the entry fee, he wanted to be assured the opportunity to throw his rope, and that sometimes doesn’t happen to heelers when their headers don’t catch. “We spent most of our weekends hooked to a truck and trailer,” Stewart said. “I qualified for the USTRC Finals three times. My father and I were No. 6 champions in the state of Louisiana twice.” That’s what lit the spark for roping and rodeo underneath the Louisiana cowboy, one he still has decades later. “I really fell in love with the lifestyle, the people and the competition,” he said. “When my brother and I were little, we were pretending we were at the National Finals Rodeo, and I would imitate announcers or pretend we were at some big rodeo. My mother said, ‘You should try that. I dare you to try it; I think you’d be good at it.’ “I’ve always enjoyed making people feel good. I like to see people laugh. It was a natural fit to get behind a microphone and entertain people. To this day, I’m still very passionate about it. I love what I do. I love mingling with people and being able to entertain crowds and transfer my love of rodeo to the fans.” Over his lifetime, he’s been the voice of Championship Bull Riding, The American, Cheyenne (Wyoming) Frontier Days and the National Finals Rodeo. He’s lent his voice to dozes of other events, from Lehi, Utah, to Jackson, Mississippi, and many places in between. It comes with the territory of being one of the best in the business, a 12-time nominee for PRCA Announcer of the Year. His mom was right to dare him, because he wasn’t about to back down. Stewart announced some high school rodeos in his early 20s, not really knowing what he was doing. He was – and still is – a student of the game. His skills progressed mightily when he met up with Scotty Lovelace, now the owner of Harper Morgan Rodeo Co. “Scotty bought out an amateur rodeo company and was looking for an announcer,” Stewart said. “After a couple of phone calls, I worked for Scotty. He had a passion for production and putting on quality shows. He and I really grew up together. To this day, we still have the opportunity to work together. “Stace Smith came along and started to use me, and then Pete Carr started to use me, and it all just grew from there. The more places I went, I picked up on things and met more people.” Still, he was no overnight success. In fact, he’s thankful for that. To be able to grow slowly in the industry allowed him to work on his craft at the same time. Eventually, his skills pushed rodeo announcing to not only the forefront of his career but as his sole focus. “That probably came in 2002 or 2003,” he said. “I’d worked the Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo, and my schedule was building up. I realized I didn’t have time to do the jobs I had. In late 2004, early 2005, I realized this could be lucrative for me if I could stay busy. “We were living in a mobile home with two kids and struggling to pay bills. I almost quit a couple of times, but God bless my wife; she told me not to quit. It started turning around that I was busy enough to provide for my family through rodeo.” Now, he’s a grandfather twice over. He and Shelley’s son, Kash, has his own son, Krew; their daughter, Shaye, is the mother of another boy, Dutton. When Stewart isn’t on the rodeo trail, he’s likely sharing his love of rodeo, hunting and fishing with his grandbabies in some form or fashion. “It’s very hard to leave now,” he said. “As a man, it makes me want to be a better person in all aspects of my life. I want my grandkids to be proud of who their grandfather  Continue Reading »

Colorado-based livestock producer is a major piece of Estes Park’s rodeo ESTES PARK, Colo. – The foundation for Estes Park’s rodeo was founded six decades ago on the Plains of northeastern Colorado by entrepreneur Mike Cervi. Over much of the past decade, Cervi Championship Rodeo is an incredible partner for Rooftop Rodeo, set for 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 6-Monday, July 11, at Granny May Arena in Estes Park inside the Estes Park Fairgrounds. Now operated by his sons, Binion and Chase, the Cervi firm is a key part of the Rooftop experience. “The town of Estes Park named Cervi Championship Rodeo as our stock contractor several years ago, and it was a bit of a changing of the guard for us,” said Mark Purdy, chairman of Estes Park Western Heritage Inc., a group of volunteers that works with the town of Estes Park to produce the annual rodeo. “We’d had our stock contractor a long time, but we were excited to see the change. “Since then, though, it’s more than the Cervis being our stock contractor. We’ve developed a great relationship with them, and we trust them to not only provide the stock for us but also produce a rodeo we can be proud of and we can share with our visitors year after year.” As the company’s patriarch, Mike Cervi was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2003 and into the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in 2015. By the 1950s, he had developed a trained mule act and was performing at Little Britches and junior rodeos. Twice he was named the PRCA’s Stock Contractor of the Year. Binion Cervi now serves as the firm’s executive director, and he’s the direct contact for committees like the one in Estes Park. He heads the production of the rodeos and oversees the company’s breeding program, which is set up to continue the sustainability of the Cervi’s Circle I brand. In fact, many of the Cervi colts are bucked at the firm’s Ace High Roughstock Academy events, which not only help train the young equine athletes but also offers tutelage to up-and-coming cowboys eager to learn how to better their skills in order to one day compete against the very best ProRodeo cowboys have to offer. “Because the Cervi Ranch is not far down the mountain from us, we are able to go as a group to those schools and help out any way we can,” Purdy said. “It’s our way to get together and help give back to our friends and also open the door for future Rooftop Rodeo contestants.” The Cervi name is a longstanding tradition in professional rodeo. The company produces the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo in Denver as well as RodeoHouston, the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo and many others across the country. At each rodeo, Binion serves as the arena master, the orchestra leader who makes sure everything is run smooth. Chase helps by serving as a pickup man – he’s been named the best in the business twice since the Pickup Man of the Year award was established – and helps ensure the animals are treated with the best care possible.    “What we’ve gained over the last few years is a true partnership with Cervi Championship Rodeo,” Purdy said. “Chase and Binion are more than our stock contractors. Along with their families, they are our friends, and we are proud that they are a big part of the Rooftop family.”

Sartain returns to roping with his eyes fixed on another gold buckle When Nick Sartain was young, he didn’t have a cell phone to occupy his time when the fun waned. No, as a youth in the 1980s, he had to come up with his own entertainment. Throw in the fact that he traveled with his family to horse show after horse show, he needed an outlet. “What got me started roping was being at those horse shows, and I’d get bored,” said Sartain, 43, the 2009 heading world champion and Cinch endorsee from Bandera, Texas. “I’d duck off, and there were some kids that roped the dummy, and I’d find them. That’s what got me to take to it.” Before long, that’s all his mind considered. He was knee deep into roping, and it hasn’t changed much three-plus decades later. He’s a veteran, a six-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier and a man people turn to when they need help with their roping skills. “I was pretty lucky,” he said. “My grandmother, my mom and my dad were always behind me. If I wanted to rope, they were there. There was never any doubt in my mind that they would support me. I just really liked it; I was consumed with it, and I really don’t know why. Once I started doing it, that’s all I could think about doing.” Sartain was raised around horses, but horse shows and rodeos are two different animals. He’s the only member of his family to have competed in rodeo. He played baseball and football as a kid, but roping pulled him away. It was the support he got from his family that continued to push him. His grandmother refused to buy him a horse, but she would make sure he went to the roping clubs and had his shot. “I started out on younger horses,” said Sartain, who won the crown while turning steers for Kollin VonAhn. “They could work a cow, but they had never been roped on. I didn’t just jump on a finished horse. It got frustrating at times, but I was never frustrated enough that I didn’t want to go out and do it again. I just wanted to rope.” He still does, though burnout after a long career screamed at him a few seasons ago. Well, it was a bit of burnout, but an incident in his roping that secured a bit of time away. He last competed at the NFR in 2015, heading for heeling legend Rich Skelton. “I cut my (right) thumb off in 2017,” Sartain said. “After that, I wanted to go out and go rodeoing, so I did that in ’18.  I wasn’t quite ready, but (heeler) Austin Rogers had the faith and confidence in me to go out there and start after it. He was pretty patient with me. “It took me a couple of years to get my horsepower back right. Now, I feel like I’ve got enough horsepower and am roping good enough that I can make a run at it.” That’s why he and Rogers are teamed up and ready to roll toward the 2022 NFR. Sartain began the season roping with Andrew Ward, but before they roped in Austin, Texas, in March, Sartain told his partner that he was tired of being on the road. Then the tandem won Rodeo Austin, pocketing $9,400 apiece. Ward started roping with Curry Kirchner, and Sartain and Rogers renewed their relationship, and it clicked. They pocketed just shy of $5,000 apiece the first week of May between events in Kansas City, Missouri, and Guymon, Oklahoma, so they made the decision to give themselves a chance to rope together in December at Las Vegas during the richest 10 nights of the season. “I was inching toward the top 15, and he was in the top 15 at the time, so I said we may as well go for it,” Sartain said. “I sent my outside horses home, so we’ve been entering everything we could enter to see where we land.” With the support of his family and his fiancé, Morgan, the champion roper is venturing off to parts known and unknown to see how fortune favors the bold. He knows the obstacles that sit before him, and he’s ready to tackle them. “There’s only one reason to take off and be gone for three months out of the summer, and that’s because you want to be one of the best 15 in the world,” he said. “Once you’ve done it, that’s the goal. Once you’ve been to Vegas and know what it’s like and that you can change your life winning that much money in one spot, it’s hard to have any goals other than that.” But his goals did change six seasons ago. Like dozens of other competitors, he tried his hand at the Elite Rodeo Association, a cowboy- and cowgirl-invested group that was offering big incentives. After that failed to prosper as hoped, he lost his thumb in the roping mishap. “I was already burned out on rodeoing, and then I cut my thumb off,” Sartain said. “I questioned whether this was what I was meant to be doing. Jake Barnes was the first one to contact me. That inspired me to go back to rodeoing.” Barnes, a seven-time world champion header who lost his right thumb at the 2005 NFR, provided the motivation the Oklahoma-raised Sartain needed to jump back in the fray. “I went to the World Series (of Team Roping) finale in 2018, and I had really good luck out there heeling,” he said. “I won $200,000 heeling at the World Series in Vegas, and that turned the tide. I realized I wasn’t done. I started to get where I was heading good again.” It wasn’t just Barnes. A good friend named Bob Freeman provided a spiritual outlet for Sartain. That just added to the fire that was already stoking inside Sartain. “If Jake Barnes thinks I can  Continue Reading »