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PURCELL, Okla. – Decades ago, Cord McCoy was one of the biggest rodeo names to compete in Oklahoma.   McCoy grew up on Oklahoma rodeos. He was an all-around superstar from a young age, following in the footsteps of his three older brothers and older sister. As a kid, he and Jet, older by 13 months, were making their names known by their prowess in the arena. As a teenager, he was excelling in the Oklahoma City-based IPRA, eventually becoming a five-time champion in the association. Now, though, McCoy is a stock contractor in the PRCA, the sport’s premier sanctioning body, and he returns to central Oklahoma for Paycom’s Purcell ProRodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 22-Saturday, April 23, at the McClain County Expo in Purcell. He will be the event’s producer. “I have so many memories of growing up and going to these rodeos when I was a kid,” said McCoy of Lane, Oklahoma. “Now that I am producing rodeos instead of competing in them, I want to be able to put on great rodeos. I am proud to do that in my home state of Oklahoma.” He should be. The Sooner State has a proud tradition in rodeo, dating back to nearly a century ago when the PRCA was first established in 1929. From steer wrestler Gene Ross of Sayer in 1929 to bull rider Sage Kimzey in 2021 (his seventh in eight years), Oklahoma has been home to dozens of PRCA world champions over 11 decades. McCoy has his own history in his home state. After a stellar career in youth and high school rodeo, he moved on to Southwestern Oklahoma State University and was a regular qualifier to the College National Finals Rodeo … typically alongside Jet. Both were also dominant all-around cowboys in the IPRA. In September 2004 while competing at the PRCA rodeo in Oklahoma City, Cord McCoy was severely injured after getting bucked off in saddle bronc riding and kicked in the head by his horse. After months of recovery, he returned to action at the 89er Days Rodeo at the Lazy E Arena near Guthrie in April 2005 and eventually qualified for the National Finals Rodeo in bull riding that season. Starting in 2006, McCoy became a regular on the PBR’s premier series, now dubbed the Unleash the Beast tour. He was a six-time qualifier to the PBR World Finals. Paycom’s Purcell ProRodeo is part of the McCoy Rodeo Tour, a series of nine rodeos spread across the Midwest. Most, though, are in Oklahoma. “This is a chance to show some great Oklahoma talent, some outstanding cowboys and cowgirls from right here,” McCoy said. “We’re also going to see contestants from all over. Spring is a good time to rodeo in Oklahoma, and we’re looking forward to showing Purcell what ProRodeo is all about.”

ALVA, Okla. – Sierra Schott and Starz are getting to know one another a little bit better. The two – a barrel racer at Northwestern Oklahoma State University and her 9-year-old bay mare – just teamed this past October, and it’s taken some time for the tandem to gel. They proved it is happening this past weekend at the Southwestern Oklahoma State University rodeo in Weatherford. “I was just going out there to have fun,” said Schott, who rounded the cloverleaf pattern in 17.13 seconds to finish in a tie for third place in the opening go-round; they then posted the fastest run of the rodeo to win the championship round with a 16.80 and had the second-fastest two-run cumulative time. “I knew she was running well right now, so I told myself that I was just going to have fun; she did all the hard work.” It helped the McLaughlin, South Dakota, cowgirl to 140 points, which moved her into a tie for 12th in the Central Plains Region standings. She’s still within range of finishing among the top three in the circuit if she and Starz perform well at the final two rodeos of the season. The teamwork between racehorse and jockey became more evident the week before, when they finished eighth in Garden City, Kansas. They just stepped it up a bit in Weatherford. “I’ve been trying to get to know her, and she’s been trying to get to know me,” Schott said. “She’s been helping me build my confidence in her, so I just gave Starz her head, and she did really well.” By giving the mare her head, Schott was not reining the horse as hard through the pattern, allowing Starz the chance to run more freely.   “Weatherford was a big, outdoor pen, and she’s good with those,” she said “The next two rodeos we go to are outdoor pens. I’m pretty confident with her, so I’ll just go with whatever happens from here.” Moving from her previous mount to the bay speedster proved to be an adjustment for the South Dakota cowgirl, but it proved to be the right kind of modification. “Right away, what I noticed is that she’s got the heart for what she wants to do,” Schott said. “When you get on some horses, they don’t want to run, but she wants to run. She has a big heart, and it shows when she runs.” Schott led the way for the Rangers women, while the men were led by tie-down roper Denton Oestman of Auburn, Nebraska; He used a dominating, 8.8-second run to win the championship round and to finish second overall. Steer wrestler Emmett Edler of State Center, Iowa, finished fifth in the first go-round. Team roping header Stran Morris of Woodward, Oklahoma, finished second in the long round, fourth in the short round and third overall while roping with Jordan Lovins of Western Oklahoma State College. The Northwestern team of Wyatt Vanorsdol of Bristow, Oklahoma, and Jayden Laubhan of Follett, Texas, finished fifth in the short round and sixth overall. That pushed Laubhaun into a tie for third place in the heeling standings as the teams head into the final two rodeos of the 2021-22 Central Plains season. The Rangers will compete this next weekend in Hays, Kansas, then follow that a week later in Guymon, Oklahoma. Each contestant had a reason to utilize Northwestern for its college education. For some, the decision comes down to the positives they find. Alva can be a pretty nice home for many, and they realize it. “I had known a couple of friends that came to school here that I rodeoed with,” Schott said. “Cedar Anderson said I should just check it out. I was originally looking at the University of Wyoming, but I came down here anyway. I liked the weather, and I got a bit of a scholarship opportunity. I looked at the science department, and I liked it. “Now, I’ve been here all three years, and I like being here.”

GUYMON, Okla. – Twenty-two years ago, the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo became part of the Wrangler ProRodeo Tour, which, at the time, was the way to showcase more rodeo on television than ever before. It was also a way to showcase major events in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and the sport’s major stars. That made Guymon an important stop for every cowboy and cowgirl hoping the tour would eventually boost them to a National Finals Rodeo qualification. The Justin Sportsmedicine program, underwritten by the Justin Boot Co., took advantage of that and made its introduction to the Oklahoma Panhandle to help care for the abundance of contestants that would be part of the field. Program staff and volunteers will return for the 23rd time for this year’s rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 6; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 7; and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 8, at Henry C. Hitch Pioneer Arena. “Back then when the tour first started, we saw the value of hitting the tour rodeos,” said Rick Foster, a program manager for the sports medicine group who has worked Guymon for two decades. “We want to hit the bigger rodeos, and Guymon draws a big number of contestants. We’re there to tend to the cowboys, and we have a great chance to get to many of them. We’ve been there every year since the tour started.” That was in 2000, and the Justin team has hauled in its specially-converted, wrapped trailer to the rodeo grounds each spring. Inside, there are training tables, cases of tape, an ice machine and everything that can be seen in a professional athletic training room. The Justin Sportsmedicine program began in 1980 and has continued to evolve over time. In the 40-plus years since it was created, it has grown from covering 10 rodeos a year to more than 125. Through a year, the team provides around 8,500 treatments while recording more than 1,500 new injuries. That equals roughly one and a half tons of ice, more than 250 miles of tape and 3,000 hours of service. “Most of the entries in Guymon are with the timed events,” Foster said. “While they may not be taking horse to the ribs or the yanking on their arms like the roughstock guys, they have typical injuries, too. Steer wrestlers have tremendous forces on their knees and backs. We have the same injuries in tie-down roping as a lot of runners, sprinting-type injuries like hamstring and quad strains. “There are some amazing forces that the bodies go through. We tend to look at things like football trainers see, collision injuries, but there are greater forces at work in rodeo than there are in football.” The team in Guymon will include a sports medicine physician, Dr. Jason Mogonye, who will make his way to the Oklahoma Panhandle from Fort Worth, Texas, where he is a team doctor for TCU. The JSM team also works with local trainers, physicians and clinicians at many venues to ensure the best care possible for the athletes. “Knowing there is the Justin Sportsmedicine Team of professionals readily available to us cowboys brings a sense of relief and comfort when climbing on the back of a horse or a bull,” said Stetson Wright, a five-time world champion Utah cowboy who has won the last three all-around world titles. “We are blessed to have the best standing by to help us when we need it.” The team also provides a sense of comfort to members of the local committee, a group of volunteers that produces the rodeo every spring. “We’ve had a great relationship with the Justin team and Rick Foster for many years, and it’s a relief, in a way, to know they are here and will take care of the contestants who are here to compete,” said Ken Stonecipher, a longtime member of the committee who had served as chairman when the tour began. “You know that if you see something happen in the arena, they’re going to be right there to handle any situation.” Over the years, Pioneer Days Rodeo has built a great reputation as one of the best rodeos in the PRCA. It has been named the Rodeo of the Year and has been inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. Besides opening its doors to around 1,000 contestants each spring, the people in Texas County, Oklahoma, provide a memorable experience. “When I first went to Guymon, I realized the Midwest hospitality of how they put that rodeo together is just phenomenal,” Foster said. “They care for everybody that’s there for the rodeo. It’s great to be treated in that respect. “You want to go to Guymon, because you’re going to be taken care of since you are all a team there.”

SAN ANGELO, Texas – Two rounds in two buildings with different set-ups is uniquely San Angelo for women that run barrels. Only the top 120 cowgirls after the first go-round compete in the performances of the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo inside Foster Communications Coliseum, and only the top 12 with a two-run cumulative time advance to the championship round, which takes place Friday, April 15. Jordon Briggs of Tolar, Texas, virtually secured her spot in the short round during Saturday’s matinee, the seventh performance of the storied rodeo, now celebrating its 90th anniversary. She rounded the cloverleaf pattern in 14.29 seconds and is fourth in the second go-round. More importantly, though, her aggregate time of 29.99 seconds ties for first place with Michelle Alley. Nobody in Saturday night’s performance moved the two cowgirls from their spot atop the leaderboard. “I hope that gets me back (to the final round),” said Briggs, a second-generation world champion who last year followed in the footsteps of her three-time titlist mother, Kristie Peterson, in claiming the gold buckle. “There are some tough girls in the next (two) performances; if I get back to the short round, I’ll be happy.” San Angelo’s unique in that it features open entries for the first round of barrel racing, then the top 120 advance to the “progressive round.” The champion will be the lady who post the fastest three-run cumulative time after the rodeo ends next Friday. “I love that they get a lot of entries,” Briggs said of the rodeo. “They let everybody run, so it pays really well, and it gives everybody a shot. When they bring back that many to the performances, it lets everybody get their feet wet in the coliseum.” “There were only eight-tenths (of a second) between first and 120th. That’s a tough barrel race.” Yes, it is, but Briggs is pretty tough, too, especially with Rollo, an 8-year-old sorrel gelding that was named the 2021 barrel racing horse of the year. That vote happened before the National Finals Rodeo, and the tandem then went on to pocket just shy of $200,000 in 10 December nights to claim gold. Having a horse like Rollo, she knows he can handle the different types of ground that comes from one round to another or any size arena. “He’s a good boy,” she said. “I think this is his last rodeo for a while. He’s going to take a break, and I’m going to focus on my futurity colts.” That will happen after they run next weekend, a return to this memorable coliseum. “It’s a great arena, and it’s fun to change it up like that,” Briggs said of the different set-ups. “Last year I stayed for a performance, and I had to sit on a step because there was not a seat in that coliseum. San Angelo is very much a rodeo town, and I enjoy going there.” San Angelo Stock Show and RodeoApril 1-15Bareback riding leaders: 1. Keenan Reed Hayes, 86 points on Hampton Pro Rodeo’s Rising Tide; 2. (tie) Tanner Aus and Tim O’Connell, 85; 4. Bronc Marriott, 84.5; 5. (tie) Seth Hardwick, Jayco Roper and Bradlee Miller, 84; 8. (tie) Chad Rutherford and Gavin French, 82; 10. (tie) Jamie Howlett and Mike Solberg, 80.5; 12. (tie) Kody Lamb and Orin Larsen, 80. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Cade Goodman, 3.5 seconds; 2. (tie) Talon Roseland, Bryn Roy and Trell Etbauer, 3.8; 5. (tie) Dakota Eldridge, Brandon Harrison and Justin Shaffer, 3.9; 8. (tie) Tory Jonson and Clayton Hass, 4.0. Second round leaders: 1. Chance Howard, 3.3 seconds; 2. (tie) Stetson Jorgensen and Walt Arnold, 3.5; 4. Tyler Pearson, 3.6; 5. (tie) Dakota Eldridge and Dirk Tavenner, 3.7; 8. (tie) Cameron Morman, Payden McIntyre, Jesse Brown and Clayton Hass, 3.9. Average leaders: 1. (tie) Dakota Eldridge and Stetson Jorgensen, 7.6 seconds on two runs; 3. Walt Arnold, 7.7; 4. Clayton Hass, 7.9; 5. (tie) Tyler Pearson and Payden McIntyre, 8.1; 7. Dirk Tavenner, 8.2; 8. Tory Johnson, 8.3; 9. (tie) Landris White and Winston McGraw, 8.4; 11. Brandon Harrison, 8.6; 12. Cade Goodman, 8.9. Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Dustin Egusquiza/Travis Graves, 3.5 seconds; 2. Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp, 3.7; 3. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 3.8; 4. (tie) J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo and Lightning Aguilera/Coleby Payne, 3.9; 6. Caleb Smidt/Sergio Gonzales, 4.1; 7. (tie) Aaron Tsinigine/Paul Eaves and Dawson Graham/Dillon Graham, 4.2. Second round leaders: 1. Nelson Wyatt/Tyler Worley, 3.5 seconds; 2. Tyler Wade/Trey Yates, 3.6; 3. Cory Kidd/Lane Mitchell and Chace Thompson/Tyson Thompson, 3.8; 5. Clay Smith/Jade Corkill, 3.9; 6. (tie) Clint Summers/Ross Ashford and Chet Weitz/Jace Davis, 4.1; 8. (tie) Derrick Begay/Colter Todd, Tucker Menz/D.J. Dugger and Tanner James/Phoenix Everano, 4.3. Average leaders: 1. Aaron Tsinigine/Paul Eaves, 8.8 seconds on two runs; 2. Derrick Begay/Colter Todd, 8.9; 3. Lightning Aguilera/Coleby Payne, 9.2; 4. Kolton Schmidt/Wyatt Cox, 9.4; 5. Tanner James/Phoenix Everano, 9.5; 6. Wyatt Imus/Caleb Anderson, 9.6; 7. Andrew Livingston/Seth Smithson, 9.8; 8. Payden Emmett/Lucas Falconer, 10.2; 9. (tie) Kolby Krieger/Boogie Ray and Cinch Moody/Rich Skelton, 10.4; 11. Nelson Wyatt/Tyler Worley, 12.5; 12. J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo, 12.6. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Ryder Wright, 89 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Uptuck; 2. Spencer Wright, 88; 3. Jake Finlay, 86; 4. Rusty Wright. 85.5; 5. Allen Boore, 85; 6. Chase Brooks, 84.5; 7. Statler Wright, 84; 8. Stetson Wright, 83.5; 9. (tie) Riggin Smith, Samuel Kelts, Kole Ashbacher and Creighton Curley, 83. (Rusty Wright likely will not be able to ride because of an injury) Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. (tie) Tyler Milligan and Travis Rogers, 7.6 seconds; 3. (tie) Hudson Wallace and Dakota Felton, 7.8; 5. Riley Wakefield, 8.0; 6. (tie) Cody McCartney and Chance Thiessen, 8.1; 8. (tie) Weldon Watson and Matt Shiozawa, 8.2. Second round leaders: 1. Riley Webb, 7.3 seconds; 2. John Douch, 7.4; 3. Zack Jongbloed, 7.4; 4. Marcos Costa, 7.5; 5. (tie) King Pickett and Trenton Smith. 7.7; 7. (tie) Cory Solomon, Kyle Lucas and Ryle Smith, 7.9. Average leaders: 1.  Continue Reading »

SAN ANGELO, Texas – Keep a starving man away from food, he’ll only get hungrier. Keep a bull rider away from the arena, he’ll only crave it more. Ky Hamilton has lived it over the last month, but he feasted Sunday afternoon during the San Angelo Xtreme Bulls at Foster Communications Coliseum. Hamilton rode two bulls for a cumulative score of 175.5 points to outdistance runner-up Parker Breding by five points and claim the prestigious Xtreme Bulls buckle awarded to winners of top-tier events. He also collected $11,757 and nearly doubled his season earnings in one fell swoop. “It’s pretty exciting, especially after having four weeks off, missing The American and not being able to finish off Houston,” said Hamilton, who suffered a lacerated kidney during a wreck at the PBR Global Cup inside AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on March 5. “It felt good to capitalize at a bigger Xtreme Bulls of the year and win some good money.” Hamilton started off the day by riding Rafter H Rodeo’s Night Prowler for 85 points, finishing second in the opening go-round to Trevor Kastner, who rode Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Marbrol Man for 86.5 points. Hamilton then was one of only two cowboys to cover their bulls for the qualifying eight seconds in the championship round, matching moves with Carr’s Time Bomb for 90.5 points. “I’ve never been on him before, but he was a big brahma, and I like the look of them big, cool bulls,” said Hamilton of Mackay, Queensland, Australia; he moved to the United States a few years ago to attend Odessa (Texas) College and Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas. “I was excited when I seen him. He was a handful; he had me working the whole time, and I kept trying and it paid off.” Yes, it did. His earnings so far in San Angelo will move him into seventh place in the Xtreme Bulls standings. It should also move him from 43rd to inside the top 25 of the world standings. Hamilton rode earlier this week and scored 85.5 points to be in good position to advance to the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo’s championship round Friday night. He’s on the kind of roll he needs to return to the National Finals Rodeo for the third straight year. He finished last year eighth in the world standings and was fourth in 2020. “I don’t like to call it momentum, because that’s how I expect myself to ride all the time,” Hamilton said. “When you do good, it certainly boosts your confidence and makes it easier.” He can now carry that tenacity into Friday night and hope to claim the rodeo’s title, too. Returning to San Angelo for the short round is always a goal of cowboys who compete for a living. “That building’s pretty cool,” he said. “It’s always jampacked inside there, and it’s always electric. It’s a good atmosphere, and it’s a really well-run rodeo and Xtreme Bulls. They know how to run a good rodeo in San Angelo. It’s a great event.” San Angelo Xtreme BullsApril 10First round: 1. Trevor Kastner, 86.5 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Marbrol Man, $3,236; 2. Ky Hamilton, 85, $2,481; 3. (tie) Grayson Cole and Parker Breding, 84.5, $1,510 each; 5. (tie) Sage Kimzey and Tristen Hutchings, 83.5, $647 each; 7. Hayes Weight, 82.5, $431; 8. Trey Kimzey, 78.5, $324. Championship round: 1. Ky Hamilton, 90.5 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Time Bomb, $3,883; 2. Parker Breding, 86, $3,308; no other qualified rides. Average: 1. Ky Hamilton, 175.5 points on two rides, $5,393; 2. Parker Breding, 170.5, $4,135; 3. Trevor Kastner, 86.5 points on one ride, $3,056; 4. Grayson Cole, 84.5, $1,978; 5 (tie) Sage Kimzey and Tristen Hutchings, 835, $1,079 each; 7. Hayes Weight, 82.5, $719; 8. Trey Kimzey, 78.5, $539.

SAN ANGELO, Texas – It’s a bit cliché, but the saying “iron sharpens iron” works at all level of sports. Cowboys like certain traveling partners because they’re all talented and build each other up, but it can go a bit further than that. Stock contractors know that when a top-caliber athlete rides one of his animals, that cowboy will make his horse or bull look better. Ryder Wright has been doing that since the day he decided to turn professional, when he was still a senior in high school in 2016. He went on to earn his first of six straight qualifications to the National Finals Rodeo, and a year later, he snagged the first of two (so far) world championships. He proved it again during Friday’s sixth performance of the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo with an 89-point ride on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Uptuck to take the saddle bronc riding lead. He’s a point better than his uncle, Spencer, who sits in second place. “I didn’t anything about that horse until (Friday) afternoon,” said Ryder Wright, who finished second in the world standings last season to his younger brother, Stetson, by less than $1,300. “I called Sam Kelts, who got on him earlier this year, and he told me that Pete bought that horse at the futurity in Las Vegas.” With that, Carr invested into this season and into the future of his livestock company. In all, the Dallas-based stock contractor invested in more than a dozen bucking horses to improve his herd, which was already recognized. In doing so, he perked up the attention of the cowboys that make a living riding bucking horses. “It’s great that people are raising bucking horses, but I like it when they aren’t scared to buy horses,” Ryder Wright said. “It makes a better herd, and it makes it better for us. We really appreciate when a stock contractor goes out and does that.” In roughstock events, scores are based on a 100-point scale, with half the score coming from the cowboy, and the other half from the animal. It takes a good mix to take the lead in San Angelo. With his score, Ryder Wright will return for the championship round on Friday, April 15. “I’ve only been to this rodeo one other time, and I didn’t make the short round,” he said. “This rodeo’s still always been good to all of us. “It’s awesome to be in those little coliseums. Everybody feels like they’re right on top of you. It’s one of my favorite rodeos.” San Angelo Stock Show and RodeoApril 1-15Bareback riding leaders: 1. Keenan Reed Hayes, 86 points on Hampton Pro Rodeo’s Rising Tide; 2. Bronc Marriott, 84.5; 3. (tie) Seth Hardwick and Bradlee Miller, 84; 5. (tie) Chad Rutherford and Gavin French, 82; 7. Mike Solberg, 80.5; 8. (tie) Kody Lamb and Orin Larsen, 80; 10. Jacob Raine, 79; 11. Trenton Montero, 78.5; 12. Jacob Lees, 78. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Cade Goodman, 3.5 seconds; 2. (tie) Talon Roseland, Bryn Roy and Trell Etbauer, 3.8; 5. (tie) Dakota Eldridge, Brandon Harrison and Justin Shaffer, 3.9; 8. (tie) Tory Jonson and Clayton Hass, 4.0. Second round leaders: 1. Stetson Jorgensen, 3.5 seconds; 2. (tie) Dakota Eldridge and Dirk Tavenner, 3.7; 4. (tie) Cameron Morman, Payden McIntyre and Clayton Hass, 3.9; 7. Landris White, 4.0; 8. (tie) Caden Camp and Ringo Robinson, 4.1. Average leaders: 1. (tie) Dakota Eldridge and Stetson Jorgensen, 7.6 seconds on two runs; 3. Clayton Hass, 7.9; 4. Payden McIntyre, 8.1; 5. Dirk Tavenner, 8.2; 6. Tory Johnson, 8.3; 7. Landris White, 8.4; 8. Cade Goodman, 8.9; 9. Blake Mindemann, 9.0; 10. Tucker Allen, 9.1; 11. Jason Thomas, 9.3; 12. (tie) Eli Lord and Bridger Anderson, 9.4. Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp, 3.7 seconds; 2. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 3.8; 3. (tie) J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo and Lightning Aguilera/Coleby Payne, 3.9; 5. Caleb Smidt/Sergio Gonzales, 4.1; 6. (tie) Aaron Tsinigine/Paul Eaves and Dawson Graham/Dillon Graham, 4.2; 8. Luke Brown/Hunter Koch, 4.4. Second round leaders: 1. Nelson Wyatt/Tyler Worley, 3.5 seconds; 2. Cory Kidd/Lane Mitchell and Chace Thompson/Tyson Thompson, 3.8; 4. Clay Smith/Jade Corkill, 3.9; 5. (tie) Clint Summers/Ross Ashford and Chet Weitz/Jace Davis, 4.1; 7. (tie) Derrick Begay/Colter Todd, Tucker Menz/D.J. Dugger and Tanner James/Phoenix Everano, 4.3. Average leaders: 1. Aaron Tsinigine/Paul Eaves, 8.8 seconds on two runs; 2. Derrick Begay/Colter Todd, 8.9; 3. Lightning Aguilera/Coleby Payne, 9.2; 4. Kolton Schmidt/Wyatt Cox, 9.4; 5. Tanner James/Phoenix Everano, 9.5; 6. Wyatt Imus/Caleb Anderson, 9.6; 7. Andrew Livingston/Seth Smithson, 9.8; 8. Payden Emmett/Lucas Falconer, 10.2; 9. (tie) Kolby Krieger/Boogie Ray and Cinch Moody/Rich Skelton, 10.4; 11. Nelson Wyatt/Tyler Worley, 12.5; 12. J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo, 12.6. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Ryder Wright, 89 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Uptuck; 2. Spencer Wright, 88; 3. Rusty Wright. 85.5; 4. Allen Boore, 85; 5. Chase Brooks, 84.5; 6. Statler Wright, 84; 7. Stetson Wright, 83.5; 8. (tie) Riggin Smith, Samuel Kelts and Creighton Curley, 83; 11. CoBurn Bradshaw, 82; 12. (tie) Wyatt Casper and Zeke Thurston, 81.5. (Rusty Wright likely will not be able to ride because of an injury) Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. (tie) Tyler Milligan and Travis Rogers, 7.6 seconds; 3. (tie) Hudson Wallace and Dakota Felton, 7.8; 5. Riley Wakefield, 8.0; 6. (tie) Cody McCartney and Chance Thiessen, 8.1; 8. (tie) Weldon Watson and Matt Shiozawa, 8.2. Second round leaders: 1. Riley Webb, 7.3 seconds; 2. Zack Jongbloed, 7.4; 3. Marcos Costa, 7.5; 4. (tie) King Pickett and Trenton Smith. 7.7; 6. (tie) Cory Solomon and Ryle Smith, 7.9; 7. Trevor Hale, 8.0. Average leaders: 1. Tyler Milligan, 15.7 seconds on two runs; 2. (tie) Zack Jongbloed and J.D. McCuistion, 16.7; 4. Dakota Felton, 16.8; 5. (tie) Luke Potter and Cody McCartney, 16.9; 7. (tie) Marcos Costa and Travis Rogers, 17.5; 9. Brushton Minton, 17.9; 10. Thomas Conway, 18.0; 11. Blake Deckard, 18.1; 12. Kater Tate, 18.3. Barrel racing: Second round leaders: 1. Michelle Alley, 14.16  Continue Reading »

SAN ANGELO, Texas – Timed-event cowboys know a couple things about the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo. It’s going to be loud inside Foster Communications Coliseum, and it’s going to take a fast time to win. Cody Snow and Wesley Thorp knew both things when they arrived Thursday night for the fifth performance of the rodeo, and they took it to the test. The cowboys stopped the clock in 3.7 seconds to take the first-round team roping lead. “It helps to know what we needed to do,” said Snow of Los Olivos, California. “We knew we had to be aggressive tonight. That rodeo’s always fast.” The team knows a thing or two about being fast. Each man has qualified for the National Finals Rodeo six straight times and won the average championship there in 2019. That year, Snow finished second in the heading world standings; Thorp won the world championship. A year ago, the tandem finished third in San Angelo, and the $8,533 each man earned helped them get back to the NFR. They finished the campaign among the top 10 in their respective events: Snow was 10th, while Thorp, of Throckmorton, Texas, was ninth among the heelers. It was a good night for the team ropers. Reigning world champions Kaleb Driggers and Junior Nogueira were just a 10th of a second behind, while Aaron Tsinigine and Paul Eaves were 4.2 to move into a tie for sixth place in the opening round. Luke Brown and Hunter Koch were 4.4 and sit eighth. Each team will return to the coliseum for Friday’s sixth performance to run their second steers. The top 12 teams with the best two-run cumulative times will advance to the championship round, which takes place next Friday, April 15. Of their six NFR qualifications, they’ve roped together at Las Vegas four times. They’ve also partnered at various times when they roped with other cowboys at the finale. They know how to communicate and work together, which is a big reason they’re so successful. “We’ve run a lot of steers together,” said Snow, now 27th in the world standings while his partner is 26th in heeling. “We’ve been roping together for five years and know each other pretty well.” San Angelo Stock Show and RodeoApril 1-15Bareback riding leaders: 1. 2. Keenan Reed Hayes, 86 points on Hampton Pro Rodeo’s Rising Tide; 2. Bronc Marriott, 84.5; 3. Seth Hardwick, 84; 4. (tie) Chad Rutherford and Gavin French, 82; 6. Mike Solberg, 80.5; 7. (tie) Kody Lamb and Orin Larsen, 80; 9. Jacob Lees, 78; 10. Bill Tutor, 77; 11. Kelby Schneiter, 76.5; 12. Dean Thompson, 76. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Cade Goodman, 3.5 seconds; 2. (tie) Talon Roseland, Bryn Roy and Trell Etbauer, 3.8; 5. (tie) Dakota Eldridge, Brandon Harrison and Justin Shaffer, 3.9; 8. (tie) Tory Jonson and Clayton Hass, 4.0. Second round leaders: 1. Stetson Jorgensen, 3.5 seconds; 2. (tie) Dakota Eldridge and Dirk Tavenner, 3.7; 4. (tie) Cameron Morman, Payden McIntyre and Clayton Hass, 3.9; 7. Landris White, 4.0; 8. (tie) Caden Camp and Ringo Robinson, 4.1. Average leaders: 1. (tie) Dakota Eldridge and Stetson Jorgensen, 7.6 seconds on two runs; 3. Clayton Hass, 7.9; 4. Payden McIntyre, 8.1; 5. Dirk Tavenner, 8.2; 6. Tory Johnson, 8.3; 7. Landris White, 8.4; 8. Cade Goodman, 8.9; 9. Blake Mindemann, 9.0; 10. Tucker Allen, 9.1; 11. Jason Thomas, 9.3; 12. (tie) Eli Lord and Bridger Anderson, 9.4. Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp, 3.7 seconds; 2. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 3.8; 3. (tie) J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo and Lightning Aguilera/Coleby Payne, 3.9; 5. Caleb Smidt/Sergio Gonzales, 4.1; 6. (tie) Aaron Tsinigine/Paul Eaves and Dawson Graham/Dillon Graham, 4.2; 8. Luke Brown/Hunter Koch, 4.4. Second round leaders: 1. Nelson Wyatt/Tyler Worley, 3.5 seconds; 2. Cory Kidd/Lane Mitchell and Chace Thompson/Tyson Thompson, 3.8; 4. Clay Smith/Jade Corkill, 3.9; 5. Chet Weitz/Jace Davis, 4.1; 6. (tie) Derrick Begay/Colter Todd, Tucker Menz/D.J. Dugger and Tanner James/Phoenix Everano, 4.3. Average leaders: 1. Derrick Begay/Colter Todd, 8.9 seconds on two runs; 2. Lightning Aguilera/Coleby Payne, 9.2; 3. Kolton Schmidt/Wyatt Cox, 9.4; 4. Tanner James/Phoenix Everano, 9.5; 5. Wyatt Imus/Caleb Anderson, 9.6; 6. Andrew Livingston/Seth Smithson, 9.8; 7. Payden Emmett/Lucas Falconer, 10.2; 8. (tie) Kolby Krieger/Boogie Ray and Cinch Moody/Rich Skelton, 10.4; 10. Nelson Wyatt/Tyler Worley, 12.5; 11. J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo, 12.6; 12. Clay Smith/Jade Corkill, 13.5. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Spencer Wright, 88 points on Macza Pro Rodeo’s Get Smart; 2. Rusty Wright. 85.5; 3. Allen Boore, 85; 4. Statler Wright, 84; 5. (tie) Riggin Smith, Samuel Kelts and Creighton Curley, 83; 8. CoBurn Bradshaw, 82; 9. (tie) Wyatt Casper and Zeke Thurston, 81.5; 11. (tie) Lefty Holman and Jake Watson, 80.5. Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. (tie) Tyler Milligan and Travis Rogers, 7.6 seconds; 3. (tie) Hudson Wallace and Dakota Felton, 7.8; 5. Riley Wakefield, 8.0; 6. Cody McCartney, 8.1; 7. (tie) Weldon Watson and Matt Shiozawa, 8.2. Second round leaders: 1. Riley Webb, 7.3 seconds; 2. Zack Jongbloed, 7.4; 3. Marcos Costa, 7.5; 4. (tie) King Pickett and Trenton Smith. 7.7; 6. (tie) Cory Solomon and Ryle Smith, 7.9; 7. Trevor Hale, 8.0. Average leaders: 1. Tyler Milligan, 15.7 seconds on two runs; 2. (tie) Zack Jongbloed and J.D. McCuistion, 16.7; 4. Dakota Felton, 16.8; 5. (tie) Luke Potter and Cody McCartney, 16.9; 7. (tie) Marcos Costa and Travis Rogers, 17.5; 9. Brushton Minton, 17.9; 10. Thomas Conway, 18.0; 11. Blake Deckard, 18.1; 12. Kater Tate, 18.3. Barrel racing: Second round leaders: 1. Michelle Alley, 14.16 seconds; 2. Kailee Murdock, 14.21; 3. Jennifer Driver, 14.35; 4. Josey Owens, 14.39; 5. Destri Davenport, 14.46; 6. Martha Smith, 14.47; 7. Brandee Hawkins, 14.51; 8. Cassidy Champlin, 14.54; 9. Taylor Johnson, 15.57; 10. Mandy Cupp, 14.59. Average leaders: 1. Michelle Alley, 29.99; 2. Cassidy Champlin, 30.14; 3. Destri Davenport. 30.19; 4. Kailee Murdock, 30.22; 5. Jamie Olsen, 30.39; 6. Steeley Steiner, 30.54; 7. Josey Owens, 30.58; 8. Martha Smith, 30.61; 9. Abby Phillips, 30.65; 10. Taylor Johnson, 30.68; 11.  Continue Reading »

ALVA, Okla. – Jayden Laubhan has already earned his degree from Northwestern Oklahoma State University. He just wasn’t done being part of the rodeo team. It’s a good thing, too. The heeler from Follett, Texas, is hoping to cash in on another year in Alva by earning a bid to the College National Finals Rodeo, and he’s making up the ground necessary to do it. He and his header, Wyatt VanOrsdol of Bristow, Oklahoma, roped solidly this past weekend to finish second overall at the Garden City (Kansas) Community College rodeo. They stopped the clock in 7.7 seconds to finish fifth in the opening round, then were 7.3 in the championship round to finish second in the short-go. “This is my COVID year,” Laubhan said, noting that all intercollegiate athletes received an extra year of eligibility in 2020 when the season was cut short by the pandemic. “I’m just taking some classes so I can rodeo.” He and VanOrsdol teamed earlier this semester, and they had found limited success in the first two rodeos. They placed in the first round and aggregate three weeks ago in Fort Scott, Kansas, then stepped it up when they moved to western Kansas over the weekend. “It was nice to do some good in the short round with Wyatt,” Laubhaun said. “We didn’t have much luck at Fort Scott. I didn’t do my job, and we got a no-time in the short round. It was nice to come back and have the same opportunity in Garden City and be able to capitalize on it.” With the 120 points each cowboy gathered, it should move Laubhan up to the top five in the Central Plains Region standings. Only the top three in each event advance out of the region to the college finals. “I didn’t really have any success last fall with a different partner, so it was nice to team up with Jayden,” VanOrsdol said. “My thought is if I could turn two steers good for Jayden and get him moved up in the standings and maybe get him to the college finals, we’ll see where I finish up from there. “When we got to Garden City, I figured if we’d go catch two steers, we’d place. I didn’t think we’d end up as good as we did, but we’ll take it. It feels good because we have three rodeos left. He’s right there amongst the leaders, and I’m one rodeo out from being amongst them, too. It gives us both a shot.” VanOrsdol and Laubhan led the way for the Rangers ropers in western Kansas. Fellow team ropers Camden Hoelting of Olpe, Kansas, and Austin Lampe of Dodge City, Kansas, placed in the long round but didn’t secure a time in the final round. Steer wrestling has always been a strong suit for Northwestern, known as the Bulldogging Capital of College Rodeo. The Rangers proved it, with champion Ben Jackson of Hudson Hope, British Columbia. He won the first round, finished third in the championship round and won the aggregate. Lee Sterling of Gotebo, Oklahoma, placed in both the short round and the aggregate, finishing fifth overall. Beau Kelley of Artesia, New Mexico, placed fifth in the opening round. For the women, Cedar Anderson of Carrington, North Dakota, roped her first-round calf in 2.3 seconds to finish fifth. She wasn’t able to secure a time in the final round. Laubhan and VanOrsdol found success through the simplest of methods, and they plan to keep it up. “I really enjoy roping with Wyatt,” the Texan said. “He’s really good at communicating, and that’s what I like. There’s no question about what he’s going to do, because we always talk about it before we do it, and he’s always looking to get better.” VanOrsdol is looking forward to the final three events of the season, primarily because the rodeos in Weatherford, Oklahoma; Hays, Kansas; and Guymon, Oklahoma, will all be outside. It’s something that fits the tandem’s style a little more, but he’s pretty tickled they had such success at the last indoor rodeo of the campaign this past weekend. “I didn’t think it was that tough in that building,” he said. “The steers were real good, but they were all fresher (meaning they hadn’t be run as much). Some ran a little more, but that’s part of it. Some guys got in a hurry because of the small arena. We made both of our runs at the back end of that arena. “I just tried to stay comfortable and not worry about where we were in the arena. I knew if we made clean runs, we’d be pretty good.”

SAN ANGELO, Texas – Laramie Mosley was in pain. He’d suffered a broken neck at a bull riding in Lewiston, Idaho, last September that required surgery to fuse his C5-C7 vertebrae, and the surgical scar on his throat and pain from the injury were just part of it. The worst agony for Mosley was knowing his 2021 rodeo season had just run its course, and he wouldn’t have a chance to compete at the National Finals Rodeo. The sport’s grand finale hosts only the top 15 from the regular season, and the Palestine, Texas, cowboy was ninth in the standings when the injury happened. “It emotionally wrecked me for a long time,” said Mosley, who finished the year 18th in the world standings while on injured reserve. “I didn’t know if I was going to be able to overcome that. After three months into it, I figured I could sit back and sulk and quit, or I could do what I’ve done the rest of my life and get out of the mud and come back firing.” Consider his guns loaded. He rode Hampton Pro Rodeo’s Road Warrior for 90 points to take the bull riding lead during Sunday’s fourth performance of the San Angelo Stock show and Rodeo. “This was super big,” said Mosley, who returned to action just a month ago. “It’s been rough since I got back, but I love San Angelo, and there’s always a good vibe here. I had a good (bull) drawn. I knew if I could keep my hand shut, it would be good.” It was. He scrambled from his position atop Road Warrior and adjusted to every move the bull threw at him. It looked very similar to the big rides he posted last season that allowed him the opportunity to battle for the world title until the injury took it all away. “He’s a bucker for sure,” he said of the bull. “It was amazing. I loved every second of it, every jump. “I’ve been getting on the (practice) barrel every day that I’m home, but I’m not home that much now, so I’m working on the mental side of things.” The reality is his muscle memory should take over at this stage of his career, but bull riding is the toughest event in which to secure a score. The bulls win most of the time. In the opening weekend of San Angelo’s rodeo, only eight cowboys have qualified rides out of the 46 cowboys that have wrapped their hands in the bull rope. Mosley has overcome a considerable amount since the wreck that happened seven months ago. Surgeons decided to fuse his three vertebrae to help stabilize the spine and allow for better healing. Doctors had told him that his C6 vertebrae was crushed. Now, he’s back to doing what he loves and competing at a rodeo he appreciates. “I really like San Angelo,” Mosley said, who will return to town next Sunday for the Xtreme Bulls competition, then come back for the championship round Friday, April 15. “When they open the rodeo, they have fireworks and have fire in the arena with loud and big booms. It makes you feel like you’re somebody when you’re there. Fans are loud and constantly cheering. It makes for a great experience.” San Angelo Stock Show and RodeoApril 1-15Bareback riding leaders: 1. 2. Keenan Reed Hayes, 86 points on Hampton Pro Rodeo’s Rising Tide; 2. Seth Hardwick, 84; 3. (tie) Chad Rutherford and Gavin French, 82; 5. Mike Solberg, 80.5; 6. Orin Larsen, 80; 7. Jacob Lees, 78; 8. Bill Tutor, 77; 9. Kelby Schneiter, 76.5; 10. Dean Thompson, 76; 11. (tie) Rickey Williams and Lane McGehee, 75. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Cade Goodman, 3.5 seconds; 2. (tie) Talon Roseland, Bryn Roy and Trell Etbauer, 3.8; 5. (tie) Dakota Eldridge and Justin Shaffer, 3.9; 7. (tie) Tory Jonson and Clayton Hass, 4.0. Second round leaders: 1. Stetson Jorgensen, 3.5 seconds; 2. (tie) Dakota Eldridge and Dirk Tavenner, 3.7; 4. (tie) Cameron Morman, Payden McIntyre and Clayton Hass, 3.9; 7. Landris White, 4.0; 8. (tie) Caden Camp and Ringo Robinson, 4.1. Average leaders: 1. (tie) Dakota Eldridge and Stetson Jorgensen, 7.6 seconds on two runs; 3. Clayton Hass, 7.9; 4. Payden McIntyre, 8.1; 5. Dirk Tavenner, 8.2; 6. Tory Johnson, 8.3; 7. Landris White, 8.4; 8. Cade Goodman, 8.9; 9. Blake Mindemann, 9.0; 10. Tucker Allen, 9.1; 11. Jason Thomas, 9.3; 12. (tie) Eli Lord and Bridger Anderson, 9.4. Team roping: First round leaders: 1. (tie) J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo and Lightning Aguilera/Coleby Payne, 3.9 seconds; 3. Caleb Smidt/Sergio Gonzales, 4.1; 4. Dawson Graham/Dillon Graham, 4.2; 5. Casey Tew/Brushton Minton, 4.5; 6. (tie) Wyatt Bray/Will Woodfin, Derrick Begay/Colter Todd and Andrew Livingston/Seth Smithson, 4.6. Second round leaders: 1. Nelson Wyatt/Tyler Worley, 3.5 seconds; 2. Cory Kidd/Lane Mitchell and Chace Thompson/Tyson Thompson, 3.8; 4. Clay Smith/Jade Corkill, 3.9; 5. Chet Weitz/Jace Davis, 4.1; 6. (tie) Derrick Begay/Colter Todd, Tucker Menz/D.J. Dugger and Tanner James/Phoenix Everano, 4.3. Average leaders: 1. Derrick Begay/Colter Todd, 8.9 seconds on two runs; 2. Lightning Aguilera/Coleby Payne, 9.2; 3. Kolton Schmidt/Wyatt Cox, 9.4; 4. Tanner James/Phoenix Everano, 9.5; 5. Wyatt Imus/Caleb Anderson, 9.6; 6. Andrew Livingston/Seth Smithson, 9.8; 7. Payden Emmett/Lucas Falconer, 10.2; 8. (tie) Kolby Krieger/Boogie Ray and Cinch Moody/Rich Skelton, 10.4; 10. Nelson Wyatt/Tyler Worley, 12.5; 11. J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo, 12.6; 12. Clay Smith/Jade Corkill, 13.5. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Spencer Wright, 88 points on Macza Pro Rodeo’s Get Smart; 2. Rusty Wright. 85.5; 3. Allen Boore, 85; 4. Statler Wright, 84; 5. (tie) Riggin Smith, Samuel Kelts and Creighton Curley, 83; 8. CoBurn Bradshaw, 82; 9. Zeke Thurston, 81.5; 10. Jake Watson, 80.5; 11. Cauy Pennington, 80; 12. Isaac Diaz, 78.5. Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. (tie) Tyler Milligan and Travis Rogers, 7.6 seconds; 3. Dakota Felton, 7.8; 4. Riley Wakefield, 8.0; 5. Cody McCartney, 8.1; 6. (tie) Weldon Watson and Matt Shiozawa, 8.2; 8. (tie) Cash Hooper, Blake Ash and Luke Potter, 8.3.  Continue Reading »

SAN ANGELO, Texas – Over the last 15 years, the Wright name has become synonymous with professional rodeo. Cody Wright started it in 2008, when he won the first of his two saddle bronc riding world championships. That was followed by his little brother, Jesse, who claimed the gold buckle in 2012. A third brother, Spencer, was the world titlist two years later. The next generation is already knee deep in the world title race. Cody’s second son, Ryder, is a two-time world champ, and third son, Stetson, may rearrange ProRodeo’s record books in his career. On Saturday night during the third performance of the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo, it was definitely a night for the Wrights. Spencer Wright rode Macza Pro Rodeo’s Get Smart for 88 points to take the lead in saddle bronc riding, and he is followed in the standings by Cody’s oldest son, Rusty, and youngest son, Statler; Rusty was 85.5 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Manhatten Moon, and Statler was 84 points on Macza’s Honeymoon. While he didn’t get on a bronc Saturday, Stetson Wright made his presence felt as the last cowboy of the night in bull riding. He matched moves with Carr’s Juicy for 88 points to take the lead, and the Wright family stands out on a night that was packed with some of the sport’s biggest stars inside Foster Communications Coliseum. While they accounted for the most points the roughstock hands, there was some speed in the timed events, led by barrel racer Michelle Alley. The cloverleaf pattern of a barrel race is set up to test the speed and agility of some incredible horses. Alley owns one in Seis Caress, a 10-year-old bay mare she calls Saucy, and together the duo outraced the pack Saturday afternoon during the second performance “It felt really fast,” said Alley of Madisonville, Texas, who stopped the clock in 14.16 seconds to take the second-round barrel racing lead by nearly half a second. “She was running hard, and she smoked her barrels. (They were so close to the three barrels) I had to lift my leg for sure on the second, and I may have lifted my leg on all three” to make sure the barrels were left standing. Alley also sits atop the aggregate race with a two-run cumulative time of 29.99 seconds. That’s two-tenths of a second faster than second place. That’s good news for the South Dakota-raised cowgirl, who moved to Texas to attend college and stayed. She’s competed in San Angelo for several years, but 2021 was her first time to advance out of the first round into the second; this rodeo features unlimited entries for barrel racing, but only the top times return for the performances. “Last year I did really well,” she said. “I won a little (under) $7,000. Prior to that, I had heck in the first round. In 2020, I tipped a barrel to win the first round; in 2019, I tipped a barrel to finish second. Last year was the first time I got to advance to the coliseum.” Alley and Saucy posted a 15.83-second run in the opening round, which was just out of the money but still gave the tandem a good shot at making the championship round on April 15. It takes a fast horse and some good fortune to do that. “I bought her off the racetrack as a 2-year-old,” Alley said of her prized mount. “I did all the training on her, and the last two years, I’ve been super close to making the NFR. We’ve just had some injuries that have kept us from making it.” Only the top 15 ladies in the world standings at the end of the season advance to the National Finals Rodeo. Alley and Saucy finished 23rd a year ago and 19th in 2020. “Saucy is sassy,” she said. “She is very dominant, very bossy. She’s a diva. She knows she’s pretty, and she acts like it.” Saucy also lost a shoe off a front foot during the run, so that will be replaced before their next run in California in the coming days. Alley is already looking forward to the opportunity to return. “It’s really exciting and fun to run there because the crowd is so loud,” Alley said. “San Angelo’s crowd is always so wonderful. Saucy and me really feed off the crowd. It makes me ride better and makes my horse run faster.” San Angelo Stock Show and RodeoApril 1-15Bareback riding leaders: 1. Seth Hardwick, 84 on Macza Pro Rodeo’s Dark Secret; 2. (tie) Chad Rutherford and Gavin French, 82; 4. Mike Solberg, 80.5; 5. Orin Larsen, 80; 6. Jacob Lees, 78; 7. Bill Tutor, 77; 8. Kelby Schneiter, 76.5; 9. Dean Thompson, 76; 10. Lane McGehee, 75; 11. (tie) Zack Brown, Strawbs Jones and Payton Lackey, 70. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Cade Goodman, 3.5 seconds; 2. (tie) Talon Roseland, Bryn Roy and Trell Etbauer, 3.8; 5. (tie) Dakota Eldridge and Justin Shaffer, 3.9; 7. (tie) Tory Jonson and Clayton Hass, 4.0. Second round leaders: 1. Stetson Jorgensen, 3.5 seconds; 2. Dirk Tavenner, 3.7; 3. (tie) Cameron Morman, Payden McIntyre and Clayton Hass, 3.9; 6. Landris White, 4.0; 7. Ringo Robinson, 4.1; 8. Bridger Anderson, 4.2. Average leaders: 1. Stetson Jorgensen, 7.6 seconds on two runs; 2. Clayton Hass, 7.9; 3. Payden McIntyre, 8.1; 4. Dirk Tavenner, 8.2; 5. Landris White, 8.4; 6. Cade Goodman, 8.9; 7. Blake Mindemann, 9.0; 9. Jason Thomas, 9.3; 10. Bridger Anderson, 9.4; 11. Cody Harmon, 9.5; 12. Trell Etbauer 9.6. Team roping: First round leaders: 1. (tie) J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo and Lightning Aguilera/Coleby Payne, 3.9 seconds; 3. Caleb Smidt/Sergio Gonzales, 4.1; 4. Dawson Graham/Dillon Graham, 4.2; 5. Casey Tew/Brushton Minton, 4.5; 6. (tie) Wyatt Bray/Will Woodfin, Derrick Begay/Colter Todd and Andrew Livingston/Seth Smithson, 4.6. Second round leaders: 1. Nelson Wyatt/Tyler Worley, 3.5 seconds; 2. Cory Kidd/Lane Mitchell and Chace Thompson/Tyson Thompson, 3.8; 4. Chet Weitz/Jace Davis, 4.1; 5. Tucker Menz/D.J  Continue Reading »

SAN ANGELO, Texas – Riggin Smith finished the 2020 ProRodeo campaign as the No. 1 rookie in saddle bronc riding, and he didn’t even get to finish the season. He suffered a knee injury in August and sat out the final two months of the regular season, finishing in an agonizing 24th place in the world standings in year he hoped would end up among the top 15 that earned a qualification to the National Finals Rodeo. He took a few months off, rehabilitated his torn PCL, MCL and meniscus and went back to work. On Friday night during the first performance of the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo, he proved that he’s back and as good as ever, riding Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Django for 83 points to take the early bronc riding lead inside Foster Communications Coliseum. “My knee’s great,” said Smith, the 2019 intercollegiate bronc riding champion while competing for Clarendon (Texas) College. “I’ve gotten so comfortable with it that I’ve taken my knee brace off, and that’s helped a lot.” It showed on the powerful horse that offers a wicked start to the ride. Smith had heard from several other cowboys that the bronc was difficult to mark out, meaning that it was hard for the contestants to keep their spurs in contact with the animal above the horse’s neck until the first jump out of the chute is complete. “Everybody told me he’d be pretty hard to spur out, but I didn’t expect it to be that hard,” he said. “When I looked at the stat sheet about that horse, there were a lot of zeroes. Wyatt Casper was 84 points, and I was there to watch it. I just kept that ride in my mind and thought in my mind that she would be that good today.” The big black horse was, and it provided some added electricity into an already amped-up arena filled with rodeo fans. If Smith’s score holds up to be one of the top 12 through the preliminary rounds, he will return for the championship night on Friday, April 15. “I’ve never made the short round here,” said Smith, the 32nd ranked bronc rider in this year’s standings. “This is just one of those rodeos everybody wants to win. It would be cool to get back in the short round and hopefully check this rodeo off my bucket list. “I love this rodeo. The crowd is into it. (Clown) Justin Rumford and (announcer) Boyd (Polhamus) do a great job of getting the crowd into it. It gets so loud in there that it literally pumps you up.” San Angelo Stock Show and RodeoApril 1-15Bareback riding leaders: 1. Seth Hardwick, 84 on Macza Rodeo’s Dark Secret; 2. Chad Rutherford, 82; 3. Orin Larsen, 80; 4. Zack Brown, 70; no other qualified rides. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Cade Goodman, 2.5 seconds; 2. (tie) Talon Roseland, Bryn Roy and Trell Etbauer, 3.8; 5. Dakota Eldridge, 3.9; 6. Tory Jonson, 4.0; 7. (tie) Jason Thomas, Blake Mindemann and Dalton Massey, 4.2. Second round leaders: 1. Cameron Morman, 3.9 seconds; 2. Landris White, 4.0; 3. Ringo Robinson, 4.1; Bridger Anderson, 4.2; 5. (tie) Josh Garner and Taz Olson, 4.3; 7. (tie) Grady Payne and Wyatt Jurney, 4.4. Average leaders: 1. Landris White, 8.4 seconds on two rides; 2. Cade Goodman, 8.9; 3. Blake Mindemann, 9.0; 4. Jason Thomas, 9.3; 5. Bridger Anderson, 9.4; 6. Cody Harmon, 9.5; 7. Trell Etbauer 9.6; 8. Riley Westhaver, 9.7; 9. (tie) Kalane Anders and Zach Peterson, 9.8; 11. Riley Reiss, 9.9; 12. Denard Butler, 10.0. Team roping: First round leaders: 1. (tie) J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo and Lightning Aguilera/Coleby Payne, 3.9 seconds; 3. Caleb Smidt/Sergio Gonzales, 4.1; 4. Dawson Graham/Dillon Graham, 4.2; 5. Casey Tew/Brushton Minton, 4.5; 6. (tie) Wyatt Bray/Will Woodfin and AndrewLivingston/Seth Smithson, 4.6; 8. (tie) Charly Crawford/Dustin Davis, Payden Emmett/Lucas Falconer, Wyatt Imus/Caleb Anderson and Kolton Schmidt/Tyson Wyatt Cox, 4.7. Second round leaders: 1. Nelson Wyatt/Tyler Worley, 3.5 seconds; 2. Chace Thompson/Tyson Thompson, 3.8; 3. Chet Weitz/Jace Davis, 4.1; 4. Tanner James/Phoenix Everano, 4.3; 5. (tie) Jimmy Edens/Josh Patton and Jhett Trenary/Gralyn Elkins, 4.4; 7. (tie) Quisto Lopez/Cody Thornton and Tyler Mangus/Truman Mangus, 4.5. Average leaders: 1. Kolton Schmidt/Wyatt Cox, 9.4 seconds on two runs; 2. Tanner James/Phoenix Everano, 9.5; 3. Wyatt Imus/Caleb Anderson, 9.6; 4. Andrew Livingston/Seth Smithson, 9.8; 5. Payden Emmett/Lucas Falconer, 10.2; 6. (tie) Kolby Krieger/Boogie Ray and Cinch Moody/Rich Skelton, 10.4; 8. Nelson Wyatt/Tyler Worley, 12.5; 9. J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo, 12.6; 10. Wyatt Bray/Will Woodfin, 14.0; 11. Wyatt Muggli/Casey McCleskey, 15.6; 12. Spencer Mitchell/Jason Duby, 19.0. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Riggin Smith, 83 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Django; 2. Cauy Pennington, 80; 3. Isaac Diaz, 78.5; 4. Jacob Lewis, 77; 5. Weston Patterson, 75; 6. Gus Gaillard, 73; no other qualified rides. Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. (tie) Tyler Milligan and Travis Rogers, 7.6 seconds; 3. Dakota Felton, 7.8; 4. Riley Wakefield, 8.0; 5. Cody McCartney, 8.1; 6. (tie) Cash Hooper and Blake Ash, 8.3; 8. (tie) Wyatt Muggli and Russell Schilling, 8.8. Second round leaders: 1. Trenton Smith. 7.7 seconds; 2. Ryle Smith, 7.9; 3. Trevor Hale, 8.0; 4. (tie) Tyler Milligan and Chet Weitz, 8.1; 6. Buck Take, 8.2; 7. (tie) Chisum Allen and Clint Singleton, 8.3. Average leaders: 1. Tyler Milligan, 15.7 seconds on two runs; 2. Dakota Felton, 16.8; 3. Cody McCartney, 16.9; 4. Travis Rogers, 17.5; 5. Blake Deckard, 18.1; 6. Buck Tate, 18.3; 7. Walker Akins, 18.4; 8. Wyatt Imus, 18.5; 9. Kolt Henderson, 18.6; 10. Riley Wakefield, 19.1; 11. Sam Houston Powers, 19.3; 12. (tie) Russell Schilling and Cooper Mathews, 19.5. Barrel racing: First round: 1. Wenda Johnson, 15.47 seconds, $5,773; 2. Dona Kay Rule, 15.48, $4,948; 3. Ericka Nelson, 15.57, $4,124; 4. Margo Crowther, 15.58, $3,574; 5. (tie) Cassidy Champlin, Bayleigh Choate and Liza Zachoda, 15.60, $2,199 each; 8. Shannon McReynolds, 15.64, $1,100; 9. Ivy Saebens, 15.65, $825; 10. Emily Mangioe, 15.66, $550. Second round leaders: 1.  Continue Reading »

Cinch steer wrestler Will Lummus shows off his elite status Will Lummus was born to be a professional steer wrestler; he just didn’t realize it until he’d entered high school. He proved to be a quick study, but he’s had a considerable amount of help along the way. He has a family that has supported him since he was a youngster and helped direct him when they were needed. It’s paid off. He’s qualified for the National Finals Rodeo each of the past four seasons and walked away from Las Vegas this past December with the coveted average championship. All roads lead back to his youth in the community of West Point, on Mississippi’s eastern edge near Starkville, home of Mississippi State University. “My family’s support is just huge,” said Lummus, a Cinch endorsee who finished the 2021 campaign as the reserve world champion, second only to Louisianan Tyler Waguespack. “It didn’t matter if I decided to play golf; nobody in my family plays golf, but we would have figured it out. “I just grew up watching rodeo, watching my uncle at rodeos. That’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.” That’s Uncle Bob, as in four-time NFR qualifier Bob Lummus, who more than offered his assistance to his young protégé; he actually quit his job as a pilot for Dale Earnhardt Jr. to assist his maturing nephew. “When I started steer wrestling, he came home and helped,” Will Lummus said. “Him, my dad and my Uncle David helped a lot. Practice was always serious. We didn’t practice with other people very often. It was us, and it was nothing but business. “We hollered at each other. There were a lot of tears shed in that arena, but I couldn’t have asked for a better upbringing.” It has paid plenty of dividends. In his first venture to the NFR in 2018, Lummus finished third in the world standings. He was 11th a year later and fifth in 2020. His best finish came a season ago, where he won $169,152 over 10 December nights in Las Vegas. He placed in six rounds, sharing the victory on the fourth night and winning the eighth round outright. While he chased the elusive Montana Silversmiths gold buckle in the go-rounds, he still earned nearly $70,000 by claiming the average title for having the best 10-run aggregate score among the 15 bulldoggers at ProRodeo’s grand finale. “The average is the second most coveted buckle in rodeo, so it means the world to me,” he said. “There’s only one better, and I’ve been really close, but you can’t stub your toe, especially with Wags, because he doesn’t make mistakes.” It all stems from a great foundation. Now 29, he wrestled through his first few years before finding solid footing in a sport he loves and the competition he craves. He’s grown as a man and as a steer wrestler, and it shows in his performance. “I think the biggest thing that’s changed for me since my rookie year is maturity,” Lummus said. “Just getting the knowledge and the confidence has been part of that. When we practiced when I was young, our goal was to make the National Finals. My uncle and my dad always made sure I knew they thought I was good enough to do it. They instilled a lot of confidence in me at a young age, and that carried over. “When I first started, I had a lot more confidence than a lot of rookie guys in the way I was raised. Everything we did was funneled toward that one goal.” Lummus took the baby steps provided him, and he continued to build his case. In 2017, he finished 20th in the world standings, missing the NFR by five spots – only the top 15 in the world standings at the end of the regular season advance to the championship. He hasn’t missed his place among the elite since. “I think it’s because I’m always getting to ride good horses, and I have great partners, great teammates,” said Lummus, who is traveling this year with Clayton Hass, Dakota Eldridge and Ty Erickson while primarily riding Hass’ horse, Benz, voted as one of the top three bulldogging horses in the PRCA last year. “I think it shows. I think guys have always been very welcoming to ride their horses. There are so may people that bulldog great in the world today. The only thing that separates them is the horsepower. I always get to ride one of the best horses, and I always have, which has been a blessing.” Benz is his go-to mount, and the four members of the traveling posse enjoy what the big bay gelding has to offer. Hass is a four-time NFR qualifier, while Eldridge has earned eight trips to the finale, and there are eight qualifications for Erickson, the 2019 world champion. Eldridge earned NFR average crowns in 2015 and ’17. “You’ve got three average titles and a world championship in that rig, and Clayton’s been to the NFR as a bulldogger and a hazer,” Lummus said. “We’ve got a lot of talent in the rig, and that does nothing but help your confidence. You end up competing with your teammates, and that does nothing but help you use it in a productive way. “It’s us against the world, but we’re also trying to beat each other in a way. When you get beat by your buddy, you’re just as happy for him as you would be if you’d won it yourself.” It’s a matter of teamwork, and that’s just fine with the Mississippi cowboy, who played baseball and football as a youngster. He’s done just about every event in rodeo and, for the longest time, focused mostly on tie-down roping. It was his favorite thing, and he lived and breathed the idea of making a living with a rope in his hand. Lummus’ dad and uncle made him wait until his freshman year in high school before  Continue Reading »

Texas tie-down roper wins $100,000 during rodeo in AT&T Stadium AT&T Stadium is just four hours from Caleb Smidt’s home in Bellville, Texas, a community of about 4,200 people near Houston. That makes it easy for those that love him most to make the trip to see their favorite cowboy compete. It’s also easy for Smidt to find success in an arena filled with that much support. On the opening Sunday of March, the three-time and reigning world champion tie-down roper won The American for the second time and pocketed another $100,000 for doing so. “It’s just awesome to have as many people that I have in my family come watch and support me,’ said Smidt, who also won inside “Jerry World” in 2019. “They make a point to go everywhere they can and to do the other things to support me. It makes it so much sweeter when you go back to them. “My wife and kids are still excited whether I win or don’t win, but it makes you want to do better and do the things to support my family. It wouldn’t mean as much to me if they didn’t want to go. For them to want to go makes it that much better.” The feelings are mutual. Over his career, Smidt has qualified for the National Finals Rodeo eight times. The three years he’s claimed the Montana Silversmiths gold buckle (2015, ’18 and ’21), he also won the NFR average championship. This past December, he pocketed nearly $192,000 in 10 days of ProRodeo’s grand finale and finished the year with $318,456. The American is a unique event that featured 10 cowboys that were exempt based on being among the top 10 in the 2021 PRCA world standings. The remaining competitors in the field had earned their way through a series of qualifiers. Winners of each event pocketed $100,000, but the qualifiers were eligible for part of the $2 million side pot along with the one-hundred grand. By the time the dust settled, Brazilian bull rider Kaique Pacheco was the only qualifier to win his event, thereby earning $2.1 million. For Smidt, the victory inside AT&T Stadium provided him an emotional outlet to showcase his faith and his talent with a rope. He nearly broke down with his post-ride interview that was shown to the large crowd and to millions of viewers on national television. “It’s the biggest one-day, well, two-day, rodeo there is,” he said. “Any time you can win it once is a dream come true, so winning twice is unbelievable. It’s dang sure a blessing to be able to win it twice.” It was also a bit of redemption after the previous 15 months. After qualifying for the NFR in 2020, he wasn’t allowed to compete because of a positive COVID test directly before the championship at its one-time home of Globe Life Field in Arlington. He advanced into The American through the qualifying events, but things didn’t work out for him to talk away with an incredible payday a year ago. “I got to rope for $1 million at The American last year, but I didn’t pull it off,” Smidt said. “It’s saddening to know you had a chance and didn’t come through. “I’ve been in a lot of pressure situations. When you compete at a high level, you get in situations where you have to win and need to win. When you don’t come through, it sits deep in your stomach. It’s going to bother you if you have a winner’s mentality. I didn’t just shake it off and walk out of the arena. It made me want to be better. That’s what pushes me to get better.” It worked, and he has 100,000 reasons to believe in himself. Because The American wasn’t sanctioned by the PRCA, the money earned doesn’t count toward the 2022 world standings, but it can come in quite handy. More than likely, though, his wife Brenna will have a plan soon. “I’m sure my wife can find something,” he said with a laugh. “We have a three-bedroom house and three kids, so two of them share a room. “Before too long, we’re going to have to add to our house.” The way the competition worked, there were 17 cowboys in the first round of The American, which took place March 4 at Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas. The top 10 times moved on to AT&T Stadium for Sunday, where the field was pared down the cowboys with the top four scores. Smidt was the third roper to make a run after watching Tuf Cooper and Riley Webb secure 7.60- and 7.81-second runs, respectively. Smidt then roped and secured his calf in 6.87 seconds with only friend Hunter Herrin to compete. When Herrin struggled, Smidt lowered his head, dejected for his friend. It all factored into the emotions the Texan shared on the stage inside the massive stadium. “Me and Hunter have become pretty close, and he helps me out and I help him out a lot,” Smidt said. “We were the last two guys to go; he got to rope for $2.1 million, me for $100,000. I wouldn’t have been disappointed at all if he would have won, because winning that kind of money was going to be life-changing. “I couldn’t imagine what he was going through. I was just disappointed for him.” That’s the nature of rodeo that isn’t seen in many other professional sports. Friendships develop, and relationships become more like family. He spent the last couple of years traveling with 2019 world champion Haven Meged, and the two have become really close friends. That helps. Meged was standing in the roping box with Smidt when he nodded his head for big money that Sunday afternoon. While Brenna Smidt may have plans for that dough, Caleb would like to transfer some of it directly into is rodeo account to help pay for the expenses that come with being an elite cowboy. He wants  Continue Reading »

GUYMON, Okla. – When the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo asked for help, members of the Goodwell Roping Club answered. That was decades ago, and men like Jack, Rex and Max Strain have put in countless hours since. It’s the work done by volunteers like them that has helped the local rodeo be successful for so many years. It takes a dedicated workforce of dozens of people to pull off an event of this magnitude. The work will continue but without the Strains for this year’s rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 6; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 7; and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 8, at Henry C. Hitch Pioneer Arena. The trio from north of Goodwell have passed along their sorting sticks and are planning on enjoying this year’s event without spending all the hours organizing timed-event cattle. “We started adding up the age of our geriatric sorting crew, and we averaged about 66 to 67 years old,” said Jack Strain, a Texas County commissioner who thinks he’s been part of the timed-event team since the mid- to late 1980s. “We just decided we could find some younger blood to do that for a while. “When we first started this, I was in my 20s and didn’t know any better,” he said with a laugh. “We’ve had a lot of people that have helped us sort that had nothing to do with the roping club; that’s just where it started, because we had a few people together we knew we could count on.” Over time, there have been a few generations of rodeo committee members, and each group quickly realized they could count on the Strains. Max is the oldest at 74, then there are his cousins, Rex, 72, and Jack, 68. It’s time to pass it along to a new generation. “We were just a bunch of guys that wanted to see the rodeo get better,” Jack Strain said. “Sorting the timed-event cattle was something we could do to help, so we did. Now we’re going to watch the rodeo for once. Back behind the roping chutes isn’t a good place to watch the rodeo from.” The roping club has ceased to exist, but it was a big deal to the group some 50 years ago. When it started, there were a bunch of young men that loved calf roping, so they gathered together. As they aged, the cowboys switched to team roping, which isn’t quite as hard on the older body. The club started in an old arena near the Goodwell elevators, and later built one that still stands along U.S. Highway 54. “A bunch of us guys were getting together to rope,” Jack Strain said. “We’d buy calves in the summertime, then rope the calves. When we were done, we’d stick them out on wheat pasture, then we’d sell them and buy more.” The cycle continued, then the group was purchasing and selling steers instead of calves. Whenever spring came, many of those club members made their way to Guymon to handle the days of work that come with volunteering during rodeo week. “Back when we first started, there were several years where they did all the slack in one day,” he said. “We’d start at 8 o’clock in the morning, and there were a couple of years where we went home, took a shower and went to work at 8 the next morning. Some of the cowboys suggested to split slack over two or three days, so the rodeo could keep the guys around here longer.” Guymon’s rodeo now features seven days of action. There are four rounds of steer roping that will take place Monday, May 2-Tuesday, May 3. The men’s timed events are scheduled for Wednesday, May 4-Thursday, May 5; barrel racing will take place through the morning and afternoon of Friday, May 6, then the first of four performances begins at 7:30 that evening. That’s why there are so many volunteers to handle so many pieces of the puzzle that is Pioneer Days Rodeo. “Everybody just takes a day off,” Jack Strain said. “I’ve got some people that did work for me at the county that would come help us.  They’d take a day’s vacation, and we’d sort cattle. I was doing this before I was a commissioner. No matter what I was doing, I took days off and helped with the rodeo. It’s just part of the deal when you want to be involved.”

ADA, Okla. – Long before he ever qualified to the International Finals Rodeo, the National Finals Rodeo or the PBR World Finals, Cord McCoy was a kid who just dreamed of being a rodeo champion. He came by it naturally, raised on a ranch near Tupelo, Oklahoma. He’s the youngest of five children born to a rodeo family, and the seven of them oftentimes made the short drive to Ada for a variety of reasons. Now living in Lane, Oklahoma, and raising bucking animals as a PRCA stock contractor, McCoy Rodeo will return to his old stomping grounds for the Ada ProRodeo presented by Ada Gaming and Ada Travel Stop, set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 1, and Saturday, April 2, at the Pontotoc County Agri-Plex in Ada. Tickets are on sale for $20 at the gate; children 3 and younger get in free. “This is exciting for me, because Ada has always been like a second home for us,” McCoy said. “To be able to produce a ProRodeo in Ada is an important step for me and my family and is a big part of our 2022 McCoy Rodeo Tour.” McCoy was a five-time champion cowboy in the Oklahoma City-based International Professional Rodeo Association, then qualified as a bull rider for the NFR in 2005. After that, he adjusted to life in the PBR, qualifying for the finale six times. He and his brother, Jet, brought worldwide attention to eastern Oklahoma – and the Western way of life – a decade ago because of their three appearances on the CBS-TV reality series “The Amazing Race.” He’s raised bulls and horses for years and has been a regular bull provider to many PBR events across the country. A year ago, he began his first season of producing PRCA rodeos and has continued to invest in his program. “We’re planning on bringing five bulls we got from Sammy Andrews, who has raised a ton of great bulls over the years,” McCoy said of the Texas-based stock contractor, who is best known for owning the notorious bull Bodacious. “Three of those bulls went to the NFR last year, and then we plan to have the bull Cliff Hanger, which has been one of the best bulls at the NFR the last couple of years.” In fact, Cliff Hanger was selected as one of the top two bulls at the 2020 NFR and voted as one of the top three bulls of the 2021 PRCA season by the cowboys that ride bulls for a living. McCoy Rodeo also wants to make the competition second to none for the cowboys and cowgirls that will make their way to Ada the first weekend in April. “As someone who competed for most of my life, I know how important it is for everyone to have a chance to win in rodeo,” he said. “We will try to have as even of pens of livestock as we can to make the competition that much better.” Having an entertaining show and a tough contest makes for a great rodeo, and McCoy knows that as well as anyone. “We’ve had some great partners that have stepped up already in our first year to help bring the ProRodeo to town, and we’re grateful for that,” McCoy said. “Sponsors have helped make this event strong from the start, and we’re excited to see it grow from here.”

GUYMON, Okla. – The best stock contractors in ProRodeo do more than just provide great bucking stock, and that’s a big reason why Freedom, Oklahoma-based Frontier Rodeo has been named the PRCA Stock Contractor of the Year each of the past seven seasons. It comes down to the overall product. Like any business, there’s a great back story when it comes to evaluating the consistency and greatness of a livestock producer, and there is something special when it comes down to Frontier Rodeo. The award is voted on by PRCA members, which just adds to the prestige. It’s based on the livestock, the company’s professionalism and its production of the rodeos it assembles. That’s been the case for Frontier ever since it took the reins at the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 6; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 7; and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 8, at Henry C. Hitch Pioneer Arena. “We have a long history of excellent rodeo production and a trust in our stock contractor, and that hasn’t changed with Frontier,” said Jeremy Carman, chairman of the volunteer committee that organizes the annual rodeo. “We’re glad to have Heath (Stewart) and his crew as part of our team. They do an amazing job.” Record crowds saw that first hand in 2021. Not only did Frontier showcase a first-class rodeo to locals last May, but the event was shown nationwide on The Cowboy Channel. What added to the flavor is that Stewart brought in other stock contractors to help provide for a better experience with the bucking horses and bulls. “I usually bring in a couple of other stock contractors,” said Stewart, Frontier’s general manager. “It just makes the stock better. I want the cowboys to come to the rodeo and know they have a chance to win. Normally there are not a lot of rodeos going on the week of Guymon, so you get a slew of contestants.” Frontier has a big herd of excellent athletic animals, but he knows the cowboys and fans in the Oklahoma Panhandle expect something special when it comes to a showcase of bucking beasts. A year ago, the three roughstock events were won on animals from different stock contractors: Bareback rider Caleb Bennett won on Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Freckled Frog; saddle bronc rider Wade Sundell earned the title on Dakota Rodeo’s Jimmy; and bull rider Laramie Mosley earned his first Guymon trophy belt on Frontier’s County Jail. “When you go up against those guys, you’re going up against the best,” Stewart said. “It makes it that much more exciting for everyone involved. I like bringing in sub-contractors to make rodeos better, but I don’t leave any of our good ones at home either.”

ALVA, Okla. – Samantha Chambers has always considered herself an all-around cowgirl, but she didn’t have much chance to showcase it during her first two years of intercollegiate rodeo while attending Northwestern Oklahoma State University. “During my freshman year, my breakaway roping horse died unexpectedly, so I have been hopping around on horses trying to figure out a horse that would work for me,” said Chambers, a junior from Calhan, Colorado. “The horse that died was elite, so it was hard to replace him. Being able to finally click with my new breakaway horse and get points was an amazing feeling.” At Fort Scott, Kansas, this past weekend, Chambers roped her first-round calf in 3.3 seconds to finish in a tie for sixth place and earn a trip to the championship round. She wasn’t able to land success in the short-go, but the confidence she gained was immediate with her and Casper, a 23-year-old gray gelding. “We had him for about 10 years, and he was my sister’s horse,” she said. “She was going to college, so we sold him to a couple of little girls, and he went there to teach them how to breakaway rope and run barrels.” The family reacquired Casper, and it’s making for a nice story for the family. “Knowing the history and the situation we were in, it was perfect,” Chambers said. “If we are able to keep him healthy, he is just what we need in a breakaway horse.” Her biggest success in Fort Scott came in barrel racing, where she won the short round, placed in the long round and finished second overall, just six-hundredths of a second behind the champ. Like Casper before him, Chambers’ barrel horse has an interesting tale, too. Crossfire is an 8-year-old palomino gelding that has put the Colorado cowgirl into contention to earn a bid for the college finals. “My two barrel horses died right before I came to college my freshman year, and he was the last barrel horse available, so I hopped on him,” she said. “He only had four months of training when we came to college my freshman year, and it happened to be the Fort Scott rodeo that I made the first short round on him that year. That was amazing, because we didn’t think we’d do anything my freshman year with how little he knew.” The young yellow horse was figuring it out pretty quickly. With the 140 point she earned in southeastern Kansas, Chambers should move into the top five in the Central Plains Region standings. Only the top three in the standings in each event when the 10-rodeo season comes to a close later this spring will advance to the College National Finals Rodeo, set for June in Casper, Wyoming. “It’s all about teamwork, knowing your horse,” she said. “It’s about knowing each other and creating an ever-lasting bond.” While Chambers led the Northwestern women, there were several Rangers men who collected points. All-around cowboy Tyler Scheevel of Lester Prairie, Minnesota, scored points in two events. He finished fifth in the first round of tie-down roping, then was saddled with a long run in the short-go. Roping with header Rhett Conkling of Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Scheevel stopped the clock in 7.7 seconds to finish just out of placing in the first round, then finished third in the final round and the average. Northwestern team of header Wyatt Vanorsdol of Bristow, Oklahoma, and heeler Jayden Laubhan of Follett, Texas, placed fifth in the long round with a 6.6-second run. They had a no-time in the final round but still finished sixth overall. The Kansas duo of Camden Holting of Olpe and Austin Lampe of Dodge City finished sixth in the long round. Tie-down roper Levi Sechrist of Mountain View, Oklahoma, placed in both rounds and finished fifth in the aggregate. In steer wrestling, Kaden Greenfield of Lakeview, Oregon, and Isaiah Naauao of Haiku, Hawaii, placed in the first round, while Jeremy Plourde of Carleton, Michigan, finished sixth in the short round. For Chambers, attending Northwestern was a no-brainer. She followed in the lines of her cousins – Hunter, Taylor and Lindy Munsell of Arnett, Oklahoma – to Alva. “We have a bunch of family (from western Oklahoma), and I already loved Oklahoma from always coming down here and visiting with them,” Chambers said. “I love the thought of being close to family, which was the biggest reason I decided on Northwestern. “After I came to college, I loved the small-town feel. Alva’s actually a little bigger than my hometown, but it’s still small enough for me to enjoy it.”

Bulldogger Brown, bronc buster Hay win their events at American ARLINGTON, Texas – A decade ago, Jesse Brown was a backup quarterback for the Washington State Cougars. On Sunday afternoon, the Resistol cowboy scored a touchdown of his own by winning the steer wrestling title at The American, pocketing $100,000 for a job well done. “This is definitely the right decision,” Brown, a two-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Baker City, Oregon, said of moving from the gridiron to the rodeo arena. “I wasn’t going to be making this (kind of money), and I like this sport a lot more.” Brown was one of two Resistol cowboys to take home $100,000, joining saddle bronc rider Dawson Hay of Wildwood, Alberta, as winners of the unique rodeo that offered a $3 million payout in a single day. The son of bronc riding legend Rod Hay, he realizes he’s in rodeo at a good time. In his final year of competing at the NFR in 2010, Rod Hay earned just shy of $130,000 for the season. “If there were rodeos like this in his time frame, he would have probably got it,” Dawson Hay said of his dad. “It’s amazing that we get to ride for this kind of money. Rodeo as a sport has been growing and growing and growing. “It’s really cool to see these amazing committees bounce back after the last couple of years. It’s been a little rough on everyone. To see everyone get together and put together an event like this is amazing. I don’t think it’s really sunk in how awesome all this really is. I just feel really blessed to be here, to have my family here.” The money is incredible. Only two rodeos a year pay out $100,000 to its winners: The American and the Calgary (Alberta) Stampede. “It’s the most money I’ve won at one time,” Brown said. “It’s The American, in front of all those people in this stadium … it’s awesome. It’s Dallas Cowboys stadium, it’s Jerry’s World. It’s pretty electric, especially that four-man (round). That four-man was different than maybe any steer I’ve ever ran.” With so much money on the line, all 90 contestants in the field had to deal with the pressure the comes from this kind of championship. The event began with 10 contestants in each event, and the top four times and scores advanced to the championship round. In the sudden-death format, the top time and score earned the $100,000 payday. How do the contestants handle it? “I try to clear my mind before I get on,” said Hay, a two-time NFR qualifier. “I notice I ride a lot better when I’m not too focuses on the big check.” It worked, and he got the big check anyway.

FORT WORTH, Texas – The life of a bareback rider is living in a rough-and-tumble world that features powerful bucking horses and a passion for riding them. It takes a special kind of man to strap himself to 1,200 pounds of muscle and flesh intent on dropping him to the arena dirt. These cowboys don’t just ride bucking beasts, they wedge their specially-made gloves outfitted with binds into a rigging designed to lock the glove in place. The rigging is strapped tightly to the animal’s back, so the two athletes are connected. Nobody in the history of the game has done it better than Resistol cowboy Kaycee Feild, a six-time world champion from Genola, Utah, and the son of a five-time titlist, Hall of Famer Lewis Feild. He’s in north Texas this weekend battling for a third crown at The American. He put himself in that position by winning Friday’s first go-round at Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth and leads a pack of 10 cowboys to advance to Sunday’s final performance, set for noon at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. “This was really important, because you want to start off with a good ride for the weekend and put yourself in position to do something Sunday,” said Feild, who spurred Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Topped off for 88.5 points. The American is unique in its payout. Winners in each event will earn $100,000, but there’s more to the mix. Ten contestants in each discipline made the field through an exemption by finishing near the top of the 2021 PRCA world standings. Six other cowboys battled through a series of qualifying events to be part of Friday’s field. Only the top 10 scores from the first round will compete Sunday. The qualifiers, though, are part of the side pot, which is typically $1 million. Because no qualifier won his event last year, that money rolled over, increasing the pot to $2 million. Feild was a qualifier in 2018 and shared the side pot with two other contestants, pocketing $433,333 that year. It was a big move for the Utah man, who credited that run with returning him to one of the most elite bareback riders ever. He will be joined at AT&T Stadium by two other Resistol bareback riders, 2019 world champion Clayton Biglow of Clements, California, and Jess Pope, who won the 2020 and ’21 NFR average titles and lives near Waverly, Kansas. “I had a really good horse, and that’s what you need in this kind of format so you can move on,” said Biglow, who was 85.5 points to finish in a tie for sixth place in the opening round.

FORT WORTH, Texas – Just days shy of his 24th birthday, Resistol cowboy Ryder Wright has established himself as one of the premier saddle bronc riders in ProRodeo. He burst onto the scene as a rookie in 2016 and immediately qualified for the first of six straight trips to the National Finals Rodeo. In his inaugural year, he put on a show, winning five of 10 go-rounds. He followed with world championships in 2017 and 2020; big scores are nothing new to the Milford, Utah, cowboy. He’s also a two-time winner of The American, which paid him $100,000 each year – he was 88.5 points to claim the title on the final day of the 2019 event at AT&T Stadium, then was 91.25 points to win it a year ago. During the first round at Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth on Friday night, he posted a 90.5-point ride on Korkow Rodeo’s Onion Ring. Now, he’ll have a shot to stake claim to a third win inside “Jerry World,” home of the Dallas Cowboys. “Having won it twice, you have a good idea of what to expect when you get there,” Wright said. The American is unique in that it not only offers a big payday to the winners, but it also provides a big incentive to those who didn’t find their way into the field by finishing among the top 10 in the 2021 PRCA world standings. Six of the bronc riders in Friday’s round had earned their way there by competing at a series of qualifying events. If a qualifier happens to win his event, he will be eligible for a piece of the $2 million side pot. There is a chance some fortunate cowboy could walk away from Arlington, Texas, with $2.1 million in one-day earnings. Resistol bronc rider Wyatt Casper knows all about that. He won The American as a qualifier in 2020, one of two to do that, and earned more than $600,000. Casper and Wright will be joined by Wright’s uncle, Spencer Wright, and second-generation Canadian bronc buster Dawson Hay when the final day of The American takes place, starting at noon Sunday. “The money’s great,” Ryder Wright said. “That’s why we do it.”

FORT WORTH, Texas – Much has been made about John Douch’s relationship with ProRodeo Hall of Fame cowboy Joe Beaver, who has mentored the young tie-down roper for the last decade. But Douch is making a name for himself by himself, roping at a high level since he turned pro five seasons ago. The Resistol cowboy from Huntsville, Texas, has given himself an opportunity to rope for $100,000 during Sunday’s final performance of The American, set for noon at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Douch roped and tied his calf in 7.46 seconds to finish third in Friday’s first round at Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth. He and nine other tie-down ropers will compete Sunday, and the winner will walk away with the top prize. In the rodeo’s unique setup, there were 10 cowboys that earned an exemption by finishing among the top 10 in the 2021 PRCA world standings; Douch finished 10th. The remaining ropers in Friday’s field came through a series of qualifying events. Should any of the qualifiers win the top prize Sunday, they will be in the mix for the $2 million side pot. While that’s not possible for the Resistol cowboy, he knows there’s a great chance to pocket some important money. Two seasons ago, he battled hard through the rigors of the rodeo season. He traveled across the country chasing his gold-buckle dreams, only to fall just shy of qualifying for the NFR. Last year, he crossed the finish line, finishing the regular season 15th, less than $700 ahead of the 16th man on the money list. He did well enough at his inaugural run in Las Vegas to move up five spots in the standings, and he further cemented himself as one of the best young tie-down ropers in ProRodeo.

FORT WORTH, Texas – Resistol bull rider Ky Hamilton faced adversity a year ago, and he just stared it down. A hip injury resulted in surgery, and Australian cowboy from Mackay, Queensland, returned to action in June and went to work. He won eight rodeos – including a big-money victory at the Cheyenne (Wyoming) Frontier Days Rodeo in July – and catapulted himself into the top 15 to return to the National Finals Rodeo for the second straight year. He’s rolling that over in 2022. On Friday night, he scored 89 points to finish second in the first round of The American at Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth. He was one of just three bull riders in the mix to have an eight-second ride to advance to the final performance, set for noon Sunday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Once there, he will have a shot to ride for the $100,000 first-place prize. He will be joined in the mix by fellow Resistol bull rider Creek Young of Rogersville, Missouri, who didn’t ride his bull but advanced on time. Only 10 contestants competing Friday advanced to the final day. Hamilton finished last season eighth in the world standings; by finishing among the top 10, he earned an exemption to compete in The American. Young, who finished fifth last season, will also have a chance at the $100,000. There are others that could cash in even better. While the exempt cowboys will battle for a six-digit figure, a handful of contestants earned their way into this weekend’s rodeo by competing at a series of qualifying events. If a qualifier were to win his event, then he will be in the mix for at least a share of the $2 million side pot. Hamilton is a third-generation rodeo cowboy, and he stands a chance to make some serious dough in Arlington.

FORT WORTH, Texas – Resistol steer wrestler Mike McGinn has been on a bit of a roll early this season, and he continued his hot streak during the first round of The American at Cowtown Coliseum. As a cowboy who came through the series of qualifying rounds, McGinn has a shot of at least a share of the $2 million side pot available to “Contenders” – each event will pay out $100,000 to the winners, and 10 contestants in each event advanced to this weekend’s competition by finishing near the top of the 2021 world standings; the remaining group of cowboys and cowgirls were qualifiers. Only 10 of the 16 bulldoggers advanced to Sunday, and McGinn is just one of the ones who had to work his way into the field. “You hear about the $2 million a lot, so it’s dang sure in my head,” said McGinn, the No. 16 man in the ProRodeo steer wrestling world standings. “I’m just going to try to make a run. Sure, you want to have a second steer Sunday, but I’m just focused on one at a time. You have to throw the first one down before you have a chance at the $2 million.” Each of the 10 combatants will make his runs Sunday afternoon at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home of the Dallas Cowboys. The top four times will advance to the championship round, and the fastest cowboy on the final run will be crowned the titlist. McGinn will be joined by fellow Resistol bulldoggers Tyler Waguespack, Jesse Brown, Will Lummus, Tristan Martin and Jason Thomas, the last of whom is also a qualifier. The key for McGinn to return to compete was getting a good start. He and his red roan mare, Sassy, exploded out of the timed-event box, and he laid down his steer in 4.19 seconds; it was the second fastest time of the night. “I had that steer on my first run (in the qualifying semifinals), and I was 4.4 on him, but I knew I could be faster,” said McGinn, who won the steer wrestling title in Denver earlier this year. “I was a little late the first time, but I got a way better start (Friday).” He hopes to do that again Sunday, and he has $2 million reasons to do so.

FORT WORTH, Texas – Resistol team ropers Nelson Wyatt and Tyler Worley know a thing or two about winning big money. While roping with different partners two years ago at the National Finals Rodeo inside Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, each man collected big money over a 10-day stretch. Now that they’re together, Wyatt and Worley stand to cash in even bigger during the final performance of The American, set for noon Sunday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. Neither cowboy earned a chance to compete at the NFR this past December, but that’s what sets them up so well this weekend. They advanced to The American through a series of qualifying events and won the first round Friday at Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth with a 4.53-second run. As qualifiers, they are eligible for the $2 million side pot. “That’s life-changing money, and it gets you really excited to rope for that kind of money,” said Worley, a heeler from Berryville, Arkansas. Friday’s opening round featured 16 teams, with 10 having earned an exemption by finishing among the leaders of the 2021 world standings. Each event’s contestant that wins will pocket $100,000, but the qualifiers who claim the crown will earn at least a share of the side pot. That means if the Resistol tandem wins the top prize and no other qualifiers do, then each man will pocket $1.1 million. Only the fastest 10 runs from Friday’s round move on to Sunday, and Wyatt and Worley lead the pack. There are four other Resistol cowboys that are eligible for the side pot: the team of Bubba Buckaloo and Joseph Harrison; header Cory Kidd, roping with Lane Mitchell; and heeler Clay Futrell, roping with Brock Hanson. Other Resistol teams in field for Sunday are Cody Snow and Wesley Thorp and Dustin Egusquiza and Travis Graves. They will be joined by header Clay Smith and heeler Jake Long. Wyatt, of Clanton, Alabama, finished the 2020 campaign fourth in the heading world standings and third in the NFR average. Worley, roping with Jeff Flenniken, placed second in the aggregate and seventh in the standings; the year before, he was 11th in the world standings. Each man makes living roping, and they have a chance at an incredible salary for 2022.