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KILLDEER, N.D. – On 2,000 acres of pasture on the Plains of western North Dakota, 180 bucking horses roam the grasslands. It’s all part of a spread owned by Alicia Fettig, the third generation of her family involved in the stock contracting business and the first woman in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association to be a livestock producer. Her life’s work will be on display for all of Dunn County and beyond during the Badlands Iron Cowboy Rodeo, set for 6 pm. Thursday, Sept. 2, and the Wild Rides Rodeo Killdeer, which takes place at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 3. Both events are at the Killdeer Rodeo Grounds. But that’s just the start for Fettig, who will also produce the Wild Ride Rodeo Dickinson at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 18, at the Stark County Fairgrounds. “I wasn’t around bucking horses until 2011, but I grew up rodeoing,” said Fettig, who also owns a 400-acre ranch near Killdeer. “I’ve been around horses my whole life.” For much of the last century, the Fettig name has been part of rodeo in this part of the world. It all started decades ago with her grandfather, Phil, as the patriarch. When he died in a vehicle crash in 1959, other members of the family took over. As time evolved, conditions changed, and Alicia Fettig’s father, LeRoy, found his way to into the bucking-horse game in 1992. Fast forward to 2014. As he lay dying, LeRoy Fettig asked his adult child if she wanted to take over the horses. “Of course, I did,” she told The Cowboy Channel. “They’re just in my blood. I love being around them.” Raising horses is pretty much the same, whether the animals are being used for trail riding or for bucking in rodeos. But there was a learning curve for the younger Fettig. “I was around them, but he was so protective of me and the horses,” she said. “When we were at rodeos, I was never touching or sorting the horses. When he died, I had not backed up a big, gooseneck trailer my entire life.” Much has changed over the years. While she still handled the business end, she awakened one morning in June 2019 with a new direction for the company; she was returning Fettig Pro Rodeo to the highest ranks in the sport. For the first 23 years of the National Finals Rodeo, the Fettigs had animals involved. It took another three decades to be back at ProRodeo’s grand finale, but Fettig horses have proven to be buckers. Colorado Bulldog and Pop A Top have been featured at the NFR, and there are likely more that will follow soon. “There have been a lot of challenges, but the rewards outweigh the challenges so far,” she told The Cowboy Channel. “I didn’t have to start from scratch; I inherited the horses. “The Western way of living is the way for me. I hope my son carries on the legacy.” Grayson is just 14, and his future won’t be set for years, but he has a foundation for life in the bucking-horse business should he choose it. For now, though, his mother has a pretty good handle on things. In addition to producing events close to home, she travels the country showing her incredible animal athletes at some of the biggest rodeos in the sport. “I’m excited about my horses being part of the best bucking horses in the world,” Fettig said. “I want to see the best cowboys ride them. I want to see what they can do on any stage. I’m pretty proud of what we have.” She should be. Alicia Fettig has accomplished a great deal over the last seven years, and the future continues to look bright.

KILLDEER, N.D. – Tate Rhoads has a varied lifestyle, and all of it involves rodeo. Growing up in the sport, he was a roper. When he was 14, Rhoads took up bullfighting, where he showed his true athleticism and daring in a war with 1,600 pounds of swirling aggression. Whether it was a freestyle bullfighting competition or cowboy protection during bull riding, he took to it well. He returns to the Wild Rides Rodeo Killdeer – set for 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 2-Friday, Sept. 3, at the Killdeer Rodeo Grounds – in a different capacity. It’s a step up, in fact, and it’s quite a funny story; at least, he hopes it’s funny. Rhoads will be the clown/entertainer for this year’s event, and he brings years of experience and understanding of the sport to the arena, even though he’s only 24 years old. “There’s not a much better feeling than when you’ve got 2,000, 3,000 or 4,000 people in the stands, you’re the center of attention and people are having a good time because you’re interacting with them,” said Rhoads, who is in his third year as a rodeo clown from Big Horn, Montana. “When you get done with the rodeo and all those little kids are coming up to you and wanting autographed pictures, that’s what makes it cool for me.” It’s cool for the crowd, too. That’s the job of a rodeo entertainer, and he’s obviously a fast-learner. “In 2019 before I got my (PRCA) card, I went to the Cody (Wyoming) Night Rodeo and worked for Maury Tate,” he said of the rodeo’s producer and owner of Mo Betta Rodeo Co. “I worked 45 performances in a row. At the end of that summer, I got my card and started booking a bunch of ProRodeos, and it started taking up my whole year.” Still, he’ll fill in his schedule as a bullfighter from time to time, but his days in the freestyle competitions have come to an end. He’d prefer to work rodeos, being one of the men that uses his skills and bull savvy to keep everyone else in the arena out of harm’s way. But clowning seems to be a natural fit. He was a class clown in school, and it has progressed into a profession. “I never wanted to be a rodeo clown,” Rhoads said. “I always wanted to be a bullfighter. When the opportunities came up, I decided to run with it, and here we are now.” He’s had a lot of help along the way. Of course, Maury Tate provided Rhoads the start in Cody, but some of the best men in in the game have offered Rhoads advice. “I’ve got a lot of guys like Justin Rumford,” Rhoads said of the nine-time winner of the PRCA’s Clown of the Year. “I wouldn’t be clowning if it wasn’t for Maury Tate and Mo Betta Rodeo. Justin was a big influence on me getting my pro card. John Harrison has helped me a bunch. Dennis Halstead sat down with me and gave me a page full of jokes, and he’s helped me with some of my acts. “I got to work in front of Flint Rasmussen a couple of times, and he’ll call me and give me some pointers. I don’t know that there will be another clown that will do what Flint has done. Just the style of comedy he brought to the arena is second to none.” For the past several years, Rhoads has worked the Killdeer rodeo as a bullfighter, and he’s excited to be able to bring his comedy and entertainment skills back to the community. “It’s refreshing to see a good, young clown who can entertain a crowd,” said Alicia Fettig, owner of Fettig Pro Rodeo, which is producing the event. “The top clowns in rodeo are getting a little older, and they have earned their time in the spotlight, but it’s important that we see the younger generation of clowns come along. Tate is one of those guys.” The unseen aspect of Rhoads’ position during the rodeo is to keep the production moving. When there’s a transition or when time allows, he will step in and provide some comedy relief. He adds a terrific bolt of energy to an already entertaining show. “Alicia’s got some good, National Finals Rodeo bucking horses, and she’s got a bull guy coming that’s got a great set of bucking bulls,” Rhoads said of Fettig. “Every year that I’ve gone, we’ve had NFR contestants. She’s made it to where it can be a quick stop on their way through to another rodeo.” “It’s an all-around great rodeo.”

DODGE CITY, Kan. – Dustin Boquet earned his first Dodge City Roundup Rodeo championship buckle Sunday night, but he won’t wear it. “This is a rodeo I’ve always wanted to win,” said Boquet, a bull rider from Bourge, Louisiana, who has qualified for the National Finals Rodeo twice in the last three seasons. “My dad always wanted a belt buckle from here because he’s a Budweiser man. I’m pretty fired up to win that for him.” Boquet won both go-rounds – he was the only man to ride two bulls – to earn an event best $12,356. He was eighth in the world standings heading into this week, and his victory in Dodge City alone will propel him up the standings. “I’m blessed,” he said. “It’s been a great two weeks. We turned things around in Spanish (Fork, Utah), and I’ve been keeping the ball rolling. “This helps my chances (to make the NFR) greatly.” Confidence is the key, especially in bull riding. No animal is tougher to tame, and they win the majority of the time. It takes someone who has the right mindset and an understanding of how momentum can play a role in the game to be successful. After winning the first round with an 86-point ride on Frontier Rodeo’s Lookin’ Up, the Louisiana cowboy was the last man to ride during Sunday’s short round. He matched moves with Frontier’s Gladiator’s Hammer for 91.5 points to win a boatload of cash in western Kansas. “I watched my traveling partner, Koby Radley, get on him at The American semifinals, and I’ve been wanting to get on him ever since,” Boquet said. “I think Koby’s rode him both times he’s been on him, and we ride pretty similar, so I figured I’d get along with him pretty well.” He has reason to celebrate, but nobody at Roundup Arena celebrated more than saddle bronc rider Lefty Holman of Visalia, California. He started the night by hugging bareback riding winner Cole Franks after the Texan’s 93-point ride on Frontier’s Gun Fire, then followed that up by hugging steer wrestling champion Tucker Allen. “Rodeo’s such a great sport; it’s like a big family out here,” said Holman, who qualified for his first NFR last year and finished sixth in the final world standings. “We’re all so happy for each other. Cole Franks, I was the first guy he saw out in the arena, and I gave him a big ol’ hug. Tucker Allen … he’s one of my buddies from high school. Getting to win with these guys is sure special.” Unlike Boquet, Holman has plans for his trophy buckle. “My traveling partner, Bradley Harter, won this title in 2018, and he wears it all the time,” he said. “It’s a cool buckle. I’ll definitely be wearing it.” Dodge City Roundup RodeoDodge City, Kan.Aug. 4-8All-around cowboy: Paden Bray, $7,017 in tie-down roping and team roping. Bareback riding: 1. Cole Franks, 90 points on Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Bar Code, $3,385; 2. (tie) Leighton Berry and Tyler Berghuis, 89, $2,257 each; 4. (tie) Richmond Champion and Ty Breuer, 88.5, $1,015 each; 6. (tie) Mason Clements and Tilden, 88, $508 each; 8. Chad Rutherford, 87, $338. Final round: 1. Cole Franks, 93 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Gun Fire, $1,650; 2. Leighton Berry, 90, $1,250; 3. Caleb Bennett, 89, $900; 4. Chad Rutherford, 88, $600; 5. Mason Clements, 865, $350; 6. Trenton Montereo, 86, $250. Average: 1. Cole Franks, 183 points on two rides, $3,385; 2. Leighton Berry, 189, $2,595; 3. Caleb Bennett, 175.5, $1,918; 4. Chad Rutherford, 175, $1,241; 5. Mason Clements, 174.5, $790; 6. Ty Breuer, 172.5, $564; 7. Richmond Champion, 171.5, $451; 8. Trenton Montero, 170.5, $338. Steer wrestling: First round: 1. (tie) Stetson Jorgensen, Tyler Ravenscroft, Riley Duvall and Cody Devers, 3.8 seconds, $2,666 each; 5. Payden McIntyre, 3.9, $1,585; 4. (tie) Ty Erickson and J.D. Struxness, 4.1, $937 each; 7. (tie) Don Payne, Cade Staton, Grayson Allred, Trell Etbauer and Gus Franzen, 4.4, $58 each. Second round: 1. (tie) Blake Knowles and Dirk Tavenner, 3.4 seconds, $3,099 each; 3. (tie) Tyler Pearson, Trever Nelson and Stockton Graves, 3.6, $2,018; 6. (tie) Tyler Waguespack, Tristan Martin and Tory Johnson, 3.7, $721 each. Final round: 1. Tucker Allen, 3.9 seconds, $1,523; 2. Chance Howard, 4.1, $1,250; 3. Tucker Alberts, 4.3, $998; 4. Tory Johnson, 4.5, $735; 5. Jason Thomas, 4.6, $473; 6. Tyler Ravenscroft, 4.8, $262. Average: 1. Tucker Allen, 12.2 seconds on three runs, $4,972; 2. Tyler Ravenscroft, 13.0, $4,324; 3. Chance Howard, 13.1, $3,675; 4. Jason Thomas, 13.2, $3,027; 5. Tucker Alberts, 13.3, $2,378; 6. Riley Duvall, 13.4, $1,730; 7. Tory Johnson, 13.5, $1,081; 8. Clayton Hass, 14.0, $432. Team roping: First round: 1. Tanner Green/Clay Futrell, 4.4 seconds, $3,200; 2. (tie) Clay Smith/Jade Corkill and Dustin Egusquiza/Travis Graves, 5.1, $2,574 each; 4. Cooper Bruce/Reed Lewis Boos, 5.3, $1,948; 5. (tie) Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin and Reno Stoebner/Pace Blanchard, 5.4, $1,322 each; 7. Dalton Turner/Garrett Smith, 5.7, $696; 8. Tanner Tomlinson/Patrick Smith, 5.8, $278. Second round: 1. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 3.9 seconds, $3,179; 2. Jake Clay/Billie Jack Saebens, $2,764; 3. (tie) Aaron Macy/Jason Johe and Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins, 4.5, $3,142 each; 5. (tie) Levi Simpson/Tyler Worley and Tanner Tomlilnson/Patrick Smith, 4.6, $1,313 each; 7. (tie) Luke Brown/Hunter Koch and Caleb Smidt/B.J. Dugger, 4.7, $484 each. Final round: 1. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 5.8 seconds, $1,211; 2. J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo, 5.9, $1,002; 3. Marcus Theriot/Jim Ross Cooper, 6.5, $793; 4. Tyler Wade/Trey Yates, 6.7, $585; 5. Clay Smith/Jade Corkill, 6.9, $376; 6. Peyton Walters/Tyler McKnight, 10.5, $209. Average: 1. Clay Smith/Jade Corkill, 17.2 seconds on three runs, $4,768; 2. Tuler Wade/Trey Yates, 17.5, $4,146; 3. Marcus Theriot/Jim Ross Cooper, 17.9, $3,524; 4. J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo, 18.4, $2,902; 5. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 20.7, $2,280; 6. Peyton Walters/Tyler McKnight, 22.9, $1,658; 7. Miles Baker/Zack Woods, 25.2, $12,037; 8. Tanner Tomlinson/Patrick Smith, 10.4 seconds on two runs, $415. Saddle bronc riding: 1. Lefty Holman, 86 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Tip Off, $3,269; 2. Ean Price, 85, $2,506; 3. (tie) K’s  Continue Reading »

Aussie bronc buster owns 4 U.S. national titles and a lot of rodeo fun On U.S. soil, Jake Finlay is a four-time national champion. Funny thing is, he had to move to the United States to be such. You see, Finlay is from Goondiwindi, a community of nearly 11,000 people on the Queensland-New South Wales border in eastern Australia. His home is roughly 220 miles from the coastal city of Brisbane and 465 miles from Sidney, the country’s most populous metropolis. But he moved to the states seven years ago to rodeo, and he’s been pretty good at it ever since. He attended Oklahoma Panhandle State University on a rodeo scholarship and was part of two men’s team national crowns in 2017-18. That second year, Finlay’s individual achievement, the saddle bronc riding national championship, was a big reason the Aggies claimed the team title. “I couldn’t ride a gate on a windy day when I got to Panhandle,” Finlay, 25, said in February. “They pretty much repeated the same things: Lift on your rein and get a two-jump spur out. They just drummed it into me, but they’ve got a lot of good bronc riders because of it.” The Aussie added his fourth major championship this past April by winning the bronc riding title at the RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo. It propelled him among the leaders in the world standings, where he remains as July rolls into August with about two months remaining in ProRodeo’s regular season. “That RNCFR is a bucket-list rodeo to win, and I’m very happy that I’ve won it,” he said. “If you go into a world champion’s house or any accomplished cowboy’s house, you’re usually find one or two of those National Circuit Finals Rodeo titles around there. It’s a prestigious title to have.” By most ProRodeo standards, it’s oftentimes considered the third most sought-after crown to win behind the world championship, then the National Finals Rodeo average title. World champions and Hall-of-Famers like Lewis Feild, Ty Murray, Charmayne James, Dan Mortensen, Fred Whitfield, Jake Barnes and Clay O’Brien Cooper have all earned national titles. For Finlay, it’s a stepping stone. He’s qualified for the Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo for several years. Last year, he won both the year-end and circuit finals average titles, enabling him to advance to the RNCFR in Kissimmee, Florida. Once there, he put in solid work. He placed in the opening round, then held tough in the second round to place in the two-ride aggregate and advance to the semifinals of the tournament-style format. Finlay then won the final two rounds – 86 in the eight-man round, then 88 in the four-man round – to claim the top prize and walk away with $14,248, a voucher for a RAM truck, a Montana Silversmiths buckle, a championship saddle and several other prizes. The biggest thing he was awarded, though, was a boatload of confidence. He solidified his spot among the top 15 in the world standings for several weeks. That’s big at any time of the year, but it’s biggest when the regular season comes to a close the end of September. The top 15 in the standings in each event will then advance to the NFR, rodeo’s Super Bowl and World Series wrapped up in 10 days of action in Las Vegas each December. He’s been oh-so-close each of the past two seasons, finishing 17th in 2019 and 20th last year. Though he’s dropped a bit in the standings through a rugged summer, he’s still got his eyes on the prize. “To be honest, I don’t need to do anything different than I am doing,” Finlay said. “I’ve been riding well, but I haven’t been drawing toward the top of the herd. That’s rodeo. I’ve got my rodeos panned out, and I’m having more fun than I know. “I won a small check the other day, but I haven’t won a good size check since (June). It’s hard to realize that when you’re going with good guys. I ride what they put underneath me, and I’m having fun rodeoing. As long as you’re having fun, it will all fall into place.” That’s the right attitude to have, but he has a ton of help maintaining a good mindset. He is traveling with world champion Wade Sundell, NFR qualifier Colt Gordon and Tegan Smith, a young bronc rider who has pushed himself into the top 10 in the standings. Those three are just a handful of dozens of beams that support the redheaded bronc buster, whose nickname is “Salsa.” Throw in his girlfriend, TV personality and cowgirl Janie Johnson, and her father, world champion bronc rider Clint Johnson, and there are still many others who help stabilize the backbone of the Aussie hot shot. Finlay doesn’t even mind when he operates a camera or holds a light to make it shine brighter on his girlfriend. “My payment is more in line of the odd cup of coffee in the mornings,” he said with a laugh. “We actually support each other very much. I’d probably fall over if I didn’t have her to lean on some days. She’s an awesome person to have in my corner.” And her dad? “He helps me immensely,” Finlay said of Clint Johnson, a four-time world champ and a 1992 inductee into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. “He’s changed my riding style and changed the way I ride horses. I no longer ride my saddle; I ride my horse. That’s been a huge stepping stone in the progression of my riding. “Besides the fact of being a world champion and forgetting more about bronc riding than most guys will ever know, he’s a good person. He’s a genuine human being and still so humble.” There are many lessons in life that happen on a daily basis. That’s why Finlay is here and why he loves rodeo. It all started with the idea of being a cowboy in Australia, and he’s carried that 8,300 miles from  Continue Reading »

BY LUKE CREASYSpecial to TwisTed RodeoLOVINGTON, N.M. – The Lea County Fair and Rodeo provided a vital boost for all its champions, including Stockton Graves and Creek Young, who already won the Xtreme Bulls earlier week. “I couldn’t ask to do any better here,” said Young, who also won the bull riding title during at the rodeo with an 87-point ride Saturday night. “I had a really good bull, Tequila Worm of Pete Carr Pro Rodeo; they take that bull to the finals every year, and they’re always a lot of point on him.” Young bumped Shane Proctor’s 85.5-point ride from Friday night to second place. “It’s kind of a blur,” said Young, 20, of Fort Scott, Kansas. “I thinking he had me bucked off, but I just gritted it out to get the whistle. I really wanted to win both. My traveling partner, Trey Kimzey, did it in 2019, and I wanted to do the same.” He wasn’t the only contestant to win the Lovington title on the final night of this year’s rodeo. Stockton Graves, a seven-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Alva, Oklahoma, who last made the NFR in 2011; since then, he’s focused on coaching his alma mater, Northwestern Oklahoma State University. “I’m having one of the best years I’ve had in my career,” Graves said said after winning the steer wrestling with a 7.3 second total on two runs, edging out Chance Howard by a mere 10th of a second. The payday, which included a tie for second place in the first round with a 3.5-second run, a tie for fourth place in the second round with a 3.8. By placing in both rounds and the average, he pocketed $5,591. “This caps it off and makes for a great week for me,” Graves said. “I’m just inching closer toward that NFR qualification.” Graves, who sat seventh in the world standings before this week, was elated with his consistent success of this week. “We started in Sidney, Iowa,” he said. “I was winning second up there. Then I was splitting second in the round at (Dodge City, Kansas). Then I was winning Philipsburg (Kansas), and then second in the round here (Lovington), and won the average.” He would like to spend more time at home with his family, if possible, but he’s found success with them on the rodeo trail with him this past week. It was a nice break from being on the road and away for them for four straight weeks. “I’d like to have one more week like this, seal the deal, and rodeo a lot less,” Graves said. Lea County Fair and RodeoLovington, N.M.Aug. 4-7Bareback riding: 1. Richmond Champion on Pete Carr Rodeo’s Night Bells, 88.5, $4,865; 2. (tie) Tim O’Connell and Jess Pope, 88 points, $3,243; 4. Lane McGehee, 87, $1,783; 5. (tie) Chad Rutherford, Wyatt Denny and Cole Reiner, 84, $649. Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Luke Branquinho, 3.3 seconds, $2,057; 2. (tie) Stockton Graves and Chance Howard, 3.5, $1,655 each; 4. Wyatt Jurney, 3.6, $1,252; 5. Jacob Talley, 3.7, $984; 6. Dalton Massey, 3.8, $715; 7. Rowdy Parrott, 3.9, $447; 8. (tie) Tyler Waguespack, Tristan Martin, and Justin Shaffer, 4.0, $60 each. Second round: 1. Hunter Cure, 3.4 seconds, $2,057; 2. (tie) Trever Nelson and Bridger Anderson, 3.6, $1,655 each; 4. (tie) Clayton Tuchscherer, Stockton Graves, Kipp, Blake Knowles, 3.8, $850; 8. (tie) Clayton Hass and Chance Howard, 3.9, $89. Average leaders: 1. Stockton Graves, 7.3 seconds on two runs, $3,086, 2. Chance Howard, 7.4, $2,683; 3. (tie) Wyatt Jurney and Hunter Cure, 7.7, $2,079; 5. (tie) Justin Shaffer and Tyler Waguespack, 8.0, $1,274; 7. (tie) Tristan Martin and Blake Knowles, 8.1, $470. Tie-down roping: First round: 1. (tie) Riley Pruitt and Caleb Smidt, 8.2 seconds, $2,443 each; 3. Marty Yates, 8.3, $1,931; 4. J.D. McCuistion, 8.5, $1,591; 5. (tie) Blane Cox and Lane Livingston, 8.6, $1,079 each; 7. (tie) Hunter Reaume, Ty Harris and Ryan Jarrett, 9.0, $265 each. Second round: 1.  Westyn Hughes, 8.1 seconds, $2,613, 2. (tie) Marcos Costa, Blake Chauvin, Cory Solomon, and Tyson Durfey, 8.2, $1,761; 6. Luke Potter, 8.3, $909; 7. (tie) Ryan Thibodeaux, and J.D. McCuistion, 8.7, $398; Average: J.D. McCuistion and Westyn Hughes, 17.2 seconds on two runs, $3,664; 3. Ryan Thibodeaux, 18.3, $2,897; 4. Ty Harris, 18.4, $2,386; 5. Marcos Costa, 18.8, $1,875, 6. Taylor Santos, 19.5, $1,363; 7. Bryson Sechrist, $852.06; 8. (tie) Luke Potter and Caleb Smidt, 20.9, $170. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Cody Demoss 87 points Pete Carr Rodeo’s Hollywood Knight, $4,907; 2. Leon Fountain, 85.5, $3,762; 3. Ross Griffin, $2,780; 4. Brody Cress, 83.5, $1,799; 5. Layton Green 82, $1,145; 6. Kole Ashbacher, 81.5, $818; 7. Logan Cook, 81, $654; 8. K’s Thomson, 80, $491; Steer roping: First round: 1. (tie) Jess Tierney and Roger Branch, 11.1 seconds, $1,788 each; 3. J. Tom Fisher, 11.2, $1,282; 4. (tie) Slade Wood, Cole Patterson and Tuff Hardman, 11.3, $630 each. Second round: 1. Thomas Smith, 9.8 seconds, $1,957; 2. (tie) Neal Wood and Taylor Santos, 10.1, $1,451 each; 4. Jess Tierney, 10.5, $945; 5. Scott Snedecor, 10.6, $607; 6. Dalton Walker, 10.9, $337. Third round: 1. Scott Snedecor, 10.3 seconds, $1,957; 2. Taylor Santos, 10.6, $1,619.35; 3. Roger Branch and Cash Myers, 10.7, $1,113 each, 5. (tie) Chris Glover, Neal Wood, Cole Patterson, 11.4, $315. Average: 1. Cole Patterson, 34.3 seconds on three runs $2,935, 2. Chet Herren, 36.2, $2,429; 3. Cash Myers, 36.6, $1,923; 4. Cody Lee, 38.7, $1,417; 5. Billy Good, 39.3, $911; 6. Garrett Hale, 40.3, $506. Ladies breakaway: First round: 1. Bethanie Shofner, 2.0 seconds, $1,192; 2. (tie) Tibba Smith and Danielle Lowman, 2.2, $883 each; 4. (tie) Erin Johnson and Kassidy Denisson, 2.3 seconds, $473 each; 6. Tomie Peterson, 2.4, $205. Second round: 1. Tibba Smith, 2.3 seconds, $457; 2. Erin Johnson, 2.4, $342; 3. Tacy Webb, 2.8; $228; 4. (tie) Nicole Baggarley and Bradi Good, 2.9, $57. Average: 1. Tibba Smith, 4.5 seconds on two runs, $1,788; 2. Erin Johnson, 4.7, $1,480; 3. Tacy  Continue Reading »

DODGE CITY, Kan. – There is a gleam on Cole Franks’ face that may not go away for a while. The 20-year-old bareback rider has reason to be so happy. He’d just ridden Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Bar Code for 90 points to win the first round of the Dodge City Roundup Rodeo and collect $3,385. Now, he’s set up for another ride of his life during Sunday’s championship round. The rain began to fall just before bareback riding began, and by the time Franks nodded his head on Bar Code, it was pouring on Roundup Arena. It didn’t quite matter to the cowboy, nor the horse. “It was wet,” Franks said with a grin across his face. “Right when it started raining, I was dreading it a little bit. Once it really got going, I realized there was no stopping the rain, so it was part of it. It’ll make a good story to look back on.” It’s been a good week for Franks, who, heading into Saturday night’s fourth performance of Dodge City’s rodeo, was leading the rodeos in Carson, Iowa, with a 92-point ride, and Great Falls, Montana, with an 84.5. When he arrived in Dodge City, he knew there might be something special with Pickett horse. “He knew,” Franks said of Bar Code. “He had that same feeling I had that it was about to be a lot of fun. “I’ve seen that horse three times. Kaycee Feild was 90 on him at the Riggin’ Rally in Weatherford (Texas in April), so I knew it was possible. I knew the horse was going to be a lot of fun and feel really good. I was excited. I knew it was going to be really good.” It’s been an exciting year for the cowboy from Clarendon, Texas. In June, he helped his hometown team – Clarendon College, which is coached by his dad, Bret Franks – to the men’s team national title at the College National Finals Rodeo. He dominated bareback riding to win that national crown, then added enough points in saddle bronc riding to be named the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association’s all-around champion. Heading into this week of rodeos, Franks sat 17th in the world standings with $39,341. He’ll likely move up, but his end goal is to be among the top 15 when rodeo’s regular season concludes the end of September in order to earn his first qualification to the National Finals Rodeo, the sport’s grand finale. He also will be matched in Sunday’s championship round with Frontier Rodeo’s Gun Fire, which is possibly the hottest bareback horse in ProRodeo this season. “I like where I’m at,” he said. “I would rather be right here fighting for it than being in a secure spot. For the next week and a half, I’ve drawn really good money horses that can win and for sure help you place on. “It’s looking really good.” So is Cole Franks. Dodge City Roundup RodeoDodge City, Kan.Aug. 4-8Bareback riding leaders: 1. Cole Franks, 90 points on Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Bar Code, $3,385; 2. (tie) Leighton Berry and Tyler Berghuis, 89, $2,257 each; 4. (tie) Richmond Champion and Ty Breuer, 88.5, $1,015 each; 6. (tie) Mason Clements and Tilden, 88, $508 each; 8. Chad Rutherford, 87, $338; 9. Caleb Bennett, 86.5; 10. (tie) Nate McFadden and Trenten Montero, 84.5; 12. Tanner Aus, 84. Steer wrestling: First round: 1. (tie) Stetson Jorgensen, Tyler Ravenscroft, Riley Duvall and Cody Devers, 3.8 seconds, $2,666 each; 5. Payden McIntyre, 3.9, $1,585; 4. (tie) Ty Erickson and J.D. Struxness, 4.1, $937 each; 7. (tie) Don Payne, Cade Staton, Grayson Allred, Trell Etbauer and Gus Franzen, 4.4, $58 each. Second round leaders: 1. (tie) Blake Knowles and Dirk Tavenner, 3.4 seconds, $3,099 each; 3. (tie) Tyler Pearson, Trever Nelson and Stockton Graves, 3.6, $2,018; 6. (tie) Tyler Waguespack, Tristan Martin and Tory Johnson, 3.7, $721 each. Average leaders: 1. Riley Duvall, 8.0 seconds on two runs; 2. Tyler Ravenscroft, 8.2; 3. (tie) Tucker Allen, Stetson Jorgensen and Don Payne, 8.3; 6. Jason Thomas, 8.6; 7. Trell Etbauer, 8.7; 8. Clayton Hass, 8.8; 9. (tie) Chance Howard, Tory Johnson and Tucker Alberts; 12. Blake Knowles, 9.1. Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Tanner Green/Clay Futrell, 4.4 seconds, $3,200; 2. (tie) Clay Smith/Jade Corkill and Dustin Egusquiza/Travis Graves, 5.1, $2,574 each; 4. Cooper Bruce/Reed Lewis Boos, 5.3, $1,948; 5. (tie) Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin and Reno Stoebner/Pace Blanchard, 5.4, $1,322 each; 7. Dalton Turner/Garrett Smith, 5.7, $696; 8. Tanner Tomlinson/Patrick Smith, 5.8, $278. Second round leaders: 1. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 3.9 seconds, $3,179; 2. Jake Clay/Billie Jack Saebens, $2,764; 3. (tie) Aaron Macy/Jason Johe and Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins, 4.5, $3,142 each; 5. (tie) Levi Simpson/Tyler Worley and Tanner Tomlilnson/Patrick Smith, 4.6, $1,313 each; 7. (tie) Luke Brown/Hunter Koch and Caleb Smidt/B.J. Dugger, 4.7, $484 each. Average leaders: 1. Clay Smith/Jade Corkill, 10.3 seconds on two runs; 2. Tanner Tomlinson/Patrick Smith, 10.4; 3. Tyler Wade/Trey Yates, 10.8; 4. Dalton Turner/Garret Smith, 11.3; 5. Marcus Theriot/Jim Ross Cooper, 11.4; 6. Peyton Walters/Tyler McKnight, 12.4; 7. J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo, 12.5; 8. Tanner Green/Clay Futrell, 12.8; 9. Miles Baker/Zack Woods, 13.0; 10. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 14.9; 11. Clint Summers/Ross Ashford, 17.0; 12. Aaron Macy/Jason Johe, 17.1. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Lefty Holman, 86 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Tip Off, $3,269; 2. Ean Price, 85, $2,506; 3. (tie) K’s Thomson, Mitch Pollock, Jacobs Crawley and Jake Finlay, 84, $1,090 each; 7. (tie) Kole Ashbacher, Brody Cress and Lane Schuelke, 83, $254 each; 10. (tie) Ben Andersen and Rusty Wright, 81.5; 12. (tie) Wyatt Hageman, Cody Ballard and Taos Muncy, 81. Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. Travis Rogers, 8.6 seconds, $3,746; 2. Trenton Smith, 8.8, $3,258; 3. Paden Bray, 8.9, $2,769; 4. Riley Pruitt, 9.2 $2,280; 5. Tyler Prcin, 9.3, $1,792; 6. Kincade Henry, 9.4, $1,303; 7. Tuf Cooper, 9.6, $814; 8. Lane Livingston, 9.9, $326. Second round leaders: 1. (tie) Blane Cox and Sherman Lasker, 8.1, $3,442; 3. Shane Hanchey, 8.3, $2,722; 4. Zack Jongbloed, 8.4, $2,241; 5.  Continue Reading »

BY LUKE CREASYSpecial to TwisTed RodeoLOVINGTON, N.M. – Breakaway roper Tibba Smith hopes to pull off a hometown win as Lovington rodeo hosts breakaway roping for the first time. “I just have to sweat it through 15 more girls,” Smith said Friday night after posting a 2.3-second run in the second round of the Lea County Fair and Rodeo. The 2.3 – coupled with her first-round run of 2.2 seconds from Friday morning – has her No. 1 in the average. “There were 15 contestants, so I was number 12. I like that, because with the format here in Lovington, there were 15 of us that went, and they took the top five back. So, I got to see how fast the other girls went and know if I had to go real fast or just catch. I had one that ran a little harder this morning, I got by the barrier really good, and I didn’t really mean to throw that fast but it worked. I was splitting the round.” That means she is tied for the lead with Danielle Lowman with one day of competition remaining. “Tonight, I came back on one that was a little bit slower, so I just told myself I need to get out (without a barrier penalty), and it worked out great again,” she said. “My horse worked great, it’s actually a borrowed horse of Reid and Tierra Zapalac. Mine got crippled right before Cheyenne two weeks ago. I rode one of their horses up there and had good luck and rode this one here and am winning the average.” She’s found success. She earned nearly $8,400 in Cheyenne, and now she’s got a chance to do more. That’s thanks to having solid horses, even if she’s had to borrow them. “It’s gone great these last two weeks, and I couldn’t have done it without them,” Smith said. “This is the first time they’ve had breakaway roping in Lovington. I’ve got to get through 15 more of them tomorrow, but I really hope I can win the average of Lovington, my hometown rodeo” Smith lives 35 miles from Lovington, between Hobbs and Carlsbad on her family ranch. “I live in the middle of the oil-patch out there,” she said. “That’s where I was raised, and where we live now. My great grandparents are the ones who started the ranch. My granddad, grandma, my dad, my mom, my whole family rodeos.” Smith hasn’t travelled that much this year, as the storms in Lea County have had her busy in her day job as an insurance adjuster. Pretty soon Smith will have to curtail her run for the National Finals Rodeo at the end of the season as she is also the secretary for the Southwest Region of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association, which has its first rodeo mid-September.    “With this one, if I win the average I have a good chance to hold on to a spot in the top 15,” Smith said. “They have good added money here, it’ll help a lot, and I get to go home and sleep in my own bed.” “Basically, I have ten picked out, ten more chances, and if it works it works, and if it doesn’t, I’ll try again next year.” Friday night saw a leaderboard shift in many other events as well. Richmond Champion edged out last night’s 88-point rides by half a point with an 88.5 on Pete Carr’s Night Bells, Katie Pascoe stole the barrel racing lead in slack after the performance with a 17.12-second run, Cole Patterson gained first in the steer roping average with 34.3 seconds on three runs and Shane Proctor was 85.5 points on Pete Carr Rodeo’s Bruised to take over the bull riding lead. Lea County Fair and RodeoLovington, N.M.Aug. 4-7Bareback riding leaders: 1. Richmond Champion on Pete Carr Rodeo’s Night Bells, 88.5; 2. (tie) Tim O’Connell and Jess Pope, 88 points; 4. (tie) Chad Rutherford, Wyatt Denny and Cole Reiner, 84; 7. Caleb Bennett, 83.5; 8 Logan Patterson, 80.5. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Luke Branquinho, 3.3 seconds, 2. Chance Howard, 3.5; 3. Jacob Talley, 3.7; 4. Dalton Massey, 3.8; 5. Rowdy Parrott, 3.9; 6. (tie) Tyler Waguespack, Tristan Martin, and Justin Shaffer, 4.0. Second round leaders: 1. Hunter Cure, 3.4 seconds; 2. Trever Nelson, 3.6 seconds; 3. Blake Knowles, 3.8; 4. (tie) Clayton Hass and Chance Howard, 3.9; 6. (tie) Denard Butler, Tyler Waguespack, Ringo Robinson, Justin Shaffer, and J.D. Struxness, 4.0. Average leaders: 1. Chance Howard, 7.4 seconds on two runs; 2. Hunter Cure, 7.7; 3. (tie) Justin Shaffer and Tyler Waguespack, 8.0; 5. (tie) Tristan Martin and Blake Knowles, 8.1; 7. Ringo Robinson, 8.2; 8. Laramie Warren, 9.0. Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. Caleb Smidt, 8.2; 2. Marty Yates, 8.3 seconds; 3. J.D. McCuistion, 8.5; 4. Lane Livingston, 8.6; 5. (tie) Ty Harris and Ryan Jarrett, 9.0; 7. Westyn Hughes, 9.1; 8. (tie) Bo Pickett and Taylor Santos, 9.4. Second round leaders: 1.  Westyn Hughes, 8.1 seconds, 2. (tie) Blake Chauvin, Cory Solomon, and Tyson Durfey, 8.2; 5. Luke Potter, 8.3; 6. (tie) Ryan Thibodeaux, Charlie Gibson, 8.9, and J.D. McCuistion, 8.7; 6. Charlie Gibson, 8.9; 7. Trenton Smith, 9.0; 8. Ty Harris, 9.4. Average leaders: J.D. McCuistion and Westyn Hughes, 17.2 seconds on two runs seconds; 3. Ryan Thibodeaux, 18.3; 4. Ty Harris, 18.4; 5. Taylor Santos, 19.5; 6. Luke Potter and Caleb Smidt, 20.9; 8. Shad Mayfield, 21.5. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Cody Demoss 87 points Pete Carr Rodeo’s Hollywood Knight; 2. Leon Fountain, 85.5; 3. Brody Cress, 83.5; 4. Layton Green 82; 5. Kole Ashbacher, 81.5; 6. Logan Cook, 81; 7. K’s Thomson, 80; 8. (tie) Jake Clark, Keene Justesen and Sterling Crawley, 78. Steer roping: First round leaders: 1. Tuff Hardman, 11.3 seconds; 2. Trey Wallace, 13.4; 3. (tie) Cody Lee and Tony Reina, 13.6; 5. Mike Chase, 14.1; 6. John E. Bland 14.7. Second round leaders: 1. Taylor Santos, 10.1; 2. Scott Snedecor, 10.6;3.  Continue Reading »

DODGE CITY, Kan. – Tyler Ravenscroft is just getting his start in ProRodeo, but he didn’t show any nervousness when it came to making steer wrestling runs at the Dodge City Roundup Rodeo. On Friday morning, he wrestled his way to a share of the lead with a 3.8-second run, then followed it during the third performance of Kansas’ largest rodeo with a 4.4-second run to take the overall lead in bulldogging with one day remaining in the preliminary go-rounds. “This is pretty important if I want a chance to make the Prairie Circuit Finals, which was one of my goals going into this year,” said Ravenscroft, who will be a junior at Southeastern Oklahoma State University when classes commence in a few weeks. “This is one of the bigger rodeos we have, so I wanted to make sure I did well here and try to give myself a chance to make the circuit finals.” The Prairie Circuit is made up of PRCA rodeos and contestants primarily in Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska, and Roundup Rodeo is the largest event in the region. While a number of top-name contestants are in Dodge City with hopes the money earned will guide them to the National Finals Rodeo, many are like Ravenscroft with hopes of advancing to the regional finale. Riding Spongebob, an 11-year-old palomino owned by Mason Couch, Ravenscroft found his way to some good money already. He will have to wait through Saturday’s final performance of preliminary go-rounds to find out if he earned a share of the first-round title, but he knows he will return to Roundup Arena for Sunday’s championship round, which features the top 12 contestants based on times and scores through the week of competition. “It’s pretty surreal when I got to look up there and see my name at the top of the leaderboard,” he said. “It’s just been w hat I’ve been working for the last couple of years. To finally put myself in a spot to where I can finally win a big rodeo is awesome.” He is the nephew of fellow bulldogger Sean Mulligan, another Nebraska cowboy who now lives in Coleman, Oklahoma. Mulligan qualified for the National Finals Rodeo four times and has served as hazer for hundreds of runs over his career. He has been a big inspiration to Ravenscroft. “He’s helped me so much, just even the last two years in college,” Ravenscroft said, noting that his uncle lives less than 25 miles from his college in Durant, Oklahoma. “My horsemanship’s gotten way better. I’ve been able to help him start horses and just tune up my steer wrestling. I can’t thank him enough for what he’s done for my steer wrestling.” It shows, but some of that’s just being a cowboy. Ravenscroft claims Nenzel, Nebraska, as home, but he was actually raised on a ranch in the state’s Sandhills region. “We live about an hour from where I went to high school,” he said. “I went to school at a one-room school house on our place for a few years. Valentine (Nebraska, near the South Dakota border) is the actual closest town, and we’re 67 miles from it.” He’s used to traveling, so it won’t bother him one bit to make a return trip to Dodge City on Sunday night to battle for one of the most coveted titles in ProRodeo. Dodge City Roundup RodeoDodge City, Kan.Aug. 4-8Bareback riding leaders: 1. Leighton Berry, 89 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Short Night; 2. Richmond Champion, 88.5; 3. (tie) Mason Clements and Tilden, 88; 5. Chad Rutherford, 87; 6. Caleb Bennett, 86.5; 7. (tie) Nate McFadden and Trenten Montero, 84.5; 9. Taylor Broussard, 83.5; 10. Garrett Shadbolt, 83. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. (tie) Stetson Jorgensen and Tyler Ravenscroft, 3.8 seconds; 3. Payden McIntyre, 3.9; 4. Ty Erickson, 4.1; 5. (tie) Don Payne, Cade Staton, Grayson Allred and Gus Franzen, 4.4; 9. (tie) Aaron Vosler and Jason Thomas, 4.3; 8. (tie) Justin Shaffer, Tucker Allen, Dalton Massey and Bridger Anderson, 4.4. Second round leaders: 1. (tie) Blake Knowles and Dirk Tavenner, 3.4 seconds; 3. (tie) Tyler Pearson and Stockton Graves, 3.6; 5. Tyler Waguespack, 3.7; 6. (tie) Tucker Allen, Clayton Hass and Brandon Harrison, 3.9; 9. Don Payne, 4.1; 10. Mike McGinn and Mason Owen Couch, 4.2. Average leaders: 1. Tyler Ravenscroft, 8.2 seconds on two runs; 2. (tie) Tucker Allen, Stetson Jorgensen and Don Payne, 8.3; 5. Jason Thomas, 8.6; 6. Clayton Hass, 8.8; 7. (tie) Chance Howard and Tucker Alberts; 9. Blake Knowles, 9.1; 10. Wyatt Jurney, 9.2. Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Tanner Green/Clay Futrell, 4.4 seconds; 2. Clay Smith/Jade Corkill, 5.1; 3. Cooper Bruce/Reed Lewis Boos, 5.3; 4. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 5.4; 5. Dalton Turner/Garrett Smith, 4.7; 6. Tanner Tomlinson/Patrick Smith, 5.8; 7. Tyler Wade/Trey Yates, 5.9; 8. (tie) Erich Rogers/Paden Bray and Brenten Hall/Chase Tryan, 6.0; 10. Cory Kidd/Ryan Motes, 6.1. Second round leaders: 1. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 3.9 seconds; 2. (tie) Aaron Macy/Jason Johe and Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins, 4.5; 4. (tie) Levi Simpson/Tyler Worley and Tanner Tomlilnson/Patrick Smith, 4.6; 6. (tie) Luke Brown/Hunter Koch and Caleb Smidt/B.J. Dugger, 4.7; 8. Tyler Wade/Trey Yates, 4.9; 9. (tie) Clay Smith/Jade Corkill, Marcus Theriot/Jim Ross Cooper and Mason Boettcher/Colton Brittain, 5.2; 8. Dalton Turner/Garrett Smith, 5.6; 9. Miles Baker/Zack Woods, 6.4; 10. Tanner Green/Clay Futrell, 8.4. Average leaders: 1. Clay Smith/Jade Corkill, 10.3 seconds on two runs; 2. Tanner Tomlinson/Patrick Smith, 10.4; 3. Tyler Wade/Trey Yates, 10.8; 4. Dalton Turner/Garret Smith, 11.3; 5. Marcus Theriot/Jim Ross Cooper, 11.4; 6. Tanner Green/Clay Futrell, 12.8; 7. Miles Baker/Zack Woods, 13.0; 8. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 14.9; 9. Aaron Macy/Jason Johe, 17.1; 10. Cory Kidd/Ryan Motes, 17.5. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Lefty Holman, 86 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Tip Off; 2. (tie) K’s Thomson, Mitch Pollock and Jake Finlay, on Frontier Rodeo’s Push Pop, 84 points; 5. (tie) Kole Ashbacher, Brody Cress and Lane Schuelke, 83; 8. (tie) Ben Andersen and Rusty Wright, 81.5; 10. (tie) Wyatt Hageman and Taos Muncy, 81. Tie-down  Continue Reading »

BY LUKE CREASYSpecial to TwisTed RodeoLOVINGTON, N.M. – It was the veteran bareback rider Tim O’Connell on the young up-and-coming horse Exotic Dancer, and his young up-and-coming traveling partner Jess Pope on the veteran horse Good Time Charlie that started Thursday night off right with a pair of 88-point bareback rides. “Good Time Charlie is one everyone wants to get on, so I was really excited,” Pope said. “He’s probably near the end of his career, so I was glad to get on him. I wish there was a hundred more just like him.” “That’s just an amazing animal; hat’s off to that animal,” O’Connell, the three-time world champion, said of Good Time Charlie. “That horse is like 20 years old and still one of the best horses in the game going up and down the road. You should always be jealous when someone else draws Good Time Charlie, but I was also happy someone in our rig got Good Time Charlie.” His own draw was handful, he said. “She’s got more buck-offs than she has rides, and her rides are usually pretty high numbered,” he said of Exotic Dancer. “I nodded for a handful tonight. I had a feeling that horse was going to be pretty bucky, but she got vertical with me in the 3-second range and completely disappeared, and I made a big mistake and spurred over that horse’s neck. I pulled it back and just sent it back and made a pretty good recovery, and she jumped back underneath me and I felt by the next jump we were in time with each other.” “Every time I perform, I expect to compete at the highest level, so when you make a mistake like that it’s infuriating for me, but because of the recovery, I was able to finish the ride the way I wanted.” That finish, and the exotic nature of his bucking mount, moved O’Connell into the top spot in the bareback riding only Pope to go. “All I can control is what I do on my horse,” Pope said, “I had the same game plan from when I got my callbacks,” in spite of the sudden leader change right before his ride. “I just went out there and did my job, and the rest is in everybody else’s hands. “I was really happy with it.” It made for a fun night of bareback riding inside Jake McClure Arena. “When you’re traveling with high-caliber guys and you get out in a pen where they put a lot of really good horses out, there’s a good chance you guys are going to tie,” O’Connell said. “It’s not the first time this has happened and it’s not going to be the last.” “We’re both really good bareback riders, we fuel each other’s fire,” Pope said. “I want to see him win just as bad as I want to win. You’ve got to have a good support system, and surround yourself with people who have the same goals.” Both cowboys have their sights set on returning to the National Finals Rodeo this year, along with fellow traveling partner Cole Franks, the top bareback riding rookie and the college national champion in bareback riding and the all-around. For O’Connell, he’d like to see trio finish the year sitting first, second and third in the world standings, but O’Connell made it clear he’s gunning for the top spot, which he holds with $151,919. “I’m going to extend this lead as far as I possibly can,” he said. “I lost the world title by $6,000 last year, and it took me a really long time to accept that. I led the world for 296 days and lost it on the most important day. When guys are tired and wanting to go home, I’m going to be entering rodeos and grinding it out.” Lea County Fair and RodeoLovington, N.M.Aug. 4-7Bareback riding leaders: 1. (tie) Tim O’Connell on Pete Carr Rodeo’s Exotic Dancer and Jess Pope on Pete Carr Rodeo’s Good Time Charlie, 88 points; 3. Cole Reiner, 84; 4. Logan Patterson, 80.5; 5. (tie) Tilden Hooper and Kody Lamb, 80; 7. Shane O’Connell, 78; 8. Nate S McFadden, 69. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Luke Branquinho, 3.3 seconds, 2. Chance Howard, 3.5; 3. Jacob Talley, 3.7; 4. Dalton Massey, 3.8; 5. (tie) Tyler Waguespack, Tristan Martin, and Justin Shaffer, 4.0; 8. Ringo Robinson, 4.2; Second round leaders: 1. Trever Nelson, 3.6 seconds; 2. Blake Knowles, 3.8; 3. (tie) Clayton Hass and Chance Howard, 3.9; 5. (tie) Denard Butler, Tyler Waguespack, Ringo Robinson, Justin Shaffer, and J.D. Struxness, 4.0; Average leaders: 1. Chance Howard 7.4 seconds on two runs; 2. (tie) Justin Shaffer and Tyler Waguespack, 8.0; 4. (tie) Tristan Martin and Blake Knowles, 8.1; 6. Ringo Robinson, 8.2; 7. Laramie Warren; 8. Riley Duvall. Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. Marty Yates, 8.3 seconds; 2. J.D. McCuistion, 8.5; 3. Lane Livingston, 8.6; 4. (tie) Ty Harris and Ryan Jarrett, 9.0; 6. Westyn Hughes, 9.1; 7. (tie) Bo Pickett and Taylor Santos, 9.4; Second round leaders: 1.  Westyn Hughes, 8.1 seconds, 2. (tie) Blake Chauvin, Cory Solomon, and Tyson Durfey, 8.2; 5. J.D. McCuistion, 8.7; 6. Charlie Gibson, 8.9; 7. Trenton Smith, 9.0; 8. Ty Harris, 9.4; Average leaders: J.D. McCuistion and Westyn Hughes, 17.2 seconds on two runs seconds; 3. Ty Harris, 18.4; 4. Taylor Santos, 19.5; 5. Lane Livingston and Marty Yates, 21.9; 7. Ryle Smith, 22.1; 8. Bo Pickett, 22.4 Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Cody DeMoss, 87 points Pete Carr Rodeo’s Hollywood Knight; 2. Brody Cress, 83.5; 3. Layton Green 82; 4. Kole Ashbacher, 81.5; 5. Logan Cook, 81; 6. K’s Thomson, 80; 7. (tie) Keene Justesen and Sterling Crawley, 78. Steer roping: First round leaders: 1. Tuff Hardman, 11.3 seconds; 2. Trey Wallace, 13.4; 3. (tie) Cody Lee and Tony Reina, 13.6; 5. Mike Chase, 14.1; 6. John E. Bland 14.7; Second round leaders: Second round: 1. Taylor Santos, 10.1; 2. Scott Snedecor, 10.6; 3. (tie)  Continue Reading »

DODGE CITY, Kan. – Jade Corkill and Clay Smith each own multiple gold buckles, but they’ve never won them together. They have a fighting chance this year, and they’re in position to snatch their first Dodge City Roundup Rodeo buckles, too. The tandem roped two steers Thursday in a cumulative time of 10.3 seconds to take the overall team roping lead. They will return to Sunday’s championship round with hopes of claiming those elusive Roundup trophies. “Any time you can do good, it’s good,” said Corkill, an 11-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier in heeling who won his world championships in 2012-’14. “This is pretty important. Other than Cheyenne (Wyoming) the other day, we haven’t done as good as we’ve wanted to. Any time these rodeos have three head like this are the kind we like.” Roundup features a back-to-back format. All contestants in the timed events will make their first runs each morning, Wednesday-Saturday. The top 10 times from the first round will advance to the nightly performances. Smith and Corkill have the second fastest first-round run through two days of competition. They were 5.2 seconds Thursday night to secure the top spot in the two-run aggregate by half a second over the field. They will await the outcome of the final two nights of preliminary rounds to see where they fit into Sunday’s short round. “Every bit of it helps before the NFR,” said Smith, a six-time NFR qualifying header who won his world titles in 2018-19. “It seems like every year it’s going to come down to the 10th steer (at the NFR) and a few thousand dollars. This rodeo pays really good with two head and a short round. We love this kind of format with more chances to win money. “In the short round, you do your job, and you’re going to win something pretty good. This is a special rodeo with cool buckles. We love this rodeo.” Their success comes with a common bond: They both love to win, and they approach the game in a similar manner. It takes a good header to control a steer to help the heeler secure two legs in the loop, and some heelers can do magical things with just about any steer. “We’re pretty much on the same page most of the time,” Corkill said, referring to the team’s approach to their second-round run. “There are two days left after today, so you know it’s probably going to get tough. We don’t want to take a no-time, but we don’t want to take extra time either. We jus try to be pretty aggressive and catch as fast as you can without missing.” It definitely helps to do at a rodeo like Roundup, which offers the largest purse of any rodeos in the Oklahoma-Kansas-Nebraska region known as the Prairie Circuit. “It’s the biggest of the circuit rodeos for me when I was in the Prairie Circuit,” said Smith, originally from Broken Bow, Oklahoma, but now living near Stephenville, Texas; that’s where Corkill lives, too, though he still claims his hometown of Fallon, Nevada. “It was always an important rodeo, and I don’t know if I ever did very good when I was in the circuit. Now that I’m not, it’s been pretty good to me.” Yes, it has. Dodge City Roundup RodeoDodge City, Kan.Aug. 4-8Bareback riding leaders: 1. Leighton Berry, 89 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Short Night; 2. Richmond Champion, 88.5; 3. (tie) Mason Clements and Tilden, 88; 5. Chad Rutherford, 87; 6. Caleb Bennett, 86.5; 7. (tie) Nate McFadden and Trenten Montero, 84.5; 9. Taylor Broussard, 83.5; 10. Garrett Shadbolt, 83. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Stetson Jorgensen, 3.8 seconds; 2. Payden McIntyre, 3.9; 3. Ty Erickson, 4.1; 4. (tie) Don Payne, Cade Staton and Grayson Allred, 4.4; 7. Aaron Vosler, 4.3; 8. (tie) Justin Shaffer, Tucker Allen, Dalton Massey and Bridger Anderson, 4.4. Second round leaders: 1. (tie) Blake Knowles and Dirk Tavenner, 3.4 seconds; 3. (tie) Tyler Pearson and Stockton Graves, 3.6; 5. Tyler Waguespack, 3.7; 6. (tie) Tucker Allen and Clayton Hass, 3.9; 8. Don Payne, 4.1; 9. Mike McGinn, 4.2; 10. (tie) Ringo Robinson, Stetson Jorgensen and Tucker Alberts, 4.5; 8. Justin Shaffer 4.9; 9. Eli Lord, 5.1; 10. Aaron Vosler, 5.6. Average leaders: 1. (tie) Tucker Allen, Stetson Jorgensen and Don Payne, 8.3 seconds on two runs; 4. Clayton Hass, 8.8; 5. Tucker Alberts; 6. Blake Knowles, 9.1; 7. Justin Shaffer, 9.3; 8. (tie) Ringo Robinson and Stockton Graves, 9.4; 10. Rowdy Parrott, 9.6. Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Tanner Green/Clay Futrell, 4.4 seconds; 2. Clay Smith/Jade Corkill, 5.1; 3. Cooper Bruce/Reed Lewis Boos, 5.3; 4. Dalton Turner/Garrett Smith, 4.7; 5. Tyler Wade/Trey Yates, 5.9; 6. Erich Rogers/Paden Bray, 6.0; 76. Brenten Hall/Chase Tryan, 6.0; 8. J.B. James Jr./Brock Hanson, 6.2; 9. Curry Kirchner/Austin Rogers, 6.4; 10. Miles Baker/Zack Woods, 6.6. Second round leaders: 1. (tie) Aaron Macy/Jason Johe and Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins, 4.5 seconds; 3. Levi Simpson/Tyler Worley, 4.6; 4. (tie) Luke Brown/Hunter Koch and Caleb Smidt/B.J. Dugger, 4.7; 6. Tyler Wade/Trey Yates, 4.9; 7. Clay Smith/Jade Corkill, 5.2; 8. Dalton Turner/Garrett Smith, 5.6; 9. Miles Baker/Zack Woods, 6.4; 10. Tanner Green/Clay Futrell, 8.4. Average leaders: 1. Clay Smith/Jade Corkill, 10.3 seconds on two runs; 2. Tyler Wade/Trey Yates, 10.8; 3. Dalton Turner/Garret Smith, 11.3; 4. Tanner Green/Clay Futrell, 12.8; 5. Miles Baker/Zack Woods, 13.0; 6. Aaron Macy/Jason Johe, 17.1; 7. Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins, 19.8; 8. Pedro Egurrola/J.C. Flake, 31.6; 9. Levi Simpson/Tyler Worley10. (tie) Luke Brown/Hunter Koch and Caleb Smidt/B.J. Dugger, 4.7 seconds on one run. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Lefty Holman, 86 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Tip Off; 2. (tie) K’s Thomson, Mitch Pollock and Jake Finlay, on Frontier Rodeo’s Push Pop, 84 points; 5. (tie) Kole Ashbacher and Brody Cress, 83; 7. Ben Andersen, 81.5; 8. Wyatt Hageman, 81; 9. Tegan Smith, 80.5; 10. Logan Cook, 79.5. Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. Paden Bray, 8.9 seconds; 2. Riley Pruitt, 9.2; 3. Tyler Prcin, 9.3; 4. Kincade Henry, 9.4;  Continue Reading »

BY LUKE CREASYSpecial to TwisTed RodeoLOVINGTON, N.M. – Chance Howard’s first trip packing his son by himself made for a successful Family Night for the Sadler, Texas, cowboy at the Lea County Fair and Rodeo. He posted a 3.5-second run, which was the fastest time in the first round of steer wrestling on Wednesday morning, and followed that with a 3.9-second run in the evening during the first performance of the PRCA rodeo at Jake McClure Arena. It was also Faith and Family night at the southeastern New Mexico exposition, so it was only fitting. Howard owns the lead in both go-rounds and the two-run aggregate. After his final run for the day, he walked behind the timed event chutes, scooped up his son, Luke Thomas, and proceeded to pick up all of his son’s toys as well. This trip marks the first time Howard has taken his son rodeoing with him without his wife, Kelsey. “I just had to have somebody watch him while I bull dogged, and right back to it,” Howard said. Steer wrestling is a fast-paced game, and the quickest time wins. Cowboys must take a good start, then understand the steer. They are vital components in each run. “I had a steer that they’d been good on before, they broke the barrier a couple times, but we just made it work,” he said of his first-round steer. “I just capitalized on opportunity.” Another key factor in making a solid run is having a solid mount. Howard’s is an 8-year-old horse owned by Travis Burgett they call Train that just began his time on the road this year after being started on bulldogging last December. “We went to Cheyenne (Wyoming) and Deadwood (South Dakota) last week,” Howard said. “I ended up (placing second) at both the semifinals and the short go last week (in Cheyenne. That helped me out a bunch.” Howard also won his performance and left Cheyenne with $9,125 in total earnings. He is now 16th in the world standings. Howard, who is in his 11th year in the PRCA, has yet to make the National Finals Rodeo, which takes the top 15 contestants in the world standings at the conclusion of the regular season. With momentum rolling – he has a good chance to collect payouts in both rounds and a high placing in the average race – he has the opportunity to earn one of those coveted spots this year. “I’m trying to make the NFR,” he said. “We’ve got (two months) left, so we’ll see where it all falls.” Howard comes from a family of bulldoggers, and there may be another one in waiting. If his son continues to travel with him, witnessing runs like those from Lovington, Luke Thomas may be inspired to follow his father’s footsteps. Lea County Fair and RodeoLovington, N.M.Aug. 4-7Bareback riding leaders: 1. Cole Reiner, 84 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Betty Boop; 2. Logan Patterson, 80.5; 3. Tilden Hooper, 80; no other qualified rides. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Chance Howard, 3.5 seconds; 2. Tyler Waguespack, 4.0; 3. Rooster Yazzie, 4.3; 4. Tanner Brunner, 4.4; 5. Matt Reeves, 5.0; 6. Dustin Merritt, 5.1; 7. Austin Eller, 6.8; 8. Denard Butler, 10.1; Second round leaders: 1. Chance Howard, 3.9 seconds; 2. (tie) Denard Butler, Tyler Waguespack and J.D. Struxness, 4.0; 5. Cody Harmon, 4.8; 6. (tie) Tyler Pearson and Marc Joiner, 4.9; 8. Jay Williamson, 5.2; Average leaders: 1. Chance Howard 7.4 seconds on two runs; 2. Tyler Waguespack, 8.0; 3. Rooster Yazzie, 10.7; 4. Denard Butler, 14.1; 5. Tanner Brunner, 16.7;6. Matt Reeves, 18.5; 7. (tie) Jay Williamson and Cody Harmon, 19.0   Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. J.D. McCuistion, 8.5 seconds; 2. (tie) Ty Harris and Ryan Jarrett, 9.0; 4. Ryle Smith, 9.5; 5. Wyatt Imus, 10.9; 6. Brokk Baldwin, 11.4; 7. Reese Riemer, 11.7; 8. Richard Newton, 12.8; Second round leaders: 1. J.D. McCuistion, 8.7 seconds; 2. Charlie Gibson, 8.9; 3. Trenton Smith, 9.0; 4. Ty Harris, 9.4; 5. Robert Mathis, 9.8; 6. Hudson Wallace, 11.4; 7. Ryle Smith, 12.6; 8. Wyatt Imus, 13.0; Average leaders: J.D. McCuistion, 17.2 seconds on two runs seconds; 2. Ty Harris, 18.4; 3. Ryle Smith, 22.1; 4. Charlie Gibson, 22.7; 5. Wyatt Imus, 23.9; 6. Robert Mathis, 26.7; 7. Reese Riemer, 30.7; 8. Brian Garr, 44.7. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Brody Cress 83.5 points on Pete Carr Rodeo’s Fort Concho; 2. Logan Cook, 81; 3. Keene Justesen, 78; 4. Colt Cunningham, 50; (no other qualified rides). Steer roping: First round leaders: 1. Cody Lee, 13.6 seconds; 2. Jarrett McKade Holliday, 15.7; 3. Dan Fisher, 16.1; no other qualified times. Second round leaders: Second round: 1. (tie) Cody Lee and Shay Good, 11.4 seconds; 3. Dan Fisher, 13.1; no other qualified times; Third round leaders: 1. Dan Fisher, 12.5 seconds; 2. Reo Lohse, 12.6; 3. Cody Lee, 13.7; Average leaders: 1. Cody Lee, 38.7 seconds on three runs; 2. Dan Fisher, 41.7; 3. Shay Good, 11.4 seconds on one run; 4. Reo Lohse, 12.6; 5. Jarrett McKade Holliday, 15.7; no other qualified times. Breakaway roping: First round leaders: 1. Kassidy Denisson, 2.3 seconds; 2. Kelsie Chace, 2.5; 3. Jackie Crawford, 3.2 seconds; 4. Katie Mundorf, 3.3 seconds; 5. Bradi Good, 3.4 seconds; 6. Makayla Boisjoli, 3.6 seconds; 7. Morgan Orman, 7.9 seconds; 8. Alex Loiselle, 12.2 seconds. Second round leaders: 1. Bradi Good, 2.9 seconds; 2. (tie) Kelsie Chace and Kassidy Dennison, 3.7; 4. Katie Mundorf, 12.3; Average Leaders: 1. Kassidy Dennison, 6.0 seconds on two runs; 2. Kelsie Chace, 6.2; 3. Bradi Good, 6.3; 4. Katie Mundorf, 15.6; 5. Jackie Crawford, 3.2 seconds on one run, 6. Makayla Boisjoli, 3.6. Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Tanner Tomlinson/Patrick Smith, 4.5 seconds; 2. Wyatt Imus/Caleb Anderson, 5.0; 3.Jake Clay/Billie Jack Saebens, 5.3; 4. Kolton Schmidt/Wyatt Cox, 6.2; 5. Korbin Rice/Jace Davis, 10.5; (no other qualified times) Second round leaders: 1. Korbin Rice/Jace Davis, 4.6 seconds; 2. (tie) Jake Clay/Billie Jack Saebens and Kolton  Continue Reading »

DODGE CITY, Kan. – It’s been a long seven months for bareback rider Leighton Berry. In January at Odessa, Texas, the 22-year-old cowboy was smashed in the bucking chutes and suffered torn ligaments in the mid- and lower region of his spine, between the T12 and L1 vertabrae. He followed that with surgery and rehabilitation, but he’s been missing something: Rodeo. On Wednesday night during the first performance of the Dodge City Roundup Rodeo, the Weatherford, Texas, bronc buster returned to the sport he loves for the first time since that fateful night in west Texas, and he didn’t miss a beat. He rode Frontier Rodeo’s Short Night for 89 points to take the early bareback riding lead and has assured himself a spot among the top 12 for Sunday’s championship round. “I got to watch my traveling partner be 88 (points) right before I nodded my head, and that lit a fire under me,” Berry said, referring to Mason Clements, a three-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Spanish Fork, Utah. “We want our rig to win. I got to one-point him today, but this is awesome.” Berry himself was just coming off his first qualification to the NFR, where he pocketed just shy of $80,000 in 10 days. He had big plans for the 2021 season, but he understands the things that can happen in the rough-and-tumble sport of rodeo. “It was disappointing in the day whenever it happened, and I knew I was going to have something fixed,” he said. “I knew right then and there that I’ve overcome adversity before, and every time I’ve been hurt, I’ve been able to come back a little better and a little faster and a little stronger mentally. “I took it right then and said, ‘God, this is you’re plan, and I’m just going to follow You, and I know it will all work out in the end.’ Here we are, and I feel like I’m on top of the world again.” With seven months on injured reserve, Berry knows he’s behind the eight-ball to make back-to-back trips to ProRodeo’s grand finale, but he’s still got it on his mind. “Since January, I’ve thought, ‘Don’t ever count me out, because I’ll change your mind and make it right,’ ” Berry said. “I know I’ve still got a chance, from what my traveling partners and buddies have been telling me. “I’m just out here riding bucking horses, making a living doing it and having fun with my best friends. If I can continue to build my bareback riding back up … if I can come back stronger and better than ever, that’s all I can ask for.” If he stays as hot as he did Wednesday night, he might just walk away from western Kansas with one of the most coveted prizes in rodeo: The Roundup Rodeo trophy buckle. He’ll have to match his skills and where he is physically and mentally on the final night of the rodeo against some incredible horsepower. “Dodge City has one of the rankest short rounds there is,” he said. “There are top horses like Gun Fire, Showstomper and Full Baggage that are going to be out, and I’d like to see my name next to theirs. Riding rank bucking horses is what I’ve prided myself on; I haven’t had one underneath me in a while, so I’m excited for it.” Dodge City Roundup RodeoDodge City, Kan.Aug. 4-8Bareback riding leaders: 1. Leighton Berry, 89 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Short Night; 2. Mason Clements, 88; 3. (tie) Nate McFadden and Trenten Montero, 84.5; 5. Taylor Broussard, 83.5; 6. Jamie Howlett, 81; 7. Shane O’Connell, 78; 8. Ty Blessing, 76. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Stetson Jorgensen, 3.8 seconds; 2. Payden McIntyre, 3.9; 3. Ty Erickson, 4.1; 4. Aaron Vosler, 4.3; 5. (tie) Justin Shaffer, Tucker Allen and Dalton Massey, 4.4; 8. (tie) Will Lummus, Clayton Hass and Ringo Robinson, 4.9. Second round leaders: 1. (tie) Blake Knowles and Dirk Tavenner, 3.4 seconds; 3. (tie) Tucker Allen and Clayton Hass, 3.9; 5. Mike McGinn, 4.2; 6. (tie) Ringo Robinson and Stetson Jorgensen, 4.5; 8. Justin Shaffer 4.9; 9. Eli Lord, 5.1; 10. Aaron Vosler, 5.6. Average leaders: 1. (tie) Tucker Allen and Stetson Jorgensen, 8.3 seconds on two runs; 3. Clayton Hass, 8.8; 4. Blake Knowles, 9.1; 5. Justin Shaffer, 9.3; 6. Ringo Robinson, 9.4; 7. Aaron Vosler, 9.9; 8. Payden McIntyre, 10.4; 9. Dalton Massey, 11.1; 10. Zack Jongbloed, 17.1. Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Cooper Bruce/Reed Lewis Boos, 5.3 seconds; 2. Dalton Turner/Garrett Smith, 4.7; 3. Tyler Wade/Trey Yates, 5.9; 4. Erich Rogers/Paden Bray, 6.0; 5. J.B. James Jr./Brock Hanson, 6.2; 6. Jaxson Tucker/Marty Yates, 7.1; 7. Garrett Tonozzi/T.J. Watts, 9.8; 8. Chad Masters/Joseph Harrison, 10.8; 9. Luke Meier/Colton Michael reed, 11.6; 10. Pedro Egurrola/J.C. Flake, 12.2. Second round leaders: 1. Aaron Macy/Jason Johe, 4.5 seconds; 2. Luke Brown/Hunter Koch, 4.7; 3. Tyler Wade/Trey Yates, 4.9; 4. Dalton Turner/Garrett Smith, 5.6; 5. Seth Driggers/Trent Vaught, 14.4; 6. Pedro Egurrola/J.C. Flake, 19.4; no other qualified runs. Average leaders: 1. Tyler Wade/Trey Yates, 10.8 seconds on two runs; 2. Dalton Turner/Garret Smith, 11.3; 3. Aaron Macy/Jason Johe, 17.1; 4. Pedro Egurrola/J.C. Flake, 31.6; 5. Luke Brown/Hunter Koch, 4.7 seconds on one run; 6. Cooper Bruce/Reed Lewis Boos, 5.3; 7. Erich Rogers/Paden Bray, 6.0; 8. J.B. James R./Brock Hanson, 6.2; 9. Jaxson Tucker/Marty Yates, 7.1; 10. Garrett Tonozzi/T.J. Watts, 9.8. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. (tie) K’s Thomson, on Frontier Rodeo’s Bad Attitude, Mitch Pollock, on Frontier Rodeo’s Watch Levi, and Jake Finlay, on Frontier Rodeo’s Push Pop, 84 points; 4. Kole Ashbacher, 83; 5. Ben Andersen, 81.5; 6. Wyatt Hageman, 81; 7. Tegan Smith, 80.5; 8. Layton Green, 77. Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. Paden Bray, 8.9 seconds; 2. Riley Pruitt, 9.2; 3. Tyler Prcin, 9.3; 4. Kincade Henry, 9.4; 5. (tie) Taylor Santos and John Douch, 10.3; 7. Trent McDonald, 10.6; 8. (tie) Colton Farquer and Cory Solomon, 10.8; 10. Owen Wahlert, 11.1. Second round leaders: 1. Zack  Continue Reading »

DODGE CITY, Kan. – At 18 years of age, Mason Moody’s bull riding career is just getting started. He became eligible to be a professional bull rider in April, then purchased his PRCA permit two months later. In short order, he’s been to just five events, and he’s earned money at three of them. On Tuesday night, he put together the biggest ride of his young career by winning the Dodge City Xtreme Bulls at Roundup Arena. “I’ve went to three rodeos, and this is my second Xtreme Bulls,” Moody said. “I’ve placed at two rodeos, and I won my second Xtreme Bulls. “I haven’t gotten into much, but what I’ve gotten into, I’ve done really well at. I’ve got some points and some qualifications now.” Rodeo is much different than most sports, where young athletes will work their way to the professional level. Only a handful are like Lebron James and Kobe Bryant and are ready right out of high school. Rodeo offers a professional opportunity as soon as a cowboy turns 18. In the PRCA, contestants must first compete on their permits and earn $1,000 before they can become full members. The young cowboy in South Dakota will likely wait until the 2022 season before he does that, but he’s earned the right. His 88-point ride Tuesday night on 4L & Diamond S Ranch’s Space Unicorn earned him $5,471 and a new pair of Dodge City Xtreme Bulls spurs. They will go on the trophy shelf at his home in tiny Letcher, South Dakota, which boasts of a population of 166. “You have to drive a half hour to school, and you have to drive a half hour to get groceries,” Moody said. “We’re in the boondocks, but I like it that way.” Things didn’t start off well for the cowboy. He was able to stay on 4L & Diamond S Ranch’s 870, but he scored just 58 points. ProRodeo officials rewarded him with a re-ride, and, as the last cowboy to ride for the night, he walked away with the win. “This is super important,” he said. “To get a big win under your belt is big. You’ll get into bigger ProRodeos. You’re 18 years old, and you’ve already got a big win. Not very many kids get to do that. To do that at a young age is pretty special.” Dodge City Roundup Xtreme BullsDodge City, Kan.Aug. 3, 20211. Mason Moody, 88 points on 4L & Diamond S Rodeo’s Space Unicorn, $5,471; 2. Bubba Greig, 86.5, $4,194; 3. Tyler Hessman, 86, $3,100; 4. Shad Winn, 85.5, $2,006; 5. Trevor Reiste, 84.5, $1,277; 6. Denton Fugate, 83, $912; 7. (tie) Casey Fredericks, Tristen Hutchings and Trevor Kastner, 81.5, $426 each.

BY LUKE CREASYSpecial to TwisTed RodeoLOVINGTON, N.M. – With the chips on the line in the final round, youthful vitality and the luck of the draw prevailed. The Lea County Rodeo kicked off Tuesday night with the Lea County Xtreme Bulls. Though 11 riders covered their first-round bulls, it came down to two riders in the championship round to determine the winner. The two riders, opposite ends of the spectrum, six-time world champion Sage Kimzey and the rookie sensation, Creek Young. In just his third year in professional rodeo – with two years on his permit previously – rookie bull rider Creek Young of Fort Scott, Kansas, edged Kimsey for the two-ride aggregate championship with 169.5 cumulative points. Pointing to the match-up of Young and his bull Bayou Bengal, livestock producer Pete Carr said, “That’s my pick.” “I drew him at the San Angelo Xtreme Bulls, and he bucked me off pretty easily,” Young said a bit bashfully. “I knew what I was getting on. I knew he was a bucker. I knew what to expect this time and got it done.” He did, to the tune of 87 points to win the short round and collect the aggregate title. He also finished the opening round in a tie for fourth place with a score of 82.5 points. In all, he collected $10,247 in Lea County. It was a nice windfall for having a much better ride on the bull the second time he had the chance. “I didn’t stay very forward (the first time),” Young said. “He leaves very high in the front end out of there, I got back last time and this time I made sure to stay forward, and it went a lot better.” Young credits PRCA Xtreme Bulls events as a vital component of bull riding in the PRCA. “This is probably where we get most of our money, so they help immensely.” The end goal, of course, is to advance to the National Finals Rodeo, but only the top 15 in the world standings at the conclusion of the regular season earn that opportunity. Young’s chances gained intense momentum due to the Xtreme Bulls events, amongst other rodeos during the marathon Cowboy Christmas run around the Fourth of July. “I placed high at Spanish Fork’s Xtreme, won the Red Lodge Xtreme Bulls and got third or fourth at the rodeo in Red Lodge,” Young said, also crediting a high placing at Cody, Wyoming, “I had a really good Fourth run. I think I made right at $18,000.” Young also won rodeo in Mercedes, Texas, and Pleasant Grove, Utah, earlier this season. “I haven’t really looked at the rookie race,” Young said, referring to the Resistol Rookie of the Year standings. “I’m just trying to make the NFR and stay in the top five.” Young is the No. 1 man in the rookie race and has a good chance to move up in the world standings with his take; prior to this week, he was sixth with $74,040. Lea County Xtreme BullsLovington, N.M.Aug. 3, 2021First round: 1. Roscoe Jarboe, 90 points on New Star Rodeo’s Listen Linda, $3,236; 2. Matt Palmer, 85.5, $2,481; 3. Rugar Piva, 84.5, $1,834; 4. (tie) Clayton Sellars and Creek Young, 82.5, $971; 6. Jesse Hopper, 82, $539; 7. (tie) Parker Breding and Sage Kimzey, 81, 377 each. Championship round: 1. Creek Young, 87 points on Pete Carr Rodeo’s Bayou Bengal, $3,883; 2. Sage Kimzey, 84.5, $3,308; no other qualified rides. Average: 1. Creek Young, 169.5 points on two rides, $5,393; 2. Sage Steele Kimzey, 165.5, $4,135; 3. Roscoe Jarboe, 90, $3,056; 4. Matt Palmer, 85.5, $1,978; 5. Rugar Piva, 84.5, $1,258 6. Clayton Sellars, 82.5, $899; 7. Jesse Hopper, $719; 8. (tie) Shane Proctor and Trey Benton III 80, $270 each.

DODGE CITY, Kan. – Scott Snedecor, a four-time world champion from Fredericksburg, Texas, proved again Tuesday why he’s one of the best. The 19-time qualifier to the Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping became the first contestant at the 2021 Dodge City Roundup Rodeo to win a championship, and he did so in dominating fashion. Snedecor placed in all three rounds to win the aggregate title and pocket $6,571. It is the Texan’s third Roundup buckle. First round: 1. Dalton Walker, 9.8 seconds, $2,056; 2. Cole Patterson, 10.1, $1,788; 3. (tie) Scott Snedecor and Mike Chase, 11.6, $1,386 each; 5. Taylor Santos, 12.1, $983; 6. (tie) Don Ed Eddleman and Thomas Smith, 581; 8. Jess Tierney, 12.6, $179. Second round: 1. Garrett Hale, 9.4, $2,056; 2. Vin Fisher Jr., 10.9, $1,788; 3. Cash Myers, 11.3, $1,520; 4 (tie) Shay Good and Jim Locke, 11.4, $1,118; 6. Brodie Poppino, 11.9, $715; 7. Scott Snedecor, 12.3, $447; 8. J. Tom Fisher, 12.5, $179. Third round: 1. J. Tom Fisher, 10.3 seconds, $2,056; 2. (tie) Scott Snedecor and Don Ed Eddleman, 10.7, $1,654 each; 4. Cody Lee, 10.8, $1,252; 5. Travis Sheets, 10.9, $983; 6. Chris Glover, 11.0, $715; 7. Tony Reina, 11.5, $447; 8. Clay Long, 11.6, $179. Average: 1. Scott Snedecor, 34.6 seconds, $3,084; 2. Cash Myers, 37.4, $2,682; 3. Taylor Santos, 40.3, $2,280; 4. Tuff Hardman, 46.8, $1,877; 5. Jason Stockton, 48.4, $1,475; 6. Thomas Smith, 48.7, $1,073; 7. Kyle Cuthorn, 48.9, $671; 8. Tyrel Allen Taton, 49.6, $266.

LOVINGTON, N.M. – Not only will the top two bull riders in the PRCA world standings be in this southeastern New Mexico community for the Lea County Xtreme Bulls on Tuesday, they will return to Jake McClure Arena the following night for their shot at the Lea County Fair and Rodeo title, too. The rodeo, which will begin at 7:30 each night beginning Wednesday, will feature four performances and most of the top contestants in the sport through Saturday. But that opening night will be a battle between the No. 1 bull rider, six-time world champion Sage Kimzey, and the reigning world titlist, Stetson Wright, who also owns the last two all-around gold buckles. Both cowboys know, though, that their fight will be with the livestock they’ve been matched with by a random draw, and they’ve drawn deep. Both men will be matched with bulls that haven’t been ridden this year: Kimzey will attempt to ride Stace Smith Pro Rodeo’s Cowtown, while Wright will try his hand with Harper & Morgan Rodeo Co.’s Little Willie. They’re just two of the featured match-ups fans can expect to see inside the historic arena in Lovington. Wright will also have his hands full in saddle bronc riding, lifting his rein and spurring Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Black Knight. Also in bronc riding, two National Finals Rodeo qualifiers will be matched together Thursday night when CoBurn Bradshaw tries his hand with Carr’s Gold Coast. Jacobs Crawley, the 2015 world champion, will try to spur NFR bucking horse Mike & Ike, a bronc that’s been on the winning end inside Jake McClure Arena. That same night, two-time world champion Taos Muncy of Corona, New Mexico, will try to hang on to Carr’s Dirty Flirt, a bucking beast that has been hard to conquer for several years. In bareback riding, Lane McGehee, a former college national champion, has been matched with two-time Bareback Horse of the Year Dirty Jacket. That bout will take place on the final night of the fair and rodeo, and Saturday will also feature six-time NFR qualifier Jake Brown and Carr’s South Point Gambler and Carr’s Painted River with Zach Hibler, a former PRCA Rookie of the Year. Richmond Champion, a six-time NFR qualifier, will try his hand with another NFR veteran, Carr’s Night Bells. Jess Pope, who won the NFR average title in his first bid to compete at ProRodeo’s grand championship event this past December, will be matched with Carr’s Good Time Charlie. The powerful sorrel gelding has been half the equation during the last two championship rides in Lovington. Bill Tutor scored 87.5 points to win the title in 2018, and Tanner Aus was 90 on Good Time Charlie to win in 2019. The red superstar has bucked 13 straight times at the NFR, and he’s just one of dozens of outstanding bucking animals that will be part of this year’s Lea County Fair and Rodeo.

DODGE CITY, Kan. – There were 12 people who left the Dodge City Roundup Rodeo as its champions last year, but none were happier than Blake Deckard. Deckard earned money in both tie-down roping and steer roping to claim the all-around title, the most prized trophy of all earned inside Roundup Arena last August. He will return for this year’s event – set for 7:45 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 4-Sunday, Aug. 8, at Roundup Arena; Dodge City Xtreme Bulls is set for 7:45 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 3 – to defend that title and maybe claim a couple more if everything works out just right. “It seems like all the guys I’ve looked up to had a Dodge City buckle, and I was always wanting one,” said Deckard, 32, of Eufaula, Oklahoma. “Trevor (Brazile) and Roy (Cooper) have Dodge City buckles, and this just fell in my lap. I was lucky enough that it went my way. I placed in the average in steer roping and placed in the short round and the average in calf roping.” It was a big thrill, but he wants to add to it. Just last week, he won the second round at the Cheyenne (Wyoming) Frontier Days Rodeo, and he’ll carry a bit of momentum with him when he arrives in southwest Kansas next week. More importantly, though, he’ll be wearing the stylish trophy buckle that he earned in Dodge City, with its shiny metal and bright, red rubies. One of the coolest aspects of his winning the buckle was that he had someone special with him on the trip. “My dad got to go with me, and he doesn’t get to go with me much,” Deckard said. “He got to go back to the short round, so it was pretty neat to have him with me for that win. “The all-around championship means so much to me. Ever since I was a little kid, I loved winning the all around because all of my heroes like Trevor and Roy were all-around champions. Single-event titles are awesome, but the all-around is really earned.” Deckard earned qualifications to the Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo in both steer roping and tie-down roping in 2020, and he’d like to do so again. He’d also love to claim either or both of those titles in Dodge City, especially since it’s the largest rodeo in the circuit, a region made up of contestants and events primarily in Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. “Three years ago, I broke the barrier to win the steer roping average,” Deckard said. “I called Roy, and he told me, ‘Don’t ever let the barrier be a factor in steer roping.’ It was a lessoned learned.” And the Roundup buckle is a trophy earned. He was joined in the winner’s circle last August by bareback rider Orin Larsen, steer wrestler Dalton Massey, headers Jeff Flenniken and Nick Sartain, heelers Tyler Worley and Blaine Vick, saddle bronc rider Ryder Wright, tie-down roper Ty Harris, barrel racer BryAnna Haluptzok, steer roper Cole Patterson and bull rider Roscoe Jarboe. “This rodeo is awesome,” said Wright, the reigning and two-time world champion from Milford, Utah. “The horses here are awesome. “This has been on my bucket list. You’ve got to win rodeos like this to win that gold buckle, so it’s nice to win the big ones.”

LOVINGTON, N.M. – The reputation of the entertainment value of the Lea County Fair and Rodeo is powerful, and it’s one reason why tens of thousands of people make their way to Lovington each summer. It’s the concerts. It’s the carnival. It’s the livestock shows and other exhibits. It’s the world-class ProRodeo. Those are just a few of the superlatives that are mixed with many other aspects of the southeastern New Mexico exposition that make it so attractive to fairgoers. If that weren’t enough, admission is just $10 for adults, $5 for children 6-12; kids 5 and younger are admitted for free during the 10-day fair, set for July 30-Aug. 7 at the Lea County Fairgrounds. “One of the things we’ve always discussed as a board is how to keep our fair and rodeo affordable for everyone in Lea County and beyond,” said Larry Wheeler, chairman of the Lea County Fair Board. “We are very fortunate to have the entire thing underwritten by the Lea County Commission. They see the fair as a way to give back to the citizens of this county. “Because of that, we’re able to have a pretty darn good fair.” That’s been the case for many years. The fair returns this year after being canceled a year ago because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Live events have returned, and that’s a good thing for the folks that make the fair and rodeo a part of their annual schedules. The festivities will open Friday with the Hispanic Heritage Celebration with Bronco and Erick Massore on stage. The concerts continue next Tuesday with Mike Ryan; Zach Williams will be the artist for Faith and Family Night on Wednesday; Clay Walker hits the stage Thursday; Confederate Railroad and Exile will play Friday; and Gary Allan will close down the expo on Saturday, Aug. 7. Those and the PRCA rodeo are the big-ticket items, but there are plenty of other pieces of the fair puzzle that makes the event more than just a gathering of friends. With all those little things added in, the overall ticket price makes for a great evening out for the entire family. “There are a lot of rodeos that cost more than $10 just to get a seat in the arena,” said Trey Kerby, the rodeo committee chairman and vice chairman of the fair board. “With our fair, you get the entire complex for just $10. When you come to the rodeo, there’s not a bad seat, and you can enjoy the entire experience without any extra cost.” There is an additional fee for the carnival, the food and the trinkets, but they just add to the overall fair experience in Lea County. The fair’s main purpose, of course, is to benefit the children, and a big part of that involves the 4-H experience. “Our junior livestock sale consistently runs second or third in the state as far as revenue for the kids,” said Dean Jackson, a Lea County commissioner and former fair board chairman. “We have some of the best facilities in all of New Mexico, if not all the Southwest. “Lea County is a great place to live, a great place to work. We’re hard workers, and God has blessed us.”

LOVINGTON, N.M. – When the cowboys get to this southeastern New Mexico town of nearly 12,000 to compete at the Lea County Fair and Rodeo, they know one thing is certain: the livestock will be outstanding. That’s because local organizers have enlisted Pete Carr Pro Rodeo to produce the event, and the Carr team is loaded with some of the best animals in ProRodeo. The firm has been nominated as PRCA Stock Contractor of the Year a dozen times, and it is routinely recognized as one of the best livestock producers in the sport. “Pete Carr and his crew are one of the most important parts of our rodeo,” said Trey Kerby, chairman of the rodeo committee and vice chairman of the Lea County Fair Board. “I don’t think any other stock contractor could be any better. Pete is very sharp and knows what he’s doing. Those guys put on an excellent show.” This year’s rodeo is set for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 4-Saturday, Aug. 7, at Jake McClure Arena; that also includes Lea County Xtreme Bulls, which is Tuesday, Aug. 3. It’s going to be five straight days of intense rodeo action at that storied coliseum inside the Lea County Fairgrounds in Lovington. “When Pete Carr gets to town, I can relax,” Kerby aid. “They’re so good at what they do, and they take their jobs seriously. They work very hard at it.” Kerby and other fair board members realize how important it is to have a stock contractor of Carr’s caliber. This event has been going on for eight and a half decades, and the people in this region of the country understand what a good rodeo looks like. That’s why Lea County officials lean on Carr and his talented crew of professionals. Beyond that, there have been dozens of elite bucking animals that have been selected to perform at the National Finals Rodeo over the years, and they always tend to stand out in Lovington. “You count the Carr animals at the NFR, and you can tell he’s got a bunch of great ones,” Kerby said. “He takes great pride in the animals, and it shows in the arena. They’re always in great shape when they get here, and I’d say most of the NFR animals every year have bucked in Lovington.” That’s typically the case, and animals like that draw the top players in the game. “This is a great rodeo,” said Sterling Crawley, a seven-time NFR qualifier from Huntsville, Texas. “The bucking stock is outstanding. When you go to a Pete Carr rodeo, everybody’s got a chance to win.” Crawley is regularly featured in Lovington, and he’s earned his share of the money while in town. Another Huntsville cowboy, Bill Tutor, has earned the bareback riding title and is always seeking another. “This is one of my favorite rodeos of the whole year,” said Tutor, a two-time NFR qualifier. “There’s always great horses. It’s a tough rodeo to win, because there are a lot of great competitors as well.”

LOVINGTON, N.M. – Mary McClure isn’t one of the founders of the Lea County Fair and Rodeo’s Fiddlers Contest; she’s just its custodian. She’s pretty proud of it, too. This year’s event will begin at 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 7, the final day of the regional exposition, and it’s a fitting way to close out the fun in Lovington. “I used to come and watch it,” said McClure, 71, of Lovington. “Ralph Wrinkle, who was the one-time sheriff in Lea County, started this.” In fact, this year marks the 60th anniversary of the fiddlers contest, and there’s no better way to honor the history than to put on the next one. McClure is happy to continue the legacy that has been handed down to her. According to reports, Wrinkle got his start in music in the 1940s in Missouri, with initial mentions wrapped around his playing music on a radio station in the town of Lebanon in central Missouri. He eventually moved to Hobbs, New Mexico, where he continued to sing and write music and was dubbed “The Singing Sheriff,” McClure said. As the event’s primary organizer and promoter, McClure takes pride in what the community gets to witness and hear during the contest. She’s excited to bring it back to town after the COVID-19 pandemic shut everything down a year ago. “I took it over in the early ’80s,” she said. “I liked it as a youth. Mom mother loved it, and I really think the public likes it. We have some older folks who tell me that’s the only reason they come to the fair every year, so I’m glad we can put this on for them.” The contestants pay an entry fee in order to compete, and those fees are mixed with sponsors’ money to make up the overall purse. McClure says a common year will feature 10 to 15 fiddlers. There was one banner year when nearly 30 musicians were part of the show, and the contest lasted most of the afternoon. That was back when the event took place under a tent between two buildings; now it’s in the air-conditioned confines of the Yucca Building. “We never know until the day of the contest who is going to enter,” she said. “You show up, and you can enter then.” The key to the event’s success comes from the three judges. The crowd, she said, loves to hear them play; it’s just a highlight of the contest every year. “If I didn’t have any contestants but had those three judges, we’d still draw a crowd,” McClure said. “That’s the stipulation when they come to judge is that they play again.” The history of the fair and rodeo is grand, and so are shows like the fiddlers contest. It adds to the unique flavor that is Lea County. “I’m 57 years old, and I can remember the fiddlers contest when I was a little boy,” said Larry Wheeler, chairman of the Lea County Fair Board. “There are people from all over that come to enjoy that. It’s a big part of our fair and rodeo, and I’m glad we still do it.”

Oklahoma cowgirl uses a trio of horses to Cowboy Christmas success Even under the best of circumstances, Cowboy Christmas is always hectic. Thousands of miles driven, airport drop-offs and multiple rodeos a day for several days. Emily Miller Beisel has been through it before, and she had hoped to make a schedule that would allow for optimum opportunities to cash in big during one of the most lucrative few days of the regular rodeo season. “I’m really big on not backtracking,” said Beisel, a two-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Weatherford, Oklahoma. “I try not to put extra miles on horses. For the first few rodeos out of the gate, there were already problems. I needed to be up in the beginning at Prescott, but I got put at a (performance) in the middle. “I couldn’t get traded, because everybody has about the same game plan. I was able to split my horses. I left Beau at Reno (Nevada), so he went from Reno to St. Paul (Oregon), and I picked him up in Cody (Wyoming). Pipewrench and Chongo came from home. I entered the Dakotas just in case, and I placed at two out of three rodeos there.” All three of her horses won money over the stretch of rodeos wrapped around the Fourth of July holiday. The biggest payday came at the Cody Stampede, which Beisel won on Chongo, the speedy 11-year-old gray gelding. That was worth $10,124 and was the biggest paycheck during her Cowboy Christmas run of $18,913. She also collected money at three other rodeos: St. Paul, $3,771; Belle Fourche, South Dakota, $2,778; and Mandan, North Dakota, $2,240. “Splitting the rig was good for me,” she said. “I was tired because I took a flight, but it gave my horses time off. I needed them firing on all cylinders.” It worked. Beisel’s earnings over the Fourth run was second among all barrel racers, just behind Hailey Kinsel, the reigning three-time world champion. Beisel grew up in western Kansas, a stone’s throw from Dodge City. She attended Garden City (Kansas) Community College, then earned a degree in dental hygiene from the University of Oklahoma Health and Science Center in Weatherford. Much has changed in recent years, from a full-time job to rodeoing year-round to a fall 2020 wedding. “Back in 2019, I went from being a full-time hygienist and doing rodeo part time to the opposite,” Beisel said. “I never dreamed I would get to this point. You always hope it does, but the odds of that happening are slim to none. For me, it’s been pretty incredible. The girls at work are pretty understanding, too. “It’s been nice to get to do this. Those three horses are just incredible. Every year, I’d almost get it all together. I never had it to where all three were dialed in and making it work all the time. This summer, all three are 100 percent. When you have three horses of that caliber, it’s pretty fun.” Doing something you love is one thing; being successful at it adds a new dimension. As of July 19, she was third in the world standings with just shy of $60,000 in the bank. While the Fourth of July featured a number of lucrative rodeos, there are plenty of others left in the final two months of the regular season. She stands in a great place to return to ProRodeo’s grand championship for the third straight year. Of course, none of that would be happening without help. She gets that from husband Austin, members of her family and others who might be able to help when time allows. Over the Fourth run, she enlisted Carlie Jones, a student at Kansas State University. “She has been a great help,” Beisel said of Jones. “Initially I left home and went to Reno with (fellow barrel racer) Ivy Saebens. That rodeo was a progressive round so when Ivy tipped a barrel, we had to change plans.” Making adjustments on the fly is important in rodeo. She will have multiple plans to be prepared for whatever challenges come her way. With the ProRodeo Tour system in place, that also calls for variables that all competitors must understand in order to make it work. “I love those Dakota rodeos, but the biggest thing with them is they’re not tour rodeos,” she said. “The tour puts a lot of money in the pot for us, but also the requirements to make the tour finale are steep. You have to make 35 tour rodeos. It dictates a little where I’m going. I’ve never been to Salinas (California, home of the tour finale in 2021), but I also don’t want to be needing to go to Salinas and miss my rodeo count by three.” While she’s a competitor who has been a contender for that elusive Montana Silversmiths gold buckle, this is also her business. Unlike many women in ProRodeo, Beisel has three genuine threats to help her with horsepower at just about every rodeo in which she enters. Still, it takes some decision-making to figure out which horse works with which rodeo. “You’ve got to know their strengths and their weaknesses,” she said. “They all have a lot of strengths. What makes Beau stand out is he’s really gritty, and he adapts to situations really well. That’s why I ran him at St. Paul, because I knew the trees in the arena wouldn’t bother him. Chongo is really fast. You put him on good ground, and he’s going to excel. “Pipewrench is going to run into the hole really well. I can put him in a tighter spot, like at Mandan, and I don’t have to worry about him. You have to know your horses and pay attention to them.” With that trio of great mounts, Beisel feels more at ease. She knows she can trust them as long as she puts them in the right situation. “There are very few horses that are versatile enough to compete  Continue Reading »

LOVINGTON, N.M. – Whether they ride bucking beasts or rope and wrestle steers, many cowboys in ProRodeo today got their starts as youngsters just dreaming of playing on the big stage. For a big number of those, some of their first steps involved riding sheep, better known as mutton busting. Rodeos all across the country have added the event – which features youngsters of a certain age and weight – to their programs. But the Lea County Fair and Rodeo takes things to a different level. “The people are beating down the door to enter the mutton busting this year,” said Larry Wheeler, chairman of the Lea County Fair Board. “It looks like we’ll have over 200 kids for our slack (on July 31). That’s a lot of kids wanting to ride sheep.” Yes, it is. Out of those, the top 40 scores will advance to the four performances of the PRCA rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 4-Saturday, Aug. 7, at Jake McClure Arena. Mutton busting will serve as a pre-show and will begin around 7 p.m. each night. “It’s just something those younger kids can get involved in,” Wheeler said, noting that many people arrive at the arena early so they can witness the excitement and fun that comes with mutton busting. “I know it’s a big deal for a lot of the parents, but I also know that a lot of the kids enjoy it, too.” They should. The children are outfitted with protective vests and helmets, and they hang on to the sheeps’ tightly. The longer they stay on the running animal, the better the score. Some will not make it far out of the chute, while others will ride the sheep for several seconds. And since the sheeps’ reactions are unscripted, just about anything can happen in mutton busting. The event was developed decades ago, and the first recorded instances date to the National Western Stock Show in Denver. Nancy Cervi, the wife of stock contractor Mike Cervi and the matriarch of Colorado-based Cervi Rodeo, came up with the idea, and it has expanded from one coast to the other. With 40 qualifiers to the performances, the Lea County Fair and Rodeo will host 10 mutton busters per night. “More than anything, we have people who love to watch kids ride sheep,” Wheeler said. “But it’s always fun to see how much people enjoy our mutton busting. It is definitely a tradition, and we have great support for it in Lea County.”

DODGE CITY, Kan. – Her title is office manager, but Elaine Gall is more of a jack-of-all-trades for the Dodge City Roundup Rodeo. Gall is Roundup’s only full-time employee, and since the gates closed on the 2020 edition of Dodge City’s biggest annual event, she’s been busy as part of the organizing and planning group that is focused on this year’s rodeo, set for 7:45 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 4-Sunday, Aug. 8, at Roundup Arena; Dodge City Xtreme Bulls is set for 7:45 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 3. “This job is more hectic during the rodeo, but that’s because everything seems to be happening all at once,” said Gall, who is celebrating her 10th Roundup Rodeo this year. “Before we get to this point in the year, I will have contacted every one of our sponsors and personally visited and reconfirm their commitment with us. I deliver all the sponsorships and handle all the prep work necessary so the week of our rodeo runs as smoothly as possible.” That’s for her sake, but it also is part of her helping the dozens of volunteers that make Roundup happen every year. There are many things that go into making an event the size of Dodge City’s rodeo work every year, and it’s a combination of people working together to make it happen. From volunteers to sponsors to contractors to contestants, it all must mesh together. Most of the work that’s done is never seen by the spectators that arrive at the arena to be entertained for a couple of hours a night. “I don’t think many people understand what goes on behind the scenes, and that’s OK,” Gall said. “The real magic happens where nobody sees it, but that makes what happens in front of the audience that much better for everyone.” While she is the only full-time employee, she is the supervisor for the part-time workers that help with consumer needs and selling tickets. Another aspect of the rodeo that goes unnoticed is within the food and drink distribution. The Dodge City Area Women’s Chamber of Commerce handles concessions, but all the money is returned to Roundup be distributed to various charities the volunteer group supports. “I think one of the neat things we do is after the rodeo, we provide free hospitality with food and drinks for the contestants and our volunteers,” she said. “I know some events start feeding before their rodeos start, but this goes back further than I do, and the reason we wait until after is we want to feed our volunteers as well. “Our volunteers don’t have time before the rodeo to really sit down, relax and eat, so this gives them the time to do that and mingle with our VIPs, sponsors and contestants. I think it’s good for everyone that way.”   Everything that happens inside Roundup Arena is part of a community event that benefits all of southwest Kansas, and everyone associated with the rodeo understands how it all works cohesively. “Elaine handles so many things for us that it takes a lot of pressure off our directors,” said Dr. R.C. Trotter, the committee’s president. “She is an integral part of our rodeo year after year.”

LOVINGTON, N.M. – There is something about this community. This is the desert, and the terrain is only for the most rugged to handle, but it’s also inviting for just about anyone. That’s because of the people and the work ethic that packages everything together. It’s why there is a major exposition in this town of nearly 12,000 and why hundreds of ProRodeo’s biggest stars make their way to southeastern New Mexico every summer. “This has always been a good rodeo to me,” team roping heeler Ryan Motes said of the Lea County Fair and Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 4-Saturday, Aug. 7, at Jake McClure Arena; that also includes Lea County Xtreme Bulls, which is Tuesday, Aug. 3. Motes, a five-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Weatherford, Texas, won the title the last time the rodeo took place in 2019. Roping with Coleman Proctor of Pryor, Oklahoma, the cowboys knocked down two steers in a cumulative time of 9.5 seconds and walked away with nearly $6,000 in earnings. “This was an important rodeo,” Motes said, noting that he and Proctor made money at other rodeos that week, which helped catapult them to NFR bids together. “We had a pretty slow week the week before, so that was pretty big in the scheme of things.” Cody Cabral, a steer wrestler from Hilo, Hawaii, was making a run at the 2019 NFR when he won the title in Lovington. The money boosted him in the bulldogging standings, but he fell just short of his goal in the end. Saddle bronc rider Bradley Harter of LoRanger, Louisiana, utilized his first-place paycheck of nearly $5,000 to return to the NFR for the 11th time in his career. Alas, an injury during the championship event ended his run at the elusive gold buckle. He retired in 2020. Tanner Aus posted the highest-marked ride of the rodeo week, riding Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Good Time Charlie for 90 points to win the bareback riding title. Good Time Charlie is now 19 years old, but the powerful sorrel gelding has been selected to buck at the NFR 13 times in his storied career. “That horse is just timeless,” said Aus, a five-time NFR qualifier from Granite Falls, Minnesota. “For that horse to be that good for that long is just incredible. “This is a great rodeo with a lot of money up for grabs, so it’s a good place to have him.” Other winners from 2019 were bull rider Trey Kimzey, barrel racer Cindy Smith, steer roper Billy Good and tie-down roper Shad Mayfield, who went on to his first NFR qualification that year and earned his first world championship a year later. “Lovington is one of those rodeos that you want to win,” Aus said. “It’s a tour rodeo, there’s always good stock and the payout is always good.” That’s why so many of ProRodeo’s best find their way to Lovington each year.