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CASPER, Wyo. – Cole Franks wasn’t quite sure what to get his dad for Father’s Day. He and some of his teammates from the Clarendon (Texas) College rodeo team collaborated to provide the perfect present: three national championships in one fell swoop. Franks is a sophomore at his hometown college, and his dad, Bret Franks, is the rodeo team’s coach. The Clarendon cowboys began competition last week with the goal of winning the men’s team title; they got a little more than that to go with it. Cole Franks won three rounds and placed in a fourth to win the bareback riding crown. He also added points in saddle bronc riding, and that helped him to the coveted all-around championship. Of all the awards and accolades he received last week at the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, one sticks out more than the rest. “Of the three, the team title means the most because since the first day of school, that was the top goal of this team,” he said. “We’ve all been pushing each other for it. We’ve been doing everything we could to make it possible. “Winning that is a combination of doing something together as a team and for helping Dad win his first national title. It might even mean more for Dad. All of us on the team wanted to win the title, but I know Dad was really wanting to win that team championship.” Cole Franks was joined at the college finals by bull rider Dawson Gleaves and bronc riders Keene Justesen, Brody Wells, Cash Wilson and Weston Patterson. Five of the six Bulldogs earned points, which also help toward the team standings. Clarendon finished the seven-day championship with 890 points, 100 points better than the runner-up, Panola (Texas) College, which was the defending men’s team titlist. “We had a great week,” said Bret Franks, who just finished his sixth season leading the Clarendon rodeo team. “The boys came up here and were ready to compete, and they did. The good thing about my guys is that they’ve all been rodeoing, so there wasn’t a whole lot of practicing or worrying about whether or not they’d be ready. “The thing I’m most proud about is that before I even took this job, I lived in Clarendon. With a facility like the college has, I feel like I could have a national championship within five years if the college got behind a coach. It’s just an awesome facility, and it’s a good place to be. The people are friendly, and the board of regents are awesome and have been very supportive. Yes, this is my sixth year, but we didn’t have a CNFR last year, so this was my fifth try.” The Bulldogs earned the opportunity to battle for the team title by winning the men’s championship in the Southwest Region. That allowed Clarendon to have a full team of six cowboys in Casper. With more players, there are more chances for points, and Clarendon took advantage of that. Three of the cowboys earned their way into four spots in the championship round, with Cole Franks qualifying in both events. Weston Patterson finished as the runner-up to the national champion in saddle bronc riding. Cash Wilson was seventh, and Franks finished 12th. But the coach’s son has excelled in bareback riding, even though his dad was a three-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier in bronc riding. “I’ve coached Cole all the way up in just about everything in rodeo,” Bret Franks said. “I have great friends. Between (bareback riding world champions) Jeff Collins and Mark Gomes, he’s been around winners, and we all have the same mindset. Cole knows how to listen and respond. “What I coach is fundamentals. It’s pretty simple; there’s no science to it other than the mentality of it. There are four or five things you have to do in bareback riding fundamentally. If you do those things really good or better than everybody else, you’re going to be successful. That’s the way I’ve always taught Cole.” Strong fundamentals work at all level of sport. Good athletes know well the drills that help them focus on the basics of the game. Great athletes are just the best at fundamentals all the way through and excel at the rest of their given ventures. “Most of my coaching is not about what I did but more about what I wish I would have done,” he said. “I had marginal success doing what I did. I know what I should have done to be more successful.” The proof is in the three national titles that will make their way to the tiny campus in the Texas Panhandle. They will join the saddle bronc national championships earned by Clarendon cowboys Wyatt Casper in 2016 and Riggin Smith in 2019. “What we do is not a secret; we work harder than everybody else,” Bret Franks said. “That’s the way it’s going to be. If I find out somebody’s working harder than we are, then we’re going to find a way to outwork them in the end. That’s why I get kids to come to Clarendon. The kids I get want to be better. It’s really amazing when you see kids like that. They are in it to win it.” That was his son’s mindset. Cole Franks also won the bareback and all-around championships in the region, then carried that momentum into the college finals. He’s also progressing well in ProRodeo, where he was in the top 20 in the world standings as of last week and was No. 1 in the bareback riding Rookie of the Year race. “I wanted to win four rounds, but to win three rounds and place in the other is so cool,” said Cole Franks, who won the first, second and fourth rounds and placed fourth in the third go-round; he also accounted for 395.5 of the team’s point total. “I knew I needed to make the short round in the  Continue Reading »

A quarter century ago, Bret Franks and Jhett Johnson were teammates at Panhandle State University. Now they’re two of several former Aggies who coach in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association, Franks at Clarendon (Texas) College and Johnson at Casper (Wyoming) College. They’re also dads who happen to coach their sons. On Saturday night, they celebrated Father’s Day a little early at the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper. Cole Franks, a sophomore at Clarendon, won the bareback riding national championship. He also added the college’s first all-around title and helped Clarendon to its first men’s team national title. Meanwhile, Kellan and Carson Johnson won the team roping for Casper. It was the second college title for Kellen, the oldest and the header among the two. He won the crown in 2018 while roping the horns for Trey Yates. The Johnson brothers earned their national titles together 11 years after Jhett Johnson won the heeling world title while roping with Turtle Powell. The Casper men’s team finished third overall. Happy Father’s Day, Bret and Jhett.

PECOS, Texas – While this community came to grips with the global pandemic, the organizers of the West of the Pecos Rodeo debated about what to do with its 2020 event. Each step of the way, the volunteers sought advice from people they trusted. With more than a century of history, the committee knows how important the rodeo is not only to Pecos but also much of west Texas. “Along the way, we knew we had Pete Carr’s support,” longtime committee member Brenda McKinney said of the owner of Pete Carr Pro Rodeo. “He really understood what we were going through. When we realized we couldn’t do it on our typical dates at the end of June, he helped us look at different dates. “We kept in touch with Pete for several months to see if we could pull off the rodeo. He was very positive, but he understood that we needed to make the decision for our community. He said, ‘I respect that and will do whatever you guys want.’ ” That’s the type of partnership the community organizers want when it comes to the primary collaboration of a successful annual event. Pecos and the Carr brand have been teamed together for nearly two decades, and the proof what happens during the rodeo, set for 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 23-Saturday, June 26. Over that time, fans have packed Buck Jackson Arena to see some incredible action. Of the PRCA records that have happened in Pecos, nearly all have come during the Carr team’s time in Reeves County. From Ryan Gray’s 92-point bareback ride on Dirty Jacket to Scottie Knapp’s 93-point bull ride on Half Nuts to the six bronc riders who all have matching 88s, all the top scores in the event’s history have come on Carr bucking animals. “It gets really hot here this time of year, but that never seems to affect the animals that Pete and his crew bring,” McKinney said. “The animals seem to thrive in this weather. They buck their best. The cattle run good. As hot as it is, you think you’d see it in those animals’ performances, but you never do.” There’s so much involved in making a rodeo of this magnitude happen. The ropers and bulldoggers want the best cattle available, and the barrel racers want to run on the best ground. That’s where the teamwork between contractor and committee comes into play. Carr and his crew of rodeo professionals know what it takes to make sure all entities are as happy as possible. That’s not as easy as it sounds, either, because the contestants are just part of the mix. The biggest contingent involves the sponsors and the fans that come out for a night of entertainment and high-flying rodeo action. “Working with Pete Carr and his crew is probably one of the greatest experiences we’ve had as far as dealing with such a professional group of individuals,” McKinney said. “They are like family to us now. We know they care about how the rodeo goes off. Their hearts are into the success of our rodeo, just like our hearts are in it. “Pete Carr and his group have such a special place in our hearts, because they help us step up our rodeo a lot. We can’t thank them enough.”

Isley brings his comedy, personality back for Cattlemen’s Days GUNNISON, Colo. – Watching Keith Isley entertain crowds at any rodeo across North America, it seems as though entertaining was just a natural fit. The truth is far from reality, though. He wasn’t necessarily funny; he was, however, talented and has always had an amazing work ethic. With that, he developed a comedic sense and has been recognized for it. Over the last 40 years, no other clown in the PRCA has received as many accolades as Isley, who has been named Specialty Act of the Year five times, Comedy Act of the Year six times, Clown of the Year six times and Coors Man in the Can five times, including last year when he earned the honor at the PRCA Awards Banquet in Fort Worth, Texas. “The acts were tough to come by for me, because I was not interested in the acts in the beginning,” said Isley of Goldston, North Carolina. “I was not interested in being funny. I was interested in protecting cowboys and getting people out of a bind.” That was four-plus decades ago, and he’s still defying his own odds as one of the greatest entertainers in ProRodeo. He returns to Gunnison this summer for the Cattlemen’s Days PRCA Rodeo, set for Thursday, July 15-Saturday, July 17, at Fred Field Western Center in Gunnison. “Back in that time of rodeo, you were expected to do some comedy and fight bulls, too,” he said. “Now I’m in my 60s, so I don’t get as close to the bulls as I used to. The brain says I’m willing, but the body definitely says I’m not able.” Instead, he entertains, and he’s good at it, too. He first found himself in the Gunnison Valley four decades ago, and he loves returning. “When you go to some rodeos like Gunnison, you get to meet a lot of people,” Isley said. “I met a few people that were on the committee when I first went there in the ’90s, and I get to see them when I go back. It’s always good to visit my friends. “And the weather’s pretty good, too.” The cool, mountain air is in contrast to his home in central North Carolina, which features high heat indexes – mixture of warm weather and high humidity. Gunnison a good setting for a veteran rodeo clown and the animals he uses in his acts.  If you ask him, Isley can’t tell you when or how he developed his comedy. It’s a mixture of influences that have packaged themselves into the smart-aleck with a Carolina accent and a quick-hitting attention to detail. He also understands the necessity of utilizing physical comedy. “You can get someone to tell a joke, but a comedian will know how to make it funny,” Isley said. He’s developed that touch, and while he has a backlog of jokes in his repertoire, he oftentimes finds the humor in the moments that transpire throughout each performance. He’s an addition to the action that takes place in the arena, not a distraction. “I try to keep my mouth shut and not do anything that will disrupt a contestant; I want to make sure the contestants have their time,” he said. “The sponsors and the fans like to hear that person’s name, so let that person have that moment. But if there’s a lull, I like to keep things moving.” That’s just part of what makes him so good at his job. When he’s filling time or helping through a transition in the show’s lineup, he’s doing so comedically. “Before each rodeo and during the national anthem, I say a little prayer,” Isley said. “I thank God for giving me the talent and giving me the opportunity to make people laugh and have a good time. Everybody has problems at some point in their life. If you can make people laugh, at that point, they will have forgotten their problem.” For the past 40 years, Isley has done that. Long after he’s retired and decided to spend out his days with his wife, Melanie, he will be remembered by many for his greatness in and out of the arena. For now, though, he’ll enjoy his time working in rodeo and hanging out with friends, whether it’s in Gunnison or somewhere else down the rodeo road. “With what I’ve won and with as blessed as I’ve been, I’ve already been recognized for what I do,” he said. “It’s been way more than I ever dreamed of. When I was a kid, you always wanted to go to Calgary (Alberta), Cheyenne (Wyoming), Pendleton (Oregon) and the NFR. I’ve worked every major rodeo there is and a lot of really good smaller rodeos, too. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. It’s been an amazing venture.”

ALVA, Okla. – While he’s experienced the College National Finals Rodeo before, it’s never something Bridger Anderson takes for granted. The last time he played on this stage two seasons ago, Anderson walked away with the coveted steer wrestling national championship. He was just a sophomore then, and it was the last time the college finals took place. After taking a year off because of COVID-19, intercollegiate rodeo’s championship event returns Sunday, June 13-Saturday, June 19, at the Ford Wyoming Center in Casper, Wyoming. “I’m excited for this,” said Anderson, a senior from Carrington, North Dakota. “I wanted to go back last year, but it wasn’t in the cards because of COVID. Now we’re fired up and ready to head back and try to win another title. I’m excited to have my teammate, Riley Westhaver, and coach Stockton Graves with me. Hopefully between Riley and I, we can bring back another title to Northwestern. “Yes, I’m a two-year defending national champion with one title,” he said with a laugh. “We’re happy to have another chance to go back to the college finals. We’re hoping to have a lot of fun and make the most of our last year at the college finals.” In his four seasons at Northwestern, Anderson has qualified for the college finals three times – each year in which he was able. No matter what happens from this point forward, he’ll focus his attention on his future. With a degree in hand, he has his eyes set on ProRodeo, where he was a National Finals Rodeo qualifier in 2020. On the other end of the spectrum is Westhaver, who moved to Alva from High River, Alberta, six years ago to gain an education and to work on his rodeo career. Now a graduate student, he has earned his first trip to the CNFR by winning the always-tough Central Plains Region, edging out Anderson for the regional crown. “I feel like it’s been a lot of work, and it’s finally coming to a head,” Westhaver said. ‘I’ve spent a lot of time down here, and I’m finally getting to piece things together.” The format at the college finals is simple, yet still rugged. Each man will compete in three go-rounds, and the top 12 bulldoggers in the three-run aggregate will advance to the championship round on the final night of the CNFR. Points are gathered by finishing atop the standings in each go-round, but the national champion will be earned by the man with the best four-run cumulative time. That’s how Anderson won the national title two seasons ago, and that’s what former Ranger bulldogger J.D. Struxness did in 2016. That season, another Northwestern cowboy, Jacob Edler, finished second to Struxness in the steer wrestling national standings, and the Rangers finished second in the final team standings. “I’m super pumped for ‘Canada,’ ” Anderson said, referring to his nickname for Westhaver. “He won the region, and I’m really happy for him. Yes, I had a goal of winning the region, but we’re teammates and buddies. We push each other to get better every day. If I didn’t win the region, then I’m glad it was Canada. “I’m excited to have him coming with me and being part of the college finals. I think between the two of us, we’ve got a good chance to have a lot of luck out there.” The Rangers are coming off one of the toughest Central Plains Region seasons to date. Instead of splitting the course of 10 rodeos over an entire school year. The campaign was packed into nine straight weeks of rodeo because of the pandemic’s restrictions. The first rodeo of the season, at Kansas State University, was canceled, and there was not much time off through the spring semester to adjust from one rodeo to the next. Fortunately, Westhaver and Anderson excelled, finishing first and second in the region respectively. “Winning the region is a heck of a step, and I’m just really confident in what I ride and with the people around me that help me have that confidence,” Westhaver said, noting that he will ride Anderson’s horse, Whiskers, just as he’s done this season and expects to do during the ProRodeo season. “I think it’s the people around me that push me that give me the most confidence.” Yes, that includes Anderson, but it also includes Graves, a seven-time NFR qualifier and a former Northwestern standout, and Edler, the reigning world champion bulldogger. That foursome will travel together before and after the college finals. “I’m really excited to get out there and be among that atmosphere and be in that moment,” Westhaver said. “I feel like I’m mounted pretty good, and I have a lot of confidence in the horse. Now we just need to go out there and do our jobs.” Whiskers not only guided Anderson to the national title two seasons ago but also helped him advance to the NFR last season. The talented gelding has been in the right place at the right time for both Anderson and Westhaver through the Central Plains season. “Riley and I were fortunate to have a good year in the region,” Anderson said. “It was a tough year with nine rodeos in a row, but we got through the semester, and we got all our school work done. We’re excited to represent Northwestern and our rodeo team on a national level.”

Cattlemen’s Days sound director is always ready for the action GUNNISON, Colo. – Randy Mayer was just clowning around when he came upon the task of music direction. It’s not funny business anymore for the Mississippi man, who will return to Gunnison for this year’s Cattlemen’s Days PRCA Rodeo, set for Thursday, July 15-Saturday, July 17, at Fred Field Western Center in Gunnison. “I’ve been coming to Gunnison for about eight years,” said Mayer, 44, of Potts Camp, Mississippi, in the state’s northwest corner. “I have a great job. I get to work with the best announcers, the best specialty acts, the best stock contractors and some of the best committees in rodeo. I love all the rodeos I work, and I’m thankful to be everywhere I get to go.” Of course, spending every July in the Rocky Mountains for rodeos in Gunnison, Monte Vista, Colorado, and Ogden, Utah, is a pretty comfortable setting, especially compared to the heat and humidity of his home not far from Memphis, Tennessee. He’s been recognized as one of ProRodeo’s best sound directors, the men and women who put music and other digital sounds as the accompaniment to the action and entertainment inside the arena. Mayer has been nominated as the PRCA’s Sound Director of the Year each of the past four seasons, and there’s a good reason behind it. And it’s almost as if the job fit him before he fit into the job. “I started out in rodeo when I was 14 years old and worked my first rodeo in September 1992 as a barrelman,” Mayer said. “I did that until I was 26 or 27.” His calling changed, and so did his life’s work. As a whiz with a computer, Mayer found his way to being a sound director by happenstance. Another sound man, Matt Harris, needed some work done on his PC and asked Mayer to handle the workload. They tested it out at an amateur rodeo Harris was working with his ProRodeo Hall of Fame father, Lecile Harris. Mayer’s experience doing morning, midday and drive-time shows on WGKX KIX 106 in Memphis was put on full display. Lecile Harris, who had been involved in rodeo production for years, knew there was something special brewing. “Alan Moorhead was the announcer, and when it was over with, they all said I was a natural fit for it,” Mayer said. “I went from two rodeos to four my second year, then on to five and six and it just kept building. I started working with Scotty Lovelace and was with him starting in 2010. “In 2013, I got hooked up with Stace Smith; that’s how I got myself to Gunnison.” He works about 20 rodeos a year across the country and has a blast doing it. It’s more than music and more than just creating a song list; he pays particular attention to the action and has downloaded so many sounds that the perfect “reaction” to what happens is just a mouse-click away. Whether it’s a buck-off or a great ride, Mayer is ready, willing and more than capable of creating the perfect moment for the audience. It helps, too, that he oftentimes works with announcer Andy Stewart, who serves as the voice of Cattlemen’s Days rodeo. “Andy and I’ve worked side-by-side pretty much the whole time I’ve been I n the PRCA,” said Mayer, who oftentimes goes by the nickname “Stretch,” given his 6-foot-7-inch frame. “We’ve got great chemistry. I know where he’s going, and he knows where I’m fixing to go, and we work off that really well.” It shows through each performance, and the fans in Gunnison are oftentimes the beneficiaries of their work together.

GUNNISON, Colo. – There are a handful of barrel-racing events that take place in Gunnison every year, but the one everyone looks forward to most is the Watershed Legacy Barrel Race. That’s because it’s part of the annual Cattlemen’s Days celebration and will feature locals competing for prizes and bragging rights. The competition is set for Tuesday, July 13, at the Fred Field Western Center in Gunnison. “This barrel race and Cattlemen’s Days are huge,” said Keri George, one of the local organizers of the event and part of High Elevation Productions, which puts it on. “It’s just something all the local people, ranchers included, looks forward to every year because it’s been going on forever.” Yes, it has, but that’s the fact behind most of the activities centered around Cattlemen’s Days, which is celebrating its 121st year. The festivities are set to bring the community together before haying season begins, and it’s something the locals and more look forward to each year. It’s especially true since most of the activities were canceled a year ago because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The barrel race was one of the few Cattlemen’s Days events that did happen around the same time as the rodeo, which was postponed until September. For years, it was simply known as the Watershed Barrel Race, but the organizers added legacy to it three years ago. “It’s fun, because people that used to rodeo out of Gunnison come to town and enter up,” George said. “We started the legacy because we wanted people who used to live here to be able to run during Cattlemen’s Days. Even if they moved away, they can come back and compete. “We draw a pretty good crowd, and we still have the Calcutta. We also do youth, which usually draws about 15 girls, and then we’ll have at least 25 in the open.” There’s an added benefit, too. The ladies with the top five times will compete during the Friday, July 16, performance of the rodeo. After the ProRodeo cowgirls make their runs, the five locals will have a chance to show off their talents and their talented horses. The fastest time of those five will be awarded a saddle. “For as long as I can remember, they’ve had that race,” said George, the Cattlemen’s Days queen in 1982. “I ran in it a couple of times, but now I clerk it. It’s just a tradition. People in this town love the traditions, especially the tradition of Cattlemen’s Days. “My dad was the treasurer for Cattlemen’s for years. I’m just carrying on that tradition.”

Cinch endorsee is the man behind the scenes of PRCA’s top stock contractor Heath Stewart didn’t have to dream of being a cowboy like most boys. He was born into it, the son of a ranching and rodeo cowboy named Butch Stewart, who, with his wife, Brenda, raised their two children around grasslands and pastures. Heath and older sister Carissa were horseback early in life, working cattle herds and moving livestock from one pen to another. It is the family business. Butch Stewart was the son of a ranch manager who managed ranches himself, holding posts from middle America to the East Coast. The family moved around a bit as the kids grew, a piece of the ranching puzzle, but it shaped them into the rodeo fit they have today. Heath Stewart is the rodeo manager for Frontier Rodeo, but there’s so much more to the job. In essence, he is the operation’s chief … in charge of everything from the massive ranch near Freedom, Oklahoma, in the state’s northwest corner to the outfit’s work at rodeos across North America, from Arcadia, Florida, to Lehi, Utah. And everything he does now is just a reflection of how he spent his younger days on the ranch and traveling with his dad to rodeos as a tiny tot. He’s a third-generation ranch manager, after all. “My parents were very instrumental in what I’m doing now,” said Stewart, 45, now married to his wife, Shay, and a dad of three. “I grew up in rodeo. It’s pretty much what I grew up to love and the only thing I knew how to do.” He tried his hand at competing, but it wasn’t quite the fit as it was his old man, who was a top hand half a century ago while competing in the IRA, a professional association now called the International Professional Rodeo Association and based in Oklahoma City. Butch Stewart also worked for the IPRA, first as a field rep and later as its interim executive director. Management, it seems, was a much better direction for Heath, and he wears it well. A Cinch endorsee, Stewart is a recognizable face of Frontier Rodeo; he is outfitted with jeans and shirts by the Western clothier, and it shows on TV as much as any cowboy in the game. Frontier is owned by Texan Jerry Nelson, the man behind the magic that entertains rodeo fans in Cody, Wyoming, and Dodge City, Kansas. Heath Stewart began working for Nelson in the late 1990s, when Nelson produced several bull ridings in the Northeast. “I got my start with him taking a load of bulls,” Stewart said of Nelson. “I helped him a few times at the bull ridings, and I just stayed and have been there ever since.’ Ever since might be more like a lifetime, because the partnership has been beyond beneficial to both men. Over the last six ProRodeo seasons, no other livestock producer has been better. Frontier Rodeo is the reigning six-time PRCA Stock Contractor of the Year, a vote of confidence made by the association’s membership. “Winning that is a great feeling,” he said. “There are so many great contractors out there. To win it once is awesome; to win it six times … it just makes you feel proud of yourself. Honestly, though, the reason we got six is because we’ve got a great crew. “It’s not me. It’s not you. It’s the whole crew together. That’s what makes us good. I try to hire good personnel … guys feeding, guys driving trucks. That’s why we are so good. They care about what we’re doing as much as I care about what we’re doing.” What they’re doing is setting a precedent as to what it means to be a high-quality rodeo producer in this day and age. Stewart and his staff excel at every aspect, and they’ve developed long-term relationships with the people that hire Frontier Rodeo. It’s a process that’s been proven over time, but there’s so much more to it than the connections made. This is, after all, a rodeo, complete with fast horses and steers and bucking animals. And, oh, does Frontier Rodeo have some athletic bucking beasts, horses like Medicine Woman, a four-time PRCA Saddle Bronc of the Year that was the runner-up on three other occasions, and Full Baggage, a two-time Bareback Horse of the Year and a three-time reserve champion. Much of the herd dates back a couple of decades, when Nelson acquired the means necessary to build a foundation that has become what it is today. “Harry Vold used to have a sale, and he had some old mares there, and Jerry and (Dan) Mundorf bought them,” Stewart said. “It all started with those 10 mares from Harry’s. Dusty Gal was the mother to Dusty Dan and Bobby Joe Skoal. We got her, and she had one colt, then she died when the colt was 3 weeks old. He was a stud colt, and we kept him a stud. “His name is Big Medicine, and that’s where we started our breeding program.” Big Medicine has sired greatness, and the program has thrived. He fathered Medicine Woman and Maple Leaf, the 2013 bronc of the year, and so many other incredible bucking machines. That includes Gun Fire, a rising star in the game. Already this season, the buckskin mare has guided Tilden Hooper to a $100,000 victory at RFD-TV’s The American and was a big part of the equation behind Tim O’Connell’s world record-tying, 94-point ride at the Riggin’ Rally in April. “From the first day we started her, she bucked,” Stewart said. “I’ve got a couple full sisters and brothers to her, and four of them have crippled themselves because they just buck so hard. “The thing about her is, if you stub you’re toe, she’s going to buck a guy off, but for the most part, she’s pretty rider-friendly. She’s not the most rider-friendly, because she bucks so hard, but she’ll  Continue Reading »

GUNNISON, Colo. – For nearly eight decades, the open horse show has been a staple for the Cattlemen’s Days celebration. Of course, the community-based gathering dates back even further, to 1900, when the inaugural Cattlemen’s Days helped bring people to the town of Gunnison to celebrate their lives and livelihoods. That was a time when horsepower was much more prevalent than it is in today’s society, but the celebration still honors its past. Of the events that bring the past and present together, the open horse show fits the bill. It will take place Saturday, July 3, at Fred Field Western Center in Gunnison. “We base our horse show off the AQHA rules,” said Ivy McNulty, chairman of the volunteer committee that organizes show. “We have different classes, ranging from Western pleasure to limited English classes.” The number of participants varies, she said, depending on how the calendar works. Entries can range between 50 and 150; she’s unsure of what to expect since this year’s show takes place on the Fourth of July weekend. “We get people from all over to enter our show,” McNulty said. “I’ve had people from Kansas come and enter this show.” This isn’t like some of the national horse shows, but it’s big enough. There are five age divisions, and the top high-point rider in each age division will earn a buckle. There also will be other awards possible. “It’s not all kids,” she said. “We have anywhere from 8-under lead line on up. We’ve had women that have been 80 years old showing their horses. “There’s a whole bunch of horse showing out in the world, but Gunnison is not one of those big events. It’s an opportunity for the kids to show more. I know some people who come just to do the trail classes. It’s a good way to participate in the classes you want.” The show is just an extension of so many pieces of the Cattlemen’s Days puzzle. It takes all those pieces together to showcase the Gunnison Valley and all its people in a fabulous community event. “The sponsors are 100 percent the most important part of our horse show,” McNulty said. “It’s the only way I can put it on. We have a budget with the Cattlemen’s Days committee, but it all really comes from sponsorship. I’ve been part of the open horse show my whole life, competing in it, participating or running it, and we’ve had the same sponsors for years and years. I appreciate that very much. “I don’t think there’s one thing that makes Cattlemen’s Days special. I think it’s all of it. I’m a 4-H leader, and I think it’s the 4-H program, the carnival, the livestock shows, the horse shows, the rodeo and everything else. For a lot of people in this valley, this is the only weekend they have to show their horse.”

ATOKA, Okla. – The sloppy conditions at the Atoka ProRodeo may have muddied Tyler Pearson’s clothes over the weekend, but it didn’t dull the shine on his gold buckle. Originally from Louisville, Mississippi, Pearson and his family moved to this southeastern Oklahoma hamlet in 2017. He recalls it vividly, because that was the same year he won the PRCA steer wrestling world championship. “We’d never owned any land, and we found this place and it had 60 acres,” said Pearson, who lives with his wife, Carissa, son, Stetson; and daughter, Steelie. “The main thing was to come here and have some land. “There are a lot of guys around here that get after it and are really talented. We’ve got a lot of friends right here close. We’ve built some relationships here that are going to last a lifetime. We love the people here.” He also likes having the Atoka ProRodeo in town. For as cowboy friendly as the community is, it had never hosted a PRCA event until this year when Lane, Oklahoma-based McCoy Rodeo decided to produce it. Owned by Oklahoma rodeo star Cord McCoy and his family, the firm has set up two days of rodeo action. Pearson competed both nights in steer wrestling and team roping. It’s a chance for him to show off his world-championship talents in front of friends that may not get to see him work all that often. “We’re home the next few weeks, so we’re rodeoing around the house,” said Pearson, a four-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier who sits No. 2 in the world standings at this point in the season. “It’s really convenient to be able to go to places that aren’t that far from the house instead of driving 20 hours to Reno (Nevada), which is what we’ll be doing pretty soon.” Rodeo is how he makes a living. So far this season, he’s pocketed just shy of $50,000. That’s more than double what he earned in all of 2020, which, like much of the world, was hampered by COVID-19. His goal is to secure his fifth NFR bid, then help do the same for his traveling partners, two-time world champion Tyler Waguespack and Kyle Irwin, a five-time NFR qualifier. For now, though, Pearson will take advantage of local rodeos to gather up dollars to return to the Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo, which takes the top 12 on the money list for competitors and rodeos primarily in Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. He’d like to qualify in both bulldogging and heeling. “I’ve roped a long time,” he said. “We’re just trying to circuit rodeo this year. I’m roping with (header) Rowdy Jones, who is an upcoming star. He’s going to be a name you hear for a long time. I’m just a stepping stone for him, but it sure is fun.” The tandem never found its way to the winner’s circle over the two nights of the Atoka ProRodeo, but Pearson earned a second-place finish in bulldogging Friday night. When it comes to competition, he understands how important it is to have quality horses. He’s co-owner of Scooter, a former steer wrestling horse of the year, and owns Metallica, which has been considered one of the top hazing horses. He also owns Dippin Dots, a 5-year-old appaloosa gelding Pearson uses in roping. “He’s just got a really good demeanor,” he said of the spotted horse. “He’s super calm, super chill. My kids can ride him, and he’s still so young. He handles about anything. He’s also a winner. I never thought I’d be on an appaloosa that had talent. He’s sure nice to heel on, and I just really like riding him.” The best part is that he got to do it at his hometown rodeo and win some money in the process. “It’s cool to have this little rodeo,” Pearson said. “We go all over, so it’s awesome to have one in your own back yard. It’s fun, and we get to visit with people we know. There are people in this town that didn’t know we rodeoed, so now they can come see you do it.” Atoka ProRodeoAtoka, OklahomaMay 22Bareback riding: 1. Mike Fred, 75.5 points on McCoy Rodeo’s 715, $256; 2. (tie) Dakota Mendez and Tim Murphy, 74, $160 each; 4. Colton Crawford, 73, $64. Steer wrestling: 1. Gus Franzen, 5.6 seconds, $278; 2. Tyler Ravenscroft, 6.2, $209; 3. Sean Mulligan, 6.5, $139; 4. Colton Swearingen, 15.3, $70. Team roping: 1. Mike Bacon/Dustin Davis, 5.2 seconds, $865; 2. (tie) Britt Smith/Jake Smith and A.J. Horton/Kyle Horton, 5.6, $541; 4. Jake Clay/Rance Doyal, 6.6, $216. Saddle bronc riding: 1. Danny Cassidy, 77.5 points on McCoy Rodeo’s Dun It, $256; 2. Brett Allen Coffman, 74, $192; 3. Trey Elshere, 69, $128; no other qualified rides. Breakaway roping: 1. Shelby Boisjoli, 2.3 seconds, $1,183; 2. (tie) Winter Williams, Abigayle Williams and Sawyer Gilbert, 2.5, $775 each; 5. Jaice Walters, 2.8, $367; 6. (tie) Jackie Crawford and Alex Loiselle, 3.0, 102 each. Tie-down roping: 1. Spence Barney, 10.6 seconds, $459; 2. Kyle Lucas, 11.4, $344; 3. Taylor Santos, 14.2, $229; 4. Landon McClaugherty, 15.7, $115. Barrel racing: 1. Molly Childers, 17.79 seconds, $468; 2. Taylor Reazin, 17.87, $423; (tie) LaRae Smith and Randee Hedrick, 18.10, $328 each; 5. Lindsey McLeod, 18.36, $233; 6. Torrie Edge, 18.48, $169; 7. Savannah Pearson, 18.52, $106; 8. Cassidy Champlin, 18.67, $42. Steer roping: First round: 1. Vin Fisher Jr., 12.6 seconds, $741; 2. Billy Good, 12.9, $556; 3. Slade Wood, 13.8, $371; 4. Landon McClaugherty, 14.1, $185. Second round: 1. Slade Wood, 11.4 seconds, $741; 2. Mike Chase, 12.0, $556; 3. Cole Patterson, 12.8, $371; 4. Shay Good, 12.9, $185. Average: 1. Slade Wood, 25.2 seconds, $1,112; 2. Vin Fisher Jr., 26.2, $834; 3. Shay Good, 28.8, $556; 4. Landon McClaugherty, 29.0, $278. Bull riding: No qualified rides.

ATOKA, Okla. – Jake Clay and Rance Doyal are having a nice bit of luck roping at events in their home state of Oklahoma. On Friday night, the team ropers stopped the clock in 5.5 seconds to win the opening night of the Atoka ProRodeo at the Atoka Trail Riders Arena. That was worth $790 per man and gives them a nice bit of confidence heading into Saturday’s second day of competition. “I like that it pays this well for being a smaller rodeo,” said Clay, 22, a header Sapulpa, Oklahoma. “It’s perfect, because you get two rodeo counts for the circuit and get to rope for some decent money.” Every cent counts in rodeo, where dollars equal points. Only the top 15 contestants on the money list in each event at the conclusion of the regular season advance to the National Finals Rodeo, the sport’s grand finale. The same is said for each circuit. Clay and Doyal compete in the Prairie Circuit, made up of contestants and events primarily in Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. “It’s a good rodeo,” Clay said of Atoka. “It’s a little muddy, but that’s nobody’s fault. The steers are good, and we had a chance to win. That’s really all you could ask for. He and his partner are toward the top of the circuit standings. Clay sits second in heading, while Doyal is the No. 1 heeler; he lives just 50 miles northeast of Atoka in Hartshorne, Oklahoma. In March, the tandem pocketed $6,500 apiece by placing well at the Bob Feist Invitational during its one-year run at the Lazy E Arena near Guthrie, Oklahoma. While that money doesn’t count toward ProRodeo standings, it does come in handy. “My goal is to make the National Finals,” Clay said. “That’s always been a goal of mine, and I’m going to try to do what it takes to get there.” That included making a switch a year ago. As a heeler, he teamed with five-time NFR qualifier Coleman Proctor to win the aggregate championship at the 2019 Prairie Circuit Finals. Since then, the young cowboy is opening as many doors as possible to make his dreams come true. “I’ve always liked heading,” Clay said. “I’ve wanted to head, and I figured if I was going to do it, I may as well do it while I was young and see how it works.” It seems to be workout out quite well. Atoka ProRodeoAtoka, OklahomaMay 21Bareback riding: 1. (tie) Mark Kreder, on McCoy Rodeo’s Foxtrot, and Jayco Roper, on McCoy Rodeo’s Party Girl, 78 points, $204 each; 3. Tanner Phillips, 72, $117; 4. Danny Weil, 66, $58. Steer wrestling: 1. Adam Musil, 5.8 seconds, $323; 2. Tyler Pearson, 6.8, $243; 3. Sean Mulligan, 8.4, $162; 4. Shawn Musil, 10.0, $81. Team roping: 1. Jake Clay/Rance Doyal, 5.5 seconds, $790; 2. Dustin Morgan/Nick Rowland, 6.7, $592; 3. Wyatt Muggli/Casey McCleskey, 7.5, $395; 4. Britt Smith/Jake Smith, 11.1, $197. Saddle bronc riding: 1. Timothy Troyer, 79 points on McCoy Rodeo’s Dun It, $267; 2. Dawson Dahm, 73, $200; 3. Brady Burton, 67, $133; no other qualified rides. Breakaway roping: 1. Jackie Crawford, 2.4 seconds, $1,249; 2. (tie) Tacy Webb and Martha Angelone, 2.6, $926 each; 4. Jenna Lee Hays, 2.8, $603; 5. (tie) Shai Schaefer and Shelby Boisjoli, 3.0, $301 each. Tie-down roping: 1. Landon McClaugherty, 13.8 seconds, $429; 2. Wyatt Muggli, 20.8, $321; 3. Kyle Lucas, 22.7, $214; 4. Layton Little, 24.6, $107. Barrel racing: 1. Shelby Janssen, 17.84 seconds, $573; 2. Stephanie Joyner, 18.01, $498; 3. Taitum Thomas, 18.07, $423; 4. Randi Holliday, 18.11, $349; 5. Tana Poppino, 18.20, $274; 6. Molly Childers, 18.27, $199; 7. Lindsey McLeod, 18.39, $125; 8. Katy Pendergrass, 18.70, $50.Steer roping: First round: 1. Bryce Davis, 11.6 seconds, $720; 2. Cole Patterson, 13.4, $540; 3. Landon McClaugherty, 13.5, $360; 4. Trent Johnson, 14.2, $180. Second round: 1. Jason Stockton, 11.7 seconds, $720; 2. Shay Good, 12.0, $540; 3. Matt Phipps, 12.6, $360; 4. (tie) Cash Myers and Tony Reina, 13.1, $90 each. Average: 1. Cole Patterson, 28.9 seconds on two runs, $1,080; 2. Cash Myers, 32.2, $810; 3. Landon McClaugherty, 33.1, $540; 4. Bryce Davis, 11.6 seconds on one run, $270.   Bull riding: 1. Joseph McConnel, 87 points on McCoy Rodeo’s Real Gun, $403; 2. Joe Alejos Jr., 77, $330; no other qualified rides.

CLAREMORE, Okla. –A decade ago, the organizers of the Will Rogers Stampede PRCA Rodeo were regularly seeking more sponsorships and hoping to fill the stands. My, how things have changed. Those same organizers are expecting good crowds for this year’s rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 28-Sunday, May 30, at Stampede Park in Claremore. Sponsors have come through, too, but there are reasons behind the rodeo’s success. “Pete Carr is very important to our rodeo,” volunteer David Petty said of Pete Carr Pro Rodeo, the stock contractor that produces the annual event. “We were pretty stagnant and needed to do something, and we needed a professional that approached rodeo from a professional point of view. “The team that Pete has assembled throughout the last seven years we’ve had him are professional, they do their jobs and they do it well.” The result is in the product that happens in the arena. Rodeo is a mixture of elite athletic competition and family entertainment, and the Carr firm realizes that as well as any livestock producer in professional rodeo. By looking at rodeo as a two-sided puzzle piece, the contestants know the competition will be level, and fans see an engaging show. “Pete’s got a good following on the roughstock end, and cowboys will make sure they go to a Carr rodeo because they know there are good bucking horses and bulls,” Petty said. “Pete, being a former competitor himself, knew what it took to have a top-notch stock company. I think we’ve got a good partnership with Pete and his crew. Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s always done us a good job.” Claremore’s rodeo first hired the Carr team in 2013. A year later, the Stampede won the first of its five straight PRCA Small Rodeo of the Year awards. The proof is in the elite contestants that make their way to Rogers County every spring and in increased number of fans that make it part of their lives. “Pete’s team is in charge of the production of our rodeo,” Petty said. “The thing about Pete Carr Pro Rodeo is that they’re a respected company that guarantees us good contestants and good livestock for those contestants to compete on. They’ve got a tremendous crew. From the guys feeding and sorting in the back pens to the guys handling the production, they’re all important.” Northeast Oklahoma is home to people that truly understand rodeo, but the Stampede attracts a diversified fan base. That wasn’t always the case. That’s the case now. “The simple fact is that people aren’t saying it’s the same-old thing any more like they did for a long time,” he said. “They’re getting their entertainment dollar’s worth. It’s a pretty cheap ticket to see as much entertainment as they get to see. “When we hired Pete Carr, the coffee-shop talk changed a whole bunch, and people liked what they were seeing at our rodeo. That’s the thing we take pride in.”

ATOKA, Okla. – Cord McCoy knows what it takes to be a champion. He won five IPRA world titles nearly two decades ago as one of the top all-around cowboys in the Oklahoma City-based association, and he’s been in contention for the PRCA and PBR gold buckles over his lifetime. There was also the time he and his brother finished as runners-up for $1 million during marathon around the world on CBS-TV’s “The Amazing Race.” It’s no surprise that the world champions are ready to compete at the Atoka Pro Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 21-Saturday, May 22, at the Atoka Trail Riders Arena. In all, there are four PRCA world champions in the mix representing five gold buckles: Kollin VonAhn, a two-time heeling world champ; Tyson Durfey, the 2016 tie-down roping titlist; Ryan Jarrett, the 2005 all-around winner; and Tyler Pearson, the 2017 steer wrestling world champion that now lives in Atoka. There are two others won their gold buckles at the Timed Event Championship at the Lazy E Arena: Jess Tierney, the 2017 winner, and Taylor Santos, who won the TEC crown in 2020. “There is a great rodeo history right here in Atoka County,” said McCoy, a co-owner of Atoka County-based McCoy Rodeo, which is producing the rodeos. “If you look at that, you recognize that there’s been a need for a PRCA rodeo to take place right here, and I’m glad to be able to bring it to town.” Pearson makes a significant part of his living as one of the best bulldoggers in ProRodeo, and he moved to this southeastern Oklahoma community just before winning the world championship four seasons ago. He is scheduled to compete both nights in steer wrestling and team roping. But he isn’t the only man from Atoka County to have earned a PRCA gold buckle There are three others, and they’re successes have significant undertones. The first is steer roper John McEntire, who won three world titles. He was followed by his son, Clark McEntire, who also won three steer roping gold buckles. The third is Lane Frost, who won the PRCA’s bull riding world championship in 1987. “I was only 8 years old when Lane passed away in Cheyenne (Wyoming), but you don’t grow up around rodeo in Oklahoma without knowing who he was and what he meant to this sport and to this area,” McCoy said. “I think rodeo in this part of Oklahoma is just a natural fit, and you can see it with the names of the people that have won gold buckles that are from around here. “This is rodeo territory, and we are going to celebrate it.” Consider this: Atoka is also home to two up-and-coming superstars in ProRodeo. Wyatt Muggli is the No. 1 man in the PRCA Resistol Rookie of the Year all-around race. His neighbor, Tuff Hardman, sits fourth in the rookie all-around list but is No. 1 in steer roping. Both men are scheduled to compete at their hometown rodeo. “Those two guys are as handy as you’re going to find in rodeo,” McCoy said. “I think a lot of people from right here in Atoka County are going to really enjoy seeing what we have to offer in professional rodeo.”

Announcer, Cinch endorsee uses Southern charm to make the right calls Just six days after announcing his fourth National Finals Rodeo in December, Roger Mooney packed up his family and made an 80-mile drive from their home in Ellijay, Georgia, to the state’s capitol in the heart of Atlanta. “My kids got to go into the Senate chamber,” said Mooney, a true cowboy who loves the tastes of home but makes his living on the road. “They got to go places most people don’t get to go. It was an experience I’ll never forget, and I hope they don’t either.” It was a celebration of the ProRodeo announcer who is proud of his Southern roots and his Georgia state of mind. It was Roger Mooney Day at the state capitol; that may be bigger than all the accolades he has received in 37 years on the job. Endorsed by Cinch, Mooney has announced the biggest rodeos in the game. His voice has been heard celebrating world champions in Las Vegas and its 2020 temporary home at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. His voice has rung the bell of national titlists at the RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo and the National High School Finals Rodeo. He’s been the voice of the Calgary Stampede, possibly the most famous rodeo in the world, yet his style is distinct and fitting for someone of his raising and background. “I’ve done as many as 63 venues in a year,” he said. “I’ve been really blessed, because I have surrounded myself with good people. I’ve been 12 or 13 times to the RNCFR, four times to the NFR and been nominated for awards I didn’t deserve. It’s an amazing life.” It wasn’t always like this. He was a farmer, a stockman and a cowboy first. He still is. In his competing days, he roped and wrestled steers. He even tried to be a roughstock hand, riding bucking bulls and horses, but that wasn’t in the cards. Instead, he found his way to the microphone by happenstance and hasn’t looked back since. In 1984 while competing at a college rodeo, the announcer suffered a heart attack; Mooney became the replacement. It was an extension of his high school days, when he was involved in the FFA and served as a Georgia state officer. “I wasn’t as scared of public speaking as most people,” Mooney said. “It just fit me like a glove. Now I get to educate, inform and entertain. “It just turned out this announcer thing, by luck, was a labor of love.” Much of the labor comes in the hours prior to each performance. Announcers of his status prepare a limited, yet detailed, history of each competitor. During a two-hour rodeo performance, Mooney will speak a million words, explaining the game that’s played and the payoffs that can come from it. Whether it’s a new RAM pickup in Kissimmee, Florida, for the national champions or another $5,000 toward that first NFR qualification, it’s his job to inform and educate the crowds. But he’s also an entertainer, and his strong, baritone voice reveals a Southern charm and defining flavor of the language that is unapologetically Mooney. He celebrates the fact that he’s one of few announcers from east of the Mississippi River to be at or near the top of the game. “I was geographically challenged since the 1980s when I got my start,” he said, noting that he began his announcing career at amateur rodeos before joining the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association in 1990. “I was that pig that got his nose under the gate. “At this point in my career, I know there’s a lot more yesterdays in me than tomorrows. You don’t get into your middle 50s without realizing a few things, and that’s one of them.” There’s a lot to love about his line of work. He has hundreds – probably thousands – of friends spread all across the country and into Canada. At each stop he makes – whether it’s Kennewick, Washington, or Louisville, Kentucky, or the dozens of places in between – he has a family reunion of sorts. It’s his rodeo family, and they are as valuable as his own blood kin. “In Ocala, Florida, three generations of families have sat on a horse to get their picture with me,” he said. “That means I’ve been around awhile. I have watched their families grow up. I know them. I have those relationships and inborn fondnesses.”  Most of those relationships have been mingled with his own family. He and his wife, Ashley, have been married a dozen years and have two children: 10-year-old Cash and 8-year-old Morgan. Until the kids reached school age, they went everywhere with their dad. Now it’s just June and July. About the time their son was born a decade ago, Mooney left his longtime clothing sponsor in favor CINCH. It was the right decision for him and his family. “Boyd Polhamus facilitated that idea, and he was right,” Mooney said about his fellow ProRodeo announcer. “Cinch dresses me and my whole family. My children wear the clothes every day. Cinch have helped Roger Mooney raise a family.” The relationship is important to the Mooneys, but it’s also valuable to the people at Cinch. In the Western lifestyle, it’s one thing to have a spokesman; it’s quite another to see someone outfitted from head to toe in the brand because of the way the clothes fit and feel. With Mooney on a microphone inside an arena, fans can see first-hand what Cinch is all about. For years, Mooney announced most of his rodeos horseback. He lost his good horse, Flash, and instead of calling the shots from the announcer’s stand, he walks the arena dirt so he can interact with the crowd. “You have a much better relationship with the crowd if you’re talking to them instead of speaking at them,” he said. “You can announce to your friends, or you can talk to  Continue Reading »

DUNCAN, Okla. – COVID-19 did a number on many people around the world, and it affected their lives and their livelihoods. Take Cody Ballard, a cowboy from Tutum, New South Wales in Australia, who had been in the United States for several years competing in college, then professional rodeo. He decided to make a trip home early last spring, then was forced to remain there through the pandemic restrictions. “I’m only getting back to rodeoing,” said Ballard, who won both nights of saddle bronc riding at Cord McCoy’s ProRodeo at the Stephens County Arena in Duncan. “This was only my 11th rodeo. It’s hard for me to get into rodeos these days, so I’m trying to get to anything I can.” Ballard has been unable to get into the bigger rodeos because he doesn’t have enough qualifications. He’s hoping to use smaller ones like Duncan to work his way up, but he understands that it’s just another aspect of his life that has been affected by the pandemic. Take the biggest rodeo in Oklahoma, which took place last week in Guymon. There were 137 bronc riders who entered that rodeo, but only 60 were allowed in. That means most of the bronc riders were out of the mix. That was tough on Ballard, who competed in college rodeo at Oklahoma Panhandle State University, which is just 10 miles from Guymon. “That place is priceless for cowboys, bronc riders especially,” Ballard said. “It’s shaped me to what I am today. Robert Etbauer and Shelbie Weeder (Rose) are the coaches, and they point you in the right direction. I made the college finals when I was there, and we won the college national title.” On Friday night, Ballard was 75 points on McCoy Rodeo’s I’m No Angel to win the opening night. He was 76 points on McCoy’s Harry The Horse to claim Night 2; he earned $560. “That first horse was just real nice,” he said. “She just went out there and bucked and circled around to the right. She helped me out a lot. “I saw my second horse (Friday) night. He took a little more of a run (Friday), so they asked if I wanted them to throw chaps at him to maybe get him to buck earlier. That helped a lot, and the horse started up for me. It worked out from there.” Since there are limitations on where he can compete, Ballard has found another outlet to show off his cowboy instincts. He works for a livestock production company based in northwest Oklahoma. When he’s not on the road trying his hands at nasty broncs, he’s working as a cowboy on the ranch. Dona Kay Rule understands the ranching lifestyle. She and her family have been saddle-makers before she found the racehorse of her dreams in Valor, a 12-year-old sorrel gelding that has guided her to two straight National Finals Rodeo qualifications. The tandem worked well in Duncan, winning both nights and pocketing nearly $1,200 in the process. “This was a gift, because it’s only an hour from home and we were able to get a couple good runs in,” said Rule of Minco, Oklahoma. “We’ve known Cord McCoy and his family a very long time, and we wanted to come down here and support them. It’s neat to be able to get the wins here, too.” Cord McCoy’s ProRodeoMay 8Bareback riding: 1. Ty Blessing, 78 points on McCoy Rodeo’s Joe Bad, $278; 2. Mark Kreder, 75, $209; 3. Danny Weil, 73, $139; 4. Montana Duvall, 72.5, $70. Steer wrestling: 1. Adam Lynn Musil, 5.0 seconds, $278; 2. Cooper Ray Belt, 15.8, $323; 3. Tyrel Cline, 18.0, $162; no other qualified runs. Team roping: 1. (tie) Briar Teague/Jessen Wade James and Rowdy Keith Jones/Tuff Hardman, 4.8 seconds, $461 each; 3. Paul David Tierney/Reagan Ward, 10.1, $ $263; 4. Miles Baker/Zac Woods, 20.4, $132. Saddle bronc riding: 1. Cody Ballard, 76 points on McCoy Rodeo’s Harry The Horse, $277; no other qualified rides. Breakaway roping: 1. Jordan Jo Fabrizio, 2.1 seconds, $1,060; 2. Shai Schaefer, 2.2, $795; 3. Mindy Wells, 2.4, $530; 4. Amber Crawford, 2.6, $265. Tie-down roping: 1. Travis Rogers, 8.8 seconds, $384; 2. Kater Tate, 9.0, $288; 3. Ty Rumford, 9.9, $192; 4. Riley Morrow, 15.4, $96. Barrel racing: 1. DonaKay Rule, 15.42 seconds, $605; 2. Taitum Thomas, 15.57, $526; 3. Paige Jones, 15.59, $447; 4. Camrin Sellers, 15.73, $368; 5. Randee Hedrick, 15.77, $290; 6. Taylor Reazin, 15.80, $211; 7. Lindsey McLeod, 15.85, $132; 8. Jeannie McKee, 16.86, $53.   Steer roping: First round: 1. Vin Fisher Jr., 10.7 seconds, $827; 2. Chet Herren, 11.4, $620; 3. Jason Stockton, 11.5, $414; 4. Corey Ross, 12.7, $207. Second round: 1. Neal Wood, 10.3 seconds, $827; 2. Cole Patterson, 11.4, $620; 3. Trey Wallace, 11.5, $414; 4. Darin Suit, 11.6, $207. Average: 1. Garrett Hale, 25.9 seconds on two runs, $1,241; 2. Darin Suit, 28.2, $931; 3. Quay Howard, 31.0, $620; 4. Cole Patterson, 31.2, $310. Bull riding: 1. Fulton Rutland, 86.5 points on McCoy Rodeo’s Hello Darlin, $846; no other qualified rides.

DUNCAN, Okla. –The first champion of the first PRCA event produced by McCoy Rodeo happened early Friday evening. Mark Kreder rode McCoy’s Joe Bad for 79 points to claim the top score on the opening night of Cord McCoy’s ProRodeo at the Stephens County Arena in Duncan. It was a nice salute from Kreder to one of Oklahoma’s treasured cowboys, and it was a great start to the 2021 McCoy Rodeo Tour. “I’ve known Cord my whole life,” said Kreder of Collinsville, Oklahoma. “My family knew his family, so I just grew up knowing the McCoys. When I saw that he had these rodeos, I knew I wanted to be part of it. “It was a great rodeo. The production was great, and the horses bucked great.” Duncan is actually home to two McCoy rodeos. The top times and scores from Friday were paid out, and Saturday’s show – which begins at 7:30 p.m. – will start fresh. No scores will roll over to the second night of action. Kreder drove the three hours back to Collinsville and will return for his second horse of the weekend. He’d also like to collect the top prize again. “I bought my (PRCA) card in 2015, but I wound up breaking my back later that year,” he said. “I didn’t start rodeoing in the PRCA again until 2017, and I made the permit finals that year.” Kreder has qualified for the Chisholm Trail RAM Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo, which has taken place in the same arena every October since 2012. He’s proven himself in that regard, just as he has done through the other levels of rodeo. When he was 15 years old, he qualified for the International Finals Rodeo, the IPRA’s championship event. He’s followed that with seven other trips to the IFR. “I’ve always loved the IPRA,” he said. “My dad was the 1986 world champion in the IPRA. My whole family – from my cousins to uncles to aunts – have all been involved in rodeo. I tried to be a bull rider, but that didn’t work out very well. “I like the violence and the toughness of bareback riding. It’s like a fist fight. If you lose, you’re going to have a knot on your head, and if you win, you’re going to have a knot on your head. It’s just bred into me.” He’ll continue to have fondness for what the IPRA has done for him and his family, but Kreder wants to test his talents against the very best bareback riders in the game. That’s why he’s focused so much on PRCA rodeo. “I wanted to be the best I could be, so I switched. When I retire, I can’t say I rode with the best until I rode in the PRCA. I don’t want any ‘what ifs’ or ‘maybe sos.’ I want to say I did my best to compete with the best and ride the best horses. “It was awesome to be part of the first rodeo Cord McCoy put on and be the first winner. There’s no telling what is going to happen with this deal, so I’m glad my name is on the first one.” Cord McCoy’s ProRodeoDuncan, OklahomaMay 7Bareback riding: 1. Mark Kreder, 79 points on McCoy Rodeo’s Joe Bad, $244; 2. Ty Blessing, 71.5, $183; 3. Montana Duvall, 79, $122; 4. Danny Well, 65, $61. Steer wrestling: 1. Colton Swearingen, 5.9 seconds, $308; 2. Tory Johnson, 8.0, $231; 3. Ty Rumford, 8.1, $154; no other qualified runs. Team roping: 1. Cash Hendrick/Luke Fenton, 5.8 seconds, $414; 2. Chase Richter/Jared Groene, 6.8, $310; 3. Eric Owens/Tanner Braden, 6.9, $207; 4. J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo, 10.2, $103. Saddle bronc riding: 1. Cody Ballard, 75 points on McCoy Rodeo’s I’m No Angel, $290; 2. (tie) Dylan Stevenson and Jake Barnes, 61, $181 each; 4. Rowdy Chesser, 55, $72. Breakaway roping: 1. Kelcie Chace, 1.9 seconds, $900; 2. Amber Crawford, 2.0, $744; 3. (tie) Taylor Munsell and Makayla Mack, 2.3, $512 each; 5. Danielle Lowman, 2.6, $279; 6. Molly Hamilton, 2.8, $155. Tie-down roping: 1. Kater Tate, 9.5 seconds, $444; 2. Quay Howard, 10.1, $333; 3. Travis Rogers, 10.2, $222; 4. Thomas Merritt, 12.0, $111. Barrel racing: 1. Dona Kay Rule, 15.67 seconds, $573; 2. (tie) Ari-Anna Flynn and Leslie Smalygo, 15.68, $461 each; 4. Molly Childers, 15.72, $349; 5. Rylee Shields, 15.78, $274; 6. Randee Hedrick, 15.81, $199; 7. Andrea Long, 15.82, $125; 8. (tie) Kortni McConnell and Camrin Sellers, 15.84, $25 each. Bull riding: 1. Trey Kimzey, 80 points on McCoy Rodeo’s Judgement Day, $884.

JACKSONVILLE, Texas –The staff of Pete Carr Pro Rodeo is a bit like the Wizard of Oz. There are a lot of behind-the-curtain things happening to help make the Tops in Texas Rodeo make seamless transitions from one aspect of the event to the next. It’s not movie-making nor witchcraft; it’s a detailed approach to making a world-class competition also be a family-friendly night of entertainment. The Carr crew will show that at this year’s rodeo, set for 7 p.m. Thursday, May 13-Saturday, May 15, at the Jacksonville Rodeo Arena. “Just this past week, John Gwatney came and spoke at the Lion’s Club meeting,” rodeo committee member Penny Hanson said, noting that Gwatney is the Carr firm’s production manager. “He was able to show the other side of it, the behind-the-scenes things they do. It was really interesting, and I think a lot of people learned a lot that day.” Most, though, aren’t there to identify the production magic; they arrive in the stands for the show, which will feature a record number of 316 contestants entered to compete in Jacksonville. Of those, 36 have qualified to the National Finals Rodeo, the year-end championship in ProRodeo. The Top in Texas Rodeo will also feature eight world champions, including three-time reigning barrel racing titlist Hailey Kinsel, three-time bareback riding champ Will Lowe, two-time bulldogging winner Hunter Cure and 2015 saddle bronc riding titlist Jacobs Crawley, all of whom have strong Texas roots. In all, the champions account for 16 gold buckles. “Just seeing the number of contestants is incredible to us, but then when you add that it’s going to be a who’s who in rodeo, it just makes it more exciting,” Hanson said. “We know Pete is going to help bring the contestants. He’s got some of the best livestock in rodeo. “The top contestants want to come to rodeos he puts on because of that. It’s very exciting for us to have this level of contestants wanting to be part of our rodeo.” The Carr firm has been nominated for PRCA’s Stock Contractor of the Year a dozen times and has had several animals recognized as horses of the year. From Real Deal to Big Tex to Deuces Night to Dirty Jacket, the Carr brand is easy to identify “Pete and his crew are very important to our rodeo year after year,” Hanson said. “They are all such professionals that it helps us. From the minute they arrive for our rodeo, they hit the ground running. Our people don’t have to worry about a thing as far as the production of our rodeo. “Everything runs smoothly because of the team Pete has put together. Over the years, we’ve become really good friends with so many of the people that are part of Pete’s crew. They make everything run better.” A good relationship between organizer and producer is vital to community events like the Tops in Texas Rodeo. Both entities seek the best outcome possible each night of the rodeo. When that occurs, magic happens, and a community is thrilled.

JACKSONVILLE, Texas –It’s time for this community to gather together again, and the opportunity is happening soon. This marks the return of the Tops in Texas Rodeo, set for 7 p.m. Thursday, May 13-Saturday, May 15, at the Jacksonville Rodeo Arena. Cancelled a year ago while under the grips of a worldwide pandemic, the organizers of the 59th annual rodeo are ready for life to return to a bit of normalcy. “COVID pretty much just caused everything to come to a standstill,” said Penny Hanson, a longtime member of the volunteer rodeo committee. “People were working from home and staying home. It was tough on everybody. “It seems like Jacksonville has pretty much gotten back to normal. The last year was pretty depressing, but we’re hoping to put on a good event and give them something to come out to and enjoy. We are the first event in town after COVID.” That’s the resiliency of a community that has banded together. The rodeo, Hanson said, is one of the last remaining traditions in the town of nearly 15,000 people. “We try to provide good, wholesome family entertainment and fun,” she said. “We try to put on the best PRCA rodeo we can.” That is aided by the elite staff from Pete Carr Pro Rodeo, a Dallas-based livestock firm that has been recognized as one of the top producers in ProRodeo. The team will arrive in town by mid-week and will be ready to showcase not only the top competition possible but also an incredible production. That includes announcer Andy Stewart and clown/entertainer Cody Sosebee, two larger-than-life pieces to the rodeo puzzle; both men have been selected to work the National Finals Rodeo, the sport’s grand championship. “Cody was with us several years ago, and we are looking forward to having Cody back with us,” Hanson said. “He’s just one of the best in the entertainment business. He’s just a bundle of joy and relates so well with the kids. He’s so funny and will just constantly make you laugh. “This will be Andy’s second year, and he’s been a great addition to our rodeo. He wants to see this rodeo bounce back from COVID. You can tell he really cares about our rodeo, and he definitely puts a lot of excitement into his announcing.” The committee is adding a calf scramble for FFA and 4-H students. Once entered into the competition, they will battle to a $500 certificate that will go toward the winner’s ag project next year. The Junior Rodeo for Special Children will take place Saturday and will offer a chance to be a cowboy or cowgirl for children with special needs. “We are looking forward to getting back to normal,” Hanson said. “We’re wanting people to come out and have a good time. It’s something we all need around here, and we’re glad we can put on our rodeo and hopefully help people move on. “We are carrying on. We are going to get life back to normal and celebrate that.”

From wild nights to dad life, CINCH cowboy is still riding strong Tilden Hooper’s mind works a bit differently than most men. He’s a bareback rider in professional rodeo. Those cowboys consider things in spectacular ways. Like a runaway train, there is something always racing inside them. Not many people in this world would strap themselves to a half ton of equine dynamite, but that’s what Hooper does every day. It hasn’t been without sacrifices. Over 15 seasons, he’s found himself on the injured-reserve list; that’s not really a rodeo term, per se, because he doesn’t make a dime sitting on the sideline or hearing from his buddies that are on the rodeo trail while he sits at home recovering from injury. The worst was a neck injury he sustained nine seasons ago. Doctors said it was a herniated disc with compression of the spinal cord and nerves, a direct reflection of the trade he plies. Bareback riders are situated atop bucking beasts by their specially designed riggings, which are strapped tightly to the animals’ back by cinches. The cowboys, wearing personally made gloves outfitted with binds, then wedge their hands into the rigging’s handle, nod their heads and prepare their bodies for detonation – the explosion out of the chutes and eight seconds of ferocious energy. Funny thing is, he’s riding better at 33 than he did a decade ago. “I think God blessed me with the opportunity to continue doing what I love,” said Hooper, originally from the east Texas burg of Carthage but now living in Fort Worth with his wife, Melissa, and infant son, Tell. “The relationship I have with Shawn Scott is huge. He’s the chiropractor that helped me through all this stuff. If I hadn’t met him, I don’t think I would have been able to come through the injuries and be better off. “I’m extremely thankful God has put him in my life.” That’s a common theme for the bronc buster who won the intercollegiate championship in 2007 and followed that by being named the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association’s Resistol Rookie of the Year. Since that incredible inauguration into a sport of tough men, fast horses and wild times, Hooper has continued as one of the upper-echelon of bareback riders and ambassadors to the game, a seven-time qualifier to the National Finals Rodeo, the sport’s grand finale. “I’m a totally different guy than I was when I was 19,” said Hooper, who has been endorsed by CINCH Jeans since 2010. “Life’s a lot different. My ideas of what I want to be as a father and a husband have changed. I thought I was going to set the world on fire and be the wildest bareback rider. After my injury and after other things happened in my life, God put my wife into my life. Ever since Melissa’s been here, life has been great. “At 19, I thought I wanted to make the National Finals a hundred times. My goals now are to create a good life for my family so I can spend time with them every day and the opportunity to be hands-on with my wife and my son. I want to build a life. If in the process I win a gold buckle, then that’s great. I want to be known as a great bareback rider, but I’d also like to be known as a great man.” He tries to walk that path daily. He’s comedic with a smart-aleck’s flair for fun. His brothers-in-arms – men like Kaycee Feild, a five-time world champion – are his subjects, and he is theirs. Feild busts chops for Hooper’s lack of driving and his lack of driving skills; Hooper jokes about the Utah champ enjoying eggs benedict, even though Feild can’t pronounce hollandaise sauce – he calls it Häagen-Dazs instead. “I have a sister, and we’re pretty close, but I also have a brother,” Hooper said, referring to Feild. “It’s just that we have different parents. They’re family has just taken me in, and the same with my family and him. I could tell Kaycee was more concerned with the imprint he left outside the rodeo world and had a pretty good grasp that we weren’t going to do this forever. That’s the same with me. “The things we do outside the arena are definitely more important than what we do inside the arena. As far as a competitor, Kaycee’s the best to ever do it. To always be measuring myself with him, it’s elevated my game. It might be different if we had not been traveling together. We definitely compliment each other well.” Feild has more world titles than any other bareback rider going up and down the road today. He’s matched the number of gold buckles with his late father, Lewis, who was a three-time all-around champ and a two-time winner in bareback riding. He was also a mentor to many of the game’s greatest hands, including Hooper. “I was real lucky to get to know Kaycee’s dad before he passed away,” he said. “To me, he was the best I met. The legacy he left behind …” His voice trailed off a bit. “ … That’s what I’m shooting for.” He’s leaving a pretty good legacy for himself, and a big part of that is because of his relationship with CINCH, a Western clothier that is a major sponsor of rodeo and a driving force in the Western lifestyle. Clothes are important for cowboys, who oftentimes travel hundreds of miles between rodeos in order to arrive at the next stop just in time to prepare for another 8-second ride. “The products are exceptionally well made and still fashionable,” Hooper said. “I think it has great products, but more so than that, I love the people that work there. They’re like family. There were several years there when we didn’t know if I was going to keep riding. They’ve always stayed with me.” Comfort is one thing, but there is  Continue Reading »

ALVA, Okla. – It all started with an email during Mckayla Alliston’s senior year of high school in Buckhead, Georgia. “It came from a guy named Stockton Graves, and I’d never heard of him before that,” said Alliston, a senior at Northwestern Oklahoma State University who won the championship round in breakaway roping at the Colby (Kansas) Community College this past weekend and finished third overall. “He invited me to come out and check out the school.” Graves is Northwestern’s rodeo coach, and he brought the Georgia cowgirl to town in time for the Rangers’ home rodeo. It was then that she realized moving 1,000 from home to attend college might be the perfect thing to do. That was four years ago, and she still likes the way it’s worked out. “While I was here, Stockton found me a horse to jump-ride to enter the jackpot they had after the rodeo,” she said. “The town was really small and welcoming. It reminded me of the town I grew up in back home. I decided the school would be a good fit. “Alva has a way of pulling people in. In my four years here, I’ve met so many amazing people. I’ve made so many relationships and connections here with people that are awesome.” Alliston led the way for the Rangers women in northwest Kansas. She was 2.5 in a fast first round and didn’t place. She made a 2.4-second run to win the short round, the first short-go victory of her college career. “It was a pretty good weekend,” she said. “It seems like I hadn’t been drawing very good calves most of the season. I try not to blame issues on the calves, because I want to take responsibility for myself. That first round got salty for sure. The calves at this rodeo were the most even set we’ve had since our rodeo (earlier in the spring).” She also got a bit of assistance from Rolex, an 11-year-old bay mare she’s had three years. “I bought her back in Georgia the summer after my freshman year,” Alliston said. “When I bought her, she was a fire-breathing dragon. For some reason, I really liked her. She’s come along way since then. I’m happy I decided to get the wild-eyed horse that people told me I was insane for buying. “She is, by far, the fastest horse I’ve ever ridden. She leaves hard and runs to the calf. One cool thing about her is you don’t have to pull on her to get her to stop; you just tell her ‘whoa,’ and she sits down. She’s gotten pretty consistent.” While Alliston led the way for the women’s team, fellow breakaway roper Katy Barger of Pawnee, Oklahoma, scored a fourth-place finish in the short round and placed fourth overall. Barrel racer Kayla Wilson of Quincy, Illinois, also placed in the short round but just missed out on points for the aggregate. For the Rangers men, steer wrestler Jace Rutledge of Harrisonville, Missouri, led the way by sharing the first-round victory with a 3.7-second run. His 5.7 was good enough for fifth in the short round, and he placed fourth overall. Healer Bo Yaussi of Udall, Kansas, won the opening round while roping with Garrett Elmore of Western Oklahoma State College. They stopped the clock in 4.1 seconds. A no-time in the final round stalled them at fifth place overall. The Northwestern team of Taylor Carson and Cale Koppitz, both from Alva, placed third in the opening round. For Alliston, her short-round win at the last college rodeo of the season may be the perfect way to wrap up four years in Alva. She’s still weighing options for her future, and there’s a chance she’ll stay for another season of intercollegiate rodeo. Whatever happens, though, she’s pretty confident she’s ready for that step. “One thing I’ve learned from being out here that I didn’t pay attention to before was that you’ve got to do what’s best for you,” Alliston said. “You’ve got to make decisions that better your life, even if it means making sacrifices you may not want to make.”

GUYMON, Okla. – Familiarity may breed contempt for most, but not rodeo cowboys. Roscoe Jarboe had a good history with Frontier Rodeo’s Lookin’ Up, winning the bull riding title at the Cody (Wyoming) Stampede last July. The two were matched together again Saturday during the second performance of the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo, and the results were … well, familiar. Jarboe scored 89 points and leads the bull riding inside Henry C. Hitch Pioneer Arena. “He feels like a dream,” said Jarboe, a four-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier from New Plymouth, Idaho. “He’s just a great bull; he’ll jump out (of the chute) and get it on either way.” The cowboy was talking about how athletic the animal is and the fact that it could spin either to the left or to the right. That adds to the degree of difficulty, but it didn’t matter to Jarboe, who is 12th in the world standings so far this season. “I like coming to these rodeos out here to start the summer run,” he said. “It’s getting warm, so it’s warming me up.” It all adds to the confidence as he carries momentum forward through the remainder of the 2021 campaign. “If you have chances to build on momentum, you’d better take the opportunities,” Jarboe said. “I’m trying to do that.” Tie-down roper Shane Hanchey, the 2013 world champion from Sulphur, Louisiana, gives himself a great opportunity to cash in just by arriving in Guymon. He’s a three-time champion, and he moved into the lead; he’s roped three calves in a cumulative time of 27.6 seconds. His 9.6-second run Saturday is good enough to be tied for fourth place in the third go-round. “I’m more of an average roper, because I want to be there the last day when they’re giving away more than one check,” said Hanchey, a two-time NFR average champion who won his second this past December. “For whatever reason, I’ve had a lot of luck in Guymon. This is one of those rodeos I make sure I’m at every year.” Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days RodeoApril 26-May 2Bareback riding leaders: 1. Caleb Bennett, 87 points on Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Freckled Frog; 2. Orin Larsen, 86.5; 3. Tilden Hooper, 85; 4. (tie) Tanner Aus, Logan Patterson and Richmond Champion, 84; 7. Connor Hamilton, 83.5; 8. Ty Breuer, 82. 0 Team roping: Third round: 1. Chris Francis/Cade Passig, 6.0 seconds. 2. Kal Fuller/Coleby Payne, 6.6; 3. Cale Markham/Cody Doescher, 7.0; 4. Caleb Smidt/Trae Smith, 7.1; 5. Nelson Wyatt/Levi Lord, 7.8; 6. (tie) Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins and Dawson Graham/Dillon Graham, 8.3; 8. Kyon Kruetzer/Clancey Kreutzer, 9.4. Average: 1. Nelson Wyatt/Levi Lord, 21.3 seconds on three runs; 2. Dawson Graham/Dillon Graham, 23.5; 3. Chris Francis/Cade Passig, 25.2; 4. Caleb Smidt/Trae Smith, 25.2; 5. Cale Markham/Cody Doescher, 25.3; 6. Kal Fuller/Coleby Payne, 26.4; 7. Wyatt Dalton Bray/Mason Pitts, 27.1; 8. Erich Rogers/Paden Bray, 27.8. Steer wrestling: Third round: 1. Marcus Theriot, 3.5 seconds; 2. Dalton Massey, 3.7; 3. Stephen Culling, 3.8; 4. (tie) Hunter Cure and Trey Jackson, 3.9; 6. Remey Parrott, 4.0; 7. Heath Thomas, 4.1; 8. Ty Allred, 4.2. Average: 1. Dalton Massey, 12.2 seconds on three runs; 2. Marcus Theriot, 12.3; 3. Stockton Graves, 12.6; 4. Winsten McGraw, 12.7; 5. (tie) Trey Jackson and Remey Parrott, 13.0; 7. Stephen Culling, 13.5; 8. Ty Allred, 13.7. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Wade Sundell, 89 points on Dakota Rodeo’s Jimmy; 2. Mitch Pollock, 86; 3. (tie) Jacob Lewis, Leon Fountain and Spencer Wright, 85.5; 6. Jake Finlay, 85; 7. Taos Muncy, 83.5; 8. Rusty Wright, 82.5. Tie-down roping: Third round: 1. Marty Yates, 8.5 seconds; 2. Will Howell, 8.7; 3. Marcos Costa, 9.3; 4. (tie) Shane Hanchey and Cody Huber, 9.6; 6. Colt Papy, 9.8; 9. Hudson Wallace, 9.9; 8. Paden Bray, 10.4. Average: 1. Shane Hanchey, 27.6 seconds on three runs; 2. Hudson Wallace, 28.6; 3. Adam Gray, 29.4; 4. Marty Yates, 29.5; 5. Marcos Costa, 30.4; 6. Cody Huber, 30.8; 7. Will Howell, 31.5; 8. Caleb Smidt, 31.7. Barrel racing: Second round: 1. Dona Kay Rule, 17.17 seconds; 2. Amanda Welsh, 17.22; 3. Kylee Scribner, 17.29; 4. Stevi Hillman, 17.30; 5. Leslie Smalygo, 17.32; 6. Stephanie Fryar, 17.33; 7. Kelly Yates, 17.35; 8. Lindsay Sears, 17.37; 9. Keyla Polizello Costa, 17.38; 10. Cassidy Champlin, 17.40. Average: 1. seconds on two runs; 2. Stevi Hillman, 34.90; 3. Katie Halbert, 35.01; 4. Kelly Yates, 35.02; 5. Erin Williams, 35.03; 6. Leia Pleumer, 35.06; 7. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, 35.08; 8. Lindsay Sears, 35.12; 9. Cassidy Champlin, 35.20; 10. Keyla Polizello Costa, 35.22. Bull riding leaders: 1. Roscoe Jarboe, 89 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Lookin’ Up; 2. Colten Fritzlan, 86.5; 3. Jordan Hansen, 74; no other qualified rides.

GUYMON, Okla. – Ryan Jarrett has been in this place before. The Oklahoma Panhandle. Henry C. Hitch Pioneer Arena. The final performance of the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo. The winner’s circle. Jarrett, the 2005 all-around world champion from Comanche, Oklahoma, won another Pioneer Days Rodeo championship trophy belt to add to his collection by claiming the all-around title. It was the second Guymon all-around crown in three years and the third overall for the 13-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier. He earned $9,518, most of which came in tie-down roping. He won the third round and finished second in the aggregate. He wrapped it all up with an 8.1-second run Sunday afternoon. “This is one of those double-dipper rodeos,” Jarrett said. “It’s a good (Prairie) Circuit rodeo, and it’s also a good ProRodeo to start the summer run. It’s always good to do well here. Hopefully we can roll on and continue to do good.” Most of the year, Jarrett focuses on tie-down roping, but there are a few instances where he will stretch his wings. In Guymon, he competed in team roping, serving as a header for fellow tie-down roper Marty Yates. They earned $495 by placing in the opening round. He earned the most money of all cowboys who competed in more than one event in Oklahoma’s only ProRodeo Hall of Fame event. It’s been 12 years since he collected his first Guymon belt. In 2009, he won the tie-down roping title. He followed that with the all-around crown a decade later. Of course, no cowboy has success without having a good equine partner, and that was definitely the case for him. “I rode that horse in Red Bluff, California,” he said of Rudy, a sorrel gelding owned by fellow roper Lane Livingston. “I was in the process of selling mine. I also rode that horse the first two rounds here. He’s a winner. There’s nothing against mine, but I have confidence on that one. “It’s a rodeo vibe. You feel good, confidence riding a horse, that’s what you choose to do.” Jarrett recently sold his good horse, Snoopy, to Kansan Tyler Milligan and is in the process of getting in sync with a new mount. In the interim, Jarrett understands the importance of being in control at big events like Guymon. “I actually purchased a nice horse,” he said. “I just don’t have all the confidence in the world in him yet, but I’ve been riding him some places.” At 37 years old, Jarrett is far removed from the NFR rookie who won the most coveted gold buckle in ProRodeo 16 seasons ago. The veteran still knows what it takes to be a winner. Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days RodeoApril 26-May 2All-around champion: Ryan Jarrett, $9,518 in team roping and tie-down roping Bareback riding: 1. Caleb Bennett, 87 points on Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Freckled Frog, $3,257; 2. Orin Larsen, 86.5, $2,497; 3. Tilden Hooper, 85, $1,846; 4. (tie) Tanner Aus, Logan Patterson and Richmond Champion, 84, $832 each; 7. Connor Hamilton, 83.5, $434; 8. Wyatt Denny, 82.5, $326. Team roping: First round: 1. (tie) Clay Tryan/Jake Long, Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin and Nelson Wyatt/Levi Lord, 6.3 seconds, $1,980 each; 4. Caleb Smidt/Trae Smith, 6.7, $1,386; 5. Lane Ivy/Jim Ross Cooper, 6.8, $1,089; 6. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 6.9, $792; 7. Ryan Jarrett/Marty Yates, 7.1, $495; 8. (tie) Erich Rogers/Paden Bray and Jade Schmidt/Jade Nelson, 7.2, $99.Second round: 1. Tyler Hobert/Chase Boekhaus, 5.4 seconds, $2,277; 2. (tie) Lightning Aguilera/Shay Carroll and Tate Kirchenschlager/Cole Davison, 5.7, $1,832; each; 4. Miles Baker/Zack Woods, 5.9, $1,386; 5. Casey Hayes/Brandon Bates, 6.0, $1,089; 6. Coy Rahlmann/Douglas Rich, 6.1, $792; 7. Casey Hicks/Steve Orth, 6.7, $495; 8. Cody Hilzendeger/Dustin Harris and Colby Lovell/Paul Eaves, 6.8, $99 each. Third round: 1. Lightning Aquilera/Shay Carroll, 4.7 seconds, $2,277; 2. Tate Kirchenschlager/Cole Davison, 5.7, $1,980; 3. Chris Francis/Cade Passig, 6.0, $1,683; 4. Kal Fuller/Coleby Payne, 6.6, $1,386; 5. Cale Markham/Cody Doescher, 7.0, $1,089; 6. Caleb Smidt/Trae Smith, 7.1, $792; 7. Nelson Wyatt/Levi Lord and Clay Tryan/Jake Long, 7.8, $347 each. Average: 1. Nelson Wyatt/Levi Lord, 21.3 seconds on three runs, $3,416; 2. Clay Tryan/Jake Long, 21.5, $2,970; 3. (tie) Dawson Graham/Dillon Graham and Tate Kirchenschlager, 23.5, $2,302 each; 5. Chris Francis/Cade Passig, 24.6, $1,634; 6. Caleb Smidt/Trae Smith, 25.2, $1,188; 7. Cale Markham/Cody Doescher, 25.3, $743; 8. Kal Fuller/Coleby Payne, 26.4, $297. Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Winston McGraw, 3.6 seconds, $2,450; 2. Luke Branquinho, 3.7, $2,131; 3. (tie) Jesse Brown and Trever Nelson, 3.8, $1,651 each; 5. (tie) Jacob Talley and Jason Thomas, 3.9, $1,012 each; 7. Hunter Cure, 4.0, $4.0, $533; 8. (tie) Cade Staton, Denell Henderson and Tristan Martin, 4.1, $71 each. Second round: 1. (tie) Jay Williamson, Denver Roy and Joe Wilson, 3.6 seconds, $2,131; 4. Gavin Soileau, 3.7, $1,491; 6. (tie) Stephen Culling, Stockton Graves and Sam Goings, 3.8, $852 each; 8. J.D. Struxness, Scott Guenthner and Tanner Milan, 3.9, $71 each. Third round: 1. Marcus Theriot, 3.5 seconds, $2,450; 2. Dalton Massey, 3.7, $2,131; 3. (tie) Stephen Culling and Riley Duvall, 3.8, $1,561 each; 5. (tie) Hunter Cure, Eli Lord and Trey Jackson, 3.9, $852 each; 8. Remey Parrott, 4.0, $213. Average: 1. Dalton Massey, 12.2 seconds on three runs, $2,675; 2. Marcus Theriot, 12.3, $3,196; 3. (tie) Stockton Graves and Riley Duvall, 12.6, $2,477; 5. Winsten McGraw, 12.7, $1,758; 6. (tie) Trey Jackson and Remey Parrott, 13.0, $1,039; 8. Jerek VanPatten, 13.2, $320. Saddle bronc riding: 1. Wade Sundell, 89 points on Dakota Rodeo’s Jimmy, $3,637; 2. (tie) Mitch Pollock and Dawson Hay, 86, $2,425 each; 4. (tie) Jacob Lewis, Leon Fountain and Spencer Wright, 85.5, $930 each; 7. Jake Finlay, 85, $985; 8. Taos Muncy, 83.5, $364. Tie-down roping: First round: 1. Jake Pratt, 8.4 seconds, $3,916; 2. (tie) Jud Nowotny and J.T. Adamson, 8.6, $3,150 each; 4. Tyler Prcin and Caleb Smidt, 8.8, $2,128 each; 6. (tie) Logan Vick and Bodie Mattson, 8.9, $1,107; 8. (tie) Tyson Arledge, Trent Creager, Tuf Cooper, Blane Cox and Quade Hiatt, 9.0, $68 each. Second round: 1. (tie) Westyn Hughes  Continue Reading »

GUYMON, Okla. – Marcus Theriot may be from Mississippi, but he’s making a solid rodeo living in Oklahoma this year. In January, he qualified for the International Finals Rodeo and pocketed nearly $11,000 at the top minor league rodeo association’s championship event. In March, he won the Timed Event Championship, which paid $100,000 to the titlist. So far at the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo, Theriot is making a claim for the steer wrestling championship. During Friday’s first performance, he threw his steer down in 3.5 seconds to take the third-round lead. He also leads the three-run aggregate, so he stands a good chance to walk away with some nice money in the Oklahoma Panhandle. “I’ve never done any good here,” said Theriot, from the town of Poplarville. “I’ve had some good luck here this week, so it’s nice to experience that. I knew that was a good steer I had tonight, so it was important that I took advantage of him.” The son of world champion Herbert Theriot, Marcus Theriot is not among the top 50 bulldoggers in the world standings yet this season. He is, however, the No. 6 man in the all-around standings. He has been a multi-event hand all his life, and it looks as though he’s going to stay that way. To win the Timed Event title, it takes a mental fortitude that some don’t understand. Each of the 20 contestants must compete in all five timed events: heading, heeling, tie-down roping, steer wrestling and steer roping. For much of his career, the younger Mississippi cowboy has regularly competed in three – as a header in team roping, bulldogging and tie-down roping. “I’m pretty much a two-event cowboy now, but the goal is always to try to make the finals in both events,” Theriot said of the National Finals Rodeo, the sport’s grand finale. “You just have to take advantage of the steers you draw. If you can do that throughout the year, you have a good shot of making the finals.” For now, though, he’ll settle for being in the right place at the right time in Guymon. Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days RodeoApril 26-May 2Bareback riding leaders: 1. Tilden Hooper, 85 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Short Night; 2. Tanner Aus, 84; 3. Ty Breuer, 82; 4. Cole Reiner, 72; no other qualified rides. Team roping: Third round: 1. Cale Markham/Cody Doescher, 7.0 seconds; 2. Caleb Smidt/Trae Smith, 7.1; 3. Nelson Wyatt/Levi Lord, 7.8; 4. Brooks Dahozy/Walt Woodard, 11.0; 5. Nick Sartain/Reagan Ward, 13.8; 6. Erich Rogers/Paden Bray, 13.6; no other qualified runs. Average: 1. Nelson Wyatt/Levi Lord, 21.3 seconds on three runs; 2. Caleb Smidt/Trae Smith, 25.2; 3. Cale Markham/Cody Doescher, 25.3; 4. Erich Rogers/Paden Bray, 27.8; 5. Nick Sartain/Reagan Ward, 33.3; 6. Brooks Dahozy/Walt Woodard, 33.7; 7. Clay Tryan/Jake Long, 13.7 seconds on two runs; 8. Dawson Graham/Dillon Graham, 15.2. Steer wrestling: Third round: 1. Marcus Theriot, 3.5 seconds; 2. Heath Thomas, 4.1; 3. Ty Allred, 4.2; 4. Winsten McGraw, 4.4; 5. (tie) Blare Romsa and Blake Knowles, 4.5; 7. Rowdy Parrott, 4.7; 8. Bubba Boots, 5.1. Average: 1. Marcus Theriot, 12.3 seconds on three runs; 2. Winsten McGraw, 12.7; 3. Ty Allred, 13.7; 4. Rowdy Parrott, 14.0; 5. Heath Thomas, 14.4; 6. Blake Knowles, 14.6; 7. Blair Romsa, 14.8; 8. Landon Beardsworth, 15.6. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Wade Sundell, 89 points on Dakota Rodeo’s Jimmy; 2. Mitch Pollock, 86; 3. Jacob Lewis, 85.5; 4. Cooper Thatcher, 81; 6. Tegan Smith, 80; 7. JJ Elshere, 79; 8. Colt Gordon, 78.5. Tie-down roping: Third round: 1. Colt Papy, 9.8 seconds; 2. Paden Bray, 10.4; 3. Sherman Jac-Quezz Lasker, 13.0; 4. Caleb Smidt, 13.3; 5. Bodie Mattson, 16.6; 6. Clint Robinson, 18.7; 7. Preston Pederson, 22.6; no other qualified runs. Average: 1. Caleb Smidt, 31.7 seconds on three runs; 2. Colt Papy, 32.4; 3. Paden Bray, 34.2; 4. Sherman Jac-Quezz Lasker, 35.3; 4. Clint Robinson, 39.5; 6. Bodie Mattson, 40.1; 7. Preston Pedereson, 47.0; 8. Shane Hanchey, 18.0 seconds on two runs. Barrel racing: Second round: 1. Dona Kay Rule, 17.17 seconds; 2. Amanda Welsh, 17.22; 3. Kylee Scribner, 17.29; 4. Stevi Hillman, 17.30; 5. Stephanie Fryar, 17.33; 6. Megan Champion, 17.45; 7. Emily Miller-Beisel, 17.46; 8. Erin Williams, 17.48; 9. Steely Steiner, 17.53; 10. Taylor Reazin, 17.56. Average: 1. Stevi Hillman, 34.90 seconds on two runs; 2. Erin Williams, 35.03; 3. (tie) Emily Miller-Beisel and Megan Champion, 35.31; 5. Timber Allenbrand, 35.35; 6. Steely Steiner, 35.45; 7. Sarah McCormick, 35.51; 8. Tamara Reinhardt, 35.57; 9. Molly Otto, 35.59; 10. (tie) Sally Conway and Tracy Nowlin, 35.61. Bull riding leaders: 1. Colten Fritzlan, 86.5 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Regulator; no other qualified rides.

BAY CITY, Texas –There’s something special when the rodeo comes to town. The people in this community of more than 17,000 have needed a relief from the COVID-19 infestation that has isolated and held people down for better than a year. That makes things more special for this year’s Matagorda County Fair and Rodeo, set for 7 p.m. Thursday, May 6-Saturday, May 8, at the Matagorda County Fairgrounds in Bay City. “People need to get their minds off what’s been going on this last year,” said Julie Culver, the fair’s manager. “They need some good, clean, old-fashioned fun. They need unity and fellowship. They need to let the kids be kids again. “Everybody’s been through a lot.” Yes, they have, and the rodeo will be the perfect remedy. Nearly 400 contestants are planning to compete in Bay City, with almost 100 NFR qualifiers. That’s saying something about the times and the opportunities that await them near the Texas gulf coast. There are still several rodeos that cancel each month. The Matagorda County rodeo has been postponed from it’s March date to know with hopes that there will be fewer COVID restrictions. That has opened the door for so many of ProRodeo’s best to make their way to southeast Texas in early May. There are world champions like Sage Kimzey, who owns six bull riding world titles; Jacobs Crawley, the 2015 saddle bronc riding champion; Junior Nogueira, the 2016 all-around titlist; and 18 others who wear the coveted gold buckle every chance they get. Why are they headed to southeast Texas? A big reason behind it is the livestock and production from Pete Carr Pro Rodeo, which handles all the intimate details of Bay City’s rodeo. “Having Pete part of our rodeo is very important,” Culver said. “It’s not just Pete. He has some very good guys working with him. It’s so nice for him to be here and be such a respectful and respected livestock producer. He’s got some really nice stock, and people want to know who our stock producer is.” Carr and his team take a solid approach to each rodeo and each rodeo performance. They understand that this is a unique option for many seeking quality entertainment. The production must make sure the competition is as even as possible for the cowboys and cowgirls, but they also must be mindful that it is a show for the crowd. They have a routine they’ve perfected over the years. “We trust Pete, and we trust the people working with him,” Culver said. “We can’t do this without the directors and the volunteers. “I think Pete’s got a good following, and there are going to be contestants that follow him around. I know a lot of them like getting on his stock and know he’s going to put on a good rodeo.” That’s why the Carr firm has been recognized as one of the best in ProRodeo for several years.