Match-ups set for Lovington rodeo
LOVINGTON, N.M. – Not only will the top two bull riders in the PRCA world standings be in this southeastern New Mexico community for the Lea County Xtreme Bulls on Tuesday, they will return to Jake McClure Arena the following night for their shot at the Lea County Fair and Rodeo title, too. The rodeo, […]
Champs are ready to defend titles
DODGE CITY, Kan. – There were 12 people who left the Dodge City Roundup Rodeo as its champions last year, but none were happier than Blake Deckard. Deckard earned money in both tie-down roping and steer roping to claim the all-around title, the most prized trophy of all earned inside Roundup Arena last August. He […]
Ten-day fair begins this weekend
LOVINGTON, N.M. – The reputation of the entertainment value of the Lea County Fair and Rodeo is powerful, and it’s one reason why tens of thousands of people make their way to Lovington each summer. It’s the concerts. It’s the carnival. It’s the livestock shows and other exhibits. It’s the world-class ProRodeo. Those are just […]
Lea County is a big stop for Carr team
LOVINGTON, N.M. – When the cowboys get to this southeastern New Mexico town of nearly 12,000 to compete at the Lea County Fair and Rodeo, they know one thing is certain: the livestock will be outstanding. That’s because local organizers have enlisted Pete Carr Pro Rodeo to produce the event, and the Carr team is […]
Fiddlers are a big part of fair
LOVINGTON, N.M. – Mary McClure isn’t one of the founders of the Lea County Fair and Rodeo’s Fiddlers Contest; she’s just its custodian. She’s pretty proud of it, too. This year’s event will begin at 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 7, the final day of the regional exposition, and it’s a fitting way to close out […]
Beisel is riding a hot streak
Oklahoma cowgirl uses a trio of horses to Cowboy Christmas success Even under the best of circumstances, Cowboy Christmas is always hectic. Thousands of miles driven, airport drop-offs and multiple rodeos a day for several days. Emily Miller Beisel has been through it before, and she had hoped to make a schedule that would allow […]
Mutton busting adds fun to rodeo
LOVINGTON, N.M. – Whether they ride bucking beasts or rope and wrestle steers, many cowboys in ProRodeo today got their starts as youngsters just dreaming of playing on the big stage. For a big number of those, some of their first steps involved riding sheep, better known as mutton busting. Rodeos all across the country […]
Gall is busy with rodeo’s business
DODGE CITY, Kan. – Her title is office manager, but Elaine Gall is more of a jack-of-all-trades for the Dodge City Roundup Rodeo. Gall is Roundup’s only full-time employee, and since the gates closed on the 2020 edition of Dodge City’s biggest annual event, she’s been busy as part of the organizing and planning group […]
Lovington special to past champs
LOVINGTON, N.M. – There is something about this community. This is the desert, and the terrain is only for the most rugged to handle, but it’s also inviting for just about anyone. That’s because of the people and the work ethic that packages everything together. It’s why there is a major exposition in this town […]
Roundup is a top draw for many
DODGE CITY, Kan. – For people in Ford County, Dodge City Roundup Rodeo is simply the marquee event of the annual Dodge City Days celebration. For those looking in from the outside, it’s the biggest rodeo in Kansas, an event that’s forever memorialized in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Make no mistake, however; this is very much […]
Luke has a champ’s mentality
Branquinho is still in position to make a run at sixth gold buckle The first time Luke Branquinho won the steer wrestling world championship, he was 24 years old. Ten years later, he earned his fifth Montana Silversmiths gold buckle. Father time has been good to the California bulldogger, but like any athlete, things get […]
Fair board bring in big concerts
LOVINGTON, N.M. – Over the years, the Lea County Fair and Rodeo has been recognized for its firepower when it comes to outstanding concerts. There are six nights of musical entertainment on the main stage, and the concerts offer the kind of variety needed in a diverse region like southeastern New Mexico. Fans of all […]
Munsell was made for volunteerism
DODGE CITY, Kan. – Most who have ever been to Dodge City Roundup Rodeo have seen Doug Munsell Sr. over the years. He’s a professional clown and has been for better than 60 years, but he’s much more than that to the biggest rodeo in Kansas every year. Munsell, who has spent much of his […]
Lovington rodeo adds ladies roping
LOVINGTON, N.M. – The sport of breakaway roping has been around for decades, but it’s going to be part of Lovington’s rodeo for the first time this year. Breakaway roping is very similar to tie-down calf roping, which features contestants roping a young cow, then scrambling down the rope to flank and tie the calf’s […]
Cox finds wins in the mountains
GUNNISON, Colo. – Blane Cox knows what it means to be among the top 20 tie-down ropers in ProRodeo. He’s done it four times in the last five years. If he’s going to do it again this year, he will need to get on a roll like only few others have ever seen. He’s 47th […]
Melvin stays on a roll in Gunnison
GUNNISON, Colo. – Jace Melvin has grand plans to return to the National Finals Rodeo for the second straight year. He’s going to do anything and everything possible to make it happen. Over the last few weeks, he’s ridden all sorts of horses, and it seems to be working. On Friday night during the second […]
Coloradoans cash in on pink night
GUNNISON, Colo. – After making his run on the opening night of the Cattlemen’s Days PRCA Rodeo, Garrett Tonozzi made a point to find Heidi Sherratt Bogart, the executive director of the Cattlemen’s Days Tough Enough to Wear Pink. He wanted to express his gratitude for the largest TETWP campaign in ProRodeo. He also wanted […]
Lea County is ready for fair, rodeo
LOVINGTON, N.M. – Trey Kerby is convinced the cancelation of the 2020 Lea County Fair and Rodeo led to physical problems he’s experienced in the last year. “That’s what caused my heart issue,” said Kerby, the vice chairman of the Lea County Fair Board. “Last June, we had to make all these decisions so we […]
Nuptials find Cowboy Christmas
Traveling group gathers together as a world champ gets married Slack had just ended on July 2 at the Black Hills Roundup Rodeo in Belle Fourche, South Dakota, and the boys were hungry. The bulldogging traveling posse of Jacob Edler, Stockton Graves, Riley Westhaver and Bridger Anderson were ready to eat. Edler ventured off with […]
Sosebee, funny return to Lovington
LOVINGTON, N.M. – When Cody Sosebee talks, people listen. It’s not that he’s that big of a deal. No, Sosebee is a clown and entertainer, and when it talks during each of the five nights of rodeo action during the Lea County Fair and Rodeo, something comedic usually happens. He returns to this year’s event, […]
Rooftop is back in the saddle
Estes Park rodeo returns and puts on a heck of a show for big crowds ESTES PARK, Colo. – In January, the members of the Estes Park Western Heritage Inc., began planning an event they didn’t even know if they’d be able to have. The organization is a group of volunteers that annually works with […]
Harrison ready for Dodge debut
DODGE CITY, Kan. – John Harrison has worked many of the largest events in ProRodeo over his years as an entertainer – first as a trick rider, now as a rodeo clown and funnyman. He’s never worked the biggest rodeo in Kansas, the Dodge City Roundup Rodeo, set for 7:45 p.m. Wednesday, Aug-Sunday, Aug. 8, […]
‘I do’ is a dual commitment
Clements’ honeymoon put on hold; he had bucking horses to ride Everything was picture perfect: An early-June wedding on a Rocky Mountain setting in beautiful Utah. “The ceremony was going to start at 6:30 p.m., and it was a warm day,” Mason Clements said of his June 5 nuptials to his bride, Brianna. “I prayed […]
Ranch rodeo events honor legacy
GUNNISON, Colo. – Rodeo’s roots dates back to more than a century ago when ranchers and cowboys found their way to competition to see which outfit had the best hands. It was for bragging rights to begin with, but rodeo has evolved. At the Cattlemen’s Days PRCA rodeo, for example, contestants can walk away with […]