Champion wins on opening night
LAS VEGAS – Richmond Champion admitted to first-round jitters Thursday during the opening night of the National Finals Rodeo. He was able to work through them rather quickly, though. After his first Pickett Pro Rodeo horse, Nighlivin, didn’t live up to his potential, Champion was awarded a re-ride, where he was matched with Pickett’s Night […]
Mercer clinches world title
Canadian claims BFO Roughy Cup to secure his bid for championship belt LAS VEGAS – Aaron Mercer had a goal in mind when he arrived in Georgia for the Bullfighters Only Development Camp in April. He accomplished it on the first day of the 10-day Bullfighters Only Las Vegas Championship, winning the prestigious BFO Roughy […]
Larsen begins NFR with big score
LAS VEGAS – The difference between winning the first round of the National Finals Rodeo and finishing in a tie for sixth place was just four points. Or in a single slip from an athletic bucking horse. Both happened Thursday night at the Thomas & Mack Center, where Orin Larsen rode Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Shady […]
Blackfoot rodeo wins national honor
BLACKFOOT, Idaho – In its inaugural year of being nominated for a major award, the Gem State Classic Pro Rodeo has claimed the ultimate prize. On Wednesday night, the rodeo associated with the Eastern Idaho State Fair was awarded the 2019 Small Rodeo of the Year in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. It’s a recognition […]
O’Connell catches first-round cash
LAS VEGAS – On opening night of the 2019 National Finals Rodeo, Tim O’Connell scored 88 points on Powder River Rodeo’s Two Buck Chuck and was just a point off the first-round record. It was a tremendous way to start his sixth NFR, however, there were four guys who had better scores, three of whom […]
Struxness strikes for 2nd at NFR
LAS VEGAS – The obstacles that come any contestant’s way at the National Finals Rodeo can be varied and be plentiful. That’s why a simple-but-straight-forward approach is best when competing at ProRodeo’s grand finale. It’s what has worked for steer wrestler J.D. Struxness in his two previous qualifications to Las Vegas, and it propelled him […]
Athletes primed for BFO championship
The battle for the Bullfighters Only world title will culminate in Sin City LAS VEGAS – For the past three years, Weston Rutkowski has been the figurehead that every man in Bullfighters Only has strived to unseat during the 10-day Bullfighters Only Las Vegas Championship. The target has shifted heading into this year’s grand-finale, which […]
Cooper adding local flavor
New Year’s Eve Roping & Concert to feature Texas-based artists FORT WORTH, Texas – For most in the rodeo world, the Coopers are the first family of rodeo, with the patriarch being eight-time world champion Roy Cooper, who has shared his lineage with his three sons: Clint, Clif and Tuf. For Jarrod Morris, Clif and […]
Cooper chasing 2 more world titles
DECATUR, Texas – Most champion racehorses have a great pedigree, with outstanding bloodlines coming from both sire and dam. The same is true for four-time world champion Tuf Cooper, whose father, Roy, is best known as the “Super Looper,” a ProRodeo Hall of Fame cowboy with eight gold buckles. On his mother’s side, Cooper’s grandfather, […]
Smith eager for return to NFR
REXBURG, Idaho – After injuries kept him from qualifying for the 2018 National Finals Rodeo, bull rider Garrett Smith was a man on a mission. A fractured pelvis suffered at Couer d’Alene, Idaho, in August 2018 forced Smith to miss the final month of the regular season, and he finished 23rd in the world standings […]
Duvall ready for his 3rd NFR
CHECOTAH, Okla. – There’s only one member of his family that Riley Duvall has yet to catch. “I don’t think I’m going to catch Roy,” said Duvall, 27, who has qualified for the National Finals Rodeo for the third time in his career, one more than his dad, Sam, Uncle Spud and cousin Tom. “I […]
Town, Cervis ink 5-year extension
ESTES PARK, Colo. – Cervi Rodeo has been around professional rodeo for half a century and has many accolades that come with that type of experience. For the Rooftop Rodeo in Estes Park, the Cervis’ circle I brand has been a key part of the event’s success over the last five years. The rodeo committee […]
Fast start helps Breuer to the NFR
MANDAN, N.D. – Bareback rider Ty Breuer kicked off his 2019 ProRodeo season in a big way, winning the championship at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo in early February. Two weeks later, he won the rodeo in Tucson, Arizona, and he was officially on a roll. Between those two rodeos alone, he had […]
Brunner takes new path to NFR
RAMONA, Kan. – Tanner Brunner isn’t ready to move to Canada, but he had some serious success north of the border. Brunner, a 26-year-old steer wrestler from Ramona, competed at 16 rodeos that were co-sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association through the regular season and earned $20,923 at […]
Champion loves NFR’s energy
THE WOODLANDS, Texas – From his first National Finals Rodeo qualification in 2014 to his fifth this year, Richmond Champion gets amped up knowing he’s about to compete on the biggest stage of ProRodeo. “The excitement never goes away; the butterflies never go away,” said Champion, 27, of The Woodlands, Texas, now living in Stevensville, […]
Spears focused on return to NFR
CALDWELL, Idaho – Much has changed in the last year for Jordan Spears, and that’s a good thing. At the conclusion of the 2018 ProRodeo season, the California-raised bull rider found himself on the outside looking in. He was 18th in the world standings, but the sport’s Super Bowl – the National Finals Rodeo – […]
Roping bash heading to Cowtown
Tuf Cooper’s New Year’s Eve Roping and Concert a special night to kick off 2020 FORT WORTH, Texas – The inaugural Tuf Cooper’s New Year’s Eve Roping and Concert was part of a celebration that culminated in a magnificent wedding. Cooper and other organizers are making it a tradition, and the next step is this […]
Brazile earns 25th world title
Trevor Brazile just beat his own record. On Saturday night during the final five rounds of the Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping, Brazile clinched his 25th world championship, his seventh Montana Silversmiths gold buckle in steer roping. After Friday’s opening night, he had placed in four go-rounds and led the average most of the […]
Dent brings experience back to NFR
MULLEN, Neb. – In the sandhills of northwest Nebraska, the landscape features rolling hills and grasslands filled with cattle. This is where Steven Dent grew up and where he learned the value of nature alongside hard work in the ranching industry with his family. This is where he gained the understanding of what a strong […]
Proctor’s fun year results in NFR
PRYOR, Okla. – Coleman Proctor had more fun this year than he’s ever had in his 15-year ProRodeo career. He and his heeling partner, Ryan Motes, ignited their seasons in one of the biggest ways possible, battling through The American qualifiers to advance to championship day. There, on that Sunday in early March, the tandem […]
Struxness eager to return to NFR
MILAN, Minn. – On an early November Sunday morning in Calgary, Alberta, the life of J.D. Struxness changed dramatically. Everlee Grace Struxness entered this world on Nov. 10, weighing 6 pounds, 15 ounces and measuring at 19 inches long. “It was something else,” Struxness said. “I’ve had quite a few happy tears in my eyes.” […]
Champ doesn’t let injury stop him
ZWINGLE, Iowa – To break down bareback rider Tim O’Connell’s seventh ProRodeo season, it’s a simple procedure. He spent the first five and a half months of 2019 recovering from a major injury. Over the final three months and 10 days of the season, he dominated. He finished the regular season with $113,168 and sixth […]
Gordon ready for his first NFR
COMANCHE, Okla. – Colt Gordon firmly believes in the old cliché: If you want to be successful, surround yourself with winners. It proved to be right for the young saddle bronc rider. He spent most of his 2019 season traveling the rodeo trail with reigning world champion Wade Sundell, and the lessons learned in that […]
After missing a year, Aus eager for NFR
GRANITE FALLS, Minn. – The support system Tanner Aus has had through his 10-year career has been instrumental to his success. The number of supporters is growing, and he has a lot to do with it. Aus and his wife, Lonissa, are expecting their second child next spring. It will be a nice addition to […]