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Canadian earns win in home country to move atop BFO money list Aaron Mercer is normally the talkative type, but news that his victory last weekend at the Bullfighters Only stop in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, has pushed him to No. 1 in the BFO Pendleton Whisky World Standings has left the Canadian a bit tongue-tied. “It’s surreal; it’s cool,” said Mercer of Calgary, Alberta. “I didn’t think that would be the one to push me over the top, but, damn, it sure did. I didn’t even look at the standings. A friend of mine from back home sent me a screen shot, and I thought, ‘What the heck is going on here?’ ” What’s going on is a hot streak that’s extended for more than a month. In addition to the title in Moose Jaw, he has victories in Las Vegas; Redding, California; and Charlotte, North Carolina; Mercer also finished second at stand-alone events in Kennewick, Washington, and Woodward, Oklahoma. “I think he’s doing so well because he’s taking each bull one at a time,” said Colt Oder, a friend and fellow bullfighter from Moorpark, California. “He’s transitioned into the sport from bronc riding and other stuff. He’s still wide-eyed about it and just has pure joy. It’s cool to see. He’s excited about every bull he fights. “He brings a lot of good energy to the tribe.” That tribe is a tight-knit band of bullfighters who serve as each other’s biggest supporters when they’re not in the ring themselves. Now Mercer is atop that group with $23,250 in earnings. He owns a lead of just $600 over veteran Toby Inman of Davis Junction, Illinois. Mercer’s lead is nearly $5,000 over the No. 3 man, three-time reigning world champion Weston Rutkowski of Haskell, Texas. “It feels crazy to be ahead of those guys,” Mercer said. “I’ve got to keep fighting my bulls.” Now that he’s atop the heap, he wears a target on his back. His goal is to keep building on his lead and push that target as far away from the field as possible before the season finale, the Las Vegas Championship, set for December at the Tropicana Las Vegas. “I’ve got to hammer down,” he said. “The win in Moose Jaw was cool because I like those Alpha Bull events (produced in Canada). I wasn’t really happy with the way I fought there, but a win’s a win; I’ll take it. “I still have a lot to work on. Now that I’m No. 1, I’ve just got to work harder than ever. If I don’t do that, I’m not going to be staying on top.”

Rooftop Rodeo will memorialize former queen Roxann Harris on July 9 ESTES PARK, Colo. – Roxann Harris always seemed to be giving back to others. Her friends and comrades at Estes Park Western Heritage Inc. and the Town of Estes Park are going to honor that sentiment and her life during the Rooftop Rodeo, which is set for 7 p.m. Monday, July 8-Saturday, July 13, at Granny May Arena in Estes Park inside the Estes Park Fairgrounds. “Her husband, Tom Harris, will be the grand marshal at the Rooftop Rodeo parade on Tuesday, July, 9, and we will be honoring her at the Queens Luncheon that day,” said Mark Purdy, chairman of Estes Park Western Heritage Inc., a group of volunteers that works with the town of Estes Park to produce the annual rodeo. “Our Tuesday performance will be Roxann Harris Night, and we will be performing a rider-less ceremony with her Rooftop Rodeo saddle, boots and hat.” Harris, the 1982 Rooftop Rodeo queen, died Jan. 7, 2019, after a short illness. She was 53. After graduating from the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, she worked her way up the corporate ladder in commercial real estate. After meeting her husband, she and Tom moved to Steamboat Springs and purchase a ranch. Five years later, they moved to Douglas County and lived there until her death. Harris first became involved in the royalty program at the National Western Stock Show, which led to her involvement with Miss Rodeo America, where she was elected to the executive board of directors. She coached girls on horsemanship, poise, public speaking, fashion and other skills needed to become rodeo royalty. For the past six years, she was a co-chair of the royalty coordinator program for the Douglas County Fair & Rodeo. “Roxann was one of the best souls I have ever had the chance to meet,” Purdy said. “She has supported many rodeo royalty young ladies over the years over the years, including my own daughter, Kellsie, and our close friend, Alex Hyland Cox. Please join us July 9 for a day of celebrating the life of our wonderful friend, Roxann.”

GUNNISON, Colo. – Two-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier Buddy Hawkins had been to 44 rodeos before he arrived in this gorgeous mountain community last July, but he realized it was a special place with special people. “When we got here, they gave us hay and helped us park and were as friendly as they could be,” said Hawkins, a team roping-heeler from Columbus, Kansas. “It couldn’t be any better, and they gave us a cash bonus for winning the performance.” That’s a popular sentiment among contestants who make their way to Cattlemen’s Days PRCA Rodeo, which this year is set for Thursday, July 11-Saturday, July 13, at Fred Field Western Heritage Center in Gunnison. Hawkins and his partner, Brye Crites, won the team roping championship. While it was good money for Crites, those dollars helped Hawkins finish the regular season among the top 15 on the heeling money list; it earned him a return visit to the NFR, where he won more than $50,000 and finished 14th in the world standings. But he wasn’t the only winner who shared love for the volunteer committee that organizes the annual festival. In addition to the rodeo, Cattlemen’s Days is a full-fledged community celebration that has a distinct county fair feel to it. It’s been around longer than most county fairs in Colorado, though. “Winning that rodeo last year was pretty awesome,” said Payden McIntyre, the champion steer wrestler from Douglas, Wyoming. “That was the first rodeo I won outright last year. That’s what kickstarted my summer. “It’s pretty awesome for a committee to go above and beyond for us cowboys.” It’s something he’s considered in the months since winning. Sure, winning a rodeo is always a big deal, but there’s something more to what he experiences every year when he arrives in the Gunnison Valley. “They do a really good job of having some of their performance winners get a little bonus,” he said. “That was the end of our week, and we hadn’t done very well. It is nice when people realize the kind of work you put in and do something extra to help you out.” This year’s event will feature an increased committee purse, which will be added to the contestants’ entry fees to make up the overall payout. That’s going to be an attractive feature for cowboys who make a living on the rodeo trail. “It’s nice to see these smaller circuit rodeos increasing their added money,” McIntyre said. “It makes guys like me that aren’t in the top 50 (in the world standings) feel like somebody’s taking care of us. “Rodeos like Gunnison really do take care of a guy. As much as we talk about the money, it’s going to the rodeos in these smaller communities that give you that hometown feeling. We’re on the road a lot, so we don’t get that pleasure of being home with your family. They understand that.” That’s one of the reasons that Craig Wisehart makes sure Gunnison is on his calendar every year. “It’s just the atmosphere,” said Wisehart, the 2018 bareback riding champion from Kersey, Colorado. “The rodeo heritage, and the guys in Colorado and Wyoming are true rodeo cowboys. I was born and raised here in Colorado, so I’ve seen all these kinds of rodeos all my life. “I love this rodeo. The hospitality and the committee I great, and the stock is amazing. Just driving in, you see the black cows out in the pasture and know this is cowboy country.”

ALVA, Okla. – For intercollegiate rodeo contestants, the ultimate goal each year is the College National Finals Rodeo, home of the sport’s elite. For five Northwestern Oklahoma State University athletes, the culmination of their year of hard work will come to fruition this next week in Casper, Wyoming, where qualifiers from around the country will embark on their missions to leave town with the coveted titles. “I’m looking forward to a national title,” said Taylor Munsell, a senior from Arnett, Oklahoma, who won the breakaway roping title in the Central Plains Region to stamp her place in the college finals, set for Sunday, June 9-Saturday, June 15, at the Casper Events Center. “That’s the goal. I want to get there and make the best runs I can on the animals I draw and put it together.” Munsell is the lone cowgirl on the Rangers team that will make the trip north, joining heeler Tanner Nall, tie-down roper Riley Wakefield and steer wrestlers Bridger Anderson and Bradley Ralph with dreams of leaving Wyoming with champions’ buckles. Each has earned their spot in the finale by finishing among the top three in their events in the Central Plains Region. Wakefield and Anderson won the regional titles in their respective disciplines, while Nall finished second in heeling and Ralph third in bulldogging. “Winning the region title this year was a big accomplishment,” Munsell said. “I had a good chance to do it last year, so I came back with a vengeance this year to get it done. I’m blessed to have done it and have two horses under me to help me out.” They did, and she’ll have both in Casper to test her luck and skills in a rugged testimony to the championship happenings. Each contestant will compete in three go-rounds, with the top times advancing to the championship round. From there, the contestants with the fastest four-run aggregate time in each event will earn the coveted title. “I made it my sophomore year in college, but I didn’t make it last year,” said Wakefield, a senior from O’Neill, Nebraska. “Not making it last year has shown me how bad it could be. “The fact that I won the region in calf roping was everything to me, because that’s the one event I’ve tried to focus on.” He’s gotten better at it over the years, admittedly struggling with the discipline in high school. Still, his all-around talents have made him an important member of the college team, because he can earn points in tie-down roping, team roping and steer wrestling – he finished third in the region’s all-around standings. “I think my experience in the past is going to help, because I obviously know the start and the score better,” he said. “I know how fast I need to be to set up the calves. I made the short go my sophomore year, which helps me see the setup and how the calves are going to be.” Ralph hasn’t earned a spot at the championship before, but Nall, a junior from Colcord, Oklahoma, placed fifth a year ago. Next week, he will rope with Ethan Griffin of Northeast Oklahoma A&M. Ralph, a junior from Wann, Oklahoma, earned the steer wrestling title in Garden City, Kansas, toward the end of the season to clinch his spot in Casper. Anderson, though, dominated the steer wrestling standings throughout the season. He will carry experience from his freshman season’s CNFR bid with him as he prepares to tackle the toughest test in college rodeo. “It’s pretty exciting going back,” said Anderson, a junior from Carrington, North Dakota. “It’s nice knowing how the college finals works now. I can go in with a little more of a confident mindset. We’re going in with a lot of confidence, and hopefully we can get four laid down and do some good.” The key is stopping the clock in every round. A no-time is virtually disastrous for the chances of making the final go-round, and it would definitely take a contestant out of title contention. “When you’re running four head of steers, a lot can happen,” he said. “If we can get four good runs together, we should end up in a good spot. I don’t want to put too much emphasis on winning first every time; I just want to make solid runs and be sharp. I want to try to be smooth and let things happen, not take short cuts and try to push things to happen.” That’s easier said than done. The arena floor at the events center is pressure-packed. Nerves are stretched to the edges of the body and the contestants take their shot at each round. “This is my last year of college rodeo, so I’m a little tight,” Wakefield said of the nerves that were already coursing through his body about a week before he was to run his first calf. “I’ve been taking baby steps with my calf roping. It can be a long and bumpy road, but I think it’s starting to straighten out.” It’s a phenomenon that happens in sports, and it come together for the Rangers. Now with four cowboys in the mix, Northwestern can have a shot at the team title if things go well. “For being such a small team, I think we’re going to be effective out there,” Wakefield said, noting that the top two teams in each reach advance six cowboys. “It’s no accident Bridger won the region in steer wrestling; he’s the best bulldogger in the region. “Tanner is an amazing guy to watch, and he’s probably the most consistent heeler in the region. Bradley put in a lot of hard work, and he could be a threat at the college finals.” While a women’s team title is equivalent to the long shot in horse racing, the Rangers have something special in Munsell. In addition to having great success in college rodeo, she also finished second at The American, the largest one-day payout in  Continue Reading »

Alberta cowboy expecting great things at this year’s PBR Dawson Creek DAWSON CREEK, British Columbia – Jordan Hansen rides bulls for a living, and he’ll go just about anywhere in North America to make it happen. Six months ago, he flew into British Columbia to compete for the first time at the PBR Dawson Creek Fueled by Lyons Production Services, and he left with the victory. He plans to defend his title at this year’s event, set for Nov. 30 at the Encana Centre. “That was my first Alpha Bull event, riding in a spotlight in the dark,” said Hansen, 25, of Okotoks, Alberta. “I was coming off another win in Regina (Saskatchewan), and I was feeling good. It was a slow time of year for me – I wanted to be in Vegas (for the National Finals Rodeo), but it worked out for me to be in Dawson Creek instead. “I drew a couple of really good bulls and was lucky enough to stay on both of them and get the win. That was my first event of the season for 2019 for the PBR, and it couldn’t have gone any better for me confidence-wise, money-wise and points. That was the perfect thing I needed to get the year rolling.” He’s stayed on that roll. As of June 3, Hansen is No. 3 in the PBR Canada standings. He’d like to be higher in the PBR and PRCA world standings, so he plans to hit the road hard over the coming months to try to make it happen. “It’s been a good year,” he said. “My traveling partner, Jared (Parsonage), and I have been going back and forth in the PBR Canada standings. It’s pretty cool going head to head with him. We want ourselves to win, but I’m definitely cheering for him when he’s riding.” In fact, they finished first and second in Dawson Creek last year. The cowboys learned quite a bit about the show inside the Encana Centre and what to expect when they return. “The town is so supportive of rodeo and bull riding,” Hansen said. “They get a lot of people in that building. It’s a great event that Alpha Bull puts on with a live band, a lot of top bull riders and a great pen of bulls.” Alpha Bull is owned and operated by Chad Besplug, a renowned Canadian bull rider who has transitioned from competing to producing some of the biggest shows in the country. “I’ve known Chad for a long time, and he’s one of my favorites,” Hansen said. “He has a different grasp for production from a lot of guys. He’s going to turn the lights off, run a spotlight on the rides and have a live band after. It’s totally different, and that’s what makes it cool. “I think the fans really like it because the spotlight draws their eyes to the action in the arena. I think this year’s event in Dawson Creek is going to be very similar to last year’s, but just a little bit better. I think everyone who went last year will come back, and they’ll bring a couple people with them.” It’s that kind of show.

Canadian overcomes hot bulls and hot weather for third BFO victory CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Aaron Mercer was hot in more ways than one this past Sunday during the Bullfighters Only Speedway Series event at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. The event was part of the race-day experience at the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600. As sweat poured from his body, Mercer mustered up enough willpower to win the title, pocket $6,500 and move to No. 2 in the BFO Pendleton Whisky World Standings. “It was crazy, and it was electric,” said Mercer of Calgary, Alberta. “The crowd was just awesome, and the bulls were sweet. It was so cool to be part of the NASCAR race. The experience was just amazing, and to get the win was even better.” The average May temperature in Calgary is 61 degrees Fahrenheit, or 16 degrees Celsius. The temperature in Charlotte on Sunday was 93 with humidity at 63 percent adding to the heat index. That’s sweltering for any athlete, much less one from the drier climate in Alberta. “I’ve never been so warm in all my life, and I’ve never been so tired after a bullfight,” he said. “It wasn’t just hot, but it was humid, and that added to it. When it’s 95 degrees Fahrenheit in Canada, we’re hot, but we don’t have that kind of humidity.” It was an amazing finish to an incredible month for Mercer, who had titles earlier in May in Las Vegas and Redding, California. He also had second-place finishes at stand-alone BFO events in Woodward, Oklahoma, and Kennewick, Washington. He’s earned $20,024 this season – virtually all has come in the first 26 days of the month. “I honestly don’t know what to say about doing this good my first year in the BFO,” said Mercer, who trails leader Toby Inman by $2,626 heading into the summer run. “I’ve been hanging out with guys that I’ve been fans of for a while, and now I’ve become friends with them.” He’s proven that he belongs. Mercer won his round in Charlotte with an 86-point bout to earn his spot in the Hooey Championship Round along with Justin Josey of Apache, Oklahoma, and Chase Blythe of Concord, North Carolina. In the finale, Mercer tangled with the Chad Ellison bull Eighteen & Life. The spotted bull was aggressive, but Mercer countered with some nice back fakes. Eighteen & Life got in a few jabs throughout the bout, but the end result was an event-winning 80.5-point fight. “Now I’ve just got to keep pushing to the top,” he said. “I’ve got some momentum, and I’ve been doing some things outside the arena to help. I’m going to the gym and working hard. That’s what you’ve got to do if you want to be the best of the best.” That’s the thing about being part of the BFO, the premier organization in freestyle bullfighting and the driving force behind the sport’s recent growth. The Speedway Series is just another example of how popular it has become. “Sitting on the fence during the bullfight, the people in the crowd want to interact with you and talk to you,” Mercer said. “It’s cool that they want to be involved, have that kind of support and have people looking up to you. “You don’t choose to be a role model, but it just happens. I never really expected it, but having it all blow up like this is really something.”

Canadian sits 4th in BFO heading into Charlotte Motor Speedway event CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Exactly one-year ago, Aaron Mercer stepped into the freestyle bullfighting arena for the first time ever. Now, he is the No. 4-ranked man in the Bullfighters Only Pendleton Whisky World Standings and has proven to be a quick study of the sport. Since the first of May, he has two wins (in Las Vegas and Redding, California) and two second-place finishes (in Woodward, Oklahoma, and Kennewick, Washington). “A lot of people say if you don’t win, you’re the first loser, but I don’t look at it that way,” said Mercer, 26, of Calgary, Alberta. “This is so new to me, making short rounds at these deals is crazy for me. “I had only stepped around nine fighting bulls when I went down to the (United) States. I’d been watching guys on videos … Justin Josey, Toby Inman and Colt Oder, and those guys are so rank. To be able to make the short round with them is just crazy. I never thought I’d be doing it.” Mercer has pocketed more than $13,500 to assume his spot among the top five bullfighters in the BFO. He will have that momentum with him when he competes at Charlotte Motor Speedway as BFO joins the race-day experience for the Coco-Cola 600 on Sunday, May 26. “Winning Redding or finishing second at Woodward and Kennewick is cool, and you want to keep that streak going,” Mercer said. “My confidence is high. Every time I step out in the arena, my brain is working so fast and my mind is going 100 miles per hour, and I’m like, ‘What am I doing here?’ ” Charlotte is the second stop of the 2019 BFO Speedway Series, with five more events slated for later this season –all set up around major NASCAR races. This weekend marks the BFO’s second time in Charlotte in eight months; the first event took place last September at the Charlotte Motor Speedway’s ROVAL 400 and was a big hit among NASCAR fans. “I’m excited for it,” Mercer said. “It’s going to be different for me, but I’m ready to go tear one up.” BFO’s menagerie is a new experience for the rookie bullfighter, but each step-through and flip over a charging bull seems to progress the talented Calgarian. That’s why he will be a threat during Sunday’s nine-man bullfight, which features nine fighters battling to advance to the Hooey Championship Round. “Freestyle bullfighting is a game of life and death, a game of inches and a game of deception,” Mercer said. “I seem to learn pretty good when I get thrown into something new and different. I’m not out of the woods yet, but I think I’m on my way. “I thought I had a limit, and I think I can go over it. I’ve been able to push myself further than I ever thought I would. You’ve got to test your limits or you’re not going to go very far in this industry.” He also understands what it means to be an Albertan at the top of the heap. Canadians have a special sense of patriotism when it comes to competition, especially when they’re battling for world championships. Through just the first few months of the season, Mercer has placed himself in contention for the 2019 crown. “I’ve got Canada backing me up,” Mercer said. “All eyes are on me, and I’m OK with that.” CONTESTANTS Tucker Lane Brooks Forsythe Aaron Mercer Toby Inman Riley McKettrick Justin Josey Andres Gonzales Weston Rutkowski Chase Blythe

There was a time that Josh “Hambone” Hilton did just about anything he could to be involved in rodeo. No matter the task, he kept his eyes and ears open to every experience. Like a sponge, he ingested every ounce of knowledge, hoping that one day he’d be able to put it all to use. That day came a few years ago. Though he’s best known for being the first Music Director of the Year in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association in 2017, there’s much more to Hilton. In the world of professional rodeo, he has become a go-to guy for many in the business when it comes to production and giving fans the best experience they can get. “To call him a music director is such an insult, because he is so much more involved,” said Boyd Polhamus, a four-time PRCA Announcer of the Year who has worked the National Finals Rodeo 21 times in his career. “I’d call him a quality-control coach. He’s looking over the overall production. He sees it all, because his job is to play music in conjunction with what is happening. “He has a very good eye for production. He’s been trained in it and understands it.” Born and raised around rodeo in the tiny village of Sidney, Iowa, Hilton utilizes every experience he’s ever had into the business at hand. He’s seen so much in the game, and he has an arsenal of sounds, gadgets and music to make everything melt together flawlessly. “My dad rode bulls, and my brother and I grew up rodeoing,” said Hilton, who now lives in Weatherford, Texas, with his wife, Whitney. “It was always part of us, and I always wanted to be around it. The Sidney rodeo has always been so much to me, because of being around and working with guys like Jerry Dorenkamp and Scott McClain. It was a huge thing for those guys to come to town.” Now he is one of those guys. He travels the country, not only providing the sound effects for events but also helping create new ways to entertain audiences. He was one of the guiding forces behind Bullfighters Only, an freestyle bullfighting organizations that features the greatest athletes in the game as they tangle with aggressive and agile beasts that were bred for that kind of fight. It all developed because of his relationship with Las Vegas Events, who hired Hilton to handle production for various events across the Nevada desert town during the 10-day NFR. “I had the idea to do bullfighting at the arena at Cowboy Christmas,” he said. “I talked to Aaron Ferguson about the idea, and he was all in. He took it full bore. That was just supposed to be a one-time bullfight. By the time the event came around (in December 2015), it was a whole new beast. Ferg’s vision was perfect for it.” But so is Hilton’s. He introduced electronic dance music to the bullfights. It was innovative and remains a key ingredient in the BFO format. “They wanted a whole new look, feel and sound to freestyle bullfighting,” Hilton said. “Now that style is being used everywhere.” Now four years later, Bullfighters Only is the premier freestyle bullfighting organization in the world. The year-end championship will take place over those same 10 days of the NFR. But as the key production consultant for Las Vegas Events, Hilton continues to thrive in his element. “Josh is just a very likeable person, and that’s what helped him not only being good at what he does, but when he’s around people, he’s just a fun person,” said Benje Bendele, a mentor to Hilton who has worked as sound director of every NFR since 2000. “People don’t want to be like him; they want to be him. “He has been involved in several rodeos with production prior to becoming a music director. That carries over. He’s not afraid to speak up, and that’s a great trait to have. He’s also a good front man. For Las Vegas Events to trust him, to hire him to take care of so many stages, means a lot. That’s a great recommendation, because there’s a lot of production for those stages.” Not bad for a man who grew up in a town of just 1,000 in Iowa’s southwestern corner. He has invested heavily into his business – he has spent more than $100,000 in equipment and sound alone – but it is paying off. He’s come a long way from his beginnings. “The first sound system I bought was $12,000,” Hilton said. “I remember, because Mike Cervi loaned it to me. He said to get what I needed and to pay him back when I could. Now the technology has changed the game so much. I blame Benje a lot, because he’s pushed this industry to the level it’s at.” There are dozens of music directors involved in rodeo. In 2017, the PRCA opted to recognize the best of them for the first time by creating the Music Director of the Year award. Based on a vote of PRCA members, Hilton earned the first honor. He’s up for the award again this year and will learn his fate during the awards ceremony in December at Las Vegas. “That award was huge,” he said. “To have legendary announcer and my friend, Bob Tallman, call my name was amazing. I live in Texas now because of Bob. He married my wife and I. That was really special to have him say my name.” And like his mentors Tallman, Bendele and Polhamus, Hilton has become one of the preeminent men in his field in ProRodeo. “He doesn’t just have one or two sound effects he has an arsenal of sound effects,” Polhamus said. “He’ll be able to play it even if it’s never happened at a rodeo before. He’s part entertainer, too. His entertainment value is outstanding, because he has a great sense of humor. He’s not lazy, and  Continue Reading »

GUNNISON, Colo. – Every year since its inception, many of the greatest cowboys in the country make their way to this picturesque town for the annual Cattlemen’s Days celebration and PRCA rodeo. Two of the greatest cowboys to have ever been here are repeat visitors, working the annual rodeo as pickup men for Stace Smith Pro Rodeo, one of the most decorated livestock firms in the sport. Jason Bottoms and Shawn Calhoun are two of the premier pickup men in the land, and they are regulars in the Gunnison Valley. “We’re just tickled to have guys of that caliber here in Gunnison,” said Kevin Coblentz, chairman of the volunteer committee that produces the rodeo. “They are great cowboys, and I know the bareback riders and bronc riders love knowing they have guys like that to help them at Cattlemen’s Days.” Each man has been selected to work the National Finals Rodeo, an honor bestowed on them by the top cowboys who play the game. Once they’ve earned the right to compete at the NFR by finishing the regular season as the leaders, the top 15 bareback riders and saddle bronc riders vote on who will rescue them for 10 straight December nights in Las Vegas. Calhoun was named to the NFR in 2012, while Bottoms’ three ventures to the Nevada desert came in 2005, ’07 and ’11. While the world has seen their talents on the biggest stage of the sport, the folks in Gunnison have seen them up close for many years. They are just two of the faces that come with the Smith Pro Rodeo, an Athens, Texas-based firm that has been named PRCA Stock Contractor of the Year 11 times. They are just a few of the biggest names in the game that are expected to be part of Cattlemen’s Days this year, with three performances set for Thursday, July 11-Saturday, July 13, at Fred Field Western Center in Gunnison. This year marks the return of entertainer John Harrison, who has been named the PRCA Comedy Act of the Year three times and Coors Man in the Can twice. His brand of comedy and his award-winning acts were a big hit for fans in Gunnison last July. “A lot of people don’t know this, but John is the grandson of Freckles Brown,” Coblentz said, pointing out that Brown is a ProRodeo Hall of Fame inductee who won the bull riding world title in 1962 at the age of 41. “When you have that kind of legacy, it says something. “But what I think is even bigger is that he’s an outstanding horseman, and a lot of people around here can appreciate that. When he adds that to the comedy, it really makes something cool happen.” Announcer Andy Stewart returns to call the action, providing his baritone voice and distinct flavor to every ride and run that takes place during each performance. From Colliston, La., Stewart has been nominated as PRCA Announcer of the Year each of the past nine seasons, and there’s a good reason for it. Gunnison-raised Linda Alsbaugh serves as the rodeo secretary and has for many years. She offers a great understanding of Cattlemen’s Days to her tasks of the behind-the-scenes work that goes on throughout rodeo week. She, too, is well decorated. Alsbaugh and her late husband, Art, were recipients of the 2012 Donita Barnes Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2015, she was named the PRCA Secretary of the Year. “Hands down, I think we bring the best rodeo personnel to our event every year,” Coblentz said. “The cowboys know that when they get here, and it shows in every level of our rodeo.”

GUYMON, Okla. – Saturday night’s third performance of the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo began precisely at 7:30 p.m. The rain started moments thereafter, but it didn’t dampen the spirits of the contestants in the mix and the thousands of fans in the stands. While many people ran for cover as the thunderstorm hit, they stuck around the best they could to partake in the biggest event to hit the Oklahoma Panhandle each spring. Meanwhile, Jake Long and Clay Smith were trying to figure out the best way to handle their situation. “I tried to stay in the trailer as long as I could,” said Long, an eight-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier in heeling from Coffeyville, Kansas. “It’s not the most fun thing to get rained on when you have to run one, but like anything, once you’re out in it, it’s fine.” Neither he nor his header let any of it bother them during their ran-dampened Saturday night, posting a 5.2-second run – the fastest of the rodeo so far. They took the third-round lead and sit fourth in the average with a three-run cumulative time of 32.6 seconds on three runs. “Most of our success there was with the draw,” said Smith, the reigning world champion header and four-time NFR qualifier from Broken Bow, Oklahoma. “We had a pretty good one. It waited on us and let us have a chance. You have to have a cow like that to be 5 (seconds) in those conditions. “Jake heeled him really fast, and that helped; it was a combination of things.” Guymon is different than any other event in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association in that it features hornless cattle in team roping. Most rodeos featured horned Corriente steers, but Guymon adds to the flavor of this hometown event by also having walking fresh cattle for every team – none of these animals have ever been through a rodeo chute system, much less been part of a rodeo run. “They’re fun, and they’re challenging, but they haven’t been very nice to me in the past,” Long said. “I won this rodeo when it was on horned cattle. But it’s interesting to rope muleys. Man, they can make you feel really silly.” That’s unless things go well, which happened Saturday night. “We watched when they roped one in 5.4, and it was an unbelievable run,” he said. “We drew such a good one that we got to make a normal run (like roping horned cattle), which doesn’t happen very often around here.” Long and Smith have had a terrific start. Smith sits second in the heading world standings with nearly $64,000 in season earnings; Long is third in heading with more than $56,000. So far this year, they have earned big dollars by winning titles at four prestigious events, and they’re just going to add to it. Elliott seriously injured Saddle bronc rider Clay Elliott, a three-time NFR qualifier from Nanton, Alberta, was seriously injured during Friday’s first performance of Pioneer Days Rodeo. Elliott was bucked off Frontier Rodeo’s Delta Force and landed on his head and suffered multiple spinal fractures. He had fractures in the C3, C4, C5 and C6 vertebrae and has surgery to fuse the C5and C6 vertebrae, said Rick Foster, program director for the Justin Sportsmedicine Team. “Surgery went well, and there were no neuro deficits, so the outcome is good,” Foster said, noting that the procedure took place at Swedish Medical Center in Denver. “He also had a thoracic spine fracture that was treated non surgically. “Typically, that injury would mean six months plus of being out of action.” Elliott was part of the storied rodeo program at Oklahoma Panhandle State University, which is just 10 miles from Guymon. He won the Central Plains Region for Panhandle State in 2015 and has since won a Canadian championship. Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days Rodeo April 29-May 5 Results through the first performance Bareback riding leaders: 1. Garrett Shadbolt, 87 points on Powder River Rodeo’s Joker; 2. (tie) Ty Breuer and Will Lowe, 85; 4. Logan Patterson, 84.5; 5. Taylor Broussard, 83.5; 6. Tanner Aus, 81.5; 7. Dylan Riggins, 80.5; 8. (tie) Brazos Winters and Mason Clements, 80. Team roping: Third round leaders: 1. Clay Smith/Jake Long, 5.2 seconds; 2. Tanner Green/Jake Clay, 5.4; 3. Brett Christensen/Chase Boekhaus, 6.0; 4. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 6.1; 5. Cooper White/Tucker White, 6.2; 6. Jake Orman/Walt Woodard, 6.3; 7. (tie) Garett Chick/Ross Ashford and Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp, 6.9. Aggregate leaders: 1. Garret Chick/Ross Ashford, 29.4 seconds on three runs; 2. Manny Egusquiza Jr., 29.8; 3. Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp, 31.5; 4. Clay Smith/Jake Long, 32.6; 5. Brett Christensen/Chase Boekhaus, 33.5; 6. Cooper White/Tucker White,35.3; 7. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 37.6; 8. Nick Sartain/Austin Rogers, 40.5. Steer wrestling: Third round leaders: 1. Matt Reeves, 4.0 seconds; 2. Jule Hazen, 4.1; 3. Tom Uttermark, 4.4; 4. Richard Coats, 4.8; 5. Tyrel Cline, 4.9; 6. (tie) Eli Lord and Denell Henderson, 5.1; 8. Cody Devers, 5.3. Aggregate leaders: 1. Blake Mindemann, 15.9 seconds on three runs; 2. Billy Boldon, 16.9; 3. Matt Reeves, 17.3; 4. Tristan Martin, 17.9; 5. T.J. Hall, 18.2; 6. (tie) Jule Hazen and Denell Henderson, 18.6; 8. Hunter Washburn, 20.0 Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Wade Sundell, 90 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Big News; 2. Isaac Diaz, 87.5; 3. Tyrel Larsen, 87; 4. Mitch Pollock, 86; 5. Colt Gordon, 85; 6. Hardy Braden, 84; 7. (tie) Taos Muncy and Rusty Wright, 83. Tie-down roping: Third round leaders: 1. Cooper Martin, 9.2 seconds; 2. Ryan Jarrett, 9.3; 3. Will Howell, 9.4; 4. Paul David Tierney, 10.1; 5. Luke Meier, 10.4; 6. (tie) Seth Cooke and Jase Staudt, 10.6; 8. Justin Smith, 11.1. Aggregate leaders: 1. Ryan Jarrett, 38.3 seconds on three runs; 2. Cooper Martin, 31.4; 3. Jase Staudt, 32.5; 4. Paul David Tierney, 33.9; 5. Will Howell, 34.2; 6. Chase Williams, 35.9; 75. Ty Harris, 36.1; 8. Robert Mathis, 37.1. Barrel racing: Second round leaders: 1. Ivy Hurst, 17.39 seconds; 2. (tie) Billie  Continue Reading »

GUYMON, Okla. – Over the years, Clayton Hass has always held a special place in his heart for the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo. He’s won a bunch of money in the Oklahoma Panhandle, but he’s never walked away from “No Man’s Land” with the title. That changed Sunday, when he wrestled his steer to the ground in 4.3 seconds to win the Guymon title. “It was very important to do well,” said Hass, a three-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Stephenville, Texas. “I was behind the 8 ball a little; I’ve had an OK winter, but not great.” He was 27th in the world standings heading into this week, and the $4,363 he earned will surely propel him up the money list. That’s vital, because only the top 15 contestants on the money list in each event advance to the NFR at the conclusion of the regular season. After three straight years competing in Las Vegas in December, Hass has missed the last two opportunities. Other winners at the 87th Pioneer Days Rodeo were all-around champion Ryan Jarrett, bareback rider Garrett Shadbolt, team ropers Cody McClusky and Joe Mattern, saddle bronc rider Wade Sundell, tie-down roper John Douch, barrel racer Kylie Weast and bull riders Stetson Wright and Trevor Rieste. Hass took advantage of things when the time came Sunday. He was second in the aggregate race heading into the final performance, just three-tenths of a second behind Nick Guy of Sparta, Wisconsin. “I knew my steer was good,” he said. “Nick was 4.2 on him in the first round, so I knew I had Nick outdrawn a little bit; if I did my job, he’d have to hump up to get me. Regardless of whether we were first or second, we just had to make a solid run, and we both did.” That wasn’t the only tie-in between Guy and Hass. The Texan’s horse was sore from an incident earlier in the week, so he leaned on Chuck, a 16-year-old buckskin gelding that Guy is leasing from Kyle Whitaker. Guy’s steer then ran a little harder than Hass’, leading to the victory by 1.1 seconds. “My horse is a little sore, so I called Nick to see if I could get on that horse, Hass said. “Nick hazed for me.” Even though both were battling for the top spot at a big rodeo this time of year, they were also willing to help one another. That’s what separates rodeo from most other sports, and it’s what separates the bulldoggers from other events. “We all get along pretty dang good and help each other out,” he said. “It’s pretty awesome. I’m in some other events, and it ain’t that way. We see it as if we’re competing against the steers, so we cheer each other on. We push for each other and haze for each other. It’s pretty cool comradery.” Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days Rodeo April 29-May 5 Results All-around cowboy: Ryan Jarrett, $4,814 in team roping and tie-down roping. Bareback riding: 1. Garrett Shadbolt, 87 points on Powder River Rodeo’s Joker, $2,414; 2. Bill Tutor, 86, $1,851; 3. (tie) Ty Breuer and Will Lowe, 85, $1,126 each; 5. Logan Patterson, 84.5, $563; 6. Taylor Broussard, 83.5, $402; 7. Paden Hurst, 82.5, $322; 8. Tanner Aus, 81.5, $241. Team roping: First round: 1. Brice Boatright/Chad Mathes, 6.3 seconds, $1,843; 2. Joshua Torres/Jonathan Torres, 6.9, $1,515; 3. Cole Morgan/Derrick Jantzen, 7.0, $1,288; 4. Laramie Allen/Jace Davis, 7.1, $1,061; 5. Jake Orman/Walt Woodard, 7.4, $834; 6. Cody Hilzendeger/J.C. Flake, 7.5, $606; 7. Cole Patterson/Darin Suit, 7.8, $379; 8. (tie) Jeff Johnston/Dustin Dan Harris and Blake Hughes/Braden Harmon, 8.1, $76 each. Second round: 1. Tate Kirchenschlager/Cesar de la Cruz, 5.6 seconds, $1,743 each; 2. Paul David Tierney/Tanner Braden, 5.9, $1,515; 3. Luke Brown/Paul Eaves, 6.2, $1,288; 4. Kellan Johnson/Carson Johnson, 6.6, $1,061; 5. Blake Hughes/Braden Harmon, 6.9, $834; 6. Cale Markham/Brye Crites, 7.0, $606; 7. (tie) Jesse Stipes/Jake Smith and Ryan Jarrett/Matt Kasner, 7.2, $265 each. Third round: 1. Clay Smith/Jake Long, 5.2 seconds, $1,743; 2. Tanner Green/Jake Clay, 5.4, $1,515; 3. Brett Christensen/Chase Boekhaus, 6.0, $1,288; 4. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 6.1, $1,061; 5. Cooper White/Tucker White, 6.2, $834; 6. Jake Orman/Walt Woodard, 6.3, $606; 7. (tie) Garett Chick/Ross Ashford and Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp, 6.9, $265 each. Aggregate: 1. Cody McCluskey/Joe Mattern, 24.8 seconds on three runs, $2,614; 2. Brice Boatright/Chad Mathes, 25.1, $2,273; 3. Chad Masters/Joseph Harrison, $1,932; 4. Cory Kidd/Brady Norman, $1,591; 5. Garret Chick/Ross Ashford, 29.4, $1,250; 6. Manny Egusquiza Jr./Dustin Searcy, 29.8, $909; 7. Blake Hughes/Braden Harmon, 30.4, $568; 8. Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp, 31.5, $227. Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Nick Guy, 4.2 seconds, $1,763; 2. (tie) Tyler Murray and Shayde Etherton, 4.3, $1,307 each; 4. (tie) Tanner Brunner and Tyler Pearson, 4.4, $699 each; 6. Ryan Swayze, 4.6, $304. Second round: 1. Hunter Cure, 4.0 seconds, $1,763; 2. (tie) Matt Reeves, Don Payne and Cody Doescher, 4.1, $1,155 each; 5. Clayton Hass, 4.2, $547; 6. (tie) Richard Coats and Brady Reneau, 4.3, $152 each. Third round: 1. Matt Reeves, 4.0 seconds, $1,763; 2. Jule Hazen, 4.1, $1,459; 3. Clayton Hass, 4.3, $1,155; 4. Tom Uttermark, 4.4, $851; 5. Chad Van Campen, 4.5, $547; 6. J.D. Struxness, 4.7, $304. Aggregate: 1. Clayton Hass 13.3 seconds on three runs, $2,644; 2. Nick Guy, 14.4, $2,188; 3. Trell Etbauer, 15.3, $1,732; 4. Chad Van Campen, 15.4, $1,277; 5. Blake Mindemann, 15.9, 4821; 6. Billy Boldon, 16.9, $456. Saddle bronc riding: 1. Wade Sundell, 90 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Big News, $2,955; 2. Isaac Diaz, 87.5, $2,266; 3. Tyrel Larsen, 87, $1,675; 4. Mitch Pollock, 86, $1,084; 5. Colt Gordon, 85, $690; 6. Hardy Braden, 84, $493; 7. (tie) Taos Muncy, Cort Scheer and Rusty Wright, 83, $230 each. Tie-down roping: First round: 1. (tie) Glenn Jackson and Shane Hanchey, 8.9 seconds, $1,644 each; 3. Reese Riemer, 9.3, $1,300; 4. (tie) John Douch, Robert Mathis and Cheyenne Harper, 9.6, $841 each; 7. (tie) Westyn Hughes and Tyler Milligan, 9.8, $268. Second round: 1. Tyler  Continue Reading »

GUYMON, Okla. – If asked, Ty Breuer will say that he feels a little rusty on the back of a bucking horse. He didn’t show it Friday night during the first performance of the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo. Breuer matched moves with Frontier Rodeo’s Short Night for 85 points to take the early lead in bareback riding. That’s not too shabby for a cowboy that hasn’t been on a bucking horse in more than a month. He’s been busy with his cow-calf operation at home in Mandan, North Dakota. It takes up a considerable amount of time during the early spring, but he proved early why he is one of the best in the business. “This has always been a good rodeo to me,” said Breuer, 29, who won the 2014 Pioneer Days Rodeo trophy belt. “I like coming down here.” He likes going just about anywhere this year. A four-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier, Breuer is having the best season of his career with more than $78,000 in earnings, and it’s only the third day of May – the regular season doesn’t end until Sept. 30, and only the top 15 in the world standings at that point earn berths to the NFR, the sport’s grand finale. “I think I owe a lot of my success to rodeoing smart and being with the people I travel with, Steven Dent and Tanner Aus,” Breuer said. “They’ve helped me out a lot in my bareback riding career. The people I surround myself with have really helped a lot. “Being in better shape helps a lot, too.” Breuer has been dedicated the past couple of years to a stringent workout regimen. That is one of the guiding forces to him having such a success, even though his schedule on his North Dakota ranch has kept him out of the weight room. “It’s awesome that rodeo has come this far that someone can make this kind of money in such a short period of time,” he said. “It also helps because I’m about to have another kid, so hopefully I’ll be able to stay home a little more this year.” He knows, though, that in order to spend more time with his wife, Kelli; daughter, Kayd; and a newborn son come June, he’ll have to stay on this winning formula. While he’s padded his pocketbook quite well, he’ll need tens of thousands of more dollars if he wants to return to Las Vegas in December and battle for the world championship. “I’ll go home now, finishing calving, hit a couple rodeos a week so I can keep getting on bareback horses, then I’ll go pretty hard at the end of June,” Breuer said. “I’ll start making time to go to my trainer, but I haven’t had the chance because of calving. I’ll go to my trainer early in the morning so I can be home when the sun comes up so I can get to work.” That’s what’s worked so far, so why not stay with it. Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days Rodeo April 29-May 5 Results through the first performance Bareback riding leaders: 1. Ty Breuer, 85 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Short Night; 2. Taylor Broussard, 83.5; 3. Tanner Aus, 81.5; 4. Brazos Winters, 80; 5. Daylon Swearingen, 77; no other qualified rides. Team roping: Third round leaders: 1. Tanner Green/Jake Clay, 5.4 seconds; 2. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 6.1; 3. Jake Orman/Walt Woodard, 6.3; 4. Garett Chick/Ross Ashford, 6.9; 5. Clay Tryan/Travis Graves, 15.6; no other qualified runs. Aggregate leaders: 1. Garret Chick/Ross Ashford, 29.4 seconds on three runs; 2. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 37.6; 3. Tanner Green/Jake Clay, 13.4 seconds on two runs; 4. Jake Orman/Walt Woodard, 13.7; 5. (tie) Cole Morgan/Derrick Jantzen and Blake Hughes/Braden Harmon, 15.0; 7. Chace Thompson/Tyson Thompson, 16.6; 8. (tie) Cody McCluskey/Joe Mattern and Ty Blasingame/Jerren Johnson, 16.9. Steer wrestling: Third round leaders: 1. Tom Uttermark, 4.4 seconds; 2. (tie) T.J. Hall and Tyler Pearson, 5.8; 4. Blake Mindemann, 6.0; 5. Billy Boldon, 6.9; 6. JustinShaffer, 13.9; 7. Austin Eller, 14.2; no other qualified runs. Aggregate leaders: 1. Blake Mindemann, 15.9 seconds on three runs; 2. Billy Boldon, 16.9; 3. T.J. Hll, 18.2; 4. Tom Uttermark, 20.4; 5. Tyler Pearson, 24.3; 6. Justin Shaffer, 26.0; 7. Austin Eller, 32.8; 8. Nick Guy, 8.8 seconds on two runs. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Wade Sundell, 90 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Big News; 2. Isaac Diaz, 87.5; 3. Taos Muncy, 83; 4. Cole Elshere, 77.5; 5. (tie) Kash Deal and Jade Blackwell, 77; 7. Brody Cress, 74; 8. Brady Hill, 68. Tie-down roping: Third round leaders: 1. Justin Smith, 11.1 seconds; 2. Tyler Prcin, 11.7; 3. Ty Harris, 12.1; 4. Dawson Turner, 16.1; 5. Kell Parker, 17.8; no other qualified runs. Aggregate leaders: 1. Ty Harris, 36.1 seconds on three runs; 2. (tie) Tyler Prcin and Justin Smith, 38.3; 4. Dawson Turner, 44.8; 5. Kell Parker, 47.2; 6. Reese Riemer, 17.6 on two runs; 7. Shane Hanchey, 17.9; 8. John Douch, 18.5. Barrel racing: First round: 1. Kylie Weast, 17.53 seconds, $1,804; 2. Sally Conway, 17.57, $1,546; 3. Kellie Collier, 17.63, $1,289; 4. Jill Wilson, 17.65, $1,117; 5. (tie) Shelley Morgan and Skyla Whitters, 17.68, $773 each; 7. Shali Lord, 17.72, $515; 8. Randi Buchanan, 17.75, $344; 9. Lacinda Rose, 17.80, $258; 10. (tie) Michelle Darling and Hollie Etbauer, 17.83, $86 each. Second round leaders: 1. Sarah McCormick, 17.49 seconds; 2. Ashley Castleberry, 17.58; 3. Kylie Weast, 17.59; 4. Michelle Darling, 17.67; 5. Nicole Riggle, 17.86; 6. Tamara Reinhardt, 17.92; 7. Debbie Pate, 18.02; 8. (tie) Alyssa Gabrielson and Michelle Alley, 18.04; 10. Tammy Fischer, 18.05. Aggregate leaders: 1. Kylie Weast, 35.12 seconds on two runs; 2. Michelle Darling, 35.50; 3. Sarah McCormick, 35.74; 4. Nicole Riggle, 36.05; 5. Tammy Fischer, 36.08; 6. Tierra Gray, 36.22; 7. Tamara Reinhardt, 36.30; 8. Deb Cox, 36.32; 9. Tristen Spivey, 36.35; 10. Debbie Pate, 36.49. Bull riding leaders: 1. Corey Atwell, 84.5 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Psychopath; 2. Daylon Swearingen, 84; 3. Josh Frost,  Continue Reading »

GUYMON, Okla. – It’s been a decade since Ryan Jarrett last left the Oklahoma Panhandle with the unique trophy belt given to the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo champions. He wants another one, and he’s staking his claim for it this year. On Saturday afternoon during the second performance, Jarrett roped and tied his calf in 9.3 seconds to take the third-round and aggregate leads in tie-down roping. It seems like he’s always finding his way to a good payday in Guymon. “That doesn’t always happen,” he said. “I like this rodeo. It’s a good rodeo and old school as far as everybody being around during slack. It’s the way rodeo was when I first started.” Many rodeos now feature back-to-back runs for the contestants, meaning they will make a first-round run on a certain morning, then follow with their second-round run that evening during a performance. Pioneer Days Rodeo features two full rounds during slack earlier in the week, and the top times return for the weekend performances. Jarrett, a 12-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier now sitting 15th in the tie-down roping world standings, also competed in team roping in the Oklahoma Panhandle. He and heeling partner Matt Kasner advanced from the first two rounds, but Jarrett was saddled with a no-time in that event. “It was good that we made it back, but then I missed a good one,” Jarrett said. “You have to take a deep breath and move on, because I’ve got another one to rope. In reality, I haven’t been focusing on team roping a whole lot.” Pioneer Days Rodeo is unique in that the team ropers compete on hornless cattle, otherwise known as muleys. There are enough cattle for the timed events that each cowboy or team is given a fresh animal on which to compete, so there have been no previous runs on them. “It’s a fresh one for everybody, so it’s about as fair as you can get in all the timed events,” he said. “I drew decent in calf roping. I knew I didn’t want to break the barrier, just give the calf a safe start, knock him down and see how it ended up.” The 9.3 moved his three-run cumulative time to 38.3 seconds. He’ll have to await the outcome of the final two performances to see how it all plays out. Shortly after his performance Saturday afternoon, he was southeast bound, counting down every minute of his five-and-a-half-hour drive home to his wife, Shy-Anne, and 2-month-old baby girl, Junee Rae. “My life in rodeo has changed a lot since she was born,” said Jarrett, the 2005 all-around world champion. “It sure makes it pretty hard to drive away.” Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days Rodeo April 29-May 5 Results through the second performance Bareback riding leaders: 1. Garrett Shadbolt, 87 points on Powder River Rodeo’s Joker; 2. Ty Breuer, 85; 3. Taylor Broussard, 83.5; 4. Tanner Aus, 81.5; 5. (tie) Brazos Winters and Mason Clements, 80; 7. Daylon Swearingen, 77; 8. Cole Reiner, 74. Team roping: Third round leaders: 1. Tanner Green/Jake Clay, 5.4 seconds; 2. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 6.1; 3. Jake Orman/Walt Woodard, 6.3; 4. Garett Chick/Ross Ashford, 6.9; 5. (tie) Laramie Allen/Jace Davis and Nick Sartain/Austin Rogers, 7.0; 7, Jase Staudt/Clancey Kreutzer, 12.1; 8. Cody Hilzendeger/J.C. Flake, 12.2. Aggregate leaders: 1. Garret Chick/Ross Ashford, 29.4 seconds on three runs; 2. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 37.6; 3. Nick Sartain/Austin Rogers, 40.5; 4. Jase Staudt/Clancey kreutzer, 43.7; 5. Tanner Green/Jake Clay, 13.4 seconds on two runs; 6. Jake Orman/Walt Woodard, 13.7; 7. Laramie Allen/Jace Davis, 14.1; 8. (tie) Cole Morgan/Derrick Jantzen and Blake Hughes/Braden Harmon, 15.0. Steer wrestling: Third round leaders: 1. Jule Hazen, 4.1 seconds; 2. Tom Uttermark, 4.4; 3. Richard Coats, 4.8; 4. Cody Devers, 5.3; 5. Hunter Washburn, 5.5; 6. (tie) T.J. Hall and Tyler Pearson, 5.8; 8. Blake Mindemann, 6.0. Aggregate leaders: 1. Blake Mindemann, 15.9 seconds on three runs; 2. Billy Boldon, 16.9; 3. T.J. Hall, 18.2; 4. Jule Hazen, 18.6; 5. Hunter Washburn, 20.0; 6. Tom Uttermark, 20.4; 7. Justin Nokes, 24.0; 8. Tyler Pearson, 24.3. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Wade Sundell, 90 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Big News; 2. Isaac Diaz, 87.5; 3. Colt Gordon, 85; 4. Taos Muncy, 83; 5. Cort Scheer, 83; 6. Preston Burr, 82; 7. (tie) Cole Elshere and Jesse Bail, 77.5. Tie-down roping: Third round leaders: 1. Ryan Jarrett, 9.3 seconds; 2. Will Howell, 9.4; 3. (tie) Seth Cooke and Jase Staudt, 10.6; 5. Justin Smith, 11.1; 6. Chase Williams, 11.5; 7. Tyler Prcin, 11.7; 8. Ty Harris, 12.1. Aggregate leaders: 1. Ryan Jarrett, 38.3 seconds on three runs; 2. Jase Staudt, 32.5; 3. Will Howell, 34.2; 4. Chase Williams, 35.9; 5. Ty Harris, 36.1; 6. Robert Mathis, 37.1; 7. (tie) Tyler Prcin and Justin Smith, 38.3. Barrel racing: Second round leaders: 1. Ivy Hurst, 17.39 seconds; 2. (toe) Billie Ann Harmon and $yann Pedone, 17.48; 4. Sarah McCormick, 17.49; 5. (tie) Ashley Castleberry and Stevi Hillman, 17.58; 7. Kylie Weast, 17.59; 8. Kelly Yates, 17.60; 9. (tie) Michelle Darling and Shannon Lillard, 17.67. Aggregate leaders: 1. Kylie Weast, 35.12 seconds on two runs; 2. Ivy Hurst, 35.44; 3. Ryan Pedone, 35.49; 4. Michelle Darling, 35.50; 5. Sevi Hillman, 35.53; 6. Billie Ann Harmon, 35.56; 7. Kelly Yates, 35.59; 8. Tracy Nowlin, 35.66; 9. Tyra Kane, 35.68; 10. Sarah McCormick, 35.74. Bull riding leaders: 1. Corey Atwell, 84.5 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Psychopath; 2. Daylon Swearingen, 84; 3. Eligah Mora, 83; 4. Toby Collins, 82; 5. Josh Frost, 81.5; 6. Cain Smith, 79; no other qualified rides.

Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days Rodeo April 29-May 5 Through two rounds Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Nick Guy, 4.2 seconds, $1,763; 2. (tie) Tyler Murray and Shayde Etherton, 4.3, $1,307 each; 4. (tie) Tanner Brunner and Tyler Pearson, 4.4, $699 each; 6. Ryan Swayze, 4.6, $304. Second round: 1. Hunter Cure, 4.0 seconds, $1,763; 2. (tie) Matt Reeves, Don Payne and Cody Doescher, 4.1, $1,155 each; 5. Clayton Hass, 4.2, $547; 6. (tie) Richard Coats and Brady Reneau, 4.3, $152 each. Average leaders: 1. Nick Guy, 8.8 seconds on two head; 2. Clayton Hass, 9.0; 3. Taz Olson, 9.3; 4. (tie) Grady Payne and Blake Mindemann, 9.9 each; 6. Billy Boldon, 10.0. Team roping: First round: 1. Brice Boatright/Chad Mathes, 6.3 seconds, $1,843; 2. Joshua Torres/Jonathan Torres, 6.9, $1,515; 3. Cole Morgan/Derrick Jantzen, 7.0, $1,288; 4. Laramie Allen/Jace Davis, 7.1, $1,061; 5. Jake Orman/Walt Woodard, 7.4, $834; 6. Cody Hilzendeger/J.C. Flake, 7.5, $606; 7. Cole Patterson/Darin Suit, 7.8, $379; 8. (tie) Jeff Johnston/Dustin Dan Harris and Blake Hughes/Braden Harmon, 8.1, $76 each. Second round: 1. Tate Kirchenschlager/Cesar de la Cruz, 5.6 seconds, $1,743 each; 2. Paul David Tierney/Tanner Braden, 5.9, $1,515; 3. Luke Brown/Paul Eaves, 6.2, $1,288; 4. Kellan Johnson/Carson Johnson, 6.6, $1,061; 5. Blake Hughes/Braden Harmon, 6.9, $834; 6. Cale Markham/Brye Crites, 7.0, $606; 7. (tie) Jesse Stipes/Jake Smith and Ryan Jarrett/Matt Kasner, 7.2, $265 each. Average leaders: 1. (tie) Blake Hughes/Braden Harmon and Cole Morgan/Derrick Jantzen, 15.0 seconds on two head each; 3. Chace Thompson/Tyson Thompson, 16.6; 4. (tie) Cody McCluskey/Joe Mattern and Ty Blasingame/Jerren Johnson, 16.9 each; 6. Adam Rose/Jett Hillman, 17.4. Tie-down roping: First round: 1. (tie) Glenn Jackson and Shane Hanchey, 8.9 seconds, $1,644 each; 3. Reese Riemer, 9.3, $1,300; 4. (tie) John Douch, Robert Mathis and Cheyenne Harper, 9.6, $841 each; 7. (tie) Westyn Hughes and Tyler Milligan, 9.8, $268. Second round: 1. Tyler Prcin, 7.9 seconds, $1,758; 2. Seth Cooke, 8.1, $1,529; 3. Reese Riemer, 8.3, $1,300; 4. (tie) Chase Williams and Ryan Jarrett, 8.5, $956 each; 6. John Douch, 8.9, $612; 7. Shane Hanchey, 9.0, $382; 8. Westyn Hughes, 9.3, $153. Average leaders: 1. Reese Riemer, 17.6 seconds on two head; 2. Shane Hanchey, 17.9; 3. John Douch, 18.5; 4. Ryan Jarrett, 18.9; 5. Westyn Hughes, 19.1; 6. Tyler Milligan, 19.2.

The first champion of the 2019 Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo has been crowned. Thomas Smith of Barnsdall, Oklahoma, roped and tied five steers in 64.9 seconds to win the steer roping title during competition that took place Monday and Tuesday at Hitch Arena. The 27-year-old cowboy shared the first-round victory with Trevor Brazile, then placed in two other rounds. In all, he pocketed $7,446. That money will move Smith into the Top 30 in the PRCA world standings and to the No. 1 spot in the Prairie Circuit. Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days Rodeo April 29-May 5 Steer roping: First round: 1. (tie) Thomas Smith and Trevor Brazile, 11.9 seconds, $1,572 each; 3. Walter Priestly, 12.0, $1,127; 4. Clay Smith, 12.1, $831; 5. Kelton McMillen, 12.3, $534; 6. Tuf Cooper, 12.4, $297. Second round: 1. Chet Herren, 10.1 seconds, $1,721; 2. (tie) Trey Sheets and Shay Good, 11.3, $1,276 each; 4. Jim Locke, 11.4, $831; 5. (tie) Ryan Willberg and Rocky Patterson, 11.5, $415 each. Third round: 1. (tie) Neal Wood and Landon McClaugherty, 10.2 seconds, $1,572 each; 3. Travis Sheets, 10.4, $1,127; 4. J.P. Wickett, 10.9, $831; 5. (tie) Thomas Smith and Jim Locke, 11.4, $415 each. Fourth round: 1. Chet Herren, 9.4 seconds, $1,721; 2. Chris Glover, 10.2, $1,424; 3. (tie) Trenton Johnson and Landon McClaugherty, 10.5, $979 each; 5. Will Gasperson, 10.6, $534; 6. Jess Tierney, 11.0. Fifth round: 1. Jim Locke, 10.0 seconds, $1,721; 2. Scott Snedecor, 10.3, $1,424; 3. Chet Herren, 10.6, $1,127; 4. Neal Wood, 10.8, $831; 5. Walter Priestly, 11.1, $534; 6. Thomas Smith, 11.3, $297. Average: 1. Thomas Smith, 64.9 seconds on five runs, $5,162; 2. Brady Garten, 67.7, $4,272; 3. Vin Fisher Jr., 68.5, $3,382; 4. Kelton McMillen, 70.0, $2,492; 5. Scott Snedecor, 72.5, $1,602; 6. Bryce Davis, 73.5, $890.

Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days Rodeo April 29-May 5 Steer roping: First round: 1. (tie) Thomas Smith and Trevor Brazile, 11.9 seconds, $1,572 each; 3. Walter Priestly, 12.0, $1,127; 4. Clay Smith, 12.1, $831; 5. Kelton McMillen, 12.3, $534; 6. Tuf Cooper, 12.4, $297. Second round: 1. Chet Herren, 10.1 seconds, $1,721; 2. (tie) Trey Sheets and Shay Good, 11.3, $1,276 each; 4. Jim Locke, 11.4, $831; 5. (tie) Ryan Willberg and Rocky Patterson, 11.5, $415 each. Aggregate leaders: 1. Thomas Smith, 24.9 seconds on two runs; 2. Clay Smith, 25.4; 3. Cody Lee, 25.7; 4. Scott Snedecor, 25.8; 5. Trevor Brazile, 26.1; 6. Brady Garten, 26.6.

ALVA, Okla. – In just a few days, Colton Brown will walk across the stage and receive his degree from Northwestern Oklahoma State University. He’s a cowboy, first and forever, but he has big dreams beyond his graduation day in Alva. He plans to attend law school, preferably Texas Tech University. But his cowboy instincts came through this past weekend by finishing his final season strong at the Oklahoma Panhandle State University’s Doc Gardner Memorial Rodeo in Guymon, Oklahoma. “It means the world to me to do that,” said Brown, a senior from Nocona, Texas. “I definitely couldn’t ask for a better way to end my college career.” Brown’s best finish came in steer wrestling, where he placed third in the first round and finished second overall to teammate Colt Madison of Whiting, Iowa. But Brown also placed in both rounds and finished fourth in tie-down roping, proving to himself that he can be successful in multiple events. “I think the key in Guymon was my horses,” said Brown, who transferred from South Plains College in Levelland, Texas, after his sophomore year. “I’ve had my calf roping horse my whole college career. I love him because he just gives me the same run every time. He never fails to work.” Dinero is a 15-year-old sorrel gelding, but he’s not the only horse the Texan trusts. He also has Dixie, a 16-year-old buckskin mare that he’s ridden for most of the last decade. “She’s definitely a treasure, and she was the first horse I ever bulldogged off of,” he said. “I trained her as I learned to bulldog. I also roped calves on her. She’s just given me everything she’s ever had since junior high, and now I’ve finished my last college rodeo on her. She’s definitely a once-in-a-lifetime horse.” Brown was raised on a ranch in north Texas, the sixth generation of his family on the place. His father competed in professional rodeo for more than 20 years, so it was an easy transition for the youngster to find his way into the arena. “I’ve grown up doing it,” he said. “One of my dreams was to rodeo, to try to follow my father. Our ranch has been in our name for 145 years now.” After competing two years in west Texas, Brown decided on Northwestern because of the coach, Stockton Graves, a Ranger alumnus who qualified for the National Finals Rodeo seven times in steer wrestling. “Stockton’s such a great coach, and more than anything, I wanted him to help my bulldogging,” Brown said. “There was really nowhere left in the Southwest Region that catered to bulldoggers, and everyone said that if you want to be a steer wrestler, Alva was the place to go. It’s the best opportunity for bulldoggers is to go to Northwestern and have them make a champion out of you.” While there’s been great success in steer wrestling, Graves and Northwestern have proven to be a proving ground for any contestant wanting to mature through college rodeo. In fact, five contestants finished the 2018-19 Central Plains Region atop the standings and earned their spot at the College National Finals Rodeo in June. Tie-down roper Riley Wakefield of O’Neill, Nebraska; steer wrestler Bridger Anderson of Carrington, North Dakota; and breakaway roper Taylor Munsell of Arnett, Oklahoma, won regional titles in their respective events. They will be joined in Casper, Wyoming, by heeler Tanner Nall of Colcord, Oklahoma, who finished second in the region, and Bradley Ralph of Wann, Oklahoma, who placed third in steer wrestling. Junior header Daniel Durkes led the way for the Rangers while in the Oklahoma Panhandle, winning the team roping title with his heeling partner, Zeke Hall of Fort Hays (Kansas) State University. Wakefield placed in the first round and finished sixth overall as a heeler. Though he didn’t place in the first round, tie-down roper Levi Walter of Wray, Colorado, finished third in the championship round and in the average. Barrel racer Amber Scales of Pittsburg, Kansas, led the way for the Rangers women, placing in both rounds and finishing second overall. Senior Ashlyn Moeder of Oakley, Kansas, closed out her college career by finishing fourth in the short round and fifth in the average. Breakaway roper Makayla Mack of Christmas, Florida, raced to a 2.1-second run to win the first round. Even though she was saddled with a no-time in the short round, she still finished sixth overall. “One of the things Stockton has taught us is to never give up,” Brown said. “He really focuses on the mental part of the game. You can’t let the last rodeo or the last run affect what’s going to happen. The last one is over and done, so it’s time to look forward to the next one.” Brown’s college rodeo career may be complete, but he hopes to still chase his rodeo dreams at the professional level while completing law school and beyond. He’s a cowboy, after all.

GUYMON, Okla. – While Pioneer Days is the annual celebration in this community of nearly 12,000 people, the rodeo that’s associated with it is the jubilee’s marquee event. Not only is it a throwback to the community’s Western legacy, but also it is a display of the incredible athletes in the sport and a true showcase of Americana all wrapped into a week of competition, with four performances set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 3; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 4; and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 5, at Henry C. Hitch Pioneer Arena. “Our rodeo is an important part of Guymon’s history,” said Mitch Egger, chairman of the volunteer committee that produces the event. “This is our 87th year, and our committee works very hard to live up to the responsibilities of that legacy. “This is the biggest event in Texas County, Oklahoma, every year, with nearly 800 contestants making their way to Guymon for the rodeo. Not only that, but we draw fans from beyond the Panhandle to see what we have to offer. This is really a great way to showcase our community.” The contestants agree, which is why they come from all over the country to be part of the festivities. “Not only is Guymon in the (Prairie) Circuit, but it’s probably the best circuit rodeo we have,” said team roping-header Coleman Proctor, a four-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Pryor, Oklahoma. “There’s a lot of heritage out there, and Guymon’s always been fun. I bought my permit so that I could compete at Guymon, and I always look forward to it.” Team roping is one of a couple of specialized events at Pioneer Days. It is one of the few, if not the only, rodeos across the country in which the cowboys rope hornless cattle, known as muleys. It adds a much different flavor to the event and has helped make the Guymon event popular with team ropers. “We get walking-fresh muleys,” Proctor said, referring to the fact all the cattle will enter an arena for the first time ever, coming straight out of a pasture in the Oklahoma Panhandle. “It’s always fun to go somewhere like that where the set up is different. “They have a hand-pulled barrier, which is different than most other rodeos. It wouldn’t be Pioneer Days without having us rope muleys. Ever since I was a kid, you always heard about Guymon because of that.” But that’s not all. Because Texas County is recognized as the Bronc Riding Capital of the World – there have been six men with ties to the Oklahoma Panhandle that have earned saddle bronc riding world championships – it is another specialized event for the fans in Guymon. In addition, there have been dozens of bronc riding NFR qualifiers with ties to the region, especially those who have attended Oklahoma Panhandle State University. “To me, it’s a real prestigious rodeo,” said Isaac Diaz, a six-time NFR qualifier from Desdemona, Texas, who sits in the Top 10 in the world standings. “It kicks off the summer, and there’s always good stock. I think most guys enter it because it’s fun. With the Etbauers and Craig Latham being from there, it really feels like a bronc riders rodeo to me.” That feeling may just grow this year with the introduction of the new primary livestock producer, Frontier Rodeo, the reigning four-time PRCA Stock Contractor of the Year based in Freedom, Oklahoma. In addition to that accolade, Frontier features seven animals that have been named horses of the year, including saddle broncs Maple Leaf and Medicine Woman, the latter of which has earned it four times. “Having Frontier there will be great,” said Diaz, who recently won the rodeo in Logandale, Nevada. “They have a ton of great horses. It’s going to be a good fit for Guymon.” Over the years, Pioneer Days Rodeo has been recognized as one of the best in the sport. It was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2015 and has been a major stop for contestants for years. Its popularity burst onto the scene in the late 1990s, when it was part of the televised ProRodeo Tour. That changed in 2005, when the PRCA was undergoing some financial struggles. This year marks the Guymon rodeo’s return to the tour, which will be broadcast live on ProRodeoTV.com. “This is going to give Guymon and the Oklahoma Panhandle some great exposure, and it’s going to allow rodeo fans from all over the opportunity to see what we’re all about,” Egger said. “We’re excited about the changes that are going on with our rodeo and within our community. This is a big event for us all.” The volunteer committee that organizes the annual event understands that, but so do those who support it financially. The committee will host a sponsor/contestant dinner Monday, April 29, in the hospitality building at Hitch Arena as a way to thank the sponsors who have helped make the Pioneer Days Rodeo such a success in years past and years to come. “Our sponsorship dollars are at an all-time high, which shows how much our community values this rodeo,” Egger said. “None of this would be possible without those sponsors and our great volunteers.”

ALVA, Okla. – Heading into the spring semester of the Central Plains Region college rodeo season, Tanner Nall knew he needed to finish strong if he had any chances of returning to the College National Finals Rodeo. Consider it nearly done. He and his partner, Ethan Griffin of Northeast Oklahoma A&M, put together two solid runs this past weekend to finish second in both rounds and the average at the Fort Hays (Kansas) State University rodeo. Now they’re ever-so-close to securing their spot at the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association’s championship in June. “Hays was pretty important for us,” said Nall, a Northwestern Oklahoma State University junior heeler from Colcord, Oklahoma. “It was going pretty slow at the beginning of the year, but it’s starting to roll a little bit now. “This gives us a chance to go into Guymon (Oklahoma) this weekend and not worry too much.” Nall has moved into second place in the heeling standings heading into the final rodeo of the season. He may need a few points at the Oklahoma Panhandle State University rodeo to shore up their qualification to the college championship in Casper, Wyoming. “I’ve known Ethan since I was 10 years old,” Nall said. “We’ve roped together through youth rodeo and high school rodeo, and we went to a lot of jackpots. This is the first year we’ve roped together in college. I roped with Maverick (Harper) my first two years, and we won the region last year and went to the college finals. “We wanted to win the region as bad as anybody, but the top guys in the region have been pretty hard to beat. It’s good to have moved up to where have a good shot to go to Casper.” The tandem was 6.6 in the first round and 6.9 in the championship round. The 150 points each earned pushed them from third to second in the region, and they own a 165-point lead over the No. 4 team; only the top three individuals in each event advance out of the region to the college finals. “We really just want to knock down two steers, be about 7.0 seconds on both steers, place good in the long round, short round and average,” Nall said. “That would give me a lot of confidence. “Ethan and I talked about it, and our goal this semester was to just catch steers and make good runs. It seems to be clicking and working.” Nall led the way for the Rangers in Hays, while header Daniel Durkes of Eskridge, Kansas, finished third with his partner, Zeke Hall of Fort Hays State. That duo finished third in both rounds and the average. Meanwhile the Northwestern tandem of Kelton Hill of Canadian, Texas, and Jayden Laubauhn of Follett, Texas, were fourth in both rounds and the aggregate. Tie-down roper Jeremy Carney of Blanchard, Oklahoma, placed sixth in the opening round, while steer wrestler Riley Wakefield of O’Neill, Nebraska, finished in a tie for sixth in the first round, sixth in the short round and sixth in the average. Barrel racers Ashlyn Moeder of Oakley, Kansas, and Kayla Copenhaver of St. James, Missouri, led the way for the Rangers women. Moeder placed fifth in the short round, and Copenhaver was sixth. Both had a two-run cumulative time of 34.58 seconds to finish in a tie for sixth place overall. Breakaway roper Megan Turek of St. Paul, Nebraska finished in a four-way tie for fourth place in the opening round, then was saddled with a no-time in the short round. Goat-tier Melissa Couture earned a spot in the championship round, where her 8.3-second run was good enough for sixth place in the round. For Nall, he thinks the reason for his success lies in a 13-year-old sorrel gelding he named Cookie Monster. “Honestly, that’s helped me more than anything,” he said. “I got him about a year ago, and that’s when my success started. When Maverick and I won the region last year, we won two of the last three rodeos after I got the horse. He just really never messes up. “When I bought him, his barn name was Easy, because he was so easy to ride. I changed his name because he likes to eat so much. He’s never going to get in your way and make your job harder than it is.”

ALVA, Okla. – Ethan Price had a point to make this semester on the Northwestern Oklahoma State University rodeo team. He made it this past weekend at the Southwestern Oklahoma State University rodeo in Weatherford, Oklahoma. He won steer wrestling, finished second in team roping with his heeling partner, Bo Yaussi, and earned points in tie-down roping. In all, Price accumulated 320 points at the wet and windy rodeo to also claim the men’s all-around championship. “This is probably one of the best college rodeos I’ve ever had,” said Price, a senior from Leedey, Oklahoma. “I’ve never made it back to the short round in all three events. Finishing in the top two in two events is the best I’ve ever done.” It paved the way not only for Price to walk away with two individual titles, but he was the key factor in the Rangers men earning the team championship. With those valuable points, Northwestern moved to within of the lead in the Central Plains Region. “This weekend really helped us, because we came into this semester leading the region, and now we’ve messed around and hadn’t had that good of a semester team-wise,” he said. “It felt good to come out and really have a big push this weekend and hopefully get into the top 10 before the season’s over with. “We had a bunch of people do really well. It was definitely a team effort. It always feels better whenever everybody’s doing something to help.” The biggest push for Price came in steer wrestling, where he completed a 4.1-second run to win the first round, a 4.9-second run to win the championship round and win the outright title. He was one of three Rangers who made the short round, and all placed; Brent Woodward of DuPree, South Dakota, placed second, and Riley Wakefield of O’Neill, Nebraska, finished fourth. Price and Yaussi put together a 7.6-second run to finish fifth in the first round, then stayed consistent with a 7.7 to win the short round. Their two-run cumulative time of 15.3 seconds earned them a runner-up finish. “That was actually really important, because we’ve had a rough go at it this year,” Price said. “It was good to actually get two roped and put down clean. We were both on the points team, so we got double points for that. That helps us in all area of that.” Heeler Tanner Nall of Colcord, Oklahoma, finished third with his heading partner, Ethan Griffin of Northeast Oklahoma A&M, while the Northwestern tandem of header Kelton Hill of Canadian, Texas, and heeler Jayden Labhaun of Follett, Texas, finished second in the first round; a long run in the final round kept them out of placing in the average. Price made his way into the short round in tie-down roping after posting a 10.1-second run, good enough for fifth place in the first round. He failed to secure a time in the final round. It’s still a grand showing, especially for a cowboy just 10 months removed from surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament. In the months since, he has undergone serious rehabilitation. He returned to team roping last semester and was cleared to rope calves earlier this semester. His runs in Weatherford were the third and fourth he’s made in steer wrestling. “I couldn’t really expect to win at first, because everybody’s had a big jump on me in the standings,” said Price, who is eighth in steer wrestling and 10th in heading in the Central Plains Region standings. “My main goal is to end up in the top three for myself and to help get the team into the top two so we can make it to the college finals.” Only the top three individuals in each event and the top two teams in the standings at the end of the region season advance to the College National Finals Rodeo, which takes place in June at Casper, Wyoming. “If I can get back in the top three before Guymon (the Oklahoma Panhandle State University rodeo, which closes out the season the last weekend in April), then I will look to finish in that top spot if I can get up there,” he said. “The main thing is to get the team back to the college finals and see if we can do better than we did last year.” The women’s team was led by breakaway roper McKayla Alliston of Buckhead, Georgia, who finished second in the short round and the average. Taylor Munsell of Arnett, Oklahoma, won the first round with a 2.2-second run but was unsuccessful in the short round. Goat-tiers Megan Turek of St. Paul, Nebraska, and Meghan Corr of Rapid City, South Dakota, each earned their way into the short round. Turek finished in a tie for fourth place in the opening round, while Corr placed in a tie for sixth. Neither were fast enough to place in the short round or average. Barrel Racer Alyssa Gabrielson of Perham, Minnesota, scored her points in the short round, placing sixth in the final round and the average. “I think this team is equally as good as the one we had last year,” Price said. “We have me, who made it to the college finals once, and I’m a three-event cowboy. We have Riley, who has made it, and he’s a three-event cowboy. We have Bo, who made it last year, and he’s a three-event cowboy. “Bridger Anderson is a stud in bulldogging, and he’s hard to beat. We’ve got a lot of talent. If we ever hit on the same page the same weekend, it’s going to be hard to beat us. If we could take all of us to Casper, I feel like we could do very well.” They have their chances the final two weeks of the season, first at Fort Hays (Kansas) State this weekend, then in Guymon the following. For Price, he not only has to overcome the mental aspect of  Continue Reading »

Bullfighting veteran moves to No. 1 after victory at the BFO Ada Invitational ADA, Okla. – Toby Inman is well aware of the danger that comes with freestyle bullfighting. He loves it nonetheless. Over this past weekend, Inman proved his old-school methods of combating ferocious, Spanish fighting bulls still works. For the second straight year, he earned the championship at the Bullfighters Only Ada Invitational at the Pontotoc County Agri-Plex. “There’s a lot of history with bullfighting in Ada,” said Inman, 36, of Davis Junction, Illinois. “Ada’s old school. That fits me pretty well.” He put together two solid bullfights on Saturday night. In his first-round match, he outlasted two young guns, Chance Moorman and Trenton Ross, to advance to the Hooey Championship Round. That’s when he put on a show that only Inman can, starting off with a jump, then making rounds and utilizing back fakes to keep the bull just a half step away. “It’s nice to be in good enough shape that you can do it, and I think that had a little bit to do with it,” said Inman, who pocketed $12,000 for the victory and moved to No. 1 in the Pendleton Whisky World Standings. “You never really know the key to success because that key doesn’t always repeat itself.” Nonetheless, he posted an event-high 87-point bout to win the championship, fending off Tucker Lane, Colt Oder and Seth Wilson along with veteran and BFO Pioneer Beau Schueth. Also for the second straight year, Oder finished second at the Ada Invitational. Only Inman, Oder and Lane finished their bouts; neither Schueth nor Wilson was able to last. That’s just proof of the test the bullfighters put themselves through while competing for unprecedented money in the BFO. “The bulls are always going to be tough in the short round of a BFO event,” Inman said. “Some guys are able to handle them, and sometimes you just get caught. I’ve been there. You can have it won in the first 15 seconds, then the bull catches you and you’re done. “You have to treat every bull like a new bull. I try to have that mentality all the time.” Wilson first stepped into the BFO arena 16 months ago at the Las Vegas Championship after a strong showing at BFO’s first Development Camp. He was 17 years old and earned big points while testing his talents alongside the greatest bullfighters in the game. Now 19, he returned to the BFO in Ada as one of 15 men who competed Friday night in the Qualifier Round. The event featured five three-man bullfights, with the round winners advancing to Saturday night. Wilson was one of the five to advance to the championship. “That definitely made me feel good,” said Wilson of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. “Ever since my first Vegas event, I haven’t made it out of a Qualifier Round. To get that out of the way was great. “Winning my round on Saturday was a big confidence-booster. I’ve been going through the events knowing that I can, but it hasn’t worked out. To finally put some bullfights together and show that I can do it helped me out a bunch. That helped me keep my head on straight.” The weekend prior, he suffered a leg injury. Though he had done well on his first two bulls in Ada, the leg took another shot. “It was a little sore, then in the short round, I didn’t get out of the way on one of my fakes, and he caught me and hit that leg again,” he said. “It makes me want to kick myself for not being able to finish, but at the same time, I would’ve just gotten hooked and maybe hurt worse if I’d tried to keep going.” Still, he proved a point to himself and his fellow bullfighters. He was a winner two of the three times he entered the ring, and he’s already looking forward to his next opportunity with the BFO. “I think it’s a blessing, everything the BFO can do for a guy,” Wilson said. “It’s an incredible way to get your name out. They show who you are as a bullfighter, and the opportunities they can lead you to are almost endless. The BFO is pretty incredible.”

Former Marine will join the battle at Bullfighters Only Ada Invitation ADA, Okla. – Ben Walton is no stranger to danger. As a United States Marine, Walton saw plenty of action during four tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq. He served 10 years in harm’s way and knows exactly what it takes to stand against the enemy. Now, he’ll face a different type of foe: the Spanish fighting bull. Walton is one of 25 men set to compete during the third annual Bullfighters Only Ada Invitational, set for 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday at the Pontotoc County Agri-Plex. “There are a lot of similarities as far as mindset in warfare and in bullfighting,” said Walton, 35 of Amherst, Virginia. “You have to have this never-say-die mentality. You have to fight your way out of situations. Fifteen athletes are set to compete in Friday’s Qualifier Round, with only five advancing to Saturday to compete against the top ten bullfighters in the BFO. The top score in Saturday’s Hooey Championship Round will be crowned the Ada Invitational champion and will earn the lion’s share of the $30,000 purse. Walton is one of several newcomers who are testing their skills for the first time in the BFO this weekend. In fact, he was invited to compete after an impressive showing at the BFO Development Camp this past weekend in Lavonia, Georgia. “This is truly an honor,” he said. “I’m very excited about this opportunity and very thankful for the BFO to allow me to be part of this. I will try to lay it all on the line and see what happens. “I’m going to try a lot of things I just learned in D Camp, a lot of the moves Ross (Hill) showed me. I’ll see if I can string a few of those together and get through Friday. If Saturday comes, I’ll make the most of it.” Hill is a BFO Pioneer who has helped in returning freestyle bullfighting to the mainstream of Western sports. Besides being a key instructor at the Development Camps, he also is a contender for the world championship, having finished fifth in the Pendleton Whisky World Standings last season. Walton isn’t the only newcomer who will compete in Ada. Rowdy Moon is a 21-year-old bullfighter from Taylor, Nebraska, who hasn’t competed in many freestyle events. “I’ve only gone to one freestyle bullfight a year, so I haven’t really been involved until now,” Moon said. “It’s the excitement that draws me to it. It’s a good feeling when you can step around a bull.” He started bullfighting eight years ago, attending a bullfighting school in Nebraska that happened to be instructed by Aaron Ferguson, BFO’s eventual founder and CEO. “When Rowdy showed up, he was 13-years-old and couldn’t have weighed 100 pounds,” Ferguson said. “We were scared to let him fight, but he was an absolute natural. “I’d been hearing great things about him ever since, and then he was outstanding at D Camp.” It’s all come full circle in a short amount of time for Moon, who was part of the Development Camp in Houston just two weeks ago. Now he’s competing in his first BFO event, and the magnitude isn’t lost on him. “I learned a lot of stuff that I never picked up on,” he said. “The camps are awesome, because it’s a really cool environment. Everybody’s feeding off each other’s success. Everyone’s really motivated, so they lift you up. “I’m pretty excited to be part of the BFO this weekend. I’m a little nervous.” The feeling is natural; Moon is getting called straight to the Major Leagues. This will be something unlike he has ever seen. “This is a big stage, a big bullfight,” said BFO veteran Zach Flatt, 30, of Ada. “The fact that bullfights are back in Ada is a big deal. It’s been a big thing around this part of the state for a long time. The people here love the bullfights and expect to see some wrecks, some cool lights, some good music and some really cool tricks.” Freestyle bullfighting is a true man-vs.-beast showcase of aggression, agility and flat-out unbelievable athletic maneuvers. Each bout lasts 60 seconds, and scores are based on a 100-point scale. Half of the score is determined by how well the bullfighter moves around and jumps over the animal. The Spanish fighting bull earns up to 50 points based his aggression and how well it stays engaged during the fight. “I really feel like it’s a great thing for these young guys,” Flatt said. “I like seeing all the turnout they’re getting at the D Camps. There are a lot of guys that are wanting to fight bulls and the BFO has done nothing but grow. It’s good to see.” Walton has seen it from afar. Now he’s in the middle of it and is already anticipating the feeling he will get this weekend. “I think the BFO is an awesome organization,” said Walton, who also helps on his family’s ranch in western Virginia. “I think the mentality of the guys is such a brotherhood. They’re competing against one another, but there’s a lot of comradery there. I saw it in a lot of the guys and the instructors. “They also have nothing but respect for the animals. It’s just a professional organization, and probably the most exciting in Western sports. I think freestyle bullfighting is very successful because it’s such a big challenge between man and animal.”

GUYMON, Okla. – Five years ago, Orin Larsen was riding his way through his college rodeo season at Oklahoma Panhandle State University. That June, he won the bareback riding championship at the College National Finals Rodeo for the second straight year, bringing another national title back to Texas County. This year, Larsen is rolling through April in anticipation of the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 3; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 4; and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 5, at Henry C. Hitch Pioneer Arena. But rolling might just be an understatement. As of April 1, he had earned more than $86,000 on the 2019 ProRodeo season. Having that much money this early in the season might be unprecedented, but he’s actually No. 2 in the world standings, trailing Utahan Kaycee Feild by about $30,000. “I can’t complain at all about my year,” said Larsen, who claims Ingles, Manitoba, as home but actually lives in Gering, Nebraska. “I didn’t go anywhere this year before San Antonio (in February). I’m glad I got the momentum rolling then.” That was handy and just in time. Over the first weekend in March, he snagged the biggest victory of his career, winning $100,000 at The American in Arlington, Texas. Half of that counts toward the PRCA world standings, which was a huge boost – he actually led the world standings until Feild won in RodeoHouston a couple weeks later and padded his account by $50,000, all of which counted for the standings. “I think it was a good for the sport of rodeo for The American to be a PRCA event,” said Larsen, a four-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier. “To be able to win that kind of money is huge. I think you’ll see some of these bigger rodeos want to be involved in the PRCA again. I’ve got my hopes pretty high for the PRCA in that regard.” Pioneer Days has long been associated with the premier rodeo association. In fact, it’s a ProRodeo Hall of Fame inductee. Guymon’s rodeo offers a nice purse and a good time of year to be an attractive stop for contestants from all over the country. This year, the volunteer committee made a significant change in hiring Freedom, Oklahoma-based Frontier Rodeo as its stock contractor. “The horses that are going to be in Guymon are going to give you every chance to win a pile of money,” Larsen said of Frontier, the reigning four-time PRCA Stock Contractor of the Year. “I don’t think it’s a bad deal. Pete (Carr) has had a lot of great horses in his time in Guymon, and they were more rider-friendly. “What Heath (Stewart) and Frontier will bring is the A team, and that’s a bunch of buckers. I’ve been fortunate enough to have won a bunch of money on a lot of Frontier horses.” He’s been known to ride some big-time bucking horses. Last December, he earned $92,000 over 10 nights at the NFR in Las Vegas, pushing his 2018 earnings to $222,732. It was the best year of his career, which began in 2011. This season is off to a better start. “It’s too early to tell what’s going to make it to the finals in regards to the money earned,” he said, pointing to the fact that only the top 15 on the money list in each event advance to the grand finale. “It is going to change the shape of what it’s going to take to make the finals and how much money is out there for the guys. That just means there’s more money available for the cowboys. That’s never a bad thing.” While he has a nice advantage and is a near lock to qualify for the NFR for the fifth straight year, he still plans to compete this season his way. He and his traveling partner, fellow Panhandle State rodeo team alumnus Seth Hardwick, will approach the season much in the same way they have the past few. “I’m still going to be picky about where I go and what I get on,” Larsen said. “To me, I enjoy the sport too much to just go home until July. There are 50 other guys that want to be where I’m at, and I have to be just as competitive as I am now as if I were the 50th guy. “Having more than $80,000 gives me a cushion and takes the stress of what I do. As for how I do things, it’s not going to be a factor.” He’s looking forward to his return to the Oklahoma Panhandle the first weekend in May. After spending his first years at the College of Southern Idaho, he transferred to Panhandle State. He won college titles at both institutions, and he holds a fondness for so many things that happened in Texas County. “It’s a very special feeling going back there every year,” he said. “It’s a hometown rodeo for me. It’s been five years since I went to school there, so I don’t know the students. But I get to see the people I used to work with or the people in the community you have a relationship with. “It’s a nice trip down Memory Lane.” Larsen has yet to win the prestigious trophy belt given to the Pioneer Days Rodeo champions each season. He’d like to add that to his memory bank, so maybe this is his year.

ALVA, Okla. – The growing legacy that is the Northwestern Oklahoma State University men’s rodeo team has been a key factor in drawing top athletes to Alva. That’s exactly what prompted Bradley Ralph to transfer from Coffeyville (Kansas) Community College prior to the fall 2018 semester. Over this past weekend, he proved just why it was a valid decision by earning a share of the steer wrestling title at the Garden City (Kansas) Community College rodeo. “(Coach) Stockton Graves is the steer wrestling man going in college rodeo,” said Ralph, a junior from Wann, Oklahoma. “It’s not too far from where I live. Alva’s a pretty quiet town, a lot like my hometown.” The comforts of home have become beneficial. In western Kansas, he parlayed a solid 5.1-second run in the opening round – worth fourth place – into a fantastic finish. He won the championship round with a 4.4-second run, and shared the overall title. He was the big winner for Northwestern over the weekend. “The win means quite a bit,” Ralph said. “I’ve been waiting for a while now for it to happen.” While he finished second at the first rodeo of the season in Colby, Kansas, this was his first victory as a Ranger. He was joined in the short round by Jace Rutledge, a sophomore from Harrisonville, Missouri, who finished second in the long round but failed to finish among the top six overall. “It means a lot to be a bulldogger at Northwestern,” Ralph said. “Stockton’s a pretty good coach, and there have been a lot of guys that come out of here because of that. I’m just trying to be one of them. “My year’s gone alright, but I’ve had some tough breaks. I’m just trying to stay focused, get into the practice pen and get more steers under me.” That’s been a key ingredient for all members of the rodeo team. Each individual understands the work ethic it takes to succeed at the college level. “We get pushed hard, but it’s good for us,” Ralph said. “Stockton is getting us on track. We’ve just got to stay focused. You’ve got to put in the effort, but he helps us quite a bit.” The goal is for both the men’s and women’s teams – as well as having as many individuals as possible – qualify for the College National Finals Rodeo. In order to do that, the teams must finish among the top two and individuals need to finish in the top three in each event to advance out of the Central Plains Region. Doing well at the final three events of the 2018-19 season is imperative. There are three weekends remaining: at Fort Hays (Kansas) State University this coming weekend; at Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford, Oklahoma, the weekend after that; and at the Oklahoma Panhandle State University rodeo in Guymon, Oklahoma, to close out April. Tie-down roper Ethan Price of Leedey, Oklahoma, got some needed points in Garden City, finishing sixth in the first round, second in the short round and third overall. He was joined by Sean Doherty of Kim, Colorado, who won the first round, was fifth in the championship and finished fourth overall, and Riley Wakefield of O’Neill, Nebraska, who placed in the first round. Wakefield also placed in the first round of team roping with his partner, Denton Halford of Southeastern Oklahoma State University. The top tandem for Northwestern was header Kelton Hill of Canadian, Texas, and his partner, Jayden Labhaun of Follett, Texas, who placed in a tie for fifth in the first round, finished fourth in the short round and placed third overall. Heeler Tanner Nall of Colcord, Oklahoma, won the first round with his partner, Ethan Griffin of Northeast Oklahoma A&M; they also finished sixth overall. Header Taylor Munsell of Arnett, Oklahoma, won the short round with her partner, Ean Price of Garden City, and finished fourth overall. The Northwestern women were led by Ashlyn Moeder of Oakley, Kansas, who placed in a tie for third place in the first round of breakaway roping, then finished fourth in the short round and average. Morgan Kessler of Callaway, Nebraska, was sixth in the opening round, second in the short round and second overall. Moeder also collected points in barrel racing. She finished in a tie for fifth place in the short round and in a tie for sixth overall. For Ralph, it comes down to basics and handling his business. He said he’s obtained the focus he needs as he prepares to close out this season. “Stockton helps you mentally and can teach you what you need as far as bulldogging,” he said. “If you’re a beginner, he can teach you how to bulldog. Even if you’re experienced, he can help you to improve. He tries to keep us focused and does a real good job at it.”