Category Archives: Uncategorized

GUYMON, Okla. – Robbie Hodges takes his job seriously, even though it’s a bit of an oxymoron for a rodeo clown. “I love to look up and see the contestants watching my acts,” said Hodges, who will be funnyman/barrelman during 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. “I love for them guys to like what I’m doing. That’s my meter of what I judge my performance by, the guys that go to 120 rodeos a year. I try to bring something different. Every performance to me is different. My (attention deficit disorder) is so bad that I couldn’t handle it if I did it any other way or if I tried to go by a certain script every time.” When rodeo regulars like Hodges’ work, then there’s a good indication the crowd will, too. That’s the main reason the Georgia man has long been considered one of the very best entertainers in ProRodeo. He’s been nominated as the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association’s clown of the year, entertainer of the year and the Coors Man in the Can, which recognizes the best barrelmen in the business. “I love to work the barrel,” said Hodges, who was selected as the barrelman for the 2010 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. “That’s the most important aspect of being a barrelman, not necessarily the comedy but being there to help protect the bull riders and the bullfighters. If you’re going to be a barrelman, go get those guys. That’s been my reputation.” It’s one that was forged in rodeos in the Southeastern United States, where Hodges got his start in the late 1990s. His strong Georgia accent is an avenue of pride, but so is the work he does inside the arena. “I worked a lot of (Florida) rodeos in Okeechobee and Kissimmee, and that was a very mean place to learn,” he said. “When you leave there, you’d better be ready. Them bulls will just keep coming at you.” But being inside the specialized barrel isn’t the only thing Hodges has done in rodeo. In fact, he rode bareback horses for 16 years before he started wearing greasepaint and making crowds laugh at his antics. “I was always the guy who played tricks on everybody around me, doing things to make everybody else laugh,” Hodges said. “Everybody told me I needed to do it. “I called a local stock contractor in Georgia about working some rodeos. The next thing I know I was doing five rodeos, then the next year, 20. I’m very lucky.” He also is very talented, and a key ingredient in his work is how he interacts with the crowd. “I tried to back off a lot of the traditional stuff,” he said. “A lot of my stuff is audience participation.” That aspect of his performance allows Hodges to showcase a natural talent of being funny in a moment’s notice. Through observances and being keenly aware of what’s going on during each performance, he not only celebrates rodeo, he helps engage fans into the game with his humor. It’s a trait he’s held tightly since a youngster. In addition to sharing his life with the crowd while in the arena, he also realizes he can provide a special gift with individualized attention. “What would it have been like if you were a kid and one of the great sports heroes came up and talked to you at the game?” he asked. “I try to do that. I want at least one person to come up and say, ‘Hey, that guy came up and talked to me.’ “When I’m in the arena, I am larger than life. I’m the attention. I love to take that and give that back to someone. When I was a kid in about the fourth or fifth grade, I was bullied pretty bad. I try to pick out a kid and sit with them. I always think that it would’ve been great if that had happened to me when I was a kid, so I want to give that to someone.”

Midwestern-based livestock producer takes bull riding to the Middle East PRINCETON, Minn. – For years, Rice Bull Riding Co. has made a name for itself across the Midwest producing world-class bull riding events. Dave Rice has now taken his showcase halfway around the world. Rice is producing the King Abdulaziz Camel Festival Bull Riding events across Saudi Arabia, and they are gaining popularity each day that he, his crew and a few dozen bull riders are there. “In late November, we received an email, then a follow-up phone call from a company in Saudi Arabia that said they wanted to speak with us regarding bringing a bull riding event to Saudi Arabia at the request of the Camel Club,” Rice said. “At first, we thought this must be a prank.” Subsequent communications revealed the reality of the situation. In January, a Saudi contact flew to Minnesota to meet and finalize the details of the contract. Two days later, Rice was bound for the Middle East to see the site, meet the Saudi team and figure out how to make the massive venture take place. “I was excited at the opportunity and very worried about how to make it all work,” he said. There were plenty of logistical hurdles to clear. Because of confidentiality agreements, Rice had to find enough bull riders to make the trip. Most didn’t have passports, so he and his staff handled the heavy task of getting 24-hour expedited passports done. “Luckily we got this done because we had an invitation letter direct from the Department of Ministry listing all the bull riders and staff that were coming over,” Rice said this month from Saudi Arabia. “We also had to have an arena. The original plan was to ship my brand-new W-W area I just had built. Unfortunately, due to the size, it would have to go port to port by ship and would never make it in time.” Rice returned to Saudi Arabia a month prior to the event and worked with a welding shop there. Even though workers spoke no English, they were able to manufacture the arena in a week. They also manufactured additional pens, alleys and gates, since the bulls needed to stay on site during the festival. “Our biggest challenge was getting the bulls, since they have specific quarantine and lots of import permit requirements in order to be sent to Saudi Arabia,” he said. Curt Check Bucking Bulls was contracted to handle all the purchasing, vaccinations, quarantine and other paperwork necessary. Check and Cody Halverson hauled the bulls from the USDA facility in Illinois to Chicago, where Rice had chartered a cargo plane to fly the bulls to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. “We had 20 custom wooded crates built to hold the bulls,” Rice said. “They loaded three bulls per crate, and they had room to lay down and have access to food for the flight over in a climate-controlled environment of 67 degrees. “Since the U.S. and Saudi Arabia have no formal agreement regarding cattle being imported back to the U.S., these 60 bulls are now permanent residents of Saudi Arabia. After this event is over, they will live on a ranch in Saudi Arabia.” That should work out fine, since Rice plans to produce more events there. “Having these bulls already here, along with the new arena, will open many new opportunities for Rice Bull Riding Co. here,” he said. The company was founded in 1997 and is operated by Rice, his wife, Christina and son Dalton. It was named the National Federation of Professional Bull Riders’ Producer of the Year in 2015 and ’18. Rice provides a personal experience to each show he produces, having been a bull rider for several years. While oversees, Rice has enlisted the help of 14 staff members: Production crew, bullfighters and entertainers. There are 27 bull riders who are part of the action. It takes a talented staff to pull something of this magnitude together; each performance features pyrotechnics, video and lighting and two large digital screens for replays. “Our first performance was for the president of the Camel Club, which is putting on this event,” he said. “They had wonderful feedback and support for the show and made sure I knew this event is only the beginning for Rice Bull Riding Co. in Saudi Arabia.” From Princeton, Minnesota, to the Middle East, it’s been quite a journey already.

GUYMON, Okla. – Having raised four boys, Sherry Stonecipher looks for a change of pace every May during the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo. That’s when she and her husband, Ken – a longtime member of the rodeo committee – host most, if not all, the visiting queens that are in town for the festivities. For most years, they are just one of several families to host the girls. In 2017 and ’18, all the ladies stayed at the Stonecipher residence. “For me, I get to mother girls, and it’s a different experience,” she said. “It’s like a big girls’ weekend. I get to watch girl movies. I get to have girl chit-chat. I get to talk about girl stuff instead of guy stuff. It’s like a big slumber party.” No wonder she looks forward to the week of the rodeo, with 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. Two years ago, there were 17 queens in Texas County for the goings-on. They all packed hat boxes, clothes, boots, makeup and other necessities needed during their stay and crammed them into the home on the north side of town. “That was probably one of my best memories during my year as Miss Rodeo Oklahoma,” said Taylor Spears, the 2017 Miss Pioneer Days Rodeo and 2018 Miss Rodeo Oklahoma. “Sherry was just gleaming when all the girls moved stuff in. You’d think people would be upset, but she wasn’t. She told us, ‘You girls are the daughters I always dreamed of having that I never got to have.’ “It was so fund to spend the week with her.” That’s what many of the visiting queens say, whether they’re from Oklahoma or Idaho. They find out that rodeo royalty is a big part of the Pioneer Days Rodeo experience. “I know lots of places that don’t have the queens, but we’ve built it up in Guymon,” said Becky Robinson, who has overseen the queen program for the rodeo committee since 2008. “I line up places for them to stay and line up sponsors to feed them. We don’t want them out a lot of money, so I have everything sponsored. They spend a lot of money to get here.” It’s become a passion for Robinson, and she shares it with her family. In fact, she and her sister, Gina Horner, take their mother to Las Vegas so they can experience the Miss Rodeo America pageant during the National Finals Rodeo each December. “I just enjoy working with the girls,” Robinson said. “They’re all really good ambassadors, and I’ve stayed friends with them. I still have girls from way back contact me. It’s just part of the rodeo family.” Because of the sport’s gypsy lifestyle, contestants, queens and personnel can be away from home for several weeks – even months – at a time. They depend on their rodeo family, and the feelings are felt across the industry. The caravan hits the Oklahoma Panhandle over the first weekend in May. “Rodeo is not just an athletic competition; it’s a sport that has pageantry and tradition, and rodeo queens bring all that to the arena,” Ken Stonecipher said. “Not only do they bring beauty to the arena, but they also bring horsemanship, rodeo knowledge and the ability to interact with the fans. “I couldn’t imagine having a rodeo without them.” Many in Texas County agree. Businesses support the queens while they’re in town, primarily because they believe in the importance of the rodeo and also of what it takes to promote the sport. Queens not only display flags in the arena and share their love of horses, but they make their way around town for days leading up to the rodeo performances, spouting words of encouragement while also serving as ambassadors to the game. A few years ago, 24 queens made their way to Guymon, the most Robinson has ever had. There has been at least a dozen most years. For this year, Robinson said, 10 are committed so far. “But I could have 17, 18 or 19 before I know it,” she said with a laugh. “Word spreads pretty quickly, then we’ll start getting more and more before long.” It’s quite a statement that the young ladies want to be part of Pioneer Days Rodeo. “Until the queens come to Guymon, the truly don’t know what to expect,” Spears said. “I overheard Miss Rodeo Idaho say she had heard about Guymon. “I grew up admiring the caliber of cowboys that get to compete at the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo. To be the Guymon queen and represent Guymon for the year I did goes beyond my wants and desires. It’s a phenomenal opportunity to represent something bigger than myself. It was so awesome going to schools where they speak 23 different languages and interact with the students. It made me proud that I get to represent this group of people.” Three of the last five years, Miss Rodeo America has been to Guymon and stayed at the Stoneciphers’ home: 2015 winner Lauren Heaton (Oklahoma); 2018 titlist Keri Sheffield (Florida); and the 2019 Miss Rodeo America, Taylor McNair (Mississippi). “The reason we do this is to support the rodeo,” Sherry Stonecipher said. “We know bringing the queens is an element that adds to the rodeo experience.” The Stoneciphers have noticed the bond that develops between the women who share their home during those few days each spring. While Ken Stonecipher spends most of the week at the rodeo grounds, he has been able to share in the experiences on a limited basis. “When they travel, these state queens rarely get to stay with each other,” he said. “By staying in one place, they all form great friendships with each other. They really like all being in the same spot It gives them an opportunity to hang out and build on those relationships with the other  Continue Reading »

ALVA, Okla. – The Northwestern Oklahoma State University women’s rodeo team is making a statement early in the spring portion of the season. The Rangers have won the first two rodeos of the semester, first at Kansas State University a few weeks ago, then this past weekend at Fort Scott (Kansas) Community College. They parlayed event titles by barrel racer Ashlyn Moeder of Oakley, Kansas, and breakaway roper Taylor Munsell of Arnett, Oklahoma, into the top finish. In addition, Moeder finished just ahead of teammate Kayla Wilson of Quincey, Illinois, who made two consistent runs in the eastern Kansas community to place second. By claiming the first two team titles of the semester, Northwestern moved to third place in the Central Plains Region standings. “Going back to back is very big for us, because it brought us higher in the standings,” said Wilson, who posted runs of 12.86 to finish third in the opening round and 12.96 to finish third in the championship round. “We get to close in on second place.” The goal, now, is to continue to push forward. Only the top two teams in the region advance to the College National Finals Rodeo, and there are just four events remaining on the 2018-19 campaign. The top three individuals in each event also advance, so it all serves as an important incentive for the team members. “I’m pretty proud of my mare,” Wilson said. “When we were at K-State, we knocked down the third barrel, so it was great for us to have two consistent runs together.” She’s had Penny since high school, and the horse carried her to the National High School Finals Rodeo two years ago. Now the two are trying to make it work in college rodeo. Wilson and Moeder were joined in the short round by Natalie Berryhill of Remus, Michigan, who won the first round with a 12.67-second run; an overturned barrel in the short round, and the resulting 5-second penalty, knocked Berryhill out of placing overall. Munsell, who finished second at The American a week and a half ago, snuck into the short round with a 2.8-second run, then finished second in the short round with the same time. Her two-run cumulative time of 5.6 seconds helped her earn a tie of the title. Goat-tier Megan Turek of St. Paul, Nebraska, finished fifth in the short round and average. “Our women’s team is pretty strong,” Wilson said. “We’ve got girls in goats that are consistent, and breakaway ropers like Taylor that can pick up points. It shows the hard work we put in practice every day and how dedicated we are to what we do.” The Northwestern men were led by Bridger Anderson, a sophomore from Carrington, North Dakota, who added to his lead in steer wrestling. He has dominated the standings this season, owning a lead of 252.5 points over the field. In a tight bulldogging, he finished in a tie for fourth place in the opening round with a 4.5-second run. He followed that 2ith a 4.1 to win the championship round and the average. Brent Woodward of Dupree, South Dakota, placed in the first round. Tie-down roper Bo Yaussi of Udall, Kansas, won the opening round but missed his short-round calf. Still, his points helped the Rangers stay in the No. 3 position in the region. Wilson found her way to Northwestern during her senior year in high school after visiting with former Ranger Dylan Schulenberg of Coal Valley, Illinois. She considered her options, then during a campus visit two years ago, she found Alva to her liking. “I loved the rodeo program and the business program at Northwestern,” Wilson said. “I enjoyed the town, so I thought it was a good fit for me.” Now she hopes to build on the successes of the first two rodeos of the semester to see how things wind up at the conclusion of the season. She credits a positive mental game taught by coach Stockton Graves has been advantageous. “He tells us that our confidence is the key,” Wilson said. “He gives us a lot of good advice and tells us the harder we work, the better we do. We all work hard, so I think that’s why we’re successful as a women’s team.” It shows.

Justin Thigpen dominates CINCH Timed Event Championship on its 35th anniversary GUTHRIE, Okla. – Seventeen days before the opening round of the CINCH Timed Event Championship, Justin Thigpen took a call from the Lazy E Arena inviting him to be a replacement for the injured JoJo LeMond. Fifty hours after he roped his first steer, the Waycross, Georgia, cowboy became just the 15th man to win the “Ironman of ProRodeo” in the event’s 35th year. What’s even bigger is that he became the third rookie in that time to claim the title and the top prize: Leo Camarillo won it in the first year in 1985, and Mike Beers was the next newcomer to do it a year later. “I’ve wanted to come here for years,” said Thigpen, a 19-time International Professional Rodeo Association champion who has won titles in the all-around, tie-down roping, heading and steer roping. “I’ve dedicated my life to roping. I’m’ so glad I got to prove to myself that I can do it and that I belong here.” Yes, he does, and he proved it to the well-educated Lazy E crowd from the opening kickoff. He was strong and steady and placed in the first three rounds – second in the first two performances and first on Saturday afternoon. He also packed a heavy dose of prizes and money, $107,000. It’s the richest weekend of competition he’s ever earned. “By far,” he said. “Wow. What a great event. I’m honored that they had me. The crowd is just amazing; they respect the horsemanship it takes and the cowboys. There’s not another event that’s dedicated to the roping and bulldogging like this event.” Twenty of the best all-around, timed-event cowboys in the game test their skills in this unique challenge, where each man must compete in heading, heeling, tie-down roping, steer wrestling and steer roping in order to complete a round. The biggest paydays come in the 25-run aggregate. Thigpen finished in 341.9 seconds to collect the top prize of $100,000, then added his money in the rounds to get his total. K.C. Jones, a five-time CTEC champion from Burlington, Wyo., finished second in 412.0, which was worth $25,000. “Justin’s rodeoed for a long time,” said Jones, who has pocketed $493,500 in CTEC cash in his career. “He’s got a good arena, and he gets to rope a lot in the wintertime. I come out of Wyoming, and I go to south Georgia to get out of the weather. Once he got invited to come here, we got together and practiced. “There are a ton of good rodeos down there, but they’re just in a different association. He’s competed, but he’s lived in the wrong part of the country for a lot of people to notice.” They’re noticing now. In fact, Thigpen had secured his championship after the 24th run of his weekend. He held a 63.8-second advantage after the 23rd event, then added to it in steer wrestling, one of his signature disciplines. The worst a cowboy could get in the CTEC is a 60-second run, the equivalency of a no-time. Therefore, the big check had his name etched on it before he made his final run of the weekend. “When I came to bulldogging, my buddy that helped me all weekend, Matt McGee, told me, ‘Hey, don’t back off now. You’ve got a job to do,’ ” he said. “That’s the mentality we take. That’s the dedication in the practice pen. Let it show off in the arena.” It was definitely a learning situation for Thigpen, who had never attempted a steer roping run before he accepted the invitation. Now that he understands he will be back in this arena as the defending champion, Thigpen plans to work more on that event and heeling – they are the two he doesn’t do often at rodeos. For his first time inside the massive arena, he took all the challenges the CTEC offers and handled them in dominating fashion. It can be a grueling test of each athlete’s physical and mental endurance. “I run a lot of cattle and compete at the rodeos, so I felt like it was to my advantage physically just running them back to back to back,” Thigpen said. “I know a lot of guys here who just run at one event most of the time. It was nothing for me at that end of it. “As far as the mental side of it, I told myself so many times this week, ‘Stay smooth, stay in the game; don’t get ahead of the game if you draw a cow that is stronger. Still do your job, get a time and go on to the next one.’ ” It worked, and he has the right mental game to handle this event for years to come. He knows just what to consider as he trains and plans for next March and the 2020 CINCH Timed Event Championship. “Don’t get over-confident, and don’t take it for granted,” he said. “Live for this moment, but you better practice and you better be ready for next year. It’s an event like no other, and it ain’t for the faint of heart. “You’ve got to go at them. The pen is big, the cattle are strong. You’ve got to bear down and do your job every time you nod your head.  There’s not a layup in this thing.” That’s what helps make it the most unique event in Western sports. First round: 1. Jordan Ketscher, 60.7 seconds, $3,000; 2. Justin Thigpen, 72.1, $2,000; 3. Brent Lewis, 73.9, $1,000. Second round: 1. Marcus Theriot, 73.6 seconds, $3,000; 2 Justin Thigpen, 75.7, $2,000; 3. Clayton Hass, 78.3, $1,000. Third round: 1. Justin Thigpen, 52.6 seconds, $3,000; 2. Clayton Hass, 60.4, $2,000; 3. Rhen Richard, 61.1, $1,000. Fourth round: 1. Rhen Richard, 49.1 seconds, $3,000; 2. Cash Myers, 57.1, $2,000; 3. Cody Doescher, 58.0, $1,000. Fifth round: 1. Trevor Brazile, 45.8 seconds, $3,000; 2 Clay Smith, 47.7, $2,000; 3. Brent Lewis,  Continue Reading »

Georgia cowboy has a nice cushion heading into the final round of the 2019 CTEC GUTHRIE, Okla. – The lessons that Justin Thigpen has gained over the first two days of his first CINCH Timed Event Championship will hopefully be carried over for years to come. He has held the lead at this year’s “Ironman of ProRodeo” since Friday night’s second round, and he just built onto it Saturday. He has roped, tied and wrestled 20 animals in 261.8 seconds. That’s impressive for anyone, but especially a CTEC rookie. What’s more impressive is that Thigpen has a nice cushion: A 76.8-second lead over the No. 2 cowboy, five-time titlist K.C. Jones of Burlington, Wyo. “This is great,” said Thigpen, 35, of Waycross, Georgia. “There are a lot of tough competitors, a lot of world champions here. It’s a learning curve for me. I know some things I should have done better, but you can’t beat yourself up. It’s a 10-round fight, and you’ve just got to go for it every time.” Right now, he is throwing haymakers at the field. He has placed in three of four rounds – he finished second in Rounds 1 and 2 and won Saturday afternoon’s third round. Heading into Sunday’s final round, he has already pocketed $7,000. He has a strong background. He is a 19-time world champion in the International Professional Rodeo Association, having earned titles in the all-around, heading, tie-down roping and steer wrestling – those are just three of the five event that make up the CTEC format. “One thing I’d do different to prepare for this is more steer tripping,” he said of single steer roping. “We practice pretty hard all the time, minus the steer tripping. For me, it’s just to stay after it, trip some more steers and maybe be a contender next year.” He’s proven to be a contender this year and has been strong in the events in which he competes regular and has managed his way through steer roping and heeling. “We ride a bunch of horses and train colts around the house, so I get my share of heeling,” he said. “The key here is just to compete on your head of stock. You’re not roping against those other guys. You’re competing on that cow you have in the chute.” That mentality is paying off quite well for Thigpen. He finished fourth in the fourth round, but only the top three times in each round earn pay. Rhen Richard of Roosevelt, Utah, won Saturday night’s performance, posting a 49.1, the fastest round of the competition. “This is the best all-around round I’ve ever put together,” said Richard, who has earned $4,000 so far. “I had a good round started three or four times, and I finally finished a round. “Hopefully we can put a good round together again tomorrow.” It could make a difference in his final income from this weekend’s championship. He utilized his fast round to move into sixth place in the average. If he were to hold that spot, it would be worth $5,000. Of course, the goal is to come away with the title and the $100,000 top prize. Right now, though, Thigpen has a pretty sold avenue to earning that. “This is awesome,” Richard said. “There aren’t many guys that can say they’ve even entered the Timed Event, so it’s a blessing to be here.” The story in the Jr. Ironman continues to be Kansas cowboy Trevor Meier, who has a cumulative time of 107.3 seconds after eight runs. He has four more runs to make during the final round Sunday morning. Saturday’s second round was controlled by Hilo Yazzie, who set a Jr. Ironman record with a 39.0-second round. For that, the New Mexico cowboy pocketed $1,000. He also moved to No. 3 in the average with a cumulative time of 131.2 seconds. Should he remain in that spot when the event concludes, he would add $2,000; the winner will earn $10,000, with $5,000 going to the runner-up. Third round: 1. Justin Thigpen, 52.6 seconds, $3,000; 2. Clayton Hass, 60.4, $2,000; 3. Rhen Richard, 61.1, $1,000. Fourth round: 1. Rhen Richard, 49.1 seconds, $3,000; 2. Cash Myers, 57.1, $2,000; 3. Cody Doescher, 58.0, $1,000 Average leaders: 1. Justin Thigpen, 261.8 seconds; 2. K.C. Jones, 338.6; 3. Cody Doescher, 345.1; 4. Jess Tierney, 348.8; 5. Cash Myers, 359.1; 6. Rhen Richard, 360.0; 7. Erich Rogers, 370.2; 8. Paul David Tierney, 387.7. Jr. Ironman second round: 1. Hiyo Yazzi, 39.0 seconds, $1,000; 2. Tyler West, 49.3; 3. Trevor Meier, 57.5. Jr. Ironman average leaders: 1. Trevor Meier, 107.3 seconds; 2. Dillon ones, 118.3; 3. Hiyo Yazzi, 131.2.

Texan sets three Lazy E Arena records Sunday morning to win $11,000 GUTHRIE, Okla. – One man’s misfortune can turn the tide quickly at an event like the Jr. Ironman Championship. When leader Trevor Meier of Garden City, Kansas, failed to secure a catch during his heeling run Sunday morning, that opened the door for Tyler West to walk through. The Mertzon, Texas, cowboy did just that, parlaying the fastest round of the weekend into the 12-run aggregate championship. “The first day, I took a 60 in heeling,” West said, referring to the 60-second run, the equivalency of a no-time at the Jr. Ironman and the CINCH Timed Event Championship. “The momentum went my way yesterday, and I kept going with it today.” Yes, it did. He started off with a 6.5-second run in heading, then closed out the championship by being strong in his final three runs of the three-day event. He set two more arena records in the process, a 6.3 in heeling and the round time of 32.2 seconds. In all, he pocketed $11,000 – all earned Sunday. With the victory, he earned an invitation to compete in the World Champion Rodeo Alliance semifinals, which takes place in May at the Lazy E Arena. “That’s awesome,” he said. “That’s a lot of money to win. It’s just an honor to be able to go.” It’s also an honor to win the title at the third Jr. Ironman. “It’s a dream for a young cowboy that wants to rodeo professionally one day,” said West, a 19-year-old cowboy who attends Southwest Texas Junior College on a rodeo scholarship. “Words can’t describe what this means to me for my future.” Though he watched his lead slip away with a tough run in his 11th event of the season, Meier was still content with finishing second. He won Friday’s first round and the runner-up, pocketing $6,000 when all was done. “The big thing is staying consistent every run,” said Meier, 19, a freshman at Garden City Community College who plans to transfer to Oklahoma Panhandle State University when the time comes. “Just one steer will get you, so you can’t let one run affect your next one.” It was a busy weekend for all the contestants, but none more than Meier. After competing in Saturday’s second round, he traveled to Fort Scott, Kansas, to compete at the college rodeo. He and his partner placed fifth in the first round in the southeast Kansas community but skipped today’s championship round in order to compete at the Lazy E. “This is a good platform to go to the next level, a good stepping stone to learn how to have a good mental game.” A strong mental approach helped West come through the final round unscathed. He loves the opportunity to compete in multiple events and hopes to show that in ProRodeo for years to come. “I look up to Trevor Brazile,” West said of the winningest cowboy in the game, a seven-time CTEC titlist who owns the record for most Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association world championships. “He has 24 gold buckles, and he has great character. I look up to him.” It’s a good place to start.   Jr. Ironman first round: 1. Trevor Meier, 49.8, $1,000. Jr. Ironman second round: 1. Hiyo Yazzi, 39.0 seconds, $1,000. Jr. Ironman third round: 1. Tyler West, 32.2 seconds, $1,000. Jr. Ironman average: 1. Tyler West, 179.6 seconds, $10,000; 2. Trevor Meier, 199.3, $5,000; 3. Dillon Jones, 213.7, $2,000.

Thigpen utilizes strong round finish to be atop CINCH Timed Event Championship GUTHRIE, Okla. – Justin Thigpen didn’t look much like a replacement on Friday, the opening day of the CINCH Timed Event Championship. He roped, tied and wrestled 10 animals in 147.8 seconds and owns the average lead after two go-rounds of the “Ironman of ProRodeo.” That’s not too shabby for a man that just learned he was competing two and a half weeks ago. “This is just what I thought it would be,” said Thigpen, a 19-time International Professional Rodeo Association champion from Waycross, Georgia. “You’ve got to stay focused, stay determined and just do your job. It’s what we grew up wanting to do. “We rope every day in the practice pens. I compete in three events at just about every rodeo I go to. As far as going one right after the other, I’m just used to it.” He proved it by being solid over the first two rounds. What’s more, he already has earned money at this year’s CTEC: He put together a 75.7-second round Friday night to finished as the runner-up in the go-round; that was worth $2,000. He was 2.1 seconds being the second-round winner, Marcus Theriot of Poplarville, Mississippi. “Winning a round is always great,” said Theriot, who is second in the average, 2.4 seconds behind Thigpen. “You get your fees back, but my goals are a lot higher this year. I like being on top. Now it’s time to stick to the plan, be steady and try to make no big mistakes. You just can’t panic, no matter what happens. “Me and Thigpen are two of the major all-around guys in the Southeast. It’s pretty cool seeing him do good as a rookie.” The Georgia cowboy definitely isn’t playing the game like a newcomer. In addition to his success in the arena – he’s won IPRA titles in heading, tie-down roping and steer wrestling – he also is a stock contractor that produces IPRA events in the Southeast. This is his first foray into single steer roping. “I think having the success I’ve had helps,” Thigpen said. “The tripping is the newest thing, but I’m a student of the game. As soon as I found out I was coming, I went to studying and practicing. I want to get more experienced at it. “Doing all these events day in and day out, you know how to pace yourself and what to look forward to so you don’t have to scramble. Before I left home, Daddy said, ‘You’ve got to bear down and get a time on every run if you want to be successful at the end.’ ” Through his first 10 runs at his first CINCH Timed Event Championship, Thigpen has accomplished that mission. First round: 1. Jordan Ketscher, 60.7 seconds, $3,000; 2. Justin Thigpen, 72.1, $2,000; 3. Brent Lewis, 73.9, $1,000. Second round: 1. Marcus Theriot, 73.6 seconds, $3,000; 2 Justin Thigpen, 75.7, $2,000; 3. Clayton Hass, 78.3, $1,000. Average leaders: 1. Justin Thigpen, 147.8 seconds; 2. Marcus Theriot, 150.2; 3. Cody Doescher, 157.9; 4. Clayton Hass, 168.8; 5. Clay Smith, 170.7; 6. Jordan Ketscher, 181.6; 7. Jess Tierney, 182.2; 8. Erich Rogers, 187.1. Jr. Ironman first round: 1. Trevor Meier, 49.8, $1,000; 2. Dillon Jones, 54.1; 3. Cole Walker, 55.5.

GUTHRIE, Okla. – Justin Thigpen continues to be impressive during his first CINCH Timed Event Championship. The all-around hand from Waycross, Georgia, posted a 52.6-second round to win the third performance, worth an additional $3,000. He also extended his lead in the average, having roped, tied and wrestled 15 animals in 200.4 seconds, almost 29 seconds faster than the No. 2 man, Clayton Hass. Hass, a three-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier, also finished second in the go-round, finishing in 60.4 seconds. Those are the top two fastest rounds so far through the three rounds of the “Ironman of ProRodeo.” The story in the Jr. Ironman continues to be Kansas cowboy Trevor Meier, who has a cumulative time of 107.3 seconds after eight runs. He has four more runs to make during the final round Sunday morning. Saturday’s second round was controlled by Hilo Yazzie, who set a Jr. Ironman record with a 39.0-second round. For that, the New Mexico cowboy pocketed $1,000. He also moved to No. 3 in the average with a cumulative time of 131.2 seconds. Should he remain in that spot when the event concludes, he would add $2,000; the winner will earn $10,000, with $5,000 going to the runner-up. Third round: 1. Justin Thigpen, 52.6 seconds, $3,000; 2. Clayton Hass, 60.4, $2,000; 3. Rhen Richard, 61.1, $1,000. Average leaders: 1. Justin Thigpen, 200.4 seconds; 2. Clayton Hass, 229.2; 3. Jordan Ketscher, 254.7; 4 Jess Tierney, 257.9; 5. K.C. Jones, 267.4; 6. Paul David Tierney, 270.9; 7. Marcus Theriot, 282.2; 8. Erich Rogers, 283.4. Jr. Ironman second round: 1. Hiyo Yazzi, 39.0 seconds, $1,000; 2. Tyler West, 49.3; 3. Trevor Meier, 57.5. Jr. Ironman average leaders: 1. Trevor Meier, 107.3 seconds; 2. Dillon ones, 118.3; 3. Hiyo Yazzi, 131.2.

The story of the 2018 CINCH Timed Event Championship has rolled over into this year’s “Ironman of ProRodeo.” Jordan Ketscher of Squaw Valley, California, roped, tied and wrestled five animals in 60.7 seconds to win the first round and take the aggregate lead into Friday evening’s second go-round, which begins at 7:30 p.m. That’s just the first storyline of this year’s 35th anniversary of the CTEC, a unique championship that features all five timed-event disciplines. Another sub-plot could be titled “The Replacements.” Justin Thigpen, who replaced JoJo LeMond in this weekend’s field, sits second in the standings with 72.1 seconds, while Brent Lewis, a CTEC veteran who last competed in 2002 and replaced the inured Trell Etbauer last week, sits third in 73.9. In the Jr. Ironman Championship, Trevor Meier of Garden City, Kansas, won the first round Friday morning by finishing in 49.8 seconds – the younger contestants do not compete in steer roping. He was four seconds faster than Dillon Jones, while Cole Walker finished third. First round: 1. Jordan Ketscher, 60.7, $3,000; 2. Justin Thigpen, 72.1, $2,000; 3. Brent Lewis, 73.9, $1,000. Jr. Ironman first round: 1. Trevor Meier, 49.8, $1,000; 2. Dillon Jones, 54.1; 3. Cole Walker, 55.5.

REXBURG, Idaho – Garrett Smith’s return to bull riding’s elite is complete. After missing a portion of the 2018 season – and last year’s National Finals Rodeo – Smith proved his point last week by winning the first round of his series at RodeoHouston with a 93-point ride on Lyndal Hurst’s Yellow Hair. It helped propel the Idaho cowboy into Houston’s semifinals, which take place March 13-14. “I’ve been wanting to get on that bull for a long time, and I finally got on and made it work,” said Smith, the 2017 Canadian Professional Rodeo Association bull riding champion who spent a portion of that campaign atop the world standings before suffering a knee injury at the NFR. “He’s been around longer than I have, and it all worked out.” The ride was just the next step for the Idaho cowboy. Injuries were the only reason he didn’t advance to the NFR a season ago. Still, he finished 23rd in the world standings. “I got hurt in the third round of the (2017) NFR,” he said. “I finished the finals, then had surgery in January. I returned way too early. I got on in Logandale (Nev.), so I waited three months and was supposed to wait six. The first couple went pretty good, so I went on. I went to Cloverdale (British Columbia) in May, and I got stepped on again. “I had another surgery, then had to wait about a week or so. The bad thing is I got on a roll, rodeoed three months, and the day after I cracked the top 15, broke my pelvis at the Cour de Lane (Idaho) Xtreme Bulls.” While he didn’t need surgery, he was limited to crutches for six weeks. That caused atrophy in his muscles, so he underwent some physical therapy under the guidance of the Justin Sportsmedicine program, an athletic training system funded by the Justin Boot Co. “They were awesome,” Smith said of the sportsmedicine team. “They checked all the muscles and knew what wasn’t working. I put me on some stretching using bands. When you’re young and don’t think anything can hurt you, you don’t realize what those muscles do and how they can hurt you. When they quit working, you find out in a hurry.” He did, which is why he just lingered near the top 15 in the world standings and didn’t move past it. Alas, he is already on the move in 2019. While his 93-point ride was worth $3,000, the confidence it provided was even more valuable. “Still finishing the year strong and in the top 25 was so important,” Smith said. “Just being healthy is big. It’s pretty cool when you can get off a bull and not hurt. It’s been challenging, trying to figure out how to ride through the pain, then realizing I’m getting on the right track with being healthy. “Hopefully I’ll be a little smarter in the way I ride and the way I get off and don’t have to go through any more injuries.”  

Lazy E Arena marks 35th anniversary of the CINCH Timed Event Championship GUTHRIE, Okla. – The debate was simple and pointed: Who is the greatest all-around, timed-event cowboy in rodeo? It happened in 1984 between two Lazy E Arena officials and a couple of other cowboys, and that conversation sparked the idea of the CINCH Timed Event Championship. A few months later, Leo Camarillo won the first title in 1985, and the legend of the “Ironman of ProRodeo” was established. This week, the Lazy E will celebrate the 35th anniversary of the CTEC in fine fashion, featuring the 20 best all-around, timed-event cowboys in the game today. “I just grew up thinking about the Timed Event since I was old enough to be a fan,” said Trevor Brazile, the winningest cowboy in ProRodeo and CTEC history. “I’d get to see guys I’d watched at rodeos and see how versatile they were. “I look up to a lot of those guys that competed at the Timed Event, the Paul Tierneys and the Jimmie Coopers. I looked at their tenacity. They were tough and raw.” That’s because the CTEC demands it, and Brazile knows. He owns 24 world championships in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and is the record holder for the most CTEC titles with seven. He also is one of just 14 men in the event’s history to have won the title, and six of those will be in the field for the competition, set for Friday-Sunday at the Lazy E. The weekend also includes the Jr. Ironman Championship, a specialized event for 10 youngsters ranging in age 15-20 competing in three rounds: 9 a.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. Sunday. The CTEC begins at noon and 7:30 p.m. the first two days and kicks off at 1 p.m. Sunday. What makes it so unique is that each cowboy must compete in all five timed events – heading, heeling, tie-down roping, steer wrestling and steer roping – to conclude a round. There are five rounds, and the CTEC is conducted over just three days, so it’s a rugged test of each man’s mental capacity and physical fortitude. “It takes someone who is pretty passionate about the Timed Event to want to be part of it or the Jr. Ironman,” said Jess Tierney, the 2017 champion from Hermosa, South Dakota. “You have to have that passion and courage, because you’ve got to be willing to put yourself out there. You could do something that’s embarrassing, but you can’t let that stop you. You’ve got to just keep pushing forward. “It’s the fact that you’ve got to face some trials and figure some things out if you want to eventually be successful.” Tierney is the third member of his family to win the prestigious title, joining his four-time champion father, Paul, and two-time winning brother, Paul David. They all know the trials and tribulations that come with the CTEC. So does the defending champion, Jordan Ketscher, who won the title in just his second year in the field. He returns for the third time just 12 months after winning the top prize, $100,000. “They started something that’s going to keep going for generations to come,” Ketscher said. “It gives timed-event guys a chance to show off what they can do. What’s cool, too, is there’s a fan base that understands why we come to it and appreciate that we don’t excel in every event, but they enjoy coming to watch us. “They didn’t just create something for contestants; they created a fan base that enjoys watching it.”

Saskatchewan cowboys Byrne, Roy to be featured The Washboard Union MOOSE JAW, Saskatchewan – The entertainment value heading to Mosaic Place in June is about to increase. The Professional Bull Riders Moose Jaw Powered by Young’s Equipment will take place 7 p.m. Saturday, June 8, at the arena and will not only feature the top bull riders in Canada and a concert by The Washboard Union, the Canadian Country Music Group of the Year Juno Awards nominee. “Alpha Bull is like no other show we have ever been part of,” the band said in a statement. “Bull riding, explosions, lights and topped with The Washboard Union live together under one roof. It ought to be illegal.” It’s quite legal, and it’s the perfect setting as the province rolls into warmer summer nights. Now in its sixth year, the PBR Moose Jaw has become a must-see event in Saskatchewan. “It’s one of those events that guys look forward to throughout the year,” said Tanner Byrne, the 38th-ranked bull rider in the PBR from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. “Chad (Besplug of Alpha Bull) puts on totally different events than other bull ridings, and it gets guys fired up. It’s more of a rock ‘n’ roll concert show. “I know it’s going to be cool to ride in that one, knowing how much effort he puts into the production.” That’s the Alpha Bull calling card. As a former bull rider, Besplug brings that experience to the table during the production. He wants the cowboys to enjoy it as much as the fans. “Moose Jaw is a hometown crowd for me,” said Aaron Roy of Yellow Grass, Saskatchewan, who has been part of the PBR’s premier tour and now sits No. 6 in the PBR Canada standings. “They always have an amateur event there. Now with Alpha Bull, you have the band there, too, you get two highly entertaining shows. “It’s an all-star package. You’ll get to watch all that and top it off with good music.” The PBR was established 27 years ago and has grown exponentially over that time. What started out as the top 20 bull riders in rodeo has developed into a world-wide event, with contestants coming from a variety of countries. The various tours are so big, many contestants can focus on PBR events to gain points. The ultimate is the premier tour, now called the Unleash the Beast Tour. The goal for each of the cowboys is to earn the points to play for the biggest pay in the game. Both the Saskatchewan bull riders have been there. While Byrne is one of the ranked cowboys on the top tour, he’s still 15th in PBR Canada. “The PBR in Canada has been growing immensely over the last couple years with the introduction of the Unleash the Beast Tour,” Byrne said. “There is a lot more money and incentive. You have a better chance to make it on tour by competing in Canada. “Chad started the Alpha Bull events. The more events the better. You have a shot at more money, so you don’t have to travel down to the U.S. to get your name out there.” That’s something Besplug understands, and it’s why he wants to help grow the sport in Canada. “Chad has been around bull riding a long time,” Roy said. “He knows it and knows how to put on a show. He’s trying to make it feel like it’s action all the time. He’s getting more events, and people are going to more of his events because they like how he puts them on.” It also helps that Moose Jaw is so close to home for both Saskatchewan cowboys. They know they have a chance to earn some good money, compete at a high-energy event and be able to improve their status in the PBR. “When Chad started doing these events, it gave us a new avenue to go to, and it made everybody else try to step up and produce more events and do more for us riders to get us to come,” Byrne said. “It’s cool to see. Moose Jaw is just three hours from my house. It’s a world-class event I don’t have to fly to, and I get to ride in front of my home-province fans.”

Rutkowski wins San Antonio; Moorman claims Speedway Series title in Atlanta Between them, Weston Rutkowski and Chance Moorman made a combined $17,500 at Bullfighters Only events over the past weekend. It was a busy week for the BFO, with the sport’s richest one-day bullfight taking place Saturday afternoon in conjunction with the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo; it was followed by the season’s first Speedway Series event less than a day later at Atlanta Motor Speedway in conjunction with the QuikTrip 500 NASCAR race. In all, more than $35,000 was paid off at the two major stops. “You can’t put into words what it means to be in front of 17,000-plus fans in San Antonio,” said Rutkowski, who won the Wrangler Bullfight Tour stop and pocketed $12,500. “Now we’re packing out arenas like that, and the people know the BFO. It’s definitely surreal.” That’s because he’s been a part of freestyle’s premier organization’s growth from the ground up. Not only is he the three-time world champion, he also is one of the original BFO pioneers; a group of 15 bullfighters who have fought exclusively for BFO over the last three years. Moorman, on the other hand, is just nine months removed from his high school graduation and first BFO Development Camp. At 18, he’s definitely a rising star in the game and proved it in Atlanta, posting a 90-point fight in the championship round to win the title in dominant fashion. “The bulls we had there were a ton of fun,” said Moorman, who earned $5,000 for his victory. “The key was just to stay calm and collected. I let the bull do what he does; try to kill me. But I kept going at him.” He won his first-round bracket with an 87.5-point fight to advance to the finals, where he faced Rutkowski and Kris Furr of Hamptonville, North Carolina. That’s when he put together one of the strongest bullfights of the 2019 season, starting off with his signature move, a front flip over the bull from horns to tail. “That was probably the loudest they got all day,” Moorman said of the crowd. “We had a lot of rain, and guys weren’t too sure of the footing but I just decided to do that trick right out of the gate.” It paid off. He stayed smooth and in control of the red bull for the initial 40 second period, then added another jump to finish off the fight. Moorman’s 90-point score was the highest score of the entire weekend, and it’s his second 90-plus point fight in only three events. “When you’re in a fight like that, it just feels like slow motion,” said Moorman of Lytle, Texas. “With that red bull, it just felt super slow. I could drape my hand over him as he just went by. It was great.” Rutkowski, one of four men who competed at both events, has been impressed with what he’s seen in the teenager. “Chance is dangerous,” he said. “He’s a young kid with a bright future ahead of him.  He’s got a lot of talent, and he reads bulls well. For a young guy, he’s very seasoned. To watch as a fan, he’s got the total package. “He can jump out of the arena, and he’s going to be a contender for this season and a lot of years to come.” Rutkowski knows a bit about the game. He is the three-time champion of the BFO, and his earnings over the weekend moved him to the No. 1 spot in the Pendleton Whisky World Standings. His win in the Alamo City was a key reason behind it. “It’s pretty easy to get excited when you’re in the middle of AT&T Center,” said Rutkowski of Haskell, Texas. “The atmosphere in there is just incredible. All you have to do is feel that energy, and you’re going to get excited. “The money that San Antonio puts up is second to none. It’s a testament to what the BFO has done for freestyle bullfighters like myself.” He was joined in the field at both events by Furr, Colt Oder and Tucker Lane, and they all boarded the same flight on Saturday evening to make sure they arrived together in Atlanta. Furr placed second in both states. “The beautiful thing about the BFO is you’re up against the best guys in the world,” Rutkowski said. “You’ve got guys like Kris Furr there, so you know if you stub your toe, they’re going to beat you.”

GUYMON, Okla. – Carson Kane and Bailey Akers grew up attending the annual Pioneer Days Rodeo, and now they’re helping produce it. Kane and Akers are lifelong Guymon residents, and every spring centered around the community celebration in this town of 11,500, the largest in the Oklahoma Panhandle. It was – and still is – a major part of family affairs and times gathered with friends. They are new members of the volunteer committee who organize and plan the annual 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. They’re also engaged and planning a June 1 wedding. “I’m 24 years old, and I’ve only missed one Pioneer Days weekend in my life,” said Kane, a full-time firefighter and paramedic with the Guymon Fire Department. “That was in 2011, and we couldn’t make it because the state golf tournament was that weekend.  My mom and dad took me to everything with Pioneer Days growing up. “I remember how devastated I was to not be there, but we won state, so that made up for it.” His fiancé is part of the family that own’s Naifeh’s Steak House, another Guymon tradition. Pioneer Days is a big weekend for the restaurant, so she understands the celebration’s importance to the community. “Then I started working at Anchor D (Bank), and that’s how I got involved with the rodeo,” she said. “We did a lot of stuff with the rodeo, and my boss, Lynne, does a lot, so I offered to help her last year. This year I joined the rodeo committee.” It’s a necessary part of the community-based event. It takes many man-hours to produce an event like this, the largest in Texas County annually. “The rodeo doesn’t run without these volunteers, and it’s always been a highlight event for Guymon,” Akers said. “We have people coming from all over the country to our town for our rodeo. I just wanted to be part of it and help my community as much as I could. “I think it brings in so much revenue, not just to the rodeo but also the hotels, restaurants and other businesses. It just gets Guymon’s name out there. I’ve always known that you never book anything the first weekend in May, because you know the rodeo’s going on and everybody’s going to that.” How big is Pioneer Days Rodeo? There are nearly 1,000 ProRodeo contestants who make their way to the region once known as “No Man’s Land.” In fact, the rodeo committee was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2015. In 2002, PRCA members voted it the Large Outdoor Rodeo of the Year. “The rodeo is a big thing, because it’s so steeped with tradition,” Kane said. “It brings in revenue and brings people from all over the world who come to celebrate this town and this community. They schedule school reunions for Pioneer weekend. There’s something different every year, and it’s a changing dynamic.” It also brings in the very best cowboys from across the country. The slogan “Champions Come to Play the First Weekend in May” is true: there are dozens of world champions that have won the Pioneer Days Rodeo’s trophy belt in the event’s 87-year history. Both will be utilizing their backgrounds and their success in trying to make this year’s rodeo one of the best. Akers will help handle social media promotion, while Kane is working in sponsorships. Both are vital to the rodeo’s success: Promotion helps spread the word, and social media is one of the best methods of doing that, and events this size can’t make it without the support of sponsors. “I help my brother do our family business’ social media, so I know how important it is to utilize all forms of that to get the word out,” Akers said. Kane, though, uses his vibrant personality in talking to business owners and/or managers about partnering with the rodeo. It’s a strong marketing opportunity for the businesses as they also support a major community event. “Originally I was on the social media side, but then I got involved in the sponsorships,” he said. “I run a golf tournament for the fire department in August, so I’m used to going up to people and talking to them about sponsorships. I enjoy going to see these people and asking them to be involved, especially with something as big as Pioneer Days Rodeo.” Kane and Akers enjoy what they do for the rodeo, and they like why they do it. It takes a passion to volunteer for something so big, but it’s a labor of love. They know about that, too.

CINCH Timed Event Championship contestants helping youngsters get their start GUTHRIE, Okla. – The future of rodeo looks bright, and one of the reasons behind it is the Jr. Ironman Championship. “I think it’s a great opportunity for the kids to expose their talent,” said Erich Rogers, a CINCH Timed Event Championship regular from Round Rock, Arizona. “There’s a lot of raw talent in the world that nobody knows about, and the Jr. Ironman shows them they have the ability to do anything in the big leagues.” The Jr. Ironman features 10 all-around timed-event contestants ranging in age from 15-20 competing in tie-down roping, heading, heeling and steer wrestling. It is the perfect precursor to what happens over the five rounds of the CTEC, and it is a development system in place for the future of the 35-year-old championship. “I think the Junior Timed Event is really good,” said Trevor Brazile, the winningest all-around cowboy in the history of the sport. “I remember how excited I was when I was 18, and I came here to compete in this. To see the Junior Timed Event here and getting those young cowboys involved early – in being multi-event cowboys and not specializing – means a lot to me. “I hope to see some of those guys competing in the Timed Event in a few years. It gets in their blood early and lets them not be one-dimensional. For them to be able to reap the benefits of being a multi-event cowboy is fun to see. My hat’s off to the Lazy E for involving them.” Rogers is more than a CTEC competitor. He’s a world champion header who is proud of his Navajo roots. In fact, he’s supporting a fellow Navajo cowboy, teenager Hiyo Yazzi of Brimhall, New Mexico, who is part of the Jr. Ironman field. “He’s a young kid coming off the reservation, and he’s hungry,” Rogers said of Yazzi. “He’s got all the ability to do it.  I’ve been around him since he was a little guy, at junior rodeos, then on to high school and to the Indian rodeos. I competed against his dad several times, and his dad’s a pretty good hand right there on the reservation who had the ability to take off and rodeo, but he stayed behind to take care of those kids.” The champ works to motivate the young cowboy, avoid the pitfalls that come with living on the Navajo Nation and keep his focus on rodeo. “There’s a lot of stuff that happens back home,” Rogers said. “What little I got to see him, I just told him to stay away from the bad stuff. He’s got the talent and ability to make an impact in rodeo.” Jess Tierney is the 2017 CTEC champion who grew up around the event; his father is a four-time winner, and his brother has two titles. He likes what he sees with the growth of the Jr. Ironman, and part of that comes from being the rodeo coach at Western Oklahoma State College in Altus. “What rodeo does for kids today is outstanding,” Tierney said. “They’ve got a lot more chances to do things than we did when I was a kid. The Jr. Ironman is the ultimate in youth sports. When you look at rodeo these days, there are a lot of single-event cowboys. There aren’t a lot of people doing multiple events. “I think the Jr. Ironman keeps kids interested in being an all-around cowboy, which I like. To just be a cowboy, it’s so impressive when you can do anything you need to do with a rope or sitting behind a barrier. The Timed Event is so special, and the future for it looks bright because of this.” He’s also been visiting with another Jr. Ironman competitor, Cole Walker of Sparta, Tennessee. It’s not been much a mentorship, but Tierney likes what he sees in Walker. “He’s a real impressive kid who has a great personality and a great outlook on what he’s doing,” Tierney said. “He’s very talented, and I think he’ll have some success there.” But there are eight others vying for the top prize and the opportunity to stake claim to the title. This is just the third year for the Jr. Ironman, but it’s building a foundation for years to come. “It’s making things better for rodeo,” Rogers said. “It’s making the rodeo industry for the Timed Event and for cowboys in general. It brings all the young caliber of ropers that have that ability. You just don’t see that in a cowboy every day.” There’s also something about the youngsters who are willing to step out of their comfort zones and try their hands at events they haven’t mastered. The Jr. Ironman, just like the CTEC, is a rugged test of mental and physical challenges. “What I like about the Jr. Ironman is they’ve got some grit,” Tierney said. “Kids that are going to be in that event are my kind of kids, because they look for ways to win instead of making excuses. That’s what I like. “We’re going to lose enough in life, so we might as well figure out how to win.” 2018 Jr. Ironman Championship Contestants Rowdy Norwood – Amarillo, Texas                                        Quade Hiatt – Canyon, Texas Rylen Sutherland – Benton, Kentucky                                   Trevor Meier – Garden City, Kansas Dillon Jones – Weir, Mississippi                                             Hiyo Yazzi – Brimhall, New Mexico Allen Morse – Dawson Springs, Kentucky                             Cole Walker – Sparta, Tennessee Laine Moore – Asbury, Alabama                                            Charles Tyler West – Mertzon, Texas

2018 CINCH Timed Event Championship winner knows the challenges he will face GUTHRIE, Okla – Jordan Ketscher has had the last year to reflect and remember the biggest win of his young career. “Watching last year’s (CINCH) Timed Event Championship still gives me chills,” he said of viewing replays of his magical win. “Just to be in the arena with the top 20 timed-event cowboys is pretty unreal. To get that victory let me know that all the practices paid off and that it’s worked out. That means everything.” Ketscher beat a talented field to stake the claim as the champion of the “Ironman of ProRodeo,” the most unique event in all of Western sports. He roped, wrestled and tied 25 animals in 324.3 seconds to become just the 14th man in the CTEC’s 35-year history to claim the prestigious gold buckle. His task now is to defend that title, and he will get that chance during the five-round, three-day festival. “I’ve got to practice and keep working at it,” said Ketscher, 29, of Squaw Valley, California. “I know if I’m not, somebody else is. It’s not an easy feat. I know everybody’s going to be on their A game, so I’ve got to be, too.” The field of features six of the 14 past champions, including Ketscher, Jess Tierney, Paul David Teirney, Kyle Lockett, K.C. Jones and Trevor Brazile. It’s a true test of each cowboy’s skill, endurance and fortitude. It’s where steer wrestlers rope and ropers bulldog, and it happens over a rugged five-round competition held over just three days, March 8-10 at the Lazy E Arena. Added to the event will be the marketplace and the CINCH Fan Zone. The marketplace will have fashion, tack, leather goods, farm and ranch equipment and more. The CINCH Fan Zone will have autograph sessions daily beginning after the noon at 7:30 p.m. performances on Friday, March 8, and Saturday, March 9. It will also feature a bar, games, giveaways, a lounge area to watch each performance live, a photo booth and the CINCH Kids Dummy Roping presented by Smarty – kids can rope with the Jr. Ironman contestants before the Friday and Saturday evening performances. The key ingredient, though, is what happens inside the arena. “The reason I like it is you have to go there and do all five events,” Ketscher said. “It’s not like you can expect to do good in all five. You’ve got to work on your weaknesses. I’ve got to work on my steer roping and get a little better at it, because I know that’s where I’m going to lose a little time. “You have to compete in events you’re not comfortable with and get through it. It’s exciting. It’s not like a rodeo, where you have to try to place in the top five or six. In each event, you have to make the best run you can and let the average take care of itself.” While the top three in each round will pocket money, the big prizes come at the conclusion of the CTEC. The event champion with the best aggregate score through 25 runs will pocket $100,000. Ketscher earned $103,000 last March because he also won the third round. “That money sure helps out, lets you get some horses paid for, buy some new horses and set yourself up for the upcoming years,” he said. It’s not easy. “It’s a combination of a physical and mental grind,” Ketscher said. “Because you run so many times, the physical part comes into play. You try not to, but the $100,000 is in the back of your mind, and that just wears on you mentally through the weekend. You can start off great, then have one thing take you down. You’ve just got to keep a level head through the whole thing.” That’s easier said than done, which is why so few people have won the title since it first began in 1985. Whether it’s Brazile’s record of seven CTEC championships or Jones’ five titles, few people understand just how tough it is. “I think the key to winning is being consistent and keeping that mental attitude strong throughout the whole thing, not letting one thing get you down too much,” Ketscher said. “You’ve just got to play it smart, reflecting back to where you’re making those good runs.”

ALVA, Okla. – Alyssa Gabrielson and Kayla Copenhaver have been putting in a lot of extra work preparing for the spring half of the Central Plains Region season, along with their teammates. The preparation paid off this past weekend; Gabrielson and Copenhaver were the driving forces behind the Northwestern Oklahoma State University rodeo team winning the women’s title at the Kansas State University. Both left Manhattan, Kansas, with titles: Copenhaver won barrel racing, while Gabrielson parlayed solid runs in barrel racing and breakaway roping to claim the all-around title. “What makes me most proud is us winning as a team,” said Gabrielson, a senior from Perham, Minnesota. “As a team, we did really good, and it looks good on the school. It feels good after a rough fall.” The fall semester featured four events, and the Rangers women were down the list in the team standings. Now they’re hoping to capitalize on the six-event spring semester to return as one of the top two teams in the region so they can advance a full team to the College National Finals Rodeo. “Everybody’s been working hard, and I think it showed,” Gabrielson said. Copenhaver and Gabrielson both posted 13.03-second runs to share second place in the opening round. Copenhaver then won the championship round with a 12.67-second run, and her two-run cumulative time was seven-hundredths of a second faster than the No. 2 cowgirl. Gabrielson was third in the final round and the aggregate. “I’ve been legging up my horse really good, and I knew she would like that pen because she likes little pens,” said Copenhaver, a sophomore from St. James, Missouri. “I also tried not to stress about it, too, because that’s been a sticking point with me.” The relaxed approach worked. She moves into the No. 3 spot in the regional barrel racing standings. That’s important as she looks to wrap the final five events of the campaign and finish among the magical top 3 – while only the top two teams in the circuit advance to the college finals, the top three individuals in each event qualify automatically. “I wasn’t expecting to win it,” said Copenhaver, who was joined in the short round by Ashlyn Moeder of Oakley, Kansas, and Trinity St. Andrews of Newkirk, Oklahoma – Moeder finished fifth and St. Andrews sixth. “I was planning to make the short go because she likes that size of arena, and I was planning to do good. Winning it just topped it off.” Gabrielson was one of two Rangers who made the final round in breakaway roping, joining Taylor Munsell of Arnett, Oklahoma. Munsell won the first round, finished third in the short round and finished fifth overall. Gabrielson placed fourth in both the short round and average to secure more points for herself and the team. Northwestern’s women won the team title with 395 points, 180 more than the runners-up. That was a statement for the Rangers in Manhattan. “My good barrel horse that I ran this weekend got hurt last year at this rodeo, so it was good to have her back,” Gabrielson said of Mady, an 11-year-old palomino mare. “She won the short round in Manhattan last year, then a week later the vets told me she’d torn her tendon. “I think the team victory shows how much hard work we’ve put in.” In goat-tying, both Meghan Corr of Rapid City, South Dakota, and Aundrea Dufrain of Dawson, Minnesota, advanced to the championship round, then found points there. Corr finished second in the short round with a 7.7-second run, and Dufrain was a 10th of a second behind for third. Overall, Corr finished third and Dufrain fourth. The men’s team was paced by steer wrestler Bridger Anderson, a sophomore from Carrington, North Dakota. He was 4.8 to share the first-round win, then was 5.1 to finish second in the short round; his cumulative time on two runs gave him the aggregate championship. Kelton Hill of Canadian, Texas, finished second in the first round of tie-down roping, while Ethan Price of Leedey, Oklahoma, finished in a tie for sixth place; Riley Wakefield of O’Neill, Nebraska, joined them in the final round. Hill was unable to snag his calf in the short round, but Wakefield posted a 9.5-second run to finish fourth; Price was 9.9 and finished in a tie for fifth place in the round. Price’s two-run total of 19.5 seconds was good enough for fifth overall, while Wakefield’s 19.9 was sixth. In team roping, heeler Tanner Nall of Colcord, Oklahoma, finished second in both rounds and the average with his partner, Ethan Griffin of Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, while header Danniel Durkes of Eskridge, Kansas, finished third in the first round and fifth overall with his partner, Zeke Hall of Fort Hays (Kansas) State University. While the men had success, it was the Northwestern women who stole the show in Manhattan. It all adds up to a solid start to the spring portion of the season for the team coached by Stockton Graves. “Stockton helps with my mind, focusing on the mental game,” Gabrielson said. “I used to struggle in the short goes, but he has helped me sit down and focus, know what I’m there to do and not look ahead. He really tells us to take each rodeo at a time, and the results at the end of the year will show.” It’s working.

Top freestyle bullfighters to battle for sport’s biggest one-day purse SAN ANTONIO – When Toby Inman walked down the tunnel into the AT&T Center a year ago, he marveled at the surroundings associated with the legendary San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo. “I really didn’t know what to expect,” said Inman, the reigning BFO San Antonio Wrangler Bullfight champion from Davis Junction, Illinois. “It was a crazy atmosphere, so it was easy to get pumped up to do big tricks in front of a crowd like that.” The Wrangler Bullfights return to this year’s San Antonio Xtreme Bulls event, set for 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 23. Inman is one of six elite bullfighters vying for the richest one-day paycheck in the sport; the San Antonio rodeo is offering a $25,000 purse. “It’s exciting for me just to be part of it,” said Weston Rutkowski, the three-time Bullfighters Only world champion. He will be joined by fellow veterans Inman, Kris Furr and Ross Hill – and a couple of newcomers in Tucker Lane and Colt Oder. “There are only six of us invited to go; that means a lot in itself. “To compete for the amount of money that’s there is incredible. I’m very grateful for the opportunity.” Rutkowski earned his spot, as did the other five men in the mix. The San Antonio BFO event is part of the prestigious Wrangler Bullfight Tour, which was developed decades ago and re-invigorated by the BFO. To qualify for the event, bullfighters had to finish inside the top 6 in the 2018 Pendleton Whisky World Standings. “I feel extremely lucky to be part of this event,” said Tucker Lane of Oak Grove, Missouri. “Everything’s been a giant step-up to me, with Ada (Oklahoma) being my first big deal, and that was a huge crowd. “I can’t wait to be in an arena like that, because it has so much history, and being in the field with the top guys in the world after being on tour for just a few months.” That’s the reality of BFO, which only features the greatest athletes in the game. Lane worked his way up the standings through the rigors of the 2018 season and finished the campaign higher than expected in the Pendleton Whisky World Standings. “These young cats have proven themselves and they are worthy of competing for money like this,” Rutkowski said. “This will be a cool event for them. Then you’ve got us veterans, and we’re going to have our hands full. Just because we’ve been there and done that doesn’t mean these kids will bow down.” That just adds to the drama that is freestyle bullfighting, but the action is what keeps fans on the edges of their seats. Bullfighters Only features the best bulls in the game, and San Antonio will be a true test with Rockin’ B & Magnifica providing the livestock. “I know it’s going to be a great show, because nobody is going to hold anything back,” Lane said. “It’s definitely going to be exciting.” CONTESTANTS Weston Rutkowski Toby Inman Kris Furr Ross Hill Tucker Lane Colt Oder

SAN ANGELO, Texas – As Caleb Bennett reflected on his San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo bareback riding championship, he noted that the final round was a bit different than past years. “The San Angelo short round has always been a high-scoring affair in bareback riding,” said Bennett, who matched moves with Northcott Macza’s Spilled Perfume for 93 points on Friday night to claim the title. “Instead of it being a bunch of high-scoring rides on really electric bucking horses, this one was about having to ride the smarter, buckier ones.” That was definitely the case with Spilled Perfume, a powerfully athletic bay bucking horse that is typically featured in the “eliminator pen” at the National Finals Rodeo because it is one of the toughest-to-ride equines in the game. “I had her at the Canadian Finals in 2017, and I ended up second in the round there after a pretty good go at her,” said Bennett, a seven-time NFR qualifier from Corvallis, Montana, who posted the highest score of his career Friday night. “That’s all I kept replaying in my head all day … that good trip with her. “She’s definitely stepped it up a notch since then. She’s a lot more of a horse. She just bucks. She’s got a little hesitating rear out of the chute; when she hits the ground, she hits so hard that she shoves the riggin’ into your gut.” The result was two arena records for the Utah-born cowboy. He beat his score of 90.5 points from the 2016 rodeo, then his two-ride cumulative score of 178.5 topped the mark set the same year by Jake Vold. Where most bucking horses will start out strong, he said, they typically line out and perform a more natural bucking motion. That wasn’t the case with Spilled Perfume. “She just keeps getting stronger, and she dang sure got stronger today,” he said. “That was a fist-fight, riggin’-fight, 93-point bareback ride. “That bareback riding short round ranks right up there among the greatest, but that’s typically the case in San Angelo. When you make the San Angelo short round, you’re sexcited to go, because you know you’re going to have to be 88, 89 or 90 to win the round and have a high score just to place in the round.” For his efforts in this west Texas community, Bennett has earned $8,333, all of which will go toward his place in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association world standings. He returns to Foster Communications Coliseum on Saturday for the Cinch Chute Out. “That’s a heck of a chunk of money to win here,” said Bennett, who finished the 2018 season sixth in the world standings with more than $240,000 in earnings. “I didn’t have any luck at Denver. This is only the third rodeo I’ve been to so far this year, so to win it and get the ball rolling feels awesome. “It takes some weight off your shoulders, lets you breathe easy for a minute and keeps your confidence level up there and keeps you rolling to the next one. Momentum is so big in our sport, so you just want to ride that momentum as long as you can.” It’s that type of mindset that has seen him as one of the best in the game for a long time. San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo Feb. 1-3, Feb. 8-10, Feb. 13-15 Bareback riding: 1. 2. Nate S. McFadden, 90 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s South Point Gambler, $4,890; 2. Bill Tutor, 88, $3,749; 2. Kody Lamb, 85, $2,771; 3. Caleb Bennett, 85.5, $1,793; 4. (tie) Austin Foss and Clayton Biglow, 85, $978 each; 7. (tie) Taylor Broussard, Jake Vold and Wyatt Ortega, 84, $380 each. Final round: 1. Caleb Bennett, 93 points on Northcott Macza’s Spilled Perfume, $1,650; 2. Clayton Biglow, 89.5, $1,250; 3. Kody Lamb, 89, $900; 4. Hunter Brasfield, 85.5, $600; 5. (tie) Zach Hibler and Tanner Aus, 82, $300 each. Average: 1. Caleb Bennett, 178.5 points on two rides, $4,890; 2. Kody Lamb, 175, $3,749; 3. Clayton Biglow, 174.5, $2,771; 4. Hunter Brasfield, 168.5, $1,793; 5. Wyatt Ortega, 165.5, $1,141; 6. Tanner Aus, 164.5, $815; 7. Zach Hibler, 164, $652; 8. Jake Vold, 154, $489. Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Tucker Allen, 3.6 seconds, $3,636; 2. (tie) Don Payne and Josh Clark, 3.7, $2,925 each; 4. (tie) Scott Guenthner and Sam Shelton, 3.8, $1,976 each; 6. Denell Henderson, 3.9, $1,265; 7. Jacob Talley, 4.0, $791; 8. Dru Melvin, 4.2, $316. Second round: 1. Richard Coats, 3.2 seconds, $3,636; 2. Edward Beardsworth, 3.7, $4,162; 3. Dirk Tavenner, 3.8, $2.688; 4. Tom Lewis, 3.9, $2,213; 5. (tie) Tanner Brunner, Gary Gilbert and Bridger Anderson, 4.0, $1,265; 8. (tie) Sam Powers, Ross Mosher and Josh Garner, 4.1, $106 each. Final round: 1. Cody Devers, 3.5 seconds, $1,645; 2. Tyler Pearson, 4.3, $1,430; 3. Jacob Edler, 4.4, $1,216; 4. Mike McGinn, 4.5, $1,001; 5. Tucker Allen, 4.6, $787; 6. Denell Henderson, 5.0, $572; 7. Stephen Culling, 6.5, $358; 8. Josh Clark, 12.5, $143. Average: 1. Tucker Allen, 12.8 seconds on three runs, $5,455; 2. Cody Devers, 13.2, $4,743; 3. Denell Henderson, 13.3, $4,032; 4. Jacob Edler, 13.6, $4,032; 5. Tyler Pearson, 13.8, $2,609; 6. Mike McGinn, 14.3, $1,897; 7. Stephen Culling, 16.2, $1,186; 8. Josh Clark, 21.2, $474. Team roping: First round: 1. Clay Smith/Jake Long, 3.6 seconds, $3,763; 2. Nelson Wyatt/Rich Skelton, 3.7, $3,272; 3. Levi Simpson/Cole Davison, 3.8, $2,782; 4. Ty Blasingame/Brandon Bates, 3.9, $2,291; 5. (tie) Coleman Proctor/Ryan Motes, Manny Equsquiza Jr./Dustin Searcy and Tyler Waters/Brady Norman, 4.0, $1,309 each; 8. Anthony Lucia/Wesley Moss, 4.1, $327. Second round: 1. Clay Smith/Jake Long, 3.5 seconds, $3,763; 2. (tie) Luke Brown/Paul Eaves and Caleb Smidt/Will Woodfin, 3.6, $3,027 each; 4. Brandon Webb/Kollin VonAhn, 3.7, $2,291; 5. (tie) Aaron Tsinigine/Kyle Lockett, Lathen Bryant/Morgan McVay and Shane Phillip/John Phillip, 3.8, $1,309; 8. Marcus Theriot/Coleby Payne, 3.9, $327. Final round: 1. Ty Blasingame/Brandon Bates, 4.2 seconds, $1,711; 2. Garett ChickRoss Ashford, 4.6, $1,416; 3. Lane Santos  Continue Reading »

SAN ANGELO, Texas – Something magical happens when 90-point rides occur at a rodeo. The sparks flew Thursday night when Nate McFadden spurred Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s South Point Gambler for 90 points to win the first round of bareback riding at the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo. “That was my first time to ever be 90,” said McFadden, 26, a fourth-year pro from tiny Elsmere, Neb. “It’s something you can’t even explain. It’s so tough to be 90 points. You have to draw the right horse and be at the right rodeo. The starts have to align. I’ve been waiting for it, and it feels outstanding.” By winning the round, he earned $4,890 and has the top spot heading into Friday’s championship round. Only the top 12 contestants in each event advance to the short round, so it’s a true showcase of the best of the best in San Angelo this year. That may have been the best description for the match-up between McFadden and South Point Gambler, a 5-year-old buckskin that was raised on the Carr Ranch in eastern Texas. “It was a young horse, and I didn’t know a lot about him,” he said. “They bucked him once this year in West Monroe (Louisiana), and I’d seen the video. They said he really bucked and would be electric and good. “Anytime you can get on a colt out of River Boat Annie, you know there’s something special. (South Point Gambler) is outstanding.” Friday will mark the first time McFadden has qualified for the San Angelo short round, but he’s excited to be part of that exclusive field. “I turned it around big time,” he said with a laugh. “This coliseum is electric. The crowd here is amazing, and it feels like the horses buck in this arena.” They have over the last few weeks, anyway. In bareback riding, cowboys had to have scores of at least 84 points to place in the opening round. The bottom score making it back to Friday’s round is Tanner Aus’ 82.5. “My No. 1 goal is to make the (National) Finals, but that’s my goal every year,” said McFadden, who has qualified for the regional championship – the circuit finals – each of the past four years. “I would really like to win the circuit this year and make it down to Kissimmee (Florida).” The winners of each region – along with the winners of each circuit finale – advance to the National Circuit Finals Rodeo, which takes place in Florida every spring. It would just be the next step for the lifelong cowboy who was raised on a ranch in the middle of Nebraska. For now, though, he’s just enjoying his ride in San Angelo. San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo Feb. 1-3, Feb. 8-10, Feb. 13-15 Bareback riding: 1. 2. Nate S. McFadden, 90 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s South Point Gambler, $4,890; 2. Bill Tutor, 88, $3,749; 2. Kody Lamb, 85, $2,771; 3. Caleb Bennett, 85.5, $1793; 4. (tie) Austin Foss and Clayton Biglow, 85, $978 each; 7. (tie) Taylor Broussard, Jake Vold, 84, $380 each; 10. (tie) Hunter Brasfield and David Peebles, 83; 12. Tanner Aus, 82.5. Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Tucker Allen, 3.6 seconds, $3,636; 2. (tie) Don Payne and Josh Clark, 3.7, $2,925 each; 4. (tie) Scott Guenthner and Sam Shelton, 3.8, $1,976 each; 6. Denell Henderson, 3.9, $1,265; 7. Jacob Talley, 4.0, $791; 8. Dru Melvin, 4.2, $316. Second round: 1. Richard Coats, 3.2 seconds, $3,636; 2. Edward Beardsworth, 3.7, $4,162; 3. Dirk Tavenner, 3.8, $2.688; 4. Tom Lewis, 3.9, $2,213; 5. (tie) Tanner Brunner, Gary Gilbert and Bridger Anderson, 4.0, $1,265; 8. (tie) Sam Powers, Ross Mosher and Josh Garner, 4.1, $106 each. Average leaders: 1. (tie) Scott Guenthner and Tucker Allen, 8.2 seconds on two runs; 3. Denell Henderson, 8.3; 4. Dru Melvin, 8.4; 5. Josh Clark, 8.7; 6. (tie) Jacob Edler and Blake Knowles, 9.2; 8. Tyler Pearson, 9.5; 9. Payden McIntyre, 9.6; 10. (tie) Stephen Culling and Cody Devers, 9.7; 12. Mike McGinn, 9.8. Team roping: First round: 1. Clay Smith/Jake Long, 3.6 seconds, $3,763; 2. Nelson Wyatt/Rich Skelton, 3.7, $3,272; 3. Levi Simpson/Cole Davison, 3.8, $2,782; 4. Ty Blasingame/Brandon Bates, 3.9, $2,291; 5. (tie) Coleman Proctor/Ryan Motes, Manny Equsquiza Jr./Dustin Searcy and Tyler Waters/Brady Norman, 4.0, $1,309 each; 8. Anthony Lucia/Wesley Moss, 4.1, $327. Second round: 1. Clay Smith/Jake Long, 3.5 seconds, $3,763; 2. (tie) Luke Brown/Paul Eaves and Caleb Smidt/Will Woodfin, 3.6, $3,027 each; 4. Brandon Webb/Kollin VonAhn, 3.7, $2,291; 5. (tie) Aaron Tsinigine/Kyle Lockett, Lathen Bryant/Morgan McVay and Shane Phillip/John Phillip, 3.8, $1,309; 8. Marcus Theriot/Coleby Payne, 3.9, $327. Average leaders: 1. Clay Smith/Jake Long, 7.1 seconds on two runs; 2. Aaron Tsinigine/Kyle Lockett, 8.1; 3. Kelsey Parchman/Matt Kasner, 8.5; 4. Ty Blasingame/Brandon Bates, 9.5; 5. Garett Chick/Ross Ashford, 9.7; 6. Marcus Theriot/Coleby Payne, 9.8; 7. Levi Simpson/Cole Davison, 10.0; 8. Manny Egusquiza Jr./Dustin Searcy, 10.1; 9. Curry Kirchner/Daniel Reed, 10.3; 10. Bart Brunson/Trace Porter, 11.5; 11. Lane Santos Karney/Dillon Wingereid, 11.9; 12. (tie) Coleman Proctor/Ryan Motes and Ryan Reed/Monty Joe Petska, 13.4s. Saddle bronc riding: 1. Zeke Thurston, 88.5 points on Rafter H Rodeo’s Aces Wild, $3,508; 2. (tie) Rusty Wright and Lefty Holman, 87.5, $2,339 each; 4. (tie) Cody DeMoss and Colt Gordon, 87, $1,052 each; 6. Ryder Wright, 84, $585; 7. Jade Blackwell, 83.5, $468; 8. (tie) Preston Burr, Wade Sundell, Chase Brooks and Shade Etbauer, 83, $88 each; 12. Kolby Wanchuk, 82.5. Tie-down roping: First round: 1. Jake Pratt, 7.0 seconds, $4,792; 2. Michael Otero, 7.1, $4,167; 3. Kyle Lucas, 7.4, $3,542; 4. (tie) Trevor Brazile and Blair Smith, 7.5, $2,604 each; 6. Tuf Cooper, 7.6, $1,667; 7. (tie) Blane Cox, John Douch and Bryson Sechrist, 7.7, $486 each. Second round: 1. Adam Gray, 7.1 seconds, $4,792; 2. (tie) Justin Smith, Marty Yates Bradley Bynum, 7.2, $3,542 each; 5. (tie) Tyler Milligan, Cory Solomon and Reid H. Zapalac, 7.3, $1,667 each; 6. (tie) Cimarron Boardman and Jesse Clark, 7.6,  Continue Reading »

SAN ANGELO, Texas – Zeke Thurston is just 24 years old, but he’s already become one of the bet saddle bronc riders in rodeo. He burst onto the scene in 2015 and qualified for the National Finals Rodeo as a rookie. He followed it a year later with the most coveted prize in the game, a world champion’s gold buckle. Now he’s a four-time NFR qualifier. On Wednesday night, Thurston rode Rafter H Rodeo’s Aces Wild for 88.5 points to take the saddle bronc riding lead at the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo inside Foster Communications Coliseum. “I didn’t know a whole lot about that horse,” said Thurston of Big Valley, Alberta. “I looked it up on stock stats to see what they’d been on her, and I asked a couple guys about her. She ended up being everything they said she was. “She just turned out of there, and when she hit, she was jumping and kicking. She was flashy and electric. I got a good spur out, and it rolled on from there.” In both bareback riding and bronc riding, cowboys start their rides with the heels of their boots over the front of the horse’s shoulders. It’s the key to getting into a good rhythm with the bucking animal. It’s also necessary; failure to secure the proper mark-out results in a no score. Thurston finished the 2018 season strong. He pocketed just shy of $150,000 at the NFR in December and finished the campaign with $262,041 – third in the world standings. He knows every check he can collect any time of year can be the key to winning another gold buckle. Getting off to a good start to the new season is always beneficial. “It’s not as much as being important; it’s that it gives you confidence and relief knowing that you’ve got money won,” said Thurston, whose father, Skeeter, was a six-time NFR qualifier in bronc riding. “There’s a lot of money to be won all year. “To start the year off and get the ball rolling is the main thing that helps. When you’re riding good and feeling good, it tends to go a lot better, and you can have a lot of fun.” He’s definitely having fun, and the fans in San Angelo helped. “It’s a west Texas town with a lot of agriculture around here, and it has a lot of rodeo fans because of the area,” said Thurston, who is seventh in the world standings. “It’s a Wednesday night, and that’s a pretty good-sized building that was packed. The people around here like their rodeo. The crowd really gets into it; it’s a really good rodeo.” While Thurston knew nothing about Aces Wild, fellow Canadian Kody Lamb knew a little more about his horse; he just didn’t like what he knew. After his original horse was injured, Lamb was matched with Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Pink Cadillac, a powerful red roan mare that has a notorious reputation for being hard on cowboys. “When I found out my horse was crippled, they told me that I had one of three horses,” said Lamb of Sherwood Park, Alberta. “I knew about all of them, and the one I liked least was the one I got.” He did everything he could to give the strong horse her best chance, and it paid off for 86.5 points, moving Lamb into second place with one preliminary round remaining in San Angelo. When Thursday’s final performance is complete, the top 12 contestants in each event advance to Friday’s championship round. The champions will be crowned that night, and he has earned his spot in that field. “She was really good,” Lamb said of Pink Cadillac. “She took a scoot right out of the chute, then bucked really good.” He’ll have a day to rest, then he returns to fight for his shot at the San Angelo title. “I was in the short round here a couple years ago, and the horses are always really good,” he said. “It’s huge to the start of the season. I made the short round in Denver but didn’t win much money there ($217 for placing in the opening round). I’m in a little better position here. It’s good to be able to make it back here Friday. I’m excited.” He should be. San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo Feb. 1-3, Feb. 8-10, Feb. 13-15 Bareback riding leaders: 1. Bill Tutor, 88 points on Lancaster and Jones’ Highway Man; 2. Kody Lamb, 85; 3. Caleb Bennett, 85.5; 4. Austin Foss, 85; 5. (tie) Taylor Broussard and Jake Vold, 84; 7. (tie) Hunter Brasfield and David Peebles, 83; 9. Tanner Aus, 82.5; 10. Zach Hibler, 82; 11. Jesse Pope, 81; 12. (tie) Tony Barrington and Cody Cabeen, 79. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Tucker Allen, 3.6 seconds, $3,636; 2. (tie) Don Payne and Josh Clark, 3.7, $2,925 each; 4. (tie) Scott Guenthner and Sam Shelton, 3.8, $1,976 each; 6. Denell Henderson, 3.9, $1,265; 7. Jacob Talley, 4.0, $791; 8. Dru Melvin, 4.2, $316. Second round: 1. Richard Coats, 3.2 seconds; 2. Dirk Tavenner, 3.8; 3. Tom Lewis, 3.9; 4. (tie) Tanner Brunner and Gary Gilbert, 4.0; 6. (tie) Sam Powers, Ross Mosher and Josh Garner, 4.1. Average: 1. Scott Guenthner, 8.2 seconds on two runs; 2. Tucker Allen, 8.2; 3. Denell Henderson, 8.3; 4. Dru Melvin, 8.4; 5. Josh Clark, 8.7; 6. (tie) Jacob Edler and Blake Knowles, 9.2; 8. Tyler Pearson, 9.5; 9. Payden McIntyre, 9.6; 10. (tie) Stephen Culling and Cody Devers, 9.7; 12. Mike McGinn, 9.8. Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Clay Smith/Jake Long, 3.6 seconds, $3,763; 2. Nelson Wyatt/Rich Skelton, 3.7, $3,272; 3. Levi Simpson/Cole Davison, 3.8, $2,782; 4. Ty Blasingame/Brandon Bates, 3.9, $2,291; 5. (tie) Coleman Proctor/Ryan Motes, Manny Equsquiza Jr./Dustin Searcy and Tyler Waters/Brady Norman, 4.0, $1,309 each; 8. Anthony Lucia/Wesley Moss, 4.1, $327w2er. Second round leaders: 1. Clay Smith/Jake Long, 3.5 seconds; 2. (tie) Luke Brown/Paul Eaves and Caleb Smidt/Will Woodfin, 3.6;  Continue Reading »

SAN ANGELO, Texas – Around the time of his 42nd birthday last November, Trevor Brazile announced that he was slowing down his rodeo schedule, meaning the 2018 National Finals Rodeo was likely to be his last. He proved this weekend at the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo that he’s not done. On Saturday night, he roped and tied his calf in 7.5 seconds and is fourth in the opening round; on Sunday afternoon, he stopped the clock in 7.7 seconds and is eighth in the second round. His cumulative time of 15.2 seconds is atop the leaderboard, sharing the top spot with Michael Otero of Weatherford, Texas, with just two preliminary performances remaining on Wednesday and Thursday. “I didn’t say I wanted to win part time,” said Brazile, the winningest cowboy in ProRodeo history with 24 world championships. “I said I wanted to go part time.” He’s used to winning and has been doing so since his rookie season 24 years ago. Those overall gold buckles are a Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association record, as are the 14 all-around crowns. He’s won individual titles in heading, tie-down roping and steer roping, and he’s one of just two men to have qualified for the National Finals in all four roping disciplines – he first qualified in 1998 as a heeler. Brazile has qualified for the National Finals 52 times – 31 to the NFR and 21 to the National Finals Steer Roping, which is a separate event from the 10-day championship in Las Vegas but still features only the top 15 steer ropers in the game. So, it’s no wonder he wanted to take a break from the game and focus his attention toward his family, which includes his wife, Shada, and their three children. “There are a lot of big rodeos in the first quarter of the year, and most of them happen in Texas,” Brazile said, noting that living in Decatur, Texas, allows him to make those events easier; San Angelo’s rodeo overlaps other big stock shows in Fort Worth and San Antonio and leads into another in Houston. As for his runs over the weekend, he credits a smart approach to his tie to being at the top of race heading into the championship round, which takes place Friday and features just the top 12 contestants in each event from the preliminary rounds. “I put two wraps on those calves,” he said, explaining that it makes for a more secure tie to the calf’s three legs and cuts down on the chances that the animal can break free of the grasp, which would have resulted in a no-time. “The first one I had at Fort Worth kicked lose for me to win the first round because I put a wrap and a hooey on him, so I wasn’t going to let that happen again.” Brazile will return to San Angelo for a four-day run inside the storied coliseum. He and Clay O’Brien Cooper will compete in team roping Wednesday and Thursday, then there’s the short round on Friday and the Chute-Out on Saturday. “It’s always a great rodeo,” Brazile said. “I always say I love to compete there, because there are so many tie-down roping fans. There are a lot of rodeo fans in general, too, but between the (Roping) Fiesta and the stock show, there are some die-hard roping fans.” No wonder he’s already excited about his return to west Texas in just a few days. San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo Feb. 1-3, Feb. 8-10, Feb. 13-15 Bareback riding leaders: 1. Bill Tutor, 88 points on Lancaster and Jones’ Highway Man; 2. Caleb Bennett, 85.5; 3. Austin Foss, 85; 4. (tie) Taylor Broussard and Jake Vold, 84; 6. (tie) Hunter Brasfield and David Peebles, 83; 8. Tanner Aus, 82.5; 9. Zach Hibler, 82; 10. Jesse Pope, 81; 11. (tie) Tony Barrington and Cody Cabeen, 79. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Tucker Allen, 3.6 seconds; 2. (tie) Don Payne and Josh Clark, 3.7; 4. (tie) Scott Guenthner and Sam Shelton, 3.8; 6. Denell Henderson, 3.9; 7. Jacob Talley, 4.0; 8. Dru Melvin, 4.2. Second round: 1. Richard Coats, 3.2 seconds; 2. Dirk Tavenner, 3.8; 3. Tom Lewis, 3.9; 4. (tie) Tanner Brunner and Gary Gilbert, 4.0; 6. (tie) Sam Powers, Ross Mosher and Josh Garner, 4.1. Average: 1. Scott Guenthner, 8.2 seconds on two runs; 2. Tucker Allen, 8.2; 3. Denell Henderson, 8.3; 4. Dru Melvin, 8.4; 5. Josh Clark, 8.7; 6. (tie) Jacob Edler and Blake Knowles, 9.2; 8. Tyler Pearson, 9.5; 9. Payden McIntyre, 9.6; 10. (tie) Stephen Culling and Cody Devers, 9.7; 12. Mike McGinn, 9.8. Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Clay Smith/Jake Long, 3.6 seconds; 2. Nelson Wyatt/Rich Skelton, 3.7; 3. Levi Simpson/Cole Davison, 3.8; 4. Ty Blasingame/Brandon Bates, 3.9; 5. (tie) Coleman Proctor/Ryan Motes, Manny Equsquiza Jr./Dustin Searcy and Tyler Waters/Brady Norman, 4.0; 8. Anthony Lucia/Wesley Moss, 4.1. Second round leaders: 1. Clay Smith/Jake Long, 3.5 seconds; 2. (tie) Luke Brown/Paul Eaves and Caleb Smidt/Will Woodfin, 3.6; 4. Brandon Webb/Kollin VonAhn, 3.7; 5. (tie) Aaron Tsinigine/Kyle Lockett, Lathen Bryant/Morgan McVay and Shane Phillip/John Phillip, 3.8; 8. Marcus Theriot/Coleby Payne, 3.9. Average leaders: 1. Clay Smith/Jake Long, 7.1 seconds on two runs; 2. Aaron Tsinigine/Kyle Lockett, 8.1; 3. Ty Blasingame/Brandon Bates, 9.5; 4. Garett Chick/Ross Ashford, 9.7; 5. Marcus Theriot/Coleby Payne, 9.8; 6. Levi Simpson/Cole Davison, 10.0; 7. Manny Egusquiza Jr./Dustin Searcy, 10.1; 8. Bart Brunson/Trace Porter, 11.5; 9. Lane Santos Karney/Dillon Wingereid, 11.9; 10. (tie) Coleman Proctor/Ryan Motes and Ryan Reed/Monty Joe Petska, 13.4; 12. Cory Clark/Lane Mitchell, 13.7. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Rusty Wright, 87.5 points on Northcott & Macza’s Banshee; 2. (tie) Cody DeMoss and Colt Gordon, 87; 4. Ryder Wright, 84; 5. (tie) Preston Burr, Wade Sundell and Chase Brooks, 83; 8. Kolby Wanchuk, 82.5; 9. (tie) Aaron Lide and Wyatt Casper, 82; 11. Brody Cress, 81.5; 12. (tie) Tate Owens, Hawkins Boyce, Jake Wright and CoBurn Bradshaw, 81. Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1.  Continue Reading »

SAN ANGELO, Texas – While residents in this west Texas town were bundled up in layers and parkas, Scott Guenthner was enjoying his own little heat wave at the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo. From the tiny hamlet of Provost in eastern Alberta, temperatures in the 30s were likely quite comfortable to Guenthner. If they weren’t, he provided a bit of his own sizzle to his Saturday in San Angelo, bulldogging two steers in a cumulative time of 8.2 seconds to take the overall steer wrestling lead – he was 3.8 seconds on Saturday afternoon, then followed with a 4.4-second run that evening. “I had a good day,” said Guenthner, a 27-year-old cowboy who has qualified for the National Finals Rodeo each of the past two seasons. “I haven’t really had much luck this winter, so I needed to change my luck, and it worked today.” He found his luck in drawing two solid steers and having a couple of strong horses working in his favor. Guenthner rode Rooster, owned by fellow bulldogger Bridger Chambers, and had assistance from his traveling partner, Tanner Milan, who hazed for him while riding Major. The two equine partners helped put Guenthner in position during both runs in front of packed stands at Foster Communications Coliseum. “I enjoy running two in the same day during the performances,” he said. “It makes it fun, and I like it better than slack, where I really have to motivate myself to get pumped up.” In rodeo, slack refers to the overflow of contestants who are in the competition but did not run in any of the paid performances. For bulldoggers, tie-down ropers and team ropers, that took place this past Monday and Tuesday. They all compete against one another, and the top 12 in the two-run aggregate through next Thursday’s 10th performance will return Friday to compete in the championship round. “That is a really loud, intense crowd,” said Guenthner, who is fifth in the world standings. “They really get behind you. You can hear them when you ride out into the arena, and it got really loud in the middle of the pen when I threw those steers over. That’s a big thing to us cowboys, because it really gets us motivated.” Of course, he wants to stay that way through the campaign. In rodeo, the 2019 regular season began Oct. 1, 2018, and won’t end until Sept. 30. The goal for all contestants is to be among the top 15 on the money list by that date to secure their spots at the NFR, which features the largest purse in the sport paid out over 10 December nights in Las Vegas. Over the last two seasons, Guenthner has earned nearly $375,000 wrestling bovines, $195,562 coming at the NFR. “Horsepower is huge there, especially with the fast start,” he said. “My first year there, I rode my own horse for a couple of rounds, then I switched horses and rode Tom Lewis’. This past NFR, I got on Curtis Cassidy’s horse the whole NFR, and it paid off. “Coming off a good NFR definitely helps your year. I had a good start (to 2019) by winning Waco (Texas), but the momentum from the NFR is a big deal. You’ve had a good finals, and you want to carry that over. You need to build up some money this time of year before you get the spring when you’re going just once a week or once every couple of weeks.” If his hot streak in San Angelo stays this way, he could do just that. San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo Feb. 1-3, Feb. 8-10, Feb. 13-15 Bareback riding leaders: 1. Bill Tutor, 88 points on Lancaster and Jones’ Highway Man; 2. Caleb Bennett, 85.5; 3. Austin Foss, 85; 4. (tie) Taylor Broussard and Jake Vold, 84; 6. (tie) Hunter Brasfield and David Peebles, 83; 8. Zach Hibler, 82; 9. Jesse Pope, 81; 10. (tie) Tony Barrington and Cody Cabeen, 79; 12. Grant Denny, 78.5. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Tucker Allen, 3.6 seconds; 2. (tie) Don Payne and Josh Clark, 3.7; 4. (tie) Scott Guenthner and Sam Shelton, 3.8; 6. Denell Henderson, 3.9; 7. Jacob Talley, 4.0; 8. Dru Melvin, 4.2. Second round: 1. Richard Coats, 3.2 seconds; 2. Dirk Tavenner, 3.8; 3. Tom Lewis, 3.9; 4. Tanner Brunner, 4.0; 5. Josh Garner, 4.1; 6. (tie) Jacob Edler, Stephen Culling, Dru Melvin and Cyler Dowling, 4.2. Average: 1. Scott Guenthner, 8.2 seconds on two runs; 2. Tucker Allen, 8.2; 3. Denell Henderson, 8.3; 4. Dru Melvin, 8.4; 5. Josh Clark, 8.7; 6. (tie) Jacob Edler and Blake Knowles, 9.2; 8. Tyler Pearson, 9.5; 9. Payden McIntyre, 9.6; 10. (tie) Stephen Culling and Cody Devers, 9.7; 12. Mike McGinn, 9.8. Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Clay Smith/Jake Long, 3.6 seconds; 2. Nelson Wyatt/Rich Skelton, 3.7; 3. Levi Simpson/Cole Davison, 3.8; 4. Ty Blasingame/Brandon Bates, 3.9; 5. (tie) Coleman Proctor/Ryan Motes, Manny Equsquiza Jr./Dustin Searcy and Tyler Waters/Brady Norman, 4.0; 8. Anthony Lucia/Wesley Moss, 4.1. Second round leaders: 1. Clay Smith/Jake Long, 3.5 seconds; 2. (tie) Luke Brown/Paul Eaves and Caleb Smidt/Will Woodfin, 3.6; 4. Brandon Webb/Kollin VonAhn, 3.7; 5. (tie) Aaron Tsinigine/Kyle Lockett, Lathen Bryant/Morgan McVay and Shane Phillip/John Phillip, 3.8; 8. Marcus Theriot/Coleby Payne, 3.9. Average leaders: 1. Clay Smith/Jake Long, 7.1 seconds on two runs; 2. Aaron Tsinigine/Kyle Lockett, 8.1; 3. Ty Blasingame/Brandon Bates, 9.5; 4. Marcus Theriot/Coleby Payne, 9.8; 5. Levi Simpson/Cole Davison, 10.0; 6. Manny Egusquiza Jr./Dustin Searcy, 10.1; 7. Bart Brunson/Trace Porter, 11.5; 8. Lane Santos Karney/Dillon Wingereid, 11.9; 9. (tie) Coleman Proctor/Ryan Motes and Ryan Reed/Monty Joe Petska, 13.4; 11. Cory Clark/Lane Mitchell, 13.7; 12 Jake Cooper/Caleb Anderson, 14.1. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Rusty Wright, 87.5 points on Northcott & Macza’s Banshee; 2. (tie) Cody DeMoss and Colt Gordon, 87; 4. Ryder Wright, 84; 5. (tie) Preston Burr, Wade Sundell and Chase Brooks, 83; 8. Kolby Wanchuk, 82.5; 9. (tie) Aaron Lide and Wyatt Casper, 82;  Continue Reading »