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EAGLE, Colo. – There’s so much beauty that surrounds this town of just 6,700, the Eagle County’s seat and home of the Eagle County Fair and Rodeo. That just adds to the flavor of this Rocky Mountain community and the reason hundreds of thousands of visitors make their way to the picturesque location. It’s also an attractive piece of the puzzle for the talented team from Pete Carr Pro Rodeo. “There’s no other rodeo setting like Eagle, tucked among the mountains with the Eagle River right behind it,” said Clay Heger, a bullfighter who has been in the middle of the action for several years at the rodeo, set for 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 25-Saturday, July 28, at Johnette Phillips Arena on the Eagle County Fairgrounds. “That time of year makes everyone and every animal feel great waking up on a cool 60 or 70 degrees in the middle of the summer is amazing.” Heger is just one of a couple dozen Carr staff that will make the trip from the firm’s east Texas ranch. The Eagle County Fair and Rodeo has been a big stop for the team for the last decade. “We’ve been on the rodeo trail all year, and we’ve been to some beautiful places,” said John Gwatney, the livestock superintendent for Pete Carr Pro Rodeo. “We just got done with Big Spring (Texas) and Pecos (Texas), which are two fantastic rodeos, but there’s a lot of heat. “To go from there to the beautiful setting of the mountains and a crowd that is so captive and responsive is amazing and makes Eagle a wonderful rodeo.” How wonderful? All four performances are typically sold out, and the crowd of several thousand fans is usually loud and boisterous, making for a great experience for all involved. In fact, the members of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association think so much of the Eagle event that they nominated it for Medium Rodeo of the Year in 2017. It was the first time it has received an honor – with the nomination, Eagle was recognized as one of the top 20 rodeos in North America, and the PRCA has more than 650 annually. “We have a lot of great history in Eagle,” said Pete Carr, president and CEO of the livestock firm, which has five straight nominations for PRCA Stock Contractor of the Year. “The horses and bulls love it up there, and the mountain climate adds to that. There are usually a lot of high scores and great rides in Eagle because of that.” In fact, Carr bucking horse Grass Dancer was part of a world record-tying 94-point ride when she matched moves with bareback rider Ryan Gray in 2009. There have been numerous other high-scoring rides inside the arena that sits just beneath the mountains. “I think one of the keys to making the rides so memorable is the crowd,” Gwatney said. “The energy of the crowd electrifies the whole place. The night that record ride was made, there was lightning in the background, and the crowd was just as into it as if there wasn’t weather around us. That’s the electricity that place brings.” And that atmosphere is why the Eagle County Fair and Rodeo is one of the best in the game.

ESTES PARK, Colo. – When J.C. Hester left Park Rapids, Minn., on Saturday for Estes Park, he reached into his pocket to count his cash. There wasn’t much there. The Fourth of July run had been rough on the bareback rider, and his bank account was dwindling. He needed to catch a break, and that came Sunday night on a red-and-white paint horse named Dream Machine during the fourth performance of Rooftop Rodeo. “It had been a long Cowboy Christmas,” said Hester of Queen City, Mo. “I was getting pretty tight on cash. I barely made it out here, but I was 86.5 points, so it was dang sure worth every penny.” The Cervi Championship Rodeo bucking horse made the 15-hour one-way trip worthwhile for the Missouri cowboy, who took the bareback riding lead in Estes Park. He had never seen the horse before, but he talked to a few others who had matched moves with the animal to get the inside track. “I knew she was a really nice horse,” he said. “She was definitely worth getting on.” It was a far cry from the last time Hester competed at Rooftop Rodeo six years ago. That time, he suffered a broken arm and sat out of competition for about three years. Now he’s back at it and is chasing his rodeo dreams. That’s not bad for the Mississippi-raised cowboy who once dreamed of riding bulls. “We had cows growing up, but rodeo wasn’t part of my family,” Hester said. “I went to Missouri Valley College. I started riding bulls, and here I am riding bareback horses. Ken Mason is a great coach. It’s a great college, and they breed bucking horse riders over there.” So, what forced him away from bulls and to bucking horses? “I was winning more money in bareback riding at the time, and I decided I was going to hang my bull rope up. I ended up showing a lot more talent in bareback riding.” He proved that in Estes Park. Like every cowboy that makes his way up and down the rodeo trail, Hester has dreams of winning the world championship and competing against the greatest in the game at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. “Just making a living is my goal this year,” he said. “Rodeo is how I make my money. I dang sure need to be winning, and if going to the finals works out for me at the end of the year, then we’ll be blessed and happy to be there.” Rooftop Rodeo Estes Park, Colo. July 5-10, 2018 Leaders through fourth performance Bareback riding:1. J.C. Hester Jr., 86.5 points on Cervi Championship’s Dream Machine; 2. (tie) Jake Brown and Kaycee Feild, 85; 4. Lane McGehee, 83; 5. (tie) Tilden Hooper and Mason Clements, 82; 7. Paden Hurst, 81; 8. Hunter Brasfield, 80.5. Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Sam Williams, 3.6 seconds, $1,363; 2. Will Lummus, 3.8, $1,128; 3. Laine Herl, 4.2, $893; 4. (tie) Tom Littell and Cody Devers, 4.3, $541 each; 6. (tie) Trever Nelson and Gary Gilbert, 4.4, $118 each. Second round: 1. Will Lummus, 3.2 seconds; 2. Hunter Cure, 3.7; 3. Cole McNamee, 4.0 seconds; Blake Mindemann, 4.5; 5. Laine Herl, 4.6; 6. Heath Thompson, 4.9. Average: 1. Will Lummus, 7.0 seconds on two runs; 2. Laine Herl, 8.8; 3. Hunter Cure, 9.1; 4. Sam Williams, 10.0; 5. Tom Littell, 10.6; 6. Blake Mindemann, 11.6. Team roping: 1. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 4.4 seconds; 2. (tie) Jake Barnes/Rich Skelton and Lightning Aguilera/Brady Norman, 4.6; 2. Paul Beckett/Chad Wahlert, 4.7; 3. Kelsey Parchman/Dustin Davis, 5.2; 4. Jake Cooper/Logan Medlin, 5.3; 5. (tie) Rhett Anderson/Coleby Payne and Robert Reed/T.W. Wilson, 5.7. Saddle bronc riding 1. Wyatt Hageman, 86 points on Cervi Brothers’ Hell’s Fire Hostage; 2. (tie) Hardy Braden and Sterling Crawley, 83; 4. (tie) Troy Crowser and Chase Brooks, 82.5; 6. Jacobs Crawley, 82; 7. Colt Gordon, 81.5; 8. Jake Watson, 81. Tie-down roping: First round: 1. Reno Gonzales, 8.4 seconds, $1,176; 2. Jesse Clark, 9.4, $973; 3. Scott Kormos, 10.2, $771; 4. Anthony Jordan, 10.6, $568; 5. Joey Dickens, 10.7, $365; 6. Caleb Smidt, 10.9, $203. Second round: 1. Bryson Sechrist, 8.8 seconds; 2. Sterling Smith, 9.6; 3. Anthony Jordan, 10.2; 4. Cimarron Boardman, 10.9; 5. Joey Dickens, 11.4; 6. Tyson Aldredge, 17.7. Average: 1. Bryson Sechrist, 20.4 seconds on two runs; 2. Anthony Jordan, 20.8; 3. Sterling Smith, 21.4; 4. Joey Dickens, 22.1; Cimarron Boardman, 22.3; 6. Trevor Thiel, 37.7. Barrel racing: 1. Lacinda Rose, 17.39 seconds; 2. Leia Bluemer, 17.43; 3. (tie) Heidi Tillard and Kelley Carrington, 17.47; 5. Sammi Bessert, 17.49; 6. Jaime Merrill, 17.53; 7. Kaylee Burnett, 17.63; 7. (tie) Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi and Jamie Wilson, 17.65; 9. Christine Laughlin and Amanda Harris, 17.70. Bull riding: 1. Callum Miller, on 4L and Diamond S Ranch’s Living After Midnight, and Scottie Knapp, on 4L and Diamond S Ranch’s Monte Walsh, 89 points each; 3. Clayton Savage, 88; 4. Kyle Gardner, 85; 5. Reid Barker, 84.5; 6. Jimy Marten, 82.5; 7. Moody McCoy, 77; 8. Colten Fritzian, 75.5.

DODGE CITY, Kan. – Since its inception more than a decade ago, the Dodge City Roundup Rodeo’s Tough Enough to Wear Pink campaign has raised more than $200,000. That’s saying something, but there’s so much more. All of that money raised has gone to Circle of Hope, a self-help non-profit group for all types of cancer patients and their caregivers. The group hopes to just keep adding to it during this year’s event. “We typically raise about $20,000 a year for the Circle of Hope,” said Mary Trotter, who has been associated with TETWP since its founding. “The fact that it stays in southwest Kansas is why it stays as it is. What we do is pass the hats for the first four nights of the rodeo and have a pink booth at the rodeo. “Passing the hat seems to have been the most successful for us. Of course, we really have a big push on the Saturday night of the rodeo, which is our pink night.” Roundup Rodeo is set for 7:45 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 1-Sunday, Aug. 5, at Roundup Arena. That means there are ample opportunities for the TETWP to raise more money for the regional charity, which has been assisting patients and caregivers through their cancer journey since 1993. The support group encourages hope, strength and positive attitude. “Cancer is just plain scary,” said Trotter, the wife of the longtime president of Roundup, Dr. R.C. Trotter. “You never know what’s lurking in your body.” The national Tough Enough to Wear Pink campaign was created by breast cancer survivor Bonnie Wheatley, the mother of team roper Wade Wheatley, along with Karl Stressman, who was with Wrangler at the time and went on to be commissioner of the PRCA. The plan was to allow rodeo and the Western community to rally against breast cancer. Hundreds of rodeos across the country take part in the campaign, and not all are focused on breast cancer. That is the case with the Dodge City group. In 2016, the local TETWP campaign raised $27,000 and was among the top 15 in the country. It remains one of the biggest fundraisers in the country each year. “We have a lot of the same sponsors that we did when we started,” Trotter said. “I think this is important because it shows that Roundup is giving back to the community and not just entertaining the fans that come to the rodeo.”

ESTES PARK, Colo. – Each night at Rooftop Rodeo, a community member hands the winners of every event a fresh $100 bill. The fastest times and highest scores in each event for each of the six performances are rewarded with a little token to show the appreciation the town has for the cowboys and cowgirls that make their way to Estes Park every July. For Lightning Aguilera and Brady Norman, that money marked the end of a long drought on the rodeo trail. They had the fastest team roping run on Saturday night, so they each had a sly smile as they walked their horses out of the arena holding matching $100 bills. “This money is great,” said Norman of Springer, Okla. “It’s been a long two weeks. We haven’t had much luck, so this $100 will go a long ways.” So will the tandem’s 4.6-second run, which puts them in a tie for first place with world champions Jake Barnes and Rich Skelton, who posted the same time during Thursday’s competition. “I was trying to be as fast as I could without messing up,” said Aguilera of Athens, Texas. “That steer came to the left, and it worked out really good.” Yes, it did. If they are able to hold their position through the final three performances of Rooftop Rodeo, each man could walk away from this spectacular mountain community with nearly $4,000. That would go a long ways toward healing their road weariness. “They ran that steer in Cody (Wyo.) earlier in the week,” Norman said. “He was supposed to be a little stronger, but there were a few that were supposed to run that were really good today. Maybe that rain we got before the rodeo cooled them off just right for us.” This marks the first year that the duo has teamed together, and it’s working out fairly well. “It’s been great,” Aguilera said. “Brady is really easy to get along with and ropes extremely good.” Now they have a chance to own at a share of the Rooftop Rodeo title. “Estes Park is one of the coolest places we get to come to rodeo,” Norman said. “You really can’t beat it.” His partner agreed. “This is my third year coming to Estes Park, and it’s always awesome,” Aguilera said. “We don’t make another run until Wednesday in Casper (Wyo.), so we have a little time that we can hang out and enjoy Estes Park. The hospitality around here is great, so you can see why it’s been Rodeo of the Year.” Rooftop Rodeo Estes Park, Colo. July 5-10, 2018 Leaders through second performance Bareback riding:1. (tie) Jake Brown, on Cervi Rodeo’s Fire’s Easy, and Kaycee Feild, on Cervie Championship’s Commander, 85 points each; 2. Lane McGehee, 83; 3. (tie) Tilden Hooper and Mason Clements, 82; 5. Paden Hurst, 871; 6. Kelly Timberman, 78.5; 7. Jamie Howlett, 78; 8. (tie) Tilmon Moore and Levi Nicholson, 75. Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Sam Williams, 3.6 seconds, $1,363; 2. Will Lummus, 3.8, $1,128; 3. Laine Herl, 4.2, $893; 4. (tie) Tom Littell and Cody Devers, 4.3, $541 each; 6. (tie) Trever Nelson and Gary Gilbert, 4.4, $118 each. Second round: 1. Will Lummus, 3.2 seconds; 2. Hunter Cure, 3.7; 3. Cole McNamee, 4.0 seconds; Blake Mindemann, 4.5; 5. Laine Herl, 4.6; 6. Heath Thompson, 4.9. Average: 1. Will Lummus, 7.0 seconds on two runs; 2. Laine Herl, 8.8; 3. Hunter Cure, 9.1; 4. Sam Williams, 10.0; 5. Tom Littell, 10.6; 6. Blake Mindemann, 11.6. Team roping: 1. (tie) Jake Barnes/Rich Skelton and Lightning Aguilera/Brady Norman, 4.6 seconds; 2. Paul Beckett/Chad Wahlert, 4.7; 3. Kelsey Parchman/Dustin Davis, 5.2; 4. Jake Cooper/Logan Medlin, 5.3; 5. (tie) Rhett Anderson/Coleby Payne and Robert Reed/T.W. Wilson, 5.7. Saddle bronc riding 1. Wyatt Hageman, 86 points on Cervi Brothers’ Hell’s Fire Hostage; 2. (tie) Hardy Braden and Sterling Crawley, 83; 4. Troy Crowser, 82.5; 5. Jacobs Crawley, 82; 6. Colt Gordon, 81.5; 7. Tanner Lockhart, 77.5; 8. Spencer Wright, 77. Tie-down roping: First round: 1. Reno Gonzales, 8.4 seconds, $1,176; 2. Jesse Clark, 9.4, $973; 3. Scott Kormos, 10.2, $771; 4. Anthony Jordan, 10.6, $568; 5. Joey Dickens, 10.78, $365; 6. Caleb Smidt, 10.9, $203. Second round: 1. Sterling Smith, 9.6 seconds; 2. Tyson Aldredge, 17.7; 3. Blane Cox, 18.2; 4. Trevor Thiel, 19.3; 5. Blair Burk, 19.7; 6. Joe James, 20.1. Average: 1. Sterling Smith, 21.4 seconds on two runs; 2. Trevor Thiel, 37.7; 3. Blair Burk, 41.8; 4. Reno Gonzales, 8.4; 5. Jesse Clark, 9.4; 6. Scott Kormos, 10.2. Barrel racing: 1. Leia Bluemer, 17.43 seconds; 2. (tie) Heidi Tillard and Kelley Carrington, 17.47; 4. Sammi Bessert, 17.49; 5. Jaime Merrill, 17.53; 6. Kaylee Burnett, 17,63; 7. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, 17.65; 8. Andrea Busby, 17.77; 9. Rachel Pozzi, 17.82; 10. Joy McDaniel, 17.93. Bull riding: 1. Callum Miller, 89 points on 4L and Diamond S Ranch’s Living After Midnight; 2. Kyle Gardner, 85; 3. Reid Barker, 84.5; 4. Jimy Marten, 82.5; 5. Moody McCoy, 77; 6. Colten Fritzian, 75.5; 7. Toby Collins, 72; no other qualified rides.

ESTES PARK, Colo. – Sometimes it pays to know the competition. That’s why championship teams scout their opponents, and it’s why rodeo cowboys pay attention to the animals they’ve drawn. Will Lummus knew the steer on which he competed Friday night at Rooftop Rodeo was good. Sam Williams won the first round with a 3.6-second run, and another cowboy was fast that same steer on Thursday night. But nobody’s been faster this week in Estes Park than Lummus, who grappled the animal to the ground in 3.2 seconds to take the second-round and aggregate leads at Rooftop Rodeo. He even tied an arena record, matching the same time set by John Lowry in 1976 and Chad Hagan in 2002. “That was the fastest steer I’ve ever thrown,” said Lummus of West Point, Miss. “I was 3.3 in Jackson, Miss., last year, so this was cool. Last year here, I was 4.5 on both steers and didn’t win anything. I like Estes Park. It’s an awesome place to be. They have always had good steers, and just the environment … “I’m from Mississippi, and we don’t have mountains. Everywhere you go around here, the scenery is beautiful. There’s great cattle, a great committee; this is a great place to have a rodeo with great fans. It’s a wonderful place to be.” He also got some big-time assistance from his traveling partner, K.C. Jones, a nine-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Decatur, Texas. Jones served as the hazer, while Lummus rode Jones’ horse, Tebow. “That horse is 21 years old and doesn’t look like it,” Lummus said. “That’s actually the first steer I’ve run on him this y ear. We felt like this setup fit Tebow better, and it worked out great. “Great horse, great hazer and a great hazing horse, Ava. It all came together well. It also came together for bareback rider Jake Brown, a three-time NFR qualifier from Cleveland, Texas. The reigning Rooftop Rodeo champion, has earned more than $67,500 so far this season and sits fourth in the world standings. He’s ever so close to clinching his fourth straight trip to Las Vegas in December, home of ProRodeo’s grand finale. “This rodeo’s huge,” Brown said after his 85-point ride on Cervi Rodeo’s Fire’s Easy, which moved him into the lead. “I got the win last year, and I was blessed. I won over $6,000. That’s a big chuck over what it takes to get to the NFR. If I get the win here this year, I think I’d be pretty comfortable and think I’d almost made the NFR before the end of July.” Only the top 15 advance to the season grand championship, the sport’s richest rodeo. It’s a big deal to be playing for the biggest money when December arrives. Having success in Estes Park has been a big part of why he’s played on rodeo’s biggest stages. “It’s just awesome here,” he said of Estes Park, surrounded by the Rocky Mountains in every direction. “It’s great added money, great horses and beautiful weather. The hospitality is awesome. “This has been a good rodeo to me, and that’s why I keep coming back here from year to year.” Rooftop Rodeo Estes Park, Colo. July 5-10, 2018 Leaders through second performance Bareback riding:1. Jake Brown, 85 points on Cervi Rodeo’s Fire’s Easy; 2. Lane McGehee, 83; 3. Kelly Timberman, 78.5; 4. (tie) Tilmon Moore and Levi Nicholson, 75; 6. Zach Hibler, 74; 7. Bryton John Byert, 71; no other qualified rides. Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Sam Williams, 3.6 seconds, $1,363; 2. Will Lummus, 3.8, $1,128; 3. Laine Herl, 4.2, $893; 4. (tie) Tom Littell and Cody Devers, 4.3, $541 each; 6. (tie) Trever Nelson and Gary Gilbert, 4.4, $118 each. Second round: 1. Will Lummus, 3.2 seconds; 2. Cole McNamee, 4.0 seconds; 3. Laine Herl, 4.6; 4. Heath Thompson, 4.9; 5. Joe Buffington, 6.1; 6. Tom Littell, 6.3. Average: 1. Will Lummus, 7.0 seconds on two runs; 2. Laine Herl, 8.8; 3. Sam Williams, 10.0; 4. Tom Littell, 10.6; 5. Logan McDonald, 15.3; 6. Darrel Petry, 26.0. Team roping: 1. Jake Barnes/Rich Skelton, 4.6 seconds; 2. Paul Beckett/Chad Wahlert, 4.7; 3. Rhett Anderson/Coleby Payne, 5.7; 4. Stratton Lopez/Krece Harris, 5.8; 5. Cole Cooper/J.C. Flake, 5.9; 6. Cyle Denison/Lane Siggins. Saddle bronc riding 1. Hardy Braden, 83 points on Cervi Brothers’ Silence of the Lambs; 2. Colt Gordon, 81.5; 3. Tanner Lockhart, 77.5; 4. Spencer Wright, 77; 5. Dawson Hay, 71; 6. Toby Collins, 70; 7. Ryder Wright, 69; 8. (tie) Parker Kempfer and Shanse Darling, 67. Tie-down roping: 1. Reno Gonzales, 8.4 seconds; 2. Jesse Clark, 9.4; 3. Scott Kormos, 10.2; 4. Anthony Jordan, 10.6; 5. Joey Dickens, 10.78; 6. Caleb Smidt, 10.9; 7. Cimarron Boardman, 11.4; 8. Bryson Sechrist, 11.6. Barrel racing: 1. Heidi Tillard, 17.47 seconds; 2. Jaime Merrill, 17.53; 3. Andrea Busby, 17.77; 4. Rachel Pozzi, 17.82; 5. Amanda Devencenty, 18.05; 6. (tie) Callie Colten and Paige Wiseman, 18.15; 8. Amy Smith, 18.19; 9. Lauren Guntle, 18.56; 10. Lindy James, 18.63. Bull riding: 1. Kyle Gardner, 85 points on Cervi Brothers Rodeo’s Birthday Suit; 2. Reid Barker, 84.5; 3. Jimy Marten, 82.5; 4. Moody McCoy, 77; 5. Colten Fritzian, 75.5; 6. Toby Collins, 72; no other qualified rides.

ESTES PARK, Colo. – For a good portion of the ProRodeo season, Colt Gordon was one of the best saddle bronc riders in the game. He was among the top 15 in the world standings and was making a name for himself. “I was having really good luck for a while, but then I had some saddle troubles,” said Gordon of Comanche, Okla. “I just got a good saddle, and it’s starting to click again. I’m chasing and trying to get caught back up in the top 15.” He might just be making that move after Thursday night’s opening performance of the Rooftop Rodeo. Gordon rode Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Vitalix The Natural for 81.5 points to take the early lead. Now he’s hoping that momentum will carry him through the final three months of the regular season. “I knew he was supposed to be a good horse, because they took him to Waco (Texas) for the All American Finals,” he said. “He was really good.” And it proved that Gordon’s saddle was in good shape. Having saddle issues is a problem in most rodeo events, but especially bronc riding. Cowboys ride a specially designed saddle with the stirrups set forward to allow the classic spurring motion from the front of the horse’s shoulders, sweeping down and back to the cantle of the saddle. Then they must do that in rhythm with the horse’s bucking motion, so having solid equipment is imperative. “Confidence is everything,” he said. “That was a big confidence builder, getting on a horse like that and being able to put on a good ride. Going through those saddle troubles, it sure helps to have a good ride like that.” Gordon sits 21st in the world standings with a little more than $27,000 in season earnings. Finishing among the top 15 when the regular season concludes, though, would be a dream come true; only the top 15 contestants in each event advance to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. “I’d like to go to the finals this year, or at least give it a good shot at making the finals,” he said. “I need to be more consistent to do that, though. I’m hoping this is what I need to get back on that track.” Of course, doing well in Estes Park has its benefits. Last year’s bronc riding champion earned more than $5,300 for his work in this Colorado mountain resort town. Rooftop Rodeo has been named Rodeo of the Year six times in its nine decades of existence. “It’s beautiful around here, and it’s a sweet rodeo,” Gordon said. “You don’t get to rodeo in this kind of weather, especially in Oklahoma. It’s 122 degrees at my house right now, so this is cool and wonderful. “The hospitality is awesome, and Estes Park is one of the best rodeos as far as hospitality that there is.” Rooftop Rodeo Estes Park, Colo. July 5-10, 2018 Leaders through first performance Bareback riding:1. Tilmon Moore, 75 points on Cervi Brothers Rodeo’s Avalene; 2. Bryton John Byert, 71; no other qualified rides. Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Sam Williams, 3.6 seconds; 2. Will Lummus, 3.8; 3. Laine Herl, 4.2, 4.2; 4. (tie) Tom Littell and Cody Devers, 4.3; 6. (tie) Trever Nelson and Gary Gilbert, 4.4; 8. Logan McDonald, 4.5. Second round: 1. Cole McNamee, 4.0 seconds; 2. Heath Thompson, 4.9; 3. Joe Buffington, 6.1; 4. Wyatt Johnson, 9.0; 5. Logan McDonald, 10.8; 6. Dane Browning, 13.7; 7. Darrel Petry, 14.7; no other qualified runs. Average: 1. Logan McDonald, 15.3 seconds on two runs; 2. Darrel Petry, 26.0; 3. Sam Williams, 3.6 seconds on one run; 4. Will Lummus, 3.8; 5. Cole McNamee, 4.0; 6. Laine Herl, 4.2; 7. Tim Littell, 4.3. Team roping: 1. Jake Barnes/Rich Skelton, 4.6 seconds; 2. Paul Beckett/Chad Wahlert, 4.7; 3. Cole Cooper/J.C. Flake, 5.9; 4. Jake Campbell/Luke Baumann, 17.6; no other qualified runs. Saddle bronc riding 1. Colt Gordon, 81.5 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Vitalix The Natural; 2. Spencer Wright, 77; 3. Dawson Hay, 71; 4. Toby Collins, 70; no other qualified rides. Tie-down roping: 1. Reno Gonzales, 8.4 seconds; 2. Jesse Clark, 9.4; 3. Scott Kormos, 10.2; 4. Anthony Jordan, 10.6; 5. Joey Dickents, 10.78; 6. Caleb Smidt, 10.9; 7. Cimarron Boardman, 11.4; 8. Bryson Sechrist, 11.6. Barrel racing: 1. (tie) Callie Colten and Paige Wiseman, 18.15 seconds; 3. Amy Smith, 18.19; 4. Ann Peterson, 19.88; 5. Skyla Whitters, 22.89; 6. Kate Spauer, 23.55; no other qualified runs. Bull riding: 1. Kyle Gardner, 85 points on Cervi Brothers Rodeo’s Birthday Suit; 2. Jimy Marten, 82.5; 3. Moody McCoy, 77; 4. Colten Fritzian, 75.5; 5. Toby Collins, 72; no other qualified rides.

EAGLE, Colo. – Organizers of the Eagle County Fair and Rodeo are always looking for more ways to give back to the community. Enter the Saddle Up Program, which benefits non-profits in the Eagle area. Each year, non-profit groups apply to be part of the program, and one is selected. This year, people who are part of the Eagle River Youth Coalition will be able to enjoy a barbecue on Thursday, July 26, and will have tickets provided to them for either the Wednesday, July 25, or Thursday performances of the PRCA rodeo. “We saw this as an opportunity to achieve two goals,” said Michelle Stecher, executive director of the coalition. “One we expose local youth and families to the fair experience that they may not have had another opportunity to be part of that. “Our second main goal is to use this as an opportunity to bring together the people that use our services and those who support our services. It’s unique for us; we haven’t had very many opportunities to do that.” The organization’s purpose is making youth a community priority, and it does so by collaborating with Eagle River youth-serving organizations to assess prevention needs, coordinate substance abuse-reduction efforts and build capacity through strategic plans, programs and policies around the issues facing young people. Now those who are associated with the coalition will have that chance to take in all that is offered at the fair and rodeo, set for Wednesday, July 25-Saturday, July 28, at the Eagle County Fairgrounds. “The Saddle Up Program is a great way to get another group of people involved in the rodeo and to give an experience to people who might not otherwise be able to attend,” said Hanna Albertson, chairwoman of the fair and rodeo advisory council. Stecher said there are about 4,000 people impacted by the coalition. That’s a positive step for all in Eagle County. “We work a lot with other providers, anybody that is interacting with youth or supportive people involved in the community,” she said. “We invest really heavily in parent and family education. We work with prevention programs in the schools. We do a lot of work to increase the youth voice in the community.” Because of the Saddle Up Program, there is an opportunity to raise awareness about the coalition and also to help those associated with it know more about the community and the region’s legacy through the eyes of a fairgoer. “A lot of people we interact with know one or two things we do really well, but that’s it,” Stecher said. “This also lets them know what’s going on at the fair and rodeo. A lot of folks that live here don’t understand the heritage of the area. We’re really excited about raising awareness for that.”

GUNNISON, Colo. – There is a rich heritage that surges all across the Gunnison Valley. For nearly 140 years, this has been home to families that raise livestock. It’s that type of legacy that has contributed to the annual Cattlemen’s Days celebration, set for Friday, June 6-Sunday, July 15, at the Fred Field Western Center in Gunnison. “We want to pay tribute to the local ranchers, those families that have been the foundation of Gunnison County for generations,” said Kevin Coblentz, president of the Cattlemen’s Days committee that produces the annual event. “We are taking a look back and returning to our roots. “We have such a strong history in ranching in this part of Colorado. We know we need to honor that.” Cattlemen’s Days is Colorado’s hidden gem, because it is real Americana. In days where video games have become more common than playing outside, the exposition offers a glimpse of the work and rewards that have come from ranching families. After all, there are many pieces to the Cattlemen’s Days puzzle that directly reflect on the ranching industry. “We’ve got the Watershed ranch rodeo, Watershed team ranch sorting and Watershed team roping and barrel racing that are a real reflection of life on a ranch,” Coblentz said. “You have the livestock shows and our FFA Junior Livestock Auction, which is always a big deal. “Of course, we’re very proud of the PRCA rodeo, where we’ll draw many of the top cowboys and cowgirls in the sport to our little town every year.” There’s a great deal of which Coblentz, the Cattlemen’s Days committee and the community can be proud. The exposition features 10 days full of activities and fun. “We have over a century of history with Cattlemen’s Days, but who we are dates back further than that,” he said. “Since the 1880s, ranching has been the life-blood of this community, and that continues to this day.” From the horse show opening the festivities on July 6 to the Cattlemen’s Days Open Jackpot Team Roping closing them on July 15, there are many activities in between. There are dances, concerts and the carnival to go along with every livestock show and rodeo performance. All that combined is the perfect celebration for this picturesque, ranching community.

DODGE CITY, Kan. – It takes a small village to produce something as magnificent as Dodge City Roundup Rodeo. With six days of world-class competition and a well-respected brand of entertainment, it takes many hands and many hearts to produce the biggest ProRodeo in Kansas. This year’s championship is set for 7:45 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 1-Sunday, Aug. 5, at Roundup Arena; that also includes the Xtreme Bulls, which takes place Tuesday, July 31. “Virtually everything that happens here is done by a volunteer in some capacity,” said Dr. R.C. Trotter, chairman of the committee that produces the annual event. “We have 200 volunteers work each performance. “But that doesn’t reflect all the work it takes leading up to those six days of competition. There is work to be done around the facility, preparing for concessions, planning and working with sponsors. One of the big reasons we’re successful is because we have a big pool of volunteers to make it happen.” And Roundup has a history of success. Nine times it has been selected as the Rodeo of the Year in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. In 2012, Roundup Rodeo was enshrined in the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. In addition, Roundup utilizes local civic groups to assist in the process, then provides payments to those groups to help them with their ventures. “This is a whole community celebration,” said Joel Redman, Roundup’s vice president. “We are a non-profit, so any money we make goes right back to those organizations in various ways. We’re putting on our rodeo for the sport and for the good of the event, and that’s trying to make it the best for our community. “We’re always giving back to the community.” But it’s not without labor. During rodeo week alone, dozens of volunteers spend nearly every waking hour either at Roundup Arena or doing something on behalf of the rodeo. Each morning begins with the first round of timed-event competition. Oftentimes, that progresses into the heat of an August day in western Kansas. Then it’s time to return each evening to put on the kind of rodeo that entertains thousands of fans while producing a world-class event that features the very best that ProRodeo offers. “There are some very long days in there, and by the end of the week, we’re all hot and tired,” Trotter said. “But that’s also the reward, because we all love doing this, and we look forward to it every year. “We want to put on the best rodeo and offer everyone involved – the contestants, sponsors and fans – the best experience they can get.”

Cattlemen’s Days to honor Gunnison Ranchland Conservation Legacy on July 14 during the final performance of this year’s PRCA Rodeo GUNNISON, Colo. – The lives of ranchers aren’t easy. Early mornings and late nights tending to living beings. Whether its haying season in the summer or cold, blustery days in the winter when the snow is two feet deep, the animals still need care. It’s a passion, really. It’s an understanding of what it takes to care for the animals and this land. The Gunnison Ranchland Conservation Legacy knows that. The non-profit organization acts on behalf of landowners in helping ranching families protect their lands with conservation easements. “We have protected more than 36,000 acres of ranchland in the upper Gunnison basin since 1995,” said Stacy McPhail, the GRCL’s executive director. “We want to keep ranching part of our community despite the pressures that come from development.” It’s vital to the Gunnison Valley. The community has a strong agricultural base, with ranching serving as its life-blood for many decades. The volunteers that organize the annual Cattlemen’s Days celebration will honor the Gunnison Ranchland Conservation Legacy during its final performance of this year’s PRCA rodeo, Saturday, July 14, at the Fred Field Western Center. “For all they have been doing over the past two decades for ranch families in the Gunnison Valley, we wanted to honor the Gunnison Ranchland Conservation Legacy,” said Kevin Coblentz, president of the Cattlemen’s Days committee. “Honoring them fits right in line with our Tough Enough to Wear Pink night on Thursday and our Patriot Night on Friday. “We want to raise awareness for things that are important to this community.” That is the case with the GRCL. The organization was founded in 1996 by Bill Trampe and Susan Lohr. Trampe is an area rancher, while Lohr is the former director of the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory. Together they began looking for opportunities and services that a traditional land trust might offer to ranch families. With that, they realized the best way to protect local agriculture was to keep families on the land by raising funds necessary to purchase conservation easements. The organization helps landowners assess their needs and future plans, find an appropriate land trust, obtain funding to pay for conservation easements and complete legal and technical aspects of the transaction. The GRCL also promotes awareness about ranching, while also encouraging policies that support ranching in Gunnison through its outreach program, Gunnison Valley Ranching. “It helps keep the ranches here in the valley stable for future generations,” McPhail said. “We’re landowner advocates. We’re a really trusted source for landowners. Our board members are all part of the community. We help landowners get through the process and help find funding and resources. “It’s important to the community because everyone who lives here enjoys the landscape. Keeping the lands intact is what the community has strived for. We’ve watched other mountain towns change and grow. We want to control, as a community, the benefits and the resources that it gives us. It gives us a community of longstanding citizens.” Because of those roots, there is a strong correlation between the Gunnison Ranchland Conservation Legacy and Cattlemen’s Days. That’s why she and others associated with the organization are excited to be part of that final performance of the rodeo. “With something as traditional as Cattlemen’s Days, it’s recognizes ranching but also that there is a future in ranching,” she said. “Honoring the 140 years of ranch families is an important thing to recognize. The future looks a lot brighter in what we call as caring for the land so that agriculture stays in the valley for the future.”

Estes Park’s celebrated event wins its sixth Rodeo of the Year honor ESTES PARK, Colo. – When officials decided to make a change in the footing at the Granny May Arena inside the Estes Park Fairgrounds, they were just trying to make things better. It did, and the barrel racers in the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association said so in 2017. Rooftop Rodeo was named the WPRA’s Medium Committee of the Year, thanks in large part to the money, time and heavy lifting by all involved to create the better footing for the arena. It will continue to serve the competitors at this year’s rodeo, set for 7 p.m. Thursday, July 5-Tuesday, July 10. “When a committee goes above and beyond for those cowboys, they deserve the awards,” said Taci Bettis, the reigning Rooftop Rodeo champion barrel racer from Round Top, Texas. “When you put in that much effort, that’s what you get.” Bettis hit the ProRodeo trail hard for the first time a season ago. It was her first visit to Estes Park, and she made the most of it. Not only did she win the championship, but her 17.36-second run set a new standard for the annual rodeo. “That was part of those weeks in July when I set everything off,” said Bettis, the 2017 WPRA Rookie of the Year and a top 5 barrel racer this season. “I’d never been at that arena before, so to go in and break the record was special.” Bettis was one of six Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifiers to place in barrel racing at last year’s Rooftop Rodeo. That’s a telling tale about why the WPRA ladies selected Estes Park’s rodeo as one of the best in the game. It was the sixth time in the event’s 92 years that it has been named Rodeo of the Year; it was a five-time winner in the Professional Rodeo Association. “We put in a lot of work into the arena between the 2016 and 2017 rodeos,” said Rob Hinkle, the community services director for the town of Estes Park. “The footing was just not good for the barrel racers, so we put $125,000 into new footing. “It’s already paid off, which was great to show off that improvement in one year. It meant a lot to the rodeo and to the town.” Besides the award, there have been other benefits. Hinkle said the arena has gained a few new horse shows because of the better footing. “Everybody’s taken great pride in it,” he said. “It was a lot of work. The members of the rodeo committee had to take out all the chutes and all the fencing, then put it all back in. “By getting awards like that, it provides a lot of energy in that committee to keep going forward.”

North Carolinian riding confidence into BFO stop at Cody Stampede CODY, Wyo. – Heading into the 2018 Bullfighters Only Wrangler Bullfight Tour stop at the Cody Stampede, Kris Furr is experiencing a nearly euphoric case of confidence. He is fresh off a victory at the BFO event this past week at the Reno (Nev.) Rodeo, where he posted an 89.5-point fight in the Hooey Championship Round to claim the crown. Furr sits second in the Pendleton Whisky World Standings and moves a step closer to catching leader Toby Inman. “Cody is going to be another fun bullfight,” said Furr of Hamptonville, N.C. “I’m just excited to be part of it. I try not to think too much about the bull side of the fight, but I know they’re going to be good.” The animal is a major part of the equation. With scores based on a 100-point scale, half comes from the animal’s aggression and ability to stay hooked on to the fighter; the other half comes from the bullfighter’s ability to remain close while maneuvering around, and over the bull. That’s why Furr’s fight last week was so measurable. “When you go out there with a hot bull and stick it all over him, it makes you feel good,” he said. “I had a crisp, clean bullfight, and it was definitely a confidence-booster. Now I’m ready for another.” Furr pocketed $6,000 in Reno and trails Inman by less than $5,000 heading into a major run of rodeos that are part of the BFO’s Wrangler Bullfight Tour. He bested two-time reigning champion Weston Rutkowski for the Reno title, but both men put on spectacular fights. “I felt like that was the best I’ve fought in a long time,” said Rutkowski, who placed second. “I made the moves I needed to. Even in my short-round bullfight with Sid Vicious, I only made one mistake and ended up paying for it. I was on my way to a 90-point bullfight, but stubbed my toe, and you can’t do that with a bull that good.” Sid Vicious is owned by Manuel Costa, and the animal was named the BFO Bull of the Year in 2017. He proved it in the final few seconds of the bout by hooking the champ. Rutkowski sits No. 3 in the standings, more than $10,000 behind Inman. “It’s not a sprint; it’s a marathon,” he said. “As long as I can pull some money here and there, it will be alright. I’m already off to a better start this year compared to last year. I just need to keep plugging away at it.” He’ll have a good chance to add to it Saturday night in Cody. He was the runner-up in 2016 and won the title last year. “Cody’s a place I love to come to,” said Rutkowski of Haskell, Texas. “The stands are packed, and it’s a great rodeo with a great event. The bulls always fight good there. Last year it kicked off my summer run, which was big in winning the world championship again. “If a guy does well there, he can put his foot forward to that summer run. It’s fun to come back to an arena where you’ve done well before. You expect to do it again.” CODY CONTESTANTS Dusty Tuckness Weston Rutkowski Justin Josey Kris Furr Tate Rhoads

Breast cancer patients find comfort, peace of mind in utilizing transportation pickup from the Gunnison Cattlemen’s Days Tough Enough to Wear Pink GUNNISON, Colo. – No matter where it happened, the meeting was cold and uncomfortable. Fear gripped the chests of those involved – doctor, patient, loved ones. But the words were devastating. Breast cancer. “When I was diagnosed with breast cancer in September 2017, my world was effectively shattered,” Laurene Farley wrote in Gunnison Country Magazine. She’s not alone. Millions have experienced that same message, those same feelings. They have undergone countless treatments, multiple surgeries and experienced those moments when despair can be overwhelming. But there are support systems that help, and that’s one of the benefits of the Gunnison Cattlemen’s Days Tough Enough to Wear Pink program. Through its efforts over the last 13 years, more than $2 million has been used to raise needed equipment and assist those families that are battling breast cancer. TETWP and the Gunnison Valley Hospital have forged a collaboration that continues to help local patients with their needs, but it goes well beyond that. There are care programs in place, and the TETWP board has purchased two patient transport vehicles – “Tuffy” is a 2016 RAM 1500 that has been used to get breast cancer patients to necessary treatments away from their home hospital, and “Bucky” is a new Dodge Durango that will be open to other cancer patients in the Gunnison Valley for similar reasons. Both are available to help relieve some of the burden that comes with battling cancer. “We have two vehicles, but they weren’t as comfortable or as good in the winter weather,” said Farley, who made multiple trips to Denver for treatments, surgery and appointments. “It was nice knowing we didn’t have to worry about the weather and could just focus on what we needed to do.” That is the foundation behind the transportation vehicles. There are enough worries for families battling cancer, so the TETWP board wanted to alleviate that. Whether it’s the patient, a family member or a volunteer driving, the purpose remains the same. “I took a patient to Delta, where they were testing to confirm it was breast cancer,” said Karen Redden, who has offered her driving services for patients with that need. “The best part was getting to know the woman that I drove. “She was an amazing woman. I learned so much about her, how funny she was, things I never would have had the opportunity to have without that discussion with her.” Redden operates a real estate business out of her home. Realizing she had some flexibility, she threw her hat into the ring. It’s not the first time she has been part of Cattlemen’s Days Tough Enough to Wear Pink. “When we started the whole fundraising process for TETWP, I volunteered on the original board and helped establish some of the fundraising stuff we still do,” she said. “My daughters have both been Cattlemen’s Days royalty for the rodeo. They also actively participate in fundraisers. We, as a family, are big supporters. It’s important to my daughters to see how you can give back to your community.” Community is the key. The Cattlemen’s Days Tough Enough to Wear Pink campaign has utilized all money it has raised on caring for needs of local breast cancer patients. “The truck was peace of mind if we got on a bad road during our trips,” said Judy Buffington Sammons, who utilized Tuffy during several trips to Montrose this past January. “We knew we’d have a reliable vehicle, so it helped us a lot.” The stories from those that have benefitted from the pickup help shed a bright light on those dreary days of diagnoses and treatments, doctors’ visits and long drives over mountain passes that come with it. The brightly colored, wrapped RAM 1500 is easily identified, and it sends a clear message to all who see it: No one is alone in their fight against breast cancer. “Each time that my husband took me to Denver in Tuffy, just riding in the truck gave me food for thought,” Farley wrote. “People who saw us parking somewhere with the truck would give me a friendly thumb’s up or cheer; hospital valets asked about the truck each week; my doctors were so excited to hear of such a wonderful gift. “All of these experiences brought me to fully understand the ‘pink thing.’ It has brought me incredible strength, understanding and fortitude.” Those are all things needed in a fight for one’s life, and Cattlemen’s Days Tough Enough to Wear Pink is in the corner of every patient that needs it.

GUNNISON, Colo. – Part of the success of the annual Cattlemen’s Days celebration lies in the involvement of so many. That’s why organizers decided to make a change to their post-rodeo entertainment, bringing in the dancehall music of Ken Stonecipher and the Wooden Nickel Band. “What we really wanted to do was have people engaged in the music that was being played,” said Kevin Coblentz, president of the Cattlemen’s Days committee. “We wanted to have a band that people could dance to and really enjoy the music.” The band will perform after the Friday, July 13, rodeo performance at the Wapiti Ridge Saloon. On Saturday, Stonecipher and his group will be at Garlic Mike’s after the final night of the rodeo. “We’re excited to be playing in Gunnison and to be in town for the rodeo,” said Stonecipher, who has led the band for the last 18 years. “I’ve never been, and I can’t wait to go. All the guys are excited to go.” He considers the band’s sound dancehall music, a variety of cover songs that most have heard and that will entice those that enjoy dancing. “The first filter on what we play is songs that I like,” he said. “There are a lot of good songs out there that aren’t good for dancing. They’re good to listen to in a concert. “I grew up in dancehalls, so I have an ear for that kind of music, stuff that is a good two-step and is a good waltz. That’s how we put our set list together. We try to have something for everybody, from Hank Williams Sr. to the Turnpike Troubadours. We try to have something people can enjoy.” That’s the epitome of dancehall music. “We try to play your favorite, but we’ll dang sure play music you can dance to,” Stonecipher said. “We play to have fun, but we want the people that are dancing to have fun, too.” The Wooden Nickel band has been transformed over the years. After playing and singing primarily in church services, he and another musician would play acoustically. The duo then added a bassist, then a drummer. Now it’s a five-piece band with all the fixings. “It was a hodgepodge,” he said. “That’s really how it all started. I didn’t necessarily set out to be in a band; it just somehow happened.” Only Stonecipher remains from the original band, but he’s added the flavor of professional musicians who enjoy the opportunity to play their brand of music. They average between 20-30 shows a year, depending on his work schedule and when he might be announcing rodeos across the Midwest. “We have a variety of old and new, and we put it all together,” Stonecipher said. “I’m a rodeo guy, so I think I understand rodeo crowds. They don’t call music classic because it’s old; they call it classic because it’s good.” And that’s just what people in Gunnison will get on the final weekend of Cattlemen’s Days.

Gunnison Cattlemen’s Days Tough Enough to Wear Pink campaign is helping Gunnison Valley Hospital be a model for what can be done in rural health care GUNNISON, Colo. – While the Gunnison Cattlemen’s Days Tough Enough to Wear Pink program is a grassroots effort focused on community, its impact resonates all across the country. Robert Santilli has worked in health care for more than four decades, and he understands more than most how beneficial the TETWP effort has been in the Gunnison Valley. Now the chief executive officer at Gunnison Valley Hospital, he experiences it first-hand. “After 40-plus years, this has been something new on me,” Santilli said of the campaign, which has raised more than $2 million that has been utilized in the local community for needed equipment and assisting families that are battling breast cancer. “I haven’t seen too many new things, but this is one that’s certainly been a pleasure to be associated with.” The TETWP program has been in place for 13 years, and Santilli calls its association with the hospital a collaboration. That’s the most fitting of words, because together they serve the Gunnison community quite well. “With ours being a rural hospital and a critical-access hospital, our relationship with Tough Enough to Wear Pink is one of the best opportunities we have as a gift to the health care system,” he said. “They are a group of people that are so interested in their cause, to assist and help people who have breast cancer and help them in eliminating breast cancer. “We plan together on the needs for the community, assess what the needs for the health system are and how they can assist on funding them. This is a collaboration that has been a dream come true for us.” In fact, members of the TETWP board have been involved in the strategic planning for the hospital. They have joined the hospital’s cancer steering committee, which is a big deal in that the group works to integrate their participation into the strategic plan and push the development together. Over the course of the next two years, the strategic plan for the cancer care services includes 21 objectives, from marketing to equipment to therapies to advisement and all aspects in between. “The TETWP’s finances are the key to it, but it’s really turned into something more,” Santilli said. “There has almost been a momentum that has been geometric when you entrust that TETWP has for the funding they’ve been able to put together.” The Cattlemen’s Days TETWP features its largest fundraiser, the Songwriter Concert & Auction, will take place Tuesday, July 10, at Mt. Crested Butte, Colo., and will feature country stars Tyler Farr, James Otto and legendary songwriter Dean Dillon, who also serves as a TETWP board member. “To be able to capitalize on Cattlemen’s Days has put them as the No. 1 fundraising group for all Tough Enough to Wear Pink in the country,” Santilli said. “Their commitment to financing the hospital is something that pushes us even harder. “We actually have a group that gets together and starts brainstorming together. That creates ideas you didn’t think you could accomplish in a rural community.” But community and family seem to be a common theme, both for the hospital and for the TETWP board. All money raised is utilized locally, truly showcasing the commitment to giving back to the people in the Gunnison Valley. Whether they are breast cancer patients or family members, the campaign has been about keeping that focus on those community members that may be suffering. “I came from a very large health system,” he said. “The types of resources that I was used to seeing were dramatically different than what we’ve had here. What I brought was thinking outside the box. If we’re going to offer services here, I would like the services to be ones we would offer to our own family. “With my background, I know where the best services are. Tough Enough to Wear Pink and that board and other key members have pushed me. They’ve been able to latch on to the kinds of things they see value in and what they’ve researched. They’ve pushed me in that collaboration. Sometimes you have to get outside of your comfort zone. My role has been to lasso that information and make it happen.” It’s been happening. While the groups look toward the 21 objectives they want completed by the end of 2020, they also can look back at the achievements they’ve made. A year ago, TETWP money funded a 3D tomosynthesis machine, which is a higher-level mammogram for those who need better imaging technology due to breast density. “A really telling sign when we were creating those 20-plus objectives is that we saw 20 to 25 things we did in the last year,” Santilli said. “Some of those were things we didn’t think we would be able to accomplish. To list those as completed gave us the motivation to make the next move forward. It gave us the confidence to continue taking things to the next level.” This progressive approach is nothing new to Santilli, Gunnison Valley Hospital or the Gunnison Cattlemen’s Days Tough Enough to Wear Pink program. Through collaborations, groups have made solid ground while always pushing for bigger and better ways to help treat and assist cancer patients in the community. “I’m most proud of an organization that has set itself apart in rethinking rural health care,” he said. “Instead of looking at what we couldn’t do because we had limited resources, we have been a model for what rural health care can be. “What I’ve learned is with the services we provide, we actually do it better than large health systems. We are working with fewer patients, which allows us to bring a higher focus and deliver a better outcome.”

DODGE CITY, Kan. – Much of Cody Sosebee’s life has changed since the last time he was in Dodge City. This past December, he worked the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo for the first time in his career. A couple of months ago, he became engaged to Tonya Baumgartner, and now he’s planning a wedding. At least he’s supposed to be helping with it, anyway. But that won’t deter him from his return to the largest rodeo in western Kansas, the Dodge City Roundup Rodeo, set for 7:45 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 1-Sunday, Aug. 5, at Roundup Arena. That also includes the Xtreme Bulls, which takes place Tuesday, July 31. “To me, Dodge City is the epitome of cowboy and rodeo,” said Sosebee, a regular nominee for PRCA Clown of the Year and Comedy Act of the Year. “There are a lot of cowboys that come to that rodeo from the ranches and the farms. I feel like a real cowboy when you go to Dodge City.” He knows cowboy. He’s been one all his life. He may not wear the hat as often, but he understands the Western lifestyle and what rodeo means to a region. Before he began clowning, Sosebee rode bareback horses and has been around rodeo as long as he can remember. That’s why his selection to work the barrel at the NFR meant so much to him. “I am very humbled by it, because I automatically thought of the guys who had come before me who had never been selected to work the finals,” he said. “There’s no way to describe it, because the guys voted for it. I can take that with me forever. “It 10 times everything for me. It was 10 times more work than I thought. It was 10 times more fun than I thought. I just tried to soak it all up. I knew I was getting to do something special.” It’s something the Roundup Rodeo committee understands. “We thoroughly enjoyed working with Cody when he was here a few years ago,” said Dr. R.C. Trotter, chairman of the volunteer group that produces the annual rodeo. “He brings a certain flair to his comedy that was a hit for the fans that come to our rodeo. He’s just a true entertainer.” Much of that comes from his size: Sosebee is bigger than most rodeo clowns, and his raw athleticism shows through the extra cushions his body allows. His acts just accentuate it all into one funny package. “Having the ability to laugh at myself is probably my biggest strength,” he said. “I don’t take anything too serious. When I’m watching a comedian, the funniest thing I see is when they’re honestly open and having a good time.” Most importantly, he wants the fans to have a good time. “I think I bring a sense of energy to an event, and I try to bring a new level of energy,” he said. “I try to bring a high level of energy to your show. I think rodeo competes with other extreme sports, and I think we’re in a class of entertainment like those. “When people come to an event, they want to see the level of high energy for the entire two hours they’re there, and that’s what I want to give them.”

GUNNISON, Colo. – Linda Alsbaugh is one of the most respected and appreciated people in professional rodeo. She’s been around the game for more than 50 years. She’s been named the Secretary of the Year in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, and in 2012, she and her late husband, Art, received the Donita Barnes Lifetime Achievement Award. For all but a few years, she has been the face of Cattlemen’s Days PRCA Rodeo for thousands of contestants who have made their way to Gunnison. She returns for this year’s festivities, set for 7 p.m. Thursday, July 12, to Saturday, July 14, at Fred Field Western Center in Gunnison. “It’s always been home,” said Alsbaugh, who grew up in this town and graduated from Gunnison High School in 1961. “It used to be that I could walk down the street, and I knew everybody in town. It’s grown so much that it doesn’t happen like that anymore.” The town’s population has more than doubled since her childhood. In fact, there are more people living in Gunnison now than lived in the entire county in 1960. The former Linda Gazzoli married into a rodeo family in 1967, and she’s been there ever since. “Gunnison has changed a lot since I was little,” she said. “It’s grown. When I was growing up, it was a small town, and kids would play in the street. It was a very conservative town. “We were probably pretty sheltered. We didn’t know much about what was going on in the outside world. I was in high school when we finally got a television. It was just a little isolated because of the mountains.” She wouldn’t trade those experiences for anything. In the late 1950s, she began working as an usher at Cattlemen’s Days, and she has many fond memories of those days. Her father was a rancher until he was injured in a haying accident, then he sold insurance. Her mother was a legal secretary. “My mother was very good at what she did,” she said. “She retired a couple times before she actually retired, because she just liked the work.” And maybe that’s where she gets her ability to do so well at her job. She began her life in rodeo when she married into Art’s family, which ran Alsbaugh Rodeo and produced events across the country. Art ran the operation with his father, Walt, until the latter died in 1992. Linda was there every step of the way. Even in those years when she stayed at their Alamosa, Colo., home taking care of their children, rodeo was very much part of her life. Art died last August after a battle with cancer, but Linda has continued her life on the rodeo trail. “It’s one of those things that gets in your blood,” she said about her involvement in the sport. “It’s the people: the contestants and the committees.” Because of the gypsy lifestyle of the sport, rodeo people are often described as one big family. Alsbaugh is one of the matriarchs of that family, and every July, she has the opportunity to go home. “Cattlemen’s Days Rodeo is important to me because I’ve been there so many years,” Alsbaugh said. “The people on the committee are wonderful to work with, and, of course, it’s like going home. It’s like they say, ‘You can take the girl out of the mountains, but you can’t take the mountains out of the girl.’ Well, I’m a mountain girl.”

Former Miss Rooftop Rodeo serving as state’s ProRodeo ambassador ESTES PARK, Colo. – The road from Windsor, Colo., to Estes Park is 44 miles long and features many winding turns and tight corners. Alex Hyland knows every bit of it. Six years ago, she was Miss Rooftop Rodeo, the rodeo queen enlisted to serve as ambassador to the event and to the town. “I like to joke that I learned how to drive with a horse trailer when I was 15, because I would drive up Highway 34 to go to Rooftop Rodeo,” said Hyland, the reigning Miss Rodeo Colorado. “Now I’m a college graduate, so a lot has changed.” She will return for all six performances of this year’s event, set for 7 p.m. Thursday, July 5-Tuesday, July 10, at Granny May Arena inside the Estes Park Fairgrounds. “During that time in between, I tried out for Miss Rodeo Colorado three times,” she said. “Each time I tried out, I had my Rooftop Rodeo family in the audience. Not only were they helping me behind the scenes, but they were also there cheering me on.” They will continue to be her support system as she makes her rounds across the state and the country. In December, Hyland will be one of the state royalty contestants vying for Miss Rodeo America during the pageant in Las Vegas. “We are extremely proud of Alex and are excited to see her take this next step,” said Mark Purdy, chairman of Estes Park Western Heritage Inc., a group of volunteers that works with the town of Estes Park to produce the annual rodeo. “We would love nothing more than to see her become the next Miss Rodeo America.” In the history of the MRA pageant, which dates back to 1956, only five ladies from Colorado have earned the title. The last was Tara (Graham) Rowe in 2001. “This is not only a dream come true, but it is the best job ever,” Hyland said of the Miss Rodeo Colorado title. “This is something I’ve wanted since I was 8 years old. “I love traveling to different rodeos and meeting the people who love the sport as much as I do. I love meeting the people who are on the rodeo committees. This is their vacation hours they are putting into this rodeo. It is an incredible, humbling feeling.” As the state’s ambassador, she will make her way to as many Colorado ProRodeos as her schedule allows. But she will always hold Rooftop Rodeo close to her heart. “What makes that rodeo so great are the people who are there behind the scenes, the entire committee and the town of Estes Park,” she said. “Plus, there’s not a prettier place to watch a rodeo. “The atmosphere at Rooftop Rodeo is just incredible. The energy you feel at the begging of that rodeo is just unreal.” That’s just another reason she’s excited to return.

Gunnison’s Cattlemen’s Days finds unique ways to give back to community all year through TETWP and new patient transportation vehicle GUNNISON, Colo. – The Cattlemen’s Days Tough Enough to Wear Pink board understands what it means to meet the needs of the community beyond the annual rodeo. Through its efforts over the last 13 years, more than $2 million has been to raise needed equipment and assist those families that are battling breast cancer. But there are more needs that must to be met in the Gunnison Valley throughout the year and future struggles that need to be addressed. “Members of our committee got invited to a community transportation meeting, and one of the needs that was identified was for patients to get transportation for medical appointments out of town,” said Michael Dawson, a TETWP board member, who pointed to the existing RAM 1500 pickup nicknamed “Tuffy” that has been used for breast cancer patients for the last couple of years to get breast cancer patients to necessary treatments way from their home hospital. While Tuffy has served the breast cancer community well, the board realized there was a necessity for another vehicle. A second vehicle, a 2018 Dodge Durango nicknamed “Bucky,” has been purchased and will be utilized for other patients and to meet the community needs for all cancer patients. “It’s being able to serve the entire community,” said Carol Ann May, a TETWP board member who, with her husband, Jim Saindon, donated the money for the Durango. “We just found there was a big need. It makes a big difference in changing people’s lives; sometimes they don’t have the vehicle that can take them to all their trips, and we are grateful to help fill this need.  The TETWP board agreed and gladly signed up for this expansion to their transportation program for local patients. “I just think it’s a good thing to do for our community to take that one part of angst out of getting to the appointments. TETWP takes care of the gas and vehicle maintenance. Our community members have a safe vehicle to get back and forth to their appointments. If we can do that one thing, then it’s important.” The fact it’s now available to all cancer patients is unique and special. “Both Jim and I have had family members that have been impacted by cancer,” May said. “I know what it means when people are struggling and want to be there for their families or relieve the extra burden of how they can make their next appointment. TETWP wants to take as much burden away as possible for our community members suffering through these terrible diseases.” That’s been the sentiment for most involved in the TETWP campaign since its inception. “Hopefully we can start getting people safely to where they need to go,” Dawson said. “Our ultimate goal is to get to where all services are here at Gunnison Valley Hospital, but until then, we’re doing everything we can to help cancer patients locally get to the best treatment available.” May and Saindon also have been instrumental in expanding Gunnison Cattlemen’s Days TETWP reach throughout the year to the community and through all new sports event benefits on the horizon. Their generosity funded a new Tough Enough to Wear Pink wrestling mat for the Gunnison wrestling community. The mat will be used at duels and tournaments for the nationally ranked Western State Colorado University program, at Gunnison High School and on down to the pee-wee and Duster wrestling club for youth in the spring and summer. “Western State is a constant Division II top 10 contender and engenders a powerhouse wrestling program in our region,” Dawson said. “I’m assistant coach with the Gunnison High School program. This is a pretty big wrestling community, and we wanted to get the kids excited about our awesome 118-year rodeo tradition, our TETWP efforts and get these young athletes energized in raising funds for our community while they compete. Our new motto is ‘Pinning Cancer Every Bout.’ “This is also a celebration for our great organization and to build up momentum for all our wrestling programs to support Gunnison Cattlemen’s Days TETWP. Through the national Tough Enough to Wear Pink platform and our strong Cattlemen’s Days PRCA Rodeo, we want to extend the reach of our community contribution beyond our July rodeo, just like TETWP did for its Pink in the Rink women’s hockey tournament in October each year.” The message, and a keen understanding of how much wrestling means to the region, were why May and Saindon got involved with the TETWP wrestling mat program. “My son was a wrestler when he was in high school, so it made sense to us to be involved in this new and exciting project,” she said. “Putting a wrestling mat together, getting the logo on the mat and doing fundraising through the competitions was something we saw as beneficial to the community. “I know these mats are permanent things, and with our TETWP logo on the mat and the local wrestlers competing in uniforms with our logos, it would be such a visual thing. I thought it would be a good opportunity to create more awareness within the community, celebrate our success and raise more funds for TETWP.” It’s a true win-win-win situation for all involved. The ground-breaking Tuffy transportation program, now expanded with the Bucky vehicle to all cancer patent, together with the Pink in the Rink tournament, shows Gunnison Cattlemen’s Days’ commitment to giving back to its community year-round beyond the annual rodeo celebration and rodeo each July. Being complacent with success is not an option in this group. The members are always looking to expand the message, reach and, more importantly, give back to the Gunnison community, in line with the TETWP mission. Extending the Gunnison TETWP fundraising platform to the strong wrestling community in Gunnison seems like a natural fit to raise even more funds and give back to even more facets  Continue Reading »

PECOS, Texas – The Western roots of this west Texas community run deep, and the legacy they hold firmly in the drying soil is magnificent. The volunteers that produce the annual West of the Pecos Rodeo know that better than anybody, and they work hard through the year to showcase it. It will happen again this year with four performances set for 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 27-Saturday, June 23, at Buck Jackson Arena. “Our rodeo is celebrating its 136th anniversary this year,” said Brenda McKinney, a longtime member of the committee. “It’s amazing for Pecos, for Reeves County and for the region to be able to have an event that has the history that West of the Pecos has. It’s very humbling to be part of it.” The World’s First Rodeo is a magical experience, and the committee has been recognized as one of the best in the business. It has been nominated for Large Outdoor Rodeo Committee in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, and members are honored by the recognition. “Just talking about it gives me chill bumps,” she said. “It’s such an honor to be nominated and to be up against all those other great rodeos that are on the list. We are so proud of what we do, but for the cowboys to have nominated us really means the world to me and the rest of the committee. “I feel like we’re nominated in that group of rodeos because of Pete Carr, his crew and his stock. He helps us get those top-name contestants. Without great stock, the cowboys wouldn’t be able to win what they win here. We are forever grateful to Pete for all he has done for our rodeo.” The Carr team has been a strong piece of the Pecos community each June for more than a decade. Pete Carr Pro Rodeo is the largest livestock producer in ProRodeo and has received five nominations for PRCA Stock Contractor of the Year. Over the last five yars, he firm also has had more animals selected to perform at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo than any other producer. “We have a fabulous relationship with Pete Carr,” McKinney said. “He and his crew are just professional. They make that part of our rodeo so easy for us. They’re so accommodating. “To work with somebody that’s the caliber of Pete Carr is an honor, and we’re glad he is part of our production.” That’s an important facet of the rodeo. With such a big variety of events, the Carr team interlaces everything together quite well, giving the fans, sponsors and contestants the best experience possible. This year, rodeo clown and entertainer Cody Sosebee will be a big part of that. He has been nominated for Clown of the Year and Comedy Act of the year, and last year he worked the NFR as the barrelman. And now he joins all the others in the most historic event in the sport. “It’s such a huge honor for me to be part of it,” McKinney said. “We’re all just volunteers that want to put on the best production and the best event we can because we’re so proud of what we have.” They should be proud. Not only does the West of the Pecos Rodeo have a great history, but it’s got an outstanding future, too. “Because of our tradition, fans can expect a rodeo that’s got the top athletes, both cowboys and cowgirls,” she said. “They can expect to see the best of the best, and we work our tails off all year long to make sure we put on the best for our spectators.”

Town of Estes Park, Rooftop Rodeo enhancing the opportunities for guests ESTES PARK, Colo. – Just a year after creating the VIP Experience for Rooftop Rodeo, the town of Estes Park is already upping the ante to those patrons. “This is going to be great for those people who are interested in experiencing our rodeo in a very special way,” said Ben Vigil, president of Estes Park Western Heritage Inc., a group of volunteers that works with the town of Estes Park to produce the annual rodeo. “What the town has established this year will make it an even better experience.” It’s all a major component for fans of Rooftop Rodeo, set for 7 p.m. Thursday, July 5-Tuesday, July 10, at Granny May Arena inside the Estes Park Fairgrounds. The VIP Experience allows patrons a tour of the rodeo grounds before the show, access to the exclusive VIP patio at the west gate, dinner in the hospitality area, drinks and the opportunity to utilize the padded seats in the grandstands. “We sell our VIP Experience tickets at $100 apiece, and those people will have a permanent host for the evening,” said Rob Hinkle, the community services director for the town of Estes Park. “This year in the VIP area, we have brought in a stage that we will be able to convert into an elevated viewing area with its own bar. “It’s going to be set up west of the arena where the hospitality tent used to be.” The VIP and contestant hospitality will now be in the Estes Park Events Complex west of the arena. “We really wanted to provide a better experience,” Hinkle said. “We were having to rent the tent every year, and it just didn’t provide the experience we wanted. “By doing this, it allows us to put this really nice viewing platform in position, which we hope will enhance the experience for those patrons.” Over the years, Rooftop Rodeo has been recognized as one of the premier stops in rodeo. Much of it has to do with the picturesque setting of Estes Park, but it also has to do with the hospitality provided and the nature of the competition. Cowboys and cowgirls have marveled at the fans who make their Rooftop Rodeo experience even better. “We’re in a unique position in Estes Park where we have a beautiful setting and a wonderful community to welcome the contestants,” said Mark Purdy, chairman of the rodeo committee that has received six Rodeo of the Year awards in its history. “We strive every year to give the cowboys, the cowgirls, the sponsors and the fans the best experience they can have.”

Farr, Otto to join legendary artist Dean Dillon for the No. 1 TETWP fundraiser in the nation CRESTED BUTTE, Colo. – The Cattlemen’s Days Tough Enough to Wear Pink program is the largest of its kind in professional rodeo. It’s a grass-roots effort that has been raising money for the needs of families battling breast cancer in in Gunnison County. More than $2 million has been raised, all to be invested in the local community, which says quite a bit about how locals feel about the work being done by the organization. “Our Songwriter Concert and Auction has become our largest fundraiser of the year,” said Heidi Sherratt Bogart, executive director of Cattlemen’s Days Tough Enough to Wear Pink. “A lot of people who are in that room have been there since the beginning 13 years ago. “There’s a connection there that’s hard to describe. It’s like you’re part of a big family. It’s something people don’t forget and want to be part of again.” This year’s festivities begin at 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 10, at Mountaineer Square in Mt. Crested Butte and will feature country stars Tyler Farr, James Otto and legendary songwriter Dean Dillon, who also serves as a TETWP board member. “The concert brings in all our donors into one room,” said Michael Dawson, also a TETWP board member. “With the connections and the leadership involved in this, it’s become more of a celebration of our efforts and community than simply a fundraiser.” Because of the intimate setting, it offers something special to those who want to be part of something truly special. The money always will be used locally, in line with the TETWP mission. A year ago, the TETWP board purchased a 3D tomosynthesis machine, which is a higher-level mammogram for those who need better imaging technology due to breast density. Within the first few weeks of being put in service, Dawson said, the three-dimensional machine detected abnormal growths in patients that 2D machines would not have identified. The 3D pictures are shockingly clear. These patients may have gone undetected for another year under standard screening protocol. The faster diagnosis allowed for patients to be diagnosed and treated quicker, reducing treatment timelines and, hopefully, saving lives. Its those types of instances that mean so much to the community and serve as a reminder to the importance of the event to the TETWP board members. “What makes it so special is that it’s a comfortable setting and the intimacy of the room,” Dawson said. “You not only get the songs, but you get the stories behind the songs. You don’t get that if you go to a 10,000-seat venue or to a traditional concert. “That brings the audience in. When it’s communicated why we’re there and what we’re doing (raising money for TETWP), it sets an amazing tone for the entire evening.” Gunnison TETWP has been in the Top 3 fundraising organizations for the PRCA TETWP campaign since its inception and is one of the overall leaders for fundraising in the nation. With the TETWP program platform giving all of the contributions back to its local community, this will be truly an event not to miss to raise funds for breast cancer and enjoy a unique and intimate evening with country music’s brightest new stars and legendary icons.

Wrangler Bullfight Tour stop to feature six of the top seven in the BFO RENO, Nev. – Over the past couple of weeks, Colt Oder has experienced the highs and lows of freestyle bullfighting. He got tangled up with Rockin’ B & Magnifica’s Mexicano at the Bullfighters Only Wrangler Bullfight stop in Decatur, Texas, resulting in a concussion and six stitches. “I was a little too aggressive,” said Oder, who rebounded a week later, posting an 83-point fight to win the Wrangler Bullfights Tour event at Crosby, Texas. “I didn’t give myself a shot. I should have gone slower and read my bull better. “Now that was a solid bullfight, and my fundamentals were there. My confidence is through the roof right now, and I’m ecstatic to be competing with the top guys in the game coming up.” Oder will be taking part in the BFO Wrangler Bullfights that will be part of the Reno Rodeo, one of the most storied events in ProRodeo. He’ll be one of six men battling in the four-day championship. The event takes place June 19-22 – one of the first big stops through the summer run of rodeos. “There is a lot of money up, so you have the opportunity to really cash in and move up the standings,” said Oder, the No. 5 man in the BFO Pendleton Whiskey World Standings from Moorspark, Calif. “I’d really like to be a household name in the BFO.” He’ll have that chance. The contestants make up a who’s who of the top names in freestyle bullfighting: two-time reigning world champion Weston Rutkowski, top-ranked Toby Inman, second-ranked Kris Furr, Beau Schueth and Justin Josey. In fact, the Reno field features six of the top seven bullfighters in the Pendleton Whisky World Standings. Josey won the recent BFO stop in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, on June 9. He’s already had a couple of big victories this year. In addition to winning north of the border, the Apache, Okla., man also won the Bullfighters Only stop in San Angelo, Texas, in February. “I want to carry the momentum over into Reno and keep moving forward one step at a time,” he said. “I want to keep learning what I can at each stop.” The dangerous game of freestyle bullfighting comes with a price. Toby Inman, who finished second in the 2017 season, suffered a cracked rib in Decatur, then was knocked unconscious in Crosby. Ely Sharkey was also knocked out, but only after securing his first BFO victory in Decatur. “For me, it’s just cool to compete against guys like Weston and Toby, because they’re the very best,” Josey said. “When you beat the top guys in the game, it just feels better. You have to step up your game to win at this level.

CASPER, Wyo. – The cowboy way is alive and well in Alva, Okla., and the Northwestern Oklahoma State University rodeo team proved it last week at the College National Finals Rodeo. Five Rangers qualified for the championship round in Casper, and the men walked away as the No. 3 team in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association, thanks to the fantastic showing of steer wrestler Cody Devers, heeler Tanner Nall and all-around cowboy Maverick Harper, who made the final performance in tie-down roping and team roping. “It was a big year for us as a team,” said Harper, who finished third in the all-around race, 11th in the tie-down roping and fifth in team roping with Nall, of Colcord, Okla. “There were some places I could have improved, but for my first time there, I thought I did pretty well.” While Harper secured points in both events in which he competed, Devers stood out in steer wrestling. He finished the seven-day rodeo as the reserve college champion, knocking down four steers in a cumulative time of 18.5 seconds. He also won the first round with a 3.8-second run and was fourth in the championship round with a 4.6. “I made as good of runs as I could with the cattle I had and was fortunate to win a round,” said Devers of Perryton, Texas. “I just wanted to be the best on every steer that I could and see what happens. “Being the reserve champion means a lot to me. I’ve been there three times, and this being my senior year, finally doing something good was quite an accomplishment.” Yes, it was, and so was the team title. Not only did Devers, Nall and Harper score valuable points for the Rangers, but they also got some big help from freshman steer wrestler Bridger Anderson of Carrington, N.D., who won the second round with a 3.5-second run. “Our team did really well,” Devers said. “We had quite a few people who scored points for us, so that was pretty big. We were pretty diverse in where we were getting points, too. Third place is pretty high for as many schools that were there.” The Texan rode Woody, a buckskin horse owned by teammate Talon Roseland of Marshalltown, Iowa. That served to be quite a benefit to Devers. “I’d never ridden that horse until the finals,” he said. “He was really easy, consistent and ran straight up the steers’ backs every time. He had a great pattern and worked really good there.” Having a good horse is important in any rodeo event. Harper and Nall have confidence in their mounts. Harper placed in the first round of tie-down roping, while he and Nall placed in both the first and short rounds in team roping. “I treated it like another rodeo,” said Harper of Stephenville, Texas. “I wanted to be aggressive, doing what I knew I could do. “The two guys that were there in three events beat me in the all-around. They had one extra event ahead of me. It’s a great accomplishment to be in that group considering I had one less event.” The Northwestern women had two cowgirls qualify for the championship round: breakaway roper Brandi Hollenbeck of Hutchinson, Kan., and goat-tier Jenny Massing of Ponoka, Alberta. Hollenbeck finished 13th in the nation in her discipline, while Massing was ninth. Barrel racer Sara Bynum of Beggs, Okla., won the third round with a 14.12-second run, while Taylor Munsell of Arnett, Okla., posted a 1.8-second breakaway roping run to finish second in the third go-round. All said, it was a strong showing from all Northwestern athletes, something that bodes well for the program and coach Stockton Graves. “The thing about Stockton is that he’s always really confident in us,” Devers said. “He’s actually really laid back and trusts that we’re going to go out there and win.” It worked last week in Casper.