Few things in life will always remain constant. However, two things will never change: Community Coffee’s promise to serve their customers with consistency, integrity, and excellence and JoEllen Mayfield’s love for her son. As the mother of 5x Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Qualifier Shad Mayfield and a schoolteacher in Clovis, New Mexico, JoEllen said she was a typical rodeo mom when her son was growing up.
“Every weekend, we were going somewhere, traveling to a rodeo. I was the typical rodeo mom,” JoEllen said. “I was with him every step of the way. I packed the clothes and the food and made sure everything was ready to go.
We spent hours and hours in the practice pen when he was growing up, and by the time he was in 10th grade, he was entering open jackpots,” she said. “So that year, we started homeschooling.” “He was such a good kid, and we were always really busy,” she said. “He didn’t have time to get in trouble.
JoEllen said Shad is not the only competitive member of the Mayfield family. “I am competitive too,” she said. “I was always out there coaching and helping where and when I was able to.”
Shad said that now that he lives in Lipan, Texas, his mother doesn’t get to travel with him and watch as often as she’d like to because of her obligations as a teacher. However, he added that he is thankful she was able to be there to watch him win the American in 2020. “She got to be there on the biggest day for me, which meant a lot,” he said.
JoEllen said she still messages her son daily and talks to him on the phone frequently throughout the week. “He doesn’t always reply as often as a mom would like, but I know how busy he is,” she said. “When I visit him in Texas, he is always going, and he never sits still.
“Growing up, he was a momma’s boy,” she added. “He still probably is one, even though he doesn’t talk to me as often as I want him to.” Shad said he would still consider himself a momma’s boy. He added that he couldn’t do many things without her. “She helps me make sure I’m getting everything taken care of with bills, paying fees at rodeos, anything with my house, and anything with life,” Shad said. “She is my go-to person.” “She visits and stays with me, and soon, she’ll move to Texas close to me.”
Shad says, “My mom has impacted my life in so many ways. She taught me the most outside of the arena, and that’s what I’m most grateful for. “It’s not always about what’s going on in the arena. Sometimes, it’s more about what is happening on the outside,” he added. That’s what my mom brought to me.” She also taught me how to be smart so that I could succeed in the arena.
Bravo to JoEllen and her many hours of being a rodeo mom, one of the best jobs on the planet. It certainly has paid off in the success of her son Shad and his appreciation and love for his mom.
“I went through probably six or seven straw hats before I partnered with American Hat,” T Parker said. “My aunt was bugging me about finding a good hat that would look good every time I got on a bull.”
“Now, I have a 100x Silver Belly American that I wear all the time,” he added. “I don’t wear anything but American hats now.”
Winnie, Texas cowboy T Parker took the rodeo world by storm by winning the 2023 Resistol Bull Riding Rookie of the Year Award and qualifying for his first Wrangler National Finals Rodeo before the age of 20.
Parker said he felt he took everyone by surprise during his rookie year in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. Unlike many young rodeo cowboys, he realized his dream later in life.
“I watched the Houston rodeo every year since I was around 10 or 11 years old, and that was the only rodeo I wanted to ride in when I was growing up,” Parker said. “When I finally got to ride at Houston, I just ate it up. I loved every minute of it, and after that, I just wanted to keep on going.”
“At the start, my mom was kind of against it because, you know, I’m the baby; I am a big momma’s boy,” he said. “But then she saw how much I enjoyed it, and then she just fell right in on the bus.”
Parker said his permit year was not the smoothest ride. “I think I went to 36 rodeos on my permit and bucked off at all 36 of them, and then I finally rode my 37th to fill my permit, and I bought my card that night.”
He said that going into his first WNFR, he had an advantage because he felt that a lot of people in the ProRodeo world didn’t know his name yet.
The young cowboy finished his rookie year 13th in the world standings and won approximately $193,251 during the 2023 rodeo season. However, his 2024 ProRodeo season was recently cut short by a torn rotator cuff and a torn labrum in his right arm.
“I had been fighting my shoulder injury since before the finals, and I just kept pushing it back because I didn’t want to hear what the doctors had to tell me,” Parker said. “But it finally got to the point that I couldn’t hold myself up on my bull rope.
“It is heartbreaking because I felt like this might be the year to win the world. But I’m going to get fixed up, head back out, and hopefully do better than the time before,” he added. “I’m hoping to come back in September for the end of the 2024 season.”
If you’ve watched any PBR action this year, you’ve undoubtedly experienced rookie sensation John Crimber. Currently sitting at number two in the Unleash The Beast Standings, Crimber won his first Professional Bull Riding this year in Jacksonville, Florida, and continues to dominate in the bull riding.
Crimber is no stranger to bull riding. His Dad, Paulo Crimber, is the Florida Freedom Head Coach and a 10-time PBR World Finals qualifier. Paulo also won the average at the 2004 National Finals Rodeo. When asked what helps him stay focused on the road, he attributes his success to his Dad. “My Dad is the one that kind of keeps me in line,” Crimber says. He remembers watching his Dad ride at the NFR in 2004 and wanting to be like him.
“I always wanted to be a bull rider. I grew up watching my Dad, and I wanted to be like him.”
Now, at only the young age of eighteen, Crimber is taking the sport of bull riding by storm. Going into the weekend at Billings, Montana, he has won six round wins in the 2024 season and is 589.33 points ahead of world No. 3 Dalton Kasel. He continues to work out and gets on practice bulls to stay consistent. “That’s what I’ve been doing, just trying to get better every week and every day. I bought a couple [practice bulls] after I won Jacksonville.”
In addition to working out and getting on practice bulls, Crimber credits much of his success to opportunities such as being on Team Cavender’s. “It’s helped me a lot, just introducing us to new opportunities.” He has been on Team Cavender’s for three years now.
“We get to go to the summit every year. And last year, actually, it was the day before I went to my first PBR. Joe Beaver went over there and spoke to us, and he kind of motivated me.”
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be at the top as a teenager in the PBR, Crimber has this to say, “Being so young and doing it at 18 years old has been just a blessing. It’s crazy to think I’m 18, doing what I always dreamed of, and being on the run for a world title.” Although fans may poke fun at him, saying he looks like a baby, he remains confident and has big goals for the future.
Crimber continues to talk with Beaver and hopes he will get drafted after the World Finals. “Hopefully, I’ll get drafted to a team and be riding for one of those teams for the rest of the season.” In the meantime, we’ll be cheering on this young gun and following his future in the sport of rodeo.
Rodeo Life Magazine is proud to announce the addition of Scott Knudsen to its roster of contributing writers. Scott, a fifth-generation Texas cowboy with a unique journey, brings his storytelling prowess and entrepreneurial insights to the esteemed publication’s pages.
Hailing from Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas, Scott’s path has been marked by extraordinary experiences. Surviving a lightning strike that left an indelible mark on him, he embodies resilience and a determination to share his remarkable story with the world.
Scott is known to many as the host of the popular podcast Cowboy Entrepreneur, which is available on leading platforms like Spotify, iHeartRadio, and Apple Podcasts. In his engaging episodes, he seamlessly blends the cowboy way of life with entrepreneurial wisdom.
In addition to his podcasting ventures, Scott is no stranger to the screen, having hosted the series “On The Road with the Cowboy Entrepreneur” and gearing up for a new show on Knekt TV. His foray into writing has also seen success, with his debut book, “Sovereign Rein,” already published by Leadership Books, and his upcoming release, “You Can’t Crack That Egg Twice,” scheduled for the summer of 2024.
Scott’s storytelling prowess extends to his contributions to “Rodeo Life Magazine,” where readers can expect to be captivated by his passion for the rodeo lifestyle and beyond.
Audiences can look forward to the summer of 2024 for the release of “Lightning Cowboy: A True American Love Story,” a feature film that delves into Scott’s journey of survival, faith, and family, defining his life’s narrative.
Beyond his creative pursuits, Scott is a sought-after keynote speaker, captivating crowds nationwide with his inspirational journey. His emcee and brand ambassador skills have seen him connect with diverse audiences across various platforms.
Scott has been featured on podcasts in over seven countries, and his global impact transcends borders. He has garnered attention from esteemed media outlets such as Fox News, BBC, and The Guardian. His commitment to giving back led him to co-found the Cowboy Entrepreneur Foundation, furthering his mission to empower individuals through his story of resilience and passion.
For more on Scott Knudsen’s contributions to “Rodeo Life Magazine” and his upcoming projects, stay tuned to the pages of the publication and follow Scott on IG @
The rain began to fall as fans streamed into VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, just steps away from EverBank Field, home of the Jacksonville Jaguars. PBR Jacksonville, sponsored by the U.S. Border Patrol, occurred on February 23rd and 24th.
The weekend was full of excitement as 18-year-old John Crimber won his first-ever PBR Unleash The Beast event in front of a sold-out crowd that included actor Cole Hauser from Yellowstone.
It is no surprise to PBR fans that John Crimber is excelling in the 2024 PBR Unleash the Beast Tour. Destined for greatness, John Crimber is the son of PBR legend and Florida Freedom head coach Paulo Crimber. He got his PBR card when he turned 18 and earned ten event wins on the Challenger Series, PBR Canada, before making his Unleash The Beast debut.
Crimber earned 148 Unleash The Beast points in Jacksonville, Florida, climbing to second place in the 2024 PBR World Championship, just 295 points behind number one Cassio Dias.
John Crimber closes in on Cassio Dias after a good showing at PBR Jacksonville. Photo Courtesy of Josh Homer at Bullstock Media
Despite being bucked off bull Big Worm on Saturday night, Dias made a comeback and rode Hunted Down for 82.5 points. We interviewed Dias, the current world number one, and asked him about his recent experience riding Man Hater and his plans for the remainder of the 2024 season.
“My family, they travel with me; they are what keeps me strong; they are my biggest support group,” Dias said with Gloria Peña translating.
Dias does not shy away from hard work, consistent training, or the chance to ride previously unridden bull, Man Hater. His family joins him on his travels, and he stays energized by their presence on his exciting PBR journey.
When asked about the secret behind his consistent performance throughout the season, Dias replied, “Lots of hard work and training, lots of training.”
Like all journeys, there are peaks and valleys, and this young bull rider is ready for the ride. Dias achieved a new career high of 94.75 points by riding Man Hater in the Championship Round of the 2024 PBR Unleash the Beast Michelob ULTRA PBR in Los Angeles. Before being ridden by Dias, the bull had bucked off thirty bull riders.
With Peña translating, we asked which bull he would like to match up with again this year, and he said, “Man Hater was definitely a great match. We scored great points together. I would want to match up with Man Hater again, for sure!”
Current World #1 in the PBR Unlease the Beast Tour, Cassio Dias. Photo Courtesy of Josh Homer at Bullstock Media
Dias won the title of the PBR Brazil National Championship in 2022. In addition to winning $100K, Dias also secured a spot to participate in two of the main PBR competitions in the United States: the Challenger Series Final and the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Finals. He continues to succeed across the nation. Will 2024 be the year Dias adds PBR World Champion to his achievements?
“I’m going to keep training and working hard,” Dias said in response to the question of how he would stay consistent for the remainder of the 2024 season.
Other notable riders at the PBR Unleash The Beast in Jacksonville, Florida, included Dalton Kasel, who was the only other rider going three for three behind Crimber. Veteran João Ricardo Vieira showed up to ride Saturday evening, earning scores of 89 and 90 to secure a third-place finish.
John Crimber and Caden Bunch tied for round one win at the recent Sold-Out PBR Unleash The Beast Event in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Crimber remained number two in the Unleash The Beast standings, inching within 270.5 points of number one Cassio Dias. (as of March 11, 2024)
-Story by Kristen Schurr
PBR Unleash The Beast – U.S. Border Patrol PBR Jacksonville
When Shawn Hays learned he’d earned the title of the World’s Greatest Horseman, the annual event that celebrates best-in-class cow horse showmanship by pitting the greatest from across disciplines against one another in a single spectacular event, he had a somewhat surprising response. “It was just a relief!” he says. “Like, ‘Oh, finally!’ I’ve been second twice, I’ve been third, I’ve been fifth, I’ve been seventh, eighth, ninth, all the way down through there like sixteenth last year. So I was like, ‘Surely if I just keep chipping away, hopefully I’ll knock the number one spot out eventually.”
As it turns out, 2024 would be his lucky year. He and his horse MoonshineandTwoAdvil can now claim the title of World’s Greatest Horseman, going down in history as two of the greats. Each year, the event brings together the most seasoned horsemen and the most prized horses to compete in rein work, fence work, steer stopping, and cow work to determine the true all-around masters.
The National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA) puts on the World’s Greatest Horseman competition, which is held annually as part of the Kalpowar Quarter Horses Celebration of Champions. This year’s Celebration of Champions took place from February 11 to 24, culminating in the World’s Greatest Horseman finale on the final day of the celebration at the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth, Texas.
The competition to designate the World’s Greatest Horseman kicked off in 1999 to showcase talent across disciplines, and this year’s event marked 25 years in World’s Greatest Horseman action. Although entry is open to anyone who feels ready to participate, this is no space for amateurs, as 80 of the most talented horsemen around signed up to compete in this year’s event. Each entry is limited to one horse and one rider. The participant and horse must reach the highest overall score across the four disciplines to earn the title.
Shawn Hays after winning the title of World’s Greatest Horsemen. Photos Courtesy of Anna Krause
“The thing that I think is the coolest is that you see horsemen and horsewomen from all different levels kind of coming in and trying this. We have competitors that are really successful, maybe in the cutting industry or the roping industry, that come over and try their luck at the World’s Greatest Horseman. So, you get a very diverse group of athletes coming to compete in Fort Worth for this title,” says Callie McCarthy-Boevers, Director of Media and Communications for the NRCHA.
This year’s event was especially enticing, as it featured the biggest payouts to date. With $20,000 per event on the line, it was no surprise the crew of cowboys was willing to fight tooth and nail to claim the coveted title. The payouts are nearly double what they were in 2023, thanks to the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA), the American Rope Horse Futurity Association (ARHFA), and One Time Pepto, sponsors of the rein work, steer stopping, and cow work, respectively.
“I think the biggest thing is how electric and exciting the crowd is. We had a sell-out show. So we completely packed the Will Rogers Coliseum, which houses just under 5000 people. And so it’s loud and exciting. It’s kind of our own version of a rock concert, if you will,” says McCarthy-Boevers.
As the winner of the main event, Hays took home a check for $150,000. But money aside, it was an achievement many years in the making, as Hays had been eying the title since he first learned about the event years before. “The first time I saw the World’s Greatest Horseman, those four events, the reining, the cutting, the steer stopping, and the down the fence, I’m like, ‘Man, I’ve got to do this. This looks pretty cool. This is right up my alley because it’s an all-around deal,” he says.
However, it wasn’t a straight path to victory. After coming up short in 2023, Hays knew that he and MoonshineandTwoAdvil, which he calls “Keebler,” would have to train hard.
“We always do the reining and fence work day in and day out, going to all these shows. So the main thing I really went back and concentrated on is the roping and the cutting,” Hays says of his preparation process. “The last couple of years I showed at this deal, the roping kind of took me out of it. You would think roping is like riding a bicycle, but I guess it’s not,” he says with a laugh.
Leading up to this year’s event, whenever he wasn’t competing, Hays sent the horse over to fellow horseman Dustin Rogers, who would rope on him. This allowed the cow horse to become more acclimated to the roping that had set Hays back in previous years.
Hays, and his horse, MoonshineandTwoAdvil, can now claim the title of World’s Greatest Horseman, going down in history as two of the greats. Photos Courtesy of Anna Krause
The combined effort and discipline just go to show that if there’s one cowboy who has worked hard to earn the title of World’s Greatest Horseman, it’s Hays. “Shawn has been an incredible competitor for many years. He just won a million dollars in NRCHA earnings this past year, and now he’s won the World’s Greatest Horseman. He is just on this huge uphill trajectory. It’s so exciting for him and his family,” says Emily Konkel, Executive Director of the NRCHA. The NRCHA oversees and enforces the rules that regulate the sport of reined cow horse, in addition to hosting the World’s Greatest Horseman event each year.
The festivities also feature a youth division, which went to Nicole Donahoo and Very Smart Pearl this year. “It’s a really cool opportunity for those kids. They’re the future of NRCHA, and they’re hungry for this.” Konkel says of the youth event.
Ultimately, the event brings the best and most talented horsemen together among the masses, who get to experience the thrill of watching the other most highly technical and seasoned athletes doing what they do best, year after year.
“It’s an honor to be in with that group of riders. And there’s a lot of guys that still have not won this event that are truly great horsemen, too. And it’s just amazing that I can be considered one of the ones that won it.” Hays says.
Every rodeo starts with the singing of the national anthem and a prayer. It makes sense that Jolee Alvey, a 17-year-old high school senior and a Region 4 Texas High School Rodeo Association athlete, favorite place to be is with her church youth group when she is not on the road going to rodeos.
“I don’t have much free time outside of rodeo because I high school rodeo; I am in the Lone Star High School Rodeo Association and hit every jackpot in between,” said the Lindale, Texas cowgirl. “I am always roping and always rodeoing, but I am also very active in my youth group at church. “We go to an event every year called Leadership Training for Christ,” she added. “It’s held every year during Easter weekend in Dallas.”
Alvey said North Texas Leadership Training for Christ (NTLTC) is an event she looks forward to attending every year. She said it helped her develop close relationships with all the church youth group members. According to the NTLTC website, the purpose of NTLC is to plan, organize, promote, and execute programs that assist young Christians in developing their knowledge of the Bible and biblical principles, enhancing their communication and leadership skills, and orienting their energies and abilities to areas of Christian Service.
Jolee Alvey proudly rides for Team Cavenders. Photo Courtesy of Twisted C Rustic Shots
“I really became close with everyone over this last year and a half because before then, I was always gone and rodeoing,” she said. “I got baptized the night before my birthday, and that experience brought me much closer to God.”
The young cowgirl decided to transition to homeschool classes. Now, she will have more time to focus on her multiple rodeo events. She said she competes in barrel racing, pole bending, goat tying, breakaway roping, and team roping and is a former rodeo queen.
“I went in person to school my freshman year, but when I went back my sophomore year, I decided it was not really for me,” she said. “I went to homeschooling for my junior year. Now, I can focus on rodeo more.”
Alvey said the homeschool program simplifies juggling schoolwork and rodeo because there are no set due dates throughout the semester. “As long as I have everything turned in by the nine-week mark, I am good to go,” she said. Taking time to focus on rodeo has paid off for Alvey. She was crowned the 2023 LHSRA Breakaway Average Champion.
Alvey, who also won the “Raye” of Sunshine award in the THSRA in 2023, said it was an honor to carry on the legacy that Bailee Raye Ackerman Byler left behind when she and her husband died in a helicopter crash leaving their wedding in 2018. The award is presented to a THSRA member who displays exceptional character, leadership, and sportsmanship.
Shad Mayfield can be seen wearing an American 100x black felt hat during the colder months but said he would wear a felt year-round if Texas did not reach the scorching temperatures that it does. “I have been with American Hat’s since junior high,” said the 5x Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier. “They have believed in me every step of the way. “American is all I have ever worn,” he added. “Their quality is the best, for sure.”
Son of Sylvester Mayfield, a two-time WNFR qualifier, Shad ‘Money’ Mayfield said he knew from a young age that he loved the competitiveness that rodeo brought to his life. “I have always been very competitive,” he said. “When I went to the junior rodeos, I entered every event, and I loved getting the chance to compete against everyone.”
Mayfield’s competitive edge sets him apart from other Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association athletes. So much so that at the start of the 2020 WNFR, he led the tie-down roping by $89.479.
“I always said when I turned 18, I was going to buy my card and rodeo,” he said. “So, that’s what I did. My dad rodeoed with me for my first year.” His start in the PRCA was slow. He said he was lucky enough to win money during the spring and early summer, but it was not until later that year Mayfield realized he had a chance at making his first WNFR.
“It wasn’t until late summertime when I placed at Cheyenne, and that gave me a good jump in the world standings and put me in the top 20, that I realized I had shot at the finals,” Mayfield said. “I was actually up at the high school finals and Cheyenne at the same time.” Mayfield was riding the bubble in the 15th spot during the last week of rodeos before the season ended.
Fred Whitfield and Sad Mayfield at the 2023 NFR Buckle Ceremony. Photo Courtesy of Kristen Schurr
“It was a lot for a young kid, thinking about if I didn’t make it,” he said. “There were a lot of ‘what ifs’ in that time. So, I took that week at home to practice really hard and tried to stay positive.”
After winning and placing at several rodeos in the last week of the 2019 rodeo season, Mayfield qualified for his first NFR. He ended the year 12th in the world standings after placing in two rounds. At the start of 2020, he won the San Antonio PRCA Rodeo and The American. He estimated this put him around $100,000 in winnings.
“I was at the Houston rodeo when everything started shutting down,” he said. “Covid slowed down the whole rodeo season for everyone, but it really put a stop to a lot of goals I could have accomplished that year with the momentum I had.” He went on to win his first world title in Globe Life Field at the 2020 WNFR. While thankful for the win, he said it is still at the top of his goal list to win a gold buckle in the infamous Thomas and Mac Event Center.
“I always watched the NFR there as a kid,” he said. “Watching Cody [Ohl], Fred [Whitfield], and Joe Beaver in the Thomas and Mac as a kid, that feeling of being there is like no other.”
Since his first NFR, Mayfield has had five consecutive finals qualifications and won over a million dollars in his pro rodeo career. This year is looking a little different for the 23-year-old cowboy. “I have always been tight in my hips, but this year at the finals, they really affected me,” he said. “I went to my doctor, and he told me I’d have to have surgery on both of them due to torn labrum and impingements.”
He originally planned to have the surgeries after Rodeo Houston this year. However, after revisiting with his doctor and surgeon, he elected to hold off until after the 2024 rodeo season and NFR.
Mayfield said he is working to maintain his health and focus on not worsening his hip conditions. He is doing all of this in hopes of achieving his dream of winning that gold buckle in the Thomas and Mac.
It’s no surprise that 20-year-old Riley Webb from Denton, Texas, PRCA tie-down roper (currently ranked number seven in the world) and team roping header, is going straight to the top in his rodeo career. His parents, Dirk and Jennifer Webb run Webb Roping Productions, a sanctioned cattle producer for the breakaway and tie-down qualifiers for the Junior World Finals. Dirk is also the manager of The American Rodeo, and with Jennifer being secretary, Riley couldn’t have had a better setup to be an achiever in the rodeo world.
Riley’s first rodeo was in Denton, Texas, at only a few weeks old. He roped his first calf at a young age and was hooked from that point on. At 11 years old, he began his rodeo career roping competitively. Riley was the 2020 National High School Rodeo Association Champion Tie-Down Roper. When he gets up every morning, he’s always roping and practicing with one goal: to accomplish getting better. Riley says it’s in inches and tenths of seconds they’re working with, so he has to think about things most people don’t. Everybody can rope and have a good horse, so he has to think outside the box to improve himself. Riley became a member of the PRCA in 2021, and he says his favorite rodeo is the Pendleton Roundup in Pendleton, Oregon, because of the atmosphere created by the fans.
Winning Reno is his favorite memory, and his favorite food on the road is Mexican. For his young age, Riley already has quite a resume of accomplishments. As well as winning many other rodeos throughout the year, including Rodeo Houston (Houston, Texas,) Rodeo Austin (Austin, Texas,) National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colorado, Calgary Stampede, Alberta, Canada, Horse Heaven Roundup in Kennewick, Washington, and The Washington State Fair in Puyallup, Washington, in 2023 (for the second time,) he qualified for the finals and claimed the number one spot and he won his first PRCA World Championship; winning $452,852, and breaking the previous season earnings record. He finished second in the average with 82.9 seconds on ten head, earning $172,447 at the finals in Las Vegas.
Riley’s first trip to the Thomas and Mack was in 2022, and he finished 12th in the average and tenth in the world, placing in five rounds that year. Riley’s success this year comes from a couple of new horses he calls Boots and Rudy and a new determination to look at every single run individually, practice with the basics, not worry about the standings, and just do his very best and execute every single run.
Currently sitting in the top ten in the standings, he’s starting in a great spot in his 2024 ti-down roping season and is well on his way to adding to his growing list of accolades.
25-year-old Miles City, Montana native, and PRCA member since 2018, Haven Meged, should have plenty to smile about these days, as he’s not only recently married to 2023 Breakaway Champion Shelby (Boisjoli) Meged, (meeting for the first time in Junior High rodeos) but he’s making big “boots’ to fill for any future PRCA tie-down ropers. Haven is a five-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Qualifier, winning the tie-down average in Las Vegas last month, and breaking the record with 77.40 seconds on 10 head.
Currently residing close to Stephenville, Texas, Haven and Shelby both have the work ethic that makes champions. Along with setting this new record, a new arena record was set in round 7 as well, making Thomas and Mack history, tying his calf in only 6.4 seconds. “It happened so fast, I had a good calf and just tried to take full advantage.” Meged said about his historic run. The previous record of 6.5 seconds was shared by Cody Ohl in 2003, Trevor Brazile in 2015, and Shad Mayfield in 2022. Shad Mayfield was the next guy out of the box in round 7 after Meged, and tied his calf in 6.1 seconds, but the calf got up, which nullified the run. Haven commented, “It was just a great set of calves.”
This was Haven’s second world title, as he was first World Champion in 2019, and along with winning the average, he was also crowned Intercollegiate Tie-Down Champion that same year. Haven also recently won the Canadian tie-down roping title. Currently sitting second in the PRCA/Ram World Standings with, $309,238, (chasing Riley Webb) Haven says he’s keeping his foot on the gas and the plan is to not let off. Fast times in the first round made horse changes necessary, and in round two, Haven made the decision to run six-year-old, For Goodness Shakes, AKA, “Lil Punch,” a sorrel gelding he gives full credit to his wife Shelby, for training and letting him use, rounds two through nine.
Haven recalls, “My horse has been phenomenal.” “He stood in the box every single night, hit the barrier and gave it his all, and for a 6-year-old that’s never been to an indoor rodeo, it was pretty cool for him to be able to be so consistent.” “He’s been the biggest blessing.” It’s been a great year for Meged in rodeo, surpassing $1 million in career earnings early on in the season, and marrying his Canadian fiancé Shelby back in May, but he’s also invested his money in cattle. When Haven and Shelby have a few days off, you can find them back in Miles City, helping out at his family’s sale barn, or out on the family ranch. The couple also enjoys spending time together, supporting each other in their events, and training young horses.
“I was spreading myself a little thin, doing all three, and I don’t think I was riding as good as I should have been because I was trying to go play dates, and I was like, well, I think I’m just going to play music.”
He might have hung up his spurs for now, but saddle bronc rider turned successful country music artist Chancey Williams understands what it takes to be a cowboy behind the mic and in the arena.
Despite leaving his rodeo career behind, Williams continues to draw upon his experiences as a cowboy to create authentic and heartfelt music that resonates with fans across the country.
His journey from growing up on a ranch in Moorcroft, Wyoming, to performing at stages such as the Grand Ole Opry has been inspiring, and his success serves as a testament to his determination and understanding of the Western lifestyle.
While in Rapid City, South Dakota, we were fortunate enough to have an exclusive sit-down interview with the Wyoming native. We caught up with him on his tour bus right after his sound check to talk about rodeo, ranching, and music.
RN: When did you decide to be a musician? Rumor has it you were pretty big at the high school talent show?
Williams: Yeah, we started in high school just kind of for fun. And we actually started just for a talent show. I tell people [it was] kind of an excuse to have everybody in town come out to the shop. We’d say we were practicing, and we knew like eight songs and just kept playing them, and people would get together. So we did it just for fun, really. I didn’t really know where it would take us.
Then, some guy in Moorcroft hired us for a New Year’s Eve thing and gave us 200 bucks. We’re like, man, you get paid for this? So then we just kind of started playing all around the area in high school, dances, rodeos, fairs, and stuff. I went to college and we were busy in college playing. Then I had a lot of work, you know, go to the college rodeo and ride and then play at the dance that night. It was a good college job.
It kind of took off from there. The rest of the band was still in college, so I went to grad school, got my master’s, and stayed in Laramie then, for an internship, I moved to Nashville to work for Toby Keith. Down there, [I] just decided, well, maybe I want to do this as a career. I was riding broncs and playing music, and I was picking up for Cervi’s and Franzen’s a little bit. I kind of liked it all, but I figured I better make a choice to do one and try to do it right. I was spreading myself a little thin, doing all three, and I don’t think I was riding as good as I should have been because I was trying to go play dates, and I was like, well, I think I’m just going to play music.
RN: You talked about the high school talent show, are any of your band members you played with in high school still with you?
Williams: No, I’m the only one left. The original guys, you know, a couple of them went and got real jobs, married, and grew up, and I didn’t grow up. But you know Wyatt and Brooke have been with me for 15 years, so they’ve been the longest. Then the other guys, most of them are five or six years in. I have a really good band right now, and it’s a lot of fun, but yeah, none of the originals. They all went off and did something else, but I didn’t want to grow up.
RN: What’s something special that each band member brings to the stage?
Williams: I always say Wyatt’s like the heart of the band; he’s so mellow- mannered. He’s kind of, you know, everybody looks up to Wyatt as being chill, so he kind of keeps the whole camp chillin’. Obviously Brooke, you know, with her fashion and [playing] fiddle. There are a lot of fiddle players, but not that look like her. But Brooke always brings a lot to the table with her Instagram fashion stuff, and she has her own way of doing things. [She] pretty much makes all of her own clothes; she and her mom thrift shop and make clothes. So Brooke’s awesome. Dale’s a drummer we got out of Fargo. He played in a band that we knew, and when our last drummer left, he was our first call, and he’s just so talented. We have to fly him every weekend. And then Casey, our other guitar player, he’s awesome, he’s kind of a rock and roll guy. He brought a lot to the table, too, but he lives in South Padre, so we have to fly him every weekend, too. Jay, our bass player, lives in Loveland, and so he was also a great fit. I always tell people it’s almost 90% personality and 10% playing. Because you can teach people how to play pretty good if they know what they’re doing, but you can’t teach people how to get along on the road and not be a jerk. We live on these buses pretty much year- round, so there are some great musicians in Nashville, but there are a lot of musicians who are kind of weird, too.
RN: What are some skills you gained growing up on the ranch that have helped you today?
Williams: I always tell people we [apply] ranch work style to music. People think music, they just see you play live, and they’re like, oh, it must be really fun. It’s a lot of work. And to get to the level we’re trying to, it’s unbelievable. I look back to be like, man, I don’t know if I’d have started this because the music business is crazy, but growing up ranching is hard work.
So that taught us to work hard, and we like it. It’s not that bad on the road.
Music’s tough, but every time I think it’s hard work out here, I can just call my brother at home and ask him what he’s doing. He’s [usually] calving or something. They’re like, well, this music thing ain’t too bad. The hardest part of the day in music is still easier than ranching.
RN: March is our equine edition: how have horses influenced your life and music?
Williams: Well, you know, I tend to write a lot of songs about cowboys and ranching and the Western Way life, so I guess just, you know, growing up a horseman, growing up breaking colts, then riding broncs, you know, it gives me the credentials to write songs about it. You know, you hear a lot of songs on the radio that you can tell somebody from Nashville wrote about a cowboy. Well, they haven’t really lived that, so you know, growing up with my history, I can write songs that are lyrically correct.
RN: I know you used to ride saddle bronc, can you tell me a little about that?
Williams: Our dad was a saddle bronc rider, so I grew up wanting to be like Dad. We started when we were fairly young. Then a kid got hurt real bad at a school in Gillette, so mom put the halt to the bronc riding for a few years. Then finally, we were riding colts, breaking colts, and you know, they were just like rodeoing, so finally, mom’s like, well, it’s kind of the same thing, so I’ll let you. So, high school, rodeo went to high school finals in the bronc riding, then went to Casper College on a rodeo scholarship, rodeo’d there three years, made the college 2 finals there, then went to Laramie one year and made the college finals my senior year, and then rodeo’d for a couple years out after college.
I love bronc riding and I miss it a lot. I think about it all the time. I think everybody that’s stopped doing it, I dream about it. I can’t stop thinking about it. It’s one of those things you can’t do forever. You can team rope for a long time, you know. So it’s just one of those sporting events that you can’t just go get on one for fun. If you’re not in shape for it you, can get hurt.
I’m always worried about getting hurt, you know, And then we’d be out of work for a while. We played at Red Bluff a couple of years ago, and they’re like,
“Hey, want to get on the wild ride.” I was like, sure, what’s one more? Then COVID hit, so I didn’t get on in Red Bluff. That’s probably a sign. Yeah, but I do miss it a lot.
RN: What’s your favorite rodeo to play?
Williams: Oh, Cheyenne.
I mean, we love NFR. We got to do the opening ceremony there five times. It’s obviously cool because I never made it there in the bronc riding. But I feel like I made it my own way, getting to play in front of the yellow chutes.
We’ve always loved Cheyenne. I rode there, in a couple of rounds in the rookie bronc riding. It’s just a special place.
RN: What do you like most about playing for rodeo fans?
Williams: Well, they’re just my people. They get my songs, you know? Sometimes, my songs are a little precise as far as some of the lyrics are too insider.
So, like, there are probably certain songs that people don’t get if you’re not a cowboy. They’re like, what, I don’t know what that means. So, being too accurate can be bad, too, for a giant fan base.
RN: Where do you get your inspiration from?
Williams: You hear lines from people at the bar or at a rodeo; you hear somebody say something a certain way. I go through my notes on my phone, and I have all these ideas. Whether they ever make a song or not. Some days, you wake up the next day and [wonder], what does that mean? I wasn’t making any sense. Yeah. That’s kind of where, I just like to write things that are authentic.
So, I think in this day and age, people in general are searching for authenticity. The real world, you know, maybe some of that came from shows like Yellowstone and stuff. It just brought like the cowboy way of life, opened it up to a broader spectrum where people from the East Coast and West Coast, like, wow, they want to live vicariously through our lives through shows like Yellowstone.
I write songs that they can think they’re being a cowboy and listen to.
RN: What artists inspired you?
Williams: I grew up listening [to] ‘80s and ‘90s country. The ‘90s stuff was super influential, like Dan Seals and Toby Keith. Toby was really good to me when I worked for him. And obviously, George Strait and Chris LeDoux were two real cowboys. Obviously, Chris was a world-champion bareback rider. Just watching Chris’s career [thinking] if he can do it, maybe I can do it.
Chris helped us out early on and kind of got us started. It made me want to do it. He let us open for him in Billings, and we were horrible. We were young. We just started, and Chris didn’t care. Because Dad and Chris rode together [they were friends]. We knew them and the family all growing up. I just called their house one day, and Peggy [LeDoux], and I was like, how do we get into doing opening stuff? She’s like, well, let’s talk to Chris. And Chris was like, yeah, we’ll let you open up there [Billings] in August. [It was our] first time playing in front of a big crowd of about 8,000 people in the Metra. I was really nervous. And we were pretty darn bad. But I was like, man, this feels awesome; I wanna do this. We’re bad, but we can do this. And I remember Chris being like, looks like you were meant to be up there.
RN: What type of music do you listen to now?
Williams: Do you know what Yacht Rock is? It’s like easy listening ‘70s stuff. Wyatt is the music genius; he finds all this stuff, and he got me listening to some, you know, easy listening ‘70s, California- type stuff. So I listen to that a lot. We listen to about everything on here.
But I typically end up playing sad old country songs at the end of the night. And it puts everybody to bed. Stuff you can drink to. I was like, man, these old ‘90s and ‘80s sad country songs have more emotion than everything.
They’re like, who played this on the jukebox? That’s me. I’m the guy that spent 40 bucks on old Dan Seals songs. Who played “Everything That Glitters Is Not Gold” again?
RN: Who would you most like to collaborate with?
Williams: Probably Dierks Bentley. Just cause out of all the guys we’ve played with in the past, Dierks has become a really nice guy. I mean, I consider him friends, but, like, he texts me all the time. I text him back. Dierks is a genuinely nice guy; he’s what you see on TV, and sometimes, the artists aren’t.
It’d be fun to do a song with Dierks. You know, and just cause he’s fun, like all the songs are fun, they’re kind of like our songs.
RN: What are you looking forward to most in 2024?
Williams: Well, we’re excited about this new batch of songs. We just put out our new single, A Cowboy Who Would. And it’s the first batch of eight that I did with this new producer, Bryce. And it’s some really good stuff.
We have some of the stuff that fits what we always do: cowboy stuff. But just sonically, we changed engineers and some session players, and it just sounds really good. And this new single is doing really well. It got picked up by 150 stations nationwide this week. Last week, it was on the CMT Top 40 country countdown. They have a launch pad section in the countdown, and they got played nationwide.
So we’re really excited about the music, you know, at the end of the day, It’s kind of all about the song, you know, that’s what moves the needle for an artist. We’ve done really well, but to make you huge, you have to have a hit song that kind of changes the world. You know, Toby Keith built his career off ‘Should’ve
Been a Cowboy”. It was the number-one song played in the ‘90s.
Then we got some great dates coming up. Sounds like we’re going to get to play the Grand Ole Opry a couple more times. They said maybe three times this year.
Yeah, bucket list things, and we get to play Red Rocks in Denver in June, which is a bucket list one because everybody wants to play Red Rocks, so it’s fun to finally play there since we live so close by. A lot of great tour dates, and [I’m really] excited about all this new music.
RN: Anything else you would like to add?
Williams: We always encourage people to stream our stuff on Spotify. Our fan base is kind of old-school out west. They still listen on the radio and buy CDs. But, the music business gauges how successful you are sometimes off your streaming numbers. Our fans don’t stream; they drive six hours, buy a concert ticket and a t-shirt, and come to the show. They stream some, but some don’t even have Spotify. I always encourage people to stream the heck out of it. It makes us look good.
Jessica Routier hit a momentous $1 million in career earnings in the summer of 2023. But the barrel racer from Buffalo, South Dakota, was paying much closer attention to the career earnings of her gritty palomino mare, Missy, who has carried Jessica to many of her pro rodeo checks. “My goal the last couple of summers has been to get Missy to a million dollars because I feel like there’s a lot of people who have hit a million, but not a lot of horses.” Missy secured her $1 million halfway through the 2023 WNFR. She and Jessica placed in six rounds and sixth in the average. The duo’s 2023 season highlights also included winning the NFR Open and the year-end title in the Badlands Circuit.
Additionally, Missy was voted 2023 WPRA Horse With the Most Heart and took third in Purina’s Horse of the Year barrel racing category. “She’s really gritty,” Jessica says of the 13-year-old mare, owned by Gary Westergren of Lincoln, Nebraska. “She’s always been one that, the more impossible the situation may seem, the harder she’ll try. She’s really good in all different types of ground and patterns and really adaptable no matter the situation. She’s lived at my house since she was two, and I futuritied her as a five-year-old. She started her rodeo career as a six-year-old and won the Badlands Circuit that year, which propelled us into our first NFR in 2018. She’s taken me back there ever since.”
All of Missy’s barrel runs are made with a 5 Star Equine saddle pad on her back, which has been a longtime staple in Jessica’s tack room. “I used 5 Star pads for a long time before I became a sponsored rider in 2018. I love how they fit, and they keep my horses’ backs feeling really good. And I love that they last forever.” Jessica also uses 5 Star’s cinches and sport boots. “A lot of boots, to me, are too cumbersome and bulky on the horse’s leg, but I like that these conform to the horse’s leg and protect really well without that bulk.”
Jessica, her husband, Riley, and their five children run 300 head of cattle on their ranch, along with rodeoing and school sports. The two oldest, Braden (18) and Payton (15), compete in high school rodeo, while twins Rayna and Rose (8) and Charlie (7) compete in local youth rodeos. “There’s a lot of days where we’re all out in the barn practicing,” says Jessica, who’s had temperatures of 60 below zero to contend with this winter. “I bet we ride 20 horses a day. Five or six of them are young ones that don’t have a job yet, and the rest are ones that I or the kids compete on.” Jessica continues to ride several young horses for Gary Westergren, whom she started working for in 2011. She also has a full sister to Missy, who is excelling in breakaway roping with Jessica’s daughter Payton and several sons and daughters of Missy.
Jessica and Missy’s 2024 season kicked off with Denver, with Fort Worth to follow. “I don’t go to a lot of rodeos in the winter, but I try to hit the big ones and still be home if I can. These winter rodeos, not everybody gets to go to them, so if I get the opportunity to go to them, I go. You don’t know if you’ll get the opportunity again.” Her three youngest daughters travel with her most of the season, taking their school on the road. “They have awesome teachers who are really good about sending work with them. My oldest two don’t get to go as much, but at the NFR, they were all there most of the time. We’re definitely not a traditional family in that we do as much as we can together, but most of what we do is going in different directions. We have lots of extended family and friends and the community on the rodeo trail that help make it all work.
“I don’t really set a lot of goals, as crazy as that is. Every year, the goal is to make our circuit finals and the NFR, even though that’s not a do-or-die situation for us. I take things one rodeo and one week at a time. If we’re doing good, we keep going. One of my life goals is to get my kids mounted on good horses,” Jessica adds. “I’ve had so many opportunities in my life because of good horses, and that’s my goal. It’s for each one of my kids to have those same opportunities if they want them. I believe good horses can create great opportunities.”
