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  • On the Trail with James Hajek

    On the Trail with James Hajek

    James Hajek at the NIRA Rodeo in Stillwater, OK 2015 – Hirschman Photography

    James Hajek is a cowboy by blood and by choice, making a living in the stock pens and arenas of the South and Midwest since he was a child. Today, the 32-year-old from Hennessey, Oklahoma, is known for his finesse as a pickup man, finding his niche in the rodeo world while attending Northwestern Oklahoma State University.

    “My dad used to rodeo and he co-owned Carpenter Rodeo Company in Kansas, so from the time I was little, rodeo is all I’ve done,” says James. “Growing up, I knew where every playground and park was in Kansas. We went somewhere every weekend, and I had friends all over the place. I didn’t know any different, or what it was like to go to the lake, but I loved it!” James and his older sister, Jena, became all-around hands, even riding a pair of mini mules to move cattle. “They were about the size of Shetland ponies, and we’d take them to every rodeo and drive cattle out. If there was a return alley, we’d bring the timed event cattle back up. We ran 140 – 150 team ropers a night, so we’d be there a while.”

    When James was ten, his parents, Danny and Aronda Hajek, sold their half of the rodeo company. They kept a handful of bucking bulls, and James and his dad continued to raise bulls until 2014. In 2004, the rodeo coach at Northwestern Oklahoma State University had offered James a scholarship for supplying the team’s bucking bulls. Rodeo clown Justin Rumford was also a NWOSU student at the time, and James recalls, “We weren’t in very many of the same classes, but we did lots of extracurricular activities together. There were always good times to be had with him around.”

     

    James Hajek at the PRCA NTFR (North Texas State Fair & Rodeo) – Todd Brewer
    James with his son Hagen and dad, Danny Hajek – courtesy of the family

    James also watched rodeo practices and helped run the roping chutes, but the itch to be doing something more was always there. His sophomore year, James brought a trailer full of broncs to college, partnering with Andrews Rodeo Company, who sends James colts to start bucking every year. They’ve started a number of WNFR broncs such as Cool Water, PTSD Power Play, and Fire Lane. Picking up broncs naturally came next, and though James hadn’t spent much time on horseback during his teens, the muscle memory was still there. “When we sold the rodeo company, I’d sold my horse and mules, and I never even rode when I was in high school. I’d mainly worked rodeos, and I never had too much interest in competing since I was guaranteed a paycheck. I started picking up at practice, and the finessing and fine-tuning took a while to learn, but as far as setting riders down, I’d cowboyed enough to know where I needed to be and what to do.”

    Nearly 12 years later, James works as many as 25 rodeos a year, along with bull ridings like ABBI and PBR. “I work all of Andrews Rodeo Company’s rodeos, and I’ll fill in for Phil Sumner, who partnered with my dad on some rodeos.” This is James’ seventh year picking up pro rodeos, and he’s also picked up for Beutler & Son Rodeo Company and Frontier Rodeo Company. “I’m just enough of an adrenaline junky that I really enjoy that part of it, and it’s fun to be doing so many things at one time, even if nobody can see it all.”

    Yet those unnoticed moments are what catch a photographer’s eye, as is the case with the cover photo, taken at the 2015 Rylee Miller Memorial Ranch Bronc Riding in Cherokee, Oklahoma. James started the annual bronc riding in memory of his girlfriend, who passed away in 2013. “We did a winter series jackpot bull and bronc riding first, and after that I decided I wanted to set up a scholarship fund and do the ranch bronc riding,” says James. “Phil Sumner and Jaymie and Rooster Swartz have brought horses to the bronc riding, and we do it early in the year so the horses are coming in fresh and ready to go. That makes it pretty wild. We’ve also had women’s bronc riding, junior broncs, and mini broncs, which are a crowd favorite. We won’t be able to hold the bronc riding this year, but the goal is to come back next year and do it bigger and better.”

    While he’s on the road for the summer, James’ family and friends look in on his livestock. He has 125 head of cows, originally starting with 30 – 40 head to help pay for his rodeo habit. “I work at a sale barn about twenty miles from the house, and I buy cows like some people buy shoes. I’ll go to work a sale and come home with four or five more. My fiancée, Jill Shaw,  and I are partnering on forty head of mama cows, so we have a nice little ranch, and it keeps me going in the winter. It’s also something to do with my horses to get their minds back after a long summer of rodeos.”
    James says his horses share his love for adrenaline, adding that they have to be gritty and tough, with plenty of run in them. “They’re all a little kamikaze with no hesitation in them. My dad said you know you have a good pickup horse if you can run them into a brick wall. I run my horses at anything I think they’ll be scared of.” Scooby, a 19-year-old gelding, is his best horse, starting out as Jena’s barrel horse in college. “Scooby had a motor on him, but he didn’t want to run the pattern, so Jena asked me to ride him a while. I was working at three sale barns at the time and cowboying. Scooby picked up rodeos so well, I told Jena she could either sell him or give him to me, because I wasn’t giving him back.” James found another of his horses, Colonel, in college, while he recently purchased Peso from Cody Webster. He also rides Cisco and Pepper, while the red roan featured on the cover is a former Canadian bronc. “Bromby didn’t have an ounce of buck in him, so I bought him from Sammy. I don’t pick up on him very much because he’s seventeen hands and it’s a long way to reach some of those broncs.” Bromby and James received a standing ovation several years ago at a rodeo in Longview, Texas, when a barrel truck was stuck in a muddy arena. James threaded his rope through the front tow of the truck and Bromby pulled it out within minutes.

    “I think pickup horses are about the toughest horses in the rodeo,” James adds. “We get them hot and tired as they can handle, but then we don’t always have time to cool them off before getting another horse and going back to work. Jill takes off work to travel with me, so she’ll go back and cool horses out for me between events.” James met Jill six years ago at the North Texas State Fair, which her family has helped produce for many years. “Jill is part of a drill team and a flag team down there, which she’s really passionate about, and she runs sponsor flags. I met her while I was working that rodeo, and in 2015, we really hit it off and dated for about a year. I proposed to her in the arena, and we’ll be getting married in September in Texas.” The couple is taking their longest trip yet in August, on the road for two weeks traveling to rodeos. “We’ll see how much she likes me – it’ll be me and her and five dogs,” he jokes.

    James’ one-year-old son, Hagen, is also showing interest in the western lifestyle. “Whenever he goes to feed with me, all he pays attention to is the horses and cows. He may be the only kid around with a seventeen hand Canadian bronc for his first horse.” Any time at home is spent with Hagen, while James also enjoys catching up with friends and doing day work in the area. One of his goals is to bring the Rylee Miller Memorial back in 2018. “We always have good horses, and I’ve even had guys talking to me from Idaho and northern California about it. I want it to become the premier ranch bronc riding in the country, and I think we’re fairly close.”

    James Hajek at the NTFR 2016 Ranch Rodeo – Todd Brewer

     

  • Back When They Bucked with Phil “Hatch” Hatcher

    Back When They Bucked with Phil “Hatch” Hatcher

    story by Judy Goodspeed

    “Going down a cotton row with a hoe or pulling a sack gave me the desire to do better. My dad was disabled from a stroke, but back then there was no such thing as a monthly check. The only solution was all ten of us kids worked, and worked hard, but none as hard as our mother. She worked in the field, managed a large garden, canned, cooked, washed by hand, patched our clothes, and kept a clean house. Even though our clothes were patched they were clean and she would always say, ‘Now you kids act as good as you look.’
    “My parents Robert (Bob) Hatcher and Flora Tuel Hatcher were both sixteen when they married in 1920. They began married life on an eighty-acre farm sharecropping for Dad’s father. I was born in 1934, the seventh child at that time, three more came later.
    “There wasn’t much time for anything but work, but occasionally when we’d get a break we would ride the workhorses.” Phil loved horses and desperately wanted a saddle horse.
    “One of our neighbors had horses and did a little trading. I was about fifteen when I ambled over to his place to see what he had. I only had twenty-five dollars in my pocket but was willing to part with it for a horse. He had a three-year-old sorrel gelding he wanted sixty-five dollars for. We worked out a deal and I paid twenty-five down and pulled enough cotton to pay the rest. That little sorrel made a mighty fine horse.”
    The little town of Randlett, Oklahoma had a roping arena and Phil became a frequent visitor. He tried his hand at bronc riding and didn’t do very well, tried bull riding and held on for eight seconds.
    “I rode the bull but only because he just ran down the arena. Me and one other boy were the only qualifiers so I won second. I decided right then that I didn’t want to ride any more bulls.”
    In 1951 Phil and one of his older brothers joined the wheat harvest. They had worked through Oklahoma and made it into Kansas when it came a big rain. It would be days before the ground dried out enough to get back in the fields.
    “Our boss asked if we’d like to go to Cheyenne to the rodeo. That was a turning point in my life. I wanted to be in the arena and made up my mind to become a cowboy.”
    Phil began to try bull dogging along with calf roping. He really preferred bull dogging and sought out guys who knew something about the event. He was still working at every job he could find which was mainly farming. His dad had died and his mother and three youngest siblings were living in a house a friend had loaned them. Phil helped her as much as he could.
    It was about this time that he began dating Norma Bruce. Norma was also from Randlett and they had attended school together, but really didn’t know each other very well. Phil had dropped out of school after the first couple of weeks in the ninth grade. Norma was in the tenth grade when she dropped out of school. They were married in 1954. Phil bought a travel trailer and they started going down the rodeo trail. Years later after they were in one place long enough they returned to school and got their GED.
    “I was still farming but making a few rodeos. Problem was I was riding a green horse, but he wasn’t any more green than me. Finally, Aubrey Rankin started schooling me and that helped a bunch. Aubrey bought a good doggin’ horse from Fuzzy Garner. I rode him some but still wasn’t doing much good. It was hard making a living and having money for entry fees. By this time I had taken the plunge and gotten my RCA card.”
    Buster Morgan approached Phil and asked him to ride in a quadrille he had organized for the Woodward Rodeo. Phil told him the only way he’d go to Woodward was if he could enter the bull dogging and he didn’t have money for the entry fee. Buster entered him and suggested that Phil ask Lynn Beutler for a job with his rodeo company. Phil was hired to work on the feed crew making ten dollars a day. It wasn’t long before he was also making five dollars a day on the stripping crew. That job involved removing riggin’ from broncs. Then he started grooming the saddle horses and made five more dollars a day.
    “This was the perfect place for me. I loved the work, could park my trailer on the rodeo grounds and be close to Norma. The only problem was the three-week layover between Tucson, Arizona Rodeo and the Phoenix, Arizona Rodeo. We moved to Burkburnett, Texas and I farmed for three weeks. Norma was pregnant so I decided to stay close to home until the baby was born.”
    After Wayne arrived Phil and Norma hit the rodeo trail again. Phil still worked for Beutler Brothers, but had moved up to supervisor over the feeding crew. Slim Whaley was another cowboy who worked for Beutler Brothers. One of his duties was to buy the saddle horses used in the show and work as a pickup man during the bareback and saddle bronc events. A pickup man also works the bull riding. His job primarily is to get bulls out of the arena as quickly as possible. There is always a chance for something to go wrong so a good horse is essential. Phil was honored when Lynn Beutler asked him if he would fill in for Slim while he recovered from an injury.
    “One thing that helped me decide to take the job was I knew Slim had good, dependable horses. The biggest danger for a pickup man was having to rope a mean bull and drag him out of the arena. For a short time, if the gate man isn’t quick enough, you are in a tight place with a big mad animal.”
    Everything was going well for Phil and Norma. He was winning or placing in most of the rodeos he entered, mostly in the steer wrestling but often in the calf roping also. He and Norma decided they would like to buy a place and maybe run some cattle, so they started putting money aside when they could.
    “We had saved a thousand dollars when I found a horse that I thought I had to have. Without telling Norma I paid six hundred dollars for the horse. Needless to say she was not happy. I think at that time in my life if I’d had to choose between rodeo and my family I’d have picked rodeo. Fortunately, I didn’t have to do that.”
    In 1961, Wayne started to school in Burkburnett, Texas. Phil moved the travel trailer to a friend’s yard and that’s where Norma and Wayne lived until summer. Once school was out the family hit the road together.
    Phil qualified for the National Finals in 1962. He was winning and doing well so he decided to quit working for Beutler Brothers and rodeo full time. He was broke by the end of the year, so he went back to Lynn and asked for his job back. Lynn made an exception in Phil’s case because he didn’t usually hire back workers who quit, but he hired Phil.
    “Lynn saved my bacon.”
    Harry Vold approached Phil and asked him to work for him. Phil explained that he would work for him when he wasn’t working rodeos for Lynn if it was okay with Lynn.
    “I needed as much work as possible and I really liked Harry. I stayed busy making twenty-three or more rodeos a year. To this day I think of Harry Vold as Mr. Rodeo. He started at the bottom and worked his way up and is a super nice guy.”
    Norma and Phil finally started looking for a place to buy. While visiting Jim and Deloris Smith they found forty acres near Okemah, Oklahoma. We looked the place over and decided that it would serve our purpose. So Phil borrowed five thousand dollars and bought a house and forty acres.
    “Being in debt bothered me, but the old man I bought the place from tried to reassure me. ‘He said you’re young and healthy. You’ll have that note paid off in no time.’”


    Phil got Norma and Wayne settled and headed to Tucson. After the rodeo, he returned home to wait the three weeks until Phoenix. He loaded up his horse, hooked up his travel trailer and got about to Chandler, Oklahoma when an eighteen-wheeler pulled out in front of him. Phil couldn’t avoid hitting him. His pickup was totaled, his horse killed, and the travel trailer destroyed. Now, he was really in debt, but he picked up and went on.
    As it turned out he won the bull dogging at Guymon, Oklahoma, the all around at El Paso, Texas and split the average at Denver with Bill Linderman.
    “Now that was one of the highlights of my rodeo life. Bill was my idol and one of the nicest guys I knew. I went home with enough money to pay off my debt. That’s another thing I loved about rodeo, it afforded an old poor boy the opportunity to get ahead.”
    In 1972 at Nampa, Idaho, Phil was running some fresh steers to see if they were going to do for the rodeo. The horse he was using was young but had never offered to buck.
    “It was a crazy deal. I started to get down on my steer but changed my mind before sliding out of the saddle. When I collected myself to get back seated I must have hit the horse in the flank with a spur. He had never bucked but that didn’t mean he couldn’t. He started pitching and instead of bailing out I tried to ride him. I wound up with a broken, torn up knee.
    “I was an upset man. We had no income and I was going to be laid up for a spell. Just when I thought all was lost Norma announced she was going to work at the Wrangler Blue Bell factory in Okemah. Later she began working in the treasurer’s office at the Okemah County Courthouse. We survived.”
    Phil was disabled for sixteen months and the doctor said he would probably never jump another steer. Twenty-three months after his accident he won second at Hinton, Oklahoma. He continued to rodeo but stayed close to home until time for Cheyenne rolled around. He had to go, but this time he flew instead of driving.
    “It’s every dogger’s dream to win Cheyenne and I came close in 1974. My last steer dog fell on me and knocked me out of the running.”
    In his rodeo career Phil entered won the all around at Colorado Springs twice, the bull doggin’ at Albuquerque, New Mexico, Nampa, Idaho, Little Rock, Arkansas, Kansas City, Kansas, Plainview, Texas and the all around at Weiser, Idaho. He made the National Finals in 1962 in the steer wrestling, worked at the Finals as a pickup man in 66, 68, and 70, and was a timed event judge at the Finals in 73, and 75. He retired from rodeo in 1975.
    “With Norma’s help I had bought up some more land and leased some so we were running mama cows and doing okay. Wayne had graduated high school and been accepted at West Point. I did some cattle buying for people, hauled cattle, took care of cattle for area ranchers, shod horses and broke colts. In 1986 I decided to sell my mama cows and buy yearlings, that is still what I’m doing now.”
    Wayne didn’t go back to West Point after his first year even though he enjoyed attending there. He decided to marry his long-time sweetheart and attend Oklahoma State University for a degree in Horticulture. He and his wife have three children.
    “Norma passed away in 2008. I miss her everyday. She put up with a lot, but we were both raised in good Christian homes so divorce wasn’t even considered. She was a good woman and I give her credit for doing most of Wayne’s raising.
    “I didn’t leave as big a footprint as some of my contemporaries, but no one worked any harder or loved rodeo any more than I did. I never turned my stock out even if the weather was awful, or I was out of the money. There was no quit in me.”

  • Teenagers Rope Lead at The American Semi-Finals

    Teenagers Rope Lead at The American Semi-Finals

    FORT WORTH, Texas (February 16, 2017) – A pair of teenagers bested some of the world’s best ropers Thursday night at RFD-TV’s The American Semi-Finals presented by Polaris RANGER at Cowtown Coliseum.

    As the final team to rope, Brenton Hall, 17, of Jay, Oklahoma, and Paden Bray, 18, of Granbury just wanted to rope their steer fast enough to wind up among the top 10 and qualify for Friday night’s Shootout round. The five best from Friday night punch their ticket to compete at The American, the world’s richest one-day rodeo, Sunday afternoon at AT&T Stadium with a chance to win a $1 million bonus.

    As Hall and Bray backed their horses into the roping boxes, a time of 4.22 seconds by National Finals Rodeo veteran Charly Crawford of Stephenville and Oklahoman Joe Harrison held the lead. The young ropers brought the crowd to their feet with a lightning-quick run of 4.0.

    Despite their ages, these two cowboys have a lot of experience. Bray says he first picked up a rope when he was two or three years old. Hall, son of a veteran team roper, started a bit later.

    “When I was little, I wanted to be a bull rider,” Hall said. He tried riding sheep and graduated to calves, but “I really didn’t like it when I started getting on live animals,” he said. “I quit at about age 7 and started roping.”

    Although they live nearly 400 miles apart, this pair has been roping together for a couple of years. They have both won big paychecks at major roping events and Hall competed at the International Finals Rodeo in January. Just one steer stands between them and the spotlight at the home of the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

    Youth was the theme of the night with 12-year-old Nevada cowgirl Wylee Mitchell winning the affection of the crowd in barrel racing. Mitchell had the third fastest time of the night, 14.012, and is currently sixth. With more than 1000 competitors in qualifying events across the country, the barrel racing brings the top 30 times to the semi-finals with 10 running each night. Mitchell will have to wait until Friday’s set of racers finish to see if she will be competing at The American.

    The fastest time of the night was turned in by cowboy Brandon Cullins of Clements, Maryland. His time of 13.833 is the second fastest, so he has a great chance to be one of a handful of men and the first person from Maryland to barrel race at AT&T Stadium.

    Derek Kolbaba of Walla Walla, Washington, who is currently ranked 8th in the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) standings, ended the night on a high note with a score of 90 points on a bull named Utter Lover. That was only the second time the bull, owned by D & H Cattle Company, had ever been ridden. Ten cowboys rode their bulls during the first two performances and will return for Friday’s shootout round where the top five move on to face the PBR’s top 10 2016 finishers and three-time Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) champion Sage Kimzey on Sunday.

    Timber Moore of Aubrey has dominated the tie-down roping. He qualified for the semi-finals with two slots. Wednesday night he roped and tied his calf in 6.81 seconds to take the lead. Thursday, he moved into second place with a time of 6.96. Moore has won nearly $6,000 in two nights and will have two chances Friday to be among the top six that get to rope again Sunday.

    Former world champion Will Lowe of Canyon scored 85 points on Four Star Rodeo’s horse Lolita to lead the bareback riding. He needs another solid ride Friday night to return to The American. Lowe has been an invited contestant as one of the top 10 for the past three years, but if he makes it back this year, he’ll have a shot at the $1 million bonus for the first time.

    Cody Harmon of Dublin turned in the fastest time of the semi-finals when he wrestled his steer to the ground in 4.08 seconds. Thursday night’s steer wrestling was especially tough. The five fastest times of the rodeo all happened during this performance.

    National Finals Rodeo veteran Cody DeMoss is another cowboy who has previously competed at The American. His score of 80.75 on Four Star’s Boogie was the best of the night. If he stays consistent, he’ll be back at AT&T Stadium with his first chance at the bonus.

    The unique format of The American gives any contestant an opportunity to qualify for the semi-finals and earn a share of nearly $1 million at Cowtown Coliseum. Those who finish among the best in each event move on and could win a portion of an additional $1 million in prize money and a $1 million bonus.

    Tickets for the semi-finals start at $20 and are available at Cowtown Coliseum. Tickets for The American are available through Ticketmaster.

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    Fort Worth, Texas (February 16, 2017) — The following are Thursday night’s RFD-TV’s The American Semi-Finals rodeo performance results at Cowtown Coliseum.

    Bareback Bronc Riding: 1, Will Lowe, Canyon, Texas, 85 points on Four Star Rodeo Company’s Lolita, $1,185. 2, Steven Peebles, Redmond, Ore., 83.25, $889. 3, JR Vezain, Cowley, Wyo., 79.5, $593. 4, David Peebles, Powell Butte, Ore., 79.00, $296.

    Steer Wrestling: 1, Cody Harmon, Dublin, Texas, 4.08 seconds, $2,474. 2, Blaine Jones, Templeton, Calif., 4.42, $1,896. 3, Seth Brockman, Wheatland, Wyo., 4.51, $1,484. 4, Jacob Shofner, Huntsville, Texas, 4.74, $1,154. 5, Chris Berry, Valley View, Texas, 4.79, $742. 6, Jeff Miller, Blue Mound, Kan., 4.90, $495.

    Team Roping: (leaders) 1, Brenton Hall, Jay, Okla., and Paden Bray, Granbury, Texas, 4.00 seconds. 2, Charly Crawford, Stephenville, Texas, and Joseph Harrison, Overbrook, Okla., 4.22, 3, Dustin Esgusquiza, Marianna, Fla., and Levi Lord, Stephenville, Texas, 4.79. 4, Cody Snow, Los Olivos, Calif., and Wesley Thorp, Stephenville, Texas, 4.89. 5, Matt Sherwood, Pima, Ariz., and Joel Bach, San Augustine, Texas, 4.99.

    Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Cody DeMoss, Heflin, La., 80.75 points on Four Star Rodeo Company’s Boogie, $1,343. 2, Cole Elshere, Faith, S.D., 79.75, $1,007. 3, Layton Green, Meeting Creek, Alberta, 78.50, $671. 4, Joaquin Real, Santa Paula, Calif., 77, 336.

    Tie-Down Roping: 1, Timber Moore, Aubrey, Texas, 6.96 seconds, $2,982. 2, Ryan Thibodeaux, Eunace, La., 7.14, $2,286. 3, Landyn Duncan, Atascosa, Texas, 7.47, $1,789. 4, Westyn Hughes, Caldwell, Texas, 7.70, $1,391. 5, Seth Cooke, Weatherford, Texas, 7.83, $845. 6, Blair Burk, Durant, Okla., 7.92, $596.

    Barrel Racing: 1, Brandon Cullins, Clements, Md., 13.833 seconds, $3,604. 2, Hailey Kinsel, Cotulla, Texas, 13.900, $3,003. 3, Wylee Mitchell, Pioche, Nev., 14.012, $2,402. 4, Victoria Williams, Kiln, Miss., 14.053, $1,802. 5, Amy Jo Farella, Cheyenne, Wyo., 14.076, $1,201.

    Bull Riding: 1, Derek Kolbaba, Walla Walla, Wash., 90 points on D&H Cattle Company’s Utter Lover, $883. 2, Claudio Marcelino de Montanha Junior, Ribeirão Dos Indios, São Paulo, Brazil, 88, $662. 3, Luciano Castro, Guzolandia, São Paulo, Brazil, 86.25, $441. 4, Trey Benton, Huntsville, Texas, 85.5, $221.

    Friday Shoot-out Contestants:

    Bareback Bronc Riding: 1, Will Lowe, Canyon, Texas. 2, Wyatt Bloom, Bend, Ore. 3, Steven Peebles, Redmond, Ore. 4, JR Vezain, Cowley, Wyo. 5, Tilden Hooper, Weatherford, Texas. 6, David Peebles, Powell Butte, Ore. 7, Grant Denny, Clements, Calif. 8, RC Landingham, Pendleton, Ore. 9, Leighton Berry, Poolville, Texas. 10, Blake Smith, Zap, N.D.

    Steer Wrestling: 1, Cody Harmon, Dublin, Texas. 2, Blaine Jones, Templeton, Calif. 3, Seth Brockman, Wheatland, Wyo. 4, Jacob Shofner, Huntsville, Texas. 5, Chris Berry, Valley View, Texas. 6, Ryan Swayze, Freedom, Okla. 7, (tie) Dean Gorsuch, Gering, Neb., and Jeff Miller, Blue Mound, Kan. 9, Rowdy Parrott, Mamou, La. 10, Josh Garner, Live Oak, Calif.

    Team Roping: 1, Brenton Hall, Jay, Okla., and Paden Bray, Granbury, Texas. 2, Charly Crawford, Stephenville, Texas, and Joseph Harrison, Overbrook, Okla. 3, Blake Hughes, Sulphur, Okla., and Brady Norman, Springer, Okla. 4, Dustin Esgusquiza, Marianna, Fla., and Levi Lord, Stephenville, Texas. 5, Cody Snow, Los Olivos, Calif., and Wesley Thorp, Stephenville, Texas. 6, Travis Whitlow and Tanner Luttrell, San Tan Valley, Ariz. 7, Matt Sherwood, Pima, Ariz., and Joel Bach, San Augustine, Texas. 8, J.B. James, Bennett, Colo., and Brock Hanson, Casa Grande, Ariz. 9, Andrew Ward, Edmond, Okla., and Brady Norman, Springer, Okla. 10, Edward Hawley, Hays, Mont., and Ty Romo, Whiteriver, Ariz.

    Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Isaac Diaz, Desdemonda, Texas. 2, Cody DeMoss, Heflin, La. 3, Cole Elshere, Faith, S.D. 4, Layton Green, Meeting Creek, Alberta. 5, Clay Elliot, Nanton, Alberta. 6, Joaquin Real, Santa Paula, Calif. 7, Louie Brunson, Interior, S.D. 8, Ryan Mackenzie, Jordan Valley, Ore. 9, Will Smith, Lugoff, S.C. 10, Sage Newman, Melstone, Mont.

    Tie-Down Roping: 1, Timber Moore, Aubrey, Texas. 2, Timber Moore, Aubrey, Texas. 3, Ryan Thibodeaux, Eunace, La.  4, Cory Solomon, Prairie View, Texas. 5, Ty Harris, San Angelo, Texas. 6, Landyn Duncan, Weatherford, Texas. 7, Westyn Hughes, Caldwell, Texas. 8, Seth Cooke, Weatherford, Texas. 9, Clint Cooper, Decatur, Texas. 10, Blair Burk, Durant, Okla.

    Barrel Racing: (There is not a shoot-out round in barrel racing. The top ten times from the 30 qualifiers will advance.)

    Bull Riding: 1, Derek Kolbaba, Walla Walla, Wash. 2, Claudio Marcelino de Montanha Junior, Ribeirão Dos Indios, São Paulo, Brazil. 3, Cole Melancon, Liberty, Texas. 4, Sevi Torturo, Oklahoma City, Okla. 5, Luciano Castro, Guzolandia, São Paulo, Brazil. 6, (tie) Luke Haught, Weatherford, Texas, and Trey Benton, Huntsville, Texas. 8, Jory Markiss, Redmond, Ore. 9, Stetson Lawrence, Trenton, N.D. 10, Jake Gowdy, Bristow, Okla.

     

     

  • Reigning world champion tops steer wrestling field at San Antonio Rodeo

    Reigning world champion tops steer wrestling field at San Antonio Rodeo

    SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Feb. 14, 2017) — Each year that steer wrestler Tyler Waguespack has entered the steer wrestling at the San Antonio Stock Show Rodeo, he has had more success.

    Waguespack, from Gonzales, La., joined the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association in 2012. The first time he qualified for the most lucrative regular-season rodeo was in 2014 when he won $1,466. The next year, he did a little better at $1,616.

    Last year, on the way to his first world championship he won $6,130 here. This year he plans to increase that and is ready to make a victory lap around the AT&T Center as the San Antonio champion. He has a way to go to get there, but got started with a win here on Tuesday night.

    Riding the two-time world champion steer wrestling horse “Landry’s Cadillac,” Waguespack stopped the clock in 3.7 seconds to win the round and $2,281. This is the beginning of Bracket 3 and all the contestants have two more opportunities to add to their earnings in hopes of advancing to the semi-finals.

    Waguespack’s traveling partner, Clayton Hass from Weatherford, Texas, was on the other side of the steer hazing for him. They also travel with Ty Erickson from Helena, Mont. Hass and Erickson are competing in the next bracket.

    “I travel with the best group of guys,” Waguespack said. “That takes a lot of pressure off. We have great horsepower and keep each other positive.”

    Waguespack is hoping for a San Antonio title but if he doesn’t win, he’d be very happy if it went to Hass or Erickson. They are having a lot of success early in the 2017 season. Erickson leads the world standings, Waguespack is second and Hass is in fourth place.

    The 2013 world champion tie-down roper had the fastest time of the night by nearly a second. Shane Hanchey, from Sulphur, La., stopped the clock in 7.3 seconds to win $2,281. Hanchey was aboard his trusty horse “Smokin Reata” for the win.

    At the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo last December, Amberleigh Moore set the barrel racing world on fire. She entered in the 15th and final position and finished as the world champion aboard her great mare “CP Dark Moon” that she calls Paige. They finished in first place here on Tuesday as well.

    Wednesday night’s rodeo will start at 7 p.m. where contestants will be in the second round of Bracket 3.

     

     

     

    SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Feb.14, 2017) — The following are results after the first performance of the San Antonio Stock Show Rodeo, the 12-time Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Large Indoor Rodeo of the Year. Complete results are available at sarodeo.com

     

    Bracket 3, round 1  —

     

    Bareback Riding: 1, Mason Clements, Santaquin, Utah, 86.5 points on Betty’s Boy, $2,281. 2, Jake Vold, Ponoka, Alberta, 83, $1,711. 3, Tanner Aus, Granite Falls, Minn., 82.5, $1,141. 4, Orin Larsen, Inglis, Manitoba, 80, $570.

     

    Steer Wrestling: 1, Tyler Waguespack, Gonzales, La., 3.7 seconds, $2,281. 2, Jason Thomas, Benton, Ark., 3.8, $1,711. 3, Cody Doescher, Oklahoma City, Okla., 4.0, $1,411. 4, Matt Reeves, Cross Plains, Texas, 4.6, $570.

     

    Team Roping: 1, Luke Brown, Stephenville, Texas and Jake long, Coffeyville, Kan., 4.9 seconds, $2,281. 2, Garrett Rogers, Baker city, Ore., and Jake Minor, Ellensburg, Wash., 5.1, $1,711. 3, Spencer Mitchell, Orange Cove, Calif., and Wyatt Cox, Arroyo Grande, Calif., 5.2, $1,141. 4, Dustin Bird, Cut Bank, Mont., and Russell Cardoza, Terrebonne, Ore., 5.5, $570.

     

    Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Hardy Braden, Welch, Okla., 84.5 points on Three Hills Rodeo’s Roulette, $2,281. 2, Cody Wright, Milford, Utah, 83, $1,711. 3, Allen Boore, Axtell, Utah, 82.5, $1,141. 4, Chase Brooks, Deer Lodge, Mont., 79.5, $570.

     

                   Tie-Down Roping: 1, Shane Hanchey, Sulphur, La., 7.3 seconds, $2,281. 2, Stetson Vest, Childress, Texas, 8.0, $1,711. 3, Marty Yates, Stephenville, Texas, 8.3, $1,141. 4, Marcos Costa, Childress, Texas, 8.4, $520.

     

    Women’s Barrel Race: 1, Amberleigh Moore, Keizer, Ore., 14.13 seconds, $2,281. 2, Jana Bean, Ft. Hancock, Texas, 14.20, $1,711. 3, Calyssa Thomas, Harrold, S.D., 14.30, $1,141. 4, Pamela Capper, Cheney, Wash., 14.44, $570.

     

    Bull Riding: 1, Bart Miller, Pleasanton, Neb., 88.5 points on Four Star Rodeo’s Fire Legend, $2,281. 2, Jeff Askey, Athens, Texas, 80, $1,711. 3, Cody Rostockyj, Lorena, Texas, 78, $1,141. 4, Guthrie Murray, Miami, Okla., 72, $570.

  • News & Notes from the rodeo trail

    Courtesy PRCA

    WranglerNetwork.com will live stream exclusive video coverage of the PRCA’s Seminole Tribe Brighton Field Day Festival and Rodeo in Okeechobee, Fla. The broadcast will go on the air at 3 p.m. (ET) Feb. 18-19 … For the first time in 17 years, a bullfight endorsed by the PRCA took place Feb. 11 at the Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee, Fla. Cody Emerson, a 28-year-old PRCA bullfighter from Marble Falls, Texas, won the competition with an 88-point score. Emerson scored better than both of his opposing PRCA bullfighters, Phill Hussman and Miles Jones, while Robbie Hodges was the barrelman in the arena. “The bull and I fought it out for about 35 seconds, matching move for move,” Emerson said. “We made a bunch of rounds, and I got four or five real good fakes on him. We got a great reaction in Kissimmee, and the crowd was loving it.” The next bullfight will take place Feb. 25 in San Antonio, Texas … Construction of a new 10,000-seat stadium at the Utah State Fair Park in Salt Lake is 40 percent complete. The Fair Park is scheduled to host the Days of ’47 Komatsu Equipment Cowboy Games, July 19-22 and 24. The $17 million stadium is being built in part from an infusion of $10 million in funding from the Utah Legislature, approved during a special session last summer, and a $3 million contribution from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The stadium is due for completion by July 1 … Nearly 300 people attended the Sheridan (Wyo.) College rodeo banquet Feb. 11 at the Sheridan Holiday Inn. Rodeo Coach Marc Gilkerson said the annual event is a fundraiser, and this was the seventh year for the event in Sheridan. In addition to the meal, the event included live and silent auctions, and live entertainment by the Munsick Boys … Dayton Silva, a PRCA Gold Card member, and member of the Livermore (Calif.) Rodeo committee and arena director, passed away Dec. 2, at his home in Acampo, Calif. He was 86 … Donald Kent Bandy, a former member of the Turtle Cowboys Association, passed away Dec. 3 in North Platte, Neb. He was 96 … William K. “Smokey” Smith, a former PRCA member and president of the First Frontier Circuit, and a regular competitor at the Cowtown Rodeo in Woodstown, N.J., passed away Jan. 23 in Townsend, Del. He was 81.Smith competed all over the east coast, with Madison Square Garden in New York being one of his favorite places. He was president of the First Frontier Circuit from 1986-1994, and he won numerous championships, buckles and saddles. His son, Chuck Smith, won the RAM First Frontier Circuit Finals team roping title last month in Harrisburg, Pa. … The Pendleton (Ore.) Round-Up and Happy Canyon Hall of Fame is hosting the seventh annual Battle of the Bars competition in the Let’er Buck Room March 3. The competition will begin at 6 p.m. (PT) and is open to the public, with no cover charge to attend, for those at least 21 years of age. Nine local bars are coming together in the Let’er Buck Room to compete for the “Best of West” title. Each establishment will create a signature drink that must contain Pendleton Whisky. At the end of the event, votes will be tallied and the winning bar will receive a plaque. This will be the seventh annual Battle of the Bars, the largest fundraiser of the year for the Pendleton Round-Up and Happy Canyon Hall of Fame … The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office said it is recommending criminal charges following an extensive investigation into a boat crash on Lake Coeur d’Alene last July that left three people dead. Caitlin Breeze, and PRCA competitors Justin Honken and Justin Luhr, died when another boat crashed into their stationary boat at about 9:15 p.m. July 30 near Threemile Point. Their bodies were found days later by a dive and sonar team. The owner of the boat which crashed into the three victims, Dennis Magner, was on the boat with four other passengers. “In the days following the crash, information became public that three people were missing and presumed drowned,” KCSO officials wrote in a release. “It was then that three occupants aboard Magner’s boat recanted their original statements, and identified Magner as the person actually operating the vessel at the time of the crash.”

     

  • NASHVILLE RECORDING ARTIST AND FORMER PROFESSIONAL BULL RIDER AUSTIN WAHLERT TO PERFORM AT RFD-TV’S THE AMERICAN IN AT&T STADIUM ON SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19

    NASHVILLE RECORDING ARTIST AND FORMER PROFESSIONAL BULL RIDER AUSTIN WAHLERT TO PERFORM AT RFD-TV’S THE AMERICAN IN AT&T STADIUM ON SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19

    With Performance in the FanZone at Semi-Finals in Fort Worth on Friday, February 17

     

     NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Nashville recording artist and former professional bull rider, Austin Wahlert, will return to Texas, where he attended college on a rodeo scholarship, to perform at RFD-TV’s The American presented by Polaris RANGER on Sunday, February 19 in AT&T Stadium following a one-hour performance in the FanZone at The American Semi-Finals on Friday, February 17 in Fort Worth, TX leading up to the event. Previous performers include Country music superstars Justin Moore, Jewel, and William Michael Morgan.

    Known as one of the world’s richest one-day rodeos, The American, which gives $2,000,000 in prize money on Sunday for the Finals and $1,000,000 in prize money at Semi-Finals, will begin with Semi-Finals on Wednesday through Friday at the historic Fort Worth Stockyards and conclude with Finals on Sunday at AT&T Stadium. RFD-TV’s The American is dedicating the entire week prior to the event to military and first responders by bringing the Wall that Heals, a half-scale replica of the Vietnam Wall, to the stockyards. The processional of the wall will begin on Tuesday, February 14 and will remain in the stockyards until Saturday, February 18 when the museum portion of the wall will move to the plaza at AT&T Stadium. Along with the wall, free tickets have been offered to active military and first responders at various bases, along with discounts.

    “Playing my song ‘Thin Blue Line’ to honor first responders and military at an event called The American in Cowboys Stadium, it doesn’t get more patriotic than that!” says the Colorado-native and Rocky Mountain CMA Songwriter of the Year, who is playing his second rodeo performance of 2017 after he performed as the first entertainment act at the National Western Stock Show in January. 

    Wahlert, who also performed at the 10th Round at the Wrangler’s National Finals Rodeo in 2014 and the Mandalay Bay Stage in December of 2016, has had great success in both America and Europe, where his song “Long Live Cowboys” hit #7 on the international chart and broke the top 100 on the pop chart. His latest album I WILL WIN has been described by Real American Cowboy Magazine as a “ballsy album with songs that challenge your realities and make you swell inside, some even make you re-commit to things that you’ve left behind.” The album can be purchased here.

     

    Event Details:

    Who: Austin Wahlert
    What: Live at Semi-Finals FanZone and Live at RFD-TV’s The American
    When: Friday, February 17 and Sunday, February 19
    Where: Fort Worth Stockyards and AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX
    Tickets: For more ticketing information, click here.

    Please contact us if you would be interested in either pre-coverage in the
    form of a phone or in-person interview or if you wish to attend the performance for on-site
    coverage and interviews.

    ###

     

    About Austin Wahlert:

    Originally from Northern Colorado, singer-songwriter Austin Wahlert grew up in the world of rodeo, participating as a collegiate and professional bull rider. Inspired at the age of 16 by his grandfather who served in the Korean War, where he also entertained the troops playing USO concerts, Wahlert began writing his own songs. While attending Odessa College in West Texas on a bull riding scholarship, he also found success in the small bars and honky-tonks of Texas playing his music. The next few years brought Wahlert a combination of tragedy, love, and excitement, which became the inspiration behind his songwriting, from losing his grandfather to Parkinson’s, to marrying his wife, Justine, then the birth of his children who later had health complications. Still touring Texas and other parts of the country, including an opening performance at the 10th Round at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in 2014, Wahlert has turned his focus to the national stage, while also working on his songwriting in Nashville. In a short time, the 2016 Rocky Mountain CMA Songwriter of the Year has garnered respect from established Music Row songwriters and industry executives, helping to guide his promising career from the bucking chutes to the stage in the arena.

    About RFD-TV’s THE AMERICAN Presented by Polaris RANGER:

    Taking place at Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium  on Feb. 19, 2017, RFD-TV’s The American is the richest single-day event in the history of rodeo. With $2 million on the line, the best athletes in the world will gather in Dallas to battle for the biggest single paycheck of their lives. The American invites the top athletes from the 2016 PRCA, ERA, WPRA and PBR world standings and pits them against underdogs who advance from the American Semi-Finals, held Feb. 14-17 in Fort Worth. If a nationally ranked athlete wins, the prize is $100,000, but if a qualifier from the Semi-Finals – or an athlete who earned an exemption – wins THE AMERICAN, that contestant shares in a $1 million bonus pool. For more information, please visit:www.americanrodeo.com and www.RFDTV.com. Follow us on Twitter @RFDTVAMERICAN and find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/RFDTVTheAMERICAN.
  • Ninety contestants one step closer to world’s richest rodeo

    Ninety contestants one step closer to world’s richest rodeo

    FORT WORTH, Texas (February 17, 2017) Before the three performances of The American Semi-Finals begin Wednesday night, a field of more than 450 was whittled down to 90 contestants. The top 30 in barrel racing and 20 in team roping and steer wrestling are one step closer to Sunday’s RFD-TV’s The American presented by Polaris RANGER and a chance to earn a $1 million bonus.

    Preliminary rounds of the semi-finals received a big boost this year when RFD-TV added half a million dollars to the purse. That increased the total payoff to nearly $1 million and spread the paychecks to more semi-finals contestants.

    The biggest money winner in the preliminary rounds was barrel racer, Brianna Trepanier of Stephenville who won more than $1,000 per second – taking home $13,876 for her time of 13.468 seconds. The top 40 finishers of the 178 semi-finalists earned a paycheck. First through 20th earned a percentage of the $114,000 purse while 21st through 40th each earned $750.

    “Now that we’re on the same page in a team sense, she is pretty easy to ride,” Trepnier said of her seven-year-old mare called “Quill.” “She is a free runner and it took a while to get with her, but I get along great with her now. We’re on a roll.”

    The racers with the 30 fastest times will compete again at Cowtown Coliseum with 10 different individuals running Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights.

    Team ropers earned a share of the $109,500 prize money in each of two rounds and for fastest total time. The biggest money winners of the 172 participants were Stephenville cowboys Charley Crawford and Will Woodfin. They each won $8,308 after placing seventh in round one, fourth in round two and first overall with a total time of 10.36.

    Crawford earned two slots in the performances. He and Woodfin rope Wednesday night and he teams with Oklahoman Joe Harrison on Thursday. Two other ropers – heelers Wesley Thorp of Throckmorton and Brady Norman of Springer, Oklahoma – also earned two semi-finals slots.

    The 20 teams with the fastest total times will compete Wednesday and Thursday night. The ten fastest times from those nights rope again Friday night. Those with the five fastest times Friday night will advance to The American at AT&T Stadium on Sunday.

    Crawford missed his final steer at last year’s semis and is looking forward to two chances at redemption. “We were the final team and just needed a clean run,” he said. “I want some overs, I want ‘em bad.”

    2016 National Finals Rodeo cowboy, Riley Duvall of Checotah, Oklahoma was the high money winner in steer wrestling. He won $10,118 after placing second in round one with 4.06 seconds, followed by a first-place finish of 3.56 seconds in round two. Steer wrestlers won $54,970 in the preliminary rounds. Duvall heads the list of 20 steer wrestlers who will compete on Wednesday and Thursday night with the top 10 advancing to Friday night’s performance. The top five finishers Friday night will earn the chance to compete at AT&T Stadium.

    Two more groups of qualifiers in calf roping and bull riding had not been determined at press time.

    The American Semi-Finals runs Wednesday through Friday with nightly performances at 7:30 p.m. The Wall That Heals, the half-size replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., is a cornerstone of the FanZone and will be open 24 hours a day until 3 p.m. Saturday.  The FanZone will feature live music, food trucks, beer vendors and a fashion show and will be open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

    Tickets for the semi-finals start at $10 and are available at Cowtown Coliseum. Ticket for The American in Arlington start at $20 and are available through Ticketmaster.

     

    -30-

     

    Fort Worth, TX-February 14, 2017— The following are results after preliminary rounds of competition at RFD-TV’s The American Semi-Finals rodeo.

    Barrel Racing: 1, Brianna Trepanier, Stephenville, Texas, 13.768 seconds, $13,876. 2, Abby Penson, Blossom, Texas, 13.868, $10,903. 3, Kelsey Lutjen, Casa Grande, Ariz., 13.922, $8,920. 4, Callahan Crossley, Hermiston, Ore., 13.928, $7,632. 5, (tie) Kellie Collier, Hereford, Texas, and Jessica Leach, Rockville, Neb. 13.942 $6,690. 7, Amy Jo Farella, Cheyenne, Wyo., 13.948, $5,947. 8, (tie) Brook Rix, Skidmore, Texas, and Jimmy Bryant, Columbus, Ind., 13.958, $5, 203. 10, Lindsey McLeod, Whitesboro, Texas, 13.973, $4,460. 11, Stevi Hillman, Weatherford, Texas, 13.978, $3,965. 12, Chris Martin, Brookston, Texas, 13.991, $3,667. 13, Ari-Anna Flynn, Charleston, Ark., 13.994, $3,271. 14, Kathy Korell-Rach, Loveland, Colo., 14.010, $2,874. 15, (tie) Kylie Conner, Welsh, La., and Leslie Willis, Chester, S.C., 14.031, $2,278. 17, Kassie Mowry, Dublin, Texas, 14.041, $1,685. 18, Shelby McCauley, Hockley, Texas, 14.042, $1,388. 19, Wylee Mitchell, Pioche, Nev., 14.048, $1,189. 20, Terri Wood-Gates, West Jordan, Utah, 14.059, $991.

    Team Roping: (first round winners) 1, Cody Snow, Los Olivos, Calif., and Billy Jack Saebens, Nowata, Okla., 4.77 seconds, $9,063. 2, Lane Ivy, Amarillo, Texas, and Buddy Hawkins II, Colombus, Kan., 5.09, $5,664. 3, Shane Philipp, Washington, Texas, and Wesley Thorp, Throckmorton, Texas, 5.13, $4532. 4, Zac Small, Welch, Okla., and Tyler Worley, Stephenville, Texas, 5.32, $3,776. 5, Brenten Hall, Jay, Okla., and Paden Bray, Granbury, Texas, 5.4, $3,399. 6, Tanner Baldwin, Vail, Ariz., and Lane Siggins, Phoenix, Ariz., 5.41, $3,021. 7, Charly Crawford and Will Woodfin, Stephenville, Texas, 5.49, $2,643. 8, Logan Olson and Walt Woodard, Stephenville, Texas, 5.53, $2,266. 9, Travis Whitlow, Queen Creek, Ariz., and Tanner Luttrell, Hermiston, Ore., 5.74, $1,888. 10, Bubba Buckaloo, Kingston, Okla., and Jake Smith, Broken Bow, Okla., 5.84, $1,511. (second round winners) 1, Cody Snow, Los Olivos, Calif., Wesley Thorp, Throckmorton, Texas, 4.43, $9,063. 2, Caleb Smidt, Bellville, Texas, and BJ Dugger, Center Point, Texas, 4.44, $5,664. 3, Trey Blackmore, Hillside, Ariz., Brock Hanson, Casa Grande, Ariz., 4.74, $4,532. 4, Charly Crawford and Will Woodfin, Stephenville, Texas, 4.87, $3,776. 5, David Key, Stephenville, Texas, and Rich Skelton, Llano, Texas, 5.41, $3,399. 6, Brenten Hall, Jay, Okla., and Tyler Worley, Stephenville, Texas, 5.56, $3,021. 7, Paul D. Tierney, Oral, S.D., and Cesar A. DeLaCruz, Tucson, Ariz., 5.71, $2,643. 8, Will Clark, Erin, Tenn., and Lane Mitchell, Bolivar, Tenn., 5.82, $2,266. 9, Dylan Gordon, Comanche, Okla., and Gage Williams, Foster, Okla., 5.83, $1,888. 10, Zac Small, Welch, Okla., and Tyler Worley, Stephenville, Texas, 5.87, $1,511. (total on two – Semi-Finals qualifiers) 1, Charly Crawford and Will Woodfin, Stephenville, Texas, 10.36, $10,196. 2, Zac Small, Welch, Okla., and Tyler Worley, Stephenville, Texas, 11.19, $6,457. 3, Lane Ivy, Amarillo, Texas, and Buddy Hawkins II, Colombus, Kan., 11.64, $4,418. 4, Dylan Gordon, Comanche, Okla., and Gage Williams, Foster, Okla., 11.89, $3,738. 5, Travis Whitlow, Queen Creek, Ariz., and Tanner Luttrell, Hermiston, Ore., 12.0, $3,059. 6, Shane Philipp, Washington, Texas, and Wesley Thorp, Throckmorton, Texas, 12.22, $2,719. 7, Manny Egusquiza Jr., Marianna, Fla., and Cody Hintz, Spring Creek, Nev., 12.32, $2,039, 8, Brenten Hall, Jay, Okla., and Paden Bray, Granbury, Texas, 12.35, $1,359.

    Steer Wrestling: (first round winners) 1, Jacob Shofner, Huntsville, Texas, 3.50 seconds, $6,521. 2, Riley Duvall, Checotah, Okla., 4.06, $3,598. 3, Brandon Harrison, Beaumont, Texas, 4.12, $2,923. 4, Donnie Endres, Elkville, Ill., 4.13, $2,024. 5, Ace Campbell, Robertson, Ala., 4.35, $1,799. 6, Billy Bugenig, Ferndale, Calif., 4.50, $1,574. 7, (tie) Shane Frey, Duncan, Okla., and Will Lummus, West Point, Miss., 4.52, $1,237. 9, Cole Edge, Durant, Okla., 4.65, $899. 10, Chase Crane, Boynton, Okla., 4.68, $675. (second round winners) 1, Riley Duvall, Checotah, Okla., 3.56, $6,521. 2, Ty Talsma, Verdigre, Neb., 3.78, $3,598. 3, Todd Suhn, Hermosa, S.D., 3.94, $2,923. 4, Cody Cabral, Hilo, Hawaii, 4.10, $2,024. 5, Cameron Morman, Glen Ullin, N.D., 4.22, $2,799. 6, Blake Knowles, Heppner, Ore., 4.34, $1,574. 7, Casey Harmon, Lipan, Texas, 4.35, $1,349. 8, Trevor Knowles, Mt. Vernon, Texas, 4.43, $1,124. 9, Tommy Denny, Menifee, Calif., 4.45, $899. 10, Kody Woodward, Dupree, S.D., 4.51, $675.

  • Aubrey barrel racer at top of San Antonio Stock Show Rodeo leaderboard

    Aubrey barrel racer at top of San Antonio Stock Show Rodeo leaderboard

     

    SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Feb. 11, 2017) —There was a lot of heat during the San Antonio Stock Show Rodeo on Saturday, most of it caused by barrel racer Taylor Langdon and her great buckskin mare, Vegas Firefighter.

    The eight-year -old mare and her jockey were the only barrel-racing duo in Bracket 1 to have three runs under 14 seconds that were penalty-free. Her times of 13.85, 13.94 and 13.74 were by far the most consistent and saw her making three victory laps around the AT&T Center. They were the high-money earners out of all the contestants in the bracket at $6,843. They are planning their trip back to the semi-finals which start on Feb. 21.

    “I’m on cloud nine,” Langdon said in a Facebook post shortly after her third run. “I don’t know when I have been more excited. Semi-Finals here we come.”

    Langdon, grew up near Aubrey, Texas, riding cutting horses. While in high school, she started competing in barrel racing and was hooked. She earned a rodeo scholarship to Texas Tech University in Lubbock where she qualified for the College National Finals Rodeo three times.

    It has all been part of the process for the focused young woman who has her sights set on the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR) next December in Las Vegas. It’s not just a coincidence that the mare that is helping her achieve that goal is called Vegas.

    Langdon finished the 2016 season just two spots out of qualifying for her first NFR. She is currently 30th in the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association world standings with $7,802. Add in the money she has already won here and she would be in the top 10 with opportunity to change that with a win in the semi-finals and then the finals.

    While Langdon and other contestants from Bracket 1 are excited about making the trip back to the Alamo City after their third-round competition on Saturday afternoon, a new group started Bracket 2 on Saturday night. Jacobs Crawley, from Boerne dominated the saddle bronc riding in Bracket 1, winning 2 rounds and placing in the third to earn $5,987 here so far.

    Saturday night, it was his younger brother Sterling who made the victory lap around the arena after the saddle bronc riding. He was 88 points on Stampede Warrior, a horse from Canada’s Calgary Stampede for the win. He is hoping to dominate like his world champion brother and have a chance at a San Antonio Championship Feb. 22.

    The second round of Bracket 2 will continue here on Sunday with a performance at 1 p.m. At other rodeos, contestants focus on their scores and times, but these are all looking at how much money they earn as that is how they advance through the brackets into the Semi-Finals and then to the Finals. When it is all said and done, $1.7 million in prize money will have been distributed among the athletes. For Taylor Langdon, it has the potential to change her whole year.

     

     

     

    SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Feb.11, 2017) — The following are results after the first performance of the San Antonio Stock Show Rodeo, the 12-time Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Large Indoor Rodeo of the Year. Complete results are available at sarodeo.com

     

    Bracket 1, round 3 followed by total money —

     

    Bareback Riding: 1, Wyatt Bloom, Bend, Ore., 85.5 points on Beutler and Son Rodeo’s Forward Motion, $2,281. 2, Tim O’Connell, Zwingle, Iowa, 80.5, $1,711. 3, (tie) Richmond Champion, The Woodladns, Texas, and Devan Rielly, Sheridan, Wyo., 80 and $855 points each. (semi-finals qualifiers) 1, O’Connell, $6,273. 2, Champion, $4,277. 3, Bloom, $3,992. 4, Kelly Timberman, Mills, Wyo., $1,141.

     

    Steer Wrestling: 1, Chason Floyd, Buffalo, S.D., 5.4 seconds, $2,281. 2, Tanner Brunner, Ramona, Kan., 5.5, $1,71. 3, Chance Howard, Cedarville, Ark., 6.0, $1,141. 4, Jace Melvin, Fort Pierre, S.D., 6.3, $571. (semi-finals qualifiers) Brunner, $3,992. 2, (tie) Floyd and Jon Ragatz, Beetown, Wis., $2,851 each. 4, Josh Clark, Belgrade, Mont., $1,996.

     

    Team Roping: 1, ( tie) Dustin Egusquiza, Mariana, Fla., and Kory Koontz, Stephenville, Texas; Pace Freed, Chubbuck, Idaho and Garrett Jess, Coulee City Wash.; Jake Cooper, Monument, N.M., and Jim Ross Cooper, Stephenville, Texas; and Manny Egusquiza Jr., and Chase Tryan, Helena, Mont., 4.3 seconds and $1,426 each. (semi-finals qualifiers) 1, Egusquiza and Koontz, $5,988. 2, Cooper and Cooper, $3,136. 3, Aaron Tsinigine, Tuba City, Ariz., and Travis Graves, Jay, Okla., 4.4, $2,851. 4, Rowdy Rieken, Arp, Texas, and Sid Sporer, Cody Wyo., $1,711.

     

    Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Lane Cust, Sylvan Lake, Alberta, 86.5 points on Beutler and Son Rodeo’s No Show Jones, 86.5, $2,281. 2, (tie) Jacobs Crawley, Boerne, Texas, and Layton Green, Meeting Creek, Alberta, 82.5 and $1,426 each. 4, (tie) Samuel Kelts, Millarville, Alberta, and Cody DeMoss, Heflin, La., 82, $285. (semi-finals qualifiers) 1, Crawley, $5,988. 2, (tie) Cust and Jake Wright, Milford, Utah, $3,422. 4, Layton Green, Meeting Creek, Alberta, $2,566.

     

                   Tie-Down Roping: 1, Chase Williams, Stephenville, Texas, 6.9 seconds, $2,281. 2, Timber Moore, Aubrey, Texas, 7.1, $2,851. 3, Matt Shiozawa, Chubbuck, Idaho, 7.5, $1,141. 4, Riley Pruitt, Gering, Neb., 7.6, $570. (semi-finals qualifiers) 1, Shiozawa, $3,422. 2, Moore, $2,851. 3, (tie) Williams and Randall Carlisle, Athens, Texas, $2,281 each.

     

    Women’s Barrel Race: 1, Taylor Langdon, Aubrey, Texas, 13.74 seconds, $2,281. 2, Kim Schulze, Larkspur, Colo., 13.96, $1,711. 3, Cayla Small, Burneyville, Okla., 14.01, $1,141. 4, Stevi Hilllman, Weatherford, Texas, 14.06, $570.(semi-finals qualifiers) 1, Langdon, $6,483. 2, (tie) Schulze and Hillman, $2,281. 4, Kellie Collier, Hereford, Texas, $1,711.

     

    Bull Riding: 1, (three rides) Cole Melancon, Liberty, Texas, 80.5 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Pit Boss, $2,471. 2, Parker Breding, Edgar, Mont., 80, $1,901. 3, Eli Vastbinder, Athens, Texas, 71, $1,331. (semi-finals qualifiers) 1, Josh Frost, Randlett, Utah, $3,136. 2, Scottie Knapp, Albuquerque, N.M., $2,851. 3, Melancon and Dustin Bowen, Waller, Texas, $2,281.

     

    Bracket 2, round 1 – fourth performance —

     

    Bareback Riding: 1, (tie) Chad Rutherford, Lake Charles, La., on Calgary Stampede’s Princess Warrior and J.R. Vezain, Cowley, Wyo., on Frontier Rodeo’s Gunfire, 82 points and $1,996 each. 3, Luke Creasy, Lovington, N.M., 79.5, $1,141. 4, (tie) Bill Tutor, Huntsville, Texas, and R.C. Landingham, Hat Creek, Calif., 78, $285.

     

    Steer Wrestling: 1, Sterling Lambert, Fallon, Nev., 3.9 seconds, $2,281. 2, Baylor Roche, Tremonton, Utah, 4.2, $1,711. 3, Scott Guenthner, Provost, Alberta, 4.5, $1,141. 4, Brad Johnson, Reva, S.D., 4.6, $570.

     

    Team Roping: 1, Billy Bob Brown, Carbon, Texas, and Logan Medlin, Tatum, N.M., 4.9 seconds, $2,281. 2, Bubba Buckaloo, Kingston, Okla., and Travis Woodard, Stockton, Calif., 5.4, $1,711. 3, Ryan Reed, Wittmann, Ariz., and Dugan Kelly, Paso Robles, Calif., 5.6, $1,141. 4, Cody Snow, Los Olivos, Calif., and Wesley Thorp, Throckmorton, Texas, 9.9, $470.

     

    Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Sterling Crawley, Stephenville, Texas, 88 points on Calgary Stampede’s Stampede Warrior, $2,281. 2, Zeke Thurston, Big Valley, Alberta, 86, $1,711. 3, (tie) Tyrel Larsen, Inglis, Manitoba; Clay Elliott, Nanton, Alberta; and Shade Etbauer, Goodwell, Okla.; 81 and 4570 each.

     

                   Tie-Down Roping: 1, Caleb Smidt, Bellville, Texas, 8.4, $2,281. 2, Cory Solomon, Prairie View, Texas, 9.5, $1,711. 3, Cimarron Boardman, Stephenville, Texas, 9.9, $1,141. 4, Bryson Sechrist, Apache, Okla., 10.8, $570.

     

    Women’s Barrel Race: 1, Ivy Conrado, Hudson, Colo., 14.06, $2,281. 2, Katie Pascoe, Morro Bay, Calif., 14.13, $1,711. 3, Tillar Murray, Fort Worth, Texas, 14.17, $1,141. 4, Carmel Wright, Roy, Mont., 14.32, $570.

     

    Bull Riding: (three rides) 1, Trevor Reiste, Linden, Iowa, 86.5 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Psychopath, $2,471. 2, Cody Teel, Kountze, Texas, 86, $1,901. 3, Joe Frost, Randlett, Utah, $1,331.

     

  • Crawley dominates San Antonio Rodeo

    Crawley dominates San Antonio Rodeo

     

    SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Feb. 9, 2017) —When the Alamo City starts saying “Let’s Rodeo San Antonio,” it’s music to saddle bronc rider Jacobs Crawley’s ears.

    It means it’s time for the rodeo competition to get underway and no one is happier about that than the 2016 world champion, Crawley, who lives just an hour away at Boerne. It’s an opportunity for him to ride bucking horses at night and spend the day at home, a rarity in a rodeo cowboy’s life.

    “I love San Antonio,” Crawley said. “I have three nights of rodeo 50 miles from my house. The only thing that could make it any better would be to finally win it.”

    Crawley joined the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association in 2006. Since that time, he has won titles at many of the top rodeos, but San Antonio has always eluded him. He finished second in 2014 and left with $15,905 but he is craving that first-place check and all the extras that go with it.

    Crawley is on his way with a first-place finish in the AT&T Center on Thursday night. He rode Beutler and Son Rodeo’s Ole Flame for 86 points and a $2,281 check. He finished three points ahead of Milford, Utah’s Jake Wright.

    The contestants here are divided into brackets and are competing for $1.7 million in prize money. Each bracket consists of three rounds of competition. This was the first round in Bracket 1. Crawley and the rest of the field will compete again on Friday night and Saturday afternoon.

    At the completion of the bracket, the top four money earners will earn a spot in the semi-finals. With Crawley’s win, he is almost assured a spot there.

    . The reigning world champion bareback rider, Tim O’Connell, also took the first-round win. He had an 85-point effort aboard another horse from the Beutlers, Choctaw Ridge. O’Connell is coming off of two big wins in the 2017 season at rodeos in Denver and Fort Worth. He leads the world standings with $32,407 and adding the prestigious San Antonio Rodeo title would put him well on his way to a fourth trip to Las Vegas to compete at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.

    The second round of Bracket 1 will begin at 7 p.m. on Friday.

     

     

    SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Feb.9, 2017) — The following are results after the first performance of the San Antonio Stock Show Rodeo, the 12-time Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Large Indoor Rodeo of the Year.

     

    Bracket 1, round 1 —

     

    Bareback Riding: 1, Tim O’Connell, Zwingle, Iowa, 85 points on Beutler and Son Rodeo’s Choctaw Ridge, $2,281. 2, Richmond Champion, The Woodlands, Texas, 83, $1,711. 3, Wyatt Bloom, Bend, Ore., 78, $1,141. 4, Jessy Davis, Power, Mont., 75.5, $570.

     

    Steer Wrestling: 1, Tanner Brunner, Ramona, Kan., 4.6 seconds, $2,281. 2, Jon Ragatz, Beetown, Wis., 5.1, $1,711. 3, Blaine Jones, Templeton, Calif., 9.2, $1,141. 4, Chason Floyd, Buffalo, S.D., 9.4, $570.

     

    Team Roping: 1, Dustin Egusquiza, Mariana, Fla., and Kory koontz, Stephenville, Texas, 5.0 seconds, $2,281 each. 2, Rowdy Rieken, Arp, Texas, and Sid Sporer, Cody, Wyo., 6.9, $1,711. 3, Aaron Tsinigine, Tuba City, Ariz., and Travis Graves, Jay, Okla., 11.0, $1,141. 4, Jake Cooper, Monument, N.M., and Jim Ross Cooper, Stephenville, Texas, 11.7, $570.

     

    Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Jacobs Crawley, Boerne, Texas, 86 points on Beutler and Son Rodeo’s Ole Flame, $2,281. 2, Jake Wright, Milford, Utah, 83, $1,711. 3, Lane Cust, Bonnyville, Alberta, 80.5, $1,141. 4, (tie) Cody DeMoss, Heflin, La., and Jake Watson, Hudson’s Hope, British Columbia, 80 and $285 each.

     

                   Tie-Down Roping: 1, Randall Carlisle, Athens, La., 7.0 seconds, $2,281. 2, Shank Edwards, Tatum, N.M., 7.5, $1,711. 3, (tie) Kyle Lucas, Carstairs, Alberta, and Scott Kormos, Teague, Texas, 7.6 and $855 each.

     

    Women’s Barrel Race: 1, Taylor Langdon, Aubrey, Texas, 13.85 seconds, $2,281. 2, Sydni Blanchard, Albuquerque, N.M., 14.17, $1,711. 3, Kim Schulze, Larkspur, Colo., 14.20, $1,141. 4, Kellie Collier, Hereford, Texas, 14.25, $570.

     

    Bull Riding: 1, Dustin Bowen, Waller, Texas, 87 points on Beutler and Son Rodeo’s Record Rack’s 90 Proof, $2,281. 2, Josh Frost, Randlett, Utah, 85, $1,711. 3, Rorey Maier, Timber Lake, SD., 83, $1,141. 4, Scottie Knapp, Albuquerque, N.M., 79, $570.

     

  • Premier Timed Event

    Premier Timed Event

    Casey Mahoney; Founder of the Premier Timed Events website, an Online Roping Jackpot

    Casey Mahoney is not a computer guy, but owns an online company that is built on a custom-program platform. “I don’t talk the computer coding language, but I tell my developer what I need the website to do and he converts it all and we go from there,” said the 29-year-old from College Station, Texas. His company, Premier Timed Events, started with an idea from his college days. After graduating with an Ag Leadership, Education, and Development degree from Texas A&M in 2009, Casey rodeoed full time for a little over five years. “When I was on the road, I eventually got tired of the traveling. And if I wasn’t at a rodeo, I wasn’t making money.” He figured there had to be a way to make money without traveling.
    “Basically during the week while you are practicing and preparing for whatever the next event you maybe heading to, no matter at what level, you can now get paid for all the hard work you are putting in by winning money while you practice.”
    The way it works is simple. As the roper is practicing, they video their runs. Each week there’s a new jackpot (Books open every Sunday at 12:01 am and close the following Saturday at 11:59 pm) and each week the contestant(s) uploads three runs. All the videos are timed by Premier Timed Events as they are received and the money is paid out based on the time from a 3 head average. As soon as the week closes (Saturdays at 11:59pm), they use Sunday as the time to verify the results and times, then on Monday the winning videos, the ropers, and their times are posted to social media as well as the website. There are no membership fees, and no hidden fees. It’s an 80% payout, with all the transaction fees taken by the company.
    “I’m trying to make this as roper friendly and user friendly as possible.” The online team roping jackpot has been live for three months, and breakaway roping and calf roping were added a month ago. “We are in four countries now and set up to accept any credit card, debit card, or PayPal. We pay one money for every ten teams entered.”
    Casey grew up hunting, fishing, surfing and playing basically ever other sport under the sun in Corpus Christi Texas. “I didn’t put a rope in my hand until I was 18,” he said. “One day I just decided to learn to rope and a good friend agreed to help me learn how to ride and rope. I was blessed to meet and learn from some great pros in the team roping and rodeo world along the way as I was learning the “ropes” and ended up roping in college and at the professional level.”
    His biggest thing in regards to his company is customer service. “We answer the phone 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Since we are international, we’ve got to have the phones covered. Nine times out of ten it’s me, but once in a while it’s someone that works for the company.”
    The future is to get into all the rodeo events, and eventually get into other sporting events. “It’s been fun watching it grow, spreading into other countries has been neat. I didn’t realize that team roping was so big in other countries, so watching the videos from other arenas and countries has been real fun.”

     

  • Two buckles are twice as nice at Fort Worth Rodeo

    Two buckles are twice as nice at Fort Worth Rodeo

     

     

    FORT WORTH, Texas (Feb. 4, 2017) – When the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo started on Jan. 20, there were 1163 contestants hoping to leave here with a legendary championship.

    The field was narrowed down to the top 12 in bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronc riding, barrel racing and bull riding who competed in the Will Rogers Coliseum on Saturday night. Champions in each of the events were crowned based on their total times or scores. When it over, both the bareback riding and saddle bronc riding champions earned consecutive championships.

    The odds of winning a championship here are high. It might be easier to be struck by lightning than to win consecutive titles. Just ask Tim O’Connell, from Zwingle, Iowa and Jake Wright, from Milford, Utah. O’Connell won the bareback riding last year and again this year. Wright did the same in the saddle bronc riding.

    O’Connell used his win here last year to help him qualify for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and win a world championship. He is planning on the same thing happening this year. His total score of 336 points on four horses won $11,966.

    “After winning the world last year, I had to reevaluate my goals,” he said. “Because that was such a big deal and a lifelong goal, I was questioning what I was going to do next. I talked to my mentors and my new goal is to win six world titles.”

    There are two men in the history of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association that have won five bareback riding world championships. O’Connell’s goal is to become the first to win six. If he keeps riding like he did here, he is well on his way to number two.

    “I really enjoy this rodeo, even though it’s not an easy one to win,” he added. “It’s full of tradition and you can’t help thinking about the guys that rode here before you. I stand behind the chutes and watch the grand entry. It’s cool to see the six flags of Texas out there and this is the only rodeo I go to that everyone recites the Pledge of Allegiance. I think that’s awesome.”

    Jake Wright won the saddle bronc riding with a total score of 255.5 points on three rides. He also used the money he won here last year to help him qualify for the 2016 NFR. He is hoping that rings true again this year. He added $13,998 to his checking account here.

    Tuf Cooper, who lives just west of here at Weatherford, became the first member of the famous roping clan to earn a Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo title. He has had the fast time of the rodeo and finished second twice. His father Roy Cooper also had the same result. On Saturday night, Tuf came into the finals in the lead and then clocked the fast time of the night at 8.7 seconds. His total time of 27.2 seconds got him the championship and earned him $17,187. He was the biggest money winner of the rodeo.

    Other winners here include, Luke Branquinho, Los Alamos, Calif., steer wrestling; Erich Rogers, Round Rock, Arizona and Cory Petska, Marana, Arizona, team roping; Fallon Taylor, Collinsville, Texas, barrel racing, and Dave Mason, Burnet, Texas, bull riding.

    Bareback Riding – Tim O’Connell, Zwingle, Iowa, 336 points, $11,966

    Steer Wrestling – Luke Branquinho, Los Alamos, California, 12.2 seconds, $15,267

    Team Roping – Erich Rogers, Round Rock, Arizona

    and Cory Petska, Marana, Arizona, 16.0 seconds, $12,493 each

    Saddle Bronc Riding – Jake Wright, Milford, Utah, 255 points, $13,998

    Tie-Down Roping – Tuf Cooper, Weatherford, Texas, 27.2 seconds, $17,187

    Barrel Racing – Fallon Taylor, Collinsville, Texas, 49.61 seconds, $16,123

    Bull Riding – Dave Mason, Burnet, Texas, 235.5 points, $11,693

     

    FORT WORTH, Texas (Feb. 4, 2017) — The following are unofficial final results from the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo.

    Bareback Riding: Final Round – 1, (tie) Tim O’Connell, Zwingle, Iowa, on Rafter G Rodeo’s Ankle Biter; Chad Rutherford, Lake Charles, La., on Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Top Notch, and Clint Laye, Pocatello, Idaho, on Four Star Rodeo’s Short Fuse, 87 points, $1,267 each. 4, (tie) Kenny Haworth, Orofino, Idaho, and Tyler Nelson, Victor, Idaho, 84.5, $475. 6, Wyatt Bloom, Bend, Ore., 83.5, $250.

    (total on four) 1, Tim O’Connell, 336 points, $6,485. 2, Clint Laye, 333.5, $4971. 3, Chad Rutherford, 330.5, $3674. 4, Tyler Nelson, $2,377. 5, Tanner Aus, Granite Falls, Minn., 324, $1,513.  6, Wyatt Denny, Minden, Nev., 323, $1,081, 7, Justin Miller, Billings, Mont., 319.5, $865. Mason Clements, Santaquin, Utah, 318.5, $648.

    Steer Wrestling: Final Round—1, Luke Branquinho, Los Alamos, Calif., 3.9 seconds, $1,967. 2, Ryle Smith, Oakdale, Calif., 4.2, $1,710. 3, Rowdy Parrott, Mamou, La., 4.3, $1,453. 4, Ty Erickson, Helena, Mont., 4.6, $1,197. 5. Tanner Brunner, Ramona, Kan., 5.9, $941. 6, Wade Sumpter, Fowler, Colo., 6.0, $684. 7, Jason Thomas, Benton, Ark., 6.4, $427. 8, Cody Harmon, Dublin, Texas, 7.6, $171.

    (total on three) 1, Luke Branquinho, 12.2 seconds, $8,409. 2, Rowdy Parrott, 12.9, $7,312. 3, Ryle Smith, 13.7, $6,215. 4, Ty Erickson, 15.1, $5,119. 5, Wade Sumpter, 15.7, $4, 022. 6, Jason Thomas, 15.9, $2,925. 7, Tanner Brunner, 16.5, $1,828. 8, Cody Harmon, 17.1, $731.

    Team Roping: Final Round – 1, Cody Snow, Los Olivos, Calif., and Wesley Thorp, Throckmorton, Texas, 5.2 seconds, $1,610 each. 2, Chad Masters, Lipan, Texas, and Travis Graves, Jay, Okla., 5.4, $1,332 each. 3, Blake Teixeria, Tres Pinos, Calif., York Gill, Stephenville, Texas, 5.6, $1,055 each. 4, Erich Rogers, Round Rock, Ariz., and Cory Petska, Marana, Ariz., 6.3, $500 each. 6, Chase Wiley, Charlotte, Texas, Martin Lucero, Stephenville, Texas, 6.5, $278 each.

    (total on three) 1, Erich Rogers and Cory Petska, 16.0 seconds, $7,530 each. 2, Blake Teixeira and York Gill, 16.3, $6,548 each. 3, Chad Masters and Travis Graves, 16.5, $5,566 each. 4, Kaleb Driggers, Albany, Ga., Junior Nogueira, Presidente Prudente, Brazil, 16.7, $4,585 each. 5, Cody Snow and Wesley Thorp, 17.4, $3,601 each. 6, Chase Wiley, Charlotte, Texas, and Martin Lucero, Stephenville, Texas, $2,619 each. 7, Clayton Hass, Weatherford, Texas, and John Robertson, Polson, Mont., 10.5 (on two), $1,637 each. 8, Dustin Bird, Cut Bank, Mont., and Russell Cardoza, Terrebonne, Ore., 10.6, $655 each.

    Saddle Bronc Riding: Final Performance- 1, (tie) Cody DeMoss, Heflin, La., on Dakota Rodeo’s Bridal Shower and Jake Wright, Milford, Utah, on J Bar J Rodeo’s Special Time, 87.5 points, $1,450 each. 3, Jacobs Crawley, Boerne, Texas, 86.5, $900, 4, (tie) Tyrell J. Smith, Sand Coulee, Mont.; CoBurn Bradshaw, Beaver, Utah, and Zeke Thurston, Big Valley, Alberta, 83, $400 each.

    (total on three) 1, Jake Wright, 255.5, $7,479. 2, Cody DeMoss, 254, $5,734. 3, Zeke Thurston, 247, $4,238. 4, CoBurn Bradshaw, 246.5, $2,742. 5, Jacobs Crawley, 245.5, $1,745. 6, Tyrell J. Smith, 242, $1,246. 7, Sterling Crawley, Stephenville, Texas, 241, $998. 8, Spencer Wright, Milford, Utah, 235, $748.

    Tie-Down Roping: Final Round- 1, Tuf Cooper, Weatherford, Texas, 8.7 seconds, $2,093. 2, Todd Brown, Lamar, Colo., 9.0, $1,820. 3, Bryson Sechrist, Apache, Okla., 9.1, $1,547. 4, Clint Akins, Sanger, Texas, 9.4, $1,274. 5, Stetson Vest, Childress, Texas, 9.8, $1,001. 6, Seth Crain, Yancey, Texas, 9.9, $455. 7, Caleb Smidt, Bellville, Texas, 10.0, $455. 8, Catfish Brown, Collinsville, Texas, 10.3, $182.

    (total on three) 1, Tuf Cooper, 27.2, $9,555. 2, Clint Akins, 28.4, $8,308. 3, Caleb Smidt, 28.6, $7,062. 4, (tie) Todd Brown, Bryson Sechrist, and Stetson Vest, 29.5, $4,570 each. 7, Justin Smith, Leesville, La., 30.1, $2,077. 8, Seth Crain, Yancey, Texas, 30.3, $831.

    Barrel Racing: Final Round – 1, Tiany Schuster, Krum, Texas, 16.45 seconds, $3,778, 2, Brooke Rix, Skidmore, Texas, 16.57, $2,833, 3, Kathy Grimes, Medical Lake, Wash., 16.58, $1,889. 4, Fallon Taylor, Collinsville, Texas, 16.62, $944.

    (total on three) 1, Fallon Taylor, 49.61, $7,650. 2, Kathy Grimes, 49.83, $6557. 3, Tiany Schuster, Krum, Texas, 49.92. 4, Cayla Small, Burneyville, Okla., 49.95, $4,736. 5, Sidney Forrest, Lipan, Texas, 50.0, $3,643. 6, Brooke Rix, 50.13, $2,914. 7, Jane Melby, Burneyville, Okla., 50.19, $2,186. 9, Amberleigh Moore, Keizer, Ore., 50.22, $1,093. 10, Kelly Yates, Pueblo, Colo., 50.39, $729.

    Bull Riding: Final Round— (two rides) 1, Dustin Bowen, Waller, Texas, 86 points on Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Mean Face, $2,700. 2, Dave Mason, Burnet, Texas, 84.5, $2,300.

    (total on three) 1, Dave Mason, 235.5, $8,720. 2, Dustin Bowen, 173.5 (on two), $6,685. 3, Bayle Worden, Charleston, Texas, 167, $4,941. 4, Eliot Jacoby, Fredericksburg, Texas, 166.5, $3,197. 5, Garrett Tribble, Bristow, Okla., 158.5, $2,035. 6, Koby Radley, Holden, La., 156, $1,453. 7, (tie) Ricky Hallam, Norco, Calif., and Nic Lica, Garden City, Mich., 151, $1,017 each.

     

  • Taylor and Babyflo take Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo by storm

    Taylor and Babyflo take Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo by storm

    FORT WORTH, Texas (Feb. 1, 2017) – Fallon Taylor is on a mission that got a big boost on Wednesday night at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo.

    The Collinsville, Texas, barrel racer and her great mare Flos Heiress, that Taylor and her many fans know as Babyflo, have made the fastest run of the rodeo through 23 performances. When they made the last turn around a barrel and ran for home, they crossed through the electric timer and stopped the clock in 16.35 seconds.

    They took the lead in the second round by a nearly half of a second and the overall standings by nearly two-tenths. The seven-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier and 2014 world champion is looking good for a title here.

    Taylor and Babyflo placed fifth in the first round with a 16.64. That earned them a $2,429 paycheck. When they came back for the second round, they were the second duo on the ground and made a flawless run.

    “It was really, really good,” Taylor said. “She just felt super. She’s such a cool mare and so much fun. All I have to do is sit on top of her and smile.”

    Taylor has a lot to smile these days. A personal journey of fitness has seen her change her eating habits and work out with personal trainer Daniel Sullivan from Dallas. She credits her new habits for making a “drastic change” on her performance in the arena.

    Always competitive, she has a “lofty goal” of competing in a fitness competition in Puerto Rico at the end of April.

    But before she does that, Taylor will be back here on Saturday night, hoping to earn a championship that would be very welcome, especially since she has never won this rodeo which is just an hour and a half from her home.

    Taylor was returning to Collinsville Wednesday night with a very big smile on her face after her success here. She will spend two days there, return here and then drive all night to Nolensville, Tennessee where she is putting on a barrel racing clinic.

    With just five more performances before Saturday night’s finals, contestants that expect to be competing Saturday night are making their way back here from rodeos in Rapid City, South Dakota and San Angelo, Texas. There are still those left to compete and that list includes bareback rider, Tim O’Connell, from Zwingle, Iowa who was last year’s champion here and is the reigning world champion.

    The 121st Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo continues Thursday with rodeo performances at 2 and 7:30 p.m.

     

    -30-

     

    FORT WORTH. — The following are unofficial results from Wednesday at the World’s Oldest Indoor Rodeo® at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, February 1, 2017.

    Twenty-Second Performance

    Bareback Riding: 1, Kenny Haworth, Orofino, Idaho, 82 points on Western Rodeos’ Time Square. 2, Joel Schlegel, Burns, Colo., 79.5. 3, Casey Breuer, Mandan, N.D., 75. 4, Nick Gutzwiler, Edwall, Wash., 74.

    Steer Wrestling: 1, Tristan Martin, Sulphur, La., 6.3 seconds. 2, Marcus Theriot, Poplarville, Miss., 12.9. 3, Trey Green, Edgewood, Texas, 13.9. 4, Kyle Irwin, Robertsdale, Ala., 14.5.

    Team Roping: (two times) 1, Tyler Waters, Stephenville, Texas, and Tyler Magnus, Mason, Texas, 5.3. 2, Chase Wiley, Charlotte, Texas, and Martin Lucero, Stephenville, Texas, 6.6.

    Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Rusty Wright, Milford, Utah, 77.5 points on Western Rodeos’ Basket Case. 2, Spencer Wright, Milford, Utah, 77. 3, (tie) Brady Nicholes, Hoytsville, Utah, and Cole Hatcher, Filer, Idaho, 76.5.

    Tie-Down Roping: (three times) 1, Newt Bruley, Willow Lake, S.D., 9.7 seconds. 2, Matt Peters, Oral, S.D., 13.7. 3, Keaton Newman, Herriman, Utah, 18.5.

    Barrel Racing: 1, Sidney Forrest, Lipan, Texas, 16.52 seconds. 2, Brooke Rix, Skidmore, Texas, 16.54. 3, Lacinda Rose, Willard, Mo., 16.84. 4, Sammi Bessert, Grand Junction, Colo., 16.89.

    Bull Riding: 1, Trey Benton III, Rock Island, Texas, 80 points on Red One. 2, John Pitts, Panama City, Fla., 78.5. 3, Lane Lasley, Conway, Ark., 76. 4, Cole Echols, Huntsville, Texas, 71.5.

     

    Twenty-Third Performance

    Bareback Riding: 1, Devan Reilly, Sheridan, Wyo., 77 points on Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Liberty Stand. 2, Wesley Cole, Goodwell, Okla., 76.5. 3, Kenny Haworth, Orofino, Idaho, 73.5. 4, Casey Breuer, Mandan, N.D., 72.

    Steer Wrestling: 1, Jon Laine Herl, Goodland, Kan., 4.8 seconds. 2, Ty Lang, Montrose, Colo., 5.4. 3, Tanner Milan, Cochrane, Alberta, 5.9. 4, Scott Guenthner, Provost, Alberta, 6.4.

    Team Roping: 1, Garrett Tonozzi, Fruita, Colo., and Bret Tonozzi, Loma, Colo., 5.2 seconds. 2, Joe Beaver, Okeechobee, Fla., and McCoy Profili, Okeechobee, Fla., 6.4. 3, Rhen Richard, Roosevelt, Utah, and Rich Skelton, Llano, Texas, 6.7. 4, Kelsey Phillips, Rough Rock, Ariz., and Cole Davison, Stephenville, Texas, 14.5.

    Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Samuel Kelts, Millarville, Alberta, 80 points on Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Momentum Shifter. 2, Martin Joyce, Juntura, Ore., 71.5. 3, Laramie Collins, Woody, Calif., 69. 4, Luke White, Lincoln, Calif., 67.

    Tie-Down Roping: (three times) 1, Todd Brown, Lamar, Colo., 10.0 seconds. 2, Taylor Smith, Hobbs, N.M., 19.9. 3, Rody Ballard, Combine, Texas, 21.10.

    Barrel Racing: 1, Fallon Taylor, Collinsville, Texas, 16.35 seconds. 2, Dena Kirkpatrick, Post, Texas, 16.56. 3, Kim Schultze, Larkspur, Colo., 16.67. 4, Jessica Frost, Ropesville, Texas, 16.80.

    Bull Riding: no qualified rides

     

    Current Leaders

    Bareback Riding: (first round) 1, (tie) Trenton Montero, Winnemucca, Nev., on Rafter G Rodeo’s Biscuit and Tyler Nelson, Victor, Idaho, on J Bar J Rodeo’s Bar Bandit, 83 points. 3, Kenny Haworth, Orofino, Idaho, 82. 4, Chad Rutherford, Lake Charles, La., 81.5. 5, (tie) Grant Denny, Minden, Nev., Justin Miller, Billings, Mont., and Mason Clements, Santaquin, Utah, 81. (second round) 1, Steven Dent, Mullen, Neb., 87 points on Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Freckled Frog. 2, Jake Brown, Cleveland, Texas, 83.5. 3, (tie) Austin Foss, Terrebonne, Ore., Tyler Nelson, Victor, Idaho, and Zachariah Phillips, Gillette, Wyo., 81. 6, Justin Miller, Billings, Mont., 80. (third round) 1, Clements, 87.5 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Night Fist. 2, Wyatt Denny, 84 points on Dakota Rodeo’s Wolverine. 3, Brown, 83.5. 4, Rutherford, 83. 5, Kelly Timberman, Mills, Wyo., 81. 6, (tie) Rio Lee, Tucson, Ariz., Dent, and Nelson, 80.5. (total on three) 1, Dent, 248. 2, Nelson, 244.5. 3, Rutherford, 243.5. 4, (tie) Wyatt Denny and Clements, 241.5. 6, Miller, 237. 7, Timberman, 230.5. 8, Wyatt Bloom, Bend, Ore., 230.

    Steer Wrestling: (second round) 1, Trell Etbauer, Goodwell, Okla., 3.9 seconds. 2, (tie) Tyler Pearson, Louisville, Miss., and Garrett Poston, Winnsboro, Texas, 4.1. 4, (tie) Tom Lewis, Lehi, Utah, Cameron Morman, Glenullin, N.D., and Rowdy Parrott, Mamou, La., 4.2. (total on two) 1, Etbauer, 8.1. 2, Luke Branquinho, Los Alamos, Calif., 8.3. 3, Parrott, 8.6. 4, (tie) Ryle Smith, Oakdale, Calif., Thomas, and Harmon, 9.5. 7, Wade Sumpter, Fowler, Colo., 9.7. 8, Jon Laine Herl, Goodland, Kan., 10.3.

    Team Roping: (first round) 1, Clayton Hass, Weatherford, Texas, and John Robertson, Polson, Mont., 4.5 seconds. 2, Lightning Aguilera, Athens, Texas, and Cody Hogan, Athens, Texas, 4.6. 3, Kaleb Driggers, Albany, Ga., and Junior Nogueira, Presidente Prudente, Brazil, 4.7. 4, Chase Wiley, Charlotte, Texas, and Martin Lucero, Stephenville, Texas, 4.8. 5, (tie) Jake Cooper, Monument, N.M., and Brady Norman, Springer, Okla., and Travis Tryan, Billings, Mont., and Chase Tryan, Helena, Mont., 5.1. (second round) 1, Clay Tryan, Billings, Mont., and Jade Corkhill, Fallon, Nev., 4.3 seconds. 2, (tie) Caleb Smidt, Bellville, Texas, and B.J. Digger, Three Rivers, Texas, and Erich Rogers, Round Rock, Ariz., and Cory Petska, Marana, Ariz., 4.4. 4, Blake Teixeira, Tres Pinos, Calif., and York Gill, Stephenville, Texas, 4.5. 5, Paul David Tierney, Oral, S.D., and Cesar del la Cruz, Tucson, Ariz., 4.7. 6, (tie) Dan Williams Jr., Standish, Calif., and Caleb Twisselman, Santa Margarita, Calif., and Marcus Theriot, Poplarville, Miss., and Matt Kasner, Cody, Neb., 4.8. (total on two) 1, Rogers and Petska, 9.7. 2, Clayton Hass, Weatherford, Texas, and John Robertson, Polson, Mont., 10.5. 3, Bird and Cardoza, 10.6. 4, Teixeira and Gill, 10.7. 5, Driggers and Nogueira, 10.9. 6, Travis Tryan, Billings, Mont., and Chase Tryan, Helena, Mont., 11.0. 7, Chase Wiley, Charlotte, Texas, and Martin Lucero, Stephenville, Texas, 11.4. 8, (tie) Cody Snow, Los Olivos, Calif., and Wesley Thorp, Throckmorton, Texas, and John Alley, Adams, Tenn., and Clark Adcock, Adams, Tenn., 12.2.

    Saddle Bronc Riding: (first round) 1, Jake Watson, Hudsons Hope, B.C., 87 points on J Bar J Rodeo’s Money Maker. 2, Colt Gordon, Comanche, Okla., 85.5. 3, (tie) Jacobs Crawley, Boerne, Texas, and Zeke Thurston, Big Valley, Alberta, 84. 5, (tie) Audy Reed, Spearman, Texas, and Allen Boore, Axtell, Utah, 83.5. (second round) 1, (tie) Jake Wright, Milford, Utah, on Andrews Rodeo’s Cat Walk and Cody DeMoss, Heflin, La., on Rafter G Rodeo’s Low Bucks, 85. 3, Clay Elliott, Nanton, Alberta, 82. 4, (tie) CoBurn Bradshaw, Milford, Utah, and Dean Wadsworth, Ozona, Texas, 81.5. 6, (tie) Sterling Crawley, Stephenville, Texas, Thurston and Shade Etbauer, Goodwell, Okla., 81.5. (total on two) 1. Jake Wright, 168. 2, Cody DeMoss, 166.5. 3, Thurston, 164.5. 4, Bradshaw, 163.5. 5, Watson, 161.6, (tie) Sterling and Jacobs Crawley, 159. 8, Clay Elliott, Nanton, Alberta, 158.

    Tie-Down Roping: (second round) 1, Tyson Durfey, Weatherford, Texas, 7.9 seconds. 2, (tie) Ben Robinson, Red Deer County, Alberta, Bobby Abernathy, Athens, Ala., and Bryson Sechrist, Apache, Okla., 8.3 seconds. 5, Justin Brinkerhoff, Corrine, Utah, 8.5. 6, Trevor Brazile, Decatur, Texas, 8.7. (total on two) 1, Tuf Cooper, Decatur, Texas, 18.5. 2, Caleb Smidt, Bellville, Texas, 18.6. 3, Clint Akins, Sanger, Texas, 19.0. 4, Justin Smith, Leesville, La., 19.6. 5, Stetson Vest, Childress, Texas, 19.7. 6, Jayce Johnson, Hempstead, Texas, 20.3. 7, Bryson Sechrist, Apache, Okla., 20.4. 8, Catfish Brown, Collinsville, Texas, 20.5.

    Barrel Racing: (first round winners) 1, Stevi Hillman, Weatherford, Texas., 16.48 seconds, $5,100. 2, Cayla Small, Burneyville, Okla., 16.49, $4,372. 3, Jana Bean, Ft. Hancock, Texas, 16.58, $3,643. 4, Amberleigh Moore, Keizer, Ore., 16.62, $3,157. 5, Fallon Taylor, Collinsville, Texas, 16.64, $2,429. 6, Sidney Forrest, Lipan, Texas, 16.65, $1,943. 7, Sydni Blanchard, Albuquerque, N.M., $1,457. 8, Tammy Fischer, Ledbetter, Texas, $971. 9, (tie) Michele McLeod, Whitesboro, Texas, and Meghan Johnson, Stephenville, Texas, $607 each. (second round) 1, Fallon Taylor, Collinsville, Texas, 16.35 seconds. 2, Sidney Forrest, Lipan, Texas, 16.52 seconds. 3, Brooke Rix, Skidmore, Texas, 16.54. 4, Dena Kirkpatrick, Post, Texas, 16.56. 5, Kim Schultze, Larkspur, Colo., 16.67. 6, (tie) Jessica Frost, Ropesville, Texas, and Jody McKay, Red Oak, Okla., 16.80.  (total on two) 1. Taylor, 32.99 seconds. 2, Forrest, 33.17 seconds. 3, Rix, 33.56. 4, Kirkpatrick, 33.67. 5, Lacinda Rose, Willard, Mo., 33.67. 6, Schultze, 33.75. 7, Sammi Bessert, Grand Junction, Colo., 33.88. 8, McKay, 33.89.

    Bull Riding: (first round) 1, Tim Bingham, Honeyville, Utah, 88 points on Rafter G Rodeo’s J Lazy. 2, Joe Frost, Randlett, Utah, 84.5. 3, Bayle Worden, Charleston, Texas, 83.5. 4, Elliott Jacoby, Fredericksburg, Texas, 81.5. 5, Koby Radley, Holden, La., 81. 6, Garrett Tribble, Bristow, Okla., 79.5. (second round) 1. Elliott Jacoby, Fredericksburg, Texas, 85 points on United Pro Rodeo’s Wonder Boy. 2, Lon Danley, Tularosa, N.M., 84.5. 3, (tie) Boudreaux Campbell, Crockett, Texas, Wesley Silcox, Santiquin, Utah, and Bayle Worden, 83.5. 6, Sage Kimzey, Strong City, Okla., 82.5. (total on two) 1. Bayle Worden, Charleston, Texas, 167. 2, Jacoby, 166.5. 3, Garrett Tribble, Bristow, Okla., 158.5. 4, Radley, 156. 5, Ricky Hallam, Norco, Calif., 151. 6, Dave Mason, Burnet, Texas, 151. 7, Ty Clearwater, LaCygne, Kan., 148.5. 8, Cole Melancon, Liberty, Texas, 141.