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  • Saddle bronc rider Real makes most of opportunity

    Saddle bronc rider Real makes most of opportunity

    KISSIMMEE, Fla. – All of saddle bronc rider Joaquin Real’s hard work Friday went for naught on Friday night.

    Real made three total rides – two of which were re-rides – and he had no score to show for it

    at the RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo at the Silver Spurs Arena.

    “The third horse I got on (Friday) got me down (and bucked him off),” Real said. “I was pretty gassed and I was a little sore today.”

    Real didn’t act sore Saturday afternoon.

    The Santa Paula, Calif., cowboy took the second-round lead at the RNCFR with an 83-point ride on Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo’s Another Gray.

    “I had to do good today to get a check,” said Real, 33. “I’ve seen that horse a handful of times and I always wanted to get on it and things worked out for me with that ride. That was a great horse and it felt good. I was really needing something like that. Today turned out to be great for me.”

    Real wasn’t able to wait and see if his ride will hold up for the win, as he had to catch a flight from nearby Orlando at 6 p.m. (ET) to get to California, so he can compete at the Oakdale Saddle Club Rodeo. The second round of the RNCFR concludes tonight at 7:30 (ET).

    “I hope it holds up,” Real said. “There are 12 more guys who will go tonight, so we will have to see. I think it will get a good check, for sure.”

    Real, who placed 35th in the world standings a year ago with $24,963, is making his fourth appearance at the RNCFR. He punched his most recent RNCFR ticket by winning the California Circuit Year-End title.

    Like Real, tie-down roper Cy Eames was able to seize his moment in the second round, grabbing the round lead with a 9.0-second run.

    “I have a good chance to win some money in the second round,” said Eames, who competes for the Wilderness Circuit and is making his RNCFR debut. “The calf was good. I had to run her a little farther than I wanted. If I caught her a little quicker, I would be doing a little better in the average, but it worked out and I’m glad I’m here and grateful for this experience. There are a lot of things to do in Florida, and they’ve done a great job of putting this on. The hospitality is amazing.”

    Eames, of Gooding, Idaho, is sitting fourth in the average heading into tonight’s performance with a 19.5-second time on two head. Eames is riding his 13-year-old horse, Lambo, at the RNCFR.

    “Last year I was more of a circuit cowboy and this year I will go to quite a few more rodeos, and try and make the Finals,” said Eames, 25. “I would love to advance here (at the RNCFR), but if I don’t at least I know I tried my best.”

    In addition to Real and Eames, other second-round leaders are bareback rider Tim O’Connell (87 points on Harry Vold’s Painted Coast), steer wrestler Josh Peek (4.0 seconds), team ropers Coleman Proctor and Jake Long (4.8 seconds), barrel racer Emily Miller (15.71 seconds) and bull rider Jake Gowdy (79.5 points on Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Dragonfly).

    The average leaders are O’Connell (170.5 points on two), steer wrestler Riley Duvall (9.0 seconds on two), team ropers Jake Orman and Tyler Domingue (12.5 seconds on two), saddle bronc rider J.J. Elshere (163 points on two), tie-down roper Sterling Smith (17.0 seconds on two), barrel racer Sherry Cervi (31.44 seconds on two runs), and Gowdy (160.5 points on two). The RNCFR will crown its 2016 national champions in the final performance at 2:30 (ET) Sunday.

    The tournament-style RNCFR format determines the national circuit champions in each event. All 24 qualifiers from the 12 circuits compete in the two preliminary rounds of the rodeo. The top eight contestants from the two-head average in each event advance to the semifinals, with all previous scores and times thrown out. The top four move on to the final round, and a sudden-death competition determines the national circuit champion in each event.

    The Wrangler Network will be live streaming all the action from the RNCFR. The coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. (ET) today and at 2:30 p.m. (ET) tomorrow. Log on to www.wranglernetwork.com to watch.

     

    RNCFR

    Kissimmee, Fla., April 7-10

    Bareback riding: First round: 1. (tie) Chase Erickson, on United Pro Rodeo’s Little Dougy, and R.C. Landingham, on Big Rafter Rodeo’s Logan’s Crossing, Mason Clements, on Stace Smith Pro Rodeos’ Miss Dunny, Tim O’Connell, on Korkow Rodeo’s Bambino Vold, 83.5 points, $4,121 each; 5. Ty Breuer, 80.5, $1,311; 6. Jake Brown, 80, $937. Second round leaders: 1. Tim O’Connell, 87 points on Harry Vold Rodeo’s Painted Coast; 2. Clayton Biglow, 82.5; 3. Evan Jayne, 81.5; 4. Frank Morton, 79.5; 5. Ty Breuer, 79; 6. Justin Miller, 78. Average leaders: 1. Tim O’Connell, 170 points on two head; 2. Ty Breuer, 159; 3. Clayton Biglow, 158; 4. (tie) Frank Morton and Evan Jayne, 157 each; 6. Justin Miller, 156.

    Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Sterling Lambert, 4.6 seconds, $6,182; 2. Riley Duvall, 4.8, $4,683; 3. (tie) Cody Pratt and Jule Hazen, 4.9, $2,810 each; 5. Shayde Etherton, 5.3, $1,311; 6. (tie) Colt Floyd and Blaine Jones, 5.6, $468 each. Second round leaders: 1. Josh Peek, 4.0 seconds; 2. Riley Duvall, 4.2; 3. Ty Erickson, 4.8; 4. Juan Alcazar Jr., 5.0; 5. Kyle Whitaker, 6.2; 6. Blaine Jones, 6.6. Average leaders: 1. Riley Duvall, 9.0 seconds on two head; 2. Josh Peek, 9.6; 3. Blaine Jones, 12.0; 4. Kyle Whitaker, 12.1; 5. Ty Erickson, 14.0; 6. Colt Floyd, 15.9.

    Team roping: First round: 1. Jake Orman/Tyler Domingue, 5.3 seconds, $6,182; 2. Billy Bob Brown/Garrett Jess, 6.3, $4,683; 3. J.B. Lord/Levi Lord, 6.5, $3,372; 4. Andrew Ward/Tyler Worley, 6.6, $2,248; 5. (tie) Tyler Wade/Kinney Harrell, Barak Freeman/Asher Freeman and Eric Fabian/Shawn Quinn, 6.9, $749 each. Second round leaders: 1. Coleman Proctor/Jake Long, 4.8 seconds; 2. Spencer Mitchell/Russell Cardoza, 5.3; 3. Shawn Bessette/Sid Sporer, 6.1; 4. Blake Hirdes/Joseph Shawnego, 6.5; 5. Jake Orman/Tyler Domingue, 7.2; 6. Eric Fabian/Shawn Quinn, 13.4. Average leaders: 1. Jake Orman/Tyler Domingue, 12.5 seconds on two head; 2. Shawn Bessette/Sid Sporer, 13.4; 3. Coleman Proctor/Jake Long, 15.1; 4. Blake Hirdes/Joseph Shawnego, 16.7; 5. Eric Fabian/Shawn Quinn, 20.3; 6. Barak Freeman/Asher Freeman, 21.4.

    Saddle bronc riding: First round: 1. Jacobs Crawley, 84 points on Sutton Rodeo’s Prom Night, $6,182; 2. Allen Boore, 82, $4,683; 3. J.J. Elshere, 81, $3,372; 4. (tie) Sam Spreadborough, Heith DeMoss and Rusty Wright, 80.5, $1,499 each. Second round leaders: 1. Joaquin Real, 83 points on Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo’s Another Gray; 2. J.J. Elshere, 82; 3. Rusty Wright, 81; 4. Doug Aldridge, 79.5; 5. Brody Cress, 77.5; 6. Max Filippini, 75.5. Average leaders: 1. J.J. Elshere, 163 points on two head; 2. Rusty Wright, 161.5; 3. Jacobs Crawley, 159; 4. Doug Aldridge; 155.5; 5. Max Filippini, 151.5; 6. Ryan Bestol, 150.

    Tie-down roping: First round: 1. Sterling Smith, 7.8 seconds, $6,182; 2. Josh Peek, 7.9, $4,683; 3. Cole Bailey, 8.7, $3,372; 4. Taylor Santos, 8.9, $2,248; 5. Timber Moore, 9.8, $1,311; 6. Brice Ingo, 10.0, $937. Second round leaders: 1. Cy Eames, 9.0 seconds; 2. (tie) Blake Hirdes, Sterling Smith and Josh Peek, 9.2 each; 5. Jason Schaffer, 9.4; 6. Tristan Mahoney, 10.3. Average leaders: 1. Sterling Smith, 17.0 seconds on two head; 2. Josh Peek, 17.1; 3. Blake Hirdes, 19.4; 4. Cy Eames, 19.5; 5. Jason Schaffer, 20.3; 6. Tristan Mahoney, 31.3.

    Barrel racing: First round: 1. Sherry Cervi, 15.58 seconds, $6,182; 2. Emily Miller, 15.86, $4,683; 3. Sarah Kieckhefer, 15.90, $3,372; 4. Kelly Tovar, 15.92, $3,372; 5. Calyssa Thomas, 15.94, $1,311; 6. Ivy Conrado, 15.95, $937. Second round leaders: 1. Emily Miller, 15.71 seconds; 2. Ivy Conrado, 15.77; 3. Natalie Foutch, 15.84; 4. Sherry Cervi, 15,86; 5. Jennifer Barrett and Pamela Capper, 16.04 each. Average leaders: 1. Sherry Cervi, 31.44 seconds on two head; 2. Emily Miller, 31.57; 3. Ivy Conrado, 31.72; 4. Pamela Capper, 32.06; 5. Calyssa Thomas, 32.33; 6. Jennifer Barrett, 32.34.

    Bull riding: First round: 1. Jake Gowdy, 81 points on Painted Pony Championship Rodeo’s Gentleman Jack, $6,182; 2. Cody Rostockyj, 80.5, $4,683; 3. Lon Danley, 75.5, $3,372; no other qualified rides. Second round leaders: 1. Jake Gowdy, 79.5 points on Pickett Pro Rodoe’s Dragon Fly; no other qualified rides. Average leaders: 1. Jake Gowdy, 160 points on two head; 2. Cody Rostockyj, 80 point on one head; 3. Lon Danley, 75.

    Total payoff: $704,353. Stock contractors: Lancaster & Jones Pro Rodeo, Painted Pony Championship Rodeo, United Pro Rodeo, Brookman-Hyland Rodeo, Big Rafter Rodeo, Klein Brothers Pro Rodeo, Harry Vold Rodeo, Korkow Rodeos, Hi Lo ProRodeo, Rafter H Rodeo Livestock, Silver Spurs Club, Sutton Rodeos, Three Hills Rodeo, Silver Creek Rodeo, Pickett Rodeo and Stace Smith Pro Rodeos, Pete Carr Pro Rodeo.

  • Lambert leads RNCFR steer wrestling

    Lambert leads RNCFR steer wrestling

    KISSIMMEE, Fla. – For the last several years, steer wrestler Sterling Lambert has been a standout California Circuit cowboy.

    Lambert, whose nickname is “Gator,” had his talent on full display on the circuit system’s biggest stage Thursday.

    The Fallon, Nev., native took the first-round lead with a 4.6-second run at the RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo at the Silver Spurs Arena.

    “I was riding (six-time Linderman Award winner) Kyle Whitaker’s horse for the first time (Thursday night) and he’s a really nice horse and I was just really trying to get a good start,” said Lambert, 29. “I just wanted to do my job and bulldog, and it worked out well. Kyle (Whitaker) also did a really good job hazing.”

    This was Lambert’s third consecutive trip to the RNCFR, and he didn’t have much time to think about his run Thursday, as he was the first cowboy out.

    “It seems like the last three years I’ve been here at the RNCFR I’ve been one of the first two or three guys to go in the first round,” Lambert said. “But, this is the first time I’ve ever had a good start here, so this is awesome. Hopefully I will be able to keep things rolling.”

    Lambert did come to Kissimmee with plenty of momentum. He was seventh in the April 4 WEATHER GUARD® PRCA World Standings. Lambert, who joined the PRCA in 2007, had a career-best finish of 37th in the 2013 world standings with $31,511.

    “I’m really excited to be back here at the RNCFR,” Lambert said. “This is awesome. I have not done real well here in the past, and I would love to win a lot of money this time.”

    Lambert will not compete again in the RNCFR until Saturday night, but he doesn’t have any big plans from now until then.

    “I’m going to hang out and help my buddies out (Friday night), and then I will try and do the same thing again on Saturday night,” Lambert said. “I’m not going to back off too much because steer wrestling gets pretty bad if you miss a barrier and you end up late.”

    While Lambert has RNCFR experience, the same can’t be said for team ropers – header Billy Bob Brown and heeler Garrett Jess – who were making their RNCFR debut.

    However, the Columbia River Circuit year-end champions didn’t look like RNCFR rookies as they took the first-round lead with a 6.3-second time.

    “I just went up there and caught him, and Garrett heeled and got a good finish and we made a good run, and this sets us up for the long haul,” said Brown. “That’s what we are here for, to get in the final four. We have a lot of confidence here lately and hopefully we can keep it going.”

    Brown and Jess are in their second year roping together, and Jess acknowledged they tried to stay calm on this big stage.

    “We’ve been to a lot of rodeos and roped a lot of steers for a lot of money, and we just tried to stick to our game plan,” Jess said.

    Brown was quick to credit his 8-year-old horse, Harry, for his success.

    “He’s a game changer for us,” Brown said. “He’s just an amazing athlete and is really fast. He’s one of a kind and I’m blessed to have that horse.”

    For good reason. Brown has been riding that horse for three years and it has won him a slew of honors. He was the 2014 PRCA/Resistol All-Around Rookie of the Year and also won National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association team roping championships with heeler Logan Medlin his junior and senior years at Tarleton State University (Stephenville, Texas). He also was the all-around national champion at the CNFR as a junior.

    In addition to Lambert, and Brown and Jess, other first-round leaders Thursday were bareback riders R.C. Landingham (83.5 points on Big Rafter Rodeo’s Logan’s Crossing) and Chase Erickson (83.5 points on United Pro Rodeo’s Little Dougy), saddle bronc rider Allen Boore (82 points on Harry Vold’s Mountain Climber), tie-down roper Cole Bailey (8.7 seconds), barrel racer Sarah Kieckhefer (15.90 seconds) and bull rider Cody Rostockyj (80.5 points on Sutton Rodeos’ Tea Time). The first round concludes Friday night at the 7:30 (ET) performance.

    The tournament-style RNCFR format determines the national circuit champions in each event. All 24 qualifiers from the 12 circuits compete in the two preliminary rounds of the rodeo. The top eight contestants from each event advance to the semifinal, with all previous scores and times thrown out. The top four move on to the final round, a sudden-death competition that determines the national circuit champion in each event.

    The Wrangler Network will be live streaming all the action from the RNCFR. The coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. (ET) April 8-9, at 1:30 p.m. April 9 and at 2:30 p.m. (ET) April 10. Log on to www.wranglernetwork.com

    RNCFR

    Kissimmee, Fla., April 7-10

    Bareback riding: First round leaders: 1. (tie) Chase Erickson, on United Pro Rodeo’s Little Dougy, and R.C. Landingham, on Big Rafter Rodeo’s Logan’s Crossing, 83.5 points each; 3. Jake Brown, 80; 4. (tie) Caine Riddle and Casey Breuer, 79.5 each; 6. David Peebles, 78

    Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Sterling Lambert, 4.6 seconds; 2. (tie) Cody Pratt and Jule Hazen, 4.9 each; 4. Shayde Etherton, 5.3; 5. Josh Boka, 5.6; 6. Kamry Dymmek, 6.0

    Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Billy Bob Brown/Garrett Jess, 6.3 seconds; 2. J.B. Lord/Levi Lord, 6.5; 3. Andrew Ward/Tyler Worley, 6.6; 4. Tyler Wade/Kinney Harrell, 6.9; 5. Ryan Von Ahn/J.W. Beck, 7.1; 6. Jade Stoddard/Ike Folsom, 8.6

    Saddle bronc riding: First round leaders: 1. Allen Boore, 82 points on Harry Vold Rodeo’s Mountain Climber; 2. Sam Spreadborough, 80.5; 3. Keith Brauer Jr., 80; 4. Curtis Garton, 79; 5. Jesse James Kirby, 77.5; 6. Justin Lawrence, 76

    Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. Cole Bailey, 8.7 seconds; 2. Taylor Santos, 8.9; 3. Timber Moore, 9.8; 4. Brice Ingo, 10.0; 5. Clint Kindred, 11.0; 6. Bart Brunson, 11.1

    Barrel racing: First round leaders: 1. Sarah Kieckhefer, 15.90 seconds; 2. Kelly Tovar, 15.92; 3. (tie) Kristine Knauf and Mary Burger, 16.00 each; 5. Callahan Crossley, 16.06; 6. Jennifer Mosley, 16.13

    Bull riding: First round leaders: 1. Cody Rostockyj, 80.5 points on Sutton Rodeos’ Tea Time; 2. Lon Danley, 75.5; no other qualified rides.

    Total payoff: $704,353. Stock contractors: Lancaster & Jones Pro Rodeo, Painted Pony Championship Rodeo, United Pro Rodeo, Brookman-Hyland Rodeo, Big Rafter Rodeo, Klein Brothers Pro Rodeo, Harry Vold Rodeo, Korkow Rodeos, Hi Lo ProRodeo, Rafter H Rodeo Livestock, Silver Spurs Club, Sutton Rodeos, Three Hills Rodeo, Silver Creek Rodeo, Pickett Rodeo and Stace Smith Pro Rodeos, Pete Carr Pro Rodeo

     

     
  • On the Trail with Clifford Maxwell

    On the Trail with Clifford Maxwell

    After 15 years of fighting bulls at the Turquoise Circuit Finals, 47-year-old Cliff Maxwell from Taylor, Ariz., is making the 1,968 mile trip to Kissimmee, Florida to join Australian bullfighter Darrell Diefenbach as the bullfighters for the RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo (RNCFR) April 5-10. “It’s Darrell’s last rodeo, and it will be an honor to work with him,” said Cliff, who is a full time firefighter paramedic as well as the owner of a custom cabinet shop, along with his wife and son.

    The bullfighters are selected to work the RNCFR from the pool of 24 bullfighters from the 12 circuits in the nation. The bull riders select the bullfighters that work the circuits, and a committee selects the ones that will go to the RNCFR.

    Cliff started his rodeo career after high school. As the oldest of six siblings, he spent his childhood playing softball. “My parents (Clifford and Gayle) supported me in everything I wanted to do,” he said. “With a big family, we always went on one big trip each year and went camping a lot.” After high school, Cliff went down to the valley (Taylor is located in the White Mountains, five and a half hours north of Flagstaff) for a few months and then moved to Texas to live with his uncle for a year.

    “I came back to go back to school. I got set up and started, but then I got married and started a family.” He married his high school sweetheart, Kim, when he was 20 and she was 19. Their first child (Kasey) was born a year later. “I worked at a cabinet shop in town and rode bulls.” In 1994, he got hung up and hurt. “The bull stepped on me and punctured a lung, broke some ribs, and one of them cut my spleen in half so they took it out. My daughter was four and asked me not to ride anymore. So I started fighting. I accomplished way more as a bullfighter than I ever would have as a bull rider.”

    He started his bullfighting career by going to a school taught by Mike Matt and Lloyd Ketchum. “That gave me the basis,” he said. “I recommend to anyone that wants to get into this to go to school.” After that it was trial and error. His family traveled with him to the rodeos around his region. “I started out working 35 rodeos a year, and now have settled into around 20 or more a year.” He works some high school, amateur, and PRCA rodeos, including several that he has worked for years. “It’s a family sport to us. I take pride that I’ve done rodeos for years – Scottsdale, ten years, Vernal 15 years. In being 47 years old and getting a chance to go to the RAM Finals – it’s incredible.”

     

    He bought the cabinet shop – Maxwells Custom Cabinets – that he worked at and added his firefighting career five years ago. “I got my paramedic last year after nine months of intense schooling. I still did my firefighter job, my bullfighting, and the cabinet job. I had 52 credit hours when I got done with the paramedic training. I enjoyed the medical side of the firefighting thing and thought why not learn more so I can do more.”

    His EMT training has come in handy in the arena. “Right after I got my EMT, we were at a rodeo in California. A bull rider got bucked off and the bull stepped on his leg, breaking his femur. I cut off his chaps and exposed the break. The femur was a compound fracture that hit an artery and he was bleeding out. We saved his life due to the training that I had. The medical side has helped me with a few accidents like that.”
    Cliff has added running to his schedule in preparing for the RNCFR. “My captain is a younger captain and he really pushes staying in shape,” he said. “He sent out an email three or four months ago to put a team together for a Tough Mudder in Mesa. I signed up and joined the team and then realized that the course was 10-12 miles with 30 obstacles.” In addition to training for that, he credits the cabinet shop for helping to keep him in shape. The shop is run by his 22-year-old son, Trevon, and Cliff works there at least 40 hours a week. “The cabinet shop is very physical. We order everything in sheets and we have to move it and cut it.” He and his wife, Kim, also chase after two grandchildren, a 6 year old granddaughter and 2 year old grandson.

    When Cliff first found out about being selected to work the RNCFR, he planned the entire family to go along, but that isn’t going to work, so he and Kim will make the drive to the Sunshine State. Cliff has been there before, helping with the hurricane damage a few years ago, but it will be Kim’s first trip to Florida. They are looking forward to the drive and taking in the sights along the way.

    Cliff would love to be considered for the WNFR, but admits that he doesn’t work enough rodeos for that. “I’ve got my career, my cabinet shop, and my family comes first,” he said, but adds that he plans to continue fighting bulls. “I’m an adrenaline junkie – I enjoy it – I enjoy rodeo.”

  • Back When They Bucked with Doc Gee

    Back When They Bucked with Doc Gee

    If it wasn’t for Will James, John Gee might never have been a cowboy. The Montana man grew up reading the western books written by James, while he and his buddies dreamed of riding bucking horses and living the cowboy lifestyle, and Gee did just that.
    Growing up in Delta, Ohio, on the west side of Toledo, John, also known as “Doc,” delivered newspapers to buy his first horse. “My father helped subsidize the horse,” Doc remembers. “I was nine or so.” Five years later he was at local county fairs and rodeos, riding bareback horses and bulls.
    He and childhood friends Tom and Don Decker and their buddies traveled together to rodeos, and Decker remembers when they rode at a rodeo in Findlay, Ohio. “They had a horse that was pretty rank,” Tom Decker said. John got on him in the saddle bronc riding. “The horse threw him over his head the first jump and took him down the arena, kicking every jump. John was unconscious for a short while, and on the way home, he didn’t remember his ride.” On the way home, he came to. “He didn’t remember anything. We told him his ride was like a Will James book,” he laughs.
    The boys were in training, Decker said. “We knew we’d have to be tough so we could become cowboys. We had to take cold freezing showers, to see who could stand in the shower longer.” The boys were daredevils on horseback, too. “”We’d ride this crazy horse down a gravel road, one-hundred miles an hour, bareback and double,” Decker said. “The horse was a renegade. John used to put the horse under the edge of the roof, and (the horse) would lift the rafter.”
    After high school graduation in 1953, John headed west. His interest in agriculture took him to Colorado A&M (now Colorado State University), in part for the education, and in part for their rodeo team. When the team was chosen that fall, John was not on it. “I was pretty broken up about the deal,” he said. In those days, a person could compete on the team or individually, so John went to some rodeos by himself and won. He was working three events: the bareback riding, steer wrestling, and bull riding. That spring, he was chosen for the team. Being voted on the team was done partly for a person’s talent and partly for if they had wheels:  “In those days, the team was picked by the people who were going to rodeo,” John says. “You put your name on the board, and the events you worked. And then each person who had their name up there got to vote. So you voted for somebody that had a car, you voted for yourself, and you voted for whoever you thought would be the best cowboys.”
    With paying out-of-state tuition, John had to concern himself with entry fees. “You didn’t go many weeks without winning something unless you were subsidized in some way,” he said. His
    dad, a truck driver, wasn’t paying his fees. “We weren’t that affluent.”
    In 1954, his first year of college, the Colorado A&M team won the national championship, and John won the National Inter-Collegiate Rodeo Association’s Steer Wrestling title. In his sophomore year, he won second place, and his third year of college, he won the title again. The Colorado A&M rodeo athletes knew how to get lots of points. In those days, there were no college regions and students could compete anywhere in the nation, “so some of us would get in the car and go to a rodeo and get on other people’s horses,” John recalls. Fuel was a quarter a gallon. “One weekend, we had a team 30 miles from the New Mexico border, and a team 30 miles from the Canadian line.” Because they borrowed horses, they could travel easier. “The Texans, if there were six on a team, there were probably six outfits, because they all hauled their own horses. We had an advantage.”
    After his first year of college, John switched his major from agriculture to animal husbandry. “Unless I married a rancher or inherited one, I couldn’t afford to be one.” After three years at Ft. Collins, he transferred to Ohio State to get his doctor of veterinary medicine degree.
    He graduated from Ohio State in 1960 and immediately headed back west. Doc, as he would be better known by, got a job for a veterinarian in Great Falls. Three years later, he went out on his own, establishing his practice in Stanford, Montana.
    And he kept rodeoing. He got his Rodeo Cowboys Association membership, predecessor to the Pro Rodeo Cowboys Association, in 1961. He worked all three events, never hitting the road full time due to his veterinary clinic, but going hard enough. Among his rodeos, he competed in Denver at the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo many years. He spent a few summers rodeoing in Ohio and back east. His practice never let him get too far from home.
    He rode bulls until 1964, quitting because he had married. He rode bareback horses for another ten years, and steer wrestled till he was in his forties.
    Doc’s wife, JoAnn Cremer always had an eye for horses, he said. She was the niece of well-known Montana stock contractor Leo Cremer, and grew up around rodeo. They met at a college rodeo in Bozeman. In her early years, she didn’t have a chance to rodeo, but after they married, she began running barrels. “She was a very good coach and fan,” Doc said. “She was always ready for the next good one,” eldest daughter Maria said. One year, Maria finished 17th in the Women’s Pro Rodeo Association barrel racing standings, missing qualification for the National Finals Rodeo by two places. JoAnn “laid a lot of groundwork” in getting Maria ranked in the top twenty, Doc said, even helping drive from rodeo to rodeo.

     


    Doc was and still is humble about his accomplishments “Dad always said, “God first, family second, work and rodeo after that,” Maria said. His family reflected those values. John’s son, John J., finished in the top twenty in the PRCA steer wrestling standings three times. The third time, his family only realized it later.  “That’s what my dad believed in,” Maria said. “You take care of other things first.”
    After he finished PRCA rodeo, he spent several years competing in the National Senior Pro Rodeo Association. He loved to compete. “He was pretty fun to watch,” Maria said. “He still gets that competitor grit in his eye.”
    He also judged PRCA and open rodeos, taking horses along that needed to be seasoned. “They usually figured he was the best bronc ride of the day,” Maria chuckled. He judged the open rodeo at Roy, Montana, for years.
    Doc was part of the group that started the Stanford, Mont. pro rodeo in 1965. The Jaycees, of which he was a member, produced the rodeo, and Doc was instrumental in building the arena from scratch.
    Last summer, he celebrated 50 years as veterinarian in the Judith Basin, Charles Russell Country in Montana. Childhood friend Tom Decker was on hand for the celebration. “We passed the mike around,” Decker said. “Everybody just loves him. He’s one of those kinds of people.” Decker, who served on the Board of Directors for the Russell Museum in Great Falls, kept in touch with Doc and his family. “He’s always been a hero of mine, and a mentor to me. His character is the finest. His Christian faith is what makes his character what it is.” Even on the rodeo trail, Doc went to church every Sunday. “If there was no ride, he walked,” Decker said. “He was razzed by a lot of his rodeo buddies about going to church.”
    His clients in the vet business love him, too. “He’s adored in Montana,” Decker said. “The people of Montana dearly love him. He’s a wonderful human being, and his Christian values are the center of it.”
    Doc and JoAnn had four children: John J., Leo, who passed away at age 19, Maria and Theresa. JoAnn passed away two years ago. At the age of 81, Doc still goes out and helps at his son’s feedlot and, if the phone rings for a call to doctor an animal, he answers. His grandkids continue the rodeo tradition. John, Jr.’s son, Luke, won the Montana Circuit bull riding title in 2014, and has qualified for the Montana Circuit Finals eight times: five in the bull riding and three in the steer wrestling.
    Even though rodeo had its place behind his faith, his family and his work, Doc loved it. “The people we’ve met, they’re priceless. You can go practically anywhere and see people you know and enjoy. That part is especially, in my advanced age, the great part of it.” He also loves to see his son, John, and grandson, Luke, compete.
    “This guy is a sensational human being, and I’m not the only one who thinks so,” Decker said.

  • Profile: Trey & Becky White

    Profile: Trey & Becky White

    Trey and Becky judging at the Hyannis High School Rodeo – courtesy of Jana Jensen

    Trey and Becky White grew up in rodeo, and have continued in the sport in their adult lives. The husband-wife team from Paxton, Neb. serves as judges at Nebraska junior high and high school rodeos. They got started about six years ago, and judge between twenty and twenty-five rodeos a year.
    Both of them grew up in the Cornhusker state and with rodeo, Trey in Mullen, and Becky in Harrison. Trey competed in the tie-down and team roping, and Becky was in the barrel racing, pole bending, and goat tying through high school.
    The two knew of each other through high school rodeo, but it was during college rodeo at Chadron (Neb.) State that they started dating. Becky was the Central Rocky Mountain Region Barrel Racing director from 2009-2010, and was chosen as the 2011 Miss Rodeo Nebraska.  She served her year then transferred to Mid-Plains Community College in North Platte.
    Trey graduated from Chadron State with an art education degree in 2011, and Becky is currently working on her degree in nursing at Mid-Plains Community College. He got a job as the art teacher at Paxton Public School following graduation, and they married in May of 2014. While she attends school, Becky works as a pharmacy tech at Great Plains Health in North Platte.
    The two began judging to stay involved in rodeo. The best part of judging is the kids, they both agree. “Watching the kids grow and succeed, and watching them become better horsemen,” is what Trey considers his favorite part. He and Becky both enjoy getting to know the youth. Some of the junior high students who were rodeoing when they started six years ago are now high school students, and watching them grow up is fun, Becky said. She also enjoys the sense of camaraderie and family. “I like that when we go to a rodeo, it’s an extended family. We get to know a lot of the parents, and when we see them outside the arena, or outside the rodeo industry, they say hi.”
    Judges sometimes get chewed out for their decisions, but both of the Whites have learned how to handle it. For Trey, “you just have to shake it off and go to the next one.” For Becky, it’s a bit different. “For me, being a female, we take things a little harder than a male. The first time I judged, I was pretty nervous about it. I didn’t want to give any penalties because I knew I’d get yelled at. But it got easier. I think parents respect you when you’re tougher. They see you’re not an easy pushover, you’re going to stand up for what you did and go by the rules.”
    There is a process for complaints in both junior high and high school rodeo, and that helps. “Each event has a student director and an adult director, and there’s a chain of command. If a contestant has questions, they’re supposed to go to the student director, then the adult director, then approach us. We’re the last stop in the chain.”
    There’s more to judging than what takes place inside the arena, Trey said. People don’t realize the amount of work that goes into it. Judges are at a rodeo two to three hours prior to its start, taking care of the barriers, eyes, barrel patterns, checking stock, and more.
    In addition to judging, the couple rides and trains horses, including a few young ones. Becky is working on her bachelor’s of nursing degree, which she will have completed by December of this year. Trey occasionally team ropes at local jackpots.
    Becky may be a familiar face to those who watch TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress show. She was chosen to be on the show, in part because they had never featured a rodeo queen. The show aired in May of 2014.
    The Whites were honored to be chosen to judge the Nebraska Junior High Finals in Grand Island in May of 2015. Trey was chosen as the Nebraska High School Rodeo Judge of the Year in 2014 and 2015.
    Trey also judges Nebraska State Rodeo Association rodeos, and was selected as one of the judges for their 2015 finals.

  • Roper Review: Zac Small

    Roper Review: Zac Small

    Roper Currently sitting 10th in the PRCA world standings, Zac Small is not your typical team roper. He recently graduated from Tarleton University in Stephenville, Texas, finishing the necessary prerequisite courses for vet school in just three and half years. This fall Zac will head to Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee to begin his veterinarian studies. He hopes to have the PRCA finals made by that time.
    Zac grew up in Afton, Oklahoma in a very tight knit family. His father, Tony, is a veterinarian who specitalizes in embryo transfer in cattle, in addition to working cattle sales. His mom, Kristi, works in his business.
    Zac, 21, and his siblings, sister, Courtney, 24, and brother, Blair, 22, attended private school as youngsters. During high school they were homeschooled using the accredited Christian based A Beka Academy. Even as adults the family remains very close. Blair is involved with the operations of the indoor arena, and Courtney works for her father.
    As a child, Courtney’s love of horses got the family involved in their current lifestyle. Zac started roping from a pony when he was just eight. When he was ten, the family built an indoor arena in Grove, Oklahoma, giving the kids more opportunities to rope.
    “We would get up and rope the dummy or Hot Heels on colts in the morning, then do school work. There was a lot of emphasis on our school work,” says Zac. “Any time we weren’t doing school work, we roped.”
    Throughout high school a fairly large church gathered at their indoor arena with a very active youth group. Ingrained with an exceptional work ethic in roping as well as school, the Small family, has enjoyed their share of success at the USTRC Finals.
    Once he completes a four-year degree at veterinary school, Zac plans on returning to Oklahoma and working with his father.
    “I believe I’ve been blessed and I give all the glory to God to have the opportunities I now have to rodeo. I’m excited to see what happens in the future.”

    COWBOY Q&A

    How much do you practice?
    Every day possible. I ride three or four horses a day when I’m not competing.

    Do you make your own horses?
    My best horse was purchased as a two year old and his training was a family effort.

    Who were your roping heroes?
    My dad. He didn’t rope a lot until we got interested. When I was little he won a couple of trucks and trailer in a month’s time.

    Who do you respect most in the world?
    My parents.

    Who has been the biggest influence in your life?
    My family. Especially being home schooled, we’ve been very close.

    If you had a day off what would you like to do?
    I enjoy hunting occasionally.

    What’s the last thing you read?
    Good Call by Jace Robertson

    How would you describe yourself in three words?
    Dedicated, Positive, Hard Working

    What makes you happy?
    Making good grades and winning.

    What makes you angry?
    The opposite of my last answer.

    If you were given 1 million dollars, how would you spend it?
    I would probably invest it in land.

    What is your worst quality – your best?
    My worst quality is I tend to get stressed. Best quality is a good attitude.

  • CONTESTANTS ARE ONE RIDE CLOSER TO THE $50,000 PRIZE AND RODEOHOUSTON® CHAMPION TITLE

    CONTESTANTS ARE ONE RIDE CLOSER TO THE $50,000 PRIZE AND RODEOHOUSTON® CHAMPION TITLE

    CONTESTANTS ARE ONE RIDE CLOSER TO THE $50,000 PRIZE AND RODEOHOUSTON® CHAMPION TITLE — MARCH 16, 2016 — HOUSTON — FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE —

    RodeoHouston Semifinal 1 contestants secured a spot in the Super Series Championship Saturday, March 19.

    TIE-DOWN ROPING       

    Tyson Durfey of Weatherford, Texas, took home the Semifinal 1 win in Tie-Down Roping. Durfey said he looks forward to competing for the 2016 RodeoHouston Tie-down Roping Champion title on Saturday.

     

    “It’s the best of the best,” Durfey said. “It started out with 20, it cut down to 10 and it’s [the Championship] just going to boil down to who has the best draw and the best horses.”

    Advancing to Championship (winnings to date):

    Tyson Durfey — Weatherford, Texas — $5,750
    Marcos Costa — Childress, Texas — $ 6,750

    Caleb Smidt — Bellville, Texas — $7,500

    Blane Cox — Cameron, Texas — $4,500

     

    BAREBACK RIDING

    Although it’s only his second time competing at RodeoHouston, two-time College National Finals Rodeo champion, Orin Larsen, is advancing to the Super Series Championship.

     

    “The college-level rodeo has helped tremendously,” Larsen said. “It was a huge stepping stone to get me here.”

     

    Advancing to Championship (winnings to date):

    Orin Larsen — Ingles, Manitoba, Canada — $9,000
    Tanner Aus — Granite Falls, Montana — $ 4,375

    Will Lowe — Canyon, Texas — $3,750

    Kaycee Feild — Spanish Fork, Utah — $6,750

     

    TEAM ROPING
    Jake Cooper and Tyler McKnight claimed the Semifinal 1 Team Roping win. The team credited their success to their incredible team work.

    “We’re like the married couple who got a divorce and got back together,” Cooper said. “We have a real good appreciation for each other.”

     

    Advancing to Championship (winnings to date):
    Jake Cooper — Monument, New Mexico, and Tyler McKnight — Wells, Texas — $12,000
    Dustin Bird — Cut Bank, Montana, and Russell Cardoza — Terebonne, Oregon — $11,000

    Bubba Buckaloo — Kingston, Oklahoma, and Shay Carroll — Hico, Texas — $9,000

    Clay Smith — Broken Bow, Oklahoma, and Paul Eaves— Millsap, Texas — $13,500

     

    SADDLE BRONC RIDING

    Cole Elshere had the top Saddle Bronc ride of the night at Semifinal 1 and credits the quality of rough stock for helping him advance to the Championship.

     

    “The last few horses have been really good,” Elshere said. “I hope to get on another good one for the finals.”

     

    Advancing to Championship (winnings to date):
    Cole Elshere — Faith, South Dakota — $6,000
    Layton Green — Meeting Creek, Alberta, Canada — $ 7,688

    Taos Muncy — Corona, New Mexico — $5,188

    Curtis Garton — Lake Charles, Louisiana — $3,813

     

    STEER WRESTLING

    Jace Melvin, a first time competitor at RodeoHouston and Semifinal 1 Steer Wrestling Champion, said that RodeoHouston is bigger and better than he ever expected.

     

    “I worked hard all year to be eligible to compete in this rodeo, and to make it to the Championship is a dream come true,” Melvin said.

     

    Advancing to Championship (winnings to date):
    Jace Melvin — Fort Pierre, South Dakota — $6,000
    Dakota Eldridge — Elko, Nevada — $ 6,750

    Nick Guy — Denver, Colorado — $5,875

    Kyle Whitaker — Chambers, Nebraska — $3,875

     

    BARREL RACING

    Megan Swint is a newcomer to RodeoHouston, but the Lithia, Florida, native is headed to the Championship round to race for $50,000.

     

    “We’re just going to keep practicing what we’ve been doing, and get out there and have a good run,” said Swint.

     

    Advancing to Championship (winnings to date):
    Megan Swint — Lithia, Florida — $4,000
    Nancy Hunter — Neola, Utah — $8,000

    Rachel Dice — Bryon, California — $4,000

    Mary Burger — Pauls Valley, Oklahoma — $4,750

     

    BULL RIDING

    Sage Steele Kimzey came out on top of the bull riding in Semifinal 1 with an 87-point ride. He said he cannot wait to compete in the Championship Round.

     

    “These are the rodeos that I grew up fantasizing about winning and to be here is a dream come true,” Kimzey said.

     

    Advancing to Championship Round (winnings to date):
    Sage Steel Kimzey — Strong City, Oklahoma — $6,000
    Scottie Knapp — Albuquerque, New Mexico — $6,000

    Trey Benton — Rock Island, Texas — $8,500

    Reid Barker — Comfort, Texas — $5,500

     

    The top four from each event in the Semifinal rounds will advance to the RodeoHouston Super Series Championship, Saturday, March 19. The remaining six from each event in the two semifinals will compete in the Wild Card Round, Friday, March 18, where the top two from each event will advance to the Championship. Each event champion will walk away with a $50,000 payout, in addition to previous winnings.

  • Triangle Sales Continues Strong Average, Names Winners in $20,000-Added Versatility Ranch Competition

     courtesy of Triangle Sales

    Shawnee, Okla. – Triangle Sales’ recent Winter Sale, held January 21-24, tallied a consistent $5,450 average and a top 200 that held strong for $9,700. This was slightly up from an even $5,000 per head average posted for the Fall Sale held in October. Final totals ultimately reflected a top 10 average of $27,700 with an 80 percent sales completion, and the solid start put 59 horses in Triangle’s “Top $10,000 Club”—a designation indicating horses sold for more than $10,000.

    This steady overall average has been relative to the venue’s growth seen throughout last year under new ownership, which marked a 38 percent increase in sales for 2015 over the previous year. In addition to featuring 807-catalogued horses up for sale (minus those withdrawn), the multi-day Winter Sale event also featured the second Triangle Versatility Ranch Championship and Sale—this time, with a $20,000-added payout.

    Jim Ware, owner of Triangle Sales was particularly pleased with the depth of the average and was reflective of the overall horse market. Ware says prices are continuing to hold steady, but still remain in a position that is optimal for buying.

    “It is a prime time to purchase mares no matter your preferred discipline,” Ware said. “Good mares bought at the right price always seem to make money or hold their value at the very least.”

    “I think the horse market is incredibly strong given where the national economy is,” he said. “I heard from someone recently that ‘a bucket of fried chicken costs as much as a barrel of oil,’ and I think that’s reflective of the condition of the economy. It is not what it has been in the past, but the reality is, sales are relatively steady.”

    “What is really interesting,” Ware continued, referring to the recent Triangle sale, “is when you get into the top 200 horses and deeper—that is where the Winter Sale averages showed improvement over our Fall Sale.”

    When considering averages by discipline, there were 115 horses that sold as cutters for an average of $9,800. This was followed by 41 reiners averaging $8,100. Horses selling as ranch horses/ropers (4 years old and older) numbered 113 and sold for an average of $6,800.

    “If I could put my finger on one place where the market was different, it was on cutting horse prospects that just turned two,” Ware said. “That’s where I thought there was the biggest down swing in the market. I think a lot of that has to do with the expense versus the income potential for horses in cutting horse aged events with decreasing purses. I think that had a big impact on those colts and on the entire sale.”

    “But overall, I was very pleased,” Ware said. “When you can average nearly $10,000 on the top 200 of them, that’s strong. I think that can be attributed in large part to our market and location. Our sale provides the world’s most versatile market. We sell all types of horses, and that opens doors for a lot of opportunity.”

    Topping the sale was Quejanapep (Dual Pep x Quejanamia x Son O Mia) at $50,000. The 1996 chestnut mare was consigned by Sunrise Ranch, Fayetteville, Ark., and sold along with two embryos by Metallic Cat to her breeder, Coalson Acres, Weatherford, Texas. The top seller, Quejanapep is an accomplished cutter, with National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) earnings of $207,901.

    Quejanapep’s earnings came from successes such as a NCHA Non-Pro Futurity Reserve Championship, a finalist qualification in the NCHA Open Futurity and a NCHA Super Stakes Non-Pro Classic Reserve Championship.

    Second in the top five, was Metallic Echo (Metallic Cat x Miss Tazwood x Pepto Taz), a 2013 red roan son of Metallic Cat, consigned by Cowan Select Horses, LLC, Purcell, Okla., which sold for $36,000. The colt has been in training with Robbie Boyce at Cowan Select Horses and was purchased by Logan Alley, Walsh, Colorado.

    Third high was Blu Ray, (Dual Ray x Quintan Blue x Mecom Blue) sold by McDavid Cutting Horses, Weatherford, Texas, for $32,000 and purchased by Todd Quirk, Denham Springs, La. Blu Ray is a 2009 sorrel gelding with $129, 237 in NCHA earnings, gleaned in part as a finalist in the NCHA Open Super Stakes, NCHA Super Stakes Open Classics and as a finalist in the Breeders Invitational.

    Coming in fourth at $30,000 was the 2011 buckskin stallion, Two ID Hilt, (Joe Jack Red x Two Hilda x Two Eyed Red Buck) consigned by Calvin Campbell, Anadarko, Okla. Two ID Hilt has earned 25.5 heeling and 18 heading points in the American Quarter Horse Association and was purchased by Juan Rojas Martin, Collinsville, Texas.

    Philip and Mary Ann Rapp, Weatherford, Texas, consigned the fifth high seller, Shiney Black Car (Metallic Cat x My Other Toys A Car x Smart Lena Boon), which sold for $25,000. The 2011 black mare has $15, 801 in NCHA earnings gained through achievements as a top 10 Finalist in the NCHA Limited Open Futurity and as a money-earner in the NCHA Non-Pro Super Stakes. Juan Rojas Martin was also the successful bidder on this mare.

    Sam and Pam Rose of Pilot Point, Texas, judged horses featured in the Triangle Versatility Ranch Competition. The Championship went to Dual Smarts Smooth (Dual Smart Rey x Smooth and Pretty x Smooth Herman), a 2009 sorrel gelding consigned by Cowboy Collection Quarter Horses, Gainesville, Texas, which sold for $11, 500 to Teri Stamper, Mounds, Oklahoma.

    The gelding was exhibited by Todd Richardson, also of Gainesville, and earned a $7,500 paycheck, a Teskey’s trophy saddle, Kerry Kelly Spurs, a Triangle belt buckle, Stitches By Showtime jacket, Serna Custom boots, and a complimentary consignment fee. Coming in as Reserve Champion overall was Lil Bit of This (WR This Cats Smart x Little Bit of Wilson x Doc Wilson), a 2009 sorrel gelding consigned by Carson Horner, Rochester, Texas, which sold for $12,000 to Robbie McCommas, Agra, Okla.

    The horses that showed and actually sold within the Versatility Ranch Sale Session averaged $8,500. Top five and top 10 sellers averaged $14,000 and $11,600, respectively. The session high seller was Satin Lil Kat (Hesa Peculiar Cat x Ripped in Satin x Doc’s Hickory) at $24,000. The son of Hesa Peculiar Cat was consigned by Damiano Rivera Cordero of Manati, Puerto Rico, and purchased by Shank Stephens of Hinton, Okla.

    Along with the full roster of competitors, the versatility competition drew a large crowd of spectators, as did the sale. Buyers from 32 states and four foreign countries attended the sale over four days.

    Ware says buyers are making a noticeable shift toward purchases based on conformation and ability, rather than strictly pedigree.

    “I think as much as anything, people are buying for conformation and what horses are capable of doing, rather than what is on their papers,” Ware said. “As a breeder, it’s time to reach out, be a horseman and breed for quality rather than a ‘magic cross.’”

    “As we enter the 2016 breeding season, I encourage mare owners to do just that—and by all means…breed your mares back. We may see a decrease in production, so breeders don’t want to be caught without a supply of good prospects in a few years.”

    Triangle Sales will host its next Spring Sale March 17-19. For more information, visit trihorse.com.

  • 2016 PRCA Standings

    2016 PRCA Standings

    1. 2016 PRCA WORLD STANDINGS

       Unofficial through March 14, 2016

    All-around

    1 Caleb Smidt, Bellville, Texas                                              $32,921

    2 Rhen Richard, Roosevelt, Utah                                          13,824

    3 Justin Thigpen, Waycross, Ga.                                            13,123

    4 Chant DeForest, Wheatland, Calif.                                    9,903

    5 Cord Spradley, Waycross, Ga.                                           7,332

    Bareback Riding

    1 Orin Larsen, Inglis, Manitoba                                             $45,986

    2 Tim O’Connell, Zwingle, Iowa                                           41,043

    3 Jake Brown, Hillsboro, Texas                                             39,485

    4 R.C. Landingham, Paso Robles, Calif.                               30,955

    5 Tanner Aus, Granite Falls, Minn.                                        28,240

    6 Mason Clements, Sandy, Utah                                           24,771

    7 Caleb Bennett, Tremonton, Utah                                        23,519

    8 Winn Ratliff, Leesville, La.                                                19,795

    9 Kyle Bowers, Drayton Valley, Alberta                              15,518

    10 Ty Taypotat, Regina, Saskatchewan                                 15,137

    11 Casey Breuer, Mandan, N.D.                                           14,783

    12 Teddy Athan, Livermore, Calif.                                       14,227

    13 George Gillespie IV, Hamilton, Mont.                             13,205

    14 Evan Jayne, Marseille, France                                           12,444

    15 Ty Breuer, Mandan, N.D.                                                 11,441

    16 Jake Vold, Ponoka, Alberta                                              10,624

    17 Colin Adams, Deloraine, Manitoba                                  10,557

    18 Luke Creasy, Denton, Texas                                             10,316

    19 Kyle Brennecke, Stephenville, Texas                               10,234

    20 Clayton Biglow, Clements, Calif.                                     9,203

    Steer Wrestling

    1 Jason Thomas, Benton, Ark.                                               $36,300

    2 Jake Rinehart, Highmore, S.D.                                           30,416

    3 Clayton Hass, Terrell, Texas                                               27,871

    4 Ty Erickson, Helena, Mont.                                                26,824

    5 Tyler Waguespack, Gonzales, La.                                       25,136

    6 Dakota Eldridge, Elko, Nev.                                              20,486

    7 Matt Reeves, Cross Plains, Texas                                       20,452

    8 Joshua Clark, Belgrade, Mont.                                           17,753

    9 Brad Johnson, Reva, S.D.                                                   16,640

    10 Clayton Moore, Pouce Coupe, British Columbia             15,333

    11 Baylor Roche, Tremonton, Utah                                       14,129

    12 Tooter Silver, Quitman, Ark.                                            13,921

    13 Jule Hazen, Ashland, Kan.                                               12,627

    14 Wade Sumpter, Fowler, Colo.                                          12,432

    15 Josh Peek, Pueblo, Colo.                                                   12,248

    16 K.C. Jones, Decatur, Texas                                               12,052

    17 Riley Duvall, Checotah, Okla.                                          11,413

    18 Nick Guy, Sparta, Wis.                                                     10,786

    19 Tanner Brunner, Ramona, Kan.                                        10,710

    20 Billy Bugenig, Ferndale, Calif.                                         10,596

    Team Roping (header)

    1 Clay Smith, Broken Bow, Okla.                                         $25,624

    2 Dustin Bird, Cut Bank, Mont.                                            25,459

    3 Matt Sherwood, Pima, Ariz.                                               24,271

    4 Kolton Schmidt, Barrhead, Alberta                                    23,297

    5 Levi Simpson, Ponoka, Alberta                                          22,567

    6 Colby Lovell, Madisonville, Texas                                     20,379

    7 Shane Philipp, Washington, Texas                                      18,173

    8 JoJo LeMond, Andrews, Texas                                          17,157

    9 Justin Davis, Madisonville, Texas                                       16,881

    10 Zac Small, Welch, Okla.                                                   16,837

    11 Spencer Mitchell, Williams, Calif.                                    15,218

    12 Aaron Tsinigine, Tuba City, Ariz.                                     15,108

    13 Joel Bach, San Augustine, Texas                                      13,559

    14 Jake Cooper, Monument, N.M.                                        13,143

    15 Jacob Dagenhart, Statesville, N.C.                                   12,638

    16 Adam Rose, Willard, Mo.                                                 12,247

    17 Ty Blasingame, Ramah, Colo.                                          12,056

    18 Billy Bob Brown, Carbon, Texas                                      11,753

    19 Manny Egusquiza Jr., Marianna, Fla.                                10,513

    20 Rowdy Rieken, Arp, Texas                                              9,988

    Team Roping (heeler)

    1 Russell Cardoza, Terrebonne, Ore.                                     $31,666

    2 Paul Eaves, Lonedell, Mo.                                                  26,913

    3 Quinn Kesler, Holden, Utah                                               24,506

    4 Jeremy Buhler, Abbotsford, British Columbia                   22,567

    5 John Philipp, Washington, Texas                                        18,173

    6 Tommy Zuniga, Centerville, Texas                                     16,872

    7 Wesley Thorp, Stephenville, Texas                                     16,715

    8 Kory Koontz, Stephenville, Texas                                      15,316

    9 Jim Ross Cooper, Stephenville, Texas                                14,775

    10 Justin Davis, Cottonwood, Calif.                                     13,631

    11 Dugan Kelly, Paso Robles, Calif.                                     12,725

    12 Caleb Anderson, Mocksville, N.C.                                   12,638

    13 Walt Woodard, Stephenville, Texas                                 12,616

    14 Garrett Jess, Coulee City, Wash.                                      11,753

    15 J.W. Beck, Moville, Iowa                                                 11,405

    16 Josh Fillmore, Penrose, Colo.                                            11,158

    17 Shay Carroll, Prineville, Ore.                                            10,281

    18 Justin Price, La Veta, Colo.                                              9,988

    19 Kinney Harrell, Marshall, Texas                                       9,904

    20 B.J. Dugger, Three Rivers, Texas                                     9,749

    Saddle Bronc Riding

    1 Jacobs Crawley, Boerne, Texas                                          $43,113

    2 Allen Boore, Axtell, Utah                                                   37,487

    3 Jake Watson, Hudsons Hope, British Columbia                 37,031

    4 Jake Wright, Milford, Utah                                                32,007

    5 CoBurn Bradshaw, Beaver, Utah                                       29,883

    6 Rusty Wright, Milford, Utah                                              28,235

    7 Tyrel Larsen, Inglis, Manitoba                                            20,601

    8 Sam Spreadborough, Snyder, Texas                                   13,849

    9 Dalton Davis, Holcomb, Kan.                                            13,797

    10 Layton Green, Meeting Creek, Alberta                            13,558

    11 Clay Elliott, Nanton, Alberta                                            13,541

    12 Andy Clarys, Riverton, Wyo.                                           13,510

    13 Ben Londo, San Luis Obispo, Calif.                                13,249

    14 Joey Sonnier, New Iberia, La.                                          11,897

    15 Cody DeMoss, Heflin, La.                                               11,431

    16 Cole Elshere, Faith, S.D.                                                  10,344

    17 Sterling Crawley, Stephenville, Texas                              10,121

    18 Curtis Garton, Kaitaia, New Zealand                               8,966

    19 Heith DeMoss, Heflin, La.                                               8,685

    20 Chet Johnson, Douglas, Wyo.                                          8,681

    Tie-down Roping

    1 Hunter Herrin, Apache, Okla.                                             $33,733

    2 Ryle Smith, Oakdale, Calif.                                                28,642

    3 Ryan Jarrett, Comanche, Okla.                                           27,014

    4 Caleb Smidt, Bellville, Texas                                              24,550

    5 Riley Pruitt, Gering, Neb.                                                   23,983

    6 Reese Riemer, Stinnett, Texas                                            22,426

    7 Braxton Laughlin, Westlake, La.                                        18,338

    8 Justin Macha, Needville, Texas                                          16,481

    9 Timber Moore, Aubrey, Texas                                            15,919

    10 Ryan Watkins, Morgan Mill, Texas                                  15,694

    11 Marcos Costa, Childress, Texas                                        15,688

    12 Jerrad Hofstetter, Shallow Water, Texas                          13,436

    13 Michael Otero, Lowndesboro, Ala.                                  13,375

    14 Jordan Ketscher, Squaw Valley, Calif.                             13,002

    15 Cody McCartney, Ottawa Lake, Mich.                            12,813

    16 Adam Gray, Seymour, Texas                                            12,082

    17 Kyle Lucas, Carstairs, Alberta                                          10,891

    18 Cory Solomon, Prairie View, Texas                                  10,836

    19 Bryson Sechrist, Apache, Okla.                                        10,339

    20 Clint Nyegaard, Cuero, Texas                                          10,300

    Steer Roping

    1 J. Tom Fisher, Andrews, Texas                                           $33,151

    2 Rocky Patterson, Pratt, Kan.                                              22,896

    3 Marty Jones, Hobbs, N.M.                                                  20,519

    4 Scott Snedecor, Fredericksburg, Texas                              15,982

    5 Vin Fisher Jr., Andrews, Texas                                           15,739

    6 Chris Glover, Keenesburg, Colo.                                        14,307

    7 Shay Good, Midland, Texas                                               13,730

    8 Troy Tillard, Douglas, Wyo.                                               12,429

    9 Dan Fisher, Andrews, Texas                                               11,061

    10 Jason Evans, Glen Rose, Texas                                         10,730

    11 Landon McClaugherty, Tilden, Texas                              9,979

    12 Lawson Plemons, Axtell, Texas                                        9,123

    13 Mike Chase, McAlester, Okla.                                          8,966

    14 Cody Lee, Gatesville, Texas                                             8,757

    15 Chet Herren, Pawhuska, Okla.                                         8,207

    16 J.P. Wickett, Sallisaw, Okla.                                             8,100

    17 Shane Suggs, Granbury, Texas                                         8,084

    18 Coy Thompson, Whitewood, S.D.                                   7,278

    19 Casey Tillard, Glenrock, Wyo.                                         6,763

    20 Tony Reina, Wharton, Texas                                            6,631

    Bull Riding

    1 Sage Kimzey, Strong City, Okla.                                       $47,628

    2 Joe Frost, Randlett, Utah                                                    46,099

    3 Bobby Welsh, Gillette, Wyo.                                              30,605

    4 Jeff Askey, Athens, Texas                                                  28,404

    5 Trevor Kastner, Ardmore, Okla.                                         27,240

    6 Cody Rostockyj, Lorena, Texas                                         26,102

    7 Kanin Asay, Powell, Wyo.                                                 25,310

    8 Dalan Duncan, Ballard, Utah                                             23,074

    9 Dustin Bowen, Waller, Texas                                             22,162

    10 Tyler Smith, Fruita, Colo.                                                 20,774

    11 Garrett Tribble, Bristow, Okla.                                         19,231

    12 Riker Carter, Stone, Idaho                                                17,623

    13 Cody Teel, Kountze, Texas                                              17,481

    14 Tim Bingham, Honeyville, Utah                                       15,418

    15 Shane Proctor, Grand Coulee, Wash.                               15,392

    16 John Young, Orient, Iowa                                                15,260

    17 Parker Breding, Edgar, Mont.                                          14,940

    18 Jordan Spears, Redding, Calif.                                         14,417

    19 Lon Danley, Tularosa, N.M.                                             14,333

    20 Rorey Maier, Timber Lake, S.D.                                       14,270

    *2016 Barrel Racing (March 14, 2016)

    Barrel racing standings, provided by the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA), are unofficial, subject to audit and may change. Unofficial WPRA Standings are published by the PRCA as a courtesy. The PRCA is not responsible for the verification or updating of WPRA standings.

    1 Ivy Conrado, Hudson, Colo.                                             $53,033

    2 Michele McLeod, Whitesboro, Texas                               40,926

    3 Mary Walker, Ennis, Texas                                               31,206

    4 Jackie Ganter, Abilene, Texas                                           28,856

    5 Mary Burger, Pauls Valley, Okla.                                     28,045

    6 Cassidy Kruse, Gillette, Wyo.                                           25,270

    7 Megan Swint, Lithia, Fla.                                                  24,029

    8 Jana Bean, Ft. Hancock, Ariz.                                           23,313

    9 Pamela Capper, Cheney, Wash.                                        22,436

    10 Kelly Tovar, Rockdale, Texas                                         22,387

    11 Kimmie Wall, Roosevelt, Utah                                       18,053

    12 Shelby Herrmann, Stephenville, Texas                            15,487

    13 Kellie Collier, Hereford, Texas                                       14,756

    14 Sammi Bessert, Grand Junction, Colo.                           14,606

    15 Taylor Jacob, Carmine, Texas                                          14,288

    16 Carley Richardson, Pampa, Texas                                   13,949

    17 Kathy Grimes, Medical Lake, Wash.                              13,772

    18 Sherry Cervi, Marana, Ariz.                                            13,498

    19 Shelly Anzick, Shepherd, Mont.                                     13,049

    20 Tiany Schuster, Krum, Texas                                          12,683

     

  • 5th Annual Intermountain Icebreaker High School Rodeo

    5th Annual Intermountain Icebreaker High School Rodeo

    The 5th Annual Intermountain Icebreaker High School Rodeo was held March 3-5 in Ogden, Utah. Open to High School & Jr. High Contestants all over the country. They award buckles to the top three round winners. Buckles and Saddles to the top three average winners. It is a fantastic rodeo that helps get the kids geared up for their spring rodeo season.

    Wendy Dahl is the Secretary.

    Here is the link to the website: http://www.intermountainicebreaker.com/

    All around Boys winner: Ryder Wright

    Reserve All around Boys: Bodell Jessen

    All Around Girls Winner: Kaytlyn Miller

    Reserve All around Girls: Taylor Latham

    Photo by Western Edge Photography

     

    2016 Icebreaker Short Round Results

  • News & Notes from the Rodeo Trail

    Courtesy of the PRCA

    Thomas Robert Tate, who qualified for the 1971 National Finals Rodeo in saddle bronc riding, finishing 15th in the PRCA world standings, passed away Dec. 14, 2015, in Cimarron, N.M. He was 67. Injuries forced his early retirement from rodeo in 1976. Memorial donations may be sent to Maverick Rodeo Club, PO Box 81, Cimarron, NM 87714 … Samuel Russel McDowell, who was a pickup man at the 1971-72 National Finals Rodeos, passed away March 3 at Kalispell (Mont.) Regional Medical Center. He was 86. McDowell was also selected to be a pickup man at the 1973 NFR, but a heart attack sidelined him. Although he would continue to work as a pickup man, it was on a limited basis. Memorial contributions may be sent to the Montana Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame. Memories and condolences may be sent to the family at www.thelakefuneralhomeandcrematory.com … Barrel racer Ruth Haislip, a three-time qualifier for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (1998-2000), passed away March 13. She was 63. Haislip, a former college champion, finished a career-best fourth in the 1998 world standings aboard the great mare Go Royal Scarlett … Robert (Bob) Nordtome, a PRCA Gold Card member and former calf roper, steer roper and steer wrestler, passed away March 10 in Fort Sumner, N.M. He was 88. In the early 1960s, Nordtome went into partnership with Jack Bloxham and Don Sterling to form the Big Sky Rodeo Company, a stock contracting company that existed until 1969. Nordtome also worked for the Arizona Livestock Board, where he served as a captain in the criminal investigation unit. He operated Silver Buckle Horse Ranch, where he trained and showed horses. He was inducted into the Montana Pro Rodeo Hall and Wall of Fame in 2011 … Two Ft. Hays (Kan.) State University students have been awarded scholarships courtesy of the Phillipsburg (Kan.) Rodeo Association. MariKate Crouch, Scott City, Kan., and Matt Rezac, Onaga, Kan., have both received $500 scholarships for their schooling at Ft. Hays State. Bronc Rumford, the rodeo coach at FHSU, speaks highly of both students. Rezac “is a good horseman,” he said. “He can handle a rope and has a ton of talent.” Crouch, from a rodeo family, “ropes and rides well. She’s always at practice and is always upbeat. They are both very coachable. When you tell them something, they’ll go work on it.” Since 1997, the Phillipsburg Rodeo Association has awarded scholarships to FHSU students who compete in rodeo … The Tri-State Rodeo in Fort Madison, Iowa, has a new chairman of the rodeo committee. Josh Denning is replacing Bob Huffman, who held the post for three years. Both men have been around the rodeo for a long time, as they both grew up in Fort Madison. Denning is currently in his 17th year as a member of the rodeo committee … The Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center’s project manager will have to find a way to cut at least nine days off the current schedule if construction is going to be finished in time to host the Umatilla County Fair – including the Farm-City Pro Rodeo in Hermiston – in 2017. A construction schedule presented by Rob Drier of Frew Development Group shows the first event date for the rodeo arena and barns as Aug. 17. Problem is, the rodeo is scheduled for Aug. 8-12. The options will be to either speed up construction, or push the rodeo back … The deadline for singers to apply to sing the National Anthem at the Reno (Nev.) Rodeo is March 15. Participants are asked to post videos of themselves singing the National Anthem on the event’s Facebook page. The Reno Rodeo will take place June 16-25.

     

    QUOTE OF THE WEEK

    “I’ve been kind of a head case lately. When I want to do good, I’m thinking too much about what I need to do. So, it was cool to put it all out of my mind and ride this time.”

    -Two-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifying bull rider Parker

    Breding on winning the March 12 Xtreme Bulls Division 1 event in Fort

    Mohave, Ariz.

  • Rider Buckle

    Rider Buckle

    story and photo courtesy of Jim Rider, Rider Buckle

    The idea for the Rider Buckle (self-locking stirrup adjustment buckle) was developed while I was marketing the Rider Cinch (adjustable flank cinch), I had developed a one of a kind locking device which allowed the Flank Cinch to be adjusted to 32, 36, and 40 inches. Several people commented about the need for a locking stirrup adjustment buckle after seeing the buckle I had designed for the Flank Cinch. This was in 1990, about 2 1/2 years ago I had renewed interest in my Flank Cinch and again saddle makers commented about the need for a locking stirrup adjustment buckle. So, for the last 2 1/2 years I have been in the development and patent process designing the strongest and safest stirrup adjustment buckle on the market, The Rider Buckle. We have had the Rider Buckle tested several times at Accurate Laboratories in Okc to insure it will stand up to the most demanding situations. We have had earlier revisions of the Rider Buckle in the Roping Community being tested daily, because of this testing we have made 5 different revisions to the initial design. It is now ready for the saddle market, we have it available in 2, 2 1/2, and 3 inch sizes. The Rider Buckle attaches to your Fender and Stirrup Leather exactly as the tongue and sleeve saddle makers are currently using. At this time I am finalizing the design for a locking sleeve in 2 1/2 and 3 inches, the sleeve will retro fit easily to your saddle, by simply removing your old sleeve and adding ours you add another level of confidence to your riding experience. You can see our products and our testing of the Rider Buckle simply by visiting our website at hightechtack.com. The Rider Buckle is available from, Action Co.- Schooley Saddlery-Sulphur River Saddlery-Truth Saddlery-Steve Lantvit Saddlery-Nile Valley Saddlery, or call Jim Rider,405-361-7492