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  • Michal Robertson

    Michal Robertson

    Michal Robertson is a barrel racer and pole bender in the Kansas High School Rodeo Association. The 18 year old cowgirl lives in Garden Plain, Kan., just outside Wichita, and loves barrels more than any other event. “Chasing cans is pretty fun,” she says.

    Her barrel horse is a ten year old named Ty. He started his rodeo career as a heading horse for Michal’s dad, but Michal and her dad realized that Ty was pretty athletic and they should give him a try on barrels. So Ty went to a trainer, came back, and “he’s pretty darn good,” she says. Michal has purchased him from her dad and is making payments on him, but her dad still uses the horse occasionally for team ropings.

    Michal’s pole horse is a 19 year old sorrel named Buddy who is new to her. He was going to be her main barrel horse, but she realized “he’s a smoking good pole horse.” This is Michal’s first year to run poles, so it’s a learning experience for her, even though Buddy has run poles for years. “It’s definitely a work in progress,” she says. Buddy is not very understanding, she jokes. “He’s like, ‘what are you doing?’ He gets really impatient.”

    Michal is a senior at Garden Plain High School, where she is taking five online college classes. In her marketing management class, she is head of the marketing team for the school’s café, “The Nest.” Students bake cookies, popcorn chicken, nachos, and corn dogs, and make slushies and coffee and sell them to their classmates during the day. The class is in charge of the café’s finances, purchases, and marketing, and they gain business experience through the class. “I love it,” she says.

    She is a member of the gifted program, is on the honor roll, and is a member of the Farm Credit Academic Team for the Kansas High School Rodeo Association. She is the event director for the tie-down roping.

    Her unusual name is pronounced “Michael,” and comes from the Bible. David’s first wife was named Michal, and her mom and dad thought it flowed well with her older sister’s name, Morgan. She’s thankful her last name is easy to pronounce. Announcers struggle with “Michal.” “When they have this dramatic pause before they say my (first) name, and then they say Robertson, I know it’s me,” she laughs.

    After high school, Michal plans to attend junior college, compete in collegiate rodeo, and then go on to finish her bachelor’s at a four year college. She’d like to get her Women’s Pro Rodeo Association card. She has a five year old horse coming who is doing very well in the barrels. “She’s very, very good,” she says. “She’s green. We’re taking it easy so I can run her in a couple years, so she is sound, and sound-minded.” For the last two years, Michal has finished in the top fifteen at the state level in the barrels.

    Her older sister, Morgan, is 25 and played basketball at La Salle University in Philadelphia and pro ball in Europe. She is the daughter of Bill and Lita Robertson.

  • Haylee Naylor

    Haylee Naylor

    Haylee Naylor is a contestant in the Kansas Junior High Rodeo Association. The thirteen year old cowgirl competes in the pole bending, barrel racing, goat tying, and is a runner for Cade Pearson in the ribbon roping.

    Of all her events, pole bending is her favorite, in part because of her horse, Lacy. “We just seem to be in sync, and we get along really good,” Haylee says. Lacy, who is a 24 year old sorrel, is also her goat tying horse and was ridden by Haylee’s aunt in high school and college rodeo. Because of her age, Haylee will probably retire her after this year of rodeo. Lacy is very calm, and even follows Haylee without a lead rope.

    For the barrel racing, she rides a sixteen year old horse named Demmy who is new to the family. Both of her horses are spoiled; Haylee loves spending money on them and makes sure their tack is color-coordinated (pink zebra). They have rhinestone headstalls, pink boots, pink blankets, and zebra fly masks. “They’re pretty girlie.”

    Haylee is an eighth grade student at Olpe Junior High School, and she loves sports and hanging out with her friends. The best part of the school day is the practices at the end of the day, and the worst part is math class. Her favorite teacher is Mr. Robert, her science teacher.

    She is a cheerleader and plays volleyball and basketball. This year her volleyball team went undefeated. She also participates in 4-H, where she showed two steers (named Willie and Si), and pigs, which she chooses not to name because she doesn’t want to get  too attached to them. Her theme for this year’s fair was Duck Dynasty: her show box and name tags were all camouflage, and her friend’s steers, who were next door to hers, were named Jase and Jep. Willie won Haylee some premium money, and Si became the family’s beef for the freezer.

    Haylee also competes in local Show-deos in Olpe and in the winter series for the Heartland Youth Rodeo Association. Over her rodeo career, she’s won money and 26 buckles. All of her earnings go into savings or to her mom, “so my mom doesn’t have to pay for so much.” When she grows up, she’d like to be a sonogram technician and work in the medical field, like her mom.

    She has a younger brother, Logan, who is six years old. Haylee is teaching him how to ride, and is proud that he has already won money and buckles. She is the daughter of Cassie Naylor, and credits her mom’s boyfriend, Rope Hammond, with helping her out.

  • Jill Oatman

    Jill Oatman

    Jill Oatman is one busy girl.The eighteen year old cowgirl successfully juggles a strong academic schedule, extracurricular activities, a job, and participation in the Nebraska High School Rodeo Association.

    She competes in the goat tying, breakaway roping, and team roping (heading for Lindy Woita of Atkinson), and is having her best year of high school rodeo. “It didn’t start clicking till this year,” she said. “This year, I’ve made a lot of accomplishments. I’ve set a goal of placing every weekend. I want to make it to state in breakaway and team roping (in addition to goat tying).” (She’s qualified her sophomore and junior years in goat tying.) “Finding what works for you and your horse and your style” is what’s helped her this year, she believes. “I’ve enjoyed it a lot, working my way up to this point.”

    The Broken Bow, Neb. cowgirl is a senior at Broken Bow High School, where her classes include statistics, political behavior, Spanish IV, anatomy, physics, and research writing. Her favorite class is anatomy, because the teacher makes it fun to learn. Statistics class can be boring: “it’s very, very wordy and not in plain terms. It’s a lot of reading but not interesting reading.” Jill didn’t have to take a math class as a senior, but decided she’d take one to gain more knowledge before college.

    She loves to read in her spare time, and finds most of her leisure time in the truck going from rodeo to rodeo. The last book she read for fun was Water for Elephants. She enjoyed the book, and saw the movie. For her extracurricular activities, Jill is in golf, 4-H, FFA (as treasurer), Spanish Club, National Honor Society, Spirit Squad, and Tri-M Honor Music Society. She plays the trumpet in band, and her team roping partner gave her a guitar for her birthday that hasn’t been played yet, but Jill hopes to take lessons some day.

    Every afternoon after school, she makes her way to the Grassland Veterinary Hospital in Broken Bow where she works. Her goal is to be a veterinarian someday, and she plans on attending the University of Nebraska and then going to Iowa State, where she will earn her vet degree.

    For the goat tying and team roping, she rides a 23 year old horse named Quigley who is “golden.” For the breakaway, she rides an eleven year old horse named Joey. She and Joey don’t always see eye to eye: “We’re both really stubborn and set in our ways. We clash a bit.”

    Jill has an older brother, Lance, who competed in high school rodeo and now is a welder for their father’s business, V Bar Trailer Sales. She is the daughter of Kem and Kimberly Oatman.

  • Kellie Wells

    Kellie Wells

    In July, 2013, Kellie Wells assumed the duties as the Arkansas Cowboys Association Rodeo Secretary. There was a lot to do in the next few weeks with the finals only being two and half months away. However, she was no stranger to rodeo and bull riding productions. In 2006, after completing their week long course and testing in Colorado Springs, Colorado, she was awarded her Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) secretary card. Just a few months later, she was working marketing for a Professional Bull Riding (PBR) and was approached about working some events as the secretary. A few weeks later, she was flying to Pensacola, Florida, to work her first PBR event and soon thereafter, obtained her PBR secretary card. This was the beginning of her working career for SuperBull Entertainment and the late George Marshall. “Over the past seven years I have worked with numerous events with George and his crew. It was always a great time and there was never a dull moment! I learned so much about rodeo production during these years. I was fortunate to have the opportunities I have had to work in this business and with many different producers including the American Bucking Bull, Inc. (ABBI) and the PBR. I have met many great people and made life-long friends. I have been able to travel all over the United States and been to places I would never would have been able to go to otherwise.”

     Kellie and her husband, Billy, make their home in Bakersfield, Missouri. A small rural community just minutes north of the Arkansas border. Billy rode bulls in the Arkansas Cowboys Association (ACA) in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. After completing his bull riding career, he started team roping. Kellie was competing in barrel racing during this time as well. Billy was working at Cloud 9 Ranch located in Caulfield, Missouri, while Kellie was finishing college. In 1993, Kellie graduated from Missouri State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work.   They were also busy during this time, raising their two children, Johnny and Taylor. Johnny rode steers for a while and he team roped. However, his interests moved to hunting and fishing. Taylor continued to rodeo and she competed in Little Britches and ACA rodeos in goat tying and Jr. Barrels. This year she was rookie of the year and finished sixth in cowgirl barrels, reserve champion in goats, and third in all-around for cowgirls. “Rodeo is a great way to raise your children. We spent many hours traveling many miles with our kids going to rodeos. There was a lot of talking, singing, joking, and yes even arguing but would not have changed a thing! Rodeo helped them to learn to be responsible, respectful, and to know what you put into something is only what you will get out. Billy and I consider ourselves very successful in that we raised two wonderful children who have morals and values and continue to say yes ma’am and yes sir. They both have respect for others and are so kind hearted. Although Johnny stopped rodeo in his early teens, he wants his little girl Ellie, 4, to have the opportunities to rodeo. She already has a huge love for horse. Billy has worked for Missouri Department of Transportation for 20 years and Kellie is a juvenile officer for the 37th Judicial Circuit of Missouri for 18 ½ years. Billy and Kellie both stopped participating in rodeo while they were raising their children. They are returning to the ACA as contestants this year and are looking forward to team roping together.

    Kellie stated that she is honored to serve as the secretary for the Arkansas Cowboys Association. “I believe the finals was a great success this year and am looking forward to an even better rodeo year in 2014,” she stated.

  • Bill Martinelli

    Bill Martinelli

    Bill Martinelli was born in 1935, in Glendale, California and grew up in Playa del Rey. His dad was a high school football coach and referred pro football games. Bill was the only one of his family to take a liking to rodeo. He began his rodeo career when he was in the seventh grade, riding bucking horses. That auspicious beginning continued into adulthood, with Bill traveling throughout most of the United States.

    He went Cal Poly and took a horse shoeing class – his desire was to rodeo.

    “In 1954, I went to Idaho with Bill Stroud, and rodeo’d all summer up there. In 1955, I went to Denver with John Hawkins on the train. I went to all the winter rodeos, and then started traveling with Alvin Nelson and the Teschers,” he recalled at the 9thAnnual Cowboy Museum Dinner Auction held at the Oakdale Cowboy Museum in Oakdale, Calif., September 16, 2006.

    After spending quite a bit of time in the Dakotas, Bill and his rodeo companions came back to California, where he met up with Jim Charles. Bill and Jim started hauling a bulldogging team for Harley May. Those trips took them to New York, Boston, and then back to San Francisco and the Cow Palace. When they weren’t traveling, they called Harley’s place home, dubbing it the ‘Rodeo Rancho.’

    Like a host of young men, Bill was drafted into the army, and served two years, from 1958 through 1960, with some of that time spent in Korea. After he was discharged, he came back to Oakdale, moving into the Live Oak Hotel with Jim. In those days, a room was 50 cents a day, with a bathroom down the hall. But, it was home. When he returned from the Army, he went right back to rodeoing, He met Kay in 1971 and they were married in 1972. “He was a 37-year-old bachelor,” said Kay. “We had a motorhome and took off rodeoing. My mother thought we lived like gypsies.”

    Bill’s rodeo exploits found him winning numerous awards. Of local notability, he won the all-round title at the Oakdale Rodeo in 1957, with his name being inscribed on the John Bowman trophy. He won the bareback competition at the Los Angeles Coliseum twice, and the bronc riding in Fort Worth. He won at San Antonio twice, and also at Phoenix. Three times, Salinas proved to be no problem, and he went on to add a notch for the Cow Palace to his winner‘s belt. He had five wins at Puyallup, Wash. He also won at Red Bluff, Long Beach, and Inglewood, all California rodeos. “I placed at all the other big rodeos, placing second at most of them.”

    He spent three months riding broncs in Europe for Rodeo Far West, a traveling Wild West show owned by Buster Ivory. The show traveled to Europe by freighter, taking 28 days to get there. When asked if that ocean trip reminded him of his trip to Korea, Bill wryly commented, “No. When I went to Korea, they got us there fast!”

    Over the course of his rodeo career, Bill went to the National Finals eight times, winning the average once, and placing all the other times. When not competing in rodeo, Bill earned a living by shoeing horses and all-around cowboy work, working for various ranchers in the Oakdale area. He also was the Winston Man – driving the Winston scoreboard around to the all PRCA rodeos. That became a family event, with his wife and kids traveling with him.

    When Bill reminisced, he has a twinkle in his eye and a laugh that comes from down deep as he told stories from days gone by. “When he told a story, one led to another,” said Kay.

    Bill is married to the former Kay Peterson. They make their home in Knights Ferry, and have raised four daughters, Mickey, Angie, Megan, and Tasha. They have twelve grandchildren.   Daughter Angie is serving in the United States Army and is stationed in Germany. “She makes her home in Switzerland and we have been there six times,” said Kay.

    Angie loved to rodeo with her dad. “One of my favorite times with dad was in Santa Maria ’96. I was entered in the barrel racing and dad in the gold card team roping. This was the first ever rodeo we had entered and traveled to together. We were both up in slack Saturday morning and Friday night I had gone out and had a pretty good time. I was moving really slow and late that morning and dad beat me to the arena. When I showed up, the barrel racing had already started and I was expecting a lecture, but instead I found my horse fed, saddled, and ready to go. We made a smokin run and placed in the go round. Dad just hugged me and said “nice photo finish”.”

    Bill quit competing in 1978 at the Cow Palace. “You couldn’t keep me away from rodeo. I don’t care if I wasn’t even entered, I was there. I’d watch it. That’s all I ever wanted to do. But when it was all over, it was all over, all done. I remember at the Cow Palace, I had a horse that was mediocre, and I thought, ‘if I ride him pretty well, I’m going to keep riding them, and if I don’t ride very well, I’m going to chuck it’ I was riding him pretty well, just giving it to him, and I thought ‘Well, shoot, I don’t have to quit.’ Then all of a sudden, I looked toward the ground, and I just pulled that rein across his neck and stepped off. And I thought, ‘Well that’s it. I’m supposed to quit riding them.’ And I did, I never got on another one”

    His love of rodeo continued as he took the scoreboard. When that stopped, he started running the side gate for the NFR, a job he did for ten years. “Bill was a good guy to have on the NFR crew as he was entertaining but was serious about his job,” recalled Shawn Davis, Wrangler NFR General Manager, who hired him to work the gate. “He kept everyone uplifted.” He worked his last NFR in 2005. He also went into the ranching and cattle business when his rodeo career ended. Bill suffered a stroke two days after his induction at the Oakdale Cowboy Museum in September of 2006 that left him unable to speak or work. His wife of 42 years, Kay, has been his voice ever since.

    “Dad is an amazing man,” said Angie. “He had mentored so many guys throughout the years. He and mom have always had an open door policy for our rodeo family. We never knew who would be camped out on our lawn. It was a great way to grow up.” When anyone mentions rodeo, Bill still gets a twinkle in his eye and for a brief period, he can focus on his life – and rodeo remains at the top of the list of his accomplishments.

  • Jackie Hobbs

    Jackie Hobbs

    Jackie Hobbs went to Waco with one goal in mind. “To win the All Around at the Finals and win for the year. And I did. There was a good race,” said the . “There were a couple younger girls that don’t have the cautious side that will give you a run for your money.” Jackie has been a member of WPRA for 8 years, getting her rodeo start doing speed events around her home in Illinois. “When I moved to Oklahoma, I went to the junior rodeos and all these kids were roping and that triggered something and I wanted to do it. My mom (Annette Hobbs) helped me a lot.”

    She waited to start competing until she was a sophomore in high school. “I won state my junior year and reserve my senior.” She went to college in Vernon, Texas, on a rodeo scholarship, majoring in business. “I wish I’d have paid a lot more attention, but back then I was busy rodeoing. Like any kid, my first year in college, I stepped into a different rank and I got my butt kicked all over the arena. I worked hard, but the longer scores and different set ups took some time to get used to. But I came back my second year and won the Women’s Team, won the region, and won the nation.” From there, Jackie headed to Stephenville and won the region every year for the next three years. “There’s a combination of talent, try, and people with a great mental game. When you find the combination of all those, that’s when you have your threats.” Jackie has worked hard in all three areas.

    Jackie put all three together at the 2013 WPRA Finals, taking the All Around title as well as the World Champion Tie Down Roper. She won second in the average heading and fourth in heeling. “There was a good spread in the breakaway and it came down the last round; Jackie was second high call behind Whitney DeSalvo. “I needed to win the round and win the average to win the world. She knocked me out by tieing me for that round and I lost by $90. I try not to be a bad losing. You can take things and learn from losing or you can throw a fit and have a bad attitude. Either way it doesn’t change it.”

    Jackie finds being a girl in a guys’ industry “unbelievably hard. In the horse business, and the training business, you have to be pretty thick skinned.” She quit training outside horses this year, choosing instead to put on clinics. “I’ve gone all over the nation putting on 13 clinics this year,” she said.

    She is about to make a few more changes in her life with her recent engagement to NFR Qualifier Charly Crawford. “We actually went on our first dates at Vegas last year during Finals. I rope in the World Series out there. We were acquaintances – the first time I met him I was dating one of his friends – this has been a few years back. When I go to Vegas I dress up – people don’t recognize me. He thought I was a buckle bunny and the next several times he saw me all he could do is apologize.”

    The two have become involved in some horse deals and Jackie planned some of her clinics around his rodeo schedule. Their plans for a wedding include the idea of Vegas this year followed by a reception after the Finals is over at their place in Stephenville. “ We are trying to put together a facility that has arenas that can cross over as my calf arena and for him to practice for Vegas. We are also setting it up so we can give clinics.”

    Jackie is hoping to concentrate on my team roping. “Obviously I have a great opportunity to do that.” Charly is a header. “I am getting to the end of my calf roping, but it seems like I haven’t really exhausted my avenues in team roping. That’s something I haven’t really done yet and I want to. The most challenging thing I’ve ever done is be the same number as a header and heeler.” She wants to build her arsenal of horses to be interchangeable. “I’ve got four right now of the best horses I’ve ever had. Between me and Charly we have between 10 and 15. I’m looking to get away from the pure cutting horses. I want the running blood crossed with some cow blood. That’s extremely hard to find.”

  • Matt Paulsen

    Matt Paulsen

    Matt Paulsen is the vice president-elect for Mid-States Rodeo Association and he’s looking forward to the job. “I want to be available for members to talk to me about concerns or issues related to the association. I’d like to be that ‘good listener’ and help out when I can. I’ll try to do my best to help the members as best I can, and always keep my door open to them.”

    He first joined the association in the mid-’90s. “I was riding barebacks in my younger and not-so-smarter days. I got out for a while and rejoined in 2003. Now I compete in the mixed team roping. I like the Mid-States Association for all the great people you meet and friends you make. We’re pretty well located so we can get to most of the rodeos in a day and be back home that night. My wife, Tracy lives and breathes rodeo and she gets to 50 plus a year. I get to probably 20 or so a year.” The couple has two young boys, Coy, 3 ½ and Kip 1 ½ that go along, “…I’ll go just to keep an eye on the boys. We try to make it a family event. Tracy competes in the barrels, breakaway, and mixed team roping. We rope together in the mixed team roping and since I’m a southpaw, I heel and she handles the head side.”

    Visualizing the run before hand is a big part of his preparation for a run. “I try to see those feet coming back to me so I get in time with the steer. The biggest factor in roping is the mental part of it. If you don’t think about roping two feet, you won’t do well. For me it’s the mental prep that makes a good run.”

    Matt got his introduction to roping through a high school girlfriend. “Her dad roped quite a bit and he got me started. I think I was sophomore then. In college some buddies convinced me that  I’d make a bareback rider and I went to a Lyle Sankey bareback school. Eventually I moved to just team roping.”

    Today Matt has abandoned his old superstitions. “When I was riding barebacks, I’d try to wear the same socks, shirt, pants, and underwear…the whole nine yards. But it never helped, the next pony you’d draw would be totally different. Being mentally prepared would have done me a lot more good than wearing the same underwear.”

    Matt barely finds time for rodeo between his ranch and farm operations and his duties as bank president. “I’ve been here for seven years. Things have been good here in the ag economy, our business is 80 to 90 percent ag-related. I’m not the kind of bank president that goes to the golf course at 4:30. I’ll go bale hay, work cattle, or go roping.” His experience working on ranches and feedlots combined with his college education in agriculture provided a solid base for his career in banking. “I think my work ethic that I developed has helped me also. I’ve worked pretty hard to get where I’m at and I’ve had a lot of help from a lot of good people. It’s been a heck of a journey.”

    Matt, 39 makes his home in Primrose, Neb. He says that his wife has been his biggest influence to him credits her and her love of rodeo and horses for where they are today. “I’d have to say she is the bone in my back.” Goals for the future are to build his ranching operation and keep his options open for coming opportunities with his banking career. Leisure time is to rope or going to rodeos. “Those are my get-aways, to go down the road to rodeo and get forget about what you have to do next week.”

  • Sherri Odell

    Sherri Odell

    Taking the reins and whizzing through the cloverleaf pattern, Sherri Odell dominated the barrel racing competition in the Kansas Professional Rodeo Association (KPRA) and won her first year-end title by close to $4,000 above her closest competitor. “I have an awesome horse,” she credited to her animal athlete.

    Her 11-year old partner (Bully) has been a part of Sherri’s string since he was a two-year old and Sherri says that it has taken a lot of years to get him where he is today. “We spent a lot of time working cattle. Between shagging in the feedlots and ranch work, Bully and I have spent quite a bit of time together,” she said of the training process. “When I was younger, my parents would never buy me a started barrel horse and said that if I wanted to run, then I had to train my own and for that I am very thankful.” Her race horse has also racked up a reserve-champion title in the KPRA and a year-end title within the Texas Cowboy’s Rodeo Association (TCRA), along with winning Horse of the Year in 2010. “He finally decided that he would much rather run barrels and he has proven that,“ she said. Tearing up the competition, Bully created a cushion for Sherri in the 2013 KPRA standings and allowed for enough space to be turned out. “I didn’t even run him at the finals. Instead, I ran colts and gave Bully a little vacation,” she explained.

    Sherri has been a member of the KPRA off-and-on since 1993, where she qualified for her first finals. Since that time, she has been a finals contender four times. “They do a great job with the rodeos and ground conditions, but I was really impressed with the payout. They pay as well as the pro circuit rodeos,” she said of the organization and her $9,723 season winnings.

    The Liberal, Kans., cowgirl got her start in the arena through her parents and she was entering her first junior rodeos by the age of four. “I’ve run forever,” she said. While her dad (Melvin Odell) worked as a pickup man, her mom (Linda Smith) ran barrels. “Through my family, I‘ve always been around rodeo. It is something that I‘ve always done and I can‘t imagine a life without my horses,” she said of why she likes to rodeo. Both parents continue to be very supportive of Sherri. “Mom is very instrumental in my rodeoing. She helps with the daily grind of taking care of our 20 head of horses and, at times, will travel with me,” she said. While Linda lives with her daughter and will occasionally still run, her ranching father made the trip to the KPRA Finals to support her. “I was the first time that he has watched me rodeo in about 20 years,” she said while explaining that he has thought himself to be a jinx to her.

    Outside of rodeo, Sherri and Linda are partners in a cattle processing business (L and S Processing) that they started about 15 years ago. “There are a lot more women in the cattle industry and we have been very successful with our business,” Sherri said. The business partners have opened the door to Sherri’s husband (Ty Crutchfield, a team roper within the KPRA) and he has taken on a lot of the responsibility to allow Sherri to chase her dreams inside of the arena. “He doesn’t get to go as much, because of his support of me,” she said. The couple will celebrate their one-year anniversary in December and Sherri says that they have plans on spending it at a Denver Broncos game.

    A cowgirl through-and-through, Sherri’s list of associations expand into the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA), where she has been a member since 1990. With only ten days of riding Bully prior to the 2013 WPRA World Finals, she was able to place in the second-go. “My goal has always been to make the NFR and hopefully 2014 will find us there,” she said and will travel outside of the Prairie Circuit that she designates.

    Setting a high standard for herself, Sherri still plans on hitting the KPRA rodeos as often as she can. Her and Ty plan on kicking off the 2014 season by hitting the “Gunslinger Series” and have hopes of coaxing Linda to go along with them. “She has fallen in love with one of the younger horses around here and hopefully we’ll get her to go as well,” she said.

  • Lucas Camac

    Lucas Camac

    Lucas Camac proved to be no underdog in the Central Plains Rodeo Association (CePRA) as he climbed the ladder from sitting sixth in the standings to finishing out the year as the reserve champion steer wrestler. A second place in the first-go, followed by a first place finish in the second-go, found Lucas leading the average heading into the third-round of the Finals, but luck of the draw seemed to be the cause of missing his last steer. “It’s part of the game we play,” was his explanation. The unfortunate last round incident didn’t play too big of a role on the bulldogger as he took third in the aggregate race with an 8.5 on two head and brought his year-end winnings to about $400 from the top hole. “I had a pretty decent finals and was happy with the results,” he said.

    The youngest of three boys, Lucas has been a member of the CePRA for six years. “It’s a good association. The finals pay decent and the winter rodeos allow for contestants to keep going throughout the year,” he said of the organization. The five-time CePRA Finals qualifier can most often be found traveling with his steer dogging older brothers (Cole and Travis), who also compete in the association. “My brothers are always my first option to travel with and we travel together when we can, but sometimes we are going in different directions and we have to jump in with someone else,” he said. In these instances, Lucas hops in with the 2013 CePRA steer wrestling champ, Shane Henderson.

    Rodeo has been handed down through the family, starting with his grandfather (Norman Hazeleaker), who was a bull rider. From there, Lucas’ two uncles (Mike and Doug) found their love from two separate ends of the arena and while Mike rode bulls and bareback horses, Doug was a bulldogger and calf roper. The love for competition wasn’t left to the boys, as Lucas’ mother (Carol) competed in the barrel racing and showed horses. “My Granddad was a big part of rodeo and it was passed down to his kids and now all of his grandkids,“ said Lucas. Surrounded by the rodeo way of life, Lucas got his start through Norman during the summer of his eighth grade year. “Granddad let me jump my first steer in the practice pen,” he remembered. Progression in the event found Lucas competing in the National High School Rodeo Association and later getting a rodeo scholarship to Northwestern Oklahoma State University, where he was a member of the Rangers rodeo team for four years and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Health and Sports Science Education. Currently, Lucas’ associations are split between the CePRA and the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), where he has been a member since 2007. “Rodeo has been a part of me for a long time and I just love the sport,” is his reason for competing.

    The Rose Hill, Kans., cowboy makes his living within the second-crop program of ADM Alliance Nutrition and is looking forward to a future with his fiancé Jacey Andrews. An all-around cowgirl, competing in the barrel racing and breakaway roping will help to carry on the family tradition as a card holder of the CePRA. The couple of set the date for May 24, 2014.

    Halfway through the 2013 season, Lucas switched his steed to his 12-year old horse (Maverick). “I’ve had him for a while and he was started as a heading horse, but he has gotten more solid and proved to be a winner,” said Lucas. Now with the horsepower under him, Lucas hopes to get in enough circuit rodeos to qualify for the Prairie Circuit Finals, within the PRCA, next season. “I would like to give it a legitimate shot,” he said of one goal. Nonetheless, his sights are still set within the CePRA and he has targeted the year-end saddle. “I would definitely like to win it,” he said.

  • Halle Johnson

    Halle Johnson

    For Halle Johnson, rodeo is not only a sport, it is also a means of bringing her family together. Her great-grandparents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles come to watch, and her grandfather, parents, and siblings all love to compete in rodeo. “That’s one of the reasons I like rodeo so much – I can compete with my whole family,” says Halle. The 13-year-old has been competing in the KJRA for six years and is the association’s 2013 All-Around Champion in the 10-13 age division. “I like competing with my horse and I love animals,” says Halle. “Rodeo is something I’ve always done and I meet a lot of friends there.”

    Halle competes in barrel racing, pole bending, breakaway roping, goat tying, ribbon roping, and team roping. This year, Halle started team roping in the KJRA with her sister, Kya. They each switch from heading to heeling for one another. Halle is coached in her events by her parents and also by Jessica McMillan. Halle’s dad, Mark Johnson, helps her with her roping events since he competes in team roping as well as tie down roping. Halle’s mom, Michelle Johnson, also team ropes in addition to barrel racing.

    The Johnson family lives in the country on 80 acres outside of Bennington, Kan. Halle is the oldest – her sister Kya is 12 and her brother Hunter is five. Both Kya and Hunter compete in the KJRA. Halle has three horses that she rodeos with. Beamer is a 14-year-old mare who Halle does barrels and poles on. Tank is her breakaway horse, and Colonel is the team roping and goat tying horse that Halle shares with her sister Kya. The Johnsons also keep Black Angus beef cattle, cowdogs, and cats, along with steers, calves, and a goat for roping.

    A student at Bennington Middle School, Halle is in the eighth grade. Her favorite subject is English. “I like to write stories and I love to read,” she says. She  enjoys reading adventure stories, and she just finished The Divergent Series by Veronica Roth. When Halle is not lost in a book, she enjoys playing guitar and clarinet. She plays clarinet in band at her school, and during the school year she also plays volleyball, runs track, and does cheerleading. Additionally, Halle is involved in 4-H, having shown sheep and dogs for the past five years. She also competes in the horse events and has won the breakaway roping at state fair for the past two years.

    Recently, Halle won her very first team roping check at a HYRA (Heartland Youth Rodeo Association) rodeo. Other highlights of her year include coming in fourth in the barrel racing and second in the breakaway roping at the American Royal Invitational Youth Rodeo. She also won the open and youth buckles in barrel racing at the Labor Day open rodeo in Brookville. In 2012, Halle and her sister Kya competed in Gallup, N.M. at the NJHFR, with Halle placing 22nd overall. One of her goals is to compete there again. “I want to make it to nationals in multiple events,” says Halle. Her other future goals include rodeoing through college and beyond, as well as becoming an orthopedic surgeon.

  • Brandon Mendenhall

    Brandon Mendenhall

    CSRA bullrider, Brandon Mendenhall is relieved he doesn’t have to sneak off to rodeos anymore. At 16, he secretly visited practice pens for a chance to get on some bucking stock. Brandon began riding bareback horses but sticks with bulls today.  Growing up on a cow/calf operation and feedlot in the small town of Mechanicsburg, Illi., Brandon attended Glenwood High School. He then went on to Oklahoma State where he studied Agriculture-Industrial Mechanics.

    Brandon looked up to rodeo legend Lane Frost and counts many friends as mentors in his own rodeo career. He thanks Ray Cox, Terry and Sandy Lots, Daniel James, Jonny Meccici, and Keith Wooten as his greatest influences. Brandon suffered an injury last year that required two surgeries. “Everyone goes through their dark times. You’ve got to find the fun in it again, that’s how you get through it,” he said.

    Brandon counts the Hillsboro, Mo. CSRA rodeo as his top pick. “It’s a great rodeo with many great memories to list.” Brandon’s biggest hobby is bullriding but he does work on trucks when he finds the time. “Not many people know that I write poetry,” he added.
    This multi-talented cowboy hopes he’s still spurring bulls in the future and “still having fun doing it,” Brandon said. Brandon is the son of David and Susan Mendenhall.

  • Trayton DeRouen

    Trayton DeRouen

    Trayton DeRouen always wanted to ride bulls just like his dad. There was just one problem, his mom never let him. Finally, at 18 years old, Trayton got the chance to ride a bull. He enlisted the help of Bruce Richardson and Kerrie O’Brian to help him with the sport. “My role model is still my father Todd DeRouen and of course Lane Frost,” Trayton said.

    Trayton qualified for the CRA finals his rookie year of competition. “I’ve never actually won a rodeo but I’ve been second quite a few times. I took second with 70 points at the Laffayette CRA rodeo this year and I’m pretty proud of that,” he said. Trayton broke his ankle in May and was out of competition until August. To get out of his slump, Trayton said, “I

    Trayton admitted,”Nobody knows I started bull riding to make my dad proud of me. Then I just happened to fall in love with the sport.” Trayton’s love for bulls keeps him focused and ready for his next rodeo. He said, “I’d love to win the CRA finals and one day ride in the PBR and PRCA too.”