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  • American Hat Presents: Bronc Evans

    American Hat Presents: Bronc Evans

    [ “He’s an old man trapped in a little kid’s body,”
    – Gizmo McCracken of his grandson, Bronc Evans. ]

    “In the rope horse world, you have to get your name out there so people will want you to train their horses,” said 13-year-old Bronc Evans. “I want to get to the NFR and get a world championship. Everybody wants to do that, and honestly, you can’t mimic Trevor Brazile because he’s the greatest. But I want to train horses when I’m done rodeoing.”
    Bronc grew up with a rope in his hands. “Me and my dad were moving a set of cows,” Bronc said. “I was four. There was one little baby calf. Her mom ran into the herd. Dad told me to rope it, and it’s walking along, I roped it, and we took a picture and sent it to my mom.”
    Bronc’s mom, Mandy, realized early that Bronc has special roping talents. “This is a special child with unique talents and gifts. We need to nurture these abilities, and take this where God wants this to go,” said Mandy.
    A fourth-generation ranch in southwest Missouri is home to Bronc and his sister, Jaylen. Their maternal grandparents, Dianna and Jerry Evans, still work and live on the ranch. Along with yearlings, the family raises quarter horses and has been breeding horses for more than 20 years. In fact, Bronc raised and trained both his head and heeler horses.
    “Bronc has been going with me and gathering cows for years,” said his dad, Jimmy. “He’s my right hand. He’s better than any help I can hire. He can drive almost any piece of equipment I’ve got. If it’s getting dark and I’m busy, he will bring in the horses and he’ll put them in the trailer and bring the truck and trailer to me.”
    Now a rising rodeo star, Bronc said, “I don’t really try to get pumped up before a competition. I try to stay focused and keep my nerves under control, which keeps my horses calm.”
    Bronc’s trail from Missouri ranch hand to competitive rodeo athlete is spurring him toward the top. Spanning only six years, his long list of titles and championships includes the 2021 Junior World champion breakaway roper coming in wearing #1 for ten and under, in Las Vegas, NV. In late spring 2023 alone, Bronc snagged reserve champion breakaway and reserve champion header in the Hooey Jr. Patriot Finale, winning almost $30k in Fort Worth, TX. He has won more than 100 buckles, which currently takes up an entire wall, as well as a dozen saddles.
    “My favorite event is team roping,” he said. “In Feb. 2022, I bought my first horse using my own money. His name is Pinto, like the bean. He’s a red-and-white paint.” He uses Pinto for team roping and breakaway. “I like to go fishing on our ranch, but not as much as I like rodeo.”
    Along with ranch life, Bronc and Jaylen spent many days on the rodeo road with their grandfather, the famous rodeo clown Gizmo (Dale McCracken). Giz has innumerable accolades and awards to his credit, winning 2017 Comedy Act of the year for his popular ambulance routine. Gizmo is a member of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), and has worked 19 PRCA circuit finals rodeos in ten of the 12 circuits.
    With his wife Janice, Gizmo still spends a lot of time kickin’ up the road dust. As they travel, churches request their gospel music performances, and they’re happy to oblige. Also going strong for over a decade, Janice’s Power of Pink foundation has raised over $360,000 for women who are battling breast cancer in their small Missouri hometown.
    Janice and Gizmo’s lives have remained a segue for their four grandchildren – Jaylen and Bronc, and Brimley and Raeley Crouch – from ranch life to the rodeo world. All the grandchildren have been performing in Gizmo’s comic routines since they were very young. As well, their daughters, Mandy and Cassie, have followed in Janice’s footsteps, and are home schooling all the children.
    “When I was growing up, my poppy (Gizmo) would take my cousins and me to the rodeos and we’d be part of his acts,” said Bronc. “He knew most of the ropers and I got to talk to them. I liked what I saw at the rodeos. My dad was in the cutting world before we were born, and he’s a good horseman and we’ve raised horses all our lives. It takes practice to feel the different types of horses, and you learn how.”
    Bronc wants to win a saddle in a USTRC roping heeling event. And his goal, to make the NFR in calf roping and team roping, is a 24/7 pursuit. To that end, the Evans home is full of roping dummies. While sitting in a saddle on a stuffed horse, watching Cowboy Channel live-streamed rodeos, Bronc ropes and ties calf dummies. And he’s got a rope in his hand at church, the grocery store, and everywhere else.
    During the school year, Bronc finishes early each morning. His favorite part of school is when it’s over, and his least favorite subject is math. And his daily four hours of rodeo practice include working on horses and roping.
    “Jaylen and I were born on the same day, six years apart,” Bronc said. “She just turned 19. Right now, she’s working at the hospital and going to start school to be a nurse. She preaches at a lot of church services. Growing up going to Cowboy Church, Jaylen has a gift for delivering the Word of God that has developed over the years of preaching at youth rodeos. She competes in breakaway roping, team roping, running poles, and tying goats.”
    Gizmo said, “The coolest thing has been seeing my grandkids do something that my wife and I have been involved with all our lives. To watch them working with and caring for their horses.”
    “I want to train rope horses for ropers when I grow up,” Bronc said. “I just want to keep the ranch we’ve got. I like ridin’ through the pastures. My favorite things on the ranch are dragging calves and when we bring the colts in to halter break. I just want to keep ropin’ all the way through life.”
    However, the strongest roots, that run deep through all generations of this family, are their love for Jesus, and spreading that message wherever they go.

  • 6 Over 60: Martha Josey

    6 Over 60: Martha Josey

    World champion barrel racer Martha Josey’s small beginnings cultivated a strong work ethic and determination in the Texas cowgirl. So strong, that her trailblazing not only propelled her through four highly successful decades in the arena, but also building a rodeo school, marketing the Josey Ranch brand, and sustaining the business for 56 years and counting. And the ripple effect continues to influence each generation of barrel racers that follow.

    “I started teaching with my husband,” says Martha, who married tie-down roper R.E. Josey in 1966. The couple was invited to teach a barrel racing clinic that same year in Connecticut—one of the first in the area—and three girls that attended later went on to qualify for the NFR, including Lee Natale of New Jersey. Martha and R.E. had moved to West Texas after they married, but after the success of their clinic, a homesick Martha talked R.E. into moving back to her mother’s home in Marshall, Texas, and opening a rodeo school on the property. Thus Josey Ranch was founded in 1967 with 33 students in the first class. Today it is the longest-running rodeo school in the country.

    When she wasn’t teaching, Martha rodeoed hard. The young woman who previously had to rent a horse trailer and tow it with her mother’s worn Buick went on a winning streak. Before joining the WPRA in 1968, she won 52 consecutive barrel races and 7 horse trailers aboard CeBe. She qualified for her first NFR that same year.

    Her success and R.E.’s—who won three AQHA world calf roping titles in the early 1970s—caught the attention of companies such as Purina, Hesston, Wrangler, Priefert, and many more, who approached the couple with sponsorships for Josey Ranch. “When you’re winning, students want to ride what you ride, eat what you eat, and feed what you feed,” Martha explains. “There are many, many banners at our ranch.”
    She invested the money from the first rodeo school into promoting Josey Ranch. “I didn’t go to college since I started rodeoing, but I always had marketing on my mind. Out of sight is out of mind, so you always have to put things before people.” Martha attributes some of her business savvy to her grandmother, Mattie Castleberry, who after working in a cigar store in Tulsa, Oklahoma, decided to start her own business purchasing small buildings and turning them into night clubs. “She didn’t drink or cuss, but she was a businesswoman. She started in Kilgore, Texas and put in Mattie’s Ballroom.  When the Reo Palm Isle was the largest night club in Texas, the owner went off to war and he asked Mattie to run it. When the war was over, she bought it from him. So many country singers started right there at Reo Palm. I live on her property, and the top of the barn she built is my trophy room,” says Martha.

    Another area of her business savvy began in the 1970s with her need for a saddle she could stay in. Her main barrel horse at the time was Cebe Reed. “He was such a turner and could be quick, and I couldn’t find a saddle I could stay on. I kept looking, and every saddle I’d win I couldn’t ride.” Martha, who calls herself a perfectionist when it comes to designing her saddles and bits. She designed a saddle for herself through Circle Y Saddles that not only helped the rider, but also the horse. “One thing that’s really different is that the saddle tree is in close contact with the horse. And the stirrup is on a swivel so you can put your feet in front of you or behind but not get thrown backward. Circle Y has been phenomenal to work with, and we have many champions riding it now.”

    Although her rodeo career was peppered at times with serious riding injuries, Martha qualified for the NFR four consecutive decades—one of the only women to do so—and represented the U.S.A in the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada. In 1980 after winning the AQHA World Championship aboard her horse Sonny Bit O’Both, she won the WPRA world title just ahead of one of her past students, Lynn McKenzie. Sonny still holds the record as the only horse to carry a rider to both titles in the same year. Recently, Martha was the recipient of the prestigious Tad Lucas Award, and at 85, she continues to ride and teach at Josey Ranch, as did R.E. until his passing in February of 2022.

    Josey Ranch has welcomed more than 300,000 students and given out more than $350,000 in college scholarships. “This year is the first time ever we’re holding the Josey Gold Cup Senior Barrel Race, and we just had a meeting about the Junior World Cup and how to be bigger and better,” says Martha. “Gary Arthur, my nephew, is helping me run this place. Without him I’d be in a heap of trouble. Team Josey goes to the out of state clinics—that’s Ty and his wife Lisa—and Mark Burke is our video man at all of the clinics.”

    Martha continues to impart to her students the values that carried her through her titanic career. “They need that passion and they need to stay positive and be motivated, because sometimes you have to be your own best cheerleader. After finishing a rodeo you didn’t do good at, you have to learn how to put that behind you and let it help you be better for the next one. And enjoy the moment. How enjoyable it is to do something we love so much, and have the family involved.”

  • College National Finals 2023

    College National Finals 2023

    Championship Saturday at the 2023 College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) began with the top 12 student athletes in nine events roping and riding for individual and team honors, The night ended with the crowning of 10 individual and two all-around national champions along with new women’s and men’s national champion teams.
    The night began with bareback riding. Kade Sonnier, a graduate student in health and human performance at McNeese State University, qualified in eighth place in the finals but made a bid for the title when he scored 84.5 points on Vold Rodeo’s horse Brubby Spoon. Sonnier’s total of 314 points on four rounds held first place until the final bareback rider of the night.
    Weston Timberman, who was born and raised in Casper before moving to Columbus, Montana, came in with the highest total after the first three rounds. Rodeo insiders were anticipating the matchup between Timberman and Vold’s horse Crossbreed’s Captain Hook – the horse Missouri Valley College’s Ty Pope rode to win last year’s title. The freshman science major at Clarendon College matched Sonnier’s score of 84.5 and won the championship by 11 points. Timberman was instrumental in Clarendon College winning another men’s team championship and also earned men’s rookie of the year honors.
    Kincade Henry of Mount Pleasant, Texas, became one of the few tie-down ropers to win back-to-back college championships. The junior ag business major at Texas A & M University – Commerce came into the finals with a 2.7-second overall lead. His time of 10.5 seconds was good enough for second in the round and his second consecutive college title.
    The first upset of the night came in breakaway roping. Makayla Farkas of Leona Valley, California, was in third place when the night began. The senior kinesiology major at West Hills College tied for second in the round with a time of 2.7 seconds and roped the championship with 10.9 seconds on four runs.
    The saddle bronc riding had been a battle all week with a single point separating Quintin McWhorter of California Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo and Damian Brennan of Western Texas College. The pair were the final two cowboys to compete with McWhorter, an ag education graduate student from Petrolia, California, going first. McWhorter scored 85 points on Vold Rodeo Company’s bronc named Jerry’s Justice for 323.5 total points. Brennan, an Australian who just wrapped up his junior year in farm and ranch management, and Vold’s bronc Moon Valley combined for 84 points, tied for second in the round and matched McWhorter’s total. Both athletes were crowned national saddle bronc riding champions.
    JT Ellison, a senior at the University of West Alabama, came into the finals with a three-second lead overall. As the final competitor in steer wrestling Ellison, who majored in cell and molecular biology, made a business-like run of 6.7 and won the championship by 1.3 seconds.
    The goat tying was the tightest event with six-tenths of a second separating the top eight finalists when the night began. Almost every cowgirl clocked a time in the six-second range. When the dust settled Montana State University senior Paige Rasmussen jumped from third to first overall when she won the final round with a time of 6.0 seconds. The psychology major from Bozeman won the all-around cowgirl national championship here in 2021, but this was her first individual national title.
    A pair of Texans took national honors in the team roping. Slade Wood, a freshman from New Ulm, and Logan Moore, a junior from Pleasanton, held a lead of almost two seconds when Saturday’s action began. They finished second in the round and were named champion header and heeler, respectively. Wood is a business major representing Southwest Texas Junior College and Moore is a wildlife biology major at Wharton County Junior College.
    Taycie Matthews of Wynne, Arkansas, won her first national title in her third trip to the CNFR. Matthews, a junior business major at the University of West Alabama, won two of the first three rounds and finished second in the other. She was the 12th barrel racer to compete in the finals and her time of 13.94 was good enough for second in the round and won the championship by 32-hundredths of a second. Three of the 12 finalists in barrel racing were from the University of West Alabama and Matthews led her team to the school’s first women’s team championship.
    The night ended with Tristan Hutchings winning his second collegiate bull riding championship in three years. The Idaho native just wrapped up his senior year at Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas, with a degree in agriculture. Ironically, he drew the same bull that cost him the 2022 bull riding title here – Vold Rodeo Co’s Night Trip. Although he bucked off at 7.56 seconds, Hutchings won the title as the only bull rider to make three qualified rides this week.
    The men’s all-around title went to Quade Hiatt of Canyon, Texas, a junior business marketing major at West Texas A & M University. He and partner Jace Helton of Weatherford College finished as reserve champions in team roping. Hiatt also finished fifth in tie-down roping.
    Freshman Haiden Thompson of Yoder, Wyoming, won both the women’s all-around and rookie of the year titles. A business major at Gillette College, Thompson qualified for the finals in both breakaway roping and team roping.
    The 2024 College National Finals Rodeo returns to Casper next June.

    2023 COLLEGE NATIONAL FINALS RODEO CHAMPIONS
    Bareback
    Weston Timberman, Clarendon College, 325 points.
    Tie-Down Roping
    Kincade Henry, Texas A&M University
    Commerce, 35.8
    Breakaway Roping
    Makayla Farkas, West Hills college, 10.9
    Saddle Bronc Riding (tie)
    Quintin McWhorter, Cal Poly State University, and
    Damian Brennan, Western Texas College, 323.5 points
    Steer Wrestling
    Joshua Ellison, University of West Alabama, 26.0 seconds.
    Goat Tying
    Paige Rasmussen, Montana State University, 24.3 seconds.
    Team Roping
    Slade Wood, Southwest Texas Junior College and
    Logan Moore, Wharton County Junior College, 22.8
    Barrel Racing
    Taycie Matthews, University of West Alabama, 55.53
    Bull Riding
    Tristen Hutchings, Sul Ross State University, 236 points
    Men’s All-Around
    Quade Hiatt, West Texas A&M University, 365 points
    Women’s All-Around
    Haiden Thompson, Gillette College, 180
    Men’s Team
    Clarendon College 855 points
    Women’s Team
    University of West Alabama, 696.3 points
    Men’s Rookie
    Weston Timberman, Clarendon College, 320 points
    Women’s Rookie
    Haiden Thompson, Gillette College, 180
    Men’s AQHA Horse of the Year
    Coral Lil Dual, Cutter Carpenter, Texas A&M University – Commerce
    Women’s AQHA Horse of the Year
    No Mistaken He’s Fine, Paige Rasmussen, Montana State University

    The following are final results from the College National Finals Rodeo, June 17, 2023, courtesy of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association. www.collegerodeo.com.

    Bareback riding:
    (final round) 1, (tie) Weston Timberman, Clarendon College, and Kade Sonnier, McNeese State University, 84.5 points each. 3, Ty Pope, Missouri Valley College; Nick Pelk, Missouri Valley College and Bradlee Miller, Sam Houston State University, 79. (total on four) 1, Timberman, 325. 2, Sonnier, 314. 3, Pope, 313. 4, Miller, 311.5. 5, Kooper Helmburg, Missouri Valley College, 310. 6, Donny Proffit, University of Wyoming, 309. 7, Sage Allen, College of Southern Idaho, 306.5. 8, Pelke, 305.

    Tie-Down Roping:
    (final round) 1, Cutter Carpenter, Texas A&M University
    Commerce, 9.5 seconds. 2, Kincade Henry, Texas A&M University
    Commerce, 10.4. 3, Connor Atkinson, Texas A&M University, 10.6. 4, Cole Walker, University of Tennessee
    Martin, 10.7. (total on four) 1, Henry, 35.8. 2, Carpenter, 39. 3, Atkinson, 39.1. 4, Bodie Mattson, University of Wyoming, 39.5. 5, Quade Hiatt, West Texas A&M University, 40.7. 6, Walker, 40.8. 7, Daniel Miranda, Cal Poly State University, 42.1. 8, Logan Smith, Northwest College, 45.9.

    Breakaway Roping:
    (final round) 1, Raegan Steed, College of Southern Idaho, 2.6 seconds. 2, Makayla Farkas, West Hills College, and Kyleigh Winn, Kansas State University, 2.7 each. 4, Kennedy Buckner, Blue Mountain Community College, 3.1. (total on four) 1, Farkas, 10.9. 2, Buckner, 11.3. 3, Samantha Kerns, Treasure Valley Community College, 12.2 4, Steed, 13.3. 5, Winn, 21.3. 6, Sutton Mang, Allan Hancock College, 21.5. 7, Morgan Foss, Dickinson State University, 21.7. 8, Mikenna Schauer, Montana State University Northern, 29.4.

    Saddle Bronc Riding:
    (final round) 1, Quintin McWhorter, Cal Poly State University, 85 points. 2, (tie) Dylan Hancock, Clarendon College, and Damian Brennan, Western Texas College, 84. 4, Isaac Richard, McNeese State University, 83.5. (total on four) 1, (tie) McWhorter and Brennan, 323.5 each. 3, Richard, 320.5. 4, Hancock, 319. 5, Slade Keith, Clarendon College, 314. 6, Will Pollock, Clarendon College, 310. 7, Lance Gaillard, Tarleton State University, 308.5. 8, Parker Fleet, Hill College, 308.

    Steer Wrestling:
    (final round) 1, Mason Couch, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, 3.6 seconds. 2, Tyler Bauerle, Cisco College, 4.7. 3, Bradley Hesnor, McNeese State University, 5.0. 4, Colt Honey, Texas Tech University, 5.2. (total on four) 1, JT Ellison, University of West Alabama, 26.0. 2, Hesnor, 27.3. 3, Bauerle, 29.1. 4, Traver Johnson, Montana State University, 29.2. 5, Honey, 30.6. 6, Bode Spring, Montana State University, 32.8. 7, Jesse Keysaer, University of Tennessee
    Martin, 33.8. 8, Kason Davis, Pearl River College, 34.2.

    Goat Tying:
    (final round) 1, Paige Rasmussen, Montana State University, 6.0 seconds. 2, Kaylee Cormier, McNeese State University, 6.1. 3, Kenna McNeill, University of Wyoming, 6.2. 4, (tie) Cheyenne Vande Stouwe, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, 6.3 each. (total on four) 1, Rasmussen, 24.3. 2, Madelyn Richards, Texas A&M University, 24.7. 3, (tie) Cormier, and McNeill, 24.8. 5, Kaytlyn Miller, Texas Tech University, 25.1. 6, Haiden Thompson, Gillette College, 25.5. 7, Vande Stouwe, 25.7. 8, Avery Ledesma, New Mexico State University, 26.1.

    Team Roping:
    (final round) 1, Mason Appleton and Nicholas Lovins, Western Oklahoma State College, 5.5 seconds. 2, Slade Wood, Southwest Texas Junior College and Logan Moore, Wharton County Junior College 6.5. 3, Jace Hanks, and Wyatt Ahlstrom, Utah Valley University, 6.9. 4, Cam Jensen, University of Wyoming and Tanner McInerney, Gillette College, 10.3. (total on four) 1, Wood and Moore, 22.8. 2, Quade Hiatt, Western Texas A&M University and Jace Helton, Weatherford College, 29.1. 3, Appleton and Lovins, 32.4. 4, Hanks and Ahlstrom, 36.4. 5, Ty Johnson, Texas A&M University
    Commerce and Cooper Parsley, Panola College, 49.5. (on two) 6, Cobie and Cole Dodds, Feather River College, 18.2. 7, Wyatt Bray, Tarleton State University and Cutter Pake Thomison, Western Texas College, 18.4. 8, Chilly Hernandez and Juanito Montoya, New Mexico State University, 21.0.

    Barrel Racing:
    (final round) 1, Tayla Moeykens, Montana State University, 13.84 seconds. 2, Taycie Matthews, University of West Alabama, 13.94. 3, Abby Hepper, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, 14.05. 4, Annie alexander, New Mexico State University, 14.06. (total on four) 1, Matthews, 55.53. 2, Moeykens, 55.85. 3, Hepper, 56.40. 4, Raven Clagg, University of West Alabama, 56.93. 5, Emme Norsworthy, University of Wyoming, 56.97. 6, Annie Alexander, New Mexico State University, 57.26. 7, Jordan Driver, Tarleton State University, 57.52. 8, Gwyneth Cheyne, Blue Mountain Community College, 57.56.

    Bull Riding:
    (final round two rides) 1, Caden Bunch, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, 84.5 points. 2, Dawson Gleaves, Weatherford College, 805. (total on three) Tristen Hutchings, Sul Ross State University, 236. 2, Dawson Gleaves, Weatherford College, 233.5. (on two) 3, Bunch, 166. (on one) 4, Wyatt Phelps, Sheridan College, 85.5. 5, Cole Skender, University of Arkansas
    Monticello, 82.5, 6, Brad Moreno, Central Arizona College, 71.

    Men’s All-Around:
    1, Quade Hiatt, West Texas A&M University, 365 points. 2, Cole Walker, University of Tennessee
    Martin, 113.3.

    Women’s All-Around:
    1, Haiden Thompson, Gillette College, 180 points. 2, Bailey Stuva, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College, 45.

    Men’s Team:
    1, Clarendon College 855 points. 2, McNeese State University, 790. 3, Texas A&M University
    Commerce, 690. 4, Missouri Valley College, 520.

    Women’s Team:
    1, University of West Alabama, 698.3 points. 2, Montana State University, 593. 3, University of Wyoming, 382.5. 4, Southwestern Oklahoma State university, 382.5.

     

  • Back When They Bucked with Harris Family – Cowtown New Jersey

    Back When They Bucked with Harris Family – Cowtown New Jersey

    [ Cowtown Rodeo “Best Show on Dirt”
    spanning five generations.]

    Congratulations to the entire Harris family for their induction of their Cowtown Rodeo, located in Pilesgrove, New Jersey, to the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. Grant and Betsy Harris, 4th generation of Harris’ to own the rodeo are thrilled with the honor. Betsy said, “When I got the call I didn’t recognize the number, and hung up on him. But he called right back. Grant never gets excited, but he’s excited over this recognition by the ProRodeo Hall of Fame.”
    Grant’s great-grandfather, Howard Harris, started a livestock auction in Woodstown in 1926. Many farms growing vegetables, corn and hay existed in that part of New Jersey and they all needed mules and horses to do their farm work. The auction was a necessity and did well.
    Rodeo in the family started as early as 1929 When Grant’s great-grandfather, Howard Harris, and son ‘Stoney’, started a rodeo in conjunction with the Salem County Fair. The Miller brothers, of 101 Wild West fame, good friends of the Harris family, had a hard time financially and were stranded in Washington D C in 1931. The Harris family bought some of the broncs owned by the Millers, and purchased one-way tickets for some of the Miller cowboys to return to Oklahoma, if they would help put on the Harris’ rodeo in Woodstown, New Jersey. The Woodstown rodeo continued during the 1930s Colonel Jim Eskew, well known rodeo and wild west producer, wintered in Woodstown and also shared his knowledge with the Harris’ family. They also put on rodeos in various locales around the northeast, including the 1932 New York State Fair Rodeo in Syracuse; a Sesquicentennial rodeo celebration for Philadelphia in 1926 and assisted the Madison Square Garden rodeos, in New York City, in the early 1950s.
    During the War Years, the rodeo was not held. Howard Harris, Grant’s dad, went to college at the University of Idaho and was on their rodeo team. In 1954 Howard qualified for the NIRA Finals and won the All-Around Cowboy honor. He entered the saddle bronc and bulls events, roped and was in the wild cow milking.
    In June 1955 rodeo in Woodstown began again, and Howard named it ‘Cowtown New Jersey Rodeo’. It was held from May through September. ‘Cowtown NJ Rodeo’ joined Rodeo Cowboys Association (R.C.A.) and it was the first summer rodeo to get approval to become a member.
    Cowtown Rodeo had a problem after only being in the R.C.A. four weeks. Television was just getting accepted and a Wilmington Delaware Channel approached Howard about televising the Cowtown Rodeo. At this time, 1955, R.C.A. considered television to be ‘taboo’ for rodeo, and would only ‘ruin’ the sport. However, Howard knew having the rodeo on television would be good for Cowtown business and he accepted the Channel’s offer. Not only did the television feature the rodeo, the cameras panned the audience. People came in droves, hoping to be seen on television.
    In 1958 an ABC television affiliate, Channel 6 in Philadelphia, had picked up Cowtown New Jersey Rodeo. Although Howard had submitted the plans to R.C.A. it was not approved and ‘Cowtown New Jersey Rodeo’ was on their blacklist. ‘Cowtown’ was receiving such good revenue from being televised Howard continued to allow it to be televised, meanwhile paying a fine of $3,000 to R.C.A, the largest fine R.C.A. had ever assessed, up to that time. By the mid-1960s, the attitude of R.C.A. changed and ‘Cowtown’ was no longer fined nor on their blacklist. In fact, the Harris’ signed a contract with the Philadelphia ABC affiliate and every performance gave them two one hour television rodeos, then it went into syndication. Cowtown outgrew the original arena in 1967 and built the existing arena that seats 4,000 fans today.
    Meanwhile, Grant began competing at the age of 5 in the Jr. Bull Riding at Cowtown. By the time he was a teenager Grant continued to compete at Cowtown, as well as other area rodeos, and doing quite well. He joined the professional ranks at age 14 and got his RCA card at 17. He attended Casper College, in Wyoming on a full rodeo scholarship. Grant was the R.C.A.’s Northeast Circuit Saddle Bronc Champion in 1975, ’77 and ’78.
    Grant was seen competing so often when Cowtown was being televised, that he had quite a following. When he went to the Denver rodeo in January, 1977, Grant was 23 years old, but he was hounded by teen age girls who were seeing the taped rodeos with him, as a teenage saddle bronc rider, from years past.
    Grant was not just a competitor, even in his young years he was always very involved in the working part of the Cowtown rodeo and had gleaned as much as possible from his talented dad. He was also the pickup man for each performance. Junior Meek, a bullfighter and steer wrestling competitor from Texas spent a summer working for the Cowtown Rodeo and also did the bullfighting. He said about Grant’s dad, “He was a real cowboy. If you didn’t think so, just try and keep up with him all day. If you roped ten cows, he’d rope fifteen.” He also said, “Lots of cowboys from the West thought you could go back east and easily win a rodeo. That wasn’t so at Cowtown.”
    In 1978 Howard decided to retire, and he and wife, Irene, moved to Oklahoma. Grant and bride, Betsy Douglass, bought the Cowtown rodeo from his parents. Betsy handled the secretarial end of the rodeo and much of the publicity. Eight years later Grant bought the auction company and flea market, that had started in 1929, from his granddad, ‘Stoney’. Betsy held various officer positions in the circuit system once PRCA started the circuit system. She was President of the First Frontier Circuit from 1993 to 2019, and before that was secretary and treasurer. The last four years she has been the stock contractor representative. Betsy traveled extensively across the country representing the northeastern circuit group. She retired in January of this year, after 45 years of service. She still attends the PRCA Convention, held in Las Vegas just prior to the National Finals, as does Kate & RJ. “I go to represent Cowtown Rodeo and Three Hills Rodeo livestock, and go to the secretary/timers meeting, and see my kids and visit with old friends,” Betsy explained.
    Grant and Betsy have two daughters, Courtney and Kate, that have been involved in Cowtown as long as they can remember. Courtney married Jake Morehead, and are co-owners of Three Hills Rodeo in Bernard, Iowa. They have three children, Sam, age 16; Lily, age 15 and Cade 13.
    Kate and husband RJ Griscom, have owned Cowtown since 2019, when buying it from Betsy and Grant. They have two children, Nate, age 10 and Olivia who is 4. Grant and Betsy, aren’t retired by any means, and still work for Kate and RJ. Plus they still own the flea market, and their 1,800 acre ranch, where they raise enough feed for their beef herd and their rodeo stock.
    The 5th generation, including Kate and Courtney, and their husbands are totally immersed in rodeo business, and also are taking the up-and-coming 6th generation to youth rodeos. They raise most of their own bucking stock, but they admit there is more buying and selling than earlier when Cowtown owned all their own stock.
    Today Cowtown Rodeo is advertised as “Best Show on Dirt!!” It is held on Saturday night, beginning the end of May and continuing through the end of September. The arena also has the PBR Bull Riding there on particular weekends in July and August.
    Kate and sister Courtney were always their dad, Grant’s right hands. From age 10 they worked every summer either at the flea market, the auction barn or the rodeo. Kate admits they didn’t see all of it as work, as some of it was definitely fun. But while they worked growing up they learned every aspect of rodeo.
    Kate married RJ Griscom in 2010, and although he was raised on a farm, he had also become a professional electrician. Kate said laughingly: “That only lasted about a year, then he became totally involved with the rodeo, the flea market and auction.” When asked how she balanced her responsibilities for Cowtown Rodeo and their children, she said, “It’s been easy, except right now Nate, age 10, has sports practices and rides bulls. But we make it work. We’ve got great support.”
    When asked how she handles what her folks do as well as their own jobs for the rodeo, Kate said, “The folks keep doing what they’ve always done. I won’t take over doing what mom does until she asks me.”
    When I asked how they would handle the family going to Colorado Springs to receive their honor of being inducted, who would stay at Cowtown Rodeo and put on that Saturday night performance, she said, “We’ve got a very good group of guys and gals that have been with us for a long time. They know how to do everything. We won’t be worried about it.”
    Cowtown Rodeo in Pilesgrove, New Jersey, is in excellent hands. The honor of being inducted in to the ProRodeo Hall of Fame is an honor that surprised the Harris family completely, but according to those who have been to Cowtown Rodeo and know the Harris’ history and what they have accomplished are in agreement – this honor is certainly one they have earned.
    Harris Male Ancestors Kept Journals:
    Very few families can boast that their history was kept by the male members of the family in diaries or journals. But the Harris family from Woodstown/Pilesgrove, New Jersey, can give you accounts of happenings from the time they arrived in America 327 years ago.
    The Harris ancestors came from Wales in 1696. They landed in Manhattan and continued on to Salem County, New Jersey, where they settled, receiveing a deed to their property dated 1696. Their Salem County livestock brand was registered with the King of England in 1706.
    Various men of this family did interesting things during those early days. Their experiences and adventures would never have been remembered if these early ancestors had not used diaries and journals to pass on the history of their family and what they accomplished.
    During the Revolutionary War John Harris joined the Continental Army and fought at Valley Forge with George Washington. His responsibility was to take cattle and wagon loads of food to the soldiers. He was also a bombardier, responsible for aiming the cannon during battle. Later he was assigned to an area in western Pennsylvania because the government anticipated the British would attack them from the West at this location – but it never happened. It was the custom of the government to give soldiers money when they mustered out. But because the government ran out of money, they gave Captain John Harris a parcel of land at the confluence of the Ohio River and the Monongahela River. At that time it was the opinion of everyone that ‘No white man would ever live that far west!” Because of that opinion Captain John sold it for a gallon of whiskey!! Today that area is Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Imagine what the family could get for that parcel of land once it became such a viable city.
    The Harris family for generations have been fortunate the men of their earliest days here kept journals and relayed such important information through their writings. It is something that 95% of our families wish they had on their families in written form.

  • On The Trail with JJ Hampton

    On The Trail with JJ Hampton

    [ The only thing faster than the words coming out of JJ Hampton’s mouth is her breakaway loop. She’s the no nonsense type of person who’s found a way to speak her mind while wearing her heart on her sleeve and the rodeo world is better for it. ]

    The first time JJ Hampton discovered she didn’t know what it meant to quit; she was only 4 years old. “The water was draining out of the bathtub and somehow I hit my head and there was enough water left that my head went under,” JJ explained of the almost fatal incident. “When they got to me, I was purple. The doctor didn’t know if I would even make it or have function when I woke up. I think that perfectly illustrates that there’s a purpose and a plan for my life.” That same resilience and tenacity now play out in the arena. And perhaps there’s a link between physically turning purple and JJ’s lifelong affinity for the color. Simply put, JJ likes purple because it’s the color of royalty and power, and it’s been her color for a long time.
    “There is no quit in me, and I think that’s carried me further than anything,” JJ said. “I don’t give up and I have a will like no other. No matter what happens, I figure out a way to deal with it and use it for good. I don’t have to be the best if I refuse to give up.” With more than $450,000 in career earnings to date, JJ holds 18 WPRA world titles as a breakaway roper, header, women’s tie-down roper and in the all-around. On top of that, she’s qualified for the National Finals Breakaway Roping every year since it began in 2020. Many would argue that resume alone sits her among the very best in the industry. But there’s quite a bit more to JJ’s story than titles and checks won.

    Catch Her if You Can
    “Thank goodness for my dad [Johnny Wayne Hampton] who taught me to love the sport,” JJ said about learning to rope when she was 6 years old. “It took me awhile to start catching. I was better at goat tying, but I loved to rope.” It took a few years for JJ to catch live cattle with a significant amount of consistency. But one thing has never changed about her roping, even from that very first loop. “I could always rope fast, but for a long time that meant I didn’t catch as many,” she said. “I always roped to win because that’s how my mom [Barbara] taught me to practice.”
    While JJ’s dad was the professional roper in the family, it was her mom who helped in the practice pen most often. JJ and her siblings – Angie and Row – all improved under her guidance, despite her lack of personal experience inside the arena. “I guess in those years, when I was figuring out how to catch, I wouldn’t throw my rope,” JJ said. “Mom taught me to nod, kick, swing and throw. My mom had everything to do with me learning how to practice to be fast.”
    Coming in alongside her mom, was JJ’s grandpa – Johnnie Hampton – who she called Papa. The two forged a special bond; the kind JJ still feels privileged to have experienced. “My Papa was special to me; it didn’t matter what I did, he believed in me and told me I could do it,” JJ said. “He made me feel special and loved me like a grandparent should. And I know that set me up to be successful.”
    More often than not, Papa was in the passenger seat while JJ was rodeoing for Tarleton State University. It’s a traveling partner very few can claim, but for JJ, he truly made all the difference in the world. “I’ve always had a lot of try and heart, it didn’t matter what I did, I was going to be good at it and put everything into it,” she said. “But my Papa built up my confidence. I think I would be where I’m at today, but it was a lot easier with him loving me.” When her Papa wasn’t in the passenger seat, her late brother-in-law Marty Yates (“Big Marty”), took his place. Hauling to amateur rodeos together took JJs roping to the next level, and he would eventually be the reason she became a world champion tie-down roper.

    A Champion to Boot
    It was the influences of Roy and Bill Duval and Betty Gayle Cooper that JJ’s affinity for calf roping grew. But Big Marty also played a significant role. “Marty Yates was a big influence in me becoming a better roper and I wouldn’t have got into tie down roping if it wasn’t for him,” JJ said. “I grew up roping with him because he married my sister. I would rope with Marty almost every day.” About the time Jayme was trying to get JJ to join her at WPRA events, Big Marty was pushing the same agenda.
    “When we discovered these all-girl rodeos, Marty told me: ‘You’re going to be the next girl’s world champion tie down roper,” JJ said. “He died in 1993 and I won it, the first time, in 1994.” The early 90s proved to be monumental in JJ’s life: she lost her Papa but found a friend; and she lost her roping partner in Big Marty but found success in a whole new association, which opened the flood gates.
    “That’s one thing about JJ, she’s always roping for first; she doesn’t settle for second place and she’s not about to take an extra swing,” Jayme said. “She was always going for first and you can come along for the ride and if you accidently beat her then that’s great too.” The type of competitive friendship between JJ and Jayme is often pursued but very rarely achieved. Even 30 years later, both women can spot where the other is struggling both in person and on video. It comes in handy now that they’re back roping on a regular basis.

    Double Bubble, Everywhere
    Long before JJ was wicked fast with a rope, she was quite literally buzzing around the rodeos her dad entered. That’s where Jayme first remembers encountering a girl who would not only become her best friend but also a traveling partner of almost 30 years. “I’m 7 years older than JJ, and the first time I saw her they had a bell on her so they could know where she was at because she was running around so fast,” Jayme said. Their paths continued to cross through the AJRA until fate wrote their names together in the rodeo book of life.
    “It was July of 92, when my Papa’s health was giving out, and he said, ‘Go win Amarillo for me, bird,’” JJ explained. “I won the rodeo, and that was definitely a God thing.” That rodeo inadvertently brought JJ and Jayme together. As the story goes, JJ asked Jayme what happened at Amarillo and her answer came off the wrong way. “She thought I was kind of grouchy after that, but it wasn’t even two weeks later that we became friends and started hauling together,” Jayme said with a laugh. “We started hauling anywhere the truck would go, and I mean anywhere.”
    Back when they were lucky to have nine entries in the breakaway at any given rodeo, both JJ and Jayme felt like they couldn’t miss one. Their drive to compete was perfectly in sync that way. “We did whatever it took to get to every rodeo that had breakaway,” Jayme said. “Lots of those rodeos only paid out first and second and we needed to win to go on to the next one.”
    Most of Jayme’s time on the road was behind the wheel, especially at night, but when JJ took the wheel, she always kept it interesting. On a drive through the night to El Paso, a large package of Double Bubble gum took to the sky. “She would open a piece and chew it for maybe two or three minutes, until the flavor ran out, and then throw it out the window,” Jayme explained. “The next day, I went to crawl up to the hay pod where I found all that gum stuck to the ladder. That’s probably one of our best stories.”
    Originally JJ had plans to attend law school after graduating with a degree in criminal justice from Tarleton State. Rodeo effectively took over her life until the early 2000s. “Life just kind of happened where I had a couple good horses die and it just wasn’t fun, so I didn’t go for a while,” JJ said. “I took a break and started working in real estate with my mom and eventually got my license and opened my own business [JJ Hampton Realty].”

    Rooted in Roping
    That break from chasing highway lines only lasted a year before JJ got back to it, but it took a bit to get literally and figuratively get back in the swing of things. The people standing behind her, both in business and at home, made it possible then and now for JJ to compete at an elite level. “I can remember when JJ first started back, we’d leave as late as possible on Friday so she could finish at work and then we’d come home that night so she could go show houses on Saturday,” Jayme said. Much like those early days, Jayme was behind the wheel with JJ riding shotgun. Only now, JJ was wheeling and dealing as the miles pass by.
    “Her success in business hasn’t changed her mentality for roping,” Jayme said. “She’s sold houses at 11 at night and even after she’s on her horse she’ll still answer her phone for clients. But her mind is still naturally programmed to be fast, to win.” Keeping things together at home is JJ’s husband, Ricky Prince, and her son, 13-year-old Kason. The pair keeps horses fed and the cogs turning at the business when JJ’s out of town.
    The balancing act of being a mom, wife, business owner and professional athlete is precarious at best. “It’s difficult, and there are no buts; my son needs me, and I need him,” JJ said. “When you’re 51 years old, you don’t give up this opportunity.” Much like JJ herself, Kason has grown up roping alongside Marty Yates (“Little Marty”). Kason’s passion for roping is only matched by his mom, who’s in the practice pen every chance she gets at their home in Stephenville, Texas.
    “I really don’t like to drive, so as long as Kason doesn’t have a rodeo or a game, they’ll both come with me and I love that more than anything,” JJ said. “Ricky is an amazing dad. He does anything and everything to help me, the business and Kason.” Dubbed jack of all trades and peacekeeper, Ricky’s sacrifices don’t go unnoticed. With only four years left of high school rodeo for Kason, some day it’ll be Ricky’s turn to pursue his own passions. For now, he’s happy and content making dreams for both JJ and Kason come true.

  • 5 Star Champion Rylie Smith

    5 Star Champion Rylie Smith

    Team ropers Rylie Smith and Hope Thompson walked out of AT&T Stadium in 2020 as the first female team roping champions in the WCRA. They each pocketed $90,000. The team repeated, winning the Challenger in 2022. “I bought a couple horses with the money,” said the 21-year-old from South Texas. “We live where my mom (Misty) grew up – between San Antonio and Corpus Christi on 37.”
    She started roping when she was 13, heading for her dad, Ricky. “He wouldn’t let me dally,” she remembers. “I actually started competing in barrel and goats and poles when I was younger, and started roping when I got older.” She switched to roping calves when she was 14. “My dad told me I had to rope calves good before I could go back to team roping.” The 5’3”, 100 lb. the 21-year-old year old tie-down ropes in the WPRA, using all the finesse she has learned from Justin Mass, 8x NFR Qualifier. “I breakaway rope more now, but I still look for a small horse if I can find one.” She has been watching the rapid progression of breakaway roping. “It’s competitive and the girls are mounted,” she said. “If a horse doesn’t fit you, you are going to struggle out there.” Rylie knows first hand about that. “I have a horse that’s good, but I’m not 100% clicking with her. I do enter breakaway, but I’m not hitting the rodeo trail right now.”
    Instead, she is focused on training, roping in the All Girl Ropings, and competing at the UPRA and CPRA rodeos. “From where I live, it’s a drive, but it’s worth it. I want to stay in the horse industry – I don’t want to make a living as a rodeo cowgirl – I enjoy the aspect of training the young horses.” Once they are broke, Rylie likes to take them from there. “Going from the dummy to steers and taking them to their first outing – a few backyard jackpots – that’s fulfilling to me.”
    The #6 heeler and #4+ header is a huge fan of 5 Star Equine Products. “I love them. I’m not one for flashy stuff; I’m into it for the protection of my horses. In my opinion it’s the best I can do for my horses – they are giving me everything, so I want to keep them protected as well.” She has a lot invested in her horses, riding two mares that she purchased from LA Quarter Horses (Madison Outhier’s grandparents). She is beginning to see the babies of the stud, BetHesa Cat, he’s out of a Spot Tot mare, his name is Rhyme Tight, she purchased as a two-year-old colt from the Ruby Buckle Sale. “I didn’t plan to keep him a stud, but I never cut him. He’s a pain, but his personality and the way he moves, and the grit – that’s what I want in my horses.” She has six performance horse mares and her stud. She has two babies on the ground and one on the way. VeHesa Cat, Ryme tight.
    Rylie would rather stay close to home and jackpot, she spends most of her time training young horses. “If you’re in the seller’s market, this is a great time.”

  • College Rodeo Crowns 2023 Champions

    College Rodeo Crowns 2023 Champions

    CASPER, Wyo. (June 17, 2023) – Championship Saturday at the 2023 College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) began with the top 12 student athletes in nine events roping and riding for individual and team honors, The night ended with the crowning of 10 individual and two all-around national champions along with new women’s and men’s national champion teams.

    The night began with bareback riding. Kade Sonnier, a graduate student in health and human performance at McNeese State University, qualified in eighth place in the finals but made a bid for the title when he scored 84.5 points on Vold Rodeo’s horse Brubby Spoon. Sonnier’s total of 314 points on four rounds held first place until the final bareback rider of the night.

    Weston Timberman, who was born and raised in Casper before moving to Columbus, Montana, came in with the highest total after the first three rounds. Rodeo insiders were anticipating the matchup between Timberman and Vold’s horse Crossbreed’s Captain Hook – the horse Missouri Valley College’s Ty Pope rode to win last year’s title. The freshman science major at Clarendon College matched Sonnier’s score of 84.5 and won the championship by 11 points. Timberman was instrumental in Clarendon College winning another men’s team championship and also earned men’s rookie of the year honors.

    Kincade Henry of Mount Pleasant, Texas, became one of the few tie-down ropers to win back-to-back college championships. The junior ag business major at Texas A & M University – Commerce came into the finals with a 2.7-second overall lead. His time of 10.5 seconds was good enough for second in the round and his second consecutive college title.

    The first upset of the night came in breakaway roping. Makayla Farkas of Leona Valley, California, was in third place when the night began. The senior kinesiology major at West Hills College tied for second in the round with a time of 2.7 seconds and roped the championship with 10.9 seconds on four runs.

    The saddle bronc riding had been a battle all week with a single point separating Quintin McWhorter of California Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo and Damian Brennan of Western Texas College. The pair were the final two cowboys to compete with McWhorter, an ag education graduate student from Petrolia, California, going first. McWhorter scored 85 points on Vold Rodeo Company’s bronc named Jerry’s Justice for 323.5 total points. Brennan, an Australian who just wrapped up his junior year in farm and ranch management, and Vold’s bronc Moon Valley combined for 84 points, tied for second in the round and matched McWhorter’s total. Both athletes were crowned national saddle bronc riding champions.

    JT Ellison, a senior at the University of West Alabama, came into the finals with a three-second lead overall. As the final competitor in steer wrestling Ellison, who majored in cell and molecular biology, made a business-like run of 6.7 and won the championship by 1.3 seconds.

    The goat tying was the tightest event with six-tenths of a second separating the top eight finalists when the night began. Almost every cowgirl clocked a time in the six-second range. When the dust settled Montana State University senior Paige Rasmussen jumped from third to first overall when she won the final round with a time of 6.0 seconds. The psychology major from Bozeman won the all-around cowgirl national championship here in 2021, but this was her first individual national title.

    A pair of Texans took national honors in the team roping. Slade Wood, a freshman from New Ulm, and Logan Moore, a junior from Pleasanton, held a lead of almost two seconds when Saturday’s action began. They finished second in the round and were named champion header and heeler, respectively. Wood is a business major representing Southwest Texas Junior College and Moore is a wildlife biology major at Wharton County Junior College.

    Taycie Matthews of Wynne, Arkansas, won her first national title in her third trip to the CNFR. Matthews, a junior business major at the University of West Alabama, won two of the first three rounds and finished second in the other. She was the 12th barrel racer to compete in the finals and her time of 13.94 was good enough for second in the round and won the championship by 32-hundredths of a second. Three of the 12 finalists in barrel racing were from the University of West Alabama and Matthews led her team to the school’s first women’s team championship.

    The night ended with Tristan Hutchings winning his second collegiate bull riding championship in three years. The Idaho native just wrapped up his senior year at Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas, with a degree in agriculture. Ironically, he drew the same bull that cost him the 2022 bull riding title here – Vold Rodeo Co’s Night Trip. Although he bucked off at 7.56 seconds, Hutchings won the title as the only bull rider to make three qualified rides this week.

    The men’s all-around title went to Quade Hiatt of Canyon, Texas, a junior business marketing major at West Texas A & M University. He and partner Jace Helton of Weatherford College finished as reserve champions in team roping. Hiatt also finished fifth in tie-down roping.

    Freshman Haiden Thompson of Yoder, Wyoming, won both the women’s all-around and rookie of the year titles. A business major at Gillette College, Thompson qualified for the finals in both breakaway roping and team roping.

    The 2024 College National Finals Rodeo returns to Casper next June.

     

    2023 COLLEGE NATIONAL FINALS RODEO CHAMPIONS

     

    Bareback – Weston Timberman, Clarendon College, 325 points.

    Tie-Down Roping – Kincade Henry, Texas A&M University – Commerce, 35.8

    Breakaway Roping – Makayla Farkas, West Hills college, 10.9

    Saddle Bronc Riding (tie) – Quintin McWhorter, Cal Poly State University, and

    Damian Brennan, Western Texas College, 323.5 points

    Steer Wrestling – Joshua Ellison, University of West Alabama, 26.0 seconds.

    Goat Tying – Paige Rasmussen, Montana State University, 24.3 seconds.

    Team Roping – Slade Wood, Southwest Texas Junior College and

    Logan Moore, Wharton County Junior College, 22.8

    Barrel Racing – Taycie Matthews, University of West Alabama, 55.53

    Bull Riding – Tristen Hutchings, Sul Ross State University, 236 points

    Men’s All-Around – Quade Hiatt, West Texas A&M University, 365 points

    Women’s All-Around – Haiden Thompson, Gillette College, 180

    Men’s Team – Clarendon College 855 points

    Women’s Team – University of West Alabama, 696.3 points

    Men’s Rookie – Weston Timberman, Clarendon College, 320 points

    Women’s Rookie – Haiden Thompson, Gillette College, 180

    Men’s AQHA Horse of the Year – Coral Lil Dual, Cutter Carpenter, Texas A&M University – Commerce

    Women’s AQHA Horse of the Year – No Mistaken He’s Fine, Paige Rasmussen, Montana State University

     

     

     

    CASPER, Wyo.—The following are final results from the College National Finals Rodeo, June 17, 2023, courtesy of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association. Compest lete results are available at www.collegerodeo.com.

     

    Bareback riding: (final round) 1, (tie) Weston Timberman, Clarendon College, and Kade Sonnier, McNeese State University, 84.5 points each. 3, Ty Pope, Missouri Valley College; Nick Pelk, Missouri Valley College and Bradlee Miller, Sam Houston State University, 79. (total on four) 1, Timberman, 325. 2, Sonnier, 314. 3, Pope, 313. 4, Miller, 311.5. 5, Kooper Helmburg, Missouri Valley College, 310. 6, Donny Proffit, University of Wyoming, 309. 7, Sage Allen, College of Southern Idaho, 306.5. 8, Pelke, 305.

     

    Tie-Down Roping: (final round) 1, Cutter Carpenter, Texas A&M University – Commerce, 9.5 seconds. 2, Kincade Henry, Texas A&M University – Commerce, 10.4. 3, Connor Atkinson, Texas A&M University, 10.6. 4, Cole Walker, University of Tennessee – Martin, 10.7. (total on four) 1, Henry, 35.8. 2, Carpenter, 39. 3, Atkinson, 39.1. 4, Bodie Mattson, University of Wyoming, 39.5. 5, Quade Hiatt, West Texas A&M University, 40.7. 6, Walker, 40.8. 7, Daniel Miranda, Cal Poly State University, 42.1. 8, Logan Smith, Northwest College, 45.9.

     

    Breakaway Roping: (final round) 1, Raegan Steed, College of Southern Idaho, 2.6 seconds. 2, Makayla Farkas, West Hills College, and Kyleigh Winn, Kansas State University, 2.7 each. 4, Kennedy Buckner, Blue Mountain Community College, 3.1. (total on four) 1, Farkas, 10.9. 2, Buckner, 11.3. 3, Samantha Kerns, Treasure Valley Community College, 12.2 4, Steed, 13.3. 5, Winn, 21.3. 6, Sutton Mang, Allan Hancock College, 21.5. 7, Morgan Foss, Dickinson State University, 21.7. 8, Mikenna Schauer, Montana State University Northern, 29.4.

     

    Saddle Bronc Riding: (final round) 1, Quintin McWhorter, Cal Poly State University, 85 points. 2, (tie) Dylan Hancock, Clarendon College, and Damian Brennan, Western Texas College, 84. 4, Isaac Richard, McNeese State University, 83.5. (total on four) 1, (tie) McWhorter and Brennan, 323.5 each. 3, Richard, 320.5. 4, Hancock, 319. 5, Slade Keith, Clarendon College, 314. 6, Will Pollock, Clarendon College, 310. 7, Lance Gaillard, Tarleton State University, 308.5. 8, Parker Fleet, Hill College, 308.

     

    Steer Wrestling: (final round) 1, Mason Couch, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, 3.6 seconds. 2, Tyler Bauerle, Cisco College, 4.7. 3, Bradley Hesnor, McNeese State University, 5.0. 4, Colt Honey, Texas Tech University, 5.2. (total on four) 1, JT Ellison, University of West Alabama, 26.0. 2, Hesnor, 27.3. 3, Bauerle, 29.1. 4, Traver Johnson, Montana State University, 29.2. 5, Honey, 30.6. 6, Bode Spring, Montana State University, 32.8. 7, Jesse Keysaer, University of Tennessee – Martin, 33.8. 8, Kason Davis, Pearl River College, 34.2.

     

    Goat Tying: (final round) 1, Paige Rasmussen, Montana State University, 6.0 seconds. 2, Kaylee Cormier, McNeese State University, 6.1. 3, Kenna McNeill, University of Wyoming, 6.2. 4, (tie) Cheyenne Vande Stouwe, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, 6.3 each. (total on four) 1, Rasmussen, 24.3. 2, Madelyn Richards, Texas A&M University, 24.7. 3, (tie) Cormier, and McNeill, 24.8. 5, Kaytlyn Miller, Texas Tech University, 25.1. 6, Haiden Thompson, Gillette College, 25.5. 7, Vande Stouwe, 25.7. 8, Avery Ledesma, New Mexico State University, 26.1.

     

    Team Roping: (final round) 1, Mason Appleton and Nicholas Lovins, Western Oklahoma State College, 5.5 seconds. 2, Slade Wood, Southwest Texas Junior College and Logan Moore, Wharton County Junior College 6.5. 3, Jace Hanks, and Wyatt Ahlstrom, Utah Valley University, 6.9. 4, Cam Jensen, University of Wyoming and Tanner McInerney, Gillette College, 10.3. (total on four) 1, Wood and Moore, 22.8. 2, Quade Hiatt, Western Texas A&M University and Jace Helton, Weatherford College, 29.1. 3, Appleton and Lovins, 32.4. 4, Hanks and Ahlstrom, 36.4. 5, Ty Johnson, Texas A&M University – Commerce and Cooper Parsley, Panola College, 49.5. (on two) 6, Cobie and Cole Dodds, Feather River College, 18.2. 7, Wyatt Bray, Tarleton State University and Cutter Pake Thomison, Western Texas College, 18.4. 8, Chilly Hernandez and Juanito Montoya, New Mexico State University, 21.0.

     

    Barrel Racing: (final round) 1, Tayla Moeykens, Montana State University, 13.84 seconds. 2, Taycie Matthews, University of West Alabama, 13.94. 3, Abby Hepper, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, 14.05. 4, Annie alexander, New Mexico State University, 14.06. (total on four) 1, Matthews, 55.53. 2, Moeykens, 55.85. 3, Hepper, 56.40. 4, Raven Clagg, University of West Alabama, 56.93. 5, Emme Norsworthy, University of Wyoming, 56.97. 6, Annie Alexander, New Mexico State University, 57.26. 7, Jordan Driver, Tarleton State University, 57.52. 8, Gwyneth Cheyne, Blue Mountain Community College, 57.56.

     

    Bull Riding: (final round – two rides) 1, Caden Bunch, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, 84.5 points. 2, Dawson Gleaves, Weatherford College, 805. (total on three) Tristen Hutchings, Sul Ross State University, 236. 2, Dawson Gleaves, Weatherford College, 233.5. (on two) 3, Bunch, 166. (on one) 4, Wyatt Phelps, Sheridan College, 85.5. 5, Cole Skender, University of Arkansas – Monticello, 82.5, 6, Brad Moreno, Central Arizona College, 71.

     

    Men’s All-Around: 1, Quade Hiatt, West Texas A&M University, 365 points. 2, Cole Walker, University of Tennessee – Martin, 113.3.

     

    Women’s All-Around: 1, Haiden Thompson, Gillette College, 180 points. 2, Bailey Stuva, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College, 45.

     

    Men’s Team: 1, Clarendon College 855 points. 2, McNeese State University, 790. 3, Texas A&M University – Commerce, 690. 4, Missouri Valley College, 520.

     

    Women’s Team: 1, University of West Alabama, 698.3 points. 2, Montana State University, 593. 3, University of Wyoming, 382.5. 4, Southwestern Oklahoma State university, 382.5.

     

     

     

     

  • Hutchings rides third bull to dominate CNFR

    Hutchings rides third bull to dominate CNFR

    CASPER, Wyo. (June 15, 2023) – A collegiate champion who has already made a mark in the pro ranks has dominated the bull riding at the College National Finals Rodeo at the Ford Wyoming Center.
    Tristan Hutchings of Monteview, Idaho, won his first collegiate bull riding championship in 2021. He finished as reserve champion here last year and qualified for his first National Finals Rodeo (NFR) as a professional. In Las Vegas he won four of the ten rounds and finished third for the world title.
    This year in Casper, Hutchings is the only bull rider to make three qualified rides. His 84-point score on Vold Rodeo Company’s bull Icecube Thursday night put him first in round three. He finished second in both the first and second rounds. The recent college graduate will have to wait until Friday night’s competition is over to see how he finishes in the third round. Just an attempt to ride in Saturday’s championship round will clinch his second collegiate title in three years. Hutchings just wrapped up his senior year at Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas, with a degree in agriculture and is currently ranked 12th in the professional standings.
    Damian Brennan, a junior majoring in farm and ranch management at Western Texas College, took the lead in saddle bronc riding. Brennan, a native of Queensland, Australia, scored 81 points on Frontier Rodeo’s bronc named Delta Force to take the lead in round three. His total of 239.5 points gave him a 1.5-point edge in the overall standings. Isaac Richard, a junior agriculture major at McNeese State University, scored 77 points to tie for third in round three and hold on to second place overall.
    Last year Brennan finished one spot short of qualifying for his first NFR and earned the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) Rookie of the Year title. Both he and Richard will be among the 12 bronc riders to compete for the championship on Saturday night.
    The overall leader changed in four other events on Thursday night. Student athletes taking the top spot after three rides or runs included bareback rider Weston Timberman of Clarendon College; steer wrestler JT Ellison of the University of West Alabama; team ropers Slade Wood of Southwest Texas Junior College and Logan Moore of Wharton County Junior College; and barrel racer Taycie Matthews of the University of West Alabama.
    Round three at the 2023 CNFR concludes Friday night at 7 p.m. MDT. Once round three is completed the top 12 overall will compete once more on Championship Saturday to determine the champions in nine events, The men’s and women’s all-around champions, the men’s and women’s team champions and the men’s and women’s rookie of the year will also be crowned on Saturday.

    CASPER, Wyo.—The following are results after the third performance at the College National Finals Rodeo, Wednesday, June 15, 2023 courtesy of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association. Complete results are available at www.collegerodeo.com.

    Bareback riding: (third round leaders) 1, Ty Pope, Missouri Valley College, 84 points. 2, Colton Eck, Missouri Valley College, 83. 3, Donny Proffit, University of Wyoming, 79. 4, (tie) Isaac Ingram, Panola College, and Nick Pelke, Missouri Valley College, 78.5 each. 6, Weston Timberman, Clarendon College, 78. (total on three) 1, Weston Timberman, Clarendon College, 240.5. 2, Pope 234. 3, Allen, 233. 4, (tie) Sam Peterson, Clarendon College, and Bradlee Miller, Sam Houston State University, 232.5. 6, Donny Proffit, University of Wyoming, 230.5. 7, Kade Sonnier, McNeese State University, 229.5. 8, Eck, 227.5.

    Tie-Down Roping: (third round leaders) 1, Quade Hiatt, West Texas A&M University, 8.2 seconds. 2, Cole Eiguren, Treasure Valley Community College, 8.3. 3, Denton Oestmann, Northwestern Oklahoma State University, 8.4. 4, Cael Stratton, Central Arizona College, 8.7. 5, (tie) Kincade Henry, Texas A&M Commerce, and Marley Berger, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, 9.0. (total on three) 1, Henry, 25.4. 2, Hiatt, 28.1. 3, Bodie Mattson, University of Wyoming, 28.4. 4, Connor Atkinson, Texas A&M University, 28.5. 5, Cutter Carpenter, Texas A&M University – Commerce, 29.2. 6, Eiguren, 29.3. 7, Bode Spring, Montana State University, 29.7. 8, Cole Walker, University of Tennessee – Martin, 30.1.

    Breakaway Roping (third round leaders) 1, (tie) Kenli Raby, Missouri Valley College, and Emma Eiguren, Treasure Valley Community College, 2.0 seconds each. 3, Molly Salmond, Montana State University, 2.3. 4, (tie) Bailey Stuva, Northeast Oklahoma A&M University, and Addie Weil, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, 2.4 each. 6, Baylee Johnston, New Mexico State University, 2.5. (total on three) 1, Tyree Cochrane, Cal Poly State University, 7.8. 2, Haiden Thompson, Gillette College, 8.0. 3, Makayla Farkas, West Hills College, 8.2. 4, Samantha Kerns, Treasure Valley Community College, 8.4. 5, Morgan Foss, Dickinson State University, 9.6. 6, Raegan Steed, College of Southern Idaho, 10.7. 7, Mikenna Schauer, Montana State University Northern, 17.5. 8, Kyleigh Winn, Kansas State University, 18.6.

    Saddle Bronc Riding: (third round leaders) 1, Damian Brennan, Western Texas Slade Keith, Clarendon College, 77.5 points. 2, Bailey Small, Panhandle State University, 77.0. 3, Cauy Masters, Clarendon College, 76.5. 4, (tie) Tucker Bourdet, Cuesta College, and Parker Fleet, Hill College, 76 each. (total on three) 1, Bourdet, 233. 2, Keith, 231.5. 3, Parker Fleet, Hill College, 230.5. 4, Brody McAbee, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, 221. 5, Bailey Small, Panhandle State University, 219. 6, Ty Pope, Missouri Valley College, 212.5.

    Steer Wrestling: (third round leaders) 1, Trace Harris, Texas A&M University, 3.6 seconds. 2, Kason Davis, Pearl River College, 4.3. 3, Mike Nannini, Montana State University, 4.8. 4, Jaden Whitman, Montana State University, 4.9. 5, Colt Honey, Texas Tech University, 5.0. 6, (tie) Logan Atkinson, Walla Walla Community College, and Jacob Wang, University of Wyoming, 5.3 each. (total on three) 1, Joshua Ellison, University of West Alabama, 19.3. 2, Bradley Hesnor, McNeese State University, 22.3. 3, Jaden Whitman, Montana State University, 22.9. 4, Austin Madison, Black Hills State University, 23.2. 5, Honey, 25.4. 6, Nannini, 26.0. 7, Bode Spring, Montana State University, 27.3. 8, Davis, 27.8.

    Goat Tying: (third round leaders) 1, Kenna McNeill, University of Wyoming, 5.8 seconds. 2, Aimee Davis, Cal Poly State University, 5.9. 3, (tie) Karissa Rayhill, Eastern Wyoming College; Madalyn Richards, Texas A&M University; and Kamryn Duncan, McNeese State University; 6.0 each. 6, (tie) Cheyenne Vande Stouwe, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, and Kaylee Cormier, McNeese State University, 6.1. (total on three) 1, Rayhill, 18.2. 2, Richards, 18.4. 3, McNeill, 18.6. 4, (tie) Kaylee Cormier, McNeese State University, and Haiden Thompson, Gillette College, 18.7. 6, Mikenna Schauer, Montana State University – Northern, 19.3. 7, Cheyenne Vande Stouwe, Southwestern Oklahoma State University,19.4. 8, Maggie Usher, Cal Poly State University, 19.7.

    Team Roping: (third round leaders) 1, Cam Jensen, University of Wyoming and Tanner McInerney, Gillette College, 4.2 seconds. 2, Jayse Tettenhorst and Kaden Profili, Trinity Valley Community College, 5.3. 3, Zane and Ty Taylor, Treasure Valley Community College, 5.5. Lovins, Western Oklahoma State College, 6.3. (total on three) 1, Bray and Thomison, 18.4. 2, Chilly Hernandez and Juanito Montoya, New Mexico State University, 21.0. 3, Appleton and Lovins, 26.9. 4, Jace Hanks, and Wyatt Ahlstrom, Utah Valley University, 29.5. 5, Ty Johnson, Texas A&M – Commerce and Cooper Parsley, Panola College, 33.6. (on two) 6, Slade Wood, Southwestern Texas Junior College, and Logan Moore, Wharton County College, 10.0.
    Barrel racing: (third round leaders) 1, Jaylie Matthews, University of West Alabama, 14.14 seconds. 2, Brooke Krolczyk, Texas A&M University, 14.17. 3, Emma Ricke, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, 14.25. 4, Kiersten Pettus, Central Arizona College, 14.26. 5, Annie Alexander, New Mexico State University, 14.27. 6, Gwyneth Cheyne, Blue Mountain Community College, 14.26. (total on three) 1, Matthews, 42.22. 2, Jordan Driver, Tarleton State University, 43.18. 3, Alexander, 43.20. 4, Pettus, 43.34. 5, Cheyne, 43.34. 6, Jayci Byler, Sam Houston State University, 43.35.

    Bull Riding: (third round leaders) 1, Dawson Gleaves, Weatherford College, 74. (total on two) 1, Gleaves, 153. 2, Tristen Hutchings, 152 (on one) 3, Wyatt Phelps, Sheridan College, 85.5. 4, Cole Skender, University of Alabama – Monticello, 82.5. 5, Caden Bunch, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, 81.5.

  • Untitled post 25117

    CASPER, Wyo.—The following are results from Monday slack at the College National Finals Rodeo, June 12, 2023, courtesy of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association. Complete results are available at www.collegerodeo.com.

     

    Barrel racing: (first round winners) 1, Taycie Matthews, University of West Alabama, 13.77 seconds. 2, Tayla Moeykens, Montana State University, 13.85. 3, Jaylie Matthews, University of West Alabama, 14.06. 4, Abby Hepper, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, 14.08. 5, Raven Clagg, University of West Alabama, 14.12. 6, Elie Bard, Gillette Ccollege, 14.14. 7, Jordan Driver, Tarleton State University, 14.25. 8, Emma Norsworthy, University of Wyoming, 14.35.

     

    Bareback riding: (second round leaders) 1, Sage Allen, College of Southern Idaho, 82 points. 2, Sam Petersen, Clarendon College, 79.5. 3, Kooper Heimburg, Missouri Valley College, 79. 4, Mason Stuller, Western Texas College, 77. (total on two) 1, Allen, 160.5. 2, Kooper Heimburg, Missouri Valley College, 159.5. 3, Petersen, 158. 4, Bryce Eck, Fort Scott Community College, 152.

     

    Tie-Down Roping: (first round winners) 1, Kincade Henry, Texas A & M University – Commerce, 8.3 seconds. 2, Jacob Walters, Texas Tech University – Lubbock, 8.6. 3, (tie) Bode Spring, Montana State University, and Cole Walker, University of Tennessee – Martin, 9.3. 5, Quade Hiatt, West Texas A & M University, 9.7. 6, Ty Christensen, University of Montana – Western, 9.9. 7, Connor Atkinson, Texas A & M University, 10.0. 8, Bodie Mattson, University of Wyoming, 10.1.

     

    Breakaway Roping (second round leaders) 1, Haiden Thompson, Gillette College, 2.1. 2, (tie) Brooklin Quisenberry, Cal Poly State University, and Meghan McGinley, Montana State University, 2.3.. 4, Kiley Slavin, Garden City Community College, 2.4. (total on two) 1, Haden Thompson, Gillette College, 5.0. 2, Cate Hepper, Montana State University, 5.2. 3, (tie) Samantha Kerns, Treasure Valley Community College, and Makayla Farkas, West Hills College, 5.3 each.

     

    Saddle Bronc Riding: (second round leaders) 1, Tucker Bourdet, Cuesta College, 79.5 points. 2, Caleb Meeks, Montana State University, 77.5. 3, Lance Gaillard, Tarleton State University, 74.5. 4, Darcy Radel, Western Texas College, 73. (total on two) 1, Tucker Bourdeet, Cuesta College, 157. 2, Slade Keith, Clarendon College, 154. 3, Darcy Radel, Western Texas College, 73. 4, Lance Gae Gaillard, Tarleton State University, 153.

     

    Steer Wrestling: (first round winners) 1, Cash Robb, Texas A&M University – Commerce, 3.8 seconds. 2, Jude Leonards, McNeese State University, 4.5. 3, Gus Franzen, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, 5.2. 4, Jesse Keysaer, University of Tennessee – Martin, 5.5. 5, Austin Madison, Black Hills State University, 5.6. 6, Colt Honey, Texas Tech University, 5.8. 7, Sherrick Sanborn, New Mexico State University, 5.9. 8, Grant Peterson, Cal Poly State University, 6.2.

     

    Goat Tying: (first round winners) 1, Aimee Davis, Cal Poly State University, 5.7 seconds. 2, (tie) Kristin Reaves, Sam Houston State University; Madalyn Richards, Texas A&M University; Jessica Stevens, Montana State University; and Haiden Thompson, Gillette College; 5.9 each. 6, Parker McIntyre, Panhandle State University, 6.0. 7, Kaytlyn Miller, Texas Tech University, 6.1. 8, (tie) Heather McLaughlin, University of West Alabama; Paige Rasmussen, Montana State University; and Karissa Rayhill, Eastern Wyoming College, 6.2.

     

    Bull Riding: (second round leaders) 1, Caden Bunch, Southeastern Oklahoma State University 87.5 points. 2, Wyatt Phelps, Sheridan College, 85.5. (overall leaders on one) 1, Bunch, 87.5. 2, Phelps, 85.5. 3, Dawson Gleaves, Weatherford Colleege, 79. 4, Tristen Hutchings, Sul Ross State University, 67.

     

    Team Roping: 1, Slade Wood, Southwest Texas Junior College, and Logan Moore, Wharton County Junior College, 4.8 seconds. 2, Cobie and Cole Dodds, Feather River College, 6.0. 3, Wyatt Bray, Tarleton State University and Cutter Pake Thomison, Western Texas College, 6.2. 4, Drew Tilton, Cal Poly State University and Paden Prior, Chico College, 6.5. 5, Ty Johnson, Texas A & M University Commerce and Cooper Parsley, Panola College, 6.6. 6, Quade Hiatt, West Texas A&M University and Jace Helton, Weatherford College, 6.7. 7, Jace hanks, and Wyatt Ahlstrom Utah Valley University, 6.8. 8, (tie) Cam Schroeder, Iowa Central Community College and Trey Frank, South Dakota State University; Cannon Smith, University of Tennessee – Martin, and Chase Graves, University of West Alabama; and Logan Graham, Southern Arkansas University and Cole Walker, University of Tennessee – Martin, 7.8 seconds each.

     

     

     

     

  • 2023 CNFR competition kicks off with Bulls Broncs & Breakaway

    2023 CNFR competition kicks off with Bulls Broncs & Breakaway

    CASPER, Wyo. (June 11, 2023) — When college rodeo athletes have opportunities to win national titles, they give it their all time after time.

    That has been the case at the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) and as the 73rd edition kicked off Sunday at the Fort Wyoming Center in Casper, it was evident once again. Competition kicked off with the Bulls Broncs and Breakaway. Qualifying for the CNFR is a lofty goal for students pursuing degrees. Juggling classes, practices and traveling to competitions is real life preparations for a future career in or out of the rodeo arena.

    Dawson Gleaves, a bull rider from Amarillo, Texas, stayed in his home state to attend Weatherford College. He is one of the contestants hoping to make rodeo a professional career. With a nickname of Sticky, Gleaves did just that on his first bull here. He was one of two bull riders to make it to the eight-second mark scoring 79 points on Vold Rodeo’s Easy Sid.

    The other bull rider to make it to the whistle was the 2021 champion, Tristen Hutchings who has qualified for the National Finals Rodeo while competing for Sul Ross State University at Alpine, Texas.

    The breakaway roping was extremely tough with a four-way tie for first place. Former CNFR champion Zoie Bedke from Idaho State University is on that list along with the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association student president, Tyree Cochrane from Cal Poly State University. Maggie Usher, also from Cal Poly and Sydney Theobald who attends Black Hills State University finish the top four out. Each of them stopped the clock in 2.4 seconds.

    Third generation rodeo competitor Weston Timberman who is a freshman at Clarendon College won the bareback riding with an 81.5-point score.

    Winning the saddle bronc riding was Quintin McWhorter who is representing the Cal Poly State University men’s team.

    Competition here features three full rounds in each event. These competitors will have their second round during slack on Monday and Tuesday. The steer wrestling, barrel racing, team roping, goat tying, and tie-down roping contestants will complete their first round on Monday.

     

    ###

     

    CASPER, Wyo.—The following are results from Bulls Broncs and Breakaway at the College National Finals Rodeo, June 11, 2023, courtesy of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association. Complete results are available at https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.collegerodeo.com%2F&data=05%7C01%7C%7C0ef0d85aaeac41a5779008db6af27e46%7C449f706eb0314e909107a6feb17d108f%7C0%7C0%7C638221361999033105%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=ZxYm47u%2F4Ez86%2BRqM8TpyZ79v6E2mZozm3vYW3zmu2w%3D&reserved=0.

     

    Breakaway Roping: (first-round winners) 1, (tie) Maggie Usher, Cal Poly State UniversitSy; Tyree Cochrane, Cal Poly State University; Sydney Theobald, Black Hills State University; and Zoie Bedke Idaho State University; 2.4 seconds each. 5, (tie) Makayla Farkas, West Hills University; Samantha Kerns, Treasure Valley Community College; Alli Masters, Southwestern Oklahoma State University; Madison Bean, South Plains College; and Rylee George, Texas A & M University-Commerce; 2.5 each.

     

    Bareback Riding: (first round winners) 1, Weston Timberman, Clarendon College, 81.5 points. 2, Kooper Heimburg, Missouri Valley College, 80.5.

    3, Luke Thrash, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, 80. 4, Bradlee Miller, Sam Houston State University, 79. 5, (tie) Sam Petersen, Clarendon College and Sage Allen College of Southern Idaho, 78.5 each.

    7, Ty Pope, Missouri Valley College, 77.5. 8, Wyatt Wood, Cal Poly State University, 76.5.

     

    Saddle Bronc Riding: (first round winners) 1, Quintin McWhorter, Cal Poly State University, 84 points. 2, Shea Fournier, McNeece State University, 82.5. 3, Slade Keith, Clarendon College, 81.5. 4, Damian Brennan, Western Texas College, 81. 5, Darcy Radel, Western Texas College, 80. 5. 6, (tie) Cauy Masters, Clarendon College, and Isaac Richard, McNeece State University, 79 each. 8, Lance Gaillard, Tarleton State University, 78.5

     

    Bull Riding: (first round winners – two rides) 1, Dawson Gleaves, Weatherford College, 79 points. 2, Tristen Hutchings, Sul Ross State University, 69.

  • American Hat Presents: Jeff Askey

    American Hat Presents: Jeff Askey

    Jeff Askey is part of the American Hat team because he believes in the core values of the company. “The whole company is based in American values. From the bottom to the top of the company, everyone is someone you want to be involved with. All the core values you associate with the cowboy way of life.”   

     

    Jeff Askey started life in Pennsylvania. “My dad (Steve) was a factory worker, and he would go to the sale barn and buy three-year-old horses and bring them home,” he explained. “I’d find out if they were broke.” After the factory shut down, Steve was able to continue making a living by buying and selling horses, cows, and a load of hay here or there.  From his riding days, Jeff knew he had the ability to stay on and he took that ability to the next level. “One of my best friends started getting on bulls and I entered up and here I am in Texas, 22 years later.”

    He wasn’t sure what to do after he graduated from high school. “I wasn’t sure I was college material. School was stupid easy to me.” He got a little scholarship to go to college in northeastern Oklahoma. “The coach that was there said I needed to go to UTM – Coach Luthi. John Luthi taught Jeff how to have a positive attitude. “Mentality in general – it’s hard to pinpoint, but he would teach us how to make our thought worded positive even if it was just in our head.” He also taught his students how to set goals, very specific small goals, structured down so they are achievable. “All of what he taught us applies in all of life – if you take anything he taught and fill in the blank with your relationship, your job, your life – the positive attitude makes all the difference.”

    “Not many of them make a career out of rodeo like Jeff has – so we taught them about life,” said Coach Luthi. “He is very smart – he took anatomy and physiology for humans because the animal classes were full – he got an A the first time.”

    Jeff started a fence company after getting his degree in Animal Science, graduating with a 3.8, He went pro, and has five NFR qualifications. He married to Tianti Carter, 2017 Miss Rodeo Texas, in 2019. Tianti Askey, DVM, just opened a fully mobile equine vet clinic, Royalty Equine, LLC., serving the area around their home in Athens, Texas. Now when Jeff’s not on the road, he goes with her, helping with tech and books.

    “She’ll get on to you if you’re not a good tech,” said Jeff, who knew nothing about being a vet tech. “I hate needles and hate gore and she just tells me to suck it up. I’ve had to scrub some nasty lacerations – a couple months ago I wouldn’t even look at it – now I’m in there with my finger getting the debris out. You just do it. One day at a time.”

  • Vegas NFR Icons

    Vegas NFR Icons

    Two Rodeo Legends – Billy Etbauer and Cody Ohl to be Honored as Vegas NFR Icons in 2023

    Vegas NFR Icons to include in-arena ceremony, special appearances and a tribute luncheon in their honor at Virgin Las Vegas on Dec. 8

     

    LAS VEGAS – June 2, 2023 – Las Vegas Events announced today that two Vegas NFR Icons will be honored at the 2023 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo® in Las Vegas. The Vegas NFR Icons this year are Billy Etbauer and Cody Ohl.

    During the Dec. 8 and 9 performances, each of the rodeo champions will be honored on the hallowed dirt of the Thomas & Mack Center. The presentation will include each receiving a 14” commemorative bronze statue and a ceremony to unfurl a banner in the rafters at the Thomas & Mack Center.

    The in-arena schedule for the icons is as follows:

    Friday, Dec. 8 – Billy Etbauer

    Saturday, Dec. 9 – Cody Ohl

    “Las Vegas Events is committed to honoring the legends who have defined what it means to be a champion at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo,” said LVE President Tim Keener. “Billy Etbauer and Cody Ohl are true icons of the sport and synonymous with the events they competed in at the Thomas & Mack Center. The history and legacy of the Wrangler NFR is driven by its great champions, and we are honored to continue this tradition that was launched in 2022 when we honored Trevor Brazile, Charmayne James and Ty Murray.”

    For each icon, LVE will develop a promotional campaign to promote the two legends and build a daily activation calendar to build anticipation for the ceremony inside the Thomas & Mack Center that evening.

    In addition to the banner ceremony during the second and third Wrangler NFR performances, several events are planned for the Icons. They will appear at The Cowboy Channel Cowboy Christmas on Wrangler NFR programming on The Cowboy Channel. The 2nd Annual Vegas NFR Icons Tribute Luncheon is set for Friday, Dec. 8 at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas where they will spend time with hosts Butch Knowles and Jeff Medders. The two announcers are icons themselves as they have been the broadcast team for the NFR for more than 30 years.

    Additional details about the 2nd Annual Vegas NFR Icons Tribute Luncheon will be announced at a later date on www.NFRexperience.com.

    One of the most popular cowboys of his generation, Etbauer won five saddle bronc world titles (1992, 1996, 1999, 2000 and 2004) and garners respect for both his go-for-broke style and his humility during his career that covered parts of four decades. A native of Huron, South Dakota, he was the middle brother of three world-class bronc riders. Etbauer qualified for the NFR in his second year as a professional in 1989. He went on to make the field a record 21 consecutive years, win an NFR-record 51 rounds and surpass $3 million in career earnings. He still shares the NFR record with his 93-point ride on Kesler Championship Rodeo’s Cool Alley in 2003. He tied the record a year later on a 10th-round ride that clinched the last of his five gold buckles.

    “It is an honor and blessing to be part of the Vegas NFR Icons,” said Etbauer. “I’m thankful to so many that helped me throughout my career and allowed me to make a living doing what I love. I still feel very fortunate to have won world titles during my career and had the support of sponsors like Express Ranches that made it possible to keep competing. As for Cody, when you rodeo with guys like that, even though we were in different events, you knew you had to raise your game.”

    Ohl put his stamp on ProRodeo in 1994 by winning Rookie of the Year and earning his first trip to the NFR. It would take Ohl a few years to win his first gold buckle. He edged out Fred Whitfield to capture the 1997 Tie-Down World Title and roared through the 1998 season, capturing his second title. He had another record-setting year in 2001 as he added steer roping and team roping in order to compete for the All-Around title. In the ninth round of the NFR, Ohl missed his calf on the first loop. A second loop caught the calf by the hind legs. As Ohl dismounted, he twisted his knee, tearing two major ligaments. He had to be carried out of the arena by the Justin Sportsmedicine Team. However, he had amassed enough money earlier in the week to secure both the tie-down title and the All-Around title. He accepted both buckles from crutches on the 10th night. He went on to capture his fifth and sixth tie-down roping titles in 2003 and 2006. He still owns the record for the most NFR rounds won, 52.

    “When you compete at this level, the world championship is what you shoot for,” said Ohl. “Being inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame was the icing on my career, but Vegas is where everything got started, so I’m so appreciative of this honor. There is no other town where you get a feeling like Vegas…that’s how much Vegas means to me. And, going in with Billy, he is one of my all-time heroes who always shined at the NFR, especially in the 10th round when it counted the most. I’m a huge fan and honored to be included with him.”

    Known as the richest and most prestigious rodeo in the world, the Wrangler NFR attracts the top 15 contestants in bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping, barrel racing and bull riding to compete for a share of the increased purse and the coveted PRCA Gold Buckle. In 2022, the event had a total attendance of 173,350 over the 10 days of competition at the Thomas & Mack Center and has sold out more than 350 consecutive performances in Las Vegas.

    For more information on the Wrangler NFR, please visit NFRexperience.com or through social media at @LasVegasNFR and use #WranglerNFR. For the latest ProRodeo news and Wrangler NFR coverage, please visit prorodeo.com or through social media @PRCA_ProRodeo.

     

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    About Las Vegas Events

    Founded in 1983, Las Vegas Events is a private, not-for-profit organization partially funded by hotel room tax. Through its Signature Event initiative, LVE has created a model to integrate all elements of special events and formally improve

    communication between event producers and Las Vegas’ hotel properties and sponsors. Since 1991, Las Vegas Events has produced, presented or supported more than 800 events.

    www.lasvegasevents.com

    About the Wrangler NFR

    The Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR), considered the world’s premier rodeo, features 10 straight days of the best in PRCA PRORODEO competition, with a total of 120 contestants competing every night in seven events. Each December, the top 15 contestants, based on the PRCA | RAM World Standings, in bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping, barrel racing, and bull riding qualify to compete at the Wrangler NFR.

    www.prorodeo.com

    About the PRCA

    The PRCA, headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colo., is recognized as the unsurpassed leader in sanctioning the sport of professional rodeo. The PRCA’s mission is to unify membership in providing an innovative fan experience, to grow the sport of professional rodeo and provide new expanded opportunities for our membership and sponsors. Since 1986, the PRCA has paid out more than $1 billion in prize money to its contestants. The PRCA offers the best cowboys and the best rodeos, delivering the best fan experience while positively impacting our communities and embracing the spirit of the West. A membership-based organization, the PRCA sanctioned 771 events in 2022, and there are 35 million rodeo fans in the U.S. The sport’s marquee event, the National Finals Rodeo, has increased its payout to more than $11.5 million in 2023. The PRCA televises the sport’s premier events, with the world-renowned Wrangler National Finals Rodeo presented by Teton Ridge on The Cowboy Channel and RFD-TV and streaming on the PRCA on Cowboy Channel Plus App. PRCA-sanctioned rodeos donate more than $40 million to local and national charities every year. For comprehensive coverage of the cowboy sport, read ProRodeo Sports News, the official publication of the PRCA. The digital PSN and daily updates of news and results can be found on the PRCA’s official website, www.prorodeo.com.