Rodeo Life

Blog

  • Zeke Thurston captures first Miles City (Mont.) Bucking Horse Sale Xtreme Broncs title

    Zeke Thurston captures first Miles City (Mont.) Bucking Horse Sale Xtreme Broncs title

    It remains incongruous. Zeke Thurston competes in a sport that races the heartbeat, forces confrontations with danger and leaves the body in peril. When it comes to riding saddle bronc horses, no one did it better than the world champion. Yet when he talks about his success, he is calmer than a lagoon.

     

    On May 21, he discussed a triumphant ride on Burch Rodeo’s Lunatic From Hell like he was reading off a grocery list. This is what has made him one of the best.

     

    “I just try to keep a pretty cool head and focus on my job,” Thurston said.

     

    At the World Famous Miles City (Mont.) Bucking Horse Sale Matched Xtreme Bronc Ride, Thurston delivered a 91-point ride in the finals to secure the title. It proved the perfect match of poise and horse – Lunatic From Hell has been ridden by the event champion in five of the last six years.

     

    And the one year he didn’t win it, he was part of a re-ride. So, five out of six?

     

    “That’s a pretty good average for a horse. It was a really good ride,” Thurston said. “He kind of bailed out of there and had a really good day. He stayed with it. I have been on that horse a few times prior. So, I knew about him, but it was like five-to-six years ago, so it’s been a while.”

     

    Thurston’s 91-point trip was enough to edge Sage Newman (89.5 points) for the title in Montana. Winning is a habit for Thurston. The Alberta cowboy owns a resume that widens eyes even among stars. He has claimed three PRCA World Championships (2016, 2019, 2022) and qualified for the National Finals Rodeo eight times. Events like this just fuel his fire.

     

    “The Xtreme events are really cool. It’s a real sporty event: 30 of the best guys in the world getting on great bucking horses. It’s good watching,” Thurston said. “It was really good. There were people everywhere cheering.”

     

    Up next is a first-time Xtreme Broncs event in Palmer, Alaska. It’s a new event, but Thurston has a plan to post the same old results.

     

    “It will be more of the same. I want to keep the ball rolling,” Thurston said, “and keep doing what we are doing.”

  • Rafael Jose de Brito Makes PBR History as First Rider to Be Crowned World Champion and Rookie of the Year in Same Season

    Rafael Jose de Brito Makes PBR History as First Rider to Be Crowned World Champion and Rookie of the Year in Same Season

    FORT WORTH, Texas – Rafael Jose de Brito (Potirendaba, Brazil) etched his name in the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) history books this afternoon in Fort Worth, Texas, completing a come-from-behind surge in the standings to win the World Finals event and 2023 PBR World Championship.

    The 31-year-old Brazilian, who arrived in America in the summer of 2022, became the first rider to ever win the world title and Rookie of the Year honors in the same season.

    “I want to thank God for making this dream come true and for all He has done for me,” Brito said from the dirt as he hoisted three glittering buckles. “I put in the work. I rode bulls day after day. It’s a great thing to have my name next to champions like Adriano [Moraes], Guilherme [Marchi], Silvano [Alves], Kaique [Pacheco] and Jose [Vitor Leme]. I want to dedicate this to Kaique at home watching.”

     

    Brito traveled to Dickies Arena for his career-first World Finals ranked No. 9 in the heated gold buckle battle but atop the race amongst first-year Unleash The Beast competitors.

    While he failed to convert in the opening two rounds, upended by Top Dollar (Hookin’ W/DeHoff/VanCleave) in 2.41 seconds in Round 1 and Stone Cold Gangster (Universal Pro Rodeo/Rachel & Dustin Powell) in Round 2, Brito, who in 2022 signed as a free agent for the Texas Rattlers in the separate PBR Team Series, returned more determined and with newfound confidence in Round 3.

    Tasked with Chiseled (Flinn/D&H Cattle Co.), Brito delivered the first 90-point ride of the 2023 PBR World Finals with a mammoth 90.5-point score.

    The 8-second effort garnered Brito a crucial 89 Unleash The Beast points, propelling him from No. 9 to No. 7 in the standings, and he inched within 336 points of then No. 1 Kaique Pacheco (Itatiba, Brazil), who did not compete at the seven-day event due to injury.

    While Round 4 did not go in Brito’s favor, as the Brazilian was bucked off in 2.05 seconds by Ricky Vaughn (D&H Cattle Co./Buck Cattle Co.), he rebounded in Round 5.

    Conquering Time Bomb (Carr Pro Rodeo) for 89.25 points and tying for the second-best score of the night, Brito cracked the Top 5 in the World Championship battle. Garnering 46 Unleash The Beast points, he surged from No. 7 to No. 5 and was within 290 points of the No. 1 rank.

    The score also allowed him to gain ground in the Rookie of the Year race, rising 209.67 points ahead of the then-second-place contender Daniel Keeping (Montague, Texas), who was shut out at the 2023 PBR World Finals.

    Brito’s momentum continued to mount in Round 6 as he overtook the World Finals event lead courtesy of an 88.5-point ride atop Short Circuit (D&H Cattle/McWhorter) that netted another 46 points. While Brito remained No. 5 in the standings, he rose within 244 points of No. 1 Pacheco.

    Brito also extended his lead atop the Rookie of the Year race, surging 276.5 points out in front of the new No. 2-ranked rider Wingson Henrique da Silva (Navirai, Brazil).

    Silva was challenging Brito in the Rookie of the Year battle, as well as in the race for the World Finals event title and World Championship.

    Before Championship Sunday, Brito and Silva were two of just six riders to have gone 3-for-6 at the World Finals. Silva’s three scores, logged consecutively in Rounds 3-5, led him to begin the final day of the individual season third on the World Finals event leaderboard, 4.75 points behind Brito, and No. 11 in the World Championship standings.

    In Round 7, Brito elected to go head-to-head with Red Mosquito (Cord McCoy/Zach Muegge/McCoy Rodeo), while Silva architected a matchup between himself and Ivy League (Jane Clark/Gene Owen).

    Both decisions proved fruitful as each rider made the 8, marked a matching 88.25 points, to tie for second in the round on the final day of the championship event.

    Brito and Silva’s scores, coupled with key buckoffs from Dalton Kasel (Muleshoe, Texas), Dener Barbosa (Paulo de Faria, Brazil), Cooper Davis (Jasper, Texas) and Andrew Alvidrez (Seminole, Texas), made it a three-rider race entering the championship round.

    The third contender, two-time PBR World Champion Jose Vitor Leme (Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil), kept his title hopes alive in Round 7 when he delivered the second-best score, covering JAG Metals Grand Theft (D&H Cattle Co./Philip Elkins) for 90.25 points. The ride, which also avenged a buckoff from Round 2, earned Leme 49 Unleash The Beast points, briefly giving him the world No. 1 rank as he surpassed Pacheco by 9 points.

    As the sixth man out in the championship round, Leme’s renewed hopes of victory were quickly extinguished as he was tossed by Canadian-born Yellowknife (Blake Sharp/Michael Floyd) in a swift 1.8 seconds.

    Then it all came down to the final two outs of the season as Silva readied to take on Ricky Vaughn, while Brito found his name matched with World Champion Bull contender Flapjack’s (Parker/OK Corralis/Gordon/D&H Cattle).

    While Silva was first out, the tension quickly mounted as he was awarded a re-ride when Ricky Vaughn stumbled. Silva’s third bull of the day, Hunting Trip (Dozier Cattle Co./Martinez Bucking Bulls), would be his final bovine athlete opponent of the season.

    In a must-ride situation, Silva failed to convert, bucked off in 4.93 seconds.

    Despite still needing to attempt his draw, Brito, who would inevitably be bucked off by Flapjack in 0.97 seconds, began to tear up atop the back of the chutes as Silva’s buckoff clinched a never-before-accomplished trifecta for Brito, as he won the World Finals to clinch the 2023 Rookie of the Year honor and 2023 PBR World Championship.

    Brito concluded the World Championship race 287 points ahead of No. 2 Leme and, in the Rookie of the Year battle, 486.5 points ahead of runner-up Silva. On the World Finals event leaderboard, Brito edged second-place Silva by 4.75 points in the aggregate.

    In addition to becoming the first rider to win all three titles in the same season, Brito is now just the eighth rider to capture both the World Championship and World Finals event win the same season, joining Daylon Swearingen (2022 – Piffard, New York), Leme (2021), Jess Lockwood (2019 – Volborg, Montana), Silvano Alves (2014 – Pilar do Sul Brazil), J.B. Mauney (2013 – Statesville, North Carolina), Renato Nunes (2010 – Buritama, Brazil) and Mike Lee (2004 – Decatur, Texas).

    In the PBR’s 30-year history, Brito is the 21st different rider – and eighth Brazilian – to claim the PBR World Champion gold buckle. His title is the 13th time a rider from Brazil has won what’s been called the most difficult individual championship in professional sports.

    Throughout 2023, Brito earned $1,586,514, including $1,390,500 for his career-first PBR World Championship and World Finals event win.

    In the bull pen, Ridin Solo (Cord McCoy/Bill McCarty/McCoy Rodeo) defended his title, crowned the 2023 YETI PBR World Champion Bull and earning the accompanying $100,000 bonus.

    The honor was bestowed upon the animal with the highest average bull score from their six highest-scored regular-season outs and two outs at the PBR World Finals.

    Much like the race amongst the riders, the battle between the organization’s animal athletes was equally fierce. Ridin Solo began the World Finals ranked No. 2 in the world, 0.41 points behind regular-season leader Cool Whip (Julian/Staci Addison/D&H/Crooked W).

    First bucking in Round 2, Ridin’ Solo tied Cool Whip for the No. 1 rank in the fierce title battle with a monstrous 46-point trip earned via his 5.9 seconds of work against Barbosa.

    Following the outs, both Solo and Cool Whip, who was marked just 42.75 points for his 4.27-second buckoff of Boudreaux Campbell (Crockett, Texas), held a matching 45.61-point average.

    The World Champion bull contenders then returned to the arena in Round 4.

    Delivering what would ultimately be the second-best bull score at the 2023 PBR World Finals, Ridin’ Solo overtook sole ownership of the No. 1 rank.

    Ridin’ Solo, matched up against Chase Outlaw (Hamburg, Arkansas), sent the charismatic Arkansas native to the ground in a swift 3.54 seconds, awarded a mammoth 46.5-point score.

    The powerful animal athlete’s score, paired with Cool Whip’s uncharacteristic 44-point out during his 3.15-second buckoff of Tyler Manor (Portland, Indiana), allowed Ridin’ Solo to surge to the lead in the World Champion Bull race.

    When the dust settled, with each bull having just one out remaining, Ridin’ Solo pulled 0.07 points ahead of the No. 2 bull. Cool Whip, meantime, plummeted in the standings to No. 4, 0.25 points behind No. 1 Ridin’ Solo.

    During the round, UTZ BesTex Legend (Blake Sharp/Chris Utz/Carey Brothers) took a firm hold on the No. 2 rank in the standings. Legend was scored an impressive 46 points after he bested Aaron Williams (Pismo Beach, California) in a quick 1.56 seconds.

    On Championship Sunday, Cool Whip was first out, bucking in Round 7. Despite tossing Koltin Hevalow (Smithville, Missouri) in 5.81 seconds, the powerful bull was marked just 43.75 points to eliminate him from the World Championship race. Cool Whip concluded the year with a 45.55-point world average, ranked No. 4 in the world.

    Legend was next out, bucking second in the championship round. His 45-point, 3.24-second trip with Joao Lucas Campos (Porto Feliz, Brazil), however, was not enough to pass Ridin Solo. The trip led him to finish the year with a 45.63-point world average, tied for No. 2 alongside Flapjack.

    Ridin’ Solo capped his season with a 45-point trip with Braidy Randolph (Jonestown, Pennsylvania).

    The captivating bull defended his World Champion title with an impressive 45.70-point world average, finishing 0.07 points ahead of runners-up Legend and Flapjack.

    Ridin’ Solo is now just the seventh animal athlete ever to win the honor in multiple seasons. He joins the elite club which includes two-time PBR World Champion Bulls Dillinger (Herrington Cattle Co.), Bones (Teague Bucking Bulls) and Smooth Operator (Dakota Rodeo/Julie Rosen/Clay Struve/Chad Berger), and three-time PBR World Champion Bulls Little Yellow Jacket (Berger/Teague/Taupin), Bushwacker (Julio Moreno Bucking Bulls) and SweetPro’s Bruiser (D&H Cattle Co./Buck Cattle Co.).

    Ridin’ Solo was also named the YETI “Built for the Wild” Bull of the Finals, earning a $25,000 bonus, as the animal athlete who posted the top combined score across his three outs logged during the 2023 PBR World Finals.

    Blake Sharp was crowned the 2023 PBR Stock Contractor of the Year. The honor was Sharp’s first, dethroning Chad Berger, who had won the award the past nine consecutive seasons.

    Andrew Alvidrez (Seminole, Texas) earned the Lane Frost/Brent Thurman Award for the top-marked ride of the 2023 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast when he won Round 5 compliments of an unmatched 91.5-point ride atop Red Mosquito (Cord McCoy/Zach Muegge/McCoy Rodeo).

    Pacheco won the Mason Lowe Award, presented annually to the bull rider who records the highest-scored ride during the PBR Unleash The Beast regular season. Pacheco earned the honor for his 93-point ride aboard Ricky Vaughn during the 15/15 Bucking Battle in Indianapolis, Indiana, in late January.

    Nick Tetz (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) was awarded the Glen Keeley Award for the first time in his career. This award goes to the Canadian bull rider earning the most Unleash The Beast points during the season.

    PBR RidePass on Pluto TV will offer re-airs and on-demand replays of every PBR Unleash The Beast event. PBR RidePass is available on desktops, laptops and mobile devices via www.pluto.tv. Click here for on-demand PBR programming.

    Stay tuned to PBR.com for the latest news and results and be sure to follow the league on all social media platforms at @PBR.

     

    PBR Unleash The Beast
    PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast
    Dickies Arena – Fort Worth, Texas
    Event Leaders (Round 1-Round 2-Round 3-Round 4-Round 5-Round 6-Round 7-Round 8-Event Aggregate-Event Points)

    1. Rafael Jose de Brito, 0-0-90.5-0-89.25-88.5-88.25-0-356.50-783 Points.
    2. Wingson Henrique da Silva, 0-0-86-89.5-88-0-88.25-0-351.75-508 Points.
    3. Ramon de Lima, 87-0-88.75-0-0-88.25-0-0-264.00-370 Points.
    4. Braidy Randolph, 0-85.75-87.25-0-89.25-0-0-0-262.25-264 Points.
    5. Jesse Petri, 0-0-0-88.75-85.75-87.25-0-0-261.75-221 Points.
    6. Dawson Branton, 85-0-0-0-87.75-80-0-0-252.75-178 Points.
    7. Josh Frost, 0-0-0-0-86-0-90.5-74-250.50-271 Points.
    8. Jose Vitor Leme, 0-0-0-0-88.5-0-90.25-0-178.75-145 Points.
    9. Dener Barbosa, 85.75-0-0-0-0-90-0-0-175.75-155 Points.
    10. Boudreaux Campbell, 84.75-0-90.25-0-0-0-0-0-175.00-86 Points.
    11. Joao Lucas Campos, 85-0-0-89.5-0-0-0-0-174.50-103 Points.
    12. Colten Fritzlan, 0-86-86.75-0-0-0-0-0-172.75-72 Points.
    13. Andrew Alvidrez, 0-0-0-0-91.5-0-0-0-91.50-92 Points.
    14. Derek Kolbaba, 89.75-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-89.75-89.5 Points.

    (tie). Austin Richardson, 0-89.75-0-0-0-0-0-0-89.75-89.5 Points.

    1. Dalton Kasel, 0-0-89-0-0-0-0-0-89.00-44 Points.

    (tie). Flavio Zivieri, 0-0-0-0-89-0-0-0-89.00-40 Points.

    (tie). Nick Tetz, 0-89-0-0-0-0-0-0-89.00-48 Points.

    1. João Ricardo Vieira, 88.5-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-88.50-48 Points.

    (tie). Kyler Oliver, 0-0-0-0-0-88.5-0-0-88.50-46 Points.

    (tie). Marcus Mast, 0-0-0-0-88.5-0-0-0-88.50-34 Points.

    1. Chase Dougherty, 88.25-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-88.25-44 Points.
    2. Cooper Davis, 0-0-88-0-0-0-0-0-88.00-34 Points.

    (tie). Lucas Divino, 0-0-88-0-0-0-0-0-88.00-34 Points.

    1. Eduardo Aparecido, 0-0-0-0-0-87.75-0-0-87.75-36 Points.

    (tie). Ezekiel Mitchell, 0-0-0-0-87.75-0-0-0-87.75-22 Points.

    1. Tate Pollmeier, 0-0-0-0-87.5-0-0-0-87.50-16 Points.
    2. Silvano Alves, 0-0-0-0-86.25-0-0-0-86.25-13 Points.
    3. Guilherme Valleiras, 0-0-0-0-84.75-0-0-0-84.75-10 Points.

    (tie). Koltin Hevalow, 84.75-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-84.75-22 Points.

    1. Keyshawn Whitehorse, 0-0-0-0-0-84.5-0-0-84.50-28 Points.
    2. Brady Turgeon, 0-0-0-0-0-83.25-0-0-83.25-24 Points.

    Kaique Pacheco, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00

    Daniel Keeping, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00

    Luciano De Castro, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00

    Rafael Henrique dos Santos, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00

    Mason Taylor, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00

    Eli Vastbinder, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00

    Manoelito de Souza Junior, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00

    Marcelo Procopio Pereira, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00

    Brady Oleson, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00

    Jess Lockwood, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00

    Wyatt Rogers, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00

    Casey Roberts, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00

    Bob Mitchell, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00

    Chase Outlaw, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00

    Dakota Louis, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00

    Aaron Williams, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00

    Vitor Losnake, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00

    Tyler Manor, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00

    Claudio Montanha Jr., 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00

     

    2023 PBR World Standings

    (Place, Rider, Events, Wins, Top 5’s, Points, Total Winnings)

    1. Rafael Jose de Brito, 26, 2, 8, 1,338.00, $1,516,705.81
    2. Jose Vitor Leme, 16, 3, 10, 1,051.00, $304,781.67
    3. Kaique Pacheco, 25, 3, 10, 980.00, $254,512.67
    4. Wingson Henrique da Silva, 21, 0, 4, 851.50, $258,185.00
    5. Dalton Kasel, 22, 4, 8, 792.66, $181,355.67
    6. Dener Barbosa, 22, 2, 5, 780.83, $185,641.67
    7. Andrew Alvidrez, 26, 2, 5, 707.00, $176,951.67
    8. Boudreaux Campbell, 25, 0, 7, 686.66, $142,354.67
    9. Cooper Davis, 21, 2, 4, 679.50, $145,426.00
    10. Ramon de Lima, 16, 1, 3, 664.50, $182,653.33
    11. Eduardo Aparecido, 25, 1, 5, 631.50, $127,941.14
    12. Jesse Petri, 28, 1, 5, 624.00, $162,724.81
    13. Braidy Randolph, 18, 0, 3, 491.00, $123,182.67
    14. Daniel Keeping, 24, 2, 3, 434.33, $115,753.33
    15. João Ricardo Vieira, 21, 0, 4, 433.00, $81,444.33
    16. Tate Pollmeier, 21, 0, 4, 405.25, $71,652.81
    17. Keyshawn Whitehorse, 24, 0, 2, 371.25, $57,051.33
    18. Colten Fritzlan, 20, 1, 2, 340.66, $83,517.48
    19. Luciano De Castro, 16, 0, 3, 339.50, $55,814.67
    20. Kyler Oliver, 14, 0, 5, 329.00, $69,556.67
    21. Silvano Alves, 27, 0, 4, 327.00, $51,012.00
    22. Chase Dougherty, 13, 1, 1, 296.83, $80,626.67
    23. Josh Frost, 4, 0, 0, 287.50, $160,005.00
    24. Thiago Salgado, 14, 0, 3, 277.50, $36,385.00
    25. Rafael Henrique dos Santos, 22, 1, 2, 274.50, $51,403.67
    26. Mason Taylor, 16, 0, 1, 264.50, $37,848.00
    27. Derek Kolbaba, 18, 0, 1, 251.50, $65,188.33
    28. Austin Richardson, 12, 0, 2, 246.50, $69,828.67
    29. Ezekiel Mitchell, 23, 0, 1, 245.00, $31,365.14
    30. Eli Vastbinder, 23, 1, 2, 233.50, $63,726.00
    31. Dawson Branton, 9, 0, 0, 207.00, $41,241.67
    32. Lucas Divino, 5, 0, 3, 200.50, $36,989.14
    33. Guilherme Valleiras, 8, 1, 2, 197.00, $58,243.62
    34. Manoelito de Souza Junior, 24, 0, 1, 194.00, $24,513.00
    35. Marcelo Procopio Pereira, 14, 0, 1, 189.00, $20,813.33
    36. Koltin Hevalow, 24, 0, 0, 184.50, $21,196.33
    37. Marcus Mast, 18, 0, 0, 180.50, $26,245.00
    38. Brady Oleson, 11, 1, 1, 167.00, $49,880.33
    39. Sandro Batista, 13, 0, 2, 166.50, $21,514.67
    40. Brady Turgeon, 7, 0, 2, 160.00, $25,976.00
    41. Jess Lockwood, 4, 0, 2, 159.00, $37,375.67
    42. Wyatt Rogers, 22, 0, 0, 157.25, $19,745.95
    43. Flavio Zivieri, 14, 0, 2, 156.66, $37,732.67
    44. Casey Roberts, 12, 0, 1, 149.00, $33,136.00
    45. Bob Mitchell, 11, 0, 1, 135.00, $15,163.00
  • Empty Saddles: Larry Mahan

    Empty Saddles: Larry Mahan

    Larry Mahan was the all-around world champion in 1966-70 and 1973. He also was the bull riding champ in 1965 and 1967. He qualified for the NFR a combined 26 times from 1964-75 in bareback riding, saddle bronc riding and bull riding. He was inducted in the inaugural class of the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, Colo., in 1979.

    Justin McKee, rodeo announcer and Cowboy Channel cowboy minister, was Master of Ceremonies for the send-off for Larry Mahan and friends, on May 16, in Cowtown Coliseum, Fort Worth Stockyards. Justin told the audience it was definitely not a funeral. It was a collection of Larry’s friends who were going to talk about the man and share stories about him because he was someone who had made rodeo bigger and better, in his own way. Larry Mahan changed the world of rodeo. His mentors were Jim Shoulders and Casey Tibbs, and at 6 years old he rode a calf and won $6 and a buckle. He knew what he was going to do with his life – RODEO! But although he admired Jim & Casey he had his own agenda.

    He was determined, tough, charismatic, and versatile. He won many World Championships and conquered the sport to his satisfaction. He also did other things – he was in the clothing world, he sang, he had a band, he loved horses, and taught many a young man how to not only learn how to ride roughstock, but he taught them manners; how to do many things it takes to go down the rodeo road when just starting out. But the one thread through the entire program was that he gave back, gave to, and tried to make the Western way of life better. And he did.
    Red Steagall was up first and sang a song he wrote on an airplane returning home from the National Finals Rodeo when Larry won the All-Around, and it was about Larry.

    Next in line was Bobby Steiner who said when he was 13, he met Larry for the first time. Bobby’s dad Tommy Steiner was producing rodeos and he heard his dad and other cowboys talking about this new cowboy from Oregon, they knew he was going to be the next top cowboy.
    Billy Bob Harris was a personal friend of Larry’s and didn’t talk much about rodeo but told how Larry was one of those people who was always the center of attention – which everyone in the audience could agree with.

    Next was a video of Tanya Tucker singing a song about cowboys like Larry.
    Bobby Brown, roughstock rider, said, “Nobody could do what Mahan did. Today we have television and rodeos seen daily but when Larry was rodeoing that wasn’t possible. Before television, Larry got the attention that television allows so many of the competing cowboys to become known. He was tough physically and mentally.”

    Donny Gay saw Larry Mahan on ‘Hamp’ a bull owned by Korkows, in 1968. He said, “I wanted to be just like him. He came to our house by his plane, a Comanche 250, spent the night, we took a load of stock to Rusk, TX, to their rodeo. He won the bareback, the bronc riding and the bull riding. He gave me his chaps and I wore them proudly. When I started flying, he told me, ‘Donny, when you step up on that airplane you take that cowboy hat off, and put on your pilot hat.’ He was my hero.”

    Pam Minick said she met Larry in 1971, in 1973 as Miss Rodeo America they ran into one another often, and became very good friends. He was best man at Pam’s wedding to her first husband. She went to see Elvis with Larry in Las Vegas, and Larry was invited backstage to visit with Elvis. She also said, “Larry knew how to give back, he did so many things that improved not only rodeo but the people in and around rodeo. His legacy was to give back.”
    Ty Murray fed Mahan’s horses when he was 13 years old. He said, “Larry impacted my life more than any one did – he took me under his wing when I was just 12. He was my Superman!”

    Trevor Brazile said although he didn’t get to rodeo at the same time Larry did, they lived nearby later. He came over to Trevor’s place to rope calves not for himself, but Larry had a young man working for him and he wanted Trevor to give him some pointers. Trevor also said, “I don’t think there was anyone in any other sport that could measure up to Larry Mahan.”

    Cody Lambert said Larry took rodeo to another level. He said Larry had a bumper sticker on the back of his saddle that said, “This is not a dress rehearsal.” He said he and Ty, who were good friends, often repeated that saying when they were competing for the big bucks.
    Cody also said, “Larry would call after he had been to my place and tell me he was so impressed with the relationship I have with my son.”
    Brooke Graham sang a song she had written about her grandpa but sung it with Larry in mind.
    Rudy Gatlin said he always called Larry “May-horse” instead of Mahan because he was part man, part horse. He said, “Larry loved those horses.” Then he sang Larry’s theme song, “Rodeo O de O”

    Former Texas Ranger Brantley Foster told that he had a son named Brandon that had a brain tumor. When Larry met Brantley and met Brandon he was working for the Wide World of Sports but he would call Brandon about every week and they just talked. Brandon died when he was just 18. Ranger Foster had many other stories about Larry, but “he didn’t want to talk about those,”

    Chris Cox, well known horse trainer, said he met Larry in 1985. He said, “Larry loved horses, we talked a lot about horses and how they change our lives – horses are so forgiving. But they never forget.” He looked at the audience and said, “I’ll bet you never bought a horse from Larry Mahan. He never sold a horse he loved them so much.

    Sonny Burgess ended the stories by singing, “Mamma, Don’t Let Your Boys Grow Up to be Cowboys”.
    Justin ended the Celebration with a Prayer. A good send-off for a cowboy who made rodeo step up, who made too many friends to count, loved rodeo and horses, and gave to and back for the rest of his life. He will be missed.

  • Back When They Bucked with Rodney Towe

    Back When They Bucked with Rodney Towe

    Rodney Towe held down a fulltime job while he rodeoed, with a rodeo career that spanned fifty years.
    The Hilmar, California cowboy worked for 36 years at the Turlock Irrigation District, while he rodeoed, hitting sometimes as many as 60 rodeos annually.
    Born in 1941 in Fillmore, Calif. to William and Minnie Towe, he grew up on the Rancho Sespe. His dad was an irrigator for the citrus orchards that dotted the ranch.
    As a child, he loved the gymkhanas that took place. “I was a gymkhana nut,” he said.” He rode a grade mare, purchased for $150.
    The family moved to Oxnard, California, where they built an arena on their two acres. They formed a riding club, the Rio Riders. As a teen, his mother pulled the trailer to Turlock, where he competed at the California State Horsemen’s Association Gymkhana and won the state championship in the ring spearing once and was two times a runner-up behind his uncle Frank Cox.
    But he wanted to do more than gymkhanas. His cousin Gordon Cox, two years his senior, wanted to be a bull rider. So in 1955, Gordon entered himself and Rodney in the steer riding at the Monterey County Sheriff’s Rodeo in Salinas. The boys drove six hours from home to ride; out of 75 riders, Rodney won it.
    “Gordon hated me all the way home,” he chuckled. “He was supposed to be the bull rider.” For first place, Rodney won a pair of black and white Acme boots with black wingtips.
    “That was the start,” he said, of a rodeo career that would take him across the nation.
    At age seventeen, he started riding bareback horses at amateur rodeos. A strong upper body, in part due to tumbling and gymnastics, helped him succeed, along with a natural athleticism.
    After high school graduation in 1958, Rodney went to work in a variety of places. He did construction, drove a forklift, installed ceilings, whatever he could find.
    And he continued to rodeo, competing at the Western Approved Rodeos (WAR), the California fair rodeos. The family moved to northern California in 1961, where he cowboyed for $10 a day, worked for the turkey plant in Turlock, and rode bareback horses.
    He began team roping, too, at jackpots and area arenas.
    But it was the bulldogging that intrigued him. “I kept watching it, and it looked like a lot of fun,” he said. One day, Frank Costa asked him if he’d like to do it, and offered his old baldy mare to him to try. Rodney was nervous. Riding bareback horses “wasn’t no big deal,” but jumping onto a steer was. Three times, he ran by the steer, and “I couldn’t get off.”
    John Wheatley, Sr. was hazing for him, and on Rodney’s fourth try, “I made up my mind, I’m going to jump this steer,” he said. “I jumped plum over the steer and under the hazing horse, who rattled me like a tin can down the arena. I landed on my feet, so I could catch the mare and do it again.”
    His new career began. It was 1963, and two years later, he was done riding bareback horses. “The steer wrestling fit me better, and wasn’t near as hard on my body.”
    In 1964, he won second for the year-end steer wrestling title at the WAR rodeos, behind John Wheatley, Jr. In 1967-68, he won the year-end.
    Rodney practiced with and competed against all of the California cowboys of the day: Jack Roddy, Harley May, Bob Marshall, Tommy and Larry Ferguson and Jim Warren.
    In the early 1960s he got his Rodeo Cowboys Association permit. For the next two decades, he competed not only in California and the Northwest, but across the nation: Cheyenne, Tucson, Phoenix, Yuma, Dickinson, N.D.; Red Lodge, Livingston, Calgary, and more.
    He had several good horses throughout the years.
    One of the first ones was a barrel-turned bulldogging horse named Dexter. Another was a horse named Woodstock who “ran like a locomotive, and scored like a champ”.
    Another mare he got was Duster, a bay mare who was broke by Rodney’s father-in-law and was “so simple and easy to ride, with a super-soft mouth. She’d let you catch every steer.” Duster had a filly colt, Twinkle Star Bars, who was broke and trained by Rod’s father-in-law and who Rod used as a hazing horse.
    One of the best horse stories Rod has goes to one of his later steer wrestling horses, Mama. In 1971, he flew to Springdale, Ark., to bulldog. He needed a mount, so Jim Poteet asked Bob Littrell who owned Mama, if Rod could ride her. “Damn, Jim, you know I got everybody” mounted on her,” Bob said, which included 18 bulldoggers. But he relented and let Rodney ride her. Rod won second in the first round and second in the average, behind Roy Duvall.
    He rode Mama at Cheyenne, winning third on her. So he asked Bob if he would sell her. “These Okies would kill me if I sold the mare,” he told Rod, knowing the Oklahoma steer wrestlers mounted out on her.
    In 1972, Littrell had a career-ending broken leg. The next February, as Rod sat at a restaurant, eating breakfast with Jim Warren, Barry Burk came in and told him, if he still wanted to buy Mama, Littrell was willing to sell.
    Rodney and Jim looked at each other, “we ran to the phone, and bought her,” Rod said. They paid $4,000 for her, “which was a lot of money,” and brought her to California. “We rode her everywhere.” Bob Marshall was a part-owner of Mama, on whom he won the 1973 world title.
    Rod met his wife of 50 years, Deb, when she came to California with a friend who was dating Jim Warren at the time. Deb grew up on an Arizona ranch, roping and riding, so she was familiar with horses and rodeo.
    The couple has four children: sons Odle and Traxel, and daughters Zantha and Abbra.
    The kids went with them when Rodney rodeoed, traveling in their 24-foot motorhome.
    In the early 2000s, Rodney became a committeeman for the Salinas Rodeo. He had won the steer wrestling there in 1980 with a buckle, and eight years ago, the committee honored him as “committeeman of the year,” with another buckle. His job is to take care of the roping box.
    In 2012, he jumped his last steer, at the age of 71. He attributes his longevity to the fact that he stayed healthy, and “I was just loving what I was doing, and having fun.”
    Juggling work and rodeo wasn’t easy. He worked 40 hours a week, which included evenings so he could leave early on Fridays to make a rodeo. And he had to shift his focus from work to rodeo and back again, where the fulltime competitors only had to think about rodeo.
    “The other guys I was competing against were rodeoing for a living, and that was all they were thinking about. They’d get someplace and have time to practice. It made it tough. It was very hard, and it kept me from wining a lot of money.” Even with part-time rodeo, he came within $10,000 of making the National Finals Rodeo in 1980.
    But the job was a necessity. “I had a job, with insurance, to take care of my family. That was important, taking care of my family.”
    He was still bulldogging until ten years ago.
    “It was fun for me. I saw so many guys with more talent than I had, that quit. It wasn’t fun for them, it was just a job. I never could understand that.”
    His family was behind him, all the way. “I had the full support of my wife and kids, or none of this would have happened,” he said.
    He and Debbie say the best part of rodeo is the people, “the people you meet and get acquainted with, from all parts of the country. You can reconnect with them ten or thirty years later, and it’s just like it was yesterday.”
    He looks back fondly on his rodeo days.
    “We had quite a time.”

  • On The Trail with Josh Frost

    On The Trail with Josh Frost

    “The way to ride a bull is different than the way to hang on to a bull,” said 3x Linderman recipient, and 3x WNFR qualifier, Josh Frost. “You’ve got to be 100% committed to make the whistle, but sometimes it’s better to accept that the bull beat you and know that there will be another ride.” The 27-year-old wrestled growing up. “We rodeoed from March to November; when it got cold, we were in the wrestling room.”

    Shane and Lisa Frost have four children. Joe, Josh, Jate, and little sister, Jacelyn. Josh’s rodeo roots run deep as he grew up in a rodeo family – three generations. His cousin is the legendary Lane Frost. “All of my family rodeos and it’s something that we have always done.” Joe Frost (grandpa), and his dad, Shane, were PRCA members. His great-uncle, Clyde Frost, competed at the first NFR in 1959 in the bareback riding and went on to qualify in 1960 and 1962-64 in the saddle bronc riding. His older brother, Joe, was on the cover of the Rodeo News June 15, 2012. The five-time WNFR qualifier for bull riding now lives on the family ranch with his wife, Kylee (Cahoy) … , and their two children, Luella and Lanae. Joe quit riding bulls in 2019, after breaking his leg and developing a blood clot. Luckily he’d had a very successful career, and is raising kids, ranching and training dogs (border collies) and bull riders.
    Josh started competing on sheep and went from there to junior high and high school rodeo. He went to OPSU and graduated with a degree in Ag Education. He is living a goal he set for himself more than 8 years ago when he was featured as a meet the member for Rocky Mountain Pro Rodeo Association. “I want to rodeo for a while and then maybe begin teaching later,” he was quoted as saying. “I’ve always wanted to make a career out of rodeo, so that’s what I’m doing now.” The road to success did not come easy for Josh. He won the Utah High School Rodeo Finals in bull riding in 2013 and went on to college rodeo for Oklahoma Panhandle State University. He qualified for the college finals in 2015-2017, winning third twice and fifth in his senior year. 2015 was his Rookie year and he didn’t qualify for the Finals for four years. “I couldn’t crack the top 15 – then in Reno over the fourth I got hurt.” He had a shot to make it a couple more times, but got hurt every year. “I started realizing that health was a priority; I worked out more and I got hung up less. I also switched to a Brazilian rope in 2018. I started not hanging off the side of bulls – that was a big factor.” In 2019, he finally made the finals.
    “I bucked off all ten bulls the first NFR, then won the average the next year,” he said. “I worked more on the mental game and then the consistency. I had to figure out how come I’d ride good one year and not the rest.” He worked on his process and getting into his zone to perform at the elite level he needed to be. “Then I figured out how to repeat my successes.”
    Besides his teaching certificate, the best thing that happened for Josh in college was meeting and marrying Erika Chartrand. Traveling south from Canada, Erika was college rodeoing for Panhandle State . She remembers her father warning her not to fall in love with an American cowboy. “I liked her, but I was focused on bull riding – I was hardheaded for the first six months. I wasn’t supposed to have a girlfriend.” It was meant to be, though, and the more time he spent with her, the more he felt she was the one. “She was the first one I met that I had those feeling for.” Within the first year, he had taken her home to meet the family. See Erika’s story on RMPRA page 90. They married on October 2, 2021, and went to Hawaii for their honeymoon.
    Then they set about accomplishing their goals. Hers was to make the NFR in the breakaway and win the coveted Resistol Rookie of the Year. His was to make the PBR and NFR finals. “She’s gone more than me – it’s been fun – we’ve been balancing it up pretty good.” They are able to do that because of the team they have behind them. His parents are holding down the ranch while they chase their dreams. “I come home from rodeoing and dad still kicks my butt working around the ranch,” said Josh. “Dad’s primary focus is ranching. Joe and I run a lot of cattle within the same herd.” When the cattle move off to summer pasture, Josh moves on down the rodeo road.
    “We support them in everything they want to do and have fun,” explained Lisa. “Their dad spends hours out there helping them.” They also enjoy watching the babies being born, looking to see if they will be the next great bucking bull. “It’s been a great lifestyle and it’s helped the kids in everything they do.” All four are huge goal makers. “When I met Shane, he had his goals written every year; we had the kids do that every year.” Lisa gets up every day and writes down what she’s grateful for; many times, that list includes the ranch and the life they live. Located between Vernal and Roosevelt, Utah, the cattle operation works around Mother Nature, having received 200% of normal snowfall of a foot a year by April. The family lives in the same house that Shane grew up in. “I didn’t come from a rodeo family, I married into it. That and ranching,” she said. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything. How can you not support your kids’ dreams and goals? I’m going to support it with anything I have and teach them how to do it to be the best they can at it – it’s been a blessing.” It just happened that all her kids had a passion for rodeo. The ranch is located 30 minutes from Vernal, and 27 minutes from Roosevelt. “You go by our house to go to Pelican Lake. We go there once a year for Easter and that’s our tradition.” They simply don’t have time to go more often. “When the boys were rodeoing during high school, Shane or I had to stay home. It was better for Shane to put them on bulls than me, and I stayed home and calved.”
    The other passion her boys shared was wrestling. They were in the wrestling room from November until March, then back to the arena. “Wrestling is one of the toughest sports,” Josh explains. “It’s about how hard you work out and making weight; you have to do all that before you step on the mat. It teaches you work ethic, and how to love the process.”
    Under the guidance of Shane, Josh has become the only man to make both PBR Finals and the NFR the same year, and he’s on track to do that again this year. “It’s hard,” he admits. “The PRCA is still number one to win the gold buckle.” It was exciting – that was one of my goals and it’s always exciting to get a goal done … it came with a $50,000 bonus – that’s always nice. He just won the Velocity Tour and is headed to the PBR finals. While his focus is on riding bulls, Josh has also won the prestigious Linderman Award three years in a row. His brother, Joe, won the award in 2014. The award recognizes the man who wins at least $1,000 in three events, and those events must include at least one rough stock and one timed event. “It’s cool – it’s a very cowboy award and I take a lot of pride in it.”
    For Shane, entering multiple events meant more chances to win. “You couldn’t win if you didn’t enter. I rode bareback, bulls, steer wrestled and roped calves We didn’t team rope a lot, but when the kids started, we rode calves, and roped; we did the events I knew how to coach them in. We pretty much roped every day, and we’d buck calves and steers in the arena in our front yard,” explains Shane. “We’d move sprinklers, then we’d swing by and push the snow out of the arena to dry out quicker.” Shane said that even in February there is decent weather to get out and practice. He is quick to clarify that the ranch is not raising bucking bulls. “I was raising bull riders, so I raised rider-friendly bulls to teach my kids how to ride.” Because of Shane’s background in multiple events, he taught his kids how to rope as well. “At one time there were a lot of guys that did multiple events, but now there aren’t and there’s very few that can do both ends of the arena.”
    When the youngest went off to college, Lisa and Shane filled their time on the ranch and followed them all on their journeys. “We barely turned the cows out, and I flew down to Texas (Frank Phillips college in Border, Texas) to drive Jacelyn home with her three horses.” With 13 years between the oldest and youngest, Lisa and Shane have spent 30 years raising their children. There are six years between Josh and Jate, Joe is 31, Josh 27, Jate, 22, and Jacelyn is 18. “I’ve been a mom for a long time, and when the last one went to college it makes you feel like ‘what do you do now?’. It’s been great. Joe has 2 kids and Jate has one, so we are grandparents now. Mainly we just do the same thing – helping the kids and watching rodeos. When they are gone, we work at the ranch. We are truly blessed that we get to do what we love to do. We do all our favorite things – working with cattle, ranching, rodeoing and being a family.” They have been able to raise bulls that they trust their sons to learn on. “Shane is the bull fighter, so we don’t want anyone getting hurt.”
    “If you want something, it takes hard work,” said Lisa. “The biggest challenge they had was they couldn’t rope until they moved sprinklers or hauled hay; they wanted to practice so they worked hard to make time to practice.” All the kids learned by watching the example set before them in their parents.
    “They are hardworking driven boys,” said Shane Frost of his sons. “I get up at five and come in at nine. They’ve been following me their whole life.” For Josh, his rodeo goals include a PRCA gold buckle and a PBR gold buckle. Then he plans to slow down a bit and quality for the calf roping and bull riding I the same year. The only one to accomplish that is Phil Lyne – and he won the average in both events (1972 NFR). He admits he is living his dream right now.
    “I have my Ag Ed degree; I taught for three months, and I really enjoyed that. I see myself doing that – but I want to be my dad when I grow up – here at the ranch with my wife and kids.”

  • Team Cavender’s Benny Proffitt

    Team Cavender’s Benny Proffitt

    “Ever since I was a kid I’ve ridden horses and worked on a ranch, and I wanted to do the sport of rodeo because it involves horses and cowboying,” says Benny Proffitt. “I got into rodeoing when I was a little kid and I just loved it, and I’ve stayed after it and made it something I love to do. I always have goals and dreams and try to pursue them.”
    The 18-year-old from Canadian, Texas is an all around cowboy, from bursting out of the chutes in the saddle bronc riding to racing the clock in the tie-down roping, team roping, and steer wrestling. “The bronc riding is definitely my favorite—it gives me the biggest adrenaline rush and is kind of the wildest event I do, but I really like them all. Anything with a horse I enjoy.”
    Benny’s rodeo resumé grows with each season, from winning national all-around cowboy at the NJHFR in 2019, to qualifying for the Texas High School Rodeo Finals four times with several titles, winning the 2021 Junior NFR in saddle bronc, and winning reserve in the saddle bronc at the 2022 Junior Patriot. “I just really enjoy it—it’s the sport I love the most. I try to accomplish my goals and do the best I can, and have fun while I’m doing it.” He’s qualified for the NHSFR twice in saddle bronc riding, and winning the national title remains his chief goal as he finishes his high school rodeo career. “It’s always good competition when you’re competing against the whole nation and some more. The older you get, everybody just keeps getting better and better, so it’s always tough no matter what age you are in the sport of rodeo.
    “I look up to my parents (Jarrett and Shyla Proffitt) a lot. I couldn’t do anything without them,” Benny adds. “And there have been tons of people who have helped me along the way, so many I couldn’t name them all, but I wouldn’t be where I am today without them. Everybody is always willing to help you.” Benny’s parents and 13-year-old brother, Rankin, come to all of Benny’s rodeos that they can, while Rankin competes in ranch rodeos.
    One supporter of Benny’s high school rodeo career in particular is Cavender’s, who invited Benny to join their youth rodeo team his freshman year. “It’s been really good to be on that team. They take all these young rodeo athletes and promote them and sponsor them, and teach them how to work with a team. They come to rodeos and support us, and every year they have a team summit in Tyler, Texas where we all meet up. They’ve taught us how to prepare ourselves for the next steps of our lives as we pursue the rodeo world.”
    When he’s not on the road, Benny divides his time between working on his family’s cattle ranch, practicing his events, and training horses. “I ride a bunch of outside horses and start colts, but mainly I ride our family horses. I start them as colts and then ranch on them for a while, then take them to the arena and rope on them. Anything you do with a horse can help you with your events in rodeo. Just being around horses and trying to be a horseman all my life has helped me.”
    Benny rides a variety of horses in his roping events, but depends on his mare Sandy for steer wrestling. “A few other guys borrow her and steer wrestle on her too. As soon as I started bulldogging I started riding her. We’ve always had her and she has a motor. She took to it and loves it.”
    A recent graduate of Canadian High School, Benny is attending Clarendon College on a rodeo scholarship this fall. He plans to get a two-year certification in welding while competing on the rodeo team. “I’ll do all of my events, and I might pick up another event or two. I’ve always done it all,” says Benny. “I’m working on going to state finals and doing the best I can, and hopefully going to the National High School Finals and doing the best I can there. And I’ll rodeo all summer and do amateur rodeos. After a few years in college hopefully I’ll be ready to move on to the pros and get after them.”

  • MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR LEGENDARY COWBOY LARRY MAHAN ANNOUNCED FOR MAY 16

    MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR LEGENDARY COWBOY LARRY MAHAN ANNOUNCED FOR MAY 16

    ProRodeo Hall of Famer Larry Mahan, arguably the biggest superstar in rodeo history, passed away on May 7. He was 79.

    His service will be broadcast live on the Cowboy Channel, hosted by Justin McKee. The service will be held Tuesday, Tuesday, May 16 at 6:00 p.m. (doors open at 5 p.m.) at Cowtown Coliseum in the Fort Worth Stockyards. Open seating will be available to the public. Friends, family, World Champion rodeo contestants, PBR World Finals qualifiers and NFR qualifiers are asked to meet at The Barn Meeting Hall at The Drover Hotel at 5 p.m. and will be escorted to floor seating.

     

    Mahan was the all-around world champion in 1966-70 and 1973. He also was the bull riding champ in 1965 and 1967. He qualified for the NFR a combined 26 times from 1964-75 in bareback riding, saddle bronc riding and bull riding. He was inducted in the inaugural class of the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, Colo., in 1979.

    The loss of Mahan weighed heavy on fellow ProRodeo Hall of Famer, Ty Murray, a nine-time world champion.

    “I think he meant a lot to the sport of rodeo, and he meant a lot to me,” Murray said. “He was my hero. He was my superman when I was a little boy. I did a paper when I was in fifth grade, they said if you could wish anything for the world what would it be. I misunderstood the question. I thought it meant if there is anything you could do in the world, what would it be? I said I wanted to break Larry Mahan’s records. I still have that assignment today with me.”

    Murray acknowledged Mahan was far more than his idol.

    “He took me under his wing when I was 13,” Murray said. “I went and lived with him that summer and he didn’t really teach me anything about riding. He never really even mentioned anything about riding but taught me a lot about not being shy when people want to interview you and to try and give thoughtful answers and tell them what it is like because most people can’t fathom what it is like to ride a bull or a bucking horse. He taught me the importance of all that stuff, which was really a big help for me in my career because growing up, if it didn’t have to do with being a cowboy, I didn’t care about it.

    “I think he was a pioneer in that realm of sponsorship and doing things that no cowboys had ever done. I think he did some commercials for athletic wear, and beer commercials and all kinds of stuff. He kind of paved his own way. He didn’t just follow suit like so many people do in all different walks of life. Everybody is monkey-see, monkey-do and I feel like he was a guy who knew what he wanted to do, and he knew what he wanted to try and get done. He had a love for it, and he had a passion for it, and he went and did it.”

    Murray said he spent two hours with Mahan on Friday morning May 5, at his home in Valley View, Texas.

    “He couldn’t really move, and I just sat with him, and just spent some time with him,” Murray said. “I would hold on to his hand and he would squeeze my hand. He knew I was there. It’s a tough deal because he has been a really important part of my life. He was my hero. He set records that I wanted to make as benchmarks for myself to try and see what I could accomplish. He took me under his wing. He showed me the world is a lot bigger than just the rodeo arena.”

    Bobby Steiner, the 1973 PRCA Bull Riding World Champion, also spent time with Mahan on Friday.

    “I flew up to his place and got to see him and Sid (Steiner) and Rocker (Steiner) got to see him (Thursday),” Bobby said. “I have been a close friend to Larry, and he is my hero. We rodeoed at the same time. He is eight years older than me, but he was in his heyday when I was doing my thing. He is the biggest thing that ever hit rodeo – ever. Not only was he great but he also was the kind of guy who was on the Tonight Show and all kinds of stuff. He was known by the world and he’s the biggest rodeo cowboy that has ever been.”

    Murray believes what made Mahan so special is his passion.

    “I think it was love,” Murray said. “When you have a passion for something and love it so much then that generally makes it easier to get good at it, because it is something that you love and crave, and you think about it all the time without trying to. I know that was him. The challenge of riding bucking animals is something he loved. He was built right for it. He was a competitor. You have to be lucky as well to be able to be like a Michael Jordan of the sport. If Michael Jordan was born 5-foot-2, things would have been really different.

    “I think he (Larry) had the right body type. I think he had the right mind for it. I think he had a powerful mind and I think it takes a powerful mind to be able to compartmentalize things and be able to stay in a space where you’re focused and fluid in a car crash-type, scary environment. That takes a person with a pretty good command over their thoughts and emotions.”

    Steiner offered this assessment of what made Mahan unique.

    “Seriously, he was different,” Steiner said. “He had a spark in his eye, and he had the greatest smile. Everybody around rodeo knew he was the big thing. He carried himself different. You have heard about the ‘It Factor,’ and he had the ‘It Factor.’ When he pulled up, the secretaries loved him, the stock contractors loved him, the judges loved him, the people loading the stock loved him. It didn’t make any difference because he had the gleam in his eye because he was Larry Mahan.”

    Steiner went on to say, “In my lifetime, I have seen things happen in different deals. There will never be another Elvis Presley. I’m not saying Mahan was on that level as far as worldwide, but he was that in rodeo. He was the Elvis that has never been resurrected. He flew in his own airplane. He spoke to everybody. The aura that was with him when he first cracked out was huge. I had never seen anything like it. He was good to me, and he was good to everybody. He was just a winner. He was very classy. He looked great on everything he got on. He had a distinct style.”

    In the world of rodeo, there will likely never be another Larry Mahan according to Murray.

    “I don’t think so,” Murray said. “He was a special individual, he sure was to me. I was thinking about it this morning, him and I have been friends for 41 years. He was good to me from the time I was 13. I think he helped rodeo. The reason I went on Dancing With the Stars was because of Mahan. That all came from him. He’s the one that taught me not to be shy about that stuff and that’s how you reach a bigger audience. I know that the influence Larry had on me made it to where I was able to earn more outside the arena than I was in the arena, through sponsorships and different partnerships with big companies. I feel like if I had not known Larry and the influence that he had on me, that could have been very different.”

    Steiner echoed Murray’s sentiments.

    “I remember Larry had white boots and so I got white boots,” Steiner said. “In 1971, he came to me, and he knew I was a little out there as well, and he said, ‘Hey let’s grow our hair.’ He got noticed way more than me because he was on a huge stage. He just felt that needed to be done. Seriously, two years after that everybody did the hair thing. He wasn’t scared to step outside the box and let other people in. I was forever grateful that he asked me as a kid to grow my hair long with him. He wore fur coats. He was the Hollywood cowboy, but everybody loved him. He was the biggest thing that ever hit the sport – ever.”

    Legendary ProRodeo Hall of Fame announcer Bob Tallman also paid tribute to his longtime friend Mahan.

    “Larry and I have known each other for 52 years,” Tallman said. “He was Elvis before Elvis knew who he was. He surrounded himself with some of the most brilliant people as attorneys and writers and film people and music people and rodeo people. When he and Bobby Steiner first started letting their hair grow I remember it very well. They used to make him ride in the slack because of his long hair, Bobby Steiner as well. He knew he could beat them in the slack as well as he could in the performance. He was unique. He was retro before the term was ever used in the boot business, hat business, clothing business, and rodeo business. He was the truest all-around cowboy that we have ever had. He says, and if he could communicate today he would tell you the same thing, he thinks the greatest cowboy who ever lived is Phil Lyne. When he and Phil made the movie The Great American Cowboy (in 1973) he and Phil Lyne were the competitive parts of it and he always said, ‘I can’t warm Phil Lyne up. He can rope calves, he can trip steers, he can team rope, he can ride bulls, and broncs and bareback horses.

    “Larry had an aura about him and a following. People moved to him like a magnet. He never lost his thrill of what he was doing, but he also could go and compete. He was a little bit of Jim Shoulders, he was a little bit of Casey Tibbs and he was all Larry Mahan. He just had so much raw talent.”

     

    FORT WORTH, TEXAS (May 10, 2023) — A Memorial Service in Fort Worth, Texas will be held for Larry Mahan, a truly legendary cowboy who passed from our world to heaven on Sunday, May 7 at his home in Valley View, Texas with family by his side. He was 79.

    The Service, hosted by Justin McKee, will be held Tuesday, May 16 at 6:00 p.m. (doors open at 5 p.m.) at Cowtown Coliseum in the Fort Worth Stockyards. Open seating will be available to the public. Friends, family, World Champion rodeo contestants, PBR World Finals qualifiers and NFR qualifiers are asked to meet at The Barn Meeting Hall at The Drover Hotel at 5 p.m. and will be escorted to floor seating.

    Though he was referred to as “the first rock star of rodeo” with vast accomplishments in the arena as a saddle bronc rider, bareback rider and bull rider during a career that brought six All-Around World Championships (five in a row from 1966-70) and two bull riding World Championships in the PRCA, Mahan was the rare embodiment of a modern authentic American cowboy. More than a rodeo competitor, he was a powerful ambassador for the Western lifestyle.

    Mahan would be inducted into ProRodeo Hall of Fame’s inaugural class in 1979. Later, he became a member of PBR’s Ring of Honor and was recognized with the Ty Murray Top Hand Award for his significant and lasting contributions to enhance the sport of rodeo and its heritage. He has been inducted into every Western hall of fame of significance.

    Even with all his successes in and out of the arena, Larry Mahan was as generous of spirit, giving of his time, and humble as a cowboy could be. The Memorial Service will remember and celebrate a man who inspired and touched countless people and will continue to do so even as he is no longer with us.

    PBR would like to thank the American Paint Horse Association for working to rearrange their scheduled Cowgirl Gathering events to make Cowtown Coliseum available for this Memorial Service.

    There will be a reception following the memorial service for friends, family, World Champion rodeo contestants, PBR World Finals qualifiers and NFR qualifiers courtesy of The Cowboy Channel at Tannehill’s Tavern in the Stockyards featuring a special performance by Annie Bosko.

    In lieu of flowers, a foundation will be set up in Larry Mahan’s name. Details on the foundation, and how to donate, will be released at a later date.

    The memorial service will be broadcast live on The Cowboy Channel and re-aired throughout the week following.

  • 111th Silver State Stampede Rodeo

    111th Silver State Stampede Rodeo

    The Silver State Stampede is western entertainment at its best with a rich history of attendance by professional cowboys and cowgirls.  With over $80,000 in added money and growing steadily each year, this is a rodeo you don’t want to miss! Offering PRCA sanctioned events, WPRA Women’s Barrel Racing, Mutton Busting, Mini-Bulls, a trade show, the crowd favorite Ring of Fear, and more!

    The Silver State Stampede is the oldest rodeo in Nevada, tied for the 12th Oldest Rodeo in the Nation, and voted “Best Small Rodeo” in the Wilderness Circuit multiple times!  The tradition of Elko’s annual rodeo started in 1912 when GS Garcia, the world-famous bit, spur, and saddle maker, decided that northern Nevada cowboys needed a rodeo, and the town needed the added entertainment and income.  Today’s Stampede has grown into a multi-faceted event, showcasing the best of rodeo.  To learn more about the history of the Silver State Stampede, you can purchase our book, 100 years of the Silver State Stampede, at the Cowboy Arts and Gear Museum in Elko, NV.  https://cowboyartsandgearmuseum.org/

    In addition to the $10,000 added money, per event, Cowboys and Cowgirls have a shot at winning the famous and exclusive Garcia Spurs and a Henry .22 rifle for the Nevada High Point Cowboy and Cowgirl.

    The Silver State Stampede Trade Show features cowboy gear, western art, furniture, books, quilts, clothing, jewelry, and more! Several unique Silver State Stampede souvenirs are also available, including t-shirts, caps, and commemorative posters.

     

    Once the trade show closes and the arena events end, the after-party kicks off with a live band, dancing, and fully stocked bar.

    In 2020, The Silver State Stampede began a new tradition when it had the opportunity to broadcast on national television with The Cowboy Channel and Cowboy Channel +App. We are excited to continue this partnership for years to come. The Cowboy Channel provides viewers all over the world the opportunity to watch over 350 PRCA rodeo performances, The Wrangler NFR, and many Cowboy Channel originals.

    A vibrant community with a great variety of cuisines, a large selection of meeting, conference and lodging options, year-round events, museums, galleries, and historic attractions.  Elko is proud of its unique small city and all the recreational and entertainment opportunities it offers.  Whether you’re looking for outdoor adventure, fine dining, sight-seeing, or culture, Elko is a great place to find it all.  Visit https://exploreelko.com/ for more information about Elko, Nevada.

    For details on this year’s event, including ticket sales, schedule of activities, and sponsorship, visit www.silverstatestampede.com.

  • A Higher Standard – Recruitment Advice

    A Higher Standard – Recruitment Advice

    I get asked every year for advice on the recruitment process.  Here is some of the advice I share every year with students:

    Finish your senior year strong, keep your grades up. The NIRA has very strict rules when it comes to grades and if you are taking dual credit classes in high school those will count as college classes.  This means that if your dual credit GPA doesn’t meet the NIRA standards you will start off ineligible. Your grades matter, take care of them through your entire high school career. Another huge step is making sure you qualify academically. It’s important to know what qualifications your specific school requires so you know if you’re even eligible to apply. If your academics aren’t up to par, you can’t qualify for a scholarship, which is another important reason to do your research early.

    Create a highlight video and resume.  Show all of the best moments you have had over the past few seasons.  However, keep your video short and to the point.  Coaches are busy and we want to see your highlights, but we don’t have time to watch a 30-minute video on every student.  Also pick appropriate music for your video.  I’ve had videos that I couldn’t watch with the volume on in my office because of the language.  Your video is a great opportunity to make a first impression, Take advantage of it.

    Communicate with coaches.  Learn how to contact and communicate with coaches throughout the recruitment process. YOU should communicate directly with the coach. Reach out to coaches early in the process to get on their radar.  Recruiting is very competitive so start planning early and reach out to programs that you are interested in.  Once you have committed to a school, let the other coaches know, trust me, coaches appreciate it when you tell us that you have committed.

    It’s important to know yourself and your strengths and weaknesses and where you will be the most successful.   This is true for the classroom and in the arena.  Not everyone will do well at a University with 20,000 students and not everyone will do well at a community college with 1500 students.  Pick a school where you can be successful in the classroom and in the arena. You have to be honest with yourself and pick programs that suit your talents and abilities. If you’re having trouble assessing your abilities, ask someone that you trust and will be honest with you. You don’t want to waste your time contacting schools that aren’t for you.

    Make sure your social media content is professional and appropriate. It may come as a shock, but a lot of coaches will look to social media to see who you are and what you’re about. You want to make the right impression. Make sure things like pictures, voicemail, email, and Twitter handles are appropriate, because at the end of the day, they represent you and your future program.

    Never be afraid to ask for help. College recruiting can be a very confusing and tedious process. Use your resources, whether that’s your parents, coaches, guidance counselors or students who have already been through the process. Always ask for help if you don’t know, because there’s no such thing as a dumb question. You don’t want to miss out on an opportunity because you were unsure about something or you were afraid to ask for help.

  • Meet the Team – Dale Hirschman

    Meet the Team – Dale Hirschman

    Dale Hirschman picked up his camera “a little bit less than forever ago. I started in 1972,” he said. “I was entered and got my mom’s camera and took my first rodeo photos – I was bored.” Dale got serious in 1998. “A couple of the guys I rodeoed with asked me to take photos of their kids at the JRCA, the Junior Rodeo Cowboys Association, a new association they had started.” He’s been shooting rodeo since Sage Kimzey was mutton bustin’ “His dad competed with me,” said Dale. “Sage has stayed himself through his success – nice and humble and that’s been amazing to watch.”

    Dale is the official photographer for the Central Plains region. “I’m the chaplain and the president of the geriatric crowd – we really don’t have a geriatric club because we forget when we’re meeting.” He has outlasted all the coaches and just keeps going. “I don’t stop.” Dale is a retired high school art teacher in Clinton Oklahoma. As a male teacher, especially of the elected classes, he got all the students that were looking for an easy “A”. “I taught two things – respect and responsibility. My subject matter was art. I taught the way I wanted to be treated. The students were ladies and gentlemen – they were never boys and girls.” With a Bachelor of Art in Education and master’s in education, he really learned how to teach by watching his teachers teach. “I learned that students will rise to the expectations given them. It might take a while, and they have to figure out that you are actually for them. As the chaplain, I am not to condemn. If they want my opinion, I’ll tell them. Otherwise, I don’t bring it up and I keep loving them. We are all at different growing spots in our lives. In some areas I might have convictions in, you don’t. We make choices as we grow and that’s something that we need to give people space in.”

    Dale got his PRCA photography card 8 years ago. “For a long time, I had a contestant’s card, not a photographer card.” He tried his hand at several of the events, settling on bareback riding. “With bronc riding you need finesse, with bull riding, you took you yanking; barebacks were a little of both.” He got kicked in the side of the leg by a bull and hurt a knee bulldogging. Picking up the camera was the next step. He started with a Pentax K1000, 35 mm. Now he shoots Nikon D500.

    The camera is the tool to reach people for Christ. “I grew up in church – I got involved in fellowship of Christian athletes on the college level and committed my life to Him back in the late 70s. I went to Cowboy Church and had been a committed Christian for three years, and the guy that was leading it went home early and I stepped in to keep it going and it’s been going ever since. God told me in that still small voice – don’t promote yourself, I’ll do it. By the grace of God, I’ve been able to. When my attitude and thought life stink, God waits. Like the time my leg was stuck between two pipes on the bucking chute and the horse froze – it could have wiped my leg out – first thing I thought is how merciful God was. 180 degree change in that horse.”

    Dale is married to Sarah who is in charge of marketing fo Western Technology Center, with five school campuses. “My wife is made for the job she’s doing – that’s her calling.” They have two daughters and two grandchildren.
    He’s going to keep doing what God calls him to do. “I don’t want to grow up.” As a chaplain, he doesn’t want to just do church. “I want to see lives change through the Holy Spirit to the love of Jesus Christ. I want to see those kids grow deeper in that relationship, and if there’s something I can see or do to help them succeed, I want to do that. If that’s not happening, I just need to go home.”

  • Team Cavender’s Merrin Frost

    Team Cavender’s Merrin Frost

    Merrin Frost lives ten miles south of Lawrence, Kansas, in Baldwin City. She has always had horses, chickens, dogs, and all the animals that come with living in the country. Both of her parents, Richard and Kasey, work in pharmaceutical sales. “Mom takes me and my sister (Kyan) everywhere since she works from home,” said the graduating senior from Baldwin High School. “There are close to 100 graduating with me.” Out of that graduating class, she is the only one that competes in rodeo. Her older sister, Macey, 22, plays college basketball and her younger brother, Kreyton, 14, is a linebacker on the football team.
    Merrin competes in barrel racing and pole bending, part of the Missouri State High School Rodeo Association. “I did it my whole life, my mom and grandmother and aunt, so it’s a tradition for us.” She has been part of the Cavender’s team for four years now. “I met them at Nationals my freshman year, in 2020. I’ve been able to go to the Summit every year, and we meet new people every year. It’s fun to learn about the family and do the photo shoots. We meet rodeo kids from all over.” She appreciates the time Cavender’s has spent to make each member of the team feel important. “As a sponsor patch, it’s good to know the family behind the business.”
    Her focus is on barrel racing and she’s riding an awesome horse named Cash. “He’s made me a bunch of cash. I’ve been running him since 7th grade. I ran him my first time at Nationals, and he made the short go. We’ve stuck with each other since then. He’s my best friend – he’s awesome.” He’s 15 now, and her back up horse is Superman.
    When she graduates, she’s going to Northeastern Junior College. She’s thinking about pursuing athletic training and may end up as a physical therapist. “I’ve always wanted to be a physical therapist – I’ve had to go for different things in sports and I think it’s cool to see how to fix the body in different ways. You can accomplish anything you put your mind to – dream big.”

  • 1 SEED LEADERBOARD ATHLETES ANNOUNCED FOR DIRECT BERTH  TO THE FINAL ROUNDS OF 2023 WOMEN’S RODEO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IN FORT WORTH, TEXAS

    1 SEED LEADERBOARD ATHLETES ANNOUNCED FOR DIRECT BERTH  TO THE FINAL ROUNDS OF 2023 WOMEN’S RODEO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IN FORT WORTH, TEXAS

    PBR Team Series’ Texas Rattlers Set to Award Cash Bonus to Texas Female Athletes

     

    AUSTIN, Texas – Ahead of the 2023 Women’s Rodeo World Championship (WRWC), the event the list of athletes advancing directly to the Showdown Round and Triple Crown of Rodeo Round on May 20, was today announced. The seven athletes earned the direct berth courtesy of their No. 1 standing on the W23 leaderboard.

     

    The WRWC is the largest event purse in the history of women’s rodeo and will pay out $750,000 in 2023 while crowning World Champions in both the Pro and Challenger classifications in the following disciplines: Team Roping (Heading and Heeling), Breakaway Roping, and Barrel Racing.

     

    Qualifying rounds of competition will be held May 18-19. The Top 12 in each roping event (Team Roping and Breakaway Roping) will advance to the May 18 Showdown Round to meet the leaderboard No. 1. The Top 3 from the Showdown Round will progress to the Triple Crown of Rodeo Round to duke it out for the $60,000 prize.

     

    Barrel racers will be exempt from the Showdown Round, with 12 athletes advancing directly to the Triple Crown of Rodeo Round. Detailed advancement can be found here.

     

    Those athletes that earned an automatic berth to the Showdown Round and Triple Crown of Rodeo Round are:

     

    Team Roping Pro: Bev Robbins (Header | Tuscumbia, Alabama) and Jessy Remsburg (Heeler | Muscle Shoals, Alabama)

    Team Roping Challenger: Sydney Ball (Header | Max Meadows, Virginia) and Sally Ball (Heeler | Max Meadows, Virginia)

    Barrel Racing Challenger:Annika Ruth (Rolla, Missouri)

    Breakaway Roping Pro: Martha Angelone (Cross Junction, Virginia)

    Breakaway Roping Challenger: Rylie Romero (Welsh, Louisiana)

     

    *Note: The No. 1 seeded Barrel Racing Pro athlete declined to enter the 2023 Women’s Rodeo World Championship.

    These athletes secured their berths by achieving the No. 1 position on the 2023 Women’s Rodeo World Championship Leaderboard, including nominated competition efforts at events from April 2022 to April 2023.

     

    Of these No. 1-seeded athletes, Angelone is the lone contender to have previously been crowned a Women’s Rodeo World Champion.

     

    The WRWC also announced that they have joined forces with the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Team Series’ Texas Rattlers, who are based in Fort Worth, to honor Texas resident cowgirls competing at the 2023 event. A cash bonus will be presented to the Texas resident cowgirl who earns the most amount of points in one discipline at this year’s event.

     

    All female athletes entered will be eligible to win the Honorary Texas Rattlers Cowgirl Cash Bonus Award and will be given the option to wear a Team Texas patch during the WRWC competition.

     

    The 2023 Women’s Rodeo World Championship will be broadcast daily on PBR’s RidePass on Pluto TV and Cowgirl Channel.

     

    Tickets for the 2023 Women’s Rodeo World Championship are on sale now and start at $20. They can be purchased at the Cowtown Coliseum Box Office or online at cowtowncoliseum.com.

     

    The 2023 event is part of the inaugural Women’s Rodeo World Championship Week, the richest women’s-only week of competition in Western sports, held during the 2023 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast. The week-long schedule of events is slated to pay out $1.145 million in prize money, affording more than 800 women’s competitors the chance to compete for life-changing payouts. The Women’s Rodeo World Championship Week will feature three marquee events, including the 2023 Women’s Rodeo World Championship, an NBHA (National Barrel Horse) one-day event, and The Cowgirl Gathering.

     

    Since launching in May 2020, the WRWC has awarded more than $2.25 million in new money to women’s rodeo athletes. For more information about the WRWC, visit wrwc.rodeo.

     

    -WRWC-

    ABOUT WRWC

    The Women’s Rodeo World Championship (WRWC) is the largest annual purse for a women’s rodeo event and will payout more than $750,000 in 2023 while crowning World Champions in the Women’s Rodeo disciplines; Team Roping, Breakaway Roping, and Barrel Racing. An all-around champion will also be crowned. WRWC is a culmination of a year-long race of women’s rodeo events worldwide. Athletes qualify for the WRWC by earning points and leaderboard positions using the VRQ (Virtual Rodeo Qualifier). The 2023 championship event will occur at the historic Cowtown Coliseum May 18-20.