Amberley Snyder is living proof of Positive Times, the tagline of American Hat. “To me it’s the lifestyle –the people who are constantly looking to improve themselves and the world around them. That’s the group that makes up American Hat. I want to grow with them, and I’m thrilled to be a part of it.” Like Amberley, American Hat has overcome obstacles, including losing Keith Maddox, who coined the phrase, positive times. “That’s what I try to live regardless of what life throws at me .”
Life threw Amberley a curve ball on January 10, 2010. She was on her way to the National Western Stock Show and had just gotten fuel. She forgot to fasten her seatbelt and while she looked down to check her map, she drifted into the other lane and overcorrected. The vehicle slid off the road in the ice, and Amberley was ejected and slammed into a fence post. Paralyzed from the waist down, Amberley slowly rebuilt her life, which includes motivational speaking engagements across the country, a Netflix movie – Walk, Ride, Rodeo, based on her life, and the return to competitive barrel racing. Her mother recalls seeing her WPRA application in the trailer after her accident, and today, Amberley is chasing another spot in the Wilderness Circuit Finals. Thanks to grit, determination, and the help of many, she can cruise through the cloverleaf pattern without the use of her legs.
“I’m racing with the best of the best and I have issues with my balance – but I’ve learned to do the best I can with what I’ve got,” she said. “I have to forget my legs when I get on – I can’t be in control of them – I try to tell them to sit still and not get in the way.” She uses the same straps she started with 12 years ago. She is getting a new saddle, having worn out the one she got in 2004. “I’m not changing a thing about the saddle,” she said. Many things have seen an upgrade, including a Hart trailer with living quarters made to accommodate her needs. “It’s made it so I can do more things I need to – I have time to stand, I’ve been doing CrossFit, and I even have to do lessons.” She travels with her best friend, Emmy. “I convinced her last year to quit her job and work for me this summer.”
She has made barrel racing her focus this year, limiting her speaking engagements to around 25. Amberley has three horses, her main mount is her gelding, Legacy, she has had for eight years. Power, who used to be her main mount, is retired and babysits her recipient mare, who just had a baby. Penny is her back up mare and she has an up-and-coming mare, Willow, six this year. Finding horses has been trial and error. “If they take advantage of my legs not working, then they go on down the road. I’ve not had any bad horses, but they have to work with me.” Along with relearning cues, her horses have to stand still while Amberley gets on, a process that takes several steps.
“My struggle has stayed the same, I have to have patience with change and realize the inability that I have in some things – it’s still a challenge. This summer I’m working to be able to keep up at the bigger rodeos that I’m running in – hopefully we are in a position to do that and make the run I’m capable of and what I’m trained to do.”
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American Hat Presents Amberley Snyder
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Texas cowgirl, Molli Montgomery
Molli Montgomery was miserable when, as a kid, she and her family visited Disney World.
That’s because she couldn’t stand to be away from her horses at home.
The Purdon, Texas cowgirl grew up loving horses and has made them her life’s work. As a kid, she’d spend all her spare time in the pasture with the horses or with the best babysitter she could have, a pony named Charlie.
“My mom would saddle him up and put me on him, and I would ride him for five hours a day,” she recalled. “I’ve always loved riding and the horses.”
Molli, her husband, brother and sister-in-law and other family members run Montgomery Barrel Horses and have anywhere from 80 to 90 horses at various stages of training. Some are customer horses, some are their personal horses.
They specialize in four-and five-year-old futurity barrel horses. Molli has trained and run winning horses like FeelintheFirewater, A Dash to Glamour, Strawflyin the Gold, Heavenly Firewater, and TR HeavensIlluminated.
She is a 5 Star Equine team member and loves their products, including the saddle pads, using mostly the 7/8 barrel racer with the gullet hole.
“I really like that one, because I feel it fits really well. It molds to a horse’s back,” she said. “We don’t have any problems with the saddle pad slipping or sore backs. It’s natural, all wool, and I feel it keeps my horses safe.”
She also uses the performance boots. They are made of “real stretchy” material, “which I feel gives your horse’s leg a lot of support, and they have double straps, to support the suspensories.” The boots fit nicely, to keep the dirt out. “Mine never have dirt in them, ever.”
Molli appreciates the customization that 5 Star Equine allows their customers to do, all online.
“I love going through the website and trying different colors,” she said. “I love how you can cus-tomize it yourself and see it before you buy it. You don’t have to wait, you can see your product right there.”
She believes in repetition when training her horses, “the consistency of that monotonous type of training, every day, riding,” she said.
Taking a horse to a futurity trainer is a huge advantage to the horse, and the owner, she believes.
“You’re always going to come home with a better horse than what you sent off, if you send to a good futurity trainer,” she said. “That horse will stand for the farrier, will be soft in the body and the face and well patterned. Whether they go on to be a standout futurity colt or not, they will have a solid foundation for their future.”
Molli compares futurity training to school, “pre-K, K and first grade for horses.”
Sending a colt off to futurity training is a way to discover the rare “unicorns,” she believes.
“If you can’t afford to spend $200,000 or $300,000 on a horse, which is what it takes to win on these days, and you’re wanting to create a great horse for yourself, put that horse in training.
“We have horses that can barely have a halter on, and within eighteen months, they’re running the barrels. Even if that horse doesn’t go on to be one of the greats, you can sell them for more than what they would have been worth. You pay for the horse, the training, and now you have a horse that you couldn’t have afforded to buy.”
Molli prides herself on horses with a solid foundation. “That translates to years of longevity in the performance of a horse.
“It takes a solid foundation for those horses to stand on, and win for years. That’s what I feel like is the secret to futurity trainers’ programs. We’re very dedicated to riding and laying a solid foundation for these colts.”
She’s proud to be one of many successful futurity trainers.
“I’m one of many talented futurity trainers, and there are lots of great trainers that do amazing jobs. People don’t realize what we do for the industry and for horses, to further their future.” -
BEST IN THE BUSINESS
Black Hills Roundup features top notch rodeo personnel
For the second year in recent history, the rodeo will include women’s ranch bronc riding, and Western Wishes will fulfill a child’s wish at the Roundup.
Ranch rodeo is the first event on the agenda for this year’s Roundup and takes place June 30 at 7 pm. It is followed by pro rodeo performances July 1-3 at 7 pm and on July 4 at 3 pm. Fireworks follow the rodeos on July 2-3.
Some of those men and women running the show, either in front of the spotlight or behind it, have excelled at their rodeo role for years.
Rodeo clown Trent McFarland returns for his second trip to the Roundup, with his own brand of comedy. The Alabama native loved the rodeo last year. “It’s an incredible show,” he said. His two young sons help him in the rodeo arena with his acts, and he enjoyed every part of the Roundup.
“They know what rodeo is there, and they do not disappoint,” he said. “They give their fans the entertainment value, in every bit they pay for a ticket.”
McFarland may be making his second trip to Belle Fourche, but for Hank and Lori Franzen, Powder River Rodeo Co., rodeo time is family time.
This will be the 34th year that the Franzens will bring their best bucking horses and bulls to the Roundup, and for them, Belle Fourche is a special place.
“It’s simply one of those places embedded in our lives,” Lori said, “a place we’ve gone to since we were young in our twenties. It’s a special place with special friends, and it holds lots and lots of special memories.”
Other contract personnel working the 103rd annual Roundup include announcers Steve Goedert and Andy Seiler (this is the first year for Seiler, a Florida native); rodeo clown Justin Rumford; specialty act horseman and rope artist Tomas Garcilazo; PRCA rodeo photographer Clay Guardipee; music director Nicky Kimm and video board by Frost View Productions.
July 1 is Family night, with four tickets for $48.
The Roundup will air live on the Cowboy Channel+ app and replayed a later date on the Cowboy Channel.
For more information, visit the website at BlackHillsRoundup.com or call the Black Hills Roundup Office at the Tri-State Museum and Visitor Center at 415 Fifth Avenue, Belle Fourche, S.D. (605.723.2010).
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Champions Crowned 2022 College National Finals Rodeo
CASPER, Wyo. (June 18, 2022) – When the final night of the 2022 College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) began Saturday at the Ford Wyoming Center in Casper, six reigning national champions had a chance to defend their titles and go home with back-to-back wins.
The bareback riding looked like a heavy weight match with reigning champion Cole Franks in the lead and 2017 winner Lane McGehee hot on his heels. But Ty Pope of Missouri Valley College who started the night in third place was not to be denied. Pope, who was among the top ten at last year’s CNFR, rode Vold Rodeo’s horse Capt. Hook for 85 points, the highest marked ride of the week. Pope’s teammate Franks, who won the title last year while attending Clarendon College but now rides for Missouri Valley, was last to compete and scored 81.5 on Vold’s Spicy Chicken. That left him one point short of Pope’s title, leaving him in the reserve spot.
Last year Panola College roper Kincade Henry watched teammate Macon Murphy win the national title in tie-down roping while Henry finished fifth. This year Henry came into the final night with the lead after three rounds and made a businesslike run of 9.0 seconds to capture the national championship. Henry, a sophomore ag business major, barely missed qualifying for the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association’s National Finals Rodeo (NFR) last year. He is currently eighth in the pro ranks and could add his name to list of those who won a collegiate championship and qualified for the NFR in the same year.
Although he didn’t win a national title, Cisco College’s Trevor Hale made his mark in Casper. His time of 7.1 seconds in the tie-down roping set a CNFR record. That run secured him a reserve championship title.
Bryana Lehrmann, a graduate student in accounting at Texas A & M – Commerce had a half-second lead in the breakaway roping coming into the final round. While a half of second doesn’t sound like much, that is an eternity in an event where the fastest time of the week was 1.7 seconds. Lehrmann needed a solid run to rope her first national championship and delivered a time of 2.6. That was fast enough to tie for second in the final round and win the championship. She also tallied enough points to win the women’s all-around title by also earning points in the barrel racing.
McNeese State University came into Championship Saturday holding the top two spots in saddle bronc riding. Senior Ryder Sanford led junior teammate Shea Fournier by two and a half points. Fournier, an ag business major, scored 81 points on Vold Rodeo’s horse Jerry’s Delight for 315 total points. Sanford, an engineering major, was next to compete but he bucked off Frontier Rodeo’s Tickled Pink leaving Fournier as national champion.
Walt Arnold, a senior criminal justice major at Tarleton State University, won the steer wrestling national championship in commanding fashion. Arnold not only came into the finals with the overall lead, but he wrestled his steer in 3.7 seconds to win the final round as well. This is his third CNFR qualification, his third time to advance to the Championship Finals, but his only time to win a national title.
Goat tying was full of surprises. Kristin Reeves, a sophomore business major at Weatherford College, was the second athlete to set a CNFR record on Saturday. She came into the finals ranked eighth and set the record with a 5.5 second run. Maddie Doerr of Cochise College was ranked sixth until she made a 5.9-second run in the finals to take the national lead. McNeese State’s Kamryn Duncan was fifth, a tenth of a second faster than Doerr, and tied her goat in 6.0 to give both women a total of 24.9. Four women were still to compete, and none could clock a time faster than 6.5. That meant Doerr and Duncan tied for the national title.
The attention in team roping was on two pairs of brothers who were ranked first and second overall when the final round began. Mason and Logan Moore of Pleasanton, Texas, led the pack. Mason, a senior animal science major at Sam Houston State University, and Logan, a sophomore wildlife biology major at Wharton County Junior College, had roped three steers in 18 seconds and led Kellan and Carson Johnson, the reigning national champions and local favorites from Casper College by half a second. The third-place team of Riley Kittle and Jace Helton were 4.6 seconds behind the Johnsons. But Kittle of Woodland, Alabama, who competes for Cisco College in Texas where he is a sophomore welding major, and Helton, a sophomore business major at Weatherford College, caught their final steer and won the championship after the Moores and the Johnsons both failed to stop the clock in the finals.
Sadie Wolaver, a senior accounting major at Southwestern Oklahoma State University, was the barrel racing leader, but drew the last competition position giving her the worst ground conditions of the finals. She still made one of the fastest runs of the week – tying for fourth in the round with a time of 14.14 to win the national title. Taycie Matthews of East Mississippi Community College had not turned the barrel racing pattern in less than 14.40 during the first three rounds but qualified for the final round ranked eighth. The sophomore business and marketing major was the only barrel racer of the week to break the 14-second mark, winning the final round with a time of 13.86 and finishing as reserve national champion.
Casey Roberts of Munford, Alabama, was the only bull rider to ride three of four bulls. Roberts, a sophomore welding major at Three Rivers College in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, took the lead when he rode Vold Rodeo’s bull Out Cold for 82.5 points. Reigning national champion Tristen Hutchings of Sul Ross University had the lead when the night began but couldn’t stay on Vold’s bull Night Trip.
The men’s all-around title went to Cole Walker of the University of Tennessee at Martin. Walker, a junior ag business major from Sparta, Tennessee, made the championship round in both tie-down and team roping. He finished fifth in both events.
Tarleton State University won the men’s team championship. Weatherford College earned the women’s team title by just 8.3 points over Southwestern Oklahoma State University. Reserve champion men’s team was McNeese State University which edged Missouri Valley College by 10 points.
2022 COLLEGE NATIONAL FINALS RODEO CHAMPIONS
Bareback – Ty Pope, Missouri Valley College, 318.5 points
Tie-Down Roping – Kincade henry, Panola College, 38.1 seconds.
Breakaway Roping – Bryana Lehrmann, Texas A & M University – Commerce, 9.2 seconds
Saddle Bronc Riding – Shae Fournier, McNeese State University, 315 points
Steer Wrestling – Walt Arnold, Tarleton State University, 16.9 seconds
Goat Tying – (tie) Kamryn Duncan, McNeese State University, 24.9 seconds
Maddee Doerr, Cochise College, 24.9 seconds
Team Roping – Riley Cittle, Cisco college and John Helton, Weatherford College, 34.4 seconds
Barrel Racing – Sadie Wolaver, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, 56.86
Bull Riding – Casey Roberts, Three Rivers College, 239.5 points
Men’s All-Around – Cole Walker, University of Tennessee – Martin, 270 points
Women’s All-Around – Bryana Lehrmann, Texas A & M University – Commerce, 310 points
Men’s Team – Tarleton State University, 900 points
Women’s Team – Weatherford College, 538.33
Men’s Rookie – Andy Guzman, Mesalands Community College, 215 points
Women’s Rookie – Kenlie Raby, Missouri Valley College, 80 points
Men’s AQHA Horse of the Year – Kincade Henry, Panola College, “Duals Crescent Boon”
Women’s AQHA Horse of the Year – Sadie Wolaver, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, “I’m a Sharp Frost”
CASPER, Wyo.—The following are final results from the College National Finals Rodeo, June 18, 2022, courtesy of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association. Complete results are available at www.collegerodeo.com.
Bareback riding: (final round) 1, Ty Pope, Missouri Valley College, 85 points. 2, (tie) Dean Thompson, Western Texas College; Cole Franks, Missouri Valley College; and Brice Patterson, University of Wyoming, 81.5. (total on four) 1, Pope, 318.5. 2, Franks, 317.5. 3, Lane McGehee, Sam Houston State University, 315.5. 4, Tyler Griffin, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, 312. 5, Thompson, 311.5. 6, Kolt Dement, Panola College, 300. 7, Patterson, 287.5. 8, Guage McBride, Panola College, 292.5.
Tie-Down Roping: (final round) 1, Trevor Hale, Cisco College, 7.1 seconds. 2, Kase Bacque, Sam Houston State University, 7.8. 3, Cole Walker, University of Tennessee – Martin, 8.0. 4, Scott Halverson, Iowa Center Community College, 8.4. (total on four) 1, Kincade henry, Panola College, 38.1 seconds. 2, Hale, 39.7. 3, Bacque, 41.1. 4, Halvertson, 43.4. 5, Walker, 44.1. 6, Marley Berger, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, 44.2. 7, Linkyn Petersek, Casper College, 45.4. 8, Myles Kenzy, Gillette College, 46.9.
Breakaway Roping: (final round) 1, Kaylee Cornia, Idaho State University, 2.3 seconds. 2, (tie) Bryanna Lehrmann, Texas A & M University – Commerce, and Gracely Speth, Cal Poly State University – San Luis Obispo, 2.6 each. 4, (tie) Briena Wells, Weatherford College, and Molly Salmond, Montna State University, 2/7. (total on four) 1, Lehrmann, 9.2. 2, Briena Wells, Weatherford College, 10.3. 3, Cornia, 10.9. 4, Molly Salmond, Montana State University, 11.1. 5, (tie) McKenna Brennan, Panhandle State University, 11.3. 6, Gracely Speth, Cal Poly State University – San Luis Obispo, 11.4. 7, Sarah Angelone, Tarleton State University, 19.7. 8, (on three) Alli Masters, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, 7.1.
Saddle Bronc Riding: (final round) 1, Cash Wilson, Tarleton State University, 82. 2, (tie) Quintin McWwhorter, Cal Poly State University – San Luis Obispo, and Shea Fornier, McNeese State University, 81.0. 4, Garrett Cunningham, Montana State University – Northern, 80. (total on four) 1, Fournier, 316. 2, Willson, 308.5. 3, McWhorter, 304. 4, Brody Wells, Tarleton State University, 299. 5, John Allen, Iowa Central Community College, 281. (on three) 6, Ryder Ssanford, McNeese State University, 236.5. 7, Garrett Cunningham, Montana State University – Northern, 230. 8, Reed Neely, California State University – Fresno, 223.5.
Steer Wrestling: (final round) 1, Walt Arnold, Tarleton State University, 3.7 seconds. 2, Ty Allred, Tarleton State University, 4.0. 3, (tie) Mason Couch, Southeastern Oklahoma State University; Gavin Soileau, McNeese State University; and Mike Nannini, Montana State University, 4.2. (total on four) 1, Arnold, 16.9. 2, Soileau, 18.7. 3, Tucker Alberts, Missouri Valley College, 19.0. 4, Allred, 22.4. 5, Nannin, Montana State University, 27.3, 6, Couch, 28.8. 7, Bryar Byrne, Feather Fiver College, 29.2. 8, Gus Franzen, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, 35.2.
Goat Tying: (final round) 1, Kristin Reeves, Weatherford, College, 5.5 seconds. 2, Maddee Doerr, Cochise College, 5.9. 3, Kamryn Duncan, McNeese State University, 6.0. 4, (tie)Aimee Davis, Cal Poly State University – San Luis Obispo; Kaytlyn Miller, Texas Tech University – Lubbock; and Sierra Spratt, Cal Poly State University – San Luis Obispo; 6.5 each. (total on four) 1, (tie)Doerr and Duncan, 24.9 seconds. 3, Reaves, 25.0. 4, (tie) Aimee Davis, Cal Poly State University – San Luis Obispo, and Spratt, 25.2. 6, Sheyenne Anderson, Missouri Valley College, 25.5. 7, Kodey Hoss, Weatherford College, 26.2. 8, Miller, 26.4.
Team Roping: (final round) 1, Brad Moreno, Central Arizona College and Jaken Todacheenie, Northland Pioneer College, 4.8 seconds. 2, Logan Graham, and Latham Dickson, Southern Arkansas University, 7.0. Dylan Orr and Wyatt Vankoll, Blue Mountain Community College, 10.3. 4, Cobie Dodds, Feather River College, and Cole Dodds, California State University – Fresno, 11.0. (total on four) 1, Riley Kittle, Cisco College and Jace Helton, Weatherford College, 11.3. 2, Orr and Vankoll, 39.0. 3, Dodds and Dodds, 39.2. 4, Clay Cherry and Logan Cullen, Central Arizona College, 39.3. 5, Will McCraw and Cole Walker, University of Tennessee – Martin, 42.0. 6, Graham and Dickson, 42.1. 7, Moreno and Todacheenie, 43.1. 8, (on three) Mason Moore, Sam Houston State University and Logan Moore, Wharton County Junior College, 18.0
Barrel Racing: (final round) 1, Taycie Matthews, East Mississippi Community College, 13.86 seconds. 2, Bradi Good, Weatherford College, 14.03.3, (tie) . Sadie Wolaver, Southwestern Oklahoma State University and Ellie Bard, Gillette College, 14.14. (total on four) 1, Wolaver, 56.86. 2, Matthews, 57.23. 3, Good, 57.27. 4, Hailey Garrison, Montana State University, 57.30. 5, Bard, 57.42. 6, Victoria Procter, Texas A & M University, 57.60. 7, Emma Smith, Texas A & M University, 57.61. 8, Abby Hepper, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, 57.62.
Bull Riding: (final round – one ride) 1, Casey Roberts, Three Rivers College, 82.5 points. (total on three) 1, Roberts, 239.5. (on two) 2, Tristen Hutchings, Sul Ross State University, 167. 3, Cole Skender, Three Rivers College, 159. 4, Andy Guzman, Mesalands Community College, 157.5. 5, Luke Parkinson, Western Texas College, 141.5. (on one) 6, Rawley Johnson, Western Texas College, 82. 7, T.J. Schmidt, Panhandle State University, 78. 8, Brad Moreno, Central Arizona College, 68.5.
Men’s All-Around: 1, Cole Walker, University of Tennessee – Martin, 270 points. 2, Cole Dodds, California Stat3e University – Fresno, 245. 3, Brad Moreno, Central Arizona College, 155. 4, Weston Patterson, Clarendon College, 120.
Women’s All-Around: 1, Bryana Lehrmann, Texas A & M University – Commerce, 310 points. 2, Kaytlyn Miller, Texas Tech University – Lubbock, 198.33.
Men’s Team: 1, Tarleton State University, 900 points. 2, McNeese State University, 780. 3, Missouri Valley College, 770. 4, Casper College, 620.
Women’s Team: 1, Weatherford College, 538.33. 2, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, 533. 3, Cal Poly State University – San Luis Obispo, 436.66. 4, Texas A & M University – Commerce, 330.
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Championship Saturday Field Set at College National Finals Rodeo
CASPER, Wyo. (June 17, 2022) – The third round of the 2022 College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) wrapped up Friday night at the Ford Wyoming Center in Casper, setting the stage for Saturday’s Championship Finals. The top 12 fastest times and highest scores over the first three rounds qualified for Saturday night’s finals.
The competition began with bareback riding. Lane McGehee, who won the national title in this event as a freshman in 2017, rode Vold Rodeo’s bucking horse Classic Frontier for 81.5 points. That put the Sam Houston State University graduate student second in round three. He is just one and a half points behind Cole Franks in the overall standings. Franks is the reigning bareback riding and all-around champion who competes for Missouri Valley College. Only six points separate the top five bareback riders as the final round begins.
In breakaway roping Bryana Lehrmann, a graduate student in accounting at Texas A & M – Commerce clocked the fastest time of the night – 2.2 seconds. That tied her for fourth in the round. Her total of 6.6 seconds on three calves moved her into the overall lead by half a second. She is also one of two women who can win the all-around title.
McNeese State University heads into Championship Saturday holding the top two spots in saddle bronc riding. Shea Fournier held the lead when the night began, but his teammate Ryder Sanford overtook him after a 73.5-point ride on Triple V Rodeo’s horse Swan Lake. Sanford, a senior engineering major, had won the first two rounds and slipped past Fournier by two and a half points.
The goat tying competition was fierce. The second competitor – Sierra Spratt of Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo – set the pace with 6.6 seconds. She tied for the overall lead with her teammate Aimee Davis. Mersadie Martin, who competes for Sam Houston State University, had been the only cowgirl to clock a time under six seconds this week. Martin, a senior animal science major, won the first round with a time of 5.7 seconds. After a respectable but unspectacular 7.0 in round two, she came back in round three with the week’s second time under six seconds, winning the round with 5.9 and edging the Cal Poly contingent by one-tenth of a second.
Brothers Kellan and Carson Johnson of Casper College are crowd favorites at the Ford Wyoming Center. Not only are they local boys whose father is the college rodeo coach, but they are the reigning team roping champions at the CNFR. They brought the crowd to their feet with a time of 5 seconds which put them second in the round and second overall. They will have a chance to win a rare repeat title Saturday night.
Texas A & M’s Victoria Proctor was only able to place ninth in round three of barrel racing with her 14.34-second run. The junior ag business major had finished fourth in the first two rounds and her total time of 43.06 puts her second heading into the finals.
National championships in nine individual events along with the men’s and women’s all-around and team titles will be awarded following the Championship Saturday competition which begins at 7 p.m.
CASPER, Wyo.—The following are results after the fourth performance at the College National Finals Rodeo, June 17, 2022, courtesy of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association. Complete results are available at www.collegerodeo.com.
Bareback riding: (third round) 1, Kelby Schneiter, Western Texas College, 82 points. 2, Lane McGehee, Sam Houston State University, 81.5. 3, Weston Patterson, Clarendon College, 79. 4, Dean Thompson, Western Texas College, 79. 5, (tie) Darien Johnson, College of Southern Idaho, and Kolt Dement, Panola College, 76.5. each 7, (tie) Ty Pope, Missouri Valley College, and Guage McBride, Panola College, 74.5 each. (total on three) 1, Cole Franks, Missouri Valley College, 236. 2, McGehee, 234.5. 3, Pope, 233.5. 4, Griffin, 231. 5, Thompson, 230. 5, Myles Carlson, Casper, College, 223.5. 7, McBride, 222. 8, Dement, 221.5. 9, Denton Jacobson, Fort Scott Community College, 220.5. 10, Bradlee Miller, Sam Houston State University, 218.5. 11, Brice Patterson, University of Wyoming, 216. 12, Cooper Cooke, Western Texas College, 214.5.
Tie-Down Roping: (third round) 1, Chance Thiessen, Weatherford College, 7.3 seconds. 2, Chadron Coffield, University of Wyoming, 8.3. 3, Linkyn Petersek, Casper College, 8.4. 4, Kase Bacque, Sam Houston State University, 8.6. 5, Cole Dodds, California State University – Fresno, 9.0. 6, Zane Taylor, Treasure Valley Community College, 9.5. 7, (tie) Kincade Henry, Panola College, and Tanner Brown, East Mississippi Community College, 9.7 each. (total on three) 1, Henry, 29.1. 2, Petersek, 30.9. 3, Brayden Roe, Tarleton State University, 31.7. 4, Cody Stewart, Feather River College, 32.2. 5, Trevor Hale, Cisco College, 32.6. 6, Bacque, 33.2. 7, Macon Murphy, Panola College, 33.7. 8, Scott Halverson, Iowa Central Community College, 35.0. 9, Marley Berger, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, 35.7. 10 Cole Walker, University of Tennessee – Martin, 36.1. 11, Myles Kenzy, Gillette College, 38.2. 12, Monty James, Central Arizona College, 41.0.
Breakaway Roping: (third round) 1, Kenlie Raby, Missouri Valley College, 1.7 seconds. 2, Alli Masters, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, 2.0. 3, Hannah Hughes, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, 2.1. 4, (tie) Bryana Lehrmann, Texas A & M University – Commerce; and Hayden Madsen, Laramie County Community College; and Kimberly Williams; Walla Walla Community College, 2.2 each. 7, Mikenna Schauer, University of Montana Northern, 2.3. 8, Delaney Kunau, University of Nevada – Las Vegas, 2.4. (total on three) 1, Lehrmann, 6.6. 2, Masters, 7.1. 3, Sarah Angelone, Tarleton State University, 7.3. 4, (tie) Madalyn Richards, Texas A & M University and Briena Wells, Weatherford College, 7.6. 6, (tie) Blair Bryant, East Mississippi Community College, and Schauer, 7.7. 8, Maddy Deerman, Tarleton State University, 7.8. 9, McKenna Brennan, Panhandle State University, 8.3. 10, Molly Salmond, Montana State University, 8.4. 11, Kaylee Cornia, Idaho State University, 8.6. 12, Gracely Speth, Cal Poly State University – San Luis Obispo, 8.8.
Saddle Bronc Riding: (third round) 1, Shae Fournier, McNeese State University, 80.5. 2, Karson Mebane, Cal Poly State University – San Luis Obispo, 77.5. 3, Cash Wilson, Tarleton State University, Tarleton State University, 76.5. 4, Quintin McWhorter, Cal Poly State University – San Luis Obispo, 75. 5, (tie) John Allen, Iowa Central Community College, and Ryder Sanford, McNeese State University, 73.5 each. 7, (tie) Reed Neely, California State University – Fresno and Jarrod Hammons, Hill College, 72.5 (total on three) 1, Sanford, 236.5. 2, Fournier, 234. 3, Wilson, 226.5. 4, McWhorter, 222.5. 5, Brody Wells, Tarleton State University, 221. 6, Cable Wareham, Fort Scott Community College, 212. 7, Allen, 208. 8, Sage Miller, Laramie County Community College, 207.5. 9, Luke Price, Fort Scott Community College, 198. 10, Stade Riggs, Northern Arizona University, 197. (on two) 11, Garrett Cunningham, Montana State University – Northern, 150. 12, Reed Neely, California State University – Fresno, 149.5.
Steer Wrestling: (third round) 1, Gavin Soileau, McNeese State University, 3.8 seconds. 2, Blake Betz, Blue Mountain Community College, 4.0. 3, (tie) Sterling Lee, Dickinson State University; Rooster Yazzie, Navajo Technical College; and Bryar Byrne, Feather River College, 4.6 each. 6, Walt Arnold, Tarleton State University, 4.8. 7, (tie) Jesse Keysaer, University of Tennessee – Martin, and Mason Couch, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, 4.9. (total on three) 1, Arnold, 13.2. 2, Tucker Alberts, Missouri Valley College, 13.7. 3, Souileau, 14.5. 4, Ty Allred, Tarleton State University, 18.4. 5, Hurlburt, 19.0. 6, Gus Franzen, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, 22.1. 7, Mike Nannini, Montana State University, 23.1. 8, Byrne, 24.3. 9, Couch, 24.7. 10, Garrett Shell, Feather River College, 25.2. 11, Cache Burnside, Central Arizona College, 27.0. 12, Sterling Lee, Dickinson State University, 27.1.
Goat Tying: (third round) 1, Mersadie Martin, Sam Houston State University, 5.9 seconds. 2, Aimee Davis, Cal Poly State University – San Luis Obispo, 6.0. 3, (tie) Taylour Latham, University of Wyoming, and Kamryn Duncan, McNeese State University, 6.1 seconds each. 5, Kaytlyn Miller, Texas Tech University – Lubbock, 6.2. 6, (tie) Jessi Jane Portenier, Cochise College; Emma Hodson, Weber State University; Sheyenne Anderson, Missouri Valley College; and Sierra Spratt, Cal Poly State University – San Luis Obispo; and Kodey Hoss, Weatherford College, 6.3. (total on three) 1, Martin, 18.6. 2, (tie) Davis, and Spratt, 18.7. 4, (tie) Anderson, and Duncan, 18.9. 6, Doerr, 19.0. 7, Hoss, 19.1. 8, Kristin Reaves, Weatherford College, 19.5. 9, Jaicee Bastian, Utah Valley University, 18.9. 10, (tie) Kaytlyn Miller, Texas Tech University, and Hailey Garrison, Montana State University, 19.9. 12, Wacey Day, Northeastern Junior College, 20.0.
Team Roping: (third round) 1, Bodie Mattson, Gillette College and Trae Smith, Casper College, 4.8 seconds. 2, Kellan and Carson Johnson, Casper College, 5.0. 3, Tristan Sullivan, Texas A & M University – Commerce, and Will Farris, Southwest Texas Junior College, 5.3. 4, Mason Moore, Sam Houston State University and Logan Moore, Wharton County College, 5.9. 5, (tie) Brad Moreno, Central Arizona College, and Jaken Todacheerie, Northern Pioneer College; Riley Kittle, Cisco College and Jace Helton, Weatherford, College; and Cutter Machado, Cal Poly State University – San Luis Obispo and Wyatt Hansen, West Hills College, 6.0. 8, Clay Cherry and Logan Cullen, Central Arizona College, 6.9. (total on three) 1, Moore and Moore, 18.0. 2, Johnson and Johnson, 18.5. 3, Kittle and Helton, 6.0. 4, Cherry and Cullen, 23.5. 5, Nevada Berquist and Braden Brost, Casper College, 24.9. 6, Cobie Dodds, Feather River College and Cole Dodds, California State University – Fresno, 28.2. 7, Dylan Orr and Wyatt Vankoll, Blue Mountain Community College, 28.7. 8, Will McCraw and Cole Walker, University of Tennessee – Martin, 30.0. 9, Logan Grahm and Latham Dickson, Southern Arkansas University, 35.1. 10, Moreno and Todacheenie, 38.3. 11, Trystin Hooper, West Hills College and David Stark, California State University – Fresno, 40.6. 12, (on two) J.C. Yeahquo, Western Oklahoma State University and L.J. Yeahquo, Oklahoma State University, 14.9
Barrel racing: (third round) 1, Jaylie Matthews, East Mississippi Community College, 14.13 seconds. 2, Hailey Garrison, Montana State University, 14.19. 3, (tie) Sadie Walaver, Southwestern Oklahoma State University; Ellie Bard, Gillette College; and Bryana Lehrmann, Texas A & M University – Commerce; 14.22. 6, Abby Hepper, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, 14.23. 7, Bradi Good, Weatherford College, 14.32. 8, Tayla Moeykens, Montana State University, 14.33. (total on three) 1, Wolaver, 42.72. 2, Victoria Procter, Texas A & M University, 43.06. 3, Garrison, 43.13. 4, (tie) Emma Smith, Texas A & M University, and Hepper, 43.21 each. 6, Bradi Good, Weatherford College, 43.24. 7, Bard, 43.28. 8, Taycie Matthews, East Mississippi Community College, 43.37. 9, Kenna McNeill, Oklahoma State University, 43.39. 10, Tayla Moeykens, Montana State University, 43.43. 11, Kiara Begay, University of Arizona, 43.44. 12, Shaw Nelson, South Dakota State University, 43.69.
Bull Riding: (third round – three rides) 1, Cole Skender, Three Rivers College, 84. 2, Tristen Hutchings, Sul Ross State University, 82.5. 3, Rawley Johnson, Western Texas College, 82. (total on two) 1, Hutchings, 167. 2, Skender, 159. 3, Andy Guzman, Mesalands Community College, 157.5. 4, Casey Roberts, Three Rivers College, 157. 5, Luke Parkinson, Western Texas College, 141.5. (on one) 6, Rawley Johnson, T.J. Schmidt, Panhandle State University, 78. 7, Brad Moreno, Central Arizona College, 68.5. 8, Brad Moreno, Central Arizona College, 68.5.
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Cal Poly State University – San Luis Obispo took the lead in the goat tying when Aimee Davis stopped the clock in 6.0 seconds. Davis is at the top of the leaderboard and is in contention for a national title with CNFR photo by Jackie Jensen
Competition heating up at College National Finals Rodeo
CASPER, Wyo. (June 16, 2022) – Two athletes moved into the overall lead in their events during Thursday night’s performance of the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) at the Ford Wyoming Center in Casper.
Aimee Davis, a junior majoring in child development, took the lead in goat tying. Davis, who competes for Cal Poly- San Luis Obispo, tied her goat in six seconds to have the fastest time in the third round. Her times in round one and round two were 6.2 and 6.5 respectively. The West Coast Region Goat Tying Champion has a lead of two-tenths of a second at 18.7 over McNeese State’s Kamryn Duncan.
Walt Arnold, a senior from Coleman, Texas, moved to first overall in steer wrestling. Arnold, a criminal justice major at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas, stopped the clock in 4.8 seconds. Adding that to his times of 4.2 seconds in the first and second rounds gave him a total of 13.2 seconds on three steers. This is his third CNFR qualification and he will be qualifying for Saturday night’s championship finals for the third time. He is hoping that this year he leaves with the buckle that says he is college rodeo’s best.
Arnold is currently ranked 23rd in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association steer wrestling standings. He has a chance to win a college title and qualify for the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in the same season if he can move into the top 15 in the pro ranks by September 30.
Montana State University’s Hailey Garrison moved to second overall in barrel racing. Her time of 14.19 was the second-fastest of the week and put her in second place in round three. The Dillon, Montana, cowgirl has a great shot at the women’s all-around title at her fourth CNFR. She will return for Championship Saturday in barrel racing and goat tying where she is tied for fifth overall with a total time of 19.9 seconds on three runs.
The fourth performance of the CNFR will begin at 7 p.m. on Friday. Those competing will have one final chance to move into the top 12 and qualify for Championship Saturday when the national champions in nine events, the men’s and women’s all-around and the men’s and women’s team champions will be determined.
CASPER, Wyo.—The following are results after the third performance at the College National Finals Rodeo, June 16, 2022, courtesy of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association. Complete results are available at www.collegerodeo.com.
Bareback riding: (third round) 1, Kelby Schneiter, Western Texas College, 82 points. 2, Kolt Dement, Panola College, 76.5. 3, (tie) Ty Pope, Missouri Valley College, and Guage McBride, Panola College, 74.5 each. 5, (tie) Tyler Griffin, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, and Cole Franks, Missouri Valley College, 74. 6, Cooper Filipek, Mesalands Community College, 72. (total on three) 1, Franks, 236. 2, Pope, 233.5. 3, Griffin, 231. 4, McBride, 222. 5, Dement, 221.5. 6, Denton Jacobson, Fort Scott Community College, 220.5. 7, Bradlee Miller, Sam Houston State University, 218.5. 8, Brice Patterson, University of Wyoming, 216.
Tie-Down Roping: (third round) 1, Chance Thiessen, Weatherford College, 7.3 seconds. 2, Chadron Coffield, University of Wyoming, 8.3. 3, Linkyn Petersek, Casper College, 8.4. 4, Kase Bacque, Sam Houston State University, 8.6. 5, Zane Taylor, Treasure Valley Community College, 9.5. 6, (tie) Kincade Henry, Panola College, and Tanner Brown, East Mississippi Community College, 9.7 each. (total on three) 1, Henry, 29.1. 2, Petersek, 30.9. 3, Cody Stewart, Feather River College, 32.2. 4, Bacque, 33.2. 5, Scott Halverson, Iowa Central Community College, 35.0. 6, Marley Berger, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, 35.7. 7 Myles Kenzy, Gillette College, 38.2. 8, Monty James, Central Arizona College, 41.0.
Breakaway Roping: (third round) 1, Kenlie Raby, Missouri Valley College, 1.7 seconds. 2, Alli Masters, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, 2.0. 3, Hannah Hughes, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, 2.1. 4, (tie) Hayden Madsen, Laramie County Community College and Kimberly Williams, Walla Walla Community College, 2.2 each. 6, Delaney Kunau, Univrsity of Nevada – Las Vegas, 2.4. (total on three) 1, Masters, 7.1. 2, (tie) Madalyn Richards, Texas A & M University and Briena Wells, Weatherford College, 7.6. 4, Blair Bryant, East Mississippi Community College, 7.7. 5, Maddy Deerman, Tarleton State University, 7.8. 6, Molly Salmond, Montana State University, 8.4. 7, Gracely Speth, Cal Poly State University – San Luis Obispo, 8.8. 8, Catherine Clayton, Cochise College, 9.5
Steer Wrestling: (third round) 1, Blake Betz, Blue Mountain Community College, 4.0 seconds. 2, (tie) Sterling Lee, Dickinson State University; Rooster Yazzie, Navajo Technical College; and Bryar Byrne, Feather River College, 4.6 each. 5, Walt Arnold, Tarleton State University, 4.8. 6, (tie) Jesse Keysaer, University of Tennessee – Martin, and Mason Couch, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, 4.9. 9, (tie) Wes Shaw, College of Southern Idaho; Austin Hurlburt, University of Wyoming; and Garrett Elmore, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, 5.1. (total on three) 1, Arnold, 13.2. 2, Tucker Alberts, Missouri Valley College, 13.7. 3, Ty Allred, Tarleton State University, 18.4. 4, Hurlburt, 19.0. 5, Mike Nannini, Montana State University, 23.1. 6, Byrne, 24.3. 7, Couch, 24.7. 8, Garrett Shell, Feather River College, 25.2.
Saddle Bronc Riding: (third round) 1, Shae Fournier, McNeese State University, 80.5. 2, Karson Mebane, Cal Poly State University – San Luis Obispo, 77.5. 3, Cash Wilson, Tarleton State University, Tarleton State University, 76.5. 4, Quintin McWhorter, Cal Poly State University – San Luis Obispo, 75. 5, John Allen, Iowa Central Community College, 73.5. 6, (tie) Reed Neely, California State University – Fresno and Jarrod Hammons, Hill College, 72.5 (total on three) Fournier, 234. 2, Wilson, 226.5. 3, McWhorter, 222.5. 4, Allen, 208. 5, Miller, 207.5. 5, Stade Riggs, Northern Arizona University, 197. (on two) 7, Ryder Sanford, McNeese State University, 163. 8, Brody Wells, Tarleton State University, 153.
Goat Tying: (third round) 1, Aimee Davis, Cal Poly State University – San Luis Obispo, 6.0. 2, (tie) Taylour Latham, University of Wyoming, and Kamryn Duncan, McNeese State University, 6.1 seconds each. 4, Kaytlyn Miller, Texas Tech University – Lubbock, 6.2. 5, (tie) Jessi Jane Portenier, Cochise College; Emma Hodson, Weber State University and Kodey Hoss, Weatherford College, 6.3. (total on three) 1, Davis, 18.7. 2, Duncan, 18.9. 3, Hoss, 19.1. 4, Jaicee Bastian, Utah Valley University, 18.9. 5, (tie) Kaytlyn Miller, Texas Tech University, and Hailey Garrison, Montana State University, 19.9. 7, Wacey Day, Northeastern Junior College, 20.0. 8, Lakin Cunningham, Missouri Valley College, 20.2.
Team Roping: (third round) 1, Bodie Mattson, Gillette College and Trae Smith, Casper College, 4.8 seconds. 2, Mason Moore, Sam Houston State University and Logan Moore, Wharton County College, 5.9. 3, (tie) Brad Moreno, Central Arizona College, and Jaken Todacheerie, Northern Pioneer College; Riley Kittle, Cisco College and Jace Helton, Weatherford, College; and Cutter Machado, Cal Poly State University – San Luis Obispo and Wyatt Hansen, West Hills College, 6.0. 6, Nevada Berquist and Braden Brost, Casper College, 7.0. (total on three) 1, Moore and Moore, 18.0. 2, Kittle and Helton, 6.0. 3, Berquist and Brost, 24.9. 4, Cobie Dodds, Feather River College and Cole Dodds, California State University – Fresno, 28.2. 5, McCraw and Walker, 30.0. 6, Latham Dickson, University of Tennessee – Martin, and Logan Graham, Southern Arkansas University, 35.1. 7, Moreno and Todacheenie, 38.3. 8, Trystin Hooper, West Hills College and David Stark, California State University – Fresno, 40.6.
Barrel racing: (third round) 1, Jaylie Matthews, East Mississippi Community College, 14.13 seconds. 2, Hailey Garrison, Montana State University, 14.19. 3, (tie) Sadie Walaver, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, and Bryana Lehrmann, Texas A & M University – Commerce, 14.22. 5, Abby Hepper, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, 14.23. 6, Bradi Good, Weatherford College, 14.32. (total on three) 1, Wolaver, 42.72. 2, Garrison, 43.13. 3, (tie) Emma Smith, Texas A & M University, and Hepper, 43.21 each. 5, Bradi Good, Weatherford College, 43.24. 6, Taycie Matthews, East Mississippi Community College, 43.37. 7, Kenna McNeill, Oklahoma State University, 43.39. 8, Tayla Moeykens, Montana State University, 43.43.
Bull Riding: (third round – two rides) 1, Cole Skender, Three Rivers College, 84. 2, Tristen Hutchings, Sul Ross State University, 82.5 points. (total on two) 1, Hutchings, 167. 2, Skender, 140. 3, Andy Guzman, Mesalands Community College, 157.5. 4, Casey Roberts, Three Rivers College, 157. 5, Luke Parkinson, Western Texas College, 141.5. (on one) 6, T.J. Schmidt, Panhandle State University, 78. 7, Brad Moreno, Central Arizona College, 68.5.
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Jess Cardon – A Trendsetter as Woman Pickup Man
Jess Cardon doesn’t see herself as a pioneer. She’s an official PRCA card carrying pickup man. Talking to ProRodeo veterans Cardon isn’t believed to be the first woman pickup man in PRCA history – but she’s the only one going now.
Cardon, 30, acknowledged being a PRCA pickup man was something she never envisioned.
“It is kind of one of those things that eventually just showed itself,” Cardon said. “I always admired it and loved it, but it isn’t something I thought I would do. Most of it came about when Josh (Reed) and I got together.”
Cardon has been a pickup man for different rodeo associations and events for around seven years, but she didn’t make her PRCA debut until 2021 at the Brawley (Calif.) Cattle Call Rodeo, Nov. 14-15.
“Last year, Josh, my fiancé, who is a pickup man, got hurt in Bakersfield (Calif.), and they scrambled to get another person to go to Brawley and we had been kicking around the idea to go ahead and get my card and my first rodeo was Brawley,” Jess said. “That was a big one to crack out at. A lot of times Josh and I pick up together. I have gone to a couple of rodeos now by myself. We just make sure I’m with the right other person. I also pickup a lot with Bronc Boehnlein and Danny Leslie, guys we dang sure know.”
Cardon and her fiancé live in Caliente, Calif. They have their own business running commercial-based beef cattle.
“When Josh and I started dating, he was into being a pickup man, and I got around the right people to pickup,” Jess said. “I also definitely got on some really awesome horses. I grew up on cutting horses and I grew up on a cow-calf ranch in Caliente. I got into rodeo and team roped, just a little bit of everything.”
Cardon acknowledged being a pickup woman in the PRCA was a bold move.
“There absolutely was some fear there,” Cardon said. “I was so worried about the bareback riding because if somebody got hung up, I know I’m only so big and don’t have that brute strength. That’s why I go with guys who know me, and I know them. I’ve also figured out my spot when somebody gets hung up. My spot is to get a hold of the horse. My initial reaction is to get a hold of the horse and stop the action.
“I would also like to thank Jeff Shearer who I pick up with. Also, with the help of Paul Applegarth at Wild West and Flying U Rodeo and the whole Rosser family I was able to get my start in this.”
Cardon primarily works rodeos in the California Circuit. She has already been a pickup man at California rodeos in Brawley, Woodlake, Auburn, and Santa Maria and Glennville.
“There was a lot of good reaction and some bad reaction,” Cardon said after her first rodeo in Brawley. “I just make sure I do my job and I do everything I can do correctly. As long I read the situation and put myself where I should be everything should work out just fine. I have several other rodeos planned for this summer and fall. I see myself doing this for a long time. I just feel like I’m a person doing my job. For me, it is not about being a pioneer or breaking a glass ceiling. To me, if you do what you love, then you never work a day in your life.”
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Nebraska Youth Qualify For National High School Rodeo Competition
Champions crowned in each event
HASTINGS, NEB. (June 12, 2022) – The Nebraska High School Rodeo season wrapped up today with the high school finals in Hastings at the Adams County Fairgrounds. Rodeo athletes from across the Cornhusker State competed in two go-rounds on June 10-11 and the short go-round on June 12. The top four contestants in each of fifteen events were determined, and they will go on to compete at the National High School Finals Rodeo (NHSFR) in Gillette, Wyoming July 17-23, 2022.
The 2021-2022 champions are Spencer Denaeyer, Mullen (bareback riding); Makayla Wray, Ord (pole bending and breakaway roping); Coy Johnston, Stapleton (steer wrestling); Monte Bailey, Seneca (saddle bronc riding); Sid Miller, Merna (tie-down roping); Libby Hegeman, Arlington (goat tying); Brent Charlton, North Platte and Jate Saults, Big Springs (team roping, header and heeler); Anna Clark, Thedford (barrel racing); Cooper Kursave, Arcadia (bull riding); Tatum Olson, Bloomfield (reined cow horse); Bo Bushhousen, St. Libory (boys cutting); Whitney Jennings, Seneca (girls cutting); Cale Buss, Atkinson (light rifle) and Tanner Ellis, Minden (trap shooting ).
Boys rookie of the year went to Koltdyn Heath, Minden, and girls rookie of the year is Reagan McIntyre, Grand Island. McIntyre also won the girls’ all-around title; for the second year, Cooper Bass, Brewster, is the year-end boys all-around champion.
Kylie Lancaster, Hastings, was crowned as the 2022-2023 Miss Nebraska High School Rodeo queen.
The following are synopses of some of the champions.
Pole Bending and Breakaway champion: Makayla Wray, Ord
Makayla Wray came into her junior year of state finals in second and third place in her three events, and left a state champion in two of them.
The seventeen-year-old cowgirl, a soon-to-be senior at Ord High School this fall, called her three days at state finals, “amazing.” She was cheering for her friend Gracey Taylor in the poles, but when Gracey knocked over a pole to get a five-second penalty in the short round, it opened the door for Wray.
“My heart broke for her, but I thought, ‘there’s a chance (for Wray to win the year-end title.) Then I went and knocked down a pole.” But there was no time for reflection; she had to compete in the breakaway roping next. “You have to have a short memory in rodeo,” she said.
The daughter of Mark and Denise Wray, Makayla will be vice-president of her school’s FFA chapter this fall, is a member of the National Honor Society, was just elected student president of the Nebraska State High School Rodeo Association, and plays basketball. She has a 4.0 GPA.
She has also qualified for the NHSFR in the team roping; this is her first trip to Nationals.
Bareback riding champion – Spencer Denaeyer, Seneca
For the second year in a row, Spencer Denaeyer took home the state saddle bronc riding title.
The eighteen-year-old, a 2022 graduate of Mullen High School, didn’t do well at the 2021 NHSFR.
“Last year, I went in hot-headed, thinking I was the state champ, I was going to (Nationals), and things were going to be all right.” He didn’t make the short go at the Nationals; his goals are higher this year. “I need to have my hammer cocked, and be ready to go. My goal is to win it.”
He will attend Odessa (Texas) College this fall on a rodeo scholarship and compete collegiately, majoring in ag technology.
He is the son of Mark and Bree Bailey.
Steer wrestling champion – Coy Johnston, Stapleton
Coy Johnston comes from a long line of steer wrestlers, and now he’s won his first state title.
The Stapleton cowboy finished last year’s season in second place, behind his good friend and fellow steer wrestler Dane Pokorny; the two cowboys switched spots this year, with Pokorny finishing as reserve champion.
For Sunday’s short round, he gave it his all. “I had to make a good run today,” he said. “I just went out there, not safetying up or anything, and beat Dane by a half-point.” There’s no animosity between the two; “we are really good friends,” Johnston said.
Johnston’s dad Jason was a steer wrestler, as were his uncles, Jeff, Chad and Joel. “If you’re a Johnston,” he joked, “you’re going to be a steer wrestler.”
This fall, Johnston will be a senior at Stapleton High School. He plays football and basketball and is an FFA member.
He is the son of Jason and Jennifer Johnston.
Saddle bronc riding champion: Monte Bailey, Hyannis
Hyannis cowboy Monte Bailey won the saddle bronc riding title.
The 2022 Hyannis High School graduate was the only cowboy who made three qualified rides.
He is coming off a knee injury from the football season, where he tore the meniscus and nearly pulled the ligaments off the bone.
“I hurt my knee a while back, so it was a little iffy on my first horse,” he said. “But I just let it all fly and left it out there, and it was pretty fun.” His third ride, in the short round, “wasn’t the prettiest one, but I got through it.”
He will compete for Montana State University in Bozeman this fall on a rodeo scholarship while he attends Gallatin College, majoring in carpentry.
He is the son of Ben and Shelly Bailey.
Team roping champions – Brent Charlton, North Platte (header) and Jate Saults, Big Springs (heeler)
Brent Charlton and Jate Saults teamed up for their first state title in the team roping.
The duo has roped together the past three years; Charlton just finished his junior year at Stapleton High School; Saults is a 2022 graduate of South Platte High School.
Both cowboys also competed in the tie-down roping, and Saults in the light rifle shooting.
This fall, Saults will attend Western Oklahoma State University in Altus on a rodeo scholarship, majoring in ag business. He is the son of Scott and Jill Saults. He has also qualified for Nationals in the light rifle.
Charlton, at Stapleton High School, plays basketball and is on the honor roll. He is the son of Philip and Sonya Charlton.
Barrel racing champion – Anna Clark, Thedford
Anna Clark is just a freshman, but she finished her first year of high school rodeo with a bang.
The fifteen-year-old cowgirl from Thedford won the barrel racing state title.
In the first round, she hit a barrel, adding a five-second penalty to her time. “I came into the arena, and we were going pretty fast, and I remember thinking, oh, no, we’re going to blow by this barrel. So I checked (her mare) up and I shouldn’t have.” They knocked over the first barrel.
But she redeemed herself, winning the second and third rounds “and today we became state champions,” she said, beaming.
“I wanted this all season, and I’ve worked for it a lot,” she said. “It feels good. It feels really good.”
She is the daughter of Adam and Alicia Clark.
For complete results, visit http://www.hsrodeo-nebraska.com/results. For more information on the state finals and the NHSFR, www.hsrodeo-nebraska.com and www.nhsra.com.
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Nebraska High School Qualifiers for the 2022 National High School Finals Rodeo in Gillette, Wyoming July 17-23.
Bareback riding
Champion: Spencer Denayer, Seneca
- Tate Miller, Springview
- Koltdyn Heath, Minden
- Tanner Drueke, Sutherland
Alternate: Cinch Kiger, Overton
Barrel racing
Champion: Anna Clark, Thedford
- Hailey Witte, Crookston
- Taci Flinn, Arcadia
- Camryn Kocian, Brainard
Alternate: Mekenna Fisher, Hershey
Boys cutting:
Champion: Bo Bushhousen, St. Libory
- Cooper Bass, Brewster
- Trey Vance, Inavale
- Devin Konicek, Burwell
Alternate: Dakota Storer, Arthur
Breakaway roping
Champion: Makayla Wray, Ord
- Reagan McIntyre, Grand Island
- Whitney Jennings, Seneca
- Shayda Vaughn, Hershey
Alternate: Kieley Walz, Ainsworth
Bull riding:
Champion:. Cooper Kursave, Arcadia
- Hunter Boydston, Grover, Colo.
- Jason Ducker-Kursave, Arcadia
- Tanner Drueke, Sutherland
Alternate: Brady Painter, Ainsworth
Girls cutting:
Champion: Whitney Jennings, Seneca
- Mekenna Fisher, Hershey
- Brooke Forre, Newman Grove
- Emma Pearson, Broken Bow
Alternate: Peyton Fisher, Hershey
Goat tying:
Champion:. Libby Hegeman, Arlington
- Reagan McIntyre, Grand Island
- Ashlyn Henderson, Hyannis
- Emma Warren, Thedford
Alternate: Laney Hoier, Herman
Pole bending
Champion: Makayla Wray, Ord
- Gracey Taylor, Valentine
- Reagan McIntyre, Grand Island
- Raina Swanson, Genoa
Alternate: Emma Pearson, Broken Bow
Reined cow horse
Champion: Tatum Olson, Bloomfield
- Charlie Bortner, McCook
- Tucker Gillespie, McCook
- Tate Talkington, Scottsbluff
Alternate: Jayda Meyring, Alliance
Saddle bronc riding
Champion: Monte Bailey, Lakeside
- Leif Meidell, Harrison
- Augustus Painter, Ainsworth
- Carson Jones, Neligh
Alternate: Everett Blackburn, Bartlett
Steer wrestling
Champion: Coy Johnston, Stapleton
- Dane Pokorny, Stapleton
- Wyatt Reichenberg, Harrisburg
- Taydon Gorsuch, Gering
Alternate: Beau Wiebelhaus, Springview
Team roping
Champions: Brent Charlton, North Platte, and Jate Saults, Big Springs
- Cooper Bass, Brewster and Zack Bradley, Brewster
- Makayla Wray, Ord and Brady Renner, Ericson
- Carter Anderson, Merriman and Sage Schrunk, Valentine
Tie-down roping
Champion: Sid Miller, Merna
- Jate Saults, Big Springs
- Cooper Phillips, Burwell
- Carter Anderson, Merriman
Alternate: Seth Glass, Central City
All results unofficial.
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On The Buckle
Bullfighter is like family to Abilene rodeo committee
Abilene, Kan. (June 13, 2022) – Retired pro rodeo bullfighter Dustin Brewer is the feature on the 2022 Wild Bill Hickok Rodeo buckle.
The Prairie du Chien, Wis. man, a native of Elk City, Okla., worked as a bullfighter at the Abilene rodeo fifteen years, starting in 2000, with a year off in 2002 due to a knee injury, then through 2015.
His career began when he tagged along as his older sisters competed in Little Britches Rodeo. He rode bareback horses and bulls in high school, and it was in the practice pen where his talent became evident.
A bull rider got hung up, Brewer recalls, “and I stepped in, got him out, never got touched (by the bull) and thought that was pretty cool.”
Throughout his 27-year career, Brewer worked the Abilene rodeo and other major rodeos including Tucson, Ariz.; Greeley, Colo.; Oakley, Utah; Salt Lake City, and many others like Elk City, Okla., Sikeston, Mo., Burwell, Neb., and Manhattan, Kan.
He also competed in the Wrangler Bullfights, and in 2000, was ranked fourth in the Bullfights when he broke a leg during the Bullfights in Sikeston, ending his chance of competing at the National Finals Rodeo that year.
Brewer loved coming to Abilene. “As soon as you pulled into those gates,” he said, “everyone greeted you, and if they weren’t there, as soon as they came, they greeted you. At some rodeos, you might have three or four people you connect with. In Abilene, you connected with everybody.”
He and his wife Tarra married in Abilene in 2004, because he was so close to committee members. Abilene “was one of the rodeos that was more like family. You weren’t going just to a rodeo, you were going to a family reunion. That’s just how the rodeo committee made you feel.”
The committee loved working with him, said Jerry Marsteller, rodeo committee chair. “He was with us for fifteen years and did one hell of a job. And he said, you guys here aren’t just friends, you’re family. That’s how we consider Dustin and his family.”
Brewer was honored to be included with such greats as Lecile Harris, Mike Mathis, Gerald Roberts, and other rodeo legends who have been on buckles. “Even just to be considered is an honor,” he said. “You have people (on the buckles) that are highly thought of in rodeo, and not just in Abilene but in the world. So to be on one, is pretty amazing, really.”
He and his wife Tarra and sons Brogan and Brylee will be in Abilene for this year’s rodeo.
Brewer’s likeness on the buckle is the sixth in the fifth series. The buckle collection started in 1989.
The annual buckle auction for the rodeo will be held Monday, August 1 at the historic Shockey and Landes Building in Abilene at 324 North Broadway. Buckles numbered one through ten and number 500 will be auctioned off.
Social hour for the auction begins at 7 pm, with the auction to follow at 7:30 pm. The rodeo takes place August 3-6 at 7:30 pm each night in Abilene at Eisenhower Park. For more information, visit www.WildBillHickokRodeo.com
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1st series
1989 – Bruce Miller, saddle bronc riding
1990 – Cary Bryant, calf roping
1991 – Jon Greenough, bareback riding
1992 – Tracy Brunner, steer wrestling
1993 – Donna Samples, barrel racing
1994 – Paul Whitehair, bull riding
1995 – 50th anniversary of the Wild Bill Hickok Rodeo
2nd series
1996 – Gerald Roberts, saddle bronc riding
1997 – Phil Bryant, calf roping
1998 – Mark Brunner, bareback riding
1999 – Jim Janke, steer wrestling
2000 – Guy Winters, Sr. and Guy Winters, Jr. team roping
2001 – Stacy Krueger, barrel racing
2002 – John McDonald, bull riding
3rd series
2003 – Steve Davis, bareback riding
2004 – Ty Brant, calf roping
2005 – Jared Roberts, saddle bronc riding
2006 – Bob Pound, steer wrestling
2007 – Scott Bankes and Billy Randle, team roping
2008 – Shaleigh Smith, barrel racing
2009 – Geff Dawson, bull riding
4th series
2010 – Jerry Short, bareback riding
2011 – Wayne Bailey, steer wrestling
2012 – Keegan Knox, saddle bronc riding
2013- Duane Carson, tie-down roping
2014 – Karl Langvardt and Steve Zumbrunn, team roping
2015 – Micah Samples, barrel racing
2016 – Jimmy Crowther, bull riding
5th series
2017 – Glen Dawson, bareback rider
2018 – Andrews Rodeo Co., stock contractor
2019 – Mike Mathis, rodeo announcer
2020 – 75th anniversary buckle (no rodeo due to Covid)
2021 – Lecile Harris, rodeo clown and specialty act
2022 – Dustin Brewer, bullfighter
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In the Hall
St. Paul Rodeo to induct six to Hall of Fame
St. Paul, Ore. (June 13, 2022) – Six individuals will be inducted into the St. Paul Rodeo Hall of Fame on June 29.
Georgene Bernards and Paul Charron (both St. Paul Rodeo Members); Julio Moreno (Timed Event Contestant); Tim O’Connor (Contract Personnel) and Wally and Launa Pohlschneider (St. Paul Rodeo Director/Officer) will find themselves enshrined in St. Paul Rodeo history.
Bernards, St. Paul, began her rodeo association membership in the mid-1990s alongside her husband Del Martin, first in the ticket office and then as chair of the Wild West Art Show from 2001-2006. As art show chair, she was able to secure nationally-known western artists to exhibit in the show.
For twenty years, she used her artistic abilities to design annual rodeo memorabilia: the poster, jewelry, Pendleton blankets, custom boots, ornaments, and the silver rodeo ticket necklace. When she and her husband joined the rodeo association, they did so with the goal of giving back to an event they respected.
Paul Charron, a St. Paul Rodeo Association member, began his membership with his wife, Kathleen, in 1996. He has been on the gates and parking committees and has competed four years in the rodeo barbecue contests with his ribs and tri-tips recipes, while Kathleen is a past winner of the potato salad competition.
He is a stalwart believer in the St. Paul Rodeo. “I fell in love with the family event that St. Paul Rodeo is,” he said. “It pumps life into our small town and keeps our western traditions alive.”
Wally and Launa Pohlschneider have a more than five-decade history with the St. Paul Rodeo; Wally served as an usher there before he was asked to be on the board. The St. Paul couple will be inducted into the rodeo’s hall of fame June 29 
Bullfighter Tim O’Connor is the second generation to work the St. Paul Rodeo; his uncle Craig worked it as well. O’Connor, Springville, is a 2022 inductee into the St. Paul Rodeo Hall of Fame. 
Paul Charron, a St. Paul Rodeo member and 2022 inductee into the rodeo’s Hall of Fame, has volunteered at the rodeo since 1996. 
Former team roper-turned- stock contractor Julio Moreno is best known for his bucking bulls, and is now a member of the St. Paul Rodeo Hall of Fame. The Charron sons: Steve and Eddie, are also St. Paul Rodeo Association members.
In the timed event contestant category, Julio Moreno is this year’s inductee. The Oklahoma man began his history with rodeo in 1978 with Cotton Rosser and the Flying U Rodeo Co., where he served in many roles including as pickup man. He won the team roping twice in St. Paul (1981, 1988) and transitioned to stock contractor, providing bucking bulls for the rodeo since 2009 as part of the Big Stone Rodeo Co. “St. Paul has been a very good fit for me both as a contestant and a stock contractor,” he said.
For eleven years, Tim O’Connor has stepped in front of the bull at the St. Paul Rodeo, literally.
The Springville, Calif. man is a bullfighter, protecting bull riders after their rides. He follows in the footsteps of his uncle, Craig O’Connor, who also served as a bullfighter at St. Paul.
O’Connor has been selected to work the California Circuit Finals Rodeo six times, as well as other big rodeos across the west. “From the first year at St. Paul Rodeo, it felt just like coming home,” he said. “From the arbor vitae to the wooden grandstands and the fabulous hospitality from the community, I love everything about it.”
Wally and Launa Pohlschneider have dedicated a half-century to the St. Paul Rodeo. Joining the association in 1972, Wally served in a variety of roles throughout his tenure: as chair of the grounds crew and the annual steak feed, as ticket office director, and a two-time stint as president of the rodeo association (the only member to have that distinction).
Launa worked alongside her husband in all of his positions, but one of her biggest contributions was bringing the ticket office into the modern era with the addition of a computer, which allowed permanent ticket orders to be easily compiled and printed, instead of five ladies spending six days typing triplicate invoices.
Their love for and dedication to the St. Paul Rodeo has brought the next generation to service. Son Kenny is part of the grounds crew, and their daughters and grandsons spend summer visits on the rodeo grounds, helping with various tasks.
The Hall of Fame Barbecue honoring the Class of 2022 will be held June 29 at the St. Paul Rodeo arena. It begins at 5 pm. A meal will be served, with live and silent auctions. Auction proceeds benefit the St. Paul Rodeo Foundation.
Tickets for the Barbecue are $35 and are not available at the door; they must be purchased in advance. They can be purchased online at StPaulRodeo.com
This year’s rodeo is June 30-July 4, with performances each evening at 7:30 pm and a 1:30 pm matinee on July 4.
For more information, visit the website or call the rodeo office at 800.237.5920.
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Frederiksen Returns to Rooftop
Miss Rodeo America is proud of her roots, which are rooted in Colorado
ESTES PARK, Colo. – Before she was Miss Rodeo America …
Before she was Miss Rodeo Colorado …
Hailey Frederiksen was just a girl who grew up on a ranch along the foothills of the Rocky Mountains just on the east side of Interstate 25. She was involved in 4H for nearly a dozen years, showing sheep. She grew up making the cloverleaf pattern in barrel racing like her mother did and watching her father team rope.
Caring for animals and caring for others is in her blood, and she’s passionate about rodeo. She will return to this year’s Rooftop Rodeo, set for 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 6-Monday, July 11, at Granny May Arena in Estes Park inside the Estes Park Fairgrounds.
“Growing up in this Western lifestyle has taught me this work ethic, has taught me this passion,” said Frederiksen, who is originally from Platteville, Colorado, now living in Wellington, Colorado. “I couldn’t imagine living any other way.”
She is the first member of her family to graduate from college, earning a bachelor’s degree in animal science with a minor in agriculture business from Colorado State University. She is in the middle of her reign, then she plans to return to school to get her master’s degree in agricultural communications.
Frederiksen was crowned Miss Rodeo America during the pageant this past December Las Vegas, which took place in conjunction with the National Finals Rodeo. She is spending this year as the sport’s biggest ambassador, and in the process, she will revisit some of her favorite rodeos and locations. Having grown up just 45 miles away, Estes Park is one of those.
“I am a rodeo queen dad, and I am always excited to have rodeo royalty come to the Rooftop,” said Mark Purdy, chairman of Estes Park Western Heritage Inc., a group of volunteers that works with the town of Estes Park to produce the annual rodeo. “Hailey is a delight to be around, and we are excited to welcome her back to Estes Park any time she wants to come.
“For me, it’s always a special event when a Colorado lady wins Miss Rodeo America. We are excited to honor Hailey for her work and her successes.”
Because of the nationwide pandemic, Frederiksen served two terms as Miss Rodeo Colorado. There were no pageants in 2020, so she served a limited role that year; she was a little busier in 2021, making her way to PRCA rodeos across the state and across the country representing her state and the sport.
There is excitement that the country is coming back to more normalcy, and it helps her fulfill her duties with honor as Miss Rodeo America.
“Winning the Miss Rodeo America pageant has been a dream come true and so much more,” she said. “I’ve met Miss Rodeo Americas throughout the years, and I just looked a them and could imagine that being myself. I find myself pinching myself to see if this is real. I still can’t believe it.”
Her honor comes from the way she was raised and the people she’s met along her path in life. It’s what’s enabled her to be at the top of her own mountain and celebrate it in the sport she loves with the people who helped make it happen.
“I believe I’ve put in the work for it,” Frederiksen said. “It’s a lot more than hair, makeup and rhinestones. We’re cowgirls. I tell young girls who want to do this, ‘Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty.’ ”
Hailey Frederiksen isn’t, and it’s why she wears the tiara.
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2022 CNFR competition kicks off with Bulls Broncs & Breakaway
CASPER, Wyo. (June 12, 2022) — Cole Franks came to the 2021 College National Finals Rodeo with his eye on winning the championship. He did that in stellar fashion and is back this year looking for back-to-back bareback riding titles.
He won last year at the Bulls Broncs & Breakaway performance as a sophomore at Clarendon College where his father, National Finals Rodeo saddle bronc rider Bret Franks is the coach. He then made the decision to transfer to Missouri Valley College (MVC) in Marshall which has become as bareback riding university.
The moniker came after MVC produced many bareback riding champions in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association that went on to have successful professional rodeo careers. The most well-known is Tim O’Connell who was the champion here in 2012. O’Connell now is not just an alumni at MVU, he also spends plenty of time helping at the college practices and as a three-time world champion and an eight-time National Finals Rodeo (NFR) qualifier, he has plenty of experience to draw from.
Franks took advantage of that experience and signed on as one of O’Connell’s traveling partners last summer. That helped the Clarendon, Texas resident qualify for his first NFR, win the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Rookie of the Year title and finish the season in third place.
He is riding here with a broken wrist, but that didn’t stop him from his second consecutive first-round win. On Sunday afternoon at the Ford Wyoming Center, Franks got on the Frontier Rodeo horse named Delta Ship to 82.5 points for the win.
Franks is also the reigning all-around champion at the CNFR. He qualified in the saddle bronc riding again this year, but came off early, so will need to place high in the next two rounds to be eligible for that title. The first round of bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, bull riding and saddle bronc riding was completed during the Bulls, Broncs and Breakaway. Slack on Monday will see the first round completed in barrel racing and goat tying for the women as well as tie-down roping, and steer wrestling for the men. The first round of team roping, which can have both men and women will also be complete on Monday. Competition gets underway at 7 a.m.
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CASPER, Wyo.—The following are results from Bulls Broncs and Breakaway at the College National Finals Rodeo, June 12, 2022, courtesy of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association. Complete results are available at www.collegerodeo.com.
Breakaway Roping: (first-round winners) 1, (tie) Kaytlyn Miller, Texas Tech University – Lubbock, and Delaney Kunau, University of Nevada – Las Vegas, 1.9 seconds each. 3, Alli Masters, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, 2.2. 4, Jayce Blake, Treasure Valley Community College, 2.3. 5, (tie) Sarah Angelone, Tarleton State University; Maddy Deerman, Tarleton State University; Wacey Day, Northeastern Junior College; and Gracely Speth, Cal Poly State University – San Luis Obispo; 2.4 seconds each.
Bareback Riding: (first round winners) 1, Cole Franks, Missouri Valley College, 82.5 points. 2, Myles Carlson, Casper College, 81.5. 3, Gauge McBride, Panola College, 80.5. 4, Ty Pope, Missouri Valley College, 79.5. 5, Weston Patterson, Clarendon College, 78. 6, (tie) Bradlee Miller, Sam Houston State University, and Tyler Griffin, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, 77.5. 8, Nick Pelke, Missouri Valley College, 77.0.
Saddle Bronc Riding: (first round winners) 1, Ryder Sanford, McNeese State University, 83.5 points. 2, Brody Wells, Tarleton State University, 80. 3, Cash Wilson, Tarleton State University, 79. 4, Quinten Taylor, Casper College, 78.5. 5, Jack Smithson, University of Tennessee – Martin, 76. 6, Quinten McWhorter, Cal Poly State University – San Luis Obispo, 75.5. 7, Weston Patterson, Clarendon College, 75. 8, (tie) Shea Fournier, McNeese State University, and Garrett Cunningham, Montana State University – Northern, 74.5.
Bull Riding: (first round winners – five qualified rides) 1, Casey Roberts, Three Rivers College, 79 points. 2, Andy Guzman, Mesalands Community College, 77.5. 3, Cole Skender, Three Rivers College, 75. 4, Luke Parkinson, Western Texas College, 72.5. 6, Brad Moreno, Central Arizona College, 68.5.