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Hamel Rodeo is long-time tradition with St. Michael family

Hamel, Minn. – June 6,  2022 – When the annual Hamel Rodeo rolls around, there’s an air of excitement in the Heffner household, in St. Michael, Minn.

It’s because Mykee Heffner, her husband Greg, and their kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews, sister and friends all gather to attend the rodeo.

It’s a long-standing tradition with them. Heffner grew up attending the Effie, Minn. rodeo with her parents and when she moved to the Minneapolis area in 1990, she started with the Hamel Rodeo and hasn’t missed a year since.

There’s always a group of family members who come with her. For years, her mom, Dellia Helgeson, attended the rodeo, till she wasn’t able to come. Mykee’s son and his kids have attended, as have Greg’s daughters and their children, plus Mykee’s nieces and nephews.

They come early enough to mark their spot with a blanket on the hill overlooking the arena. Then they walk through Vendor Alley and enjoy concessions and each other’s company.

To celebrate Mykee’s mom’s ninetieth birthday in 2015, twenty-plus family members attended the rodeo. “We had family from Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida and all parts of Minnesota,” she said. “It was so fun.”

The whole family appreciates the rodeo and the fun it provides. “It’s such a well-run rodeo,” Heffner said. “We love the clowns and the entertainment shows (specialty acts) are always super. Everybody is so friendly. Even the people working the concessions stand are nice. It has a small-town feel. We just love everything about the whole rodeo.”

Family members stay at Heffner’s house before and after the rodeo. “We stack them up,” she laughed, “whoever wants to nap or sleep. It’s a big family, not only at the rodeo, but at my house, also.”

Heffner is passing on her love of the Hamel Rodeo to future generations. Her son will have his first grandchild this August, and next year, that baby will probably attend his or her first rodeo.

Everybody recognizes the “rodeo blankets” Mykee and Greg lay on the ground to mark their seats at the rodeo. “Everybody knows, this time of year, if you want to see Auntie Mykee and Uncle Greg, come to the rodeo. They know what blankets we have.”

The family never hurries home when the rodeo is over, either. “We like to watch everything at the end: watching the bullfighters interact, and the livestock. We’re never in a big hurry to get out of there, even though the traffic is easy to get out with.”

This year’s Hamel Rodeo is July 7-10 at Corcoran Lions Park in Corcoran. Performances begin at 7:30 pm on July 7-10, with a 1 pm matinee on Saturday, July 9.

All tickets are general admission and are $24, except for the Saturday matinee; those tickets are $18.

To purchase tickets and for more information, visit the website at HamelRodeo.org.

Black Hills Roundup fireworks are big highlight for rodeo goers, local volunteer.

Belle Fourche, S.D. (June 6, 2022) – What would the Fourth of July be, if it wasn’t for fireworks?

And the 103rd annual Black Hills Roundup makes sure rodeo fans celebrate Independence Day in style with plenty of them!

Fireworks follow the rodeos on July 2 and 3, and Fritz Carlson, a Belle Fourche native and resident, has been part of the group helps with them. Carlson has helped with them for the last thirty years.

A graduate of Premier Pyrotechnics’ fireworks schooling, he works with the experts to set them up and light them off. The Roundup’s fireworks display is one of the three biggest shows in the state.

A crew of five to seven people bring a specially designed trailer called the “shoot trailer” to Belle Fourche on the morning of July 2, and by 9 am, they are setting up. Owned by Robert Puhlman and his son Jaren Puhlman, the trailer is loaded with mortars, the plastic tubes that the fireworks are shot out of. A shoot board is used, with a copper sheet on the bottom of the board as the negative wire. Over the copper sheet is a vinyl covering with numbered holes tamped into it. The positive charge is a handheld wand connected to the board. When the wand is touched to a hole, it makes a connection and within milliseconds, the signal is sent for the shell to be fired. Shells are lit electronically.

The trailer has up to a 350 feet safety zone around it, and the men get to work as soon as it is set up. It takes five men eight hours each to set up for a show that lasts twenty minutes, Carlson said, and it requires “miles and miles of wires.”

Carlson is well known for his “false grand finales,” he said. He likes to wait five to eight seconds between fireworks blasts, and folks will think the show is over when it’s not. “The horns will be honking, then you touch a button and all hell breaks loose,” he laughed. “I’ll get texts that say, ‘thought you were done.’ I’ve become well known,” for fake finales, he said. “The people who come every year, they know not to leave.”

Carlson noted that even with dry conditions, the fireworks show can take place. Volunteer fire departments from all over are on hand to help: Belle Fourche, Newell, Spearfish, and others are there. “They all help each other and park in different spots, just to be sure.”

Carlson grew up going to the rodeo. His parents, Fred and Marcie, owned the Grandview Locker Plant, with the biggest freezer in town. They would get huge ice blocks three feet by six feet, chipping them off and selling them to the rodeo and carnival folks. Carlson remembers, as a youngster, mixing the spices that went in the pans as the beef was roasted for the barbecues. “I’ve been involved in the rodeo forever,” he said. “I was never a cowboy, but I have a lot of friends that are.”

His favorite part of the show is setting the fireworks off. Setting up is fun, too, but it’s hand labor in moving the fireworks “cakes” to their position, and the weather can be hot.

He is paid for his work, but he donates the money back, so that more fireworks can be purchased. “I have always donated my pay back. I’d rather put on a better show for the town.”

He’s proud to be involved with the fireworks, the Black Hills Roundup, and the town. “It’s fun, it’s a lot of work, but it’s rewarding,” he said. “People love their fireworks.”

The Black Hills Rodeo takes place June 30-July 4, with fireworks following the rodeo performances on July 2 and 3. Those performances sell out quickly, so the public is encouraged to buy tickets now.

July 1 is Family night, with four tickets for $48. July 2 is Chutes for Charity night; July 3 is Tough Enough to Wear Pink night and July 4 is Military and First Responders Day. Nightly performances are at 7 pm, except for July 4, which is a 3 pm matinee. with a ranch rodeo at 7 pm.

The Roundup will be aired live on the Cowboy Channel + app and replayed at a later date on the Cowboy Channel.

Tickets range in price from $15-$34. Fans are encouraged to avoid the lines by purchasing online.

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).

Buffalo Bill Rodeo arena gets a facelift from longtime volunteers

North Platte, Neb. – June 6, 2022 – The Wild West Arena in North Platte is about to get a bit of a “makeup” touch-up.

The paintings of the words “Buffalo Bill Rodeo” and the picture of Buffalo Bill, painted on the west side of the arena, on the blocks below the grandstands, are getting touched up.

Sharon Negley, her daughter-in-law Tiffany Negley, and fellow volunteer Muffy Morris, are painting it to keep it fresh and clean.

It’s a job Sharon Negley started in 1988, when she and her husband, Bill, who passed last October, owned a sign shop in North Platte. At the time, many signs, including billboards, were painted by hand with Negley hand lettering them. The couple’s business became instrumental in the NebraskalandDays (NLD) celebration, working with them to install rodeo arena signs and banners and digital signs.

Negley and her crew head out to the rodeo arena about every other year, or more, if needed, to repair and repaint the face and the wording. Weather and precipitation take their toll on the painting. There might be places that chip or fade, or livestock kicks up rocks or dirt on it. The blocks freeze and thaw in the winter, which also causes wear and tear. “It’s an ongoing fight against the weather,” Negley said.

She uses four colors: white on the background, red for the lettering, and black and chrome yellow for shadowing the letters. Buffalo Bill’s face is black and white with a red outline. The paint is a special sign painter’s paint, with heavy pigment, specially made for painting murals and letters.

Painting on the cement blocks isn’t like painting on a canvas, Negley said. The blocks are uneven, there are joints to paint over, and angle iron that sticks out. “It’s a little bit of a challenge to paint on,” she said. “But it’s fun.”

The original artwork and painting was done by Chris Christiansen, who owned the Ace Neon sign shop in North Platte from 1947 to 1996. He had used a Barnum and Bailey-style font, which Negley and her husband changed to a Western-style font when they began painting.

The painting is only one of many volunteer tasks Negley has done for NLD and the Buffalo Bill Rodeo. Her husband was on the board of directors for six years, serving as arena manager during that time. “He took care of that arena, let me tell you,” she said. “He was always there, grooming it, making sure everything was just right.” Sharon served on the Miss Rodeo Nebraska committee for years, and the couple was part of the Cody Cavalry, retired board members, who serve in hospitality for the NLD concerts and Buffalo Bill Rodeo each year.

Sharon, and Bill, when he was alive, “had a big heart for NLD,” she said. “We were always interested in things that were uplifting for the community. We felt that NLD was a good family-oriented activity for the community and everyone around. We saw that rodeo brought people together and provided a sport that kids as well as adults can compete in.”

The painting she does, as well as everything else she and Bill have done, are a “labor of love,” she said.

“You have people who have a heart for NLD, and we’re there. I’ll probably be there till God calls me home. Just like my husband, that was his heart. He loved it.”

This year’s Buffalo Bill Rodeo will be held June 15-18 at the Wild West Arena in North Platte, Neb. Performances begin at 8 pm nightly. Tickets are on sale at NebraskalandDays.com and range in price from $10-$23.

For more information, visit the website or call the office at 308.532.7939.

High school rodeo athletes from across Nebraska head to Hastings for State Finals.

Hastings, Neb.  (June 6, 2022) The best high school rodeo athletes in the state will make their way to Hastings, Nebraska June 10-12 to compete for the title of Nebraska’s best.

The Nebraska High School Finals Rodeo features the top thirty contestants in each of thirteen events (top sixty in the team roping.) The high school students have accumulated points throughout the fall and spring seasons, and the following is a look at several of the event leaders.

Dane Pokorny is back to defend his 2021 steer wrestling title.

The Stapleton cowboy, a 2022 graduate of Thedford High School, leads the steer wrestling this year, a mere eight points ahead of his friend, Coy Johnston.

His rodeo year has been good, he said, “consistent. I’ve been picking up points every weekend.”

Not only does Pokorny excel in rodeo, but he was part of the Thedford High football team that won the state runner-up title in Class D2. He was all-state honorary caption and all-state running back, and started all four years in both football and basketball.

And this is the last state finals rodeo for Pokorny’s horse, Shorty. He will be retired after Pokorny rides him at state finals, and, if he qualifies, at the National High School Finals. After that, it’s out to pasture, to be “loved on,” Pokorny said.

Pokorny is the son of Brad and Paula Pokorny. He has also qualified for the finals in the team roping.

Reagan McIntyre, Grand Island, has burst into the high school rodeo world in grand fashion.

The fifteen-year-old cowgirl who just finished her freshman year is leading two events: the breakaway roping and the goat tying, with a double-digit lead in the breakaway over the number two cowgirl, Makayla Wray.

McIntyre excelled in junior high rodeo, finishing at the National Junior High Finals in sixth place in the world in the breakaway. “That gave me the confidence going into high school,” she said. “I knew there was tons of tough competition (in high school) so I’d have to take a step up, coming into the high school ranks.”

A student at Grand Island Northwest, she participates in volleyball, basketball and track, and was on the honor roll. Her 4×800 relay team finished seventh in Class B at the state track meet this year.

The oldest of four children of Jeremy and Karen McIntyre, Reagan admits the entire family is competitive when playing games, such as spoons. “It’s definitely pretty intense,” she laughed. “We have pretty much stopped playing because (the games) get so competitive.”

She has a plan for state finals. “I’m just going to go into it how I go into every run. It’s just another weekend where you have to lay down solid runs and stay on the top of your game.” She has also qualified for the state finals in the pole bending, team roping and barrel racing.

In the bareback riding, Tate Miller is confidently in first place.

The Springview cowboy has a six-point lead over the number two man, Spencer Denaeyer.

His strong rodeo season has been good, he said, after a weak showing at the 2021 National High School Finals Rodeo.

At Nationals last year, “I didn’t have the Nationals I’d have liked, and my confidence was down, coming into my junior year,” he said. “I’ve won a lot of (high school) rodeos this year, helping get my points up and my confidence built back up. I had a good season, so it boosted my confidence.”

Miller, who will be a senior at Keya Paha County High School this fall, plays football and is a member of the FFA and National Honor Society.

He is the son of Will and Jamie Miller.

In the boys cutting, Cooper Bass sits atop the leaderboard.

The Brewster cowboy, a graduate of online high school, has had an exceptional year in the cutting. “I’ve done very, very well,” he said. “My mare has been working great.”

He will also come into state finals in first place in the team roping, heading for Zach Bradley, and in a third event, the tie-down roping, in fourteenth place.

Because Bass has taken classes online, he’s had time for a job, working at three different sale barns, sometimes putting in 24 hour shifts. He also rides horses for others, putting thirty days of training on them.

He is the son of Steve and Teresa Bass.

Other leaders (as of press time) heading into the weekend’s finals include Hailey Witte, Crookston (barrel racing); Hunter Boydston, Grover, Colo. (bull riding); Brooke Forre, Newman Grove (girls cutting); Raina Swanson, Genoa (pole bending); Monte Bailey, Lakeside (saddle bronc riding); Sid Miller, Merna (tie-down roping) Brady Renner, Ericson (heeler); and Tatum Olson, Bloomfield (reined cow horse).

The thirteen events include bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping, steer wrestling, team roping, breakaway roping, goat tying, pole bending, barrel racing, boys cutting, girls cutting, reined cow horse and bull riding.

The first go-round takes place June 10 at 11 am and 6 pm. The second go-round is June 11 at 11 am and 6 pm. After the two rounds, the top ten contestants in each event will advance to the short round on June 12 at 1 pm. The cutting will be held at 7 am on June 10-11, with the final round at 8 am on June 12. The reined cow horse will be at 10 am on June 10-11.

The top four in each event, after the state finals are over, qualify for the National High School Finals Rodeo, held this year in Gillette, Wyo., July 17-23.

The 2022-2023 Miss Nebraska High School Rodeo Queen will be crowned prior to the performance on June 12.

For more information, visit www.AdamsCountyFairgrounds.com or call 402.462.3247. For information on the Nebraska State High School Rodeo Association, visit www.hsrodeo-nebraska.com.

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Cutlines:

Dane Pokorny steer wrestles at the 2022 Valentine high school rodeo. A 2022 graduate of Thedford High School, he enters the state high school finals in first place in the steer wrestling. Photo by Jill Saults.

Cooper Bass (on the right) and Zack Bradley team rope at the 2022 Valentine high school rodeo. Bass, of Brewster, leads the boys cutting coming into the weekend’s state finals but will also compete in the team roping. Photo by Steph Miller.

Tate Miller, Springview, enters this weekend’s state high school finals in first place in the bareback riding. Photo by Jill Saults.

Reagan McIntyre, Grand Island, leads two events coming into this weekend’s state high school finals. The 15-year-old cowgirl is first in the breakaway roping (pictured) and the goat tying. Photo by Steph Miller.

Qualifying high school rodeo contestants for the 2022 Nebraska State High School Finals Rodeo (unofficial listing; list is current as of 6-2-22, so contestants may have changed; qualifying contestants may choose to not compete at finals; hometown is in Nebraska unless specified):

Bareback Riding

1. Tate Miller, Springview
2. Spencer Denaeyer, Seneca
3. Cole Kerner, Sutherland
4. Koltdyn Heath, Minden
5. Tanner Drueke, Sutherland
6. Cinch Kiger, Overton
7. Taylon Pascoe, Lincoln

Barrel Racing

1. Hailey Witte, Crookston
2. Anna Clark, Thedford
3. Taci Flinn, Arcadia
4. Jacei Spangler, Arthur
5. Camryn Kocian, Brainard
6. Mekenna Fisher, Hershey
7. Summer Richardson, Ainsworth
8. Bradie Crouse, Blair
9. Clancy Jo Brown, North Platte
10. Bailey Bell, North Platte
11. Libby Hegemann, Arlington
12. Whitney Jennings, Seneca
13. Ashlyn Henderson, Hyannis
14. Blaise Lange, Harrison
15. Reagan McIntyre, Grand Island
16. Kinley Crow, Hershey
17. Peyton Fisher, Hershey
18. Laney Hoier, Herman
19. Jymmie Jensen, Burwell
20. Emma Pearson, Broken Bow
21. Morgan Rosander, Wolbach
22. Ashton Werth, Hyannis
23. Kieley Walz, Ainsworth
24. Jaycee Lambert, Harrison
25. Lillian Fletcher, Arnold
26. Jayda From, Crookston
27. Josie Anthony, Crofton
28. Dakota Glinn, Keystone
29. Gracey Rodocker-Peters, Taylor
30. Rylee Nall-Sillivan, St. Paul

Boys Cutting

1. Cooper Bass, Brewster
2. Bo Bushhousen, St Libory
3. Dakota Storer, Arthur
4. Trey Vance, Inavale
5. Devin Konicek, Burwell
6. Tatum Olson, Bloomfield
7. Alex Hathaway, Pender
8. Cody Miller, Broken Bow
9. Matt Symonds, Mitchell
10. Tate Talkington, Scottsbluff
11. Clancey Symonds, Mitchell
12. Tucker Gillespie, McCook

Breakaway Roping

1. Reagan McIntyre, Grand Island
2. Makayla Wray, Ord
3. Emma Ohm, Hyannis
4. Jace Hurlburt, Arcadia
5. Shayda Vaughn, Hershey
6. Whitney Jennings, Seneca
7. Summer Richardson, Ainsworth
8. Laynee Ohm, Hyannis
9. Bradie Crouse, Blair
10. Tacey From, Crookston
11. Fayth From, Crookston
12. Libby Hegemann, Arlington
13. Kieley Walz, Ainsworth
14. Ali Vaughn, Hershey
15. Clancy Jo Brown, North Platte
16. Jacei Spangler, Arthur
17. Brooke Forre, Newman Grove
18. Jacie Naprstek, Gothenburg
19. Laney Hoier, Herman
20. Jasmine Dyer, Crawford
21. Halee Sheffield, Farnam
22. Rylee Nall-Sillivan, St Paul
23. Jayda From, Crookston
24. Jaden Mathis, Atkinson
25. Mekenna Fisher, Hershey
26. Jenae Whitaker, Chambers
27. Kinley Greenough, Kearney
28. Emily Leach, Dunning
29. Kassidy Rambat, Ashby
30. Kirsten Koenig, Ewing

Bull Riding

1. Hunter Boydston, Grover, Colo.
2. Jason Ducker-Kursave, Aracdia
3. Cooper Kursave, Arcadia
4. Jett Sjeklocha, Hayes Center
5. Tanner Drueke, Sutherland
6. Koltdyn Heath, Minden
7. Brady Painter, Ainsworth
8. Slate Micheel, Sargent
9. Ashton Higgins, Neligh
10. Dalton Garey, Broken Bow
11. Cole Kerner, Sutherland
12. Colton Thornburg, Hastings

Girls Cutting

1. Brooke Forre, Newman Grove
2. Whitney Jennings, Seneca
3. Mekenna Fisher, Hershey
4. Emma Pearson Broken Bow
5. Ava Smith, Pender
6. Peyton Fisher, Hershey
7. Gracyn Hicks, Burwell
8. Jayda Meyring, Alliance
9. Jordan Downing, Dunning

Goat Tying

1. Reagan McIntyre, Grand Island
2. Libby Hegemann, Arlington
3. Laney Hoier, Herman
4. Ashlyn Henderson, Hyannis
5. Emma Warren, Thedford
6. Kinley Greenough, Kearney
7. Emma Ohm, Hyannis
8. Jacie Naprstek, Gothenburg
9. Jacei Spangler, Arthur
10. Clancy Jo Brown, North Platte
11. Mekenna Fisher, Hershey
12. Jenae Whitaker, Chambers
13. Laynee Ohm, Hyannis
14. Bradie Crouse, Blair
15. Tatum Reid, Crawford
16. Abigail Lawton, Overton
17. Sabrina Schemper, Holdrege
18. Brooke Forre, Newman Grove
19. Jace Hurlburt, Arcadia
20. Peyton Fisher, Hershey
21. Kylie Lancaster, Hastings
22. Lynsie Lancaster, Hastings
23. Kassidy Rambat, Ashby
24. Samara Ruether, Beaver Crossing
25. Winter Benscoter, Valentine
26. Kirsten Koenig, Ewing
27. Paityn Edwards, Waverly
28. Jaycee Lambert, Harrison
29. Whitney Jennings, Seneca
30. Jayda From, Crookston
31. Terrin Barthel, Ainsworth

(due to a tie for 30th place, there are 31 qualified goat tyers)

Pole Bending

1. Raina Swanson, Genoa
2. Gracey Taylor, Valentine
3. Makalya Wray, Ord
4. Clancy Jo Brown, North Platte
5. Emma Pearson, Broken Bow
6. Rylee Nall-Silivan, St. Paul
7. Reagan McIntyre, Grand Island
8. Abigail Lawton, Overton
9. Jymmie Jensen, Burwell
10. Tatum Reid, Crawford
11. Peyton Fisher, Hershey
12. Ashlyn Henderson, Hyannis
13. Addison Oliver, Holyoke, Colo.
14. Camryn Kocian, Brainard
15. Emily Ahlers, Clearwater
16. Sage Glinn, Keystone
17. Kieley Walz, Ainsworth
18. Emma Grube, Minden
19. Laynee Ohm, Hyannis
20. Dakota Glinn, Keystone
21. Jacei Spangler, Arthur
22. Rylee Legg, Kenesaw
23. Morgan Rosander, Wolbach
24. Sydney Fletcher, Arnold
25. Jenae Whitaker, Chambers
26. Josie Anthony, Crofton
27. Nevaeh Wild, Hay Springs
28. Lillian Fletcher, Arnold
29. Tacey From, Crookston
30. Mekenna Fisher, Hershey’
31. Kenna McCaslin, Broken Bow
32. Emily Bennett, Bayard

(due to a tie for 30th place, there are 32 qualified pole benders)

Saddle Bronc Riding

1. Monte Bailey, Lakeside
2. Leif Meidell, Harrison
3. Augustus Painter, Ainsworth
4. Carson Jones, Neligh

Steer Wrestling

1. Dane Pokorny, Stapleton
2. Coy Johnston, Stapleton
3. Taydon Gorsuch, Gering
4. Sage Schrunk, Valentine
5. Jaden Fanning, Ogallala
6. Slate Micheel, Sargent
7. Tucker Ravenscroft, Nenzel
8. Beau Wiebelhaus, Springview
9. Wyatt Reichenberg, Harrisburg
10. Cinch Painter, Springview
11. Gage Davis, Cody
12. TC Hughson, Morrill
13. Kyle Cox, Purdum
14. Dawson Doggett, Stapleton
15. Augustus Painter, Ainsworth
16. Brady Painter, Ainsworth
17. Cayson Johnston, Stapleton
18. Thayne Kimbrough, Ohiowa
19. Carson Cooksley, Valentine
20. Cody Miller, Broken Bow
21. Cale Buss, Atkinson
22. Dakota Storer, Arthur
23. Clayton Veldhuizen, Curtis
24. Wyatt Hajny, Nelson
25. Jett Sjeklocha, Hayes Cneter
26. Clayton Elliott, Valentine
27. Coy Fleming, Bayard

Team Roping

1. Brady Renner, Ericson
2. Cooper Bass, Brewster
3. Makayla Wray, Ord
4. Sid Miller, Merna
5. Zane Druery, Anselmo
6. Brent Charlton, North Platte
7. Carter Anderson, Merriman
8. Sage Schrunk, Valentine
9. Jate Saults, Big Springs
10. Seth Glass, Central City
11. Reagan McIntyre, Grand Island
12. Zack Bradley, Brewster
13. Summer Richardson, Ainsworth
14. Cinch Painter, Springview
15. Tyson Stracke, Stuart
16. Bradie Crouse, Blair
17. Dalton Garey, Broken Bow
18. Zane Kreikemeier, Callaway
19. Gage Davis, Cody
20. Jace Hurlburt, Arcadia
21. Coy Johnston, Stapleton
22. Tate Talkington, Scottsbluff
23. Skyler Hund, North Platte
24. Ryan Shepherd, North Platte
25. Emma Ohm, Hyannis
26. Fayth From, Croookston
27. Hayes Hammond, Valentine
28. Jace Richter, Ogallala
29. Cayson Johnston, Stapleton
30. Evan Richter, Ogallala
31. Trell Shrewsbury, Alliance
32. Joe Todd-Hopkins, Bayard
33. Montgomery Brown, Oshkosh
34. Garrett Harms, Brule
35. Jackson Wykert, Grant
36. Tatum Olson, Bloomfield
37. Jaden Fanning, Ogallala
38. Kohl Kramer, Hyannis
39. Cauy Preitauer, Stamford
40. Sage Dieter, Alma
41. Ashlyn Henderson, Hyannis
42. Ty Growcock, Bartlett
43. Taylor Drueke, Sutherland
44. Laynee Ohm, Hyannis
45. Jymmie Jensen, Burwell
46. Dane Pokorny, Stapleton
47. Jaden Mathis, Atkinson
48. Cale Buss, Atkinson
49. Layne Wallinger, Stuart
50. Everett Blackburn, Bartlett
51. Cooper Fay, Cody
52. Riggin Heikel, Hazard
53. Thayne Kimbrough, Ohiowa
54. Layton Lindner, Broken Bow
55. Matthew Miller, Callaway
56. Tate Miller, Springview
57. Tucker Ravenscroft, Nenzel
58. Dakota Storer, Arthur
59. Tacey From, Crookston
60. Cody Miller, Broken Bow

Tie-Down Roping

1. Sid Miller, Merna
2. Jate Saults, Big Springs
3. Cooper Phillips, Burwell
4. Carter Anderson, Merriman
5. Tate Talkington, Scottsbluff
6. Layne Wallinger, Stuart
7. Coy Johnston, Stapleton
8. Sage Schrunk, Valentine
9. Seth Glass, Central City
10. Brent Charlton, North Platte
11. Gage Davis, Cody
12. Matthew Miller, Callaway
13. Cale Buss, Atkinson
14. Cody Miller, Broken Bow
15. Cooper Bass, Brewster
16. Camilo Rios, Ashland
17. Zane Kreikemeier, Callaway
18. Trell Shrewsbury, Alliance
19. Cayson Johnston, Stapleton
20. Tyson Stracke, Stuart
21. Cauy Preitauer, Stamford
22. Montgomery Brown, Oshkosh
23. Hayes Hammond, Valentine
24. Layton Lindner, Broken Bow
25. Jace Richter, Ogallala
26. Cinch Painter, Springview
27. Zachary Miller, Callaway
28. Taylor Drueke, Sutherland
29. Dakota Storer, Arthur
30. Jaden Fanning, Ogallala

Reined Cow Horse

1. Tatum Olson, Bloomfield
2. Charlie Bortner, McCook
3. Tate Talkington,Scottsbluff
4. Jayda Meyring, Alliance
5. Tucker Gillespie, McCook
6. Abigail Russell, Hay Springs
7. Ashton Werth, Hyannis
8. Alyssa Hockenbary, Valentine
9. Paige Hoelting, Sutherland

Days of ’76 keeps history alive with rodeo, history reenactments.

Deadwood, S.D. (June 6, 2022) – They don’t like to mess with history in Deadwood, S.D.

And that’s one reason the Days of ’76 Rodeo, held in Deadwood July 24-30, has been so successful.

For the 100th year, the Days of ’76 Rodeo will hold its annual event, with over 600 cowboys and cowgirls and thousands of fans in attendance.

There are plenty of good reasons to attend the rodeo, says Chris Roberts, chairman of the committee.

“One of the biggest things, compared to other PRCA rodeos, is that we concentrate on the western tradition and the history of the sport,” he said. The wooden chutes add the western flavor to the event, and the specialty acts and entertainment are geared around horses and horsemanship acts.

During each performance of the rodeo, two reenactments are held: a stagecoach holdup and the murder of Wild Bill Hickok, which took place just down the street from the arena, on August 2, 1876.

This year’s rodeo will include announcer Randy Corley, rodeo clown Justin Rumford, bullfighters Nathan Jestes and Beau Schueth, and the bucking horses and bulls of Burch Rodeo and various sub-contractors.

Being true to their roots has been good to the Days of ’76. The rodeo has won nineteen PRCA Rodeo of the Year awards: four times in the small rodeo category, fourteen times in the medium category, and one (2020) in the large outdoor rodeo category. Through the years, the rodeo has grown, necessitating its move from the small rodeo division to the large.

Rodeo is South Dakota’s official state sport, so it is important to the state. “It runs deep in all of South Dakota, and certainly western South Dakota and Deadwood,” Roberts said.

“The (rodeo) celebration has remained historic in nature,” he said. “We continue to celebrate the Days of 1876 and the gold rush in the Black Hills.”

This year’s Days of ’76 rodeo will take place July 24-30. Slack, the extra competition that doesn’t fit into the performances, runs July 24-27. Performances are July 27-30 with nightly performances at 7 pm and a matinee on July 30 at 1:30 pm. Tickets range in price from $11-$41 (plus fees) and can be purchased online at Daysof76.com and at the gate. For more information, visit the website.

Oregon family’s involvement in St. Paul Rodeo runs deep.

St. Paul, Ore. (June 6, 2022) – The St. Paul Rodeo runs deep in the veins of the Richard and Christy Cloepfil family of Carlton, Oregon.

Not only have they and their three daughters been part of it, Richard is the third generation of his family to be involved.

It started with Richard’s grandfather, Harry Kuehne, owner of the Bar K Stock Ranch in Carlton.  A horse trader, Harry was one of the original stock holders of the St. Paul Rodeo and provided livestock for the rodeo.

Richard, the son of Harry’s daughter Arlene, remembers riding in the St. Paul Rodeo parade when he was three, on the saddle with his dad, Darrel, “Boise.” As a four-year-old, he was “grown up enough” to ride his own pony through the parade. His mom Arlene, a horsewoman, roman rode at the rodeo on a matching pair of palomino horses.

Two of Richard’s relatives: aunt Maxine Kuehne, was on the court, as was his sister, Linda Cloepfil Boline, who also went on to serve as Miss Rodeo Oregon.

Richard and Christy had the next set of St. Paul Rodeo royalties, but with a twist.

Their youngest daughter, Regina, wanted to try out for the title of St. Paul Rodeo princess, but she wanted her older sister, Adrea, to try out with her. Gina’s plan was that she and her sister would win the two princess titles and serve together. Addie was willing to try out, but her heart wasn’t in it as much as her sister’s was.

But the irony was that Addie won a princess title, and Gina won nothing. “There wasn’t much conversation on the way home,” Richard quipped. That was in 2005, and Gina tried again, winning a princess title in 2007 and the queen title the next year.

Being on the royal court requires a parent as chaperone, and for Richard and Christy to leave their farm was tough. They credit their oldest daughter, Kelsey, with staying home to oversee employees and the work while they were gone weekends for the two younger girls.

The family attended when the girls were kids, but as they married and left home, they haven’t had the whole clan with grandkids at the rodeo together.

This year, they will be.

Kelsey is married to Mike Freese and lives in Yamhill with their son and triplet daughters.

The other two Cloepfil girls live in Australia: Adra and husband Jarrod Vinen, with two sons in Sydney, and Gina and husband Greg Walter and their two daughters, in Melbourne.

Because of pandemic restrictions, the Vinens and Walters haven’t been to the States since 2019.

The girls and their kids arrive In early June for “grandpa and grandma camp”, with the husbands coming in late June.

While in the States, Richard and Christy have fun things planned for the kids: camping out on the front lawn, bonfires, “backyard fun,” Christy said.

They’ll all attend the St. Paul Rodeo, the parade, the carnival, the fireworks, and all the activities.

The grandparents are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the entire clan. With eight grandkids between the ages of two and a half and seven, Christy thought about cleaning house to prepare for them, but decided against it, saying she’d have to clean house after they left.

The friends they’ll reconnect with at the St. Paul Rodeo, not only for the daughters but Richard and Christy too, are “invaluable,” Richard said.

He remembers his parents’ and grandparents’ generations, when the St. Paul Rodeo was often the only time the family left the farm for entertainment during the summer. “It was maybe the biggest thing they did each year, besides working on the farm.”

Times have changed, but the St. Paul Rodeo is still a big deal.

“We enjoy it,” he said. “It’s a good time.”

The St. Paul Rodeo runs June 30-July 4, with performances nightly at 7:30 pm and a 1:30 pm matinee on July 4. Fireworks follow each night show.

Tickets are available online at StPaulRodeo.com and at the gate. They range in price from $20 to $26.

For more information, visit the website or call 800.237.5920.

Garnering 34.5 Challenger Series points for the golden finish, Oliveira surged to No. 3 in the series standings.

OCEAN CITY, Md. – As action for the first-ever PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Challenger Series event in Ocean City, Maryland, wound to a close Sunday afternoon, Eduardo de Oliveira (Nova Lacerda, Brazil) emerged the supreme competitor. Backed by a 2-for-4 showing, Oliveira won his career-first PBR event, victorious at the Bulls on The Beach – Ocean City PBR.

Despite suffering a heart-breaking buckoff in Round 1, bested by Rocky Malcoma (Mike Miller Bucking Bulls) in a close 7.19 seconds, the stoic Brazilian returned determined for Round 2. Going head-to-head with Pennsylvania-raised animal athlete Just Denim (Mike Miller Bucking Bulls), Oliveira reached the requisite 8 for 81 points.

Oliveira’s momentum then continued in Round 3 when he covered Grey Goose (Mike Miller Bucking Bulls) for 81.5 points to surge to the event lead.

While Cooter Brown (Lucas Manning/Waller Brothers Cattle Co.) proved too much for Oliveira in the championship round, brought down in 4.06 seconds, his two prior qualified rides proved enough to clinch the golden finish.

Oliveira’s efforts earned him 34.5 Challenger Series, propelling him to No. 3 in the series standings. He is now within 36 points of the top-ranked rider.

Texas Rattlers rider Rafael Jose de Brito (Potirendaba, Brazil) remained atop the Challenger Series standings compliments of a runner-up effort in Ocean City.

Going 2-for-4, Brito briefly held the event lead after winning Round 1 when he rode Judgement Day (Lucas Manning Bucking Bulls) for 86 points.

His success, however, came to an abrupt halt in Round 2 when he was upended by Air Shift (Blake Sharp/Henry Wilson) in 5.27 seconds.

Righting the ship, Brito struck again in Round 3 when he bested All In (J Bar W) for 68.5 points. In a business decision, Brito declined his option for a re-ride, a decision which proved dividends.

Brito’s event, however, ended short of the 8-second whistle, bucked off by Xoxo (Lucas Manning Bucking Bulls) in the championship round in 3.17 seconds.

The podium finish garnered Brito 28 Challenger Series points.

Third was Round 1 winner Cole Melancon (Sour Lake, Texas), collecting 17 Challenger Series points.

The Kansas City Outlaws contender delivered the highest-marked ride of the event in Round 2 when he dominated Xoxo for 88.5 points.

The reserved Texan leaves the Eastern Shore having earned 17 Challenger Series points. Melancon is now ranked No. 7 in the series standings, 53.5 points behind No. 1 Brito.

Fourth was Alex Jenks (Vale, North Carolina), netting 10 Challenger Series points.

Going 1-for-4, Jenks converted atop Chief (Blake Sharp/Michael Floyd) in Round 2, marked 86.5 points.

Rounding out the Top 5 in fifth was veteran rider Michael Lane (Tazewell, Virginia).

Lane had the Ocean City crowd on its feet in the opening round when he rode Root Cause (J Bar W) for 85.5 points.

He earned 8 Challenger Series points.

PBR RidePass on PlutoTV 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. Tune to channel 720 for the latest programming schedule, and click here for on-demand PBR programming.

PBR Challenger Series

Bulls on The Beach – Ocean City PBR

Ocean City Beach Front – Ocean City, Maryland

Event Leaders (Round 1-Round 2-Round 3-Round 4-Event Aggregate-Event Points)

1. Eduardo de Oliveira, 0-81-81.5-0-162.50-34.5 Points.
2. Rafael Jose de Brito, 86-0-68.5-0-154.50-28 Points.
3. Cole Melancon, 0-88.5-0-0-88.50-17 Points.
4. Alex Jenks, 0-86.5-0-0-86.50-10 Points.
5. Michael Lane, 85.5-0-0-0-85.50-8 Points.
6. Brandon Chambers, 0-0-84.5-0-84.50-8 Points.

(tie). Kyle McDaniel, 0-0-84.5-0-84.50-8 Points.

8. Travis Wimberley, 0-0-84-0-84.00-3 Points.
9. Jake Morinec, 82.5-0-0-0-82.50-3 Points.
10. Marcus Mast, 0-0-81.5-0-81.50-1.5 Points.
11. Lane Nelson, 79.5-0-0-0-79.50-2 Points.
12. Felipe Nogueira, 79-0-0-0-79.00-1 Points.

Leonardo Lima, 0-0-0-0-0.00

Wallace Vieira de Oliveira, 0-0-0-0-0.00

Matt Allgood, 0-0-0-0-0.00

Bryce Hoekwater, 0-0-0-0-0.00

Lamar Lehman, 0-0-0-0-0.00

Dustin Martinez, 0-0-0-0-0.00

Keith Hall, 0-0-0-0-0.00

Levi Hershberger, 0-0-0-0-0.00

D.J. Parker, 0-0-0-0-0.00

Will Loomis, 0-0-0-0-0.00

Kevin Fairris, 0-0-0-0-0.00

Matt Oliver, 0-0-0-0-0.00

Warlen Aquino, 0-0-0-0-0.00

Ben Havill, 0-0-0-0-0.00

Perry Schrock, 0-0-0-0-0.00

Joseph Petersheim, 0-0-0-0-0.00

Clancy Hart, 0-0-0-0-0.00

Tyler Crank, 0-0-0-0-0.00

Chance Fryer, 0-0-0-0-0.00

Melvin Byler, 0-0-0-0-0.00

Adrian Stackhouse, 0-0-0-0-0.00

Andrew Decker, 0-0-0-0-0.00

Jake Schreiber, 0-0-0-0-0.00

Dustin Herman, 0-0-0-0-0.00

Andrew Eckhart, 0-0-0-0-0.00

Hunter Gunneson, 0-0-0-0-0.00

Preston Wentworth, 0-0-0-0-0.00

Brandon McDowell, 0-0-0-0-0.00

Jordon Beck, 0-0-0-0-0.00

2022 PBR Challenger Series Standings

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

1. Rafael Jose de Brito, 2, 1, 2, 70.50, $17,223.73
2. Deklan Garland, 2, 1, 2, 40.00, $6,476.33
3. Eduardo de Oliveira, 1, 1, 1, 34.50, $7,150.00
4. Eli Vastbinder, 1, 0, 1, 28.00, $9,829.06
5. Tieler Cummings, 1, 0, 1, 20.50, $4,500.00
6. Caden Bunch, 1, 0, 1, 20.50, $4,500.00
7. Cole Melancon, 1, 0, 1, 17.00, $4,000.00
8. Daniel Keeping, 1, 0, 1, 16.00, $4,933.36
9. Lonnie West, 2, 1, 1, 15.00, $3,351.55
10. Brady Oleson, 1, 1, 1, 15.00, $5,267.21
11. Leonardo Lima, 3, 0, 1, 11.50, $3,690.61
12. Trace Brown, 5, 0, 1, 10.00, $4,485.26
13. Bo T Vocu, 3, 0, 1, 10.00, $4,000.00
14. Alex Jenks, 2, 0, 1, 10.00, $2,800.00
15. Bill Henry, 2, 0, 1, 8.00, $4,309.53
16. Kyle McDaniel, 1, 0, 0, 8.00, $1,680.00
17. Brandon Chambers, 1, 0, 0, 8.00, $1,680.00
18. Michael Lane, 1, 0, 1, 8.00, $1,980.00
19. Dalton Rudman, 2, 0, 1, 7.00, $1,715.88
20. Wallace Vieira de Oliveira, 2, 0, 1, 6.50, $2,334.87
21. Josh Baker, 1, 0, 1, 6.50, $2,334.87
22. Jake Morinec, 3, 0, 0, 4.50, $788.30
23. Leandro Machado, 1, 1, 1, 4.00, $2,284.08
24. Griffin Smeltzer, 2, 0, 1, 4.00, $1,188.24
25. Gage Gay, 2, 0, 1, 3.00, $734.47
26. Travis Wimberley, 1, 0, 0, 3.00, $960.00
27. Alecio Ferreira da Costa, 2, 0, 0, 2.00, $922.65
28. Cody Casper, 2, 0, 1, 2.00, $1,134.59
29. Lane Nelson, 1, 0, 0, 2.00, $300.00
30. Marcus Mast, 4, 0, 0, 1.50, $150.00
31. Matt Allgood, 3, 0, 0, 1.50, $188.30
32. Bryce Hoekwater, 2, 0, 1, 1.00, $792.84
33. Felipe Nogueira, 1, 0, 0, 1.00, $0.00
34. Cal Spence, 1, 0, 0, 1.00, $0.00

Former contestants are now judges at Buffalo Bill Rodeo.

North Platte, Neb. –May 31, 2022 – The men who are behind the scenes at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo in North Platte, Nebraska next month have been on the scenes in the past.

PRCA judges Skip Emmett and Clayton Macom used to ride and compete in North Platte. Now they will serve as judges for the competition.

Emmett, of Ponca, Arkansas, and Macom, Stigler, Oklahoma, have been on both sides of the “arena,” in North Platte, so to speak.

Emmett rode bareback horses, steer wrestled and team roped before he retired from competition.

He won the College National Finals Rodeo in 1975, having become a PRCA member in 1970 and quitting the bareback riding in 1986 but adding steer wrestling and team roping.

In the 1970s, cowboys who were injured had to serve as a rodeo judge, so Emmett took his turn at that. A school teacher, he taught ag then became a principal for ten years.

In 2005, he began judging rodeos, juggling his teaching job and traveling on weekends and in the summers. In 2011, he retired and the next year was on the road for 100 performances, judging, including being selected to work the National Finals Rodeo, pro rodeo’s championship event, in 2014 and 2017.

He went back to teaching for three years, but retired a second time this spring, and now works as one of the PRCA’s official judges.

Clayton Macom’s career started much like Emmett’s. He competed in the bareback riding and bull riding, qualifying for the Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo several times. After retiring from competition in 1999, he began as a PRCA judge in 2005. He began judging to stay involved in the sport.

Macom competed at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo three times, winning second one year. When he’s not on the rodeo trail, he ranches and does leatherwork.

Both men have judged the rodeo more than once, and they enjoy it.

“There’s tons of tradition at that rodeo,” Emmett said. “That rodeo draws good crowds and the fans enjoy it. When you have a good crowd and good facilities, it’s fun to work those rodeos.”

Macom has a much more memorable experience from the Buffalo Bill Rodeo. In the early 1990s, he and a fellow contestant were flying in a twin engine plan, headed home. As they took off from the North Platte airport, the plane blew a tire. “It was really nip and tuck for a minute,” he said, “getting off the ground.” The pilot was ordered to land the plane, and Macom, who would have rather driven than flown anyway, looked down and saw a line of ambulances and fire trucks, waiting for them as they made an emergency landing.

“I was OK till I looked down at the runway,” he said. “Then I started to panic. We are going to die in North Platte,” he quipped. But the pilot landed the plane with no problems. The cowboys stayed overnight as the plane got a new tire, missing the next rodeo, “but we lived to talk about it,” he laughed.

While they’re in town, Emmett and his wife MaryLynn will shop, as will Macom. The men have brought their golf clubs, too, hoping to get a round of golf in.

Being a rodeo judge doesn’t always make a person a favorite of the contestants, but Emmett and Macom know they have a job to do. “There are difficult calls to make,” Macom said. “I’m not always (the cowboys’) favorite person. Sometimes I am, if they win, and sometimes I’m not. But I enjoy it. I still get to travel and be around rodeo.”

DeWitt Forrest is the third judge for the rodeo.

The Buffalo Bill Rodeo takes place June 15-18 at the Wild West Arena in North Platte. Performances are held nightly at 8 pm.

Tickets are on sale at NebraskalandDays.com and at the gate and range in price from $10-$23.

For more information, visit the website or call the office at 308.532.7939.