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  • Women’s Rodeo World Championship to Debut in Las Vegas in November

    Women’s Rodeo World Championship to Debut in Las Vegas in November

    New Opportunity Created for Female Athletes Seeking New World Title

    AUSTIN, Texas and PUEBLO, Colo.- WCRA (World Champions Rodeo Alliance) and PBR (Professional Bull Riders) have announced a new, breakthrough event in women’s rodeo: the Women’s Rodeo World Championship, taking place at South Point Equestrian Center on November 3-7.

    This first-of-its-kind world championship is open to any female athlete in the world competing in breakaway roping, barrel racing and team roping.

    The new Women’s Rodeo World Championship will award a minimum of $750,000 and name a champion in the individual disciplines of barrel racing, breakaway roping, team roping as well as a Women’s Rodeo All-Around Champion.  The event will be held in Las Vegas during the PBR World Finals.

    Qualifying positions will be open to all eligible women across the world. Ten riders will have direct paths to the Championship based on their final ranking on the WCRA leaderboard.

    The event will begin with onsite open-qualifier rounds November 3 – 5. Those ranked in the top 10 from the open qualifier will advance to the Championship on November 6 – 7, where they’ll compete alongside the Top 10 from the WCRA leaderboard and an additional four competitors awarded exemptions from to-be-named events.

    “Working with our partners at PBR to provide female rodeo athletes an opportunity like this is a game-changer,” said WCRA CEO, Gary McKinney. “This historic addition of the Women’s Rodeo World Championship to the WCRA 2020 tour will give female ropers and barrel racers more opportunities, including the ability to compete for big-money payouts.”

    “Women in rodeo haven’t had the same opportunities as men, and they deserve this exciting national platform and world title competition,” said PBR CEO Sean Gleason. “We’re very proud of our partnership with WCRA which helps us celebrate and reward talented female athletes while inspiring the next generation of young women to pursue rodeo.”

    The Women’s Rodeo World Championship will be carried on RIDE-TV and RidePass, the PBR’s western sport digital network.

     

    Additional details on how to qualify and leaderboard information will be released at a later date.

     

    About WCRA

    WCRA is a professional sport and entertainment entity, created to develop and advance the sport of rodeo by aligning all levels of competition. In association with the PBR, WCRA produces major rodeo events, developing additional opportunities for rodeo-industry competitors, stakeholders, and fans. To learn more, visit wcrarodeo.com. For athletes interested in learning more about the WCRA Virtual Rodeo Qualifier (VRQ) system, visit app.wcrarodeo.com.

     

    About PBR

    PBR is the world’s premier bull riding organization. More than 700 bull riders compete in more than 200 events annually across the televised PBR Unleash The Beast tour (UTB), which features the top 35 bull riders in the world; the PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour (PWVT); the PBR Touring Pro Division (TPD); and the PBR’s international circuits in Australia, Brazil, Canada and Mexico. PBR’s digital assets include RidePass, which is home to Western sports. PBR is a subsidiary of IMG, a global leader in sports, fashion, events and media. For more information, visit PBR.com, or follow on Facebook at Facebook.com/PBR, Twitter at Twitter.com/PBR, and YouTube at YouTube.com/PBR.

     

    Media Contacts

    For PBR – Andrew Giangola

    andrew.giangola@img.com or 646-871-2402

     

    For WCRA – Kyle Jones

    Kjones@wcrarodeo.com or 432-683-4816

  • 7th Year for The AMERICAN

    7th Year for The AMERICAN

    Champions:

    Steer Wrestling: Matt Reeves – Matt was one of five people in a room in Omaha, Nebraska, when Randy Bernard talked about producing the AMERICAN. It seemed too good to be true. “40 has been good to me”

    Bareback: Kaycee Field – second win at the AMERICAN. “I had an accident last year got hit on the head – I think it made me smarter.” With his first win, he invested in two companies PWR PRO CBD – unique brand that controls crops, and produces the products in a 300,000 square foot plant in Utah-  it’s the first time I’ve made money without using my body. The other company – gel blasters, a gun that shoots Rodeo has been good to me – I’ve got great friends all over the country.”

    Breakaway roping: Kaycee Hollingback. Kaycee grew up in a rodeo family. She made it to the AMERICAN on the last qualifier. She’s riding a horse that she has only had for less than a year. “I remember dreaming of this as a little girl.”

    Team roping: Luke Brown – header. “We bought this horse seven years ago. I’ve won Cheyenne and the BFI on him, then he got hurt and we were told we could never ride him again. We prayed a lot about it – and he got better and here we are.” Joseph Harrison – heeler – “Since I was a young boy trying to learn how to rope and win – you need a good partner and a good horse – and I have both.” The duo hasn’t roped together for very long. “We roped around each other a lot, and we roped together one day before the AMERICAN.”

    Barrel Racing: Stevi Hillman on board Truck. “He’s a very special horse – he turned 13 this year. I”ve had him for six years, made the NFR four years now. I like that we had an alley and the ground was great.” There was a lot of consultation about the new set up on the arena. Stevi travels with her husband, Ty. “He does everything for me.”

    Tie Down Roping: Shad Mayfield “It’s unbelievable – that much money helps. Now I can lay low – maybe take a vacation.” He’s riding a new horse that he got in October. “He’s made it so easy – he’s changed my roping.” Shad has won more than $700,000 this year. “I don’t want to ever go through that again,” he said about last year, when he was on the bubble for the last month. “To be on top already this year is great.” He handles pressure well. “I’m under pressure every day in the practice pen being around my dad. This is a lot easier.”

    Saddle Bronc Riding: Wyatt Casper won the College finals in 2016. He is also leading the PRCA world standings. “The money I’ve got won is more than the last three years in PRCA. Last year got me down, from June to August I only won $3,500 – super glad I had my parents and my beautiful wife and kids – behind me. I owe it all to the good Lord – I’ve never drawn so good in my whole life.”

    Bull Riding: Sage Kimzey/Joao Ricardo Vieira. Joao has been at the AMERICAN for three years and won it every year. “This is the best for me. ” Sage – “This is a great place to come – you dream about this as a kid.” He competed in pain – three weeks from surgery on and accident – he had a bull fall on him and it tore the ligament that attaches two bones together in his ankle. “I’m going to take some time off and get everything ready for the busy part of summer season.”

  • MPCC Rodeo Team Member Qualifies for The American

    MPCC Rodeo Team Member Qualifies for The American

    It’s all come down to this.

    Months spent qualifying. A lifetime of watching, learning and honing his skills.

    This weekend, Wynn Schaack, of Wall, S.D., will put his experience to the test – competing against the top steer wrestlers in the world at RFD-TV’s The American, the biggest two-day payout in rodeo.

    “It’s exciting,” Schaack said of the qualification. “Kind of surreal.”

    Schaack’s journey to The American officially began last summer when he won the reserve champion steer wrestling title at the National High School Rodeo Association Finals. That earned him one qualification for The American Semi-Finals. He needed two.

    He qualified again in Montana and a third time in Texas.

    When the dust settled, Schaack was one of 170 steer wrestlers who made it to The American Semi-Finals. He advanced to the top 30 upon winning the second round of slack Feb. 24, then subsequently won the first performance of the semi-finals Thursday.

    By Saturday, Schaack had entered the Top 10 lineup and advanced to the final qualifying round on Sunday. He threw his steer in a time of 4.01 seconds Sunday – securing a fourth-place finish on the leaderboard and becoming one of six underdogs to earn a spot at The American.

    It’s a huge accomplishment for any rodeo cowboy, but especially one who is 19.

    “I was definitely nervous being up against that level of competition,” Schaack said. “But, my dad always told me to think of every performance as just another run – don’t get too worried about it, just focus on what I do best. That’s what I did, and I guess it worked.”

    Schaack hasn’t had much time to celebrate. After the competition Sunday, he drove all night from Texas to attend classes at MPCC’s campus in McCook on Monday. He’s currently studying agribusiness there and is an active member of the college’s rodeo team.

    His teammates will be among the many cheering him on when he enters the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas this weekend for The American as will his family.

    “My family is in the middle of calving right now, so my mom and brother had to stay home during the semi-finals and take care of stuff at the ranch,” Schaack said. “I’m hoping my mom at least can come down for The American. My dad and grandma will be there as well.”

    There are a variety of ways the general public can watch live coverage of the event. Options can be found at rfdtvamericanrodeo.com.

    “This whole experience has been amazing,” said Schaack. “I’ve been meeting a lot of people and have really stepped up my competitiveness because of it. I’ve always had a strong drive for rodeo, but now I want it more than ever.”

  • New Equipment, First Place

    New Equipment, First Place

    Bareback rider makes winning ride on new riggin’; champions determined at N.D. Winter Show PRCA rodeo

    Valley City, N.D. (March 7, 2020) – Tucker Zingg was dreading breaking in a new bareback rigging.

    When they’re new, the riggin’, which looks similar to a suitcase handle on a band of leather, is stiff and doesn’t have the broken-in feeling like a comfortable old shoe.

    But his new riggin’ worked just fine.

    The Crow Agency, Mont. cowboy won the bareback riding at the N.D. Winter Show PRCA rodeo in Valley City on March 7.

    He scored 83 points aboard the Championship Rodeo bronc called Bunny Hugger, a horse that has bucked in the saddle bronc riding in the past.

    “I really didn’t know the horse,” Zingg said. He was looking forward to riding the horse in an indoor arena, where they are more likely to buck quicker because they see walls, unlike at an outdoor arena. “I figured he’d be good inside, and he was awesome. He bucked in front of the chutes for half the ride before he moved,” he said. “Shoot, he made the ride for me.”

    The thirty-one-year-old is an “old-timer” in bareback riding terms, but he still loves to go. “I’d rodeo more if I could,” he said. He and his fiancée, Jamie Riley, live on a ranch, where she runs some race-bred horses. “I’m just a hired hand,” he joked.

    Zingg, who grew up in Bismarck, N.D., was on horseback at a young age. “Like all us ranch kids, I started before I could walk,” he said. He began riding junior bulls at age thirteen, then added bareback horses when he was sixteen. In college, he also team roped and tie-down roped, but bareback riding was his strength. Since he began his PRCA career, Zingg has qualified for a circuit finals rodeo eleven times: once in the Badlands Circuit (North Dakota and South Dakota), several times in the Montana Circuit, and once in the Mountain States Circuit (Wyoming and Colorado).

    He and Jamie will marry on September 19 of this year, the same day as his parents wed 39 years ago. It’s a lucky day, he says, even though his mom passed away seventeen years ago.
    In the saddle bronc riding, a young cowboy won the Winter Show.

    Qwint Stroh, Dickinson, N.D., was 85 points on the Bailey Pro Rodeo horse Big Casino for the win.

    Stroh, who is 21 years old, is the son of five-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier Shaun Stroh. In his first year of pro rodeo, he also competes at regional rodeos in the North Dakota Rodeo Association and the Rough Riders Association. He won both the NDRA and Rough Riders saddle bronc riding titles last year.

    In the bull riding, a Minnesota man topped the scoreboard.

    Reid Oftedahl, Pemberton, Minn., scored 87 points on the Bailey Pro Rodeo bull The Preacher.

    It was Oftedahl’s first trip to the Winter Show, and the win is a good start for his year. “It’ll give me a little push,” he said. Oftedahl is 26 years old.

    Other champions from the 83rd annual Winter Show include steer wrestler Scott Kleeman, Killdeer, N.D. (4.0 seconds); tie-down roper Jason Vohs, Dickinson, N.D. (9.9 seconds); team ropers Alfred Hansen, Dickinson, N.D. and Luke Morast, Halliday, N.D. (5.3 seconds); and barrel racer Kaylee Gallino, Wasta, S.D. (12.16 seconds).

    The 83rd annual North Dakota Winter Show concluded on March 7. Dates for the 2021 event are tentatively set for Feb. 28-March 6.

    For more information, visit www.NorthDakotaWinterShow.com or call 701.845.1401.

     

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    Results, North Dakota Winter Show PRCA Rodeo, March 6-7, 2020 –N.D. Winter Show

    All-Around champion: . –steer wrestling and tie-down roping

    Bareback riding champion- Tucker Zingg, Crow Agency, Mont.
    1. Tucker Zingg, Crow Agency, Mont. 83 points on Championship Pro Rodeo’s Bunny Hugger; 2. (tie) Garrett Shadbolt, Merriman, Neb. and Blake Smith, Zap, N.D. 81 each; 4. Ty Breuer, Mandan, N.D. 80; 5.(tie) Jamie Howlett, Rapid City, S.D. and Ben Kramer, Max, N.D.79 each.

    Steer wrestling champion – Scott Kleeman, Killdeer, N.D.
    1. Scott Kleeman, Killdeer, N.D. 4.0 seconds; 2. Riley Reiss, Manning, N.D. 4.2; 3. Lane Day, Bartlett, Neb.4.5; 4. Evan Entze, Golden Valley, N.D. 5.0; 5. Kody Woodward, Dupree, S.D. 5.5; 6. Jason Reiss, Manning, N.D.5.7.

    Saddle bronc riding champion – Qwint Stroh, Dickinson, N.D.
    1.Qwint Stroh, Dickinson, N.D. 85 points on Bailey Pro Rodeo’s Big Casino; 2. Josh Davison, Miles City, Mont. 83; 3. Jacob Kammerer, Philip, S.D. 82.5; 4. (tie) Chuck Schmidt, Keldron, S.D. and Shorty Garrett, Eagle Butte, S.D. 81 each; 6. Taygen Schuelke, Newell, S.D. 81.5.

    Tie-down roping champion – Jason Vohs, Dickinson, N.D.
    1. Jason Vohs, Dickinson, N.D. 9.9 seconds; 2. Tanner Wznick, Cavalier, N.D. 10.4; 3. Rex Treeby, Hecla, S.D. 10.7; 4. Will Powell, St. Ignatius, Mont. 11.1; 5. Cody Rood, Bengough, Sask. 11.2; 6. Jordan Staton, Hickson, S.D. 11.5.

    Team roping champions – Alfred Hansen, Dickinson, N.D. and Luke Morast, Halliday, N.D.
    1. Alfred Hansen, Dickinson, N.D./Luke Morast, Halliday, N.D. 5.3 seconds; 2. Butch Levell, Ft. Calhoun, Neb./Martin Walker, Belzoni, Miss. 6.5; 3. Wyatt Treeby, Hecla, S.D./Jimmy Jacobsen, Jr. Stacy, Minn. 7.2; 4.Turner Harris, Killdeer, N.D./Jade Nelson, Midland, S.D. 10.5; 5. Mikey Loiseau, Egan, S.D./Emit Valnes, Eden, S.D. 11.2; 6. Layne Carson, Grassy Butte, N.D./Jake Beard, Menoken, N.D. 11.7.

    Barrel racing champion – Kaylee Gallino, Wasta, S.D.
    1. Kaylee Gallino, Wasta, S.D. 12.16 seconds; 2. Amanda Harris, Spearfish, S.D. 12.21; 3. Jill Moody, Pierre, S.D. 12.29; 4. Carmel Wright, Roy,Mont. 12.54; 5. Terri Kaye Kirkland, Billings, Mont. 12.58; 6. Brandee Wardell, Buffalo, S.D. 12.61; 7. Heidi Gunderson, Murdock, Minn. 12.64; 8. Carey Rivinius, Carson, N.D. 12.68; 9. Summer Kosel, Glenham, S.D. 12.69; 10. Austyn Tobey, Bemidji, Minn. 12.70.

    Bull riding champion – Reid Oftedahl, Pemberton, Minn.
    1. Reid Oftedahl, Pemberton, Minn. 87 points on Bailey Pro Rodeo’s The Preacher; 2. Coy Thorson, Fergus Falls, Minn. 80; 3. Cleve Spang, Billings, Mont. 75; 4. Tate Smith, Litchville, S.D. 74; 5. Dalton Wright, Keene, N.D. 72.5.

    ** All results are unofficial. For more information, visit www.NorthDakotaWinterShow.com.

  • Battling It Out

    Battling It Out

    N.D. Winter Show hosts high school rodeo contest between North Dakota, Minnesota competitors

    Valley City, N.D. (March 7, 2020) – It was a battle between neighboring states’ high school rodeo athletes at the annual N.D. Winter Show.

    The Battle of the Border High School Rodeo pitted North Dakota high school contestants against Minnesota high school contestants in ten events, and at the end, North Dakota won.

    North Dakotans won the breakaway roping (Haley Vollmer, Wing); the tie-down roping (Cael Hilzendeger, Baldwin); the barrel racing (Breanna Benson, West Fargo); the steer wrestling (Ken Hagen, Mandan); the goat tying (Haley Vollmer); the team roping (Trevor Sorge, Bismarck/Riley Staton, Hickson); and the bull riding (Kasen Johnson, Mandaree).

    Minnesota took two events: the bareback riding (Cody Cole, Warroad, Minn.); and the pole bending (Austyn Tobey, Bemidji, Minn.). In the saddle bronc riding, there were no qualified rides.

    To be invited to participate, the cowboys and cowgirls had to be ranked in the top ten in their respective events.

    Vollmer entered the Battle in first place in the breakaway roping and seventh in the goat tying and won both. A senior at Wing High School, she is a member of the National Honor Society and is on the honor roll. She won the breakaway with a time of 2.06 seconds and the goat tying with a time of 7.65 seconds.

    At the Winter Show, she rode her sister’s horse Wrangler in the breakaway roping. The horse did well. “I have a good breakaway horse,” she said, “but I wanted to try him out and this is a nice weekend to do it. He’s awesome. I really, really love him.”

    This fall, Vollmer will work towards an ag marketing degree in college. In high school, she is a member of the National Honor Society, is student council president, a member of the Academic Olympics team and in choir.

    Her senior class has five people in it, and she appreciates that. “Everybody is very close to each other,” she said. “We have tight-knit relationships.”

    She is the daughter of Troy and Sara Vollmer.

    Austyn Tobey was one of two Minnesota champions in the inaugural Battle of the Border.

    Tobey, a resident of Bemidji, Minn., won the pole bending with a time of 20.025 seconds.

    She was aboard her thirteen-year-old mare named Buttons, who is also her barrel racing horse. It was the first time Buttons had practiced on the pole bending pattern since the fall rodeo season. But the mare did well. “I’m happy with my horse,” she said. “She’s great. She’s consistent with everything she does.”

    Tobey would have won the barrel racing but she hit a barrel, adding a five second penalty to her time. Buttons rarely knocks down barrels, Tobey said. “That’s the first one in a year. It doesn’t happen very often.”

    A senior in high school, she will attend Bemidji State University this fall, majoring in pre-medicine. Her dream is to become a radiologist. She’s had firsthand experience in the field.

    When she spent two weeks in the hospital four years ago for a ruptured appendix, the radiologist helped her read the image taken of her. But the hospital stay became serious; she was so full of infection that the doctors couldn’t take her appendix out. She still has it; the doctors never did remove it.

    Tobey played four years of high school hockey, is a member of the National Honor Society, is on her school’s honor Roll and is a member of the Link Leadership team at her school.

    Tobey also competed in the PRCA rodeo on Saturday evening and finished in tenth place (12.70 seconds.)

    She is the daughter of Gary and Amy Tobey.

    Another Minnesotan proudly won his event in Valley City.

    Cody Cole made a 68 point ride in the bareback riding to best the field.

    The Warroad, Minn. cowboy entered the Battle of the Border in third place in the Minnesota rankings after suffering what could have been a career-ending injury.

    Last spring, he fractured four vertebrae and bruised another one and was out of rodeo for eight weeks, returning just as the fall season started up. “I made a strong comeback,” he said.

    He loves riding bareback horses. “I love doing it. It’s so much fun, so much adrenaline.”

    This fall, he will be a student at Iowa Central Community College, where he will compete collegiately and work towards his associates degree in business management. After two years of college rodeo, he’ll get his PRCA membership. “I’ll climb the ladder a little before I pro rodeo,” he said.

    He is the son of Kelly and Sarah Cole.

    Unofficial results from the Battle of the Border High School Rodeo follow.

    The 83rd annual North Dakota Winter Show concluded on March 7. Dates for the 2021 event are tentatively set for Feb. 28-March 6.

    For more information, visit www.NorthDakotaWinterShow.com or call 701.845.1401.

     

    Unofficial Results, Battle of the Border High School Rodeo, March 7, 2020 –N.D. Winter Show

    Bareback Riding
    1. Cody Cole, Warroad, Minn. 68 points; 2. Chance Isaak, Richardton, N.D 62; 3. Seth Berg, Mandan, N.D. 55.

    Breakaway Roping
    1. Haley Vollmer, Wing, N.D. 2.06 seconds; 2. Danielle Fladeland, Minot, N.D. 3.70; 3. Jordan Vanvickle, Pillager, Minn. 6.05.

    Tie-down Roping
    1. CaelHilzendeger, Baldwin, N.D. 13.54 seconds;2. Chase Heim, Bismarck, N.D. 16.34; 3. Riley Staton, Hickson, N.D. 16.66.

    Barrel Racing
    1. Breanne Benson, West Fargo, N.D. 12.839 seconds; 2. Austyn Schafer, Wilton, N.D. 13.026; 3.Jaida Hagen-Marben, Elk River, Minn. 13.105.

    Steer Wrestling
    1. Ken Hagen, Mandan, N.D. 6.41 seconds; 2.Justin Inglis, Regan, N.D. 9.91; 3.Caydon Roshau, Bismarck, N.D. 12.49.

    Goat Tying
    1. Haley Vollmer, Wing, N.D. 7.65 seconds; 2. Jayda Miller, Bowman, N.D. 8.53; 3. Victoria Skiba, Cambridge, Minn. 9.45.

    Team Roping
    1. Trevor Sorge, Bismarck, N.D./Riley Staton, Hickson, N.D. 13.43 seconds; 2. Lathan DeMontigny, Ruby, N.D./Chance Mickelson, Foxholm, N.D. 17.39; 3. Weston Klatt, Dickinson, N.D./Sam Andrews, Bowman, N.D. 22.47.

    Pole Bending
    1. Austyn Tobey, Bemidji, Minn. 20.025 seconds; 2. Danielle Fladeland, Minot, N.D. 20.134; 3. Austyn Schafer, Wilton, N.D. 20.197.

    Bull Riding
    1. Kasen Johnson, Mandaree, N.D. 77 points; 2. Lane Wilkens, Bismarck, N.D. 68; no other qualified rides.

  • Signature Quarters Signs Endorsement with Barrel Racer Amberley Snyder

    Signature Quarters Signs Endorsement with Barrel Racer Amberley Snyder

    She’s already a role model for barrel racers young and old around the world, but Utah cowgirl Amberley Snyder continues to set new goals for herself. A Chickasha, Okla. company, Signature Quarters, has big plans to help her achieve them.

    A professional barrel racer, Snyder was parayzed in 2010 at the age of 18 when her truck slid off the highway, ejecting her from the vehicle and slamming her into a fence post that broke her back. Four months later, thanks to unwavering determination and a competitive spirit, she was back on her horse. Since then, she has faced countless challenges and adversity, but has continued to achieve her goals, including earning her Women’s Professional Rodeo Association card in 2017.

    Outside the arena, Snyder shares her inspiring story through powerful public speaking engagements at events and in schools. in 2019, Netflix released a movie about Snyder titled “Walk. Ride. Rodeo.” Snyder appears in the film as a stunt double with her horse, Power.

    Through a new contract agreement with Signature Quarters, Snyder will be traveling to rodeos across the country in a horse trailer created just for her. Signature Quarters specializes in custom horse trailer conversions, and their team will design a one-of-a-kind living quarters tailored especially for Snyder, complete with special accessibility features like a wheelchair lift and a custom shower. Beyond that, Snyder will have the opportunity to handpick all unique finishes and fixtures from floor and furniture to ceiling and sinks.

    We are so excited for the opportunity to work with Amberley on her new living quarters,” said Abby Clark, owner of Signature Quarters. “In partnering with her, we hope to create a custom space that will help her keep achieving her goals. We are proud to build her a home away from home!”

    The horse trailer itself will be built by Hart Trailer, another of Snyder’s sponsors also based in Chickasha. The trailer will be a Tradition model four horse with a 16.5’ shortwall living quarters, and it will feature Hart’s unique Smart Tack design for the tack storage area.

    “Working with Amberley has been a blessing and a wonderful experience,” said Tracy Hart, owner of Hart Trailer. “Her ‘can do’ attitude and tenacity has been amazing to witness. I’m very thankful that she chose Hart Trailer. Allowing us to be a part of her story, so that we can build her the very best horse trailer.”

    Snyder will be visiting Oklahoma to work with both Signature Quarters and Hart in March to make final design plans for her trailer. She will also be competing at The American Rodeo Semi-Finals this month.

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    About Signature Quarters – Since opening their doors in 2006, Signature Quarters has gained a national reputation as one of the finest trailer conversion companies in the United States. Maintaining a tradition of quality work and integrity, their talented personnel produce custom trailer conversions using the finest materials, equipment and techniques available. Located at the heart of the trailer industry in Chickasha, Oklahoma, Signature Quarters builds superior living quarters conversions to the specifications of each customer. With quality, comfort and safety in mind, the SQ team strives to find innovative ways to enhance life on the road in your “home away from home.”

    About Hart Trailers – Established in 1968, Hart Trailer remains privately owned and operated by the Hart family. Over the years Hart has maintained a reputation for manufacturing quality trailers while becoming friends with their customers. Safety, reliability, convenience, eye appeal and excellence are engineered into every feature of a Hart Trailer. The design features Hart incorporates in its trailer today have been continuously developed for more than 50 years in close cooperation with their customers and dealers. Because Hart aspires for excellence in trailer manufacturing and service, they have been able to inspire confidence in customers that they have made the right choice in purchasing a Hart Trailer.

  • WCRA Royal City Roundup Crowns Champions and Awards Upwards of $1,000,000 in Kansas City

    WCRA Royal City Roundup Crowns Champions and Awards Upwards of $1,000,000 in Kansas City

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. — In front of an electric crowd inside the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri, rodeo athletes from across the globe were crowned champions and walked away with upwards of $1 million. The WCRA (The World Champions Rodeo Alliance) Royal City Roundup was the first Triple Crown of Rodeo eligible event offering a minimum of $111,000 per discipline.

    Canadian bareback rider Orin Larsen (Inglis, Manitoba) landed in the showdown round after earning an 88.5 ride in the long round along with Pascal Isabelle (Okotoks, Alberta Canada) and Mason Clements (Spanish Fork, Utah). The 5x NFR qualifier topped Isabelle’s 86.5 points and Clements 88.5 points earning the highest marked of the night with 90.5 points.

    The team roping duo Erich Rogers (Round Rock, Arizona) and Paden Bray (Granbury, TX) found themselves in the short round after earning the top spot in the long round. Bray and Rogers matched up against 11th in the world Chad Masters (Cedar Hill, Tennessee) and 10th in the world Wesley Thorp (Stephenville, Texas) along with Cody Snow (Stephenville, Texas) and Paul Eaves (Lonedell, Missouri) in the showdown round. The dominate wave of team roping superstars ended with Rogers and Bray recording a 3.65 second run, besting Master/Thorps 3.67 seconds and Snow/Eaves 4.4 seconds.

    The 2019 fifth man in the world and 3x NFR steer wrestling qualifier J.D. Struxness (Appleton, Minnesota) delivered a 3.9 second run in the long round before meeting  Pro Rodeo Hall of Famer Robert Etbauer’s son Trell Etbauer (Gruver, Texas) and Texas cowboy Cody Devers (Perryton, Texas) in the short round. Struxness notched a 4.37 second run defeating Etbauer’s 4.41 seconds and Dever’s no time.

    At age 40, Chet Johnson (Douglas, Wyoming) exhausted the competition earning the high-marked-ride in both rounds at the Royal City Roundup earning $50,000. After receiving an 86.5-point score in the long round, Johnson fought to stay on top overcoming Shorty Garrett’s (Eagle Butte, South Dakota) 88 points and Dalton Kingery’s 81.5 points with a vast 91.5-point score.

     

    Reigning, and two-time WPRA Breakaway Champion Kelsie Chace (Cherokee, Oklahoma) delivered a powerful performance when her string broke away from her saddle horn at the 2.04 second mark in the showdown round Friday night. After defeating the legends of the sport in the first round, Chace was joined in the box by 16-year-old Josie Conner  (Iowa, Louisiana) who had a 3.18 second run along with and Hope Thompson’s (Abilene, TX), who received a no-time. Chase joins the ranks of Jackie Crawford and Makayla Boisjoli to become the fourth breakaway roper in history to compete in a one-day $1 million rodeo.

    After no qualified times during the June 1 Titletown Stampede in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the $50,000 cash prize was unclaimed and pushed to the Royal City Roundup giving tie-down ropers a shot at $100,000 in one-night. After earning the number one spot on the WCRA leaderboard and receiving an automatic advancement to the one-day $1 million major, Shad Mayfield (Clovis, New Mexico) claimed the 100-grand check after roping just two calves. Mayfeild matched up against Marty Yates (Stephenville, TX) and Caddo Lewallen (Morrison, OK) in the short-go. Mayfield’s 7.24 second time outdid Yates’ 7.25 second time along with Lewallen’s 8.45 second run.

    After earning an advancement to the Royal City Roundup for landing the number one spot on the WCRA leaderboard, 2x World Champion Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi (Lampasas, Texas) went into the showdown round in the number three spot behind Wenda Johnson (Pawhuska, Oklahoma) and Kassidy Lovell (Madisonville, Texas). Johnson opened the final round with a swift 13.197 second run which was followed by Lovell’s 18.031 second time. Tonozzi made an abrupt to 13.112 second run to take home the gold.

    After 2x PBR World Champion Jess Lockwood (Volberg, Montana), Joao Ricardo Vieira (Decatur, Texas), and Jose Vitor Leme (Decatur, Texas), did not cover in the showdown round, the athletes walked away with $12,500 (short go). The bull riding payout from the Royal City Roundup will carry forward to the May 16 Stampede at The E.

    Since launching in May of 2018, the WCRA and its partners have awarded more than $7,400,000 in new money to rodeo athletes.

    On Saturday, February 29 fans will be able to tune into the Royal City Roundup Round on a CBS network broadcast at 12:30 ET.

    All results from the event can be found here.

    -WCRA-

     

     

    About WCRA

    WCRA is a professional sport and entertainment entity, created to develop and advance the sport of rodeo by aligning all levels of competition. In association with the PBR, WCRA produces major rodeo events, developing additional opportunities for rodeo-industry competitors, stakeholders, and fans. To learn more, visit wcrarodeo.com. For athletes interested in learning more about the WCRA Virtual Rodeo Qualifier (VRQ) system, visit app.wcrarodeo.com.

  • Tyler West eager to defend his Jr. Ironman title

    Tyler West eager to defend his Jr. Ironman title

    Feb. 28, 2020 / Guthrie, Oklahoma – Tyler West had a slip on the third run of the 2019 Jr. Ironman, but he didn’t let that get him down.

    He battled back over the final two days of the competition, producing an event-record 32.2-second third round to win the championship. That wherewithal proved to be beneficial, and he will return to defend his title at this year’s event, set for March 13-15 at the Lazy E Arena.

    “When I think about winning it last year, it makes me want to win it again,” said West of Mertzon, Texas, a sophomore at Southwest Texas Junior College. “The first day wasn’t a good day, taking a 60 (second run). I realized I needed to just have fun. I realized it was just like going to rodeos and doing what I love to do.

    “Having fun carries into winning.”

    In both the Jr. Ironman and the CINCH Timed Event Championship, a 60-second run is the equivalent to a no-time. For West, that happened on his first heeling attempt, the third of 12 runs he made over the weekend. But his perseverance was a building-block for the cowboy. He finished his freshman year in Uvalde, Texas, as the reserve national champion in steer wrestling at the College National Finals Rodeo.

    “It’s just proof that hard work pays off,” he said of his second-place finish at the College National Finals Rodeo last June. “When you give your all to something, you can expect big things. I wasn’t expecting to finish second, but I was doing the best I could do. I was thankful for how it all happened.”

    He’ll bring that back to this year’s Jr. Ironman as one of four cowboys to return from the 2019 edition: reserve titlist Trevor Meier of Garden City, Kansas; Rylen Sutherland of Benton, Kentucky; and Quade Hiatt of Canyon, Texas.

    Meier, who led the race after Round 2, suffered a 60 in heeling on the final day. He finished as the runner-up.

    “I’m glad I get a second chance to redeem myself,” he said. “It would be really nice to come out first instead of second.”

    Like West, Meier competes in three of the four Jr. Ironman disciplines in college, where he is a sophomore at Oklahoma Panhandle State University. He doesn’t look at last year as a bad outcome; it was a learning opportunity.

    “Probably the best thing I learned was keeping your head up for every run,” Meier said. “Even if something doesn’t go right, you just roll on.

    “The thing I’m looking forward most to is being there with Cooper (Slavin), my cousin. It’ll be good to experience it with him.”

    Meier and Slavin (of Goodwell, Oklahoma) are actually two sets of cousins in this year’s field of 10 young cowboys; they are joined by Sutherland and his cousin, Kolton Powell of Benton, Kentucky.

    “Cooper and I are close enough in age that we competed at Little Britches Rodeos, junior high and high school, and we’ve roped against each other a bunch,” Meier said. “Living down here close to him, we get to practice together quite a bit.”

    That practice will come in handy, as will the work done by every cowboy in this elite field. The Jr. Ironman is a tremendous challenge, battling through four timed events: heading, heeling, tie-down roping and steer wrestling. It’s a test of talent, horsemanship and mental fortitude over three days of competition.

    Each round will pay the winners $750, but the biggest earnings come in the 12-run aggregate, with the winner collecting $10,000. The incentive is well worth the challenges each man will face.

    “The biggest thing about that event is that being consistent wins in the long run,” West said.

     

    2020 Jr. Ironman Championship Contestants

    Tyler West – Mertzon, Texas                                                 Trevor Meier – Garden City, Kansas

    Rylen Sutherland – Benton, Kentucky                                   Quade Hiatt – Canyon, Texas

    Denton Good – Long Valley, South Dakota                           Dalton Hartle – Rochester, Indiana

    Cooper Slavin – Goodwell, Oklahoma                                   Kolton Powell – Benton, Kentucky

    Tee Mcleod – Waldeck, Saskatchewan                                 Sam Morgan – Southwest Ranches, Florida

     

    The 2020 CINCH Timed Event Championship and Jr. Ironman is sponsored by CINCH, Priefert – Farm, Ranch & Rodeo, YETI Coolers, Montana Silversmiths, Sooner Trailers, ABI Equine, Nutrena, CSI Saddle Pads, P&K Equipment, WCRA, National Saddlery, Cross Bar Gallery, Carroll Original Wear, The Team Roping Journal, Western Legacy, RAM and Pendleton Whisky.

    The 2020 CINCH Timed Event Championship and Jr. Ironman are Lazy E Productions. For more information on the CINCH Timed Event Championship or other Lazy E events, contact the Lazy E Arena, 9600 Lazy E Drive, Guthrie, OK 73044, (405) 282-RIDE, (800) 595-RIDE or visit www.lazye.com.

     

  • Back When They Bucked with Jon Temple

    Back When They Bucked with Jon Temple

    Jon Temple loved his time in the rodeo arena. The retired bullfighter and clown spent more than twenty years in regional and pro rodeos across the nation, protecting bull riders and making fans laugh. Born in Cleburne, Texas in 1937, he saw a rodeo clown for the first time when his granddad took him to the Cleburne rodeo. He was about six years old, and he was fascinated. “I watched that fella real close, and I thought, I believe I could do that someday.”
    As a youngster, he rode calves and bulls, but that wasn’t where his dreams were. His bullfighting practice was during the weekends, at the buck outs in Fort Worth. There, he learned his way around an arena and around bucking bulls.
    Jon worked regional rodeos till his friend and fellow bullfighter Junior Meeks, who held a Rodeo Cowboys Association card (the predecessor to the PRCA), asked him to come to the RCA’s national convention, held in Denver at the Brown Palace. Jon accepted, but didn’t plan on getting his RCA membership. “I went up there with no intent of buying my card,” he said. Meeks and other friends introduced him to stock contractors and producers. Another friend, Jon Routh, introduced him to stock contractor Harry Vold. The three of them went across the street to a café for a cup of coffee. As they visited, Harry began writing on his placemat. He pushed the paper to Jon. It was a list of 33 of Harry’s rodeos, where he needed a rodeo clown. “You can have any of them or all of them,” he said. Jon took a look. “I didn’t want to look shocked so I looked it over,” he said. “And I said, I think I’ll take them all.” It was 1960, and his pro rodeo career was started.
    Jon Routh made sure Harry knew Jon was a good choice. As they walked out of the café, Routh called to Vold, “Harry, if he doesn’t make you a good hand, you call me and I’ll work the rodeos.”
    Another bullfighter Carl Doering also helped with his career. He worked with Carl, off and on, for three years. Carl helped him fill in his gaps in his schedule, and Jon loved working with him. “He was a swell guy,” he said.

    Each fall, Jon went to the RCA convention, prepared to book shows for the next year. Vold had told him he changed clowns each year. For two years, in the fall of ’60 and ‘63, he got a call from Vold, asking him to return to the rodeos. The committees liked the way he worked and wanted him back.
    In addition to Vold, Jon worked for a variety of stock contractors, at rodeos across the nation and Canada: Neal Gay, Reg Kesler, Bernis Johnson, Joe Kelsey, Roland Reid, Jim Shoulders, Beutler and Son, Wayne Vold, and more.
    One of his acts was a Model A Ford car. With the top cut out, he painted big flowers on it and called it a “hippie van”. The next year, to have a different act for the rodeos he returned to, he had a different paint job put on it and called it a “Tijuana Taxi.”
    Jon also had a mule he called Jenny Lou. Trained by a man from a carnival, she could “count.” In the arena, Jon and the announcer would banter about Jenny Lou’s intelligence, then they would come up with a problem, and she’d answer it. Scratched at a spot on the base of her mane, she’d turn her head up and down. Touched on the left shoulder, she’d turn her head back and forth. Jenny Lou was smart, “a whole lot smarter than I was,” Jon quipped. She could sense when they were about to leave for a rodeo. She wouldn’t eat and would drink just a little. During the travels, when they stopped for a water break, she’d get out, take a sip of water, roll, and jump back in the trailer.
    She also loved sweets. Tied to the trailer at a rodeo, the kids gathered around her. Jon would tell them to watch their cotton candy and ice cream because she’d try to eat it. As she moved toward the treat to take a bite, the kid would jump back and she’d keep the treat. One time, she took a bite of someone’s cotton candy and got the whole ball, making a mess all over the trailer.
    Jon had few serious injuries. He bruised a kidney once at a rodeo in Missouri when a bull rolled on him, which took a long time to heal. In British Columbia, an indoor rodeo was held on a hockey rink with sawdust and dirt over the ice. A bull got in a corner, facing Jon, and Jon slipped in a pocket of shavings. He fell, sliding between the bull’s front legs “like I was sliding into second base,” he joked. The bull “dropped to his knees and went to thrashing me with his horns,” he remembered. “I tried to grab him by the neck, to pull myself out.” A committee man saved him. “A big, heavyset committee guy in a starched white shirt jumped off the gate. The bull saw the flash and jumped to get it. That’s when I made my getaway.” Medics wrapped Jon’s head in gauze and sent him to his hotel. “My old head was throbbing,” he said. With gauze wrapped around nearly everything but his eyes and mouth, “I looked like a freak.” The next day, before the rodeo, he stopped at the doctor’s office for someone to cut the gauze off and put new wrap on it. And his hat and wig didn’t fit; he went without them for that performance.
    Another injury happened in Washington. When a bull rider hung up, Jon came in from the off-side, got him loose, and when the bell on the bull rope fell, it hit the back of his hand. He had seen a blur coming at him and put his hand up to his face for protection. It broke two of his fingers; the injury could have been worse if his hand hadn’t been there. And a broken ankle suffered in Mesquite kept him from working the 1969 National Finals Rodeo.
    The injury that propelled him to retirement was in 1969. When a bull rider got hung up, Jon moved in, got him loose, but didn’t get far enough back. The bull “gave me a judo chop” on his right ankle. “They put me in the limo (ambulance) and I went to the hospital,” he said. He had broken his leg, which put him out of commission. The doctor told him, “you’re in the wrong occupation. You won’t be walking when you’re fifty.” Jon decided to rodeo one more year, then retire.
    After retiring in 1970, he went to work for the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad in Ft. Worth. He worked for them till 1999, when he retired from Union Pacific Railroad.
    After that, Jon did carpenter work, refurbished houses, and worked with his wife, Norma, who was a real estate agent. He and Norma owned and operated several car washes. He served for twelve years on a local school board and the couple is active in their church.
    Now he and Norma, who married in 1998, sell window treatments, and Jon golfs for a hobby.
    He has 3 beautiful redheaded daughters: Marla Roper, who lives in San Antonio, Jeana Temple, in Ft. Worth, and Jonelle Luce, who lives in Joshua, Texas. Norma has a daughter, Shelby Lloyd, who lives in Cleburne. Between the two of them, they have 8 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren.
    Jon is a 2001 Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame inductee, and he loves attending the rodeo clown reunions and catching up with old friends. He appreciates the friends he’s made through rodeo. “The friendships over the years have been God’s blessings,” he said. “They connect me to the right things. That’s how my life has gone. I’ve had some good friends.”

  • Featured Athlete: Jimmie Smith

    Featured Athlete: Jimmie Smith

    Jimmie Smith is the 2019 Texas Circuit champion barrel racer and the 2018 WPRA Resistol Rookie of the Year. The McDade, Texas cowgirl won all her Texas money on a special horse, a ten-year-old mare, LenaOnTheRocks, “Lena.”

    The mare, a palomino, loves the winter rodeos, and she and her rider did well in 2019, finishing third at Ft. Worth, San Angelo and Corpus Christi, and making the finals at Houston and San Antonio.

    At that point, Jimmie was sitting in the top ten in the WPRA barrel racing world standings, and they hit the road hard.

    But after Calgary, in July, Jimmie knew something was wrong with her partner. It was nothing major, but she didn’t want Lena’s soundness to be jeopardized.

    “I could have kept running her,” she said. “She was never lame and never took a lame step. I could just tell something was off. If I had ignored it and kept on running, we maybe would have made the (National) Finals. But I also maybe wouldn’t have her running as strong as she is now.”

    The horse is out of Tourlena by FirewaterOnTheRocks. Jimmie purchased her as a five year old from Cindy Skinner. Susie Campbell had started her on the barrels, and Jimmie filled her permit on Lena in October of 2017.

    The horse is tiny but thick and strong, and a “total princess,” she said. “She knows that I love her, and we just have that special bond. She knows she gets treats before and after she runs. She just loves being pampered.”

    Jimmie, who is 23 years old, made the Texas High School Finals all four years of high school. In college at Texas A&M, she earned a bachelors degree in communications and journalism. She qualified for the College National Finals Rodeo three times in three events: the barrels, the breakaway, and the goat tying.

    When Lena was out of commission last year, Jimmie rode several backup horses, all of them leased. It was not ideal. “It was a pressure situation,” she said. “I knew I had to win money on these horses but had no clue how to ride them.” She kept switching back and forth between them, trying to get with each one, “and it never really clicked.”
    By September, Lena was released for competition but Jimmie took it slowly on her, not running her till Thanksgiving.
    The wait was worth it. At the Christmas Classic in Alvarado, Texas, she broke the arena record twice. The first time was on Pixie, one of the borrowed horses, with a time of 14.901. The second time was aboard Lena, with a run of 14.894 seconds.
    And at the Texas Circuit Finals in January, Lena won second place in the third round for her.

    Jimmie is a member of the 5 Star Equine team and loves their products, especially the saddle blankets. All eight of her barrel horses wear the 7/8 barrel racer saddle pad. She has been using it for the past four years, “and I have had no back issues. All my horses stay sound with no soreness in the back.”

    The saddle pad wicks away moisture, and is customizable, too. “They’re very pretty,” she said. “I love how pretty they are. You can match them to your personality and customize one for each horse.”

    Even though Lena being out for several months last year was hard, Jimmie sees the blessing. “If I had never had to go home (from rodeoing), I would never have had the two backups I have for this year.” She has Pixie and Minnie as her secondary horses. “I’m not stranded this year. I’m not a one-horse show.”

    Jimmie is taking this year slow, taking her cues from Lena. “We’re going one run at a time,” she said. She finished as reserve champ in Denver. “We’ll see where it takes us.”

  • On the Trail with Bobby-Jean Jones Colyer

    On the Trail with Bobby-Jean Jones Colyer

    Bobby-Jean Jones Colyer had a love for horses long before she competed. Growing up in Bruneau, Idaho, in a town of 300, she borrowed a horse to help her get going. “It’s a cool story – my parents (Penny and Gary) couldn’t even put a halter on a horse, but I grew up in a ranching and farming community that helped me get started.” Bobby-Jean remembers struggling in school. “I wanted to be a cowgirl so bad.” She got her first job washing dishes to pay for her entry fees for high school rodeo. “With three kids there wasn’t’ a lot of money there.” Her dad was a wood shop teacher and coach for basketball and football. Her mom was a stay at home mom. “My dad traded for the first horse I owned. I always wanted to barrel race. That first horse I owned got me started at 12 years old.” Gary built a screened in porch in trade for a three year old horse. Bobby-Jean has two older brothers, James and Danny, neither one who competes in rodeo.

    “I could never get her to bake cookies with me – she always wanted to be on a horse,” said her mom, Penny. “But because of this valley and her hard work and determination she did it.” Bobby-Jean is the only female that has ever won the Bruneau Round-Up All Around Championship – it’s a big deal. She has also qualified for the World Series Finale six times, as well as qualifying for the AMERICAN, and the Columbia Circuit Finals. “The biggest accomplishment to me is the fact that Gary and I aren’t rodeo people. We worked in the school district. She was two months old when we moved here – we didn’t have the means or the ways to get her there –she babysat and did whatever she could to get horseback.”

    Once she got started, her love of rodeo grew. She started roping and set goals for herself. “When I reach one I want another one.” Her rodeo career landed her a scholarship to Bozeman, Montana, where she made the CNFR in the team roping, goat tying, and barrel racing – one of only two women that qualified in 2002 in the team roping. “I would have never gotten through school if not for rodeo,” she said, graduating with a degree in consumer science. Once she graduated, she went down the rodeo road, but ended up back home and married to Kyle Colyer in 2005. They have two children – Piper (14), Cruz (9). Kyle is a third generation rancher and shows Hereford cattle. She continued rodeoing and added a central entry line to her job description.

     

    Bobby-Jean worked for Central Entry, now known as Rodeo Central, the entry system for the Idaho Cowboys Association, two others, as well as several open rodeos. She worked for Central Entry before purchasing it seven years ago. Orla Knight, former ICA secretary for 25 plus years,, developed an online entry system, with that Bobby Jean has made some new improvements. “We worked with a developer, Advanced Software, to offer central entry online to website,” explained the 39 year old. “Contestants can still call, but this gives them an option.” She starts in March and the rodeo season winds down the end of October. During that time, she employs several others to help take entries. “I have a lot of passion for the ICA – I’ve been a member for 17 years, winning Rookie of the Year in 2003. I also served on the board as a barrel racing director for six years.” Bobby Jean explains the rodeo draw as a 2,000 piece puzzle. “The computer isn’t always perfect. We have trades and everyone has to get everywhere … anyone in this business has to care about cowboys because they are not going to get rich doing it.”

    During the peak season of taking entries, Bobby-Jean still makes time for practicing. Through her example, Bobby-Jean is hoping to bring back old fashioned work. “In this day and age I’ve read all the books, but there is no substitute for working hard no matter how hard it is. I worked my arena with snow in there and if I don’t get out there and practice, they are going to beat me.” She tells herself there is always someone else out there working at it and there is no substitute for working at it. “When I go to the practice pen I have a goal every time.”
    She recently competed in the Art of the Cowgirl Worlds Greatest Horsewoman in Phoenix. “Go big or go home – I split first in the last two events – steer stopping and fence work; after not doing very well in the first herd work and reining. I knew I had to lay it all out there in order to make the top ten finals where it would be a clean slate. 59 would have to check for sure – there’s a lot of very accomplished horsewomen in that and I had to go for it.” She ended up third place overall. She is hoping to find another show horse and is preparing for the Perfect 10 World Series event in Las Vegas in March.

    Bobby-Jean continues to train her mind. “I think that having a good mental mind is the only thing that makes it at the end of the day. I’m not always there, but I’m working at it all the time. When you’re passionate, emotions go with it. I’ve always been passionate about horses – they’ve been my go to – when things are rough, I go get on the best in the pen – and the best one always turns things around for me.” Bobby-Jean loves to compete. “It’s not about beating someone it’s about reaching individual goals.”

    Her dreams include becoming successful in the reined cowhorse. “I want to change people’s lives by hearing my story and drive them to follow those dreams and goals with horses even if they didn’t grow up with horses or have a lot of money.”

  • Defending the Vulnerable

    Looking out the window this morning I see something unusual in the small house-pasture. I have learned that if I don’t recognize something I need to check it out. Grabbing the binoculars I could clearly see two newborns! Twins. Very rare for us.
    They could both stand and nurse. That was a good sign. When we got down to them we could see the softer hooves and frail frames typical of premature calves. The mother was not very full with milk, but they were both bumping her pretty hard to get whatever they could. They might make it, we thought.
    The little bull calf was the stronger of the two. Both got ear tags. Oddly, Mom was quite docile during that process. That is unusual for our momma cows. They tend to be pretty aggressive and protective of their babies in these timbered varmint-rich hills of SE Oklahoma. Then something else caught our eye. The little heifer’s tail was half gone. In fact, it had been eaten off. Coyotes! Momma was exhausted from fighting off the predators during the long night.
    The vermin had gone beyond her tail and gotten into some softer places on her south side. This was clearly not good. We patched her up as well as we could and returned her to Momma. The next morning, only her twin brother was alive.
    There is no nice way to tidy up this story unless one doesn’t tell the truth. Even then, an astute child can realize the Momma lost her calf. One of the advantages to living on a ranch is children get to see the birth and death, struggle and thrill of life. The creatures that join us here on this earth, in most cases, lack the ability to show compassion. Those who are predatory are simply doing what they do to survive. The rancher, in my case “me”, does what he needs to protect the ones under his care who cannot protect themselves. In this case; baby calves.
    Although some will not understand this, others will consider it immoral, a few will hate me, ranchers and farmers will give me recommendations for night-vision scopes and professional hunters will be glad to charge me for elimination services. I understand that some don’t understand, will not understand, refuse to understand, have no mental framework to justify understanding. Others will respond with a refusal to understand them in turn, call them idiots, see them as the enemy or simply ignore them as uninformed with too many decades removed from their great-grandparent’s world to appreciate this issue.
    So I am left, within the limits of the law, to decide what my own value is. For me, it is simple. I am over 63 years into this life game, and coming to grips with reality, the laws of the land and nature are not new issues. I made peace with my values years ago and will act in accordance to my conscience. Logic, experience, legality, opportunity, commerce, providing for my family, protecting the vulnerable, what I understand to be moral, thousands of years of human and animal interaction, my father and grandfather, my trusted friends, and Susie will be my guides.
    There is a small calf out there tonight. Two days old. Momma is tired and needs to get rest.
    The dusk has barely turned into darkness and the coyotes are already howling, yipping and barking, north, south and east. And now an Oklahoma thunderstorm is coming in…the first of 4 days of rain.
    As humans we often get frustrated by modernity trying to sterilize and sanitize us. Our men, in particular, are struggling, wondering how to use their instincts to protect and their strength to defend in good ways. We already know defending our own egos is largely a game for fragile men who can act like junior high boys sparring for status with the 8th grade girls.
    We want a real and legitimate place to live out our protectors’ heart. A good way, I suggest, is to find a group that is vulnerable, weak, and cannot defend themselves against the predators of the world. Fight for them. Ignore the howls of those who do not understand. Listen to the counsel of good trusted friends.
    There was a woman who was being mocked and accused by the self-righteous. Jesus stepped in, by himself, stood between her accusers and her and invited them to throw a stone if they had one. There was no script for this. He simply did what he was made to do. (John 8)
    He found and defended the vulnerable. With strength and dignity.
    The coyotes are ready to go to work. So am I.