Justin Mcmillion and William Evans were the winners of the #10 American Cowboy, winning $70,000 in AT&T stadium on March 3. “It was unbelievable,” said Justin, a 29 year old farmer from Ohio. “Getting to rope where the professionals are and backing into the box in that stadium was mind blowing. It was a lot of time and traveling to get there, but it was worth it.” Justin made the 15 hour drive to Texas after qualifying through a series of ropings put on in the SouthEast. “It was held in conjunction with the World Series and you had to win a #10 American Qualifier, then they had 8 qualifed teams from the East go to a match roping in Jacksonville, and the top four went to Decatur to run three steers – the top six teams from there roped in the short go at Dallas.
“Around our area, everyone was scared to enter because nobody really knew what we were roping for. The whole deal cost $200, and we got paid $600 for winning the roping, then we got $2,500 to show up in Texas,” he said. The money is going to replacement farm equipment, a third child due in June, and maybe a new head horse. After his win at The American, he remembers they took his horse and he didn’t see him for an hour. “Not knowing where my animal was drove me nuts. And the only thing I wanted to do is go see my wife and celebrate with her and the friends I had down there.”
Justin farms 400 acres in Covington, Ohio, raising corn, beans, and hay. He is married Brianna and they have two children and one on the way. Hunter is 10, Cheyenne is 5, and Weston Paul is due in June. Farming works into his roping schedule just fine as most of his roping is done in the winter months and he travels to Johnny Johnson’s ropings in the southeast to rope. “My wife and I leave on Wednesdays, so our parents watch them for us.” Brianna works as a nurse, and works her schedule around his roping. “I wouldn’t be doing this if it wasn’t for her helping me with the horses,” said the #5 header and #5 heeler. Justin grew up around team roping, but never took an interest in it until he met my wife, who is a barrel racer. “She starts all my horses from three year olds. A couple horses I’ve used to get there, she did all the work on them so I could go do what I did on them.” He also takes good care of his horses while traveling, using Soft Ride and Back on Track leg wraps.
Since Jacksonville, Florida, Justin has been on a roll. “Hard work pays off – you put your mind to it. I set my goal in January to qualify for the American. And if I qualified, I was going to win it … and it happened,” he said. “I have an indoor barn at the house and we rope three times a week no matter the weather. We were out there at 10 degrees one day roping and riding the horses.”
He doesn’t get to practice with Bill Evans too often, who split the win with Justin in Dallas. “He lives two and a half hours from me, but we rope together down south whenever we can.”
“I met Justin through ropings and we’ve been roping together for a long time,” said the 49-year-old father of two who drives 1.5 hours one way twice a week to practice. “My wife is in the truck every time to support me. She takes care of the horses, makes sure she has the paperwork for the horses and she’s my biggest supporter.” Kriston hardly rides, but she takes care of the horses making sure everything is set to go when they travel. They have two daughters, Jess (24) and Jen (22) and they both have children of their own.
Bill is in the construction business, building and remodeling, the owner of Elite Building Group for 33 years. “I’ve had my own company since I was out of high school,” he said. “Kriston takes care of all the office stuff, employee paperwork, and the farm when I’m not around “They took some of their winnings from the American and buy a food truck that they will be picking up soon. “We’re going to focus on the big factories where they can’t take off for lunch.” They have decided to ease out of the construction business and try something different. “She’s going to start with it and we’re going to see where it goes.”
Bill started roping in 1999. “I watched and thought I could do that. I won my first truck at a Booger Barter in Tunica, Mississppi when I was fresh into it and I was hooked.” This is the biggest win he’s had since then. “If we won $100,000 tomorrow it wouldn’t beat this. It was the biggest stage a roper could ask for – pretty cool stuff.”
They are not slowing down, and plan to try to qualify for the World Series Finale next year next weekend. “I’ve gone three years in a row – had to miss last year because of work, but I’m going to try again.”
Red Bluff woman has family history at the Round-Up, volunteers her time.
Red Bluff, Calif. (March 18, 2019) – The Red Bluff Round-Up runs through the blood of Vicki Stroud.
It’s a part of her family heritage, actually.
Stroud, who was raised in Red Bluff, is the daughter of Jim Davis, long-time volunteer with the Round-Up, and the great-niece of Guy Davis, one of the original shareholders.
Vicki has either attended or volunteered at the rodeo –or both – for at least sixty years, she estimates.
Her dad, Jim, was a California Highway Patrolman for 27 years, taking a week off every April to volunteer his time at the Round-Up. He ran the timed event chute for fifty years, opening the chute for the calf or steer to run out of.
And he took his family to the rodeo. Stroud remembers, as a young girl, her dad backing his old gray pickup into the arena to watch the rodeo. “That’s where our love of the sport started,” she said. As she and her friends got older, they sat on the fence near the bucking chutes, to watch. And at the end of the rodeo, when the wild horse race began, “we’d run across the arena to get closer to the action,” she remembered. “The fence along the track would fold over with the weight of the people on it.”
Stroud’s great-uncle, Guy Davis, has roots even deeper in the Round-Up. Born in 1887, Davis owned the Ford-Plymouth-DeSoto dealership on Main Street, and was president of the Red Bluff Chamber of Commerce in 1932. Guy promoted the Round-Up, realizing the economic impact rodeo goers had on Red Bluff businesses. He and other men went from town to town, in the 1930s, promoting the Round-Up. Guy passed his share on to his nephew Jim, who passed it on to Stroud.
Even though she didn’t live on a farm, Stroud loved to ride horses. She and friends would pack a lunch and spend the day riding through the countryside. She was (and continues to be) good friends with Margo Growney Trujillo, and she would go to the Growney Ranch to help brand and work cattle. She never competed in rodeo, but she loved to go to the youth rodeos and watch Margo and other friends compete.
She has many memories surrounding the Round-Up, like the time she and her friend Debbie Slattery Stone took her Volkswagon to the rodeo. A cooler of pop was situated over the battery, and when the ice melted, it ran all over the battery. “There we were, at the rodeo, looking for a jump,” she laughed.
Stroud remembers sneaking into the rodeo, too. “If we didn’t have a ticket to the rodeo, we’d say, we’re taking lunch to George Growney, or John Growney, and we’d sneak our way right in.”
She remembers hearing stories of her dad, Jack Craig and Jim Owens saying they could never watch the parade because they always had to be at the rodeo. One year, they decided they would watch the parade. But instead of watching it, they borrowed someone’s old checker motor car and snuck into the parade line, becoming an entry in it!
Jim was awarded the Top Hand Award, given to a volunteer who has dedicated their time in assisting with the rodeo. He was selected for the honor in the 1980s and at the time of his death in July of 2018, was the oldest living Top Hand Award winner.
In Stroud’s younger years, she volunteered with some of the ancillary events surrounding the Round-Up, like the cowboy golf tournament. As a Red Bluff Rotarian, she helps man the beer booth, where proceeds go towards the Rotary’s scholarships. She also co-chairs the Think Pink luncheon, held on the Tuesday before the Round-Up (this year, April 16.) Proceeds from the Jolene Kemen Think Pink luncheon go to the Tough Enough to Wear Pink campaign, for cancer treatment at Dignity Health St. Elizabeth Community Hospital. Last year, the luncheon, along with its auction, raised $11,500, along with tips from the beer stands.
The cancer fundraiser holds an important part in Stroud’s heart because she is a breast cancer survivor. She knows she was fortunate enough to have good insurance. “There are a lot of people in our community that aren’t lucky enough to have that. By having this luncheon, we are making it possible for those people to receive the treatment they need.”
Vicki and her husband Doyle’s children Wes and Matt are the third generation of Round-Up fans. Wes and Matt “have been going to the rodeo since they were in my belly,” she laughed. “They’d sit at the rodeo through the wind and the cold. Not too many times did we miss the rodeo.” And the fourth generation is starting. Wes and Lauren’s children, daughter Hayden and son Boden, go to the rodeo with their family. Vicki’s brother Jimmy Davis has entered the wild horse race at the Round-Up, and Doyle is a volunteer at the Round-Up Mercantile in downtown Red Bluff.
The rodeo is important to Stroud, her family and the community. “To me, it means income to our community, it means bonding with community members and cowboys. It brings together people in our community. It’s a fun week to be involved.”
The 98th annual Red Bluff Round-Up takes place April 19-21 at the Tehama District Fairgrounds in Red Bluff. Performances start at 7 pm on April 19, at 2:30 pm on April 20, and at 1:30 pm on April 21. Tickets range in price from $14 to $35 and can be purchased online at www.RedBluffRoundup.com. Call the Round-Up office at 530.527.1000 for more information.
SALT LAKE CITY (March 26, 2019) – The Komatsu Equipment Days of ’47 Cowboy Games & Rodeo presented by Zions Bank in Salt Lake City has become a must stop on the summer rodeo schedule for contestants from the junior high level all the way to the pros of the sport. Not only does the $1 million purse make it attractive but so does the Gold, Silver and Bronze medals awarded to the top three, setting this rodeo apart from any other rodeo in the world.
“We strive to bring the best in the sport of rodeo to the Great Salt Valley to celebrate Utah’s heritage and continue one of Utah’s longest-standing traditions,” said Dan Shaw, Chairman of the board for the Days of ’47 Cowboy Games & Rodeo. “Due to our partnership with PBR (Professional Bull Riders), WCRA (World Champions Rodeo Alliance) and our rodeo partners via the trial events, we are able to bring great talent from all areas for this one-of-a-kind Gold Medal Rodeo.”
A total of 256 competitors will have a chance to punch their ticket to the Days of ’47 Cowboy Games and Rodeo and take their shot at a share of the $1 million in prize money and the coveted medals. The rodeo will showcase the seven standard rodeo events and will feature 32 competitors in each with eight competitors per performance starting on Friday, July 19. The top two from each performance, along with two via the Wild Card category, will advance to the Gold Medal Round on July 24 where ten competitors in each event will compete in a sudden-death format with the winner collecting a Gold Medal and $50,000 cash.
Contestants in all events will have a few avenues in which to qualify – either via the Days of ’47 Qualification trial events or the WCRA path. Bull riders will also have opportunity via the PBR as noted below.
The Days of ’47 qualification route, including bull riders will consist of the following:
2018 Calgary Stampede Champion
2018 Days of ’47 Cowboy Games and Rodeo Medalists *top 3
2019 Lewis Feild Bulls and Broncs *roughstock only
2019 RodeoHouston Super Series Champions
2019 Denver Rodeo All-Star
2019 Rodeo Corpus Christi (Texas)
2019 Utah Timed Event Classic WCRA Western Quarter-Finals*timed-event only
2019 Santa Maria (Calif.) Elks Rodeo
2019 College National Finals Rodeo Champions
The WCRA qualifications will consist of the following:
2019 Chicago, Ill. Champion *includes bull rider
2019 Green Bay, Wis. Champion *includes bull rider
Top 20 in WCRA Virtual Qualifier points as of July 8, 2019 *not including bull riding
The remaining 20 bull riders will earn qualification based on the following:
2019 PBR Fresno, CA Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Event
2019 PBR Casper, WY Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Event
2019 PBR Bakersfield, CA Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Event
2019 PBR Billings, MT Unleash the Beast Tour Event
2019 Albuquerque, NM Unleash the Beast Tour Event
2019 PBR World Standings (Top 3 as of June 24th)
2019 WCRA VRQ Standings (12 athletes)
Bull riders will need to have a PBR card and be registered on the WRCA App to compete while all others must be registered with the WCRA to compete.
“Last year our Gold Medal Round featured world champions, defending Days of ’47 champions, college champions and an 11-year old barrel racer further proving our event features all the best the sport of rodeo has to offer,” noted Tommy Joe Lucia, General Manager of the Days of ’47 Cowboy Games & Rodeo. “We hope that not only the contestants but also the fans will make this a destination event where they can experience Utah and Life Elevated. Fans not only have the opportunity to experience a world class rodeo at night but can enjoy all the adventure Utah has to offer during the day.”
The Komatsu Equipment Days of ’47 Cowboy Games & Rodeo presented by Zions Bank, July 19-20 and 22-24, will take place at the $17.5 million state-of-the-art Days of ’47 Arena at the Utah State Fairpark, custom designed and built for rodeo. The venue—an outdoor arena located in the heart of Salt Lake City—features over 10,000 stadium-style seats.
For only the fifth time in the history of rodeo, riders will have an opportunity to compete for Gold, Silver or Bronze Medals. The first two times were in conjunction with the Olympic Winter Games in Calgary (1988) and Salt Lake City (2002), when rodeo was part of the Cultural Olympiad and the other two times being the Days of ’47 Cowboy Games & Rodeo in 2017 and 2018. The medals that will be awarded at the Days of ’47 Cowboy Games & Rodeo will be produced by OC Tanner, the same company that made the Olympic medals for the champions of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games.
Tickets are currently on sale at smithstix.com. For more information on the event visit www.daysof47cowboygames.com.
The Komatsu Equipment Days of ’47 Cowboy Games & Rodeo will broadcast exclusively on PBR’s RidePass via RidePass.com or the RidePass mobile app.
# # #
Current list of contestants who have earned qualification for 2019 Days of ’47 Cowboy Games and Rodeo
Bareback Riding
Richmond Champion – 2018 Calgary Stampede
Wyatt Denny – 2018 Days of ’47 Cowboy Games & Rodeo
*JR Vezain – 2018 Days of ’47 Cowboy Games & Rodeo (will be unable to compete due to injury)
Ty Breuer – 2018 Days of ’47 Cowboy Games & Rodeo
Tristan Hansen– 2018 Days of ’47 Cowboy Games & Rodeo (replacing JR Vezain)
Kaycee Feild – 2019 WCRA Windy City Roundup, Chicago
Marco Antonio Eguchi – 2019 PBR Fresno, CA Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Event
Remaining schedule
– 2019 PBR Casper, WY Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Event – March 30
– 2019 PBR Bakersfield, CA Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Event – April 6
– 2019 Denver Rodeo All-Star – April 12-13
– 2019 PBR Billings, MT Unleash the Beast Tour Event – April 12-14
– 2019 Rodeo Corpus Christi – April 25-28
– 2019 Utah Timed Event Classic – May 2-4
– 2019 Albuquerque, NM Unleash the Beast Tour Event – May 17-19
– 2019 Santa Maria Elks Rodeo – May 30 – June 2
– 2019 WCRA Title Town Stampede, Green Bay – June 1
– 2019 College National Finals Rodeo Champion – June 9-15
– 2019 PBR World Standings (Top 3) – June 24th
– 2019 WCRA VRQ Standings (20 athletes all events except bull riding; 12 athletes for bull riding) July 8
About Days of ‘47
The Komatsu Equipment Days of ’47 Cowboy Games & Rodeo presented by Zions Bank, takes place at the all-new, $17.5 million, state-of-the-art Days of ’47 Arena at the Utah State Fairpark each July. The venue—an outdoor arena located in the heart of Salt Lake City—features over 10,000 stadium-style seats. The Days of ’47 Rodeo is one of Utah’s longest-standing traditions – celebrating Utah’s heritage since 1847. The rodeo, and other Days of ’47 events, commemorate the day – July 24, 1847 – when a determined company of Mormon pioneers realized their dreams upon entering the Great Salt Valley. The Days of ’47 Cowboy Games & Rodeo is a private, non-profit, volunteer, charitable organization. Our mission is to honor Utah’s pioneer heritage and educate Utah’s kids. Please visit daysof47cowboygames.com for more information.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Top-three finishes in the first three events of his Bullfighters Only season weren’t enough for Kris Furr, so he did something about it this past weekend at Rodeo Scottsdale.
Furr outlasted a talented field of eight bullfighters to win the Wrangler Bullfight Tour stop. Furr made his way to Saturday’s Hooey Championship Round with a second-place finish on the first day of the rodeo and bullfights, joining round winner Zach Flatt of Fittstown, Oklahoma.
“I thought it was a great event, and I think the people there love to watch it,” said Furr of Hamptonville, North Carolina. “After Scottsdale’s rodeo last year and the Barrett-Jackson Auction (in January), I think we’re starting to get a pretty big following in Arizona.”
Furr and Flatt were joined in the final round by Beau Schueth of O’Neill, Nebraska, and Chance Moorman of Lytle, Texas; Schueth won the second round with an event high 84-point bout, and Moorman was 80 points.
Once in the championship round, it was a tight battle between the four combatants. Furr took the title with an 80-point fight, with Moorman finishing as the runner-up just one point behind.
“This was a huge win,” Furr said. “I’ve been consistent in the four events I’ve been to, but I’ve been second twice and third once, so I was dying for a win.”
With the victory he picks up $4,500, which boosts him to No. 2 in the Pendleton Whisky World Standings with $14,000. He is just $3,250 behind the leader, three-time reigning world champion Weston Rutkowski.
“This was a little bit of a different format where two guys advanced out of the rounds,” Furr said. “It was nice, because usually there’s a lot of pressure that you have to win. When you have that pressure, you put yourself at more risk. You’re usually putting it all out there on the first bull.
“This event allowed you to play it smart and slip into the short round. It lets you have a better chance and lets you breathe a little more going into it.”
As with anything he does, the North Carolinian gained some valuable lessons while competing in Arizona this past weekend. Though his confidence remains rock solid, he saw some things in his own fights that could allow him to improve as he moves forward.
“What I took away from there were a couple of learning points,” he said. “I think everything I did in the short round was correct, but there was a lot more I could have done to add to it. Even though I won, I feel like I learned a lot.”
Each step of the way is a process, and he’s reminded of that every day. In addition to the rigors of the competition, Furr puts his body through a tremendous test regularly to make sure he’s in the best physical condition when it comes time to face the beast.
“It’s like any other sport; you lift a lot of weights to keep your body used to being under that kind of stress,” said Furr, who spends a great deal of time in Decatur, Texas, so he can utilize the training facilities at Fit-N-Wise, an athletic training and sports medicine operation. “A lot of the speed drills and agility drills I do help keep the crispness and the snappiness I have.
“If you look at me and Weston, we’ve got our meals lined out; we know what we’re taking in. A lot of guys can copy what you do as a bullfighter, but it’s hard to copy what you don’t see outside the arena.”
KISSIMMEE, Fla. – With the RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo on the line, Tilden Hooper delivered.
The bareback rider from Carthage, Texas, had a 92-point ride on Hi Lo Pro Rodeo’s Redzilla to win the four-man round Sunday at the Silver Spurs Arena.
Hooper’s score broke the RAM NCFR bareback riding record of 91 points set by Cimmaron Gerke on Kesler Rodeo’s Smiling Cat in 2004 in Pocatello, Idaho.
“That was one of my most fun bareback rides of my career,” said Hooper, 31, who joined the PRCA in 2006. “There’s nothing better than breaking a record and having all your buddies cheering for you behind the chutes.”
Hooper, who was making his debut at the RAM NCFR, was plenty familiar with Redzilla. He drew that horse in Round 1 of the 2018 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and had an 83-point ride.
“I’m also really good friends with the guys who run Hi Lo Pro Rodeo,” Hooper said. “My friend Levi McCray was flanking him and Dustin Murray, the guy who runs Hi Lo Pro Rodeo, was running the neck rope. I’ve known those guys forever, and it is fun to win, but it is even more fun with your buddies involved.”
Hooper acknowledged Redzilla was better this time.
“When I had that horse before, she was good, but she just covered a little more ground,” Hooper said. “So, when she hooked that right and stood in one spot, I knew I had a chance and just let it roll, and here we are.”
Hooper departed the RAM NCFR after earning $19,670 – $7,493 for winning the final round. Hooper entered the RAM NCFR March 21 fifth in the PRCA | RAM World Standings with $44,231.
In addition to the money earned, each event national champ also received a Voucher toward a new RAM truck; a Polaris Ranger XP 1000; a 65 Venture OtterBox Cooler; a pair of Justin Boots; a custom champion Montana Silversmiths buckle; and a champion saddle handcrafted by Cactus Saddlery.
“It always feels good to win this kind of money,” Hooper said. “I’m excited. I’m trying to win a world championship, so all those dollars are just helping me get a little closer to No. 1.”
A year ago, Hooper placed a career-best third in the world standings with $245,583. He earned $150,391 in Las Vegas at the 2018 Wrangler NFR. Hooper has qualified for the Wrangler NFR five times (2008-09, 2011, 2014 and 2018).
“Ever since I had surgery on my neck in 2013, I had to completely change what I was doing,” he said. “I started working out and I have a fitness regimen. Those injuries have been blessings for me because they have made me really work for it and crafted me into the bareback rider I am today, which is a lot better than I was 10 years ago.”
Leon Fountain – RodeoBum.com
Pearson picked a heck of a time to take some time off
Pearson, the 2017 Steer Wrestling World Champion, won the RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo with a run of 3.9 seconds in the four-man finals Sunday.
Pearson also took second in the eight-man round earlier in the day. All told, he won $13,267, which will give him a boost in the PRCA | RAM World Standings where he stood at 16th with $20,723 entering the RAM NCFR.
“That felt good,” said Pearson, who claimed his first RAM NCFR title.
Now, the 34-year-old from Louisville, Miss., is going to take a break from competing until the summer run.
“I’m going to take a couple months off, I’ve been rodeoing pretty hard,” Pearson said. “I’ll come back out in June.”
Joining him will be Scooter, the 2017 and 2018 PRCA | AQHA Horse of the Year for steer wrestling that earson rode to the win Sunday. Three of the four qualifiers in the RAM NCFR finals were riding Scooter.
“He gets some time off for sure,” said Pearson, who co-owns Scooter with Kyle Irwin. “We’re going to give him a couple months off, as well. “We’ll let him relax now until June, the summer’s pretty hard.
Pearson was making his first trip to the RAM NCFR since it moved to Kissimmee in 2015. Pearson and his family got to enjoy some of the sites in and around Kissimmee, not to mention celebrate Pearson’s victory.
“We love the weather, the kids love the atmosphere, the pools,” Pearson said. “People around here are cool. We enjoy it. We went to Disney village or something like that. They liked it – Mickey and Minnie, that rat makes a lot of money.”
Clay Smith/Jake Long capturing team roping crown
Team ropers Clay Smith and Jake Long capped a superb week at the RAM NCFR by winning the RAM NCFR title with a 4.8-second run in the four-team finals.
“This is great to win,” Smith said. “This is a great rodeo down here, especially with as much as it pays and everything you win.”
Long agreed.
“Honestly, I rode about as poor of a corner since I have been here,” Long said about his team’s run in the finals. “Colonel (Long’s horse) did such a good job and let me set my rope down in a pretty tough spot, and Clay did a good job of keeping it moving and it worked out.”
Long also won the RAM NCFR in team roping in 2007 in Pocatello, Idaho.
Meged stays hot, snares tie-down roping title
Rookie Haven Meged clocked a 7.4-second run in the final round to claim the title.
“This is just crazy,” Meged said. “That was my goal to come here and win it, and I achieved that goal, which was really sweet.”
Strong draws nets Brooks title
Chase Brooks posted a 91-point ride on Dakota Rodeo’s Cash Deal in the semifinals and an 89.5-point ride on Mo Betta Rodeo’s Sue City Sue in the four-man finals to win the saddle bronc riding and his first RAM NCFR title.
“I’d never been on her, but I’d seen her quite a bit,” Brooks said. “She’s an older horse. She felt really good. She was one you could really open up and just have a good time.”
Smith only bull rider to make whistle
Garrett Smith was the only bull rider in the four-man finals to make the whistle, posting an 85-point ride on Painted Pony Championship Rodeo’s Holly Holy.
“This is pretty awesome,” Smith said. “I’ve been here a couple times and had a little bit of success winning a couple rounds, but never made the four man.”
Texas grabs Circuit team title
In the team race, Texas came in first, winning $133,689. The Prairie Circuit was second with $110,432, followed by the Badlands $91,808 and Wilderness $81,308.
The remaining team finishers were:
Montana ($69,123), Mountain States ($60,956), California ($49,133), Columbia River ($46,164), Southeast ($43,171), Great Lakes ($30,325), Turquoise ($16,805) and First Frontier ($4,549).
Top Stock of RAM NCFR
The top stock of the 2019 RAM NCFR was as follows: Bareback horse, Hi Lo Pro Rodeo’s Pretty Woman; Saddle bronc horse, Silver Spurs Rodeo’s Best Hope; Bull, Barnes PRCA Rodeo’s Tallahassee Red.
Valenzuela wins all-around
Miguel Valenzuela of the Mexico Circuit won the all-around title. Valenzuela competed in team roping and tie-down roping at the Silver Spurs Arena.
Bull riding: Finals: 1. Garrett Smith, 85 points on Painted Pony Championship Rodeo’s Holly Holy, $7,581; no other qualified rides.
First round: 1. Cole Melancon, 88 points on Stace Smith Pro Rodeos’ Hacksaw Ridge, $6,444; 2. Justin Rickard, 80.5, $4,928; 3. (tie) Tyger Gonzalez and Jeff Bertus, 80, $3,032 each; 5. Aaron Williams, 69, $1,516; no other qualified rides. Second round: 1. Garrett Smith, 87 points on 4L & Diamond S Rodeo’s Rough Ride, $6,444; 2. Tyler Bingham, 86, $4,928; 3. Trevor Kastner, 80, $3,601; 4. Roscoe Jarboe, 78, $2,464; 5. Brett Custer, 71, $1,516; no other qualified rides. Average: 1. Cole Melancon, 88 points on one head, $6,254; 2. Garrett Smith, 87, $4,738; 3. Tyler Bingham, 86, $3,412; 4. Justin Rickard, 80.5, $2,274; 5. (tie) Trevor Kastner and Jeff Bertus, 80, $758 each. Semifinals: 1. No qualified rides.
Total payoff: $758,112. Stock contractors: New Star Pro Rodeo, Universal Pro Rodeos and Three Hills Rodeo. Sub-contractors: Stace Smith Pro Rodeos, 4L & Diamond S Rodeo, Mo Betta Rodeo, Painted Pony Championship Rodeo, Dakota Rodeo, Barnes PRCA Rodeo, Brookman Rodeo, Big Rafter Rodeo, Cowtown Rodeo, Hi Lo ProRodeo Company, Five Star Rodeo, Harper & Morgan Rodeo Co, Vold Rodeo, Korkow Rodeos, Hi Lo ProRodeo, Rafter H Rodeo Livestock and Silver Spurs Club. Rodeo secretary: Mikey Duggan. Officials: Mike Todd, Carl Burkholder, Chuck Hoss and Allan Jordan Jr. Timers: Kate Rumford and Molly Twitchell. Announcers: Bob Tallman and Roger Mooney. Bullfighters: Luke Kraut and J.D. Harrell. Clown/barrelman: J.J. Harrison. Flankmen: R.J. Griscom Jr., Tyson Fowler, Levi McCray and Garrett Burruss. Chute bosses: Scott Ramsey, John Gwatney and Dustin Murray. Pickup men: Shawn Calhoun and Will O’Connell. Photographers: James Phifer and Roseanna Sales. Music director: Benje Bendele.
Sydney Frey, daughter of NFR bareback rider, Shawn Frey, won the barrel racing at the Junior American, held in Fort Worth, Texas. Her efforts against 155 barrel races won her $10,000 and a Twister 2 horse trailer, a beautiful buckle, and a Resistol 100x hat. “It’s another great opportunity for kids my age to go after the money they put up,” said the Marlow, Oklahoma, cowgirl who plans to put the money back. “If I had it right now, I’d probably go shopping.” Sydney started running barrels at the age of five, with her mom (Gaye) leading her. “I was really involved with dancing at that age, but I didn’t get serious until my sixth grade year. I started Oklahoma Junior High and I wanted to make nationals. I quit dance and after one year I quit basketball and it was full on rodeo.”
Gaye ran barrels, making the Prairie Circuit Finals. “My mom, she didn’t get to do what she wanted to do in the rodeo career, when she had her kids she let us live our dream.”
Sydney is riding the Great Guns on Dakota. “I call him Jax – that’s what his name was when we got him and I heard its bad luck to change names. I’ve had him for a year now – we bought him from Kelly Yates. I finished out my high school year with him – won the average at the Oklahoma State High School Finals – and then we placed at some pro rodeos in Colorado, Sterling and Lamar, and he filled my permit.”
Sydney has taken this year off from college to pursue her dream of being PRCA Resistol Rookie of the Year. “I’m going for it. I’m doing ok, I’ve hit some barrels so I need to do better, but that’s part of it and I’m going to keep going.”
She travels mostly with her mom and dad. Her older brother also competes as a steer wrestler. Her dad trades cattle and ranches and made the NFR three times, ‘88, ‘89, ‘90. “It’s changed a bunch since then. He’s a good driver though.”
“I thank the Good Lord above first all, and my family, who has gotten me here and I thank Kelly Yates and I thank my vet, Robbin Johnson – she’s kept my horses all together and she’s a phone call away.”
She also thanks her sponsors, Stierwalt Superflex, Team Resistol, and Team Tres Rios.
Front porch sittin’ will have to wait at the Rocking Chair Ranch, in Philipsburg, Montana, because Carolynn and her husband Willy Vietor are far too busy in the rodeo world to occupy rocking chairs. Carolynn, former Miss Rodeo America 1966, has spent a lifetime promoting and competing in professional rodeo as well as promoting the western lifestyle. Carolynn spends many hours in the saddle each week exercising and training on three horses, (her competition horse, back-up horse and prospect mare) and often stays at the barn until after dark. With a rodeo career spanning over 6 decades, Carolynn still has a passion for running barrels and every Tuesday night through the summer season you can find her sharing that passion at the Ranch at Rock Creek, just 20 minutes across the mountain from her home. “Riding in the exhibition rodeos and sharing rodeo with people that know nothing about it has been one of the most rewarding things I’ve done in the promotion of the sport and the western lifestyle.” The rodeos are produced at the luxury dude ranch to share the experience of the wild west and a close-up view of rodeo with guests from all over the world, including social hours so guests can interact with the cowboys and cowgirls competing. Willy and Carolynn began working with the Ranch at Rock River three years ago, and the rodeos, produced with the help of former PRCA stock contractor Joe DeMers, offer a full slate of rodeo events to wow the crowds. Willy flags timed events and competes as a team roper in the rodeos. Barrel racing is one of the favored events of the night, and although many of the ranch’s wranglers race, Carolynn is the only professional barrel racer to star in the show, “I ride in full-dress code, bring one of my best horses and make the best run I can each rodeo, giving the guests a glimpse of true rodeo runs. All I’ve done in my life is coming to a head in doing this, it’s turned out to be one of the highlights of my life.”
NIRA Finals, 1965 in Laramie, Wyoming where she finished with a 14.0. – Courtesy of the family
Carolynn as Miss Rodeo America, 1966, Belle Fourche – Foxie
At age 9 years old, Carolynn carried the flag at the Breckenridge Park rodeo in San Antonio, Texas, 1952 – Courtesy of the family
Carolynn grew up in San Antonio, Texas as an only child and spent many days at her grandparents’ ranch just outside of Campbellton, Texas. Doll and J.G. Callan instilled a love of horses into their granddaughter, and as a child would take her to the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. “Some friends of my grandparents gave us box seat tickets, and from those seats I watched the barrel racing for the first time and was hooked. I knew right then and there that I wanted to barrel race one day.” Carolynn’s grandpa was a cattleman and although he didn’t have rodeo horses, he made sure to buy his young granddaughter a horse that was kept at a nearby boarding stable and Carolynn spent several years riding and even competing in western pleasure shows. “My grandparents bought me a wonderful Palomino gelding named Sunny Boy. I was honored to carry the American flag on him at one of the shows at just 9-years-old; little did I know then that I would one day carry the American flag as Miss Rodeo America, and later at the 1998 opening ceremony of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo on the WPRA’s 50th Anniversary.”
Although Carolynn’s dream was to be a barrel racer, even then barrel horses were very expensive, so she started out on ranch horses and entered high school rodeos as a breakaway roper. “I was 4th in the state of Texas in breakaway roping, on borrowed horses with borrowed trailers, actually borrowed everything!” Carolynn graduated from W.B. Ray High School in Corpus Christi, Texas before going on to compete on the college rodeo team for Southwest Texas State as a goat tyer. Carolynn was the NIRA Southern Region Champion Goat Tyer two years in a row and placed deep in the goat tying at the college national finals in 1964. In 1965, the NIRA held a Rodeo Queen contest and Carolynn rode away from the competition with the crown and title that summer. By the fall of that same year, she had also claimed the Miss Rodeo Texas crown, and finally went on to collect the coveted Miss Rodeo America crown, reigning for all three associations in 1966. Carolynn was the first Miss Rodeo America to win in all three categories of the competition; horsemanship, personality, and appearance. After taking the year off from college to focus on her responsibilities as rodeo queen, Carolynn graduated from Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas in 1968 with a degree in home economics and speech. Carolynn’s senior year of college, a friend set her up on a blind date with Bill, known as Willy; they were married 6 months later and have enjoyed a life of 50-years together so far. Willy served as a T-38 instructor pilot, stationed at the Laredo Air Force base for 6-years during the Vietnam War before the couple and their young son Cal, short for Callan, moved to Willy’s family ranch where they raised commercial cross-bred cattle in Philipsburg, Montana. While they were in Montana, Carolynn barrel raced at local amateur rodeos, staying close to home to focus on her family. The couple had their second son, Justin in 1974. Sadly, tragedy struck the young family in 1979 when they suffered the loss of both their 8-year old son, Cal, and Willy’s father Bill, in a tragic airplane accident.
Opening ceremony at the 1998 WNFR. She was president of the WPRA, during its 50th anniversary. – Copeman, PRCA
Carolynn, Miss Rodeo America, 1966 at the Aquatic Wonderland in Aquarena, Texas. Printed on a postcard
Women’s Professional Rodeo Association President, Carolynn Vietor, 2003-2016 – Courtesy of the family
In the late 70’s Carolynn had a sorrel gelding that made such an impression on her that his impact on her life can still be seen today. “Promino, a son of Classy Bar, was the best horse I have ever owned, and because of him, I bought his full sister, Classy Julie, from Dears Quarter Horses in Simms, Montana, and she and our Doc Bar stud, Dee Barretta have been the foundation of every great horse I’ve had since then.” Carolynn won the Montana Barrel Racing finals on Promino two years, and while riding Promino, she filled her rookie GRA (now the WPRA) permit in 1979 at one rodeo in Helena, Montana. After filling her card while competing in the PRCA Montana Pro Rodeo Circuit, she went to the circuit finals a total of 18 times on 7 different horses. In 2003, she was the Montana Circuit Champion on one of her colts, Classy Eye Am, a sorrel mare more fondly known as Bump. In 2003, Carolynn qualified for the 2004 Dodge National Circuit Finals in Pocatello, Idaho. The couple built a winter home in 2005, just outside of Wickenburg, Arizona and Carolynn stopped going to the Montana circuit rodeos as heavily. However, slowing down was not exactly Carolynn Vietor’s speed, and she and Willy continued to compete in the National Senior Pro Rodeo Association, with Carolynn winning the 2008 NSPRA Champion Barrel Racer title on Bump.
In 1985, she held the Northern Region Director position, followed by the Montana Director position for the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association, for a total of 10 years before taking the reins as president of the association from 1995 until 2003. After retiring for 10 years, she was re-elected as president once again serving from 2013 until 2016. During Carolynn’s time with the WPRA, she not only saw incredible growth in the industry but was also recognized with many honors and awards. Carolynn was named the 1999 Coca-Cola Woman of the Year, 2002 Pioneer Woman of the Year, and was awarded the WPRA Heritage Award in 2002 as well. “Everything is bigger and better, Miss Rodeo America, rodeos, barrel racing, all of it. There are so many more rodeos, more sponsors, and so much more money. No one ever dreamed we’d compete for the money we can today.” In 2008, Carolynn was honored as the Texas State University Alumna of the Year because of her work in professional rodeo. Although it was due to the efforts of several board members and many years of earnestly working towards goals, Carolynn was fortunate to see major accomplishments while she was the WPRA president; in 1998, team ropers and barrel racers were given equal money at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, and she was also in the lead of the WPRA when the prize money went to over a million dollars at the WNFR.
Carolynn is as busy as ever today, filled with the same passion for barrel racing that has been the story of her life. “I have a 7-year old horse coming up, so I’m about ready to get more heavily into competing again. I broke my leg last year so that slowed me down some, but I’ve finally just about forgotten I broke it, so I’m getting back in the groove and ready to go again.” Besides judging at multiple events, when in Arizona Willy ropes nearly every day of the week, sometimes going to 2 or 3 ropings a day. They enjoy spending time with Justin, his wife Brook, and their two granddaughters, Ellie, 8, and Reese, 6, (lovingly known as MayMay), who live near Salt Lake City, Utah. Carolynn and Willy are on a desperate search to find the perfect kid horses to share with their granddaughters, hoping to instill the same passion for the lifestyle that her grandparents once did for her.
The Vietor family was inducted to the 2016 Montana Pro Rodeo Hall and Wall of Fame and in 2017, Carolynn was included as one of the Outstanding Women of the West at the Montana Silversmith World Reunion and Gold Card Gathering.
“Professional rodeo has grown by leaps and bounds from the cowboys of the Turtle days that worked to gain recognition as a professional sport to what it is today, but still with the ground roots of the western lifestyle and where we came from. I am so happy to have been a part of it and see it all happen.”
Madison “Madi” Outhier has been competing in rodeo since she was one. “I started in the lead line,” said the 16-year-old sophomore who made history by winning both the Junior American and the American in the breakaway roping on March 3 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. “I started roping when I was 8.” Helping her get the win was her equine partner, Rooster, a 10-year-old gelding that was raised on the ranch and trained by her dad, Mike.
“Rooster is amazing. My dad let me start roping off him when he was seven, three years ago. He didn’t let me ride him too much because he would stop way too hard for my roping abilities. We are so molded together – he’s the sweetest horse in the barn. When I saddle him, he turns his head and nudges me. He goes wherever we need to go with a great attitude.”
Rooster is a grandson of Colonel Freckles and a son of Gallo De Cielo. His mom is Colonel C Hermosa, a horse that was raised on the Outhier ranch as part of the LA Waters Quarter Horse breeding program started in the 1970s by Madi’s grandparents, Lou and Wanda Waters. “Colonel Freckles was a futurity Champ and one of the best cutting horses around,” explains Mike, who is Madi’s main coach. I had Rooster ready three years ago, but Madi wasn’t. We worked on position and the basics. Madi works real hard at rodeo and she’s so coachable.” Mike competed in both ends of the arena; bareback, saddle bronc, bull riding, calf roping, team roping, steer wrestling, and steer roping. He entered his first International Pro Rodeo at the age of 15 and went to the International Finals Rodeo, winning the All Around in 1995, 1996, and 1997. He made four appearances at the Wrangler National Finals, 2001 – 2004, competing in saddle bronc riding. He won the PRCA Linderman Award twice; 2004 and 2007. Through rodeo, Mike has developed a huge circle of friends that have been instrumental in his daughter’s success. His good friend, Ricky Canton, is a huge part of it. “He always keeps us in calves and puts on ropings every Saturday and Sunday in the fall and winter. It’s really helped her roping- she’s roping against girls that have roping schools of their own.”
Madison playing basketball for her high school team, Fulshear Chargers – Dave Sanders
Breakaway roping at IFYR – RodeoBum.com
Carrying the flag – Courtesy of the family
Madi also honed her horsemanship skills by playing polo, something her mom, Kristy, did professionally for 25 years. She played her last polo match last year, retiring to stay home with her family and help Mike with the horses that they train and sell .“Polo has helped me a lot with my competition skills, my mind set,” said Madi. “You have an hour and a half to make up your mistakes in polo, in rodeo you have 2 seconds and then you have to drive home. I bring my polo mindset to rodeo – and don’t get too stressed out.”
All that support and Rooster’s incredible abilities have paid off greatly this year. They won the Junior NFR in Vegas in the 15 and under; Joe Beaver 15 and under, Cody Ohl and won second in Lari Dee Guy’s open breakaway.
The family ranch is in Utopia, Texas, but they also have a place in Fulshear, 30 minutes from the middle of Houston, where they live during the week so Madi and her younger brother, Ace, can attend school. “Mom has a big polo barn. We live in a little house attached to the barn. Rooster is 200 feet away from my bedroom. We have polo fields out front that our family built.”
Ace (11), is involved in baseball, basketball, football, fishing, and hunting. They both work hard at school. “School is very important to me and my family. I play basketball as well so basically ever since school started I’ve had basketball, then come home and rope and then homework. I work really hard to keep all As, but it’s worth it to keep good grades to get into a good college.” Kristy handles all the communication with school when Madi has to take time off to attend rodeos. “The teachers know I work hard and they give me my work and I usually get it done before I leave.”
Besides polo, rodeo, basketball, and school, Madi has another passion – acting. “I was an actress and that’s all I wanted to do when I was 9. We spent one summer living in New York City. My mom had a couple of polo jobs in upstate New York that summer. I had won an acting competition that gave me an agent in New York City that sent me on auditions, sometimes three a day… all summer,” she said. “I was in a couple movies with Robert Duvall. That’s what I did and what I loved.” She was also in a fabulous children’s movie called “Charlie, A Toy Story.”
She missed the ranch, though, and they came home. “It’s so much different when you have a whole ranch in Texas versus a tiny little apartment in New York City. My mom was so awesome to support me in taking me there, but they didn’t want to live there either. I had an agent in Houston that I still do auditions for, but a year ago I started focusing on everything else I was doing. It was too much to balance rodeo, basketball, school, – I still love the acting world – in fact Robert Duvall called my dad to congratulate me.” She felt the experience with acting gave her the skills to interview, something she has done a lot of since winning the American.
Breakaway roping at IFYR – RodeoBum.com
Madi and her father at the NFR when she was just 2 months old
Madi found out about the Junior American through the International Finals Youth Rodeo. “We signed up there and I went to a few others – Joe Beaver and Cody Ohl had qualifiers. Joe Beaver is also where I qualified for the open breakaway.” She had two spots in the Junior American and two spots in the main semi finals.
After she won the Junior American short go on Friday, at the Will Rogers Memorial Stadium in Ft. Worth., she moved to the fifth round of the semi qualifiers at Cowtown Coliseum. “I honestly think I used up all my nerves in the semifinals. Once I made it to AT&T I knew I had accomplished my main goal. I was just like okay, get this one run at a time. Three runs. The last one was a 2.2 – my fastest time is a 1.7 at Ricky Canton’s roping. I was a 1.9 to win the Junior American at Will Rogers. I was actually a 1.9 three times that week. I’m usually not that fast.” She gives her dad the credit for that. “My dad giving me the perfect start. He can watch the calf and how long the box and barrier is. And then the calves were great there all week. We kept a list on them and we watched a video on them.” After that, she just remembers what he told her and nods her head. “Tip down, throw down. Look at the shoulder.”
After that win, what’s next for this young roper? She competes in barrel racing and cutting, but breakaway is her favorite event. “I get direct results – the horse is a huge part of it, but I have control of the winnings because it’s myself doing the roping.” She practices every day – she ropes on Rooster and one other practice horse and I rope between 10 and 20 calves every day. I try to rope the dummy too.”
College is definitely in the future. “I really don’t know what I want to do – I love the business industry, I’ll get into that like my grandpa did. My mom’s dad (Lou Waters) has taught me how to act and be and go about things. He’s such a respected and humble man.” Madi is quick to give her parents the credit for her success. “They taught me all their horsemanship skills and to stay humble and take everything as a blessing. I pray to God every night. They’ve showed me how to live.”
Eight RODEOHOUSTON athletes added $50,000 to their previous winnings during the Super Series Championship, Saturday, March 16.
TIE-DOWN ROPING
With a time of 8.5 seconds, Michael Otero took home the 2019 RODEOHOUSTON Super Series Tie-Down Roping Championship title.
Otero said he has always wanted to be in the Super Series Championship, and when he finished his run, he knew the time would be faster than normal.
“It is something that I have always wanted to do,” Otero said. “It has been several years where I am down there watching those guys win it and it is just great to finally be in the situation that I was looking forward to being in. It feels great.”
Final Four Winners (total RODEOHOUSTON 2019 winnings):
Michael Otero: Weatherford, Texas — $54,250
Cimarron Boardman: Stephenville, Texas — $25,875
Tuf Cooper: Decatur, Texas — $13,750
Riley Pruitt: Gehring, Nebraska — $13,125
BAREBACK RIDING
Winning tonight with a 92-second ride, Kaycee Feild is now a five-time RODEOHOUSTON Champion.
“This rodeo is special — the arena is huge, the atmosphere is huge, the money is huge, just everything about it,” Feild said. “You come here and you automatically get excited, you automatically get the butterflies going. It is a rodeo that has been around for a long, long time and to see my name in there among the greats it is a pretty special deal.”
Final Four Winners (total RODEOHOUSTON 2019 winnings):
Kaycee Feild: Genola, Utah — $56,250
Ty Breuer: Mandan, North Dakota — $23,000
Richie Champion: Dublin, Texas — $19,375
Tilden Hooper: Fort Worth, Texas — $10,000
TEAM ROPING
Their first time as a Team Roping duo, Ty Blasingame and Kyle Lockett were named the 2019 RODEOHOUSTON Super Series Team Roping Champions. The team did not skip a beat, with a time of 5 seconds to take home the win.
Blasingame and Lockett said they are not sure what they will do with the winnings, but they are excited to get a win at RODEOHOUSTON.
“[RODEOHOUSTON] is an amazing rodeo to win. The committee is awesome, everyone does an awesome job,” Blasingame said.
Final Four Winners (total RODEOHOUSTON 2019 winnings):
Ty Blasingame: Casper, Wyoming; and Kyle Lockett: Visalia, California — $111,500
Jake Cooper: Monument, New Mexico; and Caleb Anderson: Charlotte, North Carolina — $60,000
Paul David Tierney: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and Tanner Braden: Dewey, Oklahoma — $19,000
SADDLE BRONC RIDING
Jesse Wright took home the 2019 RODEOHOUSTON Super Series Saddle Bronc Riding Champion title, after earning a score of 86 in the exciting Shootout Round.
Wright credited his win to staying healthy and drawing the right horses. He also said he is on cloud nine after winning at RODEOHOUSTON, joining a list of elite past champion athletes.
“I don’t know if I needed it or I just wanted it that bad, but it feels pretty good,” Wright said. “Whenever you look at that wall with the past champions it just makes you want it and now that I did it, it just feels great.”
Final Four Winners (total RODEOHOUSTON 2019 winnings):
Jesse Wright: Milford, Utah — $58,000
Zeke Thurston: Big Valley, Alberta, Canada — $25,875
Cody Demoss: Heflin, Louisiana — $13,875
Dawson Hay: Wildwood, Alberta, Canada — $12,333
STEER WRESTLING
In his first RODEOHOUSTON appearance, Josh Garner was named the 2019 RODEOHOUSTON Super Series Steer Wrestling Champion.
Garner said being invited to RODEOHOUSTON was a dream come true, and winning is indescribable.
“I cannot believe it,” Garner said. “I am so stoked right now. I have always wanted to come to this rodeo and this being my first time here and doing good, I am stoked.”
Final Four Winners (total RODEOHOUSTON 2019 winnings):
Josh Garner: Live Oak, California — $57,000
Kyle Irwin: Westville, Florida — $24,875
Will Lummus: Byhalia, Mississippi — $14,750
Blake Knowles: Heppner, Oregon — $10,375
BARREL RACING
Back-to-back RODEOHOUSTON Super Series Barrel Racing Champion Nellie Williams-Miller ran her fastest time at the rodeo this year with a 14.26-second ride in the Shootout Round to secure her second win.
“This is just such an amazing rodeo,” Williams-Miller said. “I just love coming here in the first place and to win it two times in a row is just so amazing. It is such a great experience.”
Final Four Winners (total RODEOHOUSTON 2019 winnings):
Nellie Williams-Miller: Cottonwood, California — $56,000
Brittany Tonozzi: Victoria, Texas — $28,000
Carley Cervi: Pampa, Texas — $17,875
Stevi Hillman: Weatherford, Texas — $12,250
BULL RIDING
With two bucked-off riders before him, Trevor Kastner made his eight seconds count, scoring 90 points in the Shootout Round to win the 2019 RODEOHOUSTON Super Series Bull Riding Champion title.
Kastner said the deep history of RODEOHOUSTON makes a championship win more rewarding for the athletes and himself.
“The money stands out for sure, but the history of it has been going on here forever,” Kastner said. “To put your name next to the guys that have won it is awesome.”
Final Four Winners (total RODEOHOUSTON 2019 winnings):
The RODEOHOUSTON Super Series Wild Card on Friday, March 15, determined the final 14 athletes advancing to the Super Series Championship to be held today, March 16.
TIE-DOWN ROPING
Tuf Cooper took advantage of a trail of unsuccessful runs by his opponents, taking the win in the Wild Card Round and clinching a spot in the Super Series Championship.
Cooper said this is a big stage to play on, but he was confident going into his run.
“I was down there at the end of the competition, so I saw what my competitors were doing,” Cooper said. “I knew I had a good calf — a good dancing partner — so I just wanted to go make a solid run and I was able to do it today.”Advancing to the Championship Round:
Tuf Cooper: Decatur, Texas — $6,000
Ryan Jarrett: Comanche, Oklahoma — $7,000
BAREBACK RIDING
Jake Vold won the tiebreaker in Bareback Riding to advance to the Super Series Championship.
Devan Reilly also advanced to the Championship but took a loss in the tiebreaker. Reilly said regardless of the outcome, it is a big deal to advance as a bareback rider at RODEOHOUSTON.
“Well, you never know what is going to happen. Every horse out there was just rank,” Reilly said. “That is kind of why we ride bucking horses — test yourself, test your grit, test you iron. Everyone out there is as tough as nails so to come out with a 90 here was awesome.”
Advancing to the Championship Round:
Jake Vold: Airdrie, Alberta, Canada — $11,500
Devan Reilly: Sheridan, Wyoming — $4,875
TEAM ROPING
Team Roping duo Jake Cooper and Caleb Anderson secured the win in the Wild Card with a time of 4.4 seconds.
This is Anderson’s first time at RODEOHOUSTON, and he said that after not advancing in Semifinals 2, he wanted to come back and try his hardest.
“I was a little nervous because I messed up last night to get back, but tonight I said ‘I just need to do it,’” Anderson said.
Advancing to the Championship Round:
Jake Cooper: Monument, New Mexico; and Caleb Anderson: Charlotte, North Carolina — $20,000
Paul David Tierney: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and Tanner Braden: Dewey, Oklahoma — $8,000
SADDLE BRONC RIDING
Chase Brooks was the first out of the chute in the Wild Card, and his score of 86 points stood up against the 11 riders behind him.Advancing to the Championship Round:
Chase Brooks: Belgrade, Montana — $6,000
Zeke Thurston: Big Valley, Alberta, Canada — $5,875
STEER WRESTLING
Having the most winnings on the Steer Wrestling Wild Card roster, Tyler Waguespack earned himself a spot in the Super Series Championship with a time of 4.4.
Waguespack said tonight came down to doing his job right and he is excited that it was enough to advance out of a tough round.
“It is incredible. To come through the Wild Card, it is kind of your toughest night. They only take two people out of it and we are fortunate enough, me and my traveling partner, to both advance,” Waguespack said.
Advancing to the Championship Round:
Tyler Waguespack: Gonzales, Louisiana — $10,000
Tyler Pearson: Atoka,ul/Oklahoma — $5,750
BARREL RACING
Jessi Fish advanced to the Super Series Championship in Barrel Racing after her time of 14.35 held up against the 11 cowgirls behind her.
Fish said her first time at RODEOHOUSTON has been unlike any other rodeo.
“A huge goal of mine was to get to come to Houston this year,” Fish said. “It has been amazing, there is nothing like it.”
Advancing to the Championship Round:
Jessi Fish: Franklin, Tennessee — $6,750
Jimmie Smith: Mcdade, Texas — $3,750
BULL RIDING
Sage Steele Kimzey was 10th on the roster and was only the third bull rider to stay on. His score of 93 superseded that of his opponents and secured him a spot in the Super Series Championship.
“It feels really good,” Kimzey said. “Nobody wants to go through the Wild Card just because it is so tough to advance out of this round. Once I had a little subpar performance in the Semifinal, I knew this was the hand that I was going to have to play and knew it was going to be tough but I got the job done.”
Advancing to the Championship Round:
Sage Steel Kimzey, Salado, Texas — $8,500
Josh Frost, Randlett, Utah — $4,000
The top four from each event in the Semifinal rounds advanced to the RODEOHOUSTON Super Series Championship, today, March 16. The remaining six from each event in the two semifinals competed in the Wild Card Round, where the top two from each event advanced to the Championship. Each event champion will walk away with a $50,000 payout, in addition to previous winnings.
March 10, 2019 / Guthrie, Oklahoma – Seventeen days before the opening round of the CINCH Timed Event Championship, Justin Thigpen took a call from the Lazy E Arena inviting him to be a replacement for the injured JoJo LeMond.
Fifty hours after he roped his first steer, the Waycross, Georgia, cowboy became just the 15th man to win the “Ironman of ProRodeo” in the event’s 35th year. What’s even bigger is that he became the third rookie in that time to claim the title and the top prize: Leo Camarillo won it in the first year in 1985, and Mike Beers was the next newcomer to do it a year later.
“I’ve wanted to come here for years,” said Thigpen, a 19-time International Professional Rodeo Association champion who has won titles in the all-around, tie-down roping, heading and steer roping. “I’ve dedicated my life to roping. I’m’ so glad I got to prove to myself that I can do it and that I belong here.”
Yes, he does, and he proved it to the well-educated Lazy E crowd from the opening kickoff. He was strong and steady and placed in the first three rounds – second in the first two performances and first on Saturday afternoon. He also packed a heavy dose of prizes and money, $107,000.
It’s the richest weekend of competition he’s ever earned.
“By far,” he said. “Wow. What a great event. I’m honored that they had me. The crowd is just amazing; they respect the horsemanship it takes and the cowboys. There’s not another event that’s dedicated to the roping and bulldogging like this event.”
Twenty of the best all-around, timed-event cowboys in the game test their skills in this unique challenge, where each man must compete in heading, heeling, tie-down roping, steer wrestling and steer roping in order to complete a round.
The biggest paydays come in the 25-run aggregate. Thigpen finished in 341.9 seconds to collect the top prize of $100,000, then added his money in the rounds to get his total. K.C. Jones, a five-time CTEC champion from Burlington, Wyo., finished second in 412.0, which was worth $25,000.
“Justin’s rodeoed for a long time,” said Jones, who has pocketed $493,500 in CTEC cash in his career. “He’s got a good arena, and he gets to rope a lot in the wintertime. I come out of Wyoming, and I go to south Georgia to get out of the weather. Once he got invited to come here, we got together and practiced.
“There are a ton of good rodeos down there, but they’re just in a different association. He’s competed, but he’s lived in the wrong part of the country for a lot of people to notice.”
They’re noticing now. In fact, Thigpen had secured his championship after the 24th run of his weekend. He held a 63.8-second advantage after the 23rd event, then added to it in steer wrestling, one of his signature disciplines. The worst a cowboy could get in the CTEC is a 60-second run, the equivalency of a no-time.
Therefore, the big check had his name etched on it before he made his final run of the weekend.
“When I came to bulldogging, my buddy that helped me all weekend, Matt McGee, told me, ‘Hey, don’t back off now. You’ve got a job to do,’ ” he said. “That’s the mentality we take. That’s the dedication in the practice pen. Let it show off in the arena.”
It was definitely a learning situation for Thigpen, who had never attempted a steer roping run before he accepted the invitation. That that he understands he will be back in this arena as the defending champion, Thigpen plans to work more on that event and heeling – they are the two he doesn’t do often at rodeos.
For his first time inside the massive arena, he took all the challenges the CTEC offers and handled them in dominating fashion. It can be a grueling test of each athlete’s physical and mental endurance.
“I run a lot of cattle and compete at the rodeos, so I felt like it was to my advantage physically just running them back to back to back,” Thigpen said. “I know a lot of guys here who just run at one event most of the time. It was nothing for me at that end of it.
“As far as the mental side of it, I told myself so many times this week, “Stay smooth, stay in the game; don’t get ahead of the game if you draw a cow that is stronger. Still do your job, get a time and go on to the next one.’ ”
It worked, and he has the right mental game to handle this event for years to come. He knows just what to consider as he trains and plans for next March and the 2020 CINCH Timed Event Championship.
“Don’t get over-confident, and don’t take it for granted,” he said. “Live for this moment, but you better practice and you better be ready for next year. It’s an event like not other, and it ain’t for the faint of heart.
“You’ve got to go at them. The pen is big, the cattle are strong. You’ve got to bear down and do your job every time you nod your head. There’s not a layup in this thing.”
That’s what helps make it the most unique event in Western sports.
First round: 1. Jordan Ketscher, 60.7 seconds, $3,000; 2. Justin Thigpen, 72.1, $2,000; 3. Brent Lewis, 73.9, $1,000.
Second round: 1. Marcus Theriot, 73.6 seconds, $3,000; 2 Justin Thigpen, 75.7, $2,000; 3. Clayton Hass, 78.3, $1,000.
March 10, 2019 / Guthrie, Oklahoma – One man’s misfortune can turn the tide quickly at an event like the Jr. Ironman Championship.
When leader Trevor Meier of Garden City, Kansas, failed to secure a catch during his heeling run Sunday morning, that opened the door for Tyler West to walk through. The Mertzon, Texas, cowboy did just that, parlaying the fastest round of the weekend into the 12-run aggregate championship.
“The first day, I took a 60 in heeling,” West said, referring to the 60-second run, the equivalency of a no-time at the Jr. Ironman and the CINCH Timed Event Championship. “The momentum went my way yesterday, and I kept going with it today.”
Yes, it did. He started off with a 6.5-second run in heading, then closed out the championship by being strong in his final three runs of the three-day event. He set two more arena records in the process, a 6.3 in heeling and the round time of 32.2 seconds. In all, he pocketed $11,000 – all earned Sunday.
With the victory, he earned an invitation to compete in the World Champion Rodeo Alliance semifinals, which takes place in May at the Lazy E Arena.
“That’s awesome,” he said. “That’s a lot of money to win. It’s just an honor to be able to go.”
It’s also an honor to win the title at the third Jr. Ironman.
“It’s a dream for a young cowboy that wants to rodeo professionally one day,” said West, a 19-year-old cowboy who attends Southwest Texas Junior College on a rodeo scholarship. “Words can’t describe what this means to me for my future.”
Though he watched his lead slip away with a tough run in his 11th event of the season, Meier was still content with finishing second. He won Friday’s first round and the runner-up, pocketing $6,000 when all was done.
“The big thing is staying consistent every run,” said Meier, 19, a freshman at Garden City Community College who plans to transfer to Oklahoma Panhandle State University when the time comes. “Just one steer will get you, so you can’t let one run affect your next one.”
It was a busy weekend for all the contestants, but none more than Meier. After competing in Saturday’s second round, he traveled to Fort Scott, Kansas, to compete at the college rodeo. He and his partner placed fifth in the first round in the southeast Kansas community but skipped today’s championship round in order to compete at the Lazy E.
“This is a good platform to go to the next level, a good stepping stone to learn how to have a good mental game.”
A strong mental approach helped West come through the final round unscathed. He loves the opportunity to compete in multiple events and hopes to show that in ProRodeo for years to come.
“I look up to Trevor Brazile,” West said of the winningest cowboy in the game, a seven-time CTEC titlist who owns the record for most Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association world championships. “He has 24 gold buckles, and he has great character. I look up to him.”
It’s a good place to start.
Jr. Ironman first round: 1. Trevor Meier, 49.8, $1,000.
Jr. Ironman second round: 1. Hiyo Yazzi, 39.0 seconds, $1,000. Jr. Ironman third round: 1. Tyler West, 32.2 seconds, $1,000.
