I have been involved in rodeo for a long time. And I see a recent trend in the sport that has me concerned.
I am concerned about the way many of the current contestants conduct their business.
In recent months I have read many social media posts about contestants leaving their trash around rodeo grounds. I have witnessed it personally at the majority of the rodeos I go to as well. It is bad at many of the pro rodeos, the problem carries down to college rodeos and even carries down to high school rodeos. If you doubt it yourself, walk through a parking lot at a pro rodeo, a college rodeo or a high school rodeo.
Just recently at one of the first winter rodeos of the year, I watched many contestants throw their trash out on the parking lot when trash barrels were only feet away. Barrel racers left used syringes all over in the parking lot. Contestants broke into locked stalls. Others treated the gate, committee and sponsors poorly. A few contestants’ actions can reflect on our sport as a whole.
I have also watched as contestants call out rodeo judges on social media. I am not siding with the any call, either way, I just don’t believe that social media is your best avenue to resolve the situation.
I do find it interesting that I have never saw a post where somebody calls out a great call by a judge.
I don’t think that a social media post will benefit you in the future in any positive way. Judges are on social media, and they are talking about it. Sponsors are on social media and they are talking about it. Most importantly younger contestants see the example you are setting.
Unfortunately for them when they follow in your footsteps, their association may have rules against social media posts about rodeo officials, and they may find themselves in more trouble.
The sad part is the trend is starting from the top down. A few top contestants are setting the example and it then becomes easy for others to follow their lead. People are watching them, and doing the same things that they see their idols doing.
I am not saying that all of the top contestants are bad, in fact I will say that the majority are really good people and do a very good job of taking care of their business. The problem is the few disrespectful rodeo contestants that are giving the entire group a bad reputation. Maybe, just maybe, we can start a new trend and have the younger generation be the good example we are looking for in the future.
My hope is that as a professional rodeo athlete your performance and conduct inside the arena is just as important to you as your conduct and performance outside of the arena. It is important to realize that in your lifetime your actions outside of the arena will determine your character, and your character will be what the majority of those who know you remember you for.
Blog
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Setting a Good Example
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Kastner dominates bull riding at San Antonio Rodeo
SAN ANTONIO (Feb. 9, 2018) – Trevor Kastner has been setting earnings records in the bull riding at the 2018 San Antonio Rodeo.
The Roff, Oklahoma, resident was the only rider to last eight seconds at the first performance and while his 78-point score wasn’t anything to brag about, his $5,945 paycheck was. He came back to the AT&T Center on Friday night for the second round of Bracket 1 and again was the only rider to get a score. This time it was 91-points on Four Star Rodeo’s Yellow Fever that got him the big check. After two rounds, he has total earnings of $11,891. That money will see him advancing to the semi-finals and a favorite to go on to the championship round.
Kastner and all the other 80 contestants (10 in each event) in Bracket 1 will see the completion of their preliminary competition here at the Saturday matinee performance beginning at 1 p.m. It can’t come to fast for Kastner as his wife is expecting their first child any day.
“I keep thinking I’m going to get the phone call and have to leave San Antonio,” Kastner said. “It looks like it’s going to work out. I’ll go home as soon as I get done and have time with them before I come back for the Semifinals.”
The new addition to their family isn’t his only motivations to earn money in the rodeo arena. Kastner qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR) three consecutive years from 2011 – 2013. Then, injuries and just not riding to his potential saw him miss the next four. He won the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo a week ago and is leading the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association World Standings. The money from San Antonio won’t be added to those standings until the rodeo’s conclusion on February 24th, and with what he could still win here, he could increase his lead substantially.
“The money is the most important thing now,” Kastner said. “I have a family to support and I want to get back to the NFR.”
When he comes back here for the Semifinals, he will be a new daddy to a baby girl named McKenna Mae. Kastner will have a lot of reasons to celebrate and extra motivation to keep winning.
Hailey Kinsel and her trusty steed DM Sissy Hayday had their second win in the AT&T Center on Friday night. They stopped the clock in 13.90 seconds to win $2,378. The Texas A&M graduate has earned $4,756 so far and still has one more run to make in Bracket 1. They have already earned enough money to advance to the Semifinals but every dollar counts towards a championship here so she and Sister will be running hard again on Saturday.
Kinsel lives less than 100 miles away from San Antonio in Cotulla. This is the first time that she has qualified to compete in the highest-paying rodeo of the regular season. She and Sister set an arena record last December at the NFR and finished the season in second place. The way the horse and rider have been working together, a new arena record in the AT&T Center is not out of the question.
There are two performances of the rodeo on Saturday. The matinee at 1 p.m. will see the end of Bracket 1. The evening performance, beginning at 7:30 will start Bracket 2.
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SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Feb. 9, 2018) — The following are results after the second performance of the San Antonio Stock Show Rodeo, the 13-time Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Large Indoor Rodeo of the Year.
Bracket 1, round 2 followed by money leaders —
Bareback Riding: 1, Shane O’Connell, Rapid City, S.D., 86.5 points on J Bar J Rodeo’s Straight Jacket, $2,378. 2, Austin Foss, Terrebonne, Ore., 86, $1,784. 3, (tie) Logan Patterson, Kim, Colo.; Logan Corbett, Las Cruces, N.M.; Tim O’Connell, Zwingle, Iowa; and Richmond Champion, The Woodlands, Texas, 77, $446. (total money) 1, Shane O’Connell, $4,459. 2, Foss, $2,973. 3, Champion, $2,527. 4, Tim O’Connell, $644.
Steer Wrestling: 1, Trevor Knowles, Mount Vernon, Ore., 3.9 seconds, $2,378. 2, Blake Knowles, Heppner, Ore., 4.6, $1,784. 3, Curtis Cassidy, Donald, Alberta, 4.7, $1,189. 4, Kyle Whitaker, Chambers, Neb., 5.3, $595. (total money) 1, Cassidy, $3,270. 2, Blake Knowles, $2,973. 3, Trevor Knowles, $2,378. 4, Matt Reeves, Cross Plains, Texas, $2,080.
Team Roping: 1, Trevor Brazile, Decatur, Texas and Patrick Smith, Lipan, Texas, 5.1 seconds, $2,378 each. 2, Bubba Buckaloo, Kingston, Okla., and Joseph Harrison, Overbrook, Okla., 5.7, $1,784. 3, Tanner Baldwin, Vail, Ariz., and Tanner Luttrell, Santan Valley, Ariz., 6.0, $1,189. 4, Paul David Tierney, Oklahoma City, Okla., and Cesar de la Cruz, Tucson, Ariz., 6.5, $595. (total money) 1, Brazile and Smith, $4,162. 2, Buckaloo and Harrison, $2,973. 3, Riley and Brady Minor, Ellensburg, Wash., $2,378. 4, Tierney and de la Cruz, $1,189.
Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, (tie) CoBurn Bradshaw, Beaver, Utah, on Beutler and Son Rodeo’s Holy Water, and Jade Blackwell, Rapid City, S.D., on Beautler and Son Rodeo’s Four Aces, 83.5 points, $2,080 each. 3, Joey Sonnier III, New Iberia, La., 83, $1,189. 4, Jacobs Crawley, Boerne, Texas, 79.5, $595. (total money) 1, (tie) Crawley and Clay Elliot, Nanton, Alberta, $2,378. 3, (tie) CoBurn and Blackwell, $2,080.
Tie-Down Roping: 1, Tim Pharr, Resaca, Ga., 7.7 seconds, $2,378. 2, Marcos Costa, Childress, Texas, 9.3, $1,784. 3, Jordan Ketscher, Squaw Valley, Calif., 9.6, $1,189. 4, Ty Harris, San Angelo, Texas, 10.1, $595. (total money) 1, Ketscher, $3,567. 2, Pharr, $2,378. 3, (tie) Costa and Bryson Sechrist, Apache, Okla., $1,784.
Women’s Barrel Race: 1, Hailey Kinsel, Cotulla, Texas, 13.90 seconds, $2,378. 2, Jane Melby, Burneyville, Okla., 14.15, $1,784. 3, (tie) Kassie Mowry, Dublin, Texas, and Brittany Pozzi-Tonozzi, Victoria, Texas, 14.17, $892. (total money) 1, Kinsel, $4,756. 2, Pozzi-Tonozzi, $2,080. 3, (tie) Melby and Lisa Lockhart, Oelrichs, S.D., $1,784.
Bull Riding: (one qualified ride) Trevor Kastner, Roff, Okla., 91 points on Four Star Rodeo’s Yellow Fever, $5,945. (total money) 1, Kastner, $11,890.
About the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo:
Established in 1949, the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, winner of the PRCA Large Indoor Rodeo of the Year for an unprecedented 13 consecutive times, has grown to be one of the largest and most prestigious single events in the city, with over 2 million visitors entering the grounds each year. The success of the organization is attributed to over 6,000 volunteers who give countless hours to the organization. With community, donor and volunteer support, the organization has donated over $186 million to the youth of Texas through scholarships, grants, endowments, auctions, a calf scramble program and show premiums. For more information, visit sarodeo.com. -
Champions crowned at Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo
FORT WORTH, Texas (February 3, 2018) — The lion’s share of nearly $650,000 in prize money was paid out at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo on Saturday.
The day got off to a rousing start on Saturday afternoon with the last performance of regular competition. That set the field for Saturday night’s finals and paid checks in the preliminary rounds.
Saturday night kicked off with the 12 best bareback riders trying to add their names to the history books. The most successful out of the 74 entries was Wyoming’s J.R. Vezain. The former college champion and five-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR) qualifier got on an extra horse to earn the title.
Initially, he got on Universal Pro Rodeo’s horse named Short Fuse. When the horse stumbled, that gave Vezain another opportunity. He quickly made the decision to give up his 82-point score and try again. That was a wise decision as he improved by over five points. He rode Picket Pro Rodeo’s Top Notch for 87.5 points to win the finals. He also had the highest total through four rounds of competition at 338.5 to earn a total of $10,817.
Tyler Pearson could be the happiest rodeo contestant of the 1,147 that were entered here. Pearson, from Louisville, Mississippi won the steer wrestling world championship last December at the NFR and hasn’t slowed down one bit.
He won the championship at the National Western Stock Show in Denver for more than $16,000 just two weeks ago. He came here and added to that significantly. He stopped the clock in 3.9 seconds to win the final round. That gave him a total of 12.4 on three runs and the championship. Pearson left Fort Worth with $14,729 and is hoping for a trifecta when he competes at the San Antonio Stock Show which begins next week.
Tyler was riding Scooter, a horse he and fellow steer wrestler Kyle Irwin own in partnership. Scooter, whose registered name is Canted Plan, was the 2017 AQHA/PRCA steer wrestling horse of the year. This was the second big win at Fort Worth for the 13-year-old gelding. He took Luke Branquinho to the championship here one year ago.
Another contestant that is having a great season and hoping his momentum continues is Shane Hanchey, from Sulphur, La., Hanchey, like Pearson, earned the title at the National Western. He also won the championship here with a total of 27.3 seconds on three runs. Hanchey had the fastest time of the Championship Finals at 7.8. He earned $18,670 and won the most money of all the contestants in Fort Worth.
This is the second championship in the Will Rogers Coliseum for the 2013 world champion tie-down roper. He also earned his second championship at Denver this year. Hanchey has been riding his great horse “Bam Bam” and they have been working together flawlessly.
“I’ve gotten on a roll like this before, but never this early in the season,” Hanchey said. “I’m more excited than ever to compete at San Antonio. Winning at Fort Worth for a second time was really special. Then getting that $5,000 bonus was an awesome surprise.”
All the event champions got that extra surprise when they got their awards. It was the second win here for bull rider Trevor Kastner and team roping header Matt Sherwood, but the first time they received the bonus. Kastner won the title here in 2010. This year, he earned $12,504 after scoring 87 points on J Bar J Rodeo’s Little Big Man. That gave him a three-head total of 251.5 for the championship.
Sherwood, from Pima, Arizona did the heading for veteran heeler Walt Woodard, from Stephenville, Texas. They stopped the clock in the finals in 5.5 seconds and had the best total on three at 15.5 seconds. They each got $13,016.
Jacobs Crawley has won nearly every major rodeo on the circuit after getting his win here. The Boerne, Texas, resident won the world championship in 2015 and has made the trip to Las Vegas to compete at the NFR seven times. With the $13,016 that he won here, he has a good start on an eighth qualification.
The barrel racing was all about a brown mare named CP Dark Moon, known to her fans as Paige. Paige is owned and ridden by Amberleigh Moore of Keizer, Oregon. They made the trip to Las Vegas the first time in 2016. Then made it back again last year.
Moore trained Paige and the duo has a very special relationship. They won the first round here and were solid in the second. They had the fastest total time on three runs at 49.32 seconds to win $15,100.
The World’s Original Indoor Rodeo is making plans for the 2019 event and beyond. Next year’s rodeo will be the last one held in the historic Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum before the legendary event moves into the new Dickies Arena.
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Bareback Riding – J.R. Vezain, Cowley, Wyo., 338.5 points, $10,817
Steer Wrestling – Tyler Pearson, Louisville, Miss., 12.4, $14,729
Team Roping – Matt Sherwood, Pima, Ariz., and
Walt Woodard, Stephenville, Texas, 15.5 seconds, $8,909 each
Saddle Bronc Riding – Jacobs Crawley, Boerne, Texas, 247.5 points, $13,016
Tie-Down Roping – Shane Hanchey, Sulphur, La., 23.0 seconds. $18,668
Barrel Racing – Amberleigh Moore, Keizer, Ore., 49.32 seconds, $15,100
Bull Riding – Trevor Kastner, Roff, Okla., 251.5 points, $12,504
FORT WORTH, Texas (Feb. 3, 2018) — The following are unofficial final results from the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo.
Bareback Riding: Final Round – 1, JR Vezain, Cowley, Wyo., 87.5 points on Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Top Notch, $1,650. 2, Orin Larsen, Inglis, Manitoba, 87, $1,250. 3, Richmond Champion, The Woodlands, Texas, 86.5, $900. 4, (tie) Clayton Biglow, Clements, Calif., and Justin Miller, Billings, Mont., 85.5, $475 each. 6, (tie) Kaycee Feild, Spanish Fork, Utah, and Tim O’Connell, Zwingle, Iowa, 85, $125 each.
(total on four) 1, Vezain, 338.5, $6,111.60. 2, Mason Clements, Springville, Utah, 338, $4,686. 3, Ty Breuer, Mandan, N.D., 333, $3,463. 4, (tie) Miller and O’Connell, 332, $1,833 each. 6, Champion, 330.5, $1,019. 7, Larsen, 329, $815. 8, Seth Hardwick, Ranchester, Wyo., 328.5, $611.
Steer Wrestling: Final Round—1, Tyler Pearson, Louisville, Miss., 3.9 seconds, $2,013. 2, (tie) Josh Clark, Warner, Okla., and Tanner Brunner, Ramona, Kan., 4.0, $1,619 each. 4, Cody Cabral, Hilo, Hawaii, 4.4, $1,225. 5, (tie) Olin Hannum, Malad, Idaho, and Matt Reeves, Cross Plains, Texas, $831 each. 7, Taz Olson, Prairie City, S.D., 4.8, $438. 8, Will Lummus, West Point, Miss., $175.
(total on three) 1, Pearson, 12.4 seconds, $8,519. 2, Brunner, 13.0, $7,408. 3, Clark, 13.5, $6,297. 4, Cabral, 13.7, $5,186. 5, Reeves, 13.8, $4,074. 6, Hannum, 14.0, $2,963. 7, Olson, $1,852. 8, Lummus, 14.3, $741.
Team Roping: Final Round – 1, Jake Cooper, Monument, N.M., and Logan Medlin, Tatum, N.M., 5.0 seconds, $1,624 each. 2, Matt Sherwood, Pima, Ariz., and Walt Woodard, Stephenville, Texas, 5.5, $1,344 each. 3, (tie) Cody Snow, Los Olivos, Calif., and Wesley Thorp, Throckmorton, Texas, and Luke Brown, Rock Hill, S.C., and Jake Long, Coffeyville, Kan., 5.8, $924 each. 5, Derrick Begay, Seba Dalkai, Ariz., and Clay O’Brien Cooper, Gardnerville, Nev., 6.2, $504 each. 6, Shane Philipp, Washington, Texas, and Joel Bach, Mount Vernon, Texas, 6.4, $280 each.
(total on three) 1, Sherwood and Woodard, 15.6 seconds, $7,565 each. 2, Brown and Long, 16.0, $6,578 each. 3, Jake Cooper, Monument, N.M., and Logan Medlin, Tatum, N.M., 16.3, $5,591 each. 4, (tie) Snow and Thorp and Philipp and Bach, 16.5, $4,111 each. 6, Begay and O’Brien Cooper, 17.2, $2,641 each. 7, Tyler Wojciechowski, Hico, Texas, and Ross Ashford, Lott, Texas, 21.2, $1,645 each. 8, Lee Kiehne, Lemitar, N.M., and Rich Skelton, Llano, Texas, 23.4, $658 each.
Saddle Bronc Riding: Final Performance- 1, Jesse Wright, Milford, Utah, 85 points on Dakota Rodeo’s Cash Deal, $1,650. 2, (tie) Colt Gordon, Comanche, Okla., and Jacobs Crawley, Boerne, Texas, 84, $1,075 each. 3, Dawson Jandreau, Kennebec, S.D., 82, $600. 4, Jake Finlay, Goondiwindi, Queensland, Australia, 80, $350. 6, (tie) Hardy Braden, Welch, Okla., and Rusty Wright, Milford, Utah, 78.5, $125 each.
(total on three) 1, Crawley, 247.5 points, $7,165. 2, (tie) Gordon and Brody Cress, Hillsdale, Wyo., 247, $4776 each. 4, Rusty Wright, 246.5, $2,627. 5, Jandreau, 246, $1,672. 6, Braden, 242. $1,194. 7, Jesse Wright, 241, $955. 8, (tie) Isaac Diaz, Desdemona, Texas, and Blaise Freeman, Snyder, Texas, 237.5, $358 each.
Tie-Down Roping: Final Round- 1, Shane Hanchey, Sulphur, La., 7.8 seconds, $2,208. 2, J.C. Malone, Plain City, Utah, 8.7, $1,920. 3. Blane Cox, Cameron, Texas, 8.9, $$1,632. 4, Clif Cooper, Decatur, Texas, 9.8, $1,344. 5, Cody Huber, Albia, Iowa, 9.9, $1,056. 6, Marty Yates, Stephenville, Texas, 10.4, $768. 7, Cody Quaney, Cheney, Kan., 108, $480. 8, Braxton Laughlin, Sulphur, La., 12.4, $192.
(total on three) 1, Hanchey, 27.3 seconds, $9,876. 2, Cooper, 27.9, $8,588. 3, Malone, 28.4, $7,300. 4, Cox, 28.5, $6,012. 5, Yates, 28.6, $4,723. 6, Huber, 29.7, $3,435. 7, Quaney, 29.9, $2,147. 8, Laughlin, 32.1, $859.
Barrel Racing: Final Round – 1, Carman Pozzobon, Aldergrove, British Columbia, 16.33, $3,833. 2, Cheyenne Kelly, Hallettsville, Texas, 16.44, $2,875. 3, Amberleigh Moore, Keizer, Ore., 16.45, $1,917. 4, Hailey Kinsel, Cotulla, Texas, 16.47, $958.
(total on three) 1, Moore, 49.32 seconds, $7,762. 2, Kinsel, 49.33, $6,654. 3, Kylie Weast, Comanche, Okla., 49.43, $5,545. 4, Pozzobon, 49.51, $4,805. 5, Kelly, 49.56, $3,696. 6, Kelly Collier, Hereford, Texas, 49.61, $2,947. 7, Taci Bettis, Round Top, Texas, 49.81, $2,218. 8, (tie) Cayla Small, Burneyville, Okla., and Sarah Rose McDonald, Brunswick, Ga., 49.91, $1,294. 10, Sadye Simpson, Stephenville, Texas, 50.04, $739.
Bull Riding: Final Round— 1, Trevor Kastner, Roff, Okla., 87 points on J Bar J Rodeo’s Little Big Man, $1,800. 2, Elliot Jacoby, Fredericksburg, Texas, 85.5, $1,400. 3, Tyler Bingham, Honeyville, Utah, 82, $1,050. 4, Colby Hill, Del Rio, Texas, 81, $750.
(total on three) 1, Kastner, 251.5 points, $8,861. 2, Bingham, 248.5, $6,793. 3, Hill, 231, $4,021. (on two) 4, Jacoby, 174, $3,249. 5, Garrett Tribble, Bristow, Okla., 167.5, $2,067. 6, Dustin Boquet, Bourg, La., 166, $1,477. 7, Colby Demo, Red Bluff, Calif., 161.5, $1,181. 8, Tristan Mize, Bryan, Texas, 156, $886.
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Moore cashes in at Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo
FORT WORTH, Texas (January 30, 2018) — One year ago, Amberleigh Moore and her mare CP Dark Moon that she calls Paige saw the highs and lows of the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo.
It was the first time they had ever competed in Will Rogers Coliseum and after a very successful Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR) they were hopeful that their momentum would continue. They stopped the clock in 16.62 seconds and won third in the first round.
That earned them a second opportunity and then disaster struck. Coming away from the third barrel, Moore’s cinch broke. As they were exiting the arena, she came off and hit the gate. Despite the mishap, she finished in ninth place overall in 2017.
Putting all of that behind her and checking her cinches twice, she and Paige ran again here last Saturday in the 14th performance. They stopped the clock in 16.35 seconds That was the fastest time of the rodeo so far and earned them a $5,175 check for the top spot in the first round. The remaining seven performances before Saturday night’s Championship Finals will see the 70 barrel racers with the fastest times in a second round of competition. The 12 with the fastest overall times compete in the finals.
Two world champions, partnered in the team roping, have taken the overall lead here. Matt Sherwood, from Pima, Arizona, and Walt Woodard, from Stephenville, Texas, stopped the clock in 5.0 seconds at the Tuesday matinee to give them a total time of 10.1 seconds.
They now have an edge of one-tenth of a second over the team in second place, Luke Brown from Rock Hill, South Carolina and Jake Long from Coffeyville, Kansas. At Tuesday night’s performance, teams had their first round of competition. Three teams had runs under six seconds and have the potential to move into the overall standings. Among those are Shane Philip from Washington, Texas, and Joel Bach from Mount Vernon, Texas. Bach won this rodeo in 2010 roping with Paul Eaves.
The World’s Original Indoor Rodeo® continues its 100th-anniversary edition Wednesday with performances at 2 and 7:30 p.m., in the historic Will Rogers Coliseum.
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FORT WORTH. — The following are unofficial results from Tuesday at the World’s Oldest Indoor Rodeo® at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, January 30, 2018.
Twentieth Performance
Bareback Riding: (one ride) 1, Chance Ames, Big Piney, Wyo., 68.5 points on Andrews Rodeo’s Rockin Robin.
Steer Wrestling: 1, Royce Johnson, Checotah, Okla., 4.3 seconds. 2, Brad Loesch, Graham, Texas, 7.4. 3, Tanner Milan, Cochrane, Alberta, 14.4. 4, Scott Guenthner, Provost, Alberta, 17.5.
Team Roping: 1, Clay Tryan, Billings, Mont., and Jake Corkill, Fallon, Nev., 4.6 seconds. 2, Matt Sherwood, Pima, Ariz., and Walt Woodard, Stephenville, Texas, 5.0. 3, Jeff Flenniken, Caldwell, Idaho, and Bucky Campbell, Benton City, Wash., 5.2. 4, Cale Markham, Vinita, Okla., and Stitches Stanley, Wagoner, Okla.,9.8.
Saddle Bronc Riding: (three rides) 1, Kash Deal, Dupree, S.D., 81.5 points on Andrews Rodeo’s Buck Wheat. 2, Blaise Freeman, Snyder, Texas, 80. 3, Taygen Schuelke, Newell, S.D., 76.
Tie-Down Roping: (three times) 1, Weldon Watson, Huntsville, Texas, 8.5 seconds. 2, John Douch, Huntsville, Texas, 9.8. 3, Mike Johnson, Henryetta, Okla., 22.3.
Barrel Racing: 1, Bailee Snow, Bentonville, Ark., 16.79 seconds. 2, Andrea Busby, Brock, Texas, 16.93. 3, Morgan Breaux, Tomball, Texas, 16.96. 4, Cindy Smith, Hobbs, N.M., 17.02.
Bull Riding: (one ride) Esteban Bustamamte, Cuauhtémoc, Mexico, 79 points on Andrews Rodeo’s Sweet Home Alabama.
Twenty-First Performance
Bareback Riding: (no qualified rides)
Steer Wrestling: 1, (tie) Ross Mosher, Augusta, Mont., and K.C. Jones, Decatur, Texas, 4.5 seconds. 3, Will Lummus, West Point, Miss., 4.6. 4, Cody Cabral, Hilo, Hawaii, 4.9.
Team Roping: 1, Tom Richards, Humboldt, Ariz., and Jake Smith, Broken Bow, Okla., 4.7 seconds. 2, Shane Philipp, Washington, Texas, and Joel Bach, Mount Vernon, Texas, 4.8. 3, Kolton Schmidt, Barrhead, Alberta, and Cole Davison, Stephenville, Texas, 5.7. 4, Cory Kidd V, Statesville, N.C., and Caleb Anderson, Mocksville, N.C., 6.1.
Saddle Bronc Riding: (three rides) 1, Jade Blackwell, Rapid City, S.D., 75.5 points on Rafter G Rodeo’s Dun Busted. 2, Dawson Dahm, Tomahawk, Calif., 69. 3, Leland Wood, Quanah, Texas, 64.
Tie-Down Roping: (one time) 1, Shane Allan Smith, Wimborne, Alberta, 8.3 seconds.
Barrel Racing: 1, (tie) Carman Pozzobon, Aldergrove, British Columbia, and Sadye Simpson, Stephenville, Texas, 16.63 seconds.3, Sherry Cervi, Marana, Ariz., 16.73. 4, Nikki Hansen, Dickinson, N.D., 16.95.
Bull Riding: 1, Jeff Askey, Athens, Texas, 88.5 points on Rafter G Rodeo’s Blitzkrieg Bop. 2, Dustin Boquet, Bourg, La., 83. 3, Trevor Kastner, Roff, Okla., 79. 4, Ty Harris, Arcadia, Fla., 75.
Current Leaders
Bareback Riding: (first round) 1, JR Vezain, Cowley, Wyo., 88.5 points on J Bar J Rodeo’s Painted Brush. 2, Tyler Scales, Buffalo, Wyo., 88. 3, Kaycee Feild, Spanish Fork, Utah, 86.5. 4, Ty Breuer, Mandan, N.D., 85.5. 5, Justin Miller, Billings, Mont., 85. 6, Jake Brown, Cleveland, Texas, 84.5. (second round) 1, (tie) Breuer on Andrews Rodeo’s Rags to Riches and Clements on J Bar J Rodeo’s Live Bunny, 85 points. 3, (tie) Tilden Hooper, Carthage, Texas, and Miller, 82.5. 5, Vezain, 82. 6, Paden Hurst, Cypress, Texas, 80.5. (third round) 1, Clements on United Pro Rodeo’s Jungle Cat, 89 points. 2, (tie) Hooper and Hardwick, 86. 4, Hurst, 82.5. 5, Larsen, 82. 6, (tie) Hibler and Zack Brown, Red Bluff, Calif., 81.5 (total on three) 1, Clements, 254. 2, Breuer, 241.5. 3, Vezain, 251. 4, Miller, 246.5. 5, Hibler, 245. 6, Hardwick, 244.
Steer Wrestling: (second round leaders) 1, Shayde Etherton, Borden, Ind., 4.1 seconds. 2, Ty Erickson, Helena, Mont., and Royce Johnson, Checotah, Okla., 4.3. 4, (tie) Tyler Pearson, Louisville, Miss.; Rowdy Thames, Buda, Texas, and Matt Reeves, Cross Plains, Texas, 4.4. (total on two) 1, Pearson, 8.5. 2, Tanner Brunner, Ramona, Kan., 9.0. 3, Matt Reeves, Cross Plains, Texas, 9.2. 4, Cody Cabral, Hilo, Hawaii, 9.3. 5, (tie) Sean Mulligan, Coleman, Okla., and Taz Olson, Prairie City, S.D., and Will Lummus, West Point, Miss., 9.4.
Team Roping: (first round) 1, Cody Snow, Los Olivos, Calif., and Wesley Thorp, Throckmorton, Texas, 4.1 seconds. 2, Dustin Egusquiza, Mariana, Fla., and Kory Koontz, Stephenville, Texas, and Tom Richards, Humboldt, Ariz., and Jake Smith, Broken Bow, Okla., 4.7. 4, (tie) Kaleb Driggers, Hoboken, Ga., and Junior Nogueira, Presidente Prude, Brazil, and Shane Philipp, Washington, Texas, and Joel Bach, Mount Vernon, Texas, 4.8. 6, (tie) Jake Cooper, Monument, N.M., and Logan Medlin, Tatum, N.M., and Luke Brown, Rock Hill, S.C., and Jake Long, Coffeyville, Kan., 4.9. (second round) 1, Spencer Mitchell, Orange Cove, Calif., and Jason Duby, Klamath Falls, Ore., 4.0 seconds. 2, Mitchell Barney, Logan, Iowa, and J.W. Beck, Moville, Iowa, 4.5. 3, (tie) Coleman Proctor, Pryor, Okla., and Billie Jack Saebens, Nowata, Okla.; Jake Orman, Prairie, Miss., and Will Woodfin, Marshall, Texas, and Clay Tryan, Billings, Mont., and Jade Corkill, Fallon, Nev., 4.6. 6, (tie) Brandon Beers, Powell Butte, Ore., and Daniel Braman IV, Victoria, Texas, and Jesse Stipes, Salina, Okla., and Jake Clay, Sapulpa, Okla., 4.8. (total on two) 1, Sherwood and Woodard, 10.1 seconds. 2, Brown and Long, 10.2. 3, (tie) Tyler Wojciechowski, Hico, Texas, and Ross Ashford, Lott, Texas; Snow and Thorp and Beers and Braman, 10.7. 6, Begay and O’Brien Cooper, 11.0.
Saddle Bronc Riding: (first round) 1, Rusty Wright, Milford, Utah, 87 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Tiger Lily. 2, Brody Cress, Hillsdale, Wyo., 86.5. 3, Taos Muncy, Corona, N.M., 86. 4, Mitch Pollock, Winnemucca, Nev., 84. 5, Dawson Jandreau, Kennebec, S.D., 83.5. 6, Blaise Freeman, Snyder, Texas, 83. (second round) 1, Jacobs Crawley, Boerne, Texas, 86.5 points on Rafter G Rodeo’s Orange Crush. 2, Colt Gordon, Comanche, Okla., 85.5. 3, Cress, 84. 4, Sterling Crawley, Stephenville, Texas, 83.5. 5, Spencer Wright, Milford, Utah, 82.5. 6, Isaac Diaz, Desdemona, Texas, 82. (total on two) 1, Cress, 170.5. 2, Rusty Wright, 168. 3, Dawson Jandreau, 164. 4, (tie) Crawley and Hardy Braden, Welch, Okla., 163.5. 6, (tie) Gordon and Blaise Freeman, Snyder, Texas, 163.
Tie-Down Roping: (second round leaders) 1, Trevor Brazile, Decatur, Texas, 8.1 seconds. 2, Cory Solomon, Prairie View, Texas, 8.2. 3, Shane Allan Smith, Wimborne, Alberta, 8.3. 4, Scott Kormos, Teague, Texas, 8.4. 5, Weldon Watson, Huntsville, Texas, 8.4. 6, Dane Kissack, Spearfish, S.D., 8.7. (total on two) 1, Kormos, 16.7 seconds. 2, Clif Cooper, Decatur, Texas,18.1. 3, Marty Yates, Stephenville, Texas, 18.2. 4, Cody Quaney, Cheney, Kan., 19.1. 5, Solomon, 19.2. 6, Shane Hanchey, Sulphur, La.,19.5.
Barrel Racing: (first round winners) 1, Amberleigh Moore, Keizer, Ore., 16.35 seconds, $5,175. 2, Kylie Weast, Comanche, Okla., 16.39, $4,436. 3, Shelly Anzick, Shepherd, Mont., 16.51, $3,696. 4, Hailey Kinsel, Cotulla, Texas, 16.57, $3,204. 5, Taci Bettis, Round Top, Texas, 16.58, $2,464. 6, Tracy Nowlin, Nowata, Okla., 16.60, $1,971. 7, Cayla Small, Burneyville, Okla.,16.61, $1,479. 8, Jodi Colton, Spring Hill, Tenn., 16.62, $976. 9, (tie) Kellie Collier, Hereford, Texas; Carman Pozzobon, Aldergrove, British Columbia, and Sadye Simpson, Stephenville, Texas, $411 each.
Bull Riding: (first round) 1, (tie) Elliot Jacoby, Fredericksburg, Texas, on Silver Creek Rodeo’s Sudden Debt and Jeff Askey, Athens, Texas, 88.5 points. 3, Lane Nobles, Gatesville, Texas, 86.5. 4, Garrett Wickett, Battle Creek, Neb., 85.5. 5, Dustin Boquet, Bourg, La., 83. 6, Cody Rostockyj, Lorena, Texas, 82. 681. (second round) 1, Chase Dougherty, Canby, Ore., 88 points on J Bar J Rodeo’s Cold Dice. 2, Cody Teel, Kountze, Texas. 3, Tyler Bingham, Honeyville, Utah, 85. 4, Josh Frost, Randlett, Utah, 84.5. 5, (tie) Tristan Mize, Bryan, Texas, and Reid Barker, Comfort, Texas, 84. (total on two) 1, Bingham, 166.5 points. 2, Colby Demo, Red Bluff, Calif., 161.5. 3, Mize, 156. 4, Colby Hill, Del Rio, Texas, 150. 5, Jimy Marten, Donahue, Iowa, 148.5. 6, Jed Jones, Garden Valley, Idaho, 129.
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TOGETHER IN TROUBLE
Two Phillips Co. residents battle cancer, benefit from Phillipsburg rodeo fund
PHILLIPSBURG, KAN. (January 2018) – Charlene Ross and Charlie Stephens share a special bond.
Ross, a Long Island, Kan. resident, and Stephens, a four-year-old girl from Almena, both shared the same disease: leukemia.
Ross, who is retired as a para-educator at Northern Valley School in Almena, was diagnosed with acute myopic leukemia in April 2016. After three rounds of chemotherapy, the disease was in remission and she was given a stem cell transplant in July of 2017 at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.
She spent more than 100 days in Omaha, her husband Keith with her. Although Medicare and secondary insurance paid the bills, nearly $500,000, the couple had the expense of fuel, food and housing.
The Rosses were recipients of funds raised by the Phillipsburg Rodeo Association and given through Hope in the Heartland, a fund for cancer patients in the area. Each year, on the Thursday night of rodeo, the rodeo hosts a Tough Enough to Wear Pink night, where funds are raised; local sponsors, including Prairie Horizon Agri-Energy, McClain Seed Sales, Rodgers and Associates, Kansas Crop Care/Nebraskaland Aviation and Farmers State Bank also contribute to the fundraiser.
The funds were a godsend, Ross said. “We were so blessed to get the money.”
Eleven miles southwest of Long Island, in Almena, lives a little girl, sixty-plus years younger than Ross, who is fighting the same fight.
Charlie Stephens was diagnosed with pre-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia in September of 2015, when she was two years old. Within 29 days, and after two rounds of chemo, she was in remission. Her parents, Jason and Michelle, were told their daughter had a 95 percent chance of beating the disease.
As part of routine checkups, Charlie has spinal taps every three months, to make sure cancer cells didn’t return. In January of this year, the unthinkable happened: the spinal tap showed cancer cells.
So she began another round of chemo, and on July 6, 2017, had a bone marrow transplant. Because a perfect match could not be found, her mother was the donor. The transplant has not grafted yet, but doctors say it takes from ten to 28 days to graft.
Charlie will be in the hospital 30 days following the transplant, and an additional 60 to 100 days after that, she’ll stay in Omaha, for lab work and to monitor her progress. She and her mother will stay at an extended stay hotel close to the hospital.
That leaves Jason and Charlie’s older brother Mason, who is eight, at home in Almena, and cuts the Stephens’ income. The Stephens have been recipients of Hope in the Heartland funds as well. “Now that we are a one-income family, (the Hope funds) help with everyday bills, along with food and gas, since we are in Omaha and the boys are at home,” Michelle said.
For the Rosses, cancer is nothing new. Keith and Charlene’s daughter, Staci Montgomery, had breast cancer, and Keith has had colon and prostate cancer.
The family, which also includes daughters Monica Cole and Melissa McClain, both of Long Island, and son Doug Ross, who lives in Texas, love coming to the rodeo. Keith does not usually wear pink, but “he wears pink (to the rodeo) and we’re proud as we can be to support the Phillipsburg rodeo,” Charlene said.
Charlene Ross and Charlie Stephens are connected beyond the disease they share. When Charlene heard about Charlie’s diagnosis, she visited with Michelle about her journey. Mason is in Charlene’s granddaughter’s class in school. Charlene told Charlie that her grandkids called her “Grandma Charlie,” and the two hit it off. “We’ve adopted (Charlene) as family,” Michelle said. “The connection of the name and the same fight, it makes it that much more special.”
Charlene is appreciative of her second chance at life, knowing that ten years ago, medical technology wasn’t as advanced and she might not have survived leukemia. “We live a very blessed life,” she said. “The Lord has gotten me through, taking my hand and leading me through.” She is not back to full health; her energy level hasn’t fully returned, but she looks forward to doing things again, like traveling with her husband, who is on the national rural electric cooperative board.
Fans at the August 2, 2018 performance of Kansas Biggest Rodeo are asked to wear pink to show awareness and recognition of cancer. For every fan wearing pink to that night of rodeo, the Phillipsburg Rodeo Association donates one dollar to cancer research and local cancer patients, and voluntary donations will be collected that night.
For more information on Kansas Biggest Rodeo and its Tough Enough to Wear Pink campaign, visit the website at KansasBiggestRodeo.com or call 785.543.2448.
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BUCKS AT THE RODEO
St. Paul Rodeo provides opportunities for fundraising
St. Paul, Ore. (June 12, 2017) – The “bucks” at the St. Paul Rodeo are more than just the horses and bulls in the arena.
They’re the dollars that are raised by the rodeo and given back in dozens of ways, through the various organizations that provide food, drink and parking to rodeo-goers.
Three groups: the St. Paul Parish, the St. Paul High School Booster Club, and the St. Paul Jaycees, all provide services to the 50,000 fans who enjoy the St. Paul Rodeo June 30-July 4, and through their work, provide funding for their groups.
The Parish serves barbecue chicken to rodeo fans, cooking 6,500 chickens with their secret recipe, said Laurie Nicklous, a volunteer with the St. Paul Parish Chicken Barbecue stand. The barbecue chicken is a highlight for many rodeo-goers, Nicklous said. “People come from all around, and sometimes just because of the chicken. They really look forward to it.”
The St. Paul Parochial Elementary School benefits from funds raised, and funds also go to activities for the parish. The barbecue chicken sales are the group’s major fundraiser for the year.
The high school booster club is responsible for concession stands in the grandstand and for parking cars, and over the five days of rodeo, more than 150 people will volunteer their time. Each sport: football, boys basketball, girls basketball, cross country, track, softball and baseball, take their turns at helping park cars, and the students can be found alongside their parents and other volunteers in selling cotton candy, hot dogs, pretzels, nachos, pop, candy, and the famous St. Paul rodeo strawberry shortcake in the concessions stands under the grandstand.
It’s the only fundraiser the booster club holds, said Kathy Wilmes, a volunteer with the club, and it’s more convenient to work the five days of rodeo instead of holding lots of car washes and cake walks. Money raised goes towards athletics at the school: uniforms, equipment, upgrades, and just recently, new bleachers in the existing gym, to replace bleachers that were there when the school was built in the 1950’s.
Volunteering with the parish and booster club is good for the kids who do it, says both Nicklous and Wilmes. In the chicken stand, they graduate to bigger jobs as they get older. “First you’re serving pop or buttering bread or mixing coleslaw,” Nicklous said. “And pretty soon you’re the guy who serves the chicken. Our kids learn a great work ethic, and sometimes they’re working alongside their grandma or grandpa.”
Wilmes, whose daughters, ages 30, 28, 26 and 21, are no longer in high school, continues to volunteer with the booster club, and when it’s rodeo time, she’s right there, along with nearly everyone else in St. Paul, working at the rodeo. “There’s nothing worse to me than being home during the rodeo,” she laughed. “I can’t stand it. I have to be up there (at the rodeo grounds.) I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels that way, either.”
The St. Paul Jaycees are responsible for the “bull pen” – the beer garden area of the rodeo. Between 500 and 600 people make their way through the bull pen during each day of the celebration, and with only thirty Jaycees, each member recruits family and friends to help. As with the parish and the booster club, no one is paid; everyone is volunteer, and all of the funds the Jaycees raise go back to the community. They donate to sports teams, several school functions, and recently, donated $2,500 to a family in need of a handicap accessible vehicle.
The real winners of the St. Paul Rodeo are the youth of the town, said Nicklous. With most of the funds raised by the parish, the booster club and the Jaycees going to youth athletics, the school, and families in need, “the biggest benefactor is all of our kids,” she said. Organizations beyond the community of St. Paul also benefit.
The St. Paul Rodeo kicks off June 30, and runs through July 4 with performances each night at 7:30 pm and a 1:30 pm matinee on July 4. Fireworks follow each night of rodeo; the carnival, Wild West Art Show, and the Tack Room Saloon are just a few of the activities for fans. Rodeo tickets are available online and at the gate. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.StPaulRodeo.com or call 800.237.5920.
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FLOODED WITH MEMORIES
Inter-State Fair remembers 10 year anniversary of flood
Coffeyville, Kan. (January 2018) – Ten and a half years ago, a devastating flood hit the Coffeyville area, and it paused a long-standing tradition.
When the Verdigris River flooded on July 1, 2007, the water poured over the levee and flooded the east side of Coffeyville, and the fairgrounds for the Inter-State Fair and Rodeo.
And what would have been the 100th anniversary of the Inter-State Fair and Rodeo was canceled.
The Verdigris River, which borders the fairgrounds on the east side, flooded the fairgrounds with ten feet of water, and with the fair and rodeo five weeks away, the decision was made to cancel that year’s event.
Adding to the misery of the flooding was that the water reached four feet above the levees surrounding the refinery in town, and about 90,000 gallons of crude oil was added to the floodwaters.
When the fair and rodeo committee met four days after the flood hit, it was difficult to face reality, said John Rinkenbaugh, who was the rodeo chairman then. “A bunch of us were having a hard time admitting we weren’t going to have a fair (and rodeo),” he said. Joe Humble, who was then the chief of police for the city, and now is the rodeo chairman, put it bluntly. “He had been to the fairgrounds,” Rinkenbaugh remembers, “and he said, there is no way. There is no way we can recover from this quickly enough to put on a fair and rodeo.”
So, for the second time in its 100 year history, the fair was canceled. The only other time it had been canceled was in 1943, due to World War II.
The arena and pens withstood the water damage, but the buildings at the fairgrounds did not. All the structures at the fairgrounds had to be cleaned to remove oil and mold damage, and the refinery cleaned them, along with every building that had flood and oil damage in the city. The old Floral Building, which was home to the inside exhibits, was so damaged it could not be renovated, and it was torn down. The Ron Stevenson building, which hosts the poultry and rabbits, was renovated, and the recreation center, which is where the 4-H and open class exhibits are housed, was not quite ready for the 2008 fair, but it was finished enough that it could be used.
The flood hit the east side of Coffeyville the hardest, and the mold, along with the oil, damaged structures beyond repair. The refinery purchased 327 houses, and tore them down, and offered businesses to be professionally cleaned.
For Rinkenbaugh, one of the hardest things was calling the rodeo contract personnel to tell them the rodeo was canceled. He remembers what Bennie Beutler of Beutler and Son Rodeo Co. told him. “Bennie told me, don’t worry about us,” Rinkenbaugh said. “He almost said that before I got done telling him. ‘We’ll be all right, John,’ he said. He wanted to make sure I wasn’t worried about it.”
The flood destroyed several hotels, which were not rebuilt in time for the 2008 event, so Rinkenbaugh had to find RVs and campers for contract personnel to stay in during the event.
The Inter-State Fair hosts a large regional junior livestock show, and even though the show couldn’t be held, it was decided that the market sale should occur. Doug Ott, a local attorney whose children showed sheep, came to the fair board meeting and pleaded that the fair host a sale. “Those kids had worked hard all summer,” Rinkenbaugh said, and even though there wouldn’t be any livestock shows, the sale took place.
Water poured over the levee for 2 ½ days, and people were not allowed back into their homes for 10 days, said Cindy Price, city clerk. Six of the city’s seven hotels were damaged or destroyed, along with five restaurants, four convenience stores, and a grocery store. The city sales tax decreased as people were unable to work due to damaged businesses and homes.
But the flood also brought people together, Rinkenbaugh said. “Everybody had a common cause, a common goal. You set aside petty stuff and see the bigger picture. It’s funny how with a disaster like that, there’s a good side to it.”
And ten years later, the Inter-State Fair and Rodeo is going strong. “The fair and rodeo came out all right, other than missing a year,” Rinkenbaugh said.
This year’s Fair and Rodeo will be held the second week of August, at Walter Johnson Park in Coffeyville, and will include a pro rodeo and a bull riding. For more information, a complete schedule, and to purchase tickets, visit the website at www.FairAndRodeo.com or call the Coffeyville Area Chamber of Commerce at 620.251.2550.
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Tsinigine and Lockett lock down win at NWSS in Denver
Courtesy PRCA
(Jan. 21, 2018) – The following are unofficial results from the National Western Stock Show Rodeo.
DENVER – Snow didn’t slow down team ropers Aaron Tsinigine and Kyle Lockett as they won the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo with 16.2 seconds on three head – but it almost kept them from competing. Lockett’s flight was delayed, but he arrived at the Denver Coliseum just in time to compete.
“He was supposed to fly in at 11 a.m., but didn’t get here until 2 p.m. and he barely got here in time,” Tsinigine said.
“I ran through the front door and down the stairs – I was hoping I got here in time,” Lockett said. “I showed up two teams before I was up, so I didn’t have time to let it (the stiff competition) get to me.”
Lockett was flying in from Fresno, Calif., when his flight was delayed by about four hours.
“We drew good today, and it was wide open, and Kyle said, ‘Let’s go catch them,’” Tsinigine said.
“This is a short go where things can fall apart easily, but we had a good steer,” Lockett said.
Tsinigine was competing on a new horse, and it turned out well for the ropers.
“This is his first big season – he didn’t handle the wagons too well back here (behind the stands),” Tsinigine said. “But in the arena, he is tuned in.”
The duo entered the final round third in the average with 10.5 seconds on two head, so they had to make up 0.4 seconds to take the lead in the average.
“At these deals with the short gos, if you win the short go, it’s all within a chance,” Lockett said.
Luckily, they’re both familiar with high-stakes competition.
Tsinigine qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo presented by Polaris RANGER in 2014-15 and left Las Vegas as the 2015 world champion. Lockett’s been to the WNFR seven times (1997-98, 2000-03, 2005).
Despite their impressive rodeo résumés, this is the first time they’ve won in Denver.
“It’s a great rodeo and a great start to the winter,” Lockett said, noting that this was his first time competing at Denver in 12 years.
Up next, Tsinigine and Lockett are headed to the Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show in Fort Worth, Texas.
“We’re going to play it little by little – this is a good start,” Lockett said.
Other winners at the $471,620 rodeo were all-around cowboys Jeff Johnston (steer wrestling and team roping) and Ty Talsma (steer wrestling and team roping), $5,042 each; bareback rider Caleb Bennett (256.5 points on three head); steer wrestler Tyler Pearson (11.6 seconds on three head); saddle bronc rider Zeke Thurston (255.5 on three head); tie-down roper Shane Hanchey (23.0 seconds on three head); barrel racer Christine Laughlin (46.24 seconds on three runs); and bull rider Chase Dougherty (252.5 points on three head).
Hanchey smashed the previous three-head average Denver record by more than a full second. The previous record of 24.1 seconds was shared by Justin Macha (2011) and Justin Maass (2012).
photo by Westfall Photography Bareback Riding – Caleb Bennett, Tremonton, Utah, 256.5 points, $9,764
Steer Wrestling – Tyler Pearson, Louisville, Miss., 11.6, $10,331
Team Roping – Aaron Tsinigine, Tuba City, Ariz., and
Kyle Lockett, Visalia, Calif., 11.6 seconds, $7,125
Saddle Bronc Riding – Zeke Thurston, Big Valley, Alberta, 255.5 points, $10,934
Tie-Down Roping – Shane Hanchey, Sulphur, La., 23.0 seconds. $10,583
Barrel Racing – Christine Laughlin, Pueblo, Colo., 46.24 seconds, $8,756
Bull Riding – Chase Dougherty, Canby, Ore., 252.5 points, $8,262
Bareback Riding: (final round) 1, (tie) Casey Colletti, Pueblo, Colo., on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Vitalix William Wallace and Clayton Biglow, Clements, Calif., on Calgary Stampede’s Zastron Acres, 88 points and $1,450 each. 3, Luke Creasy, Hobbs, N.M., 86, $900. 4, Caleb Bennett, Tremnton, Utah, 84.5, $600. 5, (tie) Jake Brown, Cleveland, Texas; Wyatt Denny, Minden, Nev.; and Austin Foss, Terrebonne, Ore.; 83.5, $200 each. (total on three) 1, Caleb Bennett, Tremonton, Utah, 256.5, $4,852. 2, Clayton Bigalow, Clements, Calif., 255.5, $3,721. 3, Casey Colletti, Pueblo, Colo., 254.5, $2,749. 4, Luke Creasy, Hobbs, N.M., $1,779. 5, (tie) Austin Foss, Terrebonne, Ore., and Nate S McFadden, Elsmere, Neb., $970 each. 7, (tie) Wyatt Denny, Minden, Nev., and Tim O’Connell, Zwingle, Iowa, $566 each.
Steer Wrestling: (final round) 1, Tyler Pearson, Louisville, Miss., 3.4 seconds, $1,450. 2, Riley Duvall, Checotah, Okla., 4.0, $1,200. 3, Jason Thomas, Benton, Ark., 4.1, $950. 4, Chason Floyd, Buffalo, S.D., 4.2, $700. 5, Chance E. Howard, Cedarville, Ark., 4.8, $450. 6, Cody Pratt, Pueblo, Colo., 4.9, $250. (total on three) 1, Tyler Pearson, Louisville, Miss., 11.6, $5,781. 2, Chason Floyd, Buffalo, S.D., 12.5, $5,027. 3, Jason Thomas, Benton, Ark., 12.9, $4,273. 4, Taz Olson, Prairie City, S.D., 13.6, $3,519. 5, Cody Pratt, Pueblo, Colo., 13.8, $2,765. 6, Riley Duvall, Checotah, Okla., 13.9, $2,010. 7, Chance E. Howard, Cedarville, Ark., 14.1, $1,257. 8, Newt Novich, Twin Bridges, Mont., 14.6, $503.
Team Roping: (final round) 1, Jeff Johnston, Thedford, Neb., and Ty Talsma, Avon, S.D., 5.5 seconds, $1,421 each. 2, Aaron Tsinigine, Tuba City, Ariz., and Kyle Lockett, Visalia, Calif., 5.7, $1,176. 3, Shay Carroll, Hico, Texas, and Cody Pearson, Tucson, Ariz., 6.0, $931. 4, Luke Brown, Rock Hill, S.C., and Jake Long, Coffeyville, Kans., 6.1, $686. 5, Clayton Van Aken, Descanso, Calif., and Richard Durham, Henrietta, Texas, 10.4, $441. 6, Joshua and Johnathan Torres, Ocala, Florida, 10.8, $245. (total on three) 1, Aaron Tsinigine, Tuba City, Ariz., and Kyle Lockett, Visalia, Calif., 16.2, $5,949 each. 2, Luke Brown, Rock Hill, S.C., and Jake Long, Coffeyville, Kans., 16.3, $5,173. 3, Shay Carroll, Hico, Texas, and Cody Pearson, Tucson, Ariz., 17.0, $4,397. 4, Jeff Johnston, Thedford, Neb., and Ty Talsma, Avon, S.D., 18.9, $3,621. 5, Joshua and Johnathan Torres, Ocala, Florida, 21.4, $2,845. 6, Clayton Van Aken, Descanso, Calif., and Richard Durham, Henrietta, Texas, 21.9, $2,069. 7, Trevor Brazile, Decatur, Texas, and Patrick Smith, Lipan, Texas, 23.8, $1,293. 8, Garrett Rogers, Baker City, Ore., and Russell Cardoza, Terrebonne, Ore., 26.9, $517.
Saddle Bronc Riding: (final round) 1, CoBurn Bradshaw, Beaver, Utah, 88 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Rodeo Houston’s Two Cool, $1,650. 2, Cort Scheer, Douglas, Wyo., 87.5, $1,250. 3, Zeke Thurston, Big Valley, Alberta, 85.5, $900. 4, Jesse Wright, Milford, Utah, 85, $600. 5, Chanse Darling, Hyattville, Wyo., 84, $350. 6, Isaac Diaz, Desdemona, Texas, 78, $250. (total on three) 1, Zeke Thurston, Big Valley, Alberta, 255.5, $5,668. 2, (tie) CoBurn Bradshaw, Beaver, Utah, and Cort Scheer, Douglas Wyo., 249.5, $3,778 each. 4, Jesse Wright, Milford, Utah, 246, $2,078. 5, Chanse Darling, Hyattville, Wyo., 244.5, $1,322. 6, Isacc Diaz, Desdemona, Texas, 242, $945. 7, Alex Wright, Milford, Utah, 237, $756. 8, (on two) Joey Sonnier III, New Iberia, La., 163.5, $567.
Tie-Down Roping: (final round) 1, Shane Hanchey, Sulphur, La., 7.4 seconds, $1,450. 2, Marcos Costa, Childress, Texas, 7.8, $1,200. 3, (tie) Jake Pratt, Ellensburg, Wash., and Ryan Thibodeaux, Stephenville, Texas, 7.9, $825. 5, Blane Cox, Cameron, Texas, 8.3, $450. 6, Cody Quaney, Cheney, Kans., 8.5, $250. (total on three) 1, Shane Hanchey, Sulphur, La., 23 seconds, $5,781. 2, Marcos Costa, Childress, Texas, 24.1, $5,027. 3, Ryan Thibodeaux, Stephenville, Texas, 24.3, $4,273. 4, Jake Pratt, Ellensburg, Wash., 24.7, $3,519. 5, Blane Cox, Cameron, Texas, 24.9, $2,765. 6, Cody Quaney, Cheney, Kans., 25.5, $2,011. 7, John Douch, Huntsville, Texas, 25.6, $1,257. 8, Ace Sloan, Cuero, Texas, 26.4, $502.
Women’s Barrel Race: (final round) 1, Carley Richardson, Pampa, Texas, 15.32 seconds, $2,557. 2, Lisa Lockhart, Oelrichs, S.D., 15.34, $1,917. 3, Christine Laughlin, Pueblo, Colo., 15.35, $1,278. 4, Wendy McKee, Craig, Colo., 15.37, $639. (total on three) 1, Christine Laughlin, Pueblo, Colo., 46.24 seconds, $5177. 2, Kylie Weast, Comanche, Okla., 46.26, $4,437. 3, Carley Richardson, Pampa, Texas, 46.28, $3, 698. 4, Taci Bettis, Round Top, Texas, 46.29, $3,205. 5, Wendy McKee, Craig, Colo., 46.33, $2,465. 6, Lisa Lockhart, Oelrichs, S.D., 46.41, $1,972. 7, Haley Wolfe, Flora Vista, N.M., 46.45, $1,479. 8, (tie) Tiany Schuster, Krum, Texas, and Tammy Fischer, Ledbetter, Texas, 46.51, $863 each. 10, Lori Todd, Willcox, Ariz., 46.56, $493.
Bull Riding: (final round – three rides) 1, Reid Barker, Comfort, Texas, 91 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Slim Kitty, $1,650. 2, Chase Dougherty, Canby, Ore., 88, $1,250. 3, Brody Yeary, Brock, Texas, 86, $900. 4, Eli Vastbinder, Athens, Texas, 84, $600. 5, Jared Parsonage, Maple Creek, Saskatchewan, 78, $350. 6, (tie) Joe Frost, Randlett, Utah, and Shane Proctor, Grand Coulee, Wash., 74, $125 each. (total on three) 1, Chase Dougherty, Canby, Ore., 252.5 seconds, $5,878. 2, Brody Yeary, Brock, Texas, 250.5, $4,506. 3, Shane Proctor, Grand Coulee, Wash., 234.5, $3,330. 4, (tie) Jared Parsonage, Maple Creek, Saskatchewan, and Joe Frost, Randlett, Utah, 233.5, $1, 763 each. 6, Eli Vastbinder, Athens, Texas 215, $979. (on two) 7, Reid Barker, Comfort, Texas, 176.5, $783. 8, Ty Wallace, Collbran, Colo., 173.5, $588.
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A Giant Step Backwards for Animal Welfare – ELD Mandate
courtesy of Protect the Harvest
HOW THE ELD MANDATE AND HOURS OF SERVICE IMPACTS AGRICULTURE
The livestock hauling and other live cargo industries are asking the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to provide the industry with a longer-term extension to comply with the ELD Mandate than the initial 90-day extension that has been granted. They have asked for this longer extension because it is clear that both the ELD Mandate and the Hours of Service are not appropriate for the care and transportation of livestock. They believe, and we agree, that following the Hours of Service to the letter as is required with an ELD will be a giant step backwards for animal welfare and agriculture.
Hauling livestock – A job for a specialist
There are approximately 250,000 stockmen that haul all forms of livestock in the United States. Livestock haulers have two primary responsibilities. They must master the skills to drive a truck safely with a live load on our highways and they are responsible for animal husbandry; the health and wellbeing of the animals they are transporting. Livestock haulers are more than just drivers, they are stockmen as well. Their job is to transport animals from one place to another with the least amount of stress to the animals as possible.
Why cattle are hauled long distances
The Western United States is an area where there are Cow-calf operations. Cattle spend most of their lives out on pasture, primarily in areas that are not suitable for growing crops and are then shipped to finishing yards for several months. There they are fed and closely monitored as they finish growing to production weight.
The grazing areas, where the cattle are born and raised, and thrive are often 1000 miles or more away from most of the finishing yards. The reason for this is two-fold; the best land for growing crops is reserved for that purpose, and cattle thrive in areas where growing crops is not as productive. The area of highest crop production for cattle feed during the finishing stage is in the Midwest. So, cattle are born and raised in grazing areas that are not as productive for growing crops and then sent to crop-growing areas where finishing yards have been established. Most processing plants are located close to the finishing yards as well.
Cattle are not the only animals shipped
A variety of animals are shipped every day in the United States, these range from livestock animals commonly known to most people like cattle, pigs, and poultry, to bees. However, there are other animal industries that will also be impacted by the ELD mandate for example, fish (aquaculture), horses, pets, wildlife and even the transportation of bees. Handling each species properly has its own set of problems related to the ELD Mandate.
Bees – The unsung heroes of crop production
Bees are the unsung heroes of crop production. Billions and billions of bees are shipped all throughout the country each year. They play a vital role in crop production and help the farmer to maximize land and water use. Concentrated pollination, called saturation pollination by the industry, improves harvest yields by ensuring that the maximum number of fruit, vegetable and nut producing plants are pollinated during the critical bloom time. The list of vital crops that rely on the timing of bee pollination is long. Here are some examples of crops that are dependent on the delivery of bees during bloom; nuts, tomatoes, pomegranates, avocados, citrus trees, cucumbers, pumpkins, melons, blueberries, strawberries, and canola. Essentially, any plant that has a flower needs to be pollinated.
There are simply not enough local bee colonies to support the agricultural demands of a hungry nation. This is why bees are shipped across the country from as far away as Bakersfield, California to Maine.
How the ELD Mandate will devastate bees and crop production
There is an art to hauling bees. Approximately 400-500 bee hives are loaded onto step-deck flatbed trailers and then covered with specialized netting. The bees are typically loaded and unloaded at night or in the early morning hours. Bees are hugely susceptible to high temperatures and will die in the heat. To avoid this, when temperatures are warm or high, drivers cannot stop during the day as the air moving over the netting both keeps the bees cool and contained in their hives. Drivers can only stop during daylight hours if the temperature dips below 50 degrees and there are cloudy conditions. Drivers can’t stop during warm conditions or the bees will leave their hives. Even though the netting is specialized and secured, a certain number of bees escape which is a loss to the bee producer and can be a hazard and danger to the public.
The rules outlined in the Hours of Service and tracked to the letter under the ELD mandate do not allow bee haulers the flexibility they need in order to deliver the bees safely and without major losses. Asking bee haulers to comply with the ELD mandate will cause many to not be able to do their jobs properly, thus devastating crop production. There are simply not enough wild bees to help feed us. Without enough bees, food crops are not produced.
Animal welfare – education and technology
Not only is focusing on the welfare of animals the right thing to do, it has an impact on business, improving both efficiency and product. Bottom line, animals that are treated well and cared for, produce a better product. Focusing on animal welfare is good for all concerned; the animals, the producers and the consumer.
Animal Behaviorist and Professor, Temple Grandin of Colorado State has been a pioneer in advancing changes that have improved how livestock are cared for and handled, especially during transport and processing. In addition to Ms. Grandin’s work, researchers at agricultural universities have evaluated a variety of factors when seeking to improve both animal welfare and food safety . One such focus over the years has been evaluating and controlling cortisol levels which rise when animals are under stress. The rise in cortisol levels has an impact on animal behavior while they are in transit and at producer facilities as well as the quality of the food products they provide.
In response, the livestock industry has made significant changes over the years. Processing plants have adjusted to reduce stress to the animals by changing their corrals, lead ups and chutes as well as other equipment. Advances have also been made in how the animals are handled to keep them calm and to reduce stress. Livestock trucking has evolved as well with trailers equipped with venting for air flow and air-ride suspension to keep the animals comfortable and to reduce stress while they travel.
ELD – A setback for animal welfare
Simply put, the Hours of Service and the ELD Mandate will compel livestock haulers to make changes that are not good for the animals in their care, nor is it good for the safety of our food. The Hours of Service as they stand and the subsequent ELD Mandate do not make allowances for the needs of animals in transport.
UNLOADING ANIMALS DURING THE 10-HOUR DRIVER REST PERIOD
The trailers that move livestock have been designed with the animals’ well-being in mind. They have a special suspension system as well as venting that allows for air flow. Air flow is especially important on hot days to keep the animals in the trailer cool and comfortable. Animals are not inanimate cargo that can sit in a trailer for an extended period. Animals are transported every day, all thorough the year. If a trailer is stopped during hot days on the side of the road or at a rest area, there are no good outcomes if the animals have to stay on the trailer during that time.
LACK OF INFRASTRUCTURE
Following the 10-hour rest period to the letter would require that animals are unloaded at a facility because they cannot stay in the trailer during that time. Facilities that can handle the unloading, lay over care, and reloading of livestock onto trucks are few and far between. There simply are not enough facilities on major transportation routes to handle the numbers of livestock that are transported across the country every day.
LOADING AND UNLOADING STRESS ON THE ANIMALS
Even if there were plenty of suitable facilities to off-load and lay over animals, no matter how carefully stockmen and women handle their livestock, there is a certain level of stress that can occur when groups of animals are moved. Frequent loading, unloading and re-loading again puts both the animals and stockmen at risk of injury.
The Hours of Service as written and if followed to the letter via the electronic logging device (ELD), do not allow for the livestock hauler to make decisions about what’s best for the animals in their care. Instead, it creates the requirement for livestock haulers to unload and then reload animals in order to comply with rules set forth by a committee of people in Washington D.C., who do not have any experience with trucking, livestock, nor experience with the proper care of animals during transportation.
ELD – A setback for food safety
Our livestock transportation system today allows for the direct tracking of animals from point A to point B. As the system works now, if a disease outbreak occurs, officials can quickly isolate the group of animals infected and sick animals can be traced back to their source.
Following the 10 Hour Rest period to the letter as would be required with an ELD, could create a bio-security risk. Even if there were layover facilities available, with the thousands of animals that are transported daily, it would be almost impossible to fully sterilize facilities in-between each load. It would also create additional steps for officials or businesses if they need to track disease outbreaks back to their source, which is paramount in stopping the spread of disease. This is a concern because there are diseases that can be spread between species. In addition to that, there are diseases that can be transferred from animals to humans (zoonotic diseases). We simply do not want the possibility cross-contamination.
The ELD has no provision for livestock transportation
Unfortunately, the hours of service and ELD Mandate were not written with consideration for all of the different sectors of commercial transportation. In the case of the livestock and live cargo carrier situation, they simply do not fit.
Other forms of transportation are not a solution
When the challenges of livestock transportation are discussed, some have made the suggestion that livestock be transported by rail instead of truck since the Hours of Service and ELD compliance were not practical. This is actually a dangerous proposition for livestock and it is the reason transport has moved primarily to trucking. Livestock need to be monitored and cared for during transportation. This is not feasible during rail travel, nor is it feasible to stop a train easily if there is the need to do that. History has proven that it is not humane to transport animals without a caretaker to look after them. Because of incidents with cattle, the industry stopped hauling them by rail cars many years ago.
Team drivers are not an easy solution
Have you noticed that just about every truck you see on the road today that is not an owner-operator has a sign on the back that says, “We’re hiring”. There is a reason for this. Already our nation is facing a critical driver shortage. Transportation companies have trucks in their yards they can’t put into service because they don’t have drivers for them. Add to that the fact that livestock hauling is a job for a specialist. There is no 90-day school that can teach animal husbandry. They need to understand the animals they care for, their needs, behaviors and requirements. They also need to be a skilled, experienced driver that can handle live loads. If the standard logistics sector cannot find enough drivers, where are these specialists going to come from if we need to go from 250,000 livestock haulers to 500,000?
Its not a safety issue
Contrary to claims otherwise, safety is not improved with the Hours of Service and electronic logging devices. Unfortunately, that’s what the public and lawmakers have been led to believe. In reality, reports from insurance carriers that cover the transportation industry show the facts of the matter. Insurers that cover trucking companies report that livestock carriers have 44% fewer claims than other trucking sectors. Additionally, in a recent report, of the 1,123 accidents that occurred last year only 5 (0.4% – less than 1%) involved livestock carriers. Please note, these are incidents involving trucks, not incidents where truck drivers were at fault.
In summary
Animal welfare has come a long way with improvements in technology and husbandry. Livestock haulers do not need a computer to tell them how to take care of the animals in their charge. Nor do the animals need a computer determining their fate.
As a nation, we simply do not want to compromise those advances in the aim of following arbitrary rules set forth by a committee that does not understand the far-reaching consequences. We do not want to take a step backward. There is no “one size fits all”.
List of concerned groups
It is important to know about all the groups that will be negatively impacted by the ELD Mandate and Hours of Service to understand the magnitude of the issue. Here’s a partial list of the parties that have serious concerns and have alerted their members, and/or asked for extensions or exemptions:
Alabama Cattlemen’s Association Mississippi Cattlemen’s Association
American Beekeeping Federation Montana Stock Grower’s Association
American Farm Bureau Federation National Aquaculture Association
American Foods Group National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
American Honey Producers Association National Cutting Horse Association
American Horse Council National Paint Horse Association
American Quarter Horse Association National Pork Producers Council
American Sheep Industry National Reined Cow Horse Association
Arizona Cattle Feeders Association National Reining Horse Association
Arizona Cattle Grower’s Association Nebraska Cattlemen’s Association
Calico Beef Consulting Nevada Cattlemen’s Association
California Cattlemen’s Association New Mexico Cattle Grower’s Association
Colorado Cattlemen’s Association New Mexico Wool Growers, Inc.
Colorado Livestock Association North American Meat Institute
Cooper Horse Transportation North Carolina Cattlemen’s Association
Florida Cattlemen’s Association North Dakota Stockmen’s Association
Georgia Cattlemen’s Association Ohio Cattlemen’s Association
Iowa Cattlemen’s Association Pennsylvania Cattlemen’s Association
Kansas Livestock Association South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association
Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association Southwest Meat Association
Livestock Marketing Association Tennessee Cattleman’s Association
Minnesota Honey Producers Association Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association
Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association U.S. Cattlemen’s Association
Utah Cattlemen’s Association
Virginia Cattlemen’s Association
Wisconsin Cattlemen’s Association
Wyoming Stock Growers Association
Zoological Association of America
List of Concerned Lawmakers and Public Officials
Indiana Attorney General
Curtis Hill, Indiana Attorney General is the only Attorney General thus far that has recognized the problems with this new mandate and has addressed it by writing a letter to the Federal Motor Carrier Administration.
US Senate
Here’s a list of United States Senators that have signed a request letter to the Honorable Mitch McConnell, Majority Leader and Charles Schumer, Democratic Leader regarding the ELD Mandate and Hours of Service:
Barrasso, John Enzi, Mike Hoeven, John Lee, Mike Roberts, Pat
Cassidy, Bill Gardner, Cory Heller, Dean Manchin, Joe Rubio, Marco
Crapo, Mike Grassley, Chuck Inhofe, James Moran, Jerry Tester, Jon
Ernst, Joni Heitkamp, Heidi Lankford, James Risch, James Tillis, Tom
US Congress
Texas Congressman, Brian Babin introduced HR3282, August 18, 2017, that asked for a 4-year extension to the ELD Mandate. Unfortunately, it was defeated. However, there are a large number of United States Congressmen and Congresswomen who understand the implications of the ELD Mandate and co-sponsored the bill. Here’s a list of their names:
Abraham, Ralph Lee [R-LA-5] Griffith, H. Morgan [R-VA-9] Norman, Ralph [R-SC-5]
Allen, Rick W. [R-GA-12] Grothman, Glenn [R-WI-6] Olson, Pete [R-TX-22]
Banks, Jim [R-IN-3] Hartzler, Vicky [R-MO-4] Pearce, Stevan [R-NM-2]
Bost, Mike [R-IL-12] Herrera Beutler, Jaime [R-WA-3] Peterson, Collin C. [D-MN-7]
Brady, Kevin [R-TX-8] Higgins, Clay [R-LA-3] Posey, Bill [R-FL-8]
Brooks, Susan W. [R-IN-5] Huizenga, Bill [R-MI-2] Rokita, Todd [R-IN-4]
Chabot, Steve [R-OH-1] Hurd, Will [R-TX-23] Scott, Austin [R-GA-8]
Cheney, Liz [R-WY-At Large] Jenkins, Lynn [R-KS-2] Sensenbrenner, F. James, Jr. [R-WI-5]
Coffman, Mike [R-CO-6] Johnson, Bill [R-OH-6] Sessions, Pete [R-TX-32]
Comer, James [R-KY-1] Johnson, Mike [R-LA-4] Shimkus, John [R-IL-15]
Conaway, K. Michael [R-TX-11] Kelly, Mike [R-PA-3] Smith, Jason [R-MO-8]
Cramer, Kevin [R-ND-At Large] King, Steve [R-IA-4] Smucker, Lloyd [R-PA-16]
Culberson, John Abney [R-TX-7] Knight, Stephen [R-CA-25] Stivers, Steve [R-OH-15]
Curtis, John R. [R-UT-3] Labrador, Raul R. [R-ID-1] Thompson, Glenn [R-PA-5]
Faso, John J. [R-NY-19] LaHood, Darin [R-IL-18] Thornberry, Mac [R-TX-13]
Franks, Trent [R-AZ-8] LaMalfa, Doug [R-CA-1] Tiberi, Patrick J. [R-OH-12]
Garrett, Thomas A., Jr. [R-VA-5] Lucas, Frank D. [R-OK-3] Tipton, Scott R. [R-CO-3]
Gianforte, Greg [R-MT-At Large] Luetkemeyer, Blaine [R-MO-3] Valadao, David G. [R-CA-21]
Gohmert, Louie [R-TX-1] Marchant, Kenny [R-TX-24] Walorski, Jackie [R-IN-2]
Gosar, Paul A. [R-AZ-4] Marino, Tom [R-PA-10] Weber, Randy K., Sr. [R-TX-14]
Graves, Tom [R-GA-14] Marshall, Roger W. [R-KS-1] Wenstrup, Brad R. [R-OH-2]
Massie, Thomas [R-KY-4] Yoder, Kevin [R-KS-3]
Noem, Kristi L. [R-SD-At Large] Young, David [R-IA-3]
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2018 20X High School Showcase Rodeo winners
2018 20X High School Showcase Rodeo winners
1 Lante Swallow Batesland 67
2 Jose Alaniz Faith 65
Breakaway Roping
1 Sawyer Gilbert Buffalo 2.64
2 Jaicee Williams Wall 3.42
3 Shantell Brewer Dupree 12.74
Tie Down Roping
1 Trevor Olson Mud Butte 10.50
2 Blake Kontz Flandreau 15.06
3 Cord Roberts Rapid City 16.85
Goat Tying
1 Mikenzy Miller Faith 6.62
2 Tatum Lauing Oral 7.10
3 Emilee Pauley Wall 7.13
Saddle Bronc
No scores
Steer Wrestling
No times
Barrel Race
1 Taylor Hanson Belle Fourche 13.695
2 Jessica Peterson Rapid City 14.063
3 Sami Schumacher Beresford 14.122
Pole Bending
1 Trista Reinert Wall 20.930
2 Riley Donnelly Elk Point 21.060
3 Sydney Fuerst Belle Fourche 21.360
Team Roping
1 Wyatt Tibbitts, Hot Springs Payton Pirrung, Hartford 6.12
2 Chantel Kolb, Belle Fourche Sadie Podzimek 11.48
3 Wynn Schaak, Wall Tanner Fite, Hermosa 13.29
Bull Riding
1 Hunter Johnson Kadoka 68
2 Zach Faehrich Mobridge 64
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On The Trail With Tuker Carricato
Tuker Carricato has spent his whole life in Saratoga, Wyoming; until last year. This sixth grader’s quest for a championship in the mini bareback riding at the Junior National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas led his family all over the country – he got on 32 horses last year and won 22 of the events he entered. He and his parents (Trisha and Tony) traveled to eight states to get the job done.
His career as a mini bareback rider began by watching a video. His dad, Tony, was a bareback rider from Gunnison, Colorado, who competed in high school, National Little Britches, and college rodeoed in Cheyenne, Wyoming. “I didn’t mind it because of the size of the horses, and the difference between me and Tuker is he’s in shape and I learned the hard way.” Tony bought Tuker his first riggin’ and he started riding with his dad’s advice. He got on his first mini bareback in Rock Springs, Wyoming, riding in the Winter Series put on by Casey Riggs, R and R Rodeo. His first ride was spent trying to think of everything his dad taught him. “I taught him how to hold his feet and how to lift – if they can’t get that down, they will go over the front end. We started with the spur board and Tuker is a natural athlete and picked it up. He’s very strong. Athletics and conditioning is a major part of this.”
Tuker’s first elk – 2017 – photo by Trisha Carricato 
Tuker competing in Pinedale, WY where he placed first – photo by Trisha Carricato 
Showing his steer at the Wyoming State Fair where he was Showmanship Reserve Champion – photo by Trisha Carricato Tuker is used to athletics – he plays football, basketball, and wrestles. He also is very active in 4-H, showing sheep, goats, and cattle. He has five goats (boars) and still shows them. He ropes on the ranch all the time. “I don’t have the horses to rope or the equipment to practice, but I would compete if I could.” He also co-owner 20 Suffolk/Hampshire cross sheep with his older brother, Chaze, that they breed for show lambs to show and sell.
His riding career took a huge leap forward when he met Kelly Timberman, World Champion Bareback Rider and 7x NFR qualifier, who now sponsors Tuker. “We pick who we sponsor based on criteria that includes a strong community involvement, grades, personality, and incentive to achieve goals,” said the 2017 Mountain States Circuit Finals Bareback Champion. “When it comes to rodeo, they need to have the incentive to work to purchase their own equipment, travel expenses, etc. Tuker works that off himself – any kid that’s willing to work to get his own equipment shows ambition.” Kelly and his fiancé, Shannon Pearman, have started a program called Champions Go9-oh at their home in Casper, Wyoming. “We are teaching these kids how to be good men – never seeking mediocracy and going for their dreams. We help them go after them, setting up yearly goals and the building blocks of success.” Tuker followed that to a tee – he took time on Sundays to travel to Casper – two and a half hours from his home – to practice. He sent videos to Kelly and asked for advice. “He’s a young man that is very dedicated to his purpose and what he wants.”
Tuker has learned a lot from Kelly. “He teaches me rodeo and stuff like that. He taught me how to respect people – being yourself and not being rude.” Tuker’s family owns Battle Pass Outfitting and Tuker helps spot and retrieve game with his mother. They hunt deer and elk in the mountain range by the ranch where Tuker will spend time in the mornings and evenings looking through a spotting scope and will call his dad if he sees any. Tuker helps pack the archery elk hunters to the wilderness camp by horse back where he helps load pack horses and takes his own string of horses in and out of camp. He can’t wait until he is 18 so he can get a guides license and guide with his dad and oldest brother Chaze. Chaze graduated college from Western Dakota Tech in Rapid City, South Dakota, and Wyatt is a senior at Saratoga high school.
Tuker with Tim O’Connell in Salt Lake City at Days of 47 – photo by Trisha Carricato 
l-r Oldest brother Chaze, mom Trisha, dad Tony, brother Wyatt & Tuker in front – courtesy of the family 
Tuker with Kelly Timberman – photo by Trisha Carricato After his first ride in Wyoming, where he missed covering by .25 seconds, he kept getting better and progressing. “My mom researched where the rodeos were and we’d drive there.” He bases his decision on where to go on payouts and entry fees and how far away they. “I have to pay for it – by my winnings.” Tuker has his own checking account and he balances monthly his earnings to his expenses. “I save for entry fees and rodeos. I have two different accounts – one for rodeo and one for fair.” There were lots of long nights and when the family headed to a rodeo and they relied on family to do the chores at home. “My cousin or brother would stay home and take care of my animals.” Tuker shows Maine Angus cross cattle. “They are popular and grow good.” He keeps them in barns where it’s cool and dark.
As the year progressed, his riding continued to improve. “I had a goal to get there (Junior NFR); when I kept winning them all and doing good I kept going. I just practice – my mind and muscle memory.” When Tuker found out the end of August he had made his way back to Vegas for the JR NFR, he checked his books and did some research where to get the best riding chaps, he had his dad call and make an appointment with Tim Bath to go pick out his colors so he would have brand new ones for Vegas. They match his new riggin that he had bought in June. He enjoyed his trip to Vegas for the Junior NFR. “It’s warmer than here. There were lots of people and crowds and big.” He would do it again and he plans to.
This year he is old enough to join the National Junior High Rodeo Association, competing in the bareback steer riding. He plans to continue all his sports, but admits that he would give them up for rodeo. “Rodeo makes me money and I like it better than the other sports,” he said. “I want to be a cowboy when I grow up – not much else. Rodeo and be a world champion bareback rider.”
Tuker with 2017 winnings – photo by Trisha Carricato -
Safety First
One of the most important things I learned watching my father teach people to rope was to help keep them safe. He would let headers start out with just one coil in their hands and the tail of their rope hanging down by their stirrup. There’s no option, when you throw your rope, you have to kick and keep riding your horse – or lose your rope.
Hali, my daughter, roped until June or July of this year with just one coil in her hand. She was a 4+ header, winning money and saddles, still using one coil. My theory is her hands are more valuable than any roping she could ever win. If the steers stops or drags, there are so many things than can happen to your kids, or any beginner, that can get them in trouble.
I highly recommend this for anyone who is learning, whether it’s kids or beginners. Let them build the loop the size they want, with the amount between their hands, then cut their rope off where the tail is hanging down by their stirrup.
I advise starting on a Hot Heels or mechanical dummy with their horse sitting still. They need to be able to sit on their horse, rope, pull their slack and then dally without the horse moving at all. They need to master these fundamentals at a stand still before attempting to rope a moving dummy.
The next step is to cover the same fundamentals at a slow walk. Rope, pull slack, and dally without letting the horse turn. By mastering basic fundamentals at this pace, the odds of staying in control at a faster pace are much greater. It’s very easy to get excited once things start moving.
I once had a school in Oklahoma where the head guy was notorious for ducking. Everyone at the school was related to him somehow. I told him before we started I could fix it, but I wanted to see how bad it was first. I let him run two steers, and it was pretty wild. The first steer wasn’t too bad, but the second was out of control. I rode up to him, grabbed his rope and cut it off where he only had a coil and no tail hanging.
Everyone was amazed when he wasn’t ducking anymore. He would rope, ride up and handle the steer. At lunch he said, “I had to ride, because I didn’t have any rope.”
It’s amazing how much better your mind works to engage your legs if you know you don’t have the luxury of going left and getting a dally. I have a simple rule at my schools – you get to lose your rope once. After that, I will make sure you don’t have enough rope to duck.
I recommend starting all youngsters and beginners out this way. It’s no more than a learning tool to help teach someone to ride their horse. I can’t begin to tell you how many young kids I’ve seen who are missing fingers and thumbs. It scares me to see kids rope with a long rope. It’s so important for them to learn to ride after they throw and stay in control.
Currently I’m working with Hali to help her learn how to reach. As a 5+ she will have to learn this to be competitive. I am working on a series of videos of drills including ground work. These are available to view at speedroping.com.