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  • D’Ann Gehlsen

    D’Ann Gehlsen

    D’Ann Gehlsen from Mission, South Dakota, has been barrel racing since she was ten. “I started riding when I was three and showed horses and switched to the speed events,” said the 54-year-old program technician for Farm Service Agency. D’Ann has a 32 mile commute to work and works nine hour days. She has every other Friday off, and that helps with traveling to barrel racing. “In 2016 I went to Badland Circuit Rodeos and had a futurity horse, plus I went to SDRA and NRCA rodeos; so that put a lot of miles on. I picked the amateur rodeos this year and good added money three day barrel races to save the miles on myself and horses. I had a great summer, I ran Radar at 15 rodeos and he placed at 10 and ran Flyer at 3 rodeos and he placed at all three!
    Her biggest win was last year with her favorite horse, nine-year-old Radar (Streaking Sonofagun). “He won every round, the average saddle and the year-end buckle of the Northwest Ranch Cowboys Association,” she said. “2016 was a stand-out year for him – he won that and a couple others – the Black Hills Stock Show Rodeo, the Breeders and the Open Derby/Maturity at the Cornhusker, the 1D average at the 5-States and qualified for the Badlands Circuit Finals. We won the target shoot out at the West Fest barrel race for running the same time in both rounds, the use of a stock combo trailer for a year.” I was invited to run at the Colorado vs World rodeo at the Denver Stock Show in January of 2017.

    D’Ann Gehlsen at the Mid-States Finals – Rodeo News

    Radar has lifetime earnings of $83,000; not bad for an unplanned gelding. “I had a full brother to him on the mare (Gunny) at the time and I had taken her to Valentine to have her ultra sounded. The vet told me she needed to be bred within a day or two and Streaker was standing at the vet clinic in Ainsworth, Nebraska. I hadn’t planned on another Streaker colt, but it was the best thing that ever happened. He’s a special horse – he’s one of those horses that I feel very fortunate to have in my lifetime.”
    Radar was born on a rainy Memorial Day. “My husband, Speed, imprinted him – he did too good of a job because Radar is very personable and in your space.” When he turned two, Gabe Taylor, a steer wrestler, took him for a month to start him. “He called me within the first two weeks and said I had a really nice horse – he was easy and wanted to do everything. If I could custom order a horse, this was it – the first time I rode him, I liked him.” He got his nickname, Radar, because of his ears and the way he looks around and checks things out. He continued his career as a futurity horse in 2013. “He did good – he was very competitive,” said D’Ann. “The next year, I alternated him and Flyer at the rodeos, and then he got an injury and was out for six months.” At 16.2 hands and weighing in at 1,450, Radar is big for barrel racing. His mother, Gunny was out of Back To Cash and a goes back to Go Man Go on the maternal side. She was the size of Go Man Go and all of her colts are big horses. “He stopped the clock at the 2016 Black Hills Stock Show Rodeo at 12.46, winning it – that was unbelievable for that little arena.”
    This year, Radar took her to the average win at the Mid-States Rodeo Assn Finals and the duo has been consistent all year. “He has a lot of heart and arrogance – he knows he’s cool and wants to get the job done – he’s just that type of horse.”
    D’Ann met her husband, Speed, at a rodeo. “A week later he called me and we’ve been together for 24 years this January.” He used to team rope and still does for fun. He goes to some of the closer rodeos with D’Ann, but for the most part, it’s D’Ann, dogs Murry and Tink and three horses. “We have a cow/calf operation southeast of Mission, South Dakota.” Along with Radar and Flyer, D’Ann has young colts coming along.
    Radar isn’t going anywhere. “He’s a very special horse to me – he makes barrel racing fun, he wants to do his job and do it well. He is also the last of the line. His mother was put down in October of 2016.” Although D’Ann doesn’t have set goals, she sees herself going to the American someday. “I’m going to keep doing what I do – going to my favorite rodeos and the bigger barrel races that pay good. Life is very good in my world.”

  • Cracked Pepper Brisket Roast & Spinach Salad

     

    Cracked Pepper Brisket Roast
    recipe courtesy of Jennifer Ericsson

    Ingredients:
    3 to 4 pounds beef brisket
    1½ tsp onion powder
    1 tsp salt
    3 tsp cracked peppercorns
    3 Tbsp dry mustard
    1 Tbsp lemon juice
    3/4 cup catsup
    1½ tsp garlic powder
    2½ tsp celery salt
    3 tsp Worcestershire sauce
    3 Tbsp brown sugar
    1½ Tbsp soy sauce
    6 drops hot sauce

    Directions:
    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place brisket in 13”x9”x2” baking dish. Combine garlic powder, onion powder, celery salt, salt. Worcestershire sauce and peppercorns. Mix and spread over brisket. Cover and place in oven. Immediately reduce temperature to 325 degrees and bake one hour. Mix remaining ingredients. Pour over brisket, cover and continue cooking 3 hours or until tender.

    Spinach Salad
    recipe courtesy of Donna Roddy, Ridin’, Ropin’ & Recipes

    ingredients:
    1 pound fresh spinach
    3 hard boiled eggs
    8 slices crisp bacon,
    crumbled
    2 cups fresh bean
    sprouts
    1 8 oz can water
    chestnuts, thin sliced

    dressing:
    (stir together)
    1 cup oil
    Salt to taste
    1/4 cup vinegar
    1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
    1/2 cup sugar
    1 medium onion, greated
    1/3 cup catsup

    Directions:
    Trim and discard tough spinach stems, rinse leaves well, dry and break into bite size pieces in a salad bowl. Add remaining salad ingredients. Toss salad with dressing, serve right away.

     

  • ProFile: Chason Floyd

    ProFile: Chason Floyd

    Just $87 was the difference between riding into the Thomas & Mack in December and not. Chason Floyd kept his hold on the 15th spot for a couple weeks. He had to keep going to keep ahead of Josh Peek, who was trying up until the last minute to get that spot. Neither pulled a check the last week. Chason got a couple checks the week before, but he hit three rodeos the last week, never pulling a check. “Josh wished me luck at a rodeo we were at that last week – hoping I would make it.”
    Chason has been trying to punch his ticket to Vegas since 2012. “I had a very good rookie year, and tried again for the next few years,” said the 28-year-old from Buffalo, South Dakota. “In 2015, I got hurt and had to sit out a year.” He went from 41st last year to 15th this year. “I try to learn something new every year, and this year I’m more mature and I know a little more. I also switched horses after Labor Day, jumping off Sean Mulligan’s horse. She fit me really good.”
    Chason got married May of 2014 to Jesika Garrett Floyd and the couple is expecting a new bulldogger into the family February 14. “She was joking one day saying if I ever made the Finals, she would probably be pregnant. I mentally told myself after we found out that I better get to winning if I was going to make this happen. And it did. ” The couple owns an assisted living facility in Buffalo South Dakota, and Jesika has a home health business as well. They are opening another one in Faith, South Dakota, within a year. “I also ranch with my family.”
    He is still adjusting to his first WNFR qualification. “We woke up and went over to the building and started working on it – you go back to normal. But I’m still getting the calls, and it will sink in that I did accomplish my dreams. It’s pretty neat.” Chason will stay in shape by jackpotting and going to his circuit finals in Minot. He won the year end at those Finals. He plans to enter a few others and continue jogging and staying in shape. “We’ve been moving cattle and shipping, so it’s kept me pretty busy. I’ll head to Oklahoma the middle of November to practice with Sean.”He has never been to the NFR – this will be his first trip. “I didn’t want to go until I made it. We’re super excited.”
    Chason grew up in Ludlow, it’s a school, a church, a hall and a bar. His family is still there on the ranch. He started rodeo when he was young, starting in the 4-H rodeos and then high school rodeos. He roped and rode saddle broncs when he was younger. “I got kind of big for bronc riding,” said the 28-year-old. His parents, Ron and Cindy, along with his sister CJ and two brothers, Colt, and Ckyler will all be heading to Vegas to watch.

  • Clayton Hass

    Clayton Hass

    There’s nothing like the morning when the animals wake up and you hear the birds come alive, and everything starts to move around,” says Clayton Hass of hunting. The 33-year-old professional steer wrestler, tie-down roper, and team roping header from Weatherford, Texas, juggles his passions of rodeo and hunting in the fall every year, but he feels his time spent in the deer stand or following his hunting dog is always worth the effort. “I started hunting with my dad as a kid growing up, and we hunted birds and deer and ducks. I go with family and friends, and I do like to be by myself sometimes too. You do a lot of thinking. Out there, everything is good, and there’s no cell phone service and no one calling me. You can just be out there in the wild, enjoy nature, and blow off some steam. There’s a lot of similarities between rodeo and hunting. Just like if you make a bad run, if you make a bad shot, there’s nothing you can do about it now. The ultimate thing is to take the next shot or the next run. In a way, it’s like riding a bike—you don’t forget—but first of the season, you practice a bit.”
    Clayton has never had to step out of his state for hunting opportunities since Texas wildlife is so diverse. He often hunts on the Waite Ranch near Fredericksburg, Texas, and stays at the lodge for the weekend since it’s several hours from home. Clayton narrows his favorites down to quail and white tail deer, though he wants to harvest an elk this year as well. “I really enjoy quail hunting and watching the dogs work and seeing how smart they are. Most of them are my friends’ dogs, but I have an 11-year-old dog, Max, that I’ve had since he was 6 months old. My cousin is a dog trainer in Texas, and he started Max. The hunting is fast—not as long as sitting in a deer stand. I can go quail hunting and then get back and do whatever I need to for the day. I like dove hunting as well. You breast one out, wrap it in bacon, and put a jalapeño in it and bake it. It’s not bad at all.”

    Within the last seven or eight years, Clayton discovered how much he enjoys bow hunting, particularly the extra challenge and being that much closer to the deer. “With a rifle, guys are shooting 500–700 yards, but with a bow, the maximum is probably 110 yards, and most people don’t shoot over 50. I grew up shooting my bow around the house, but I never hunted with it. I decided to buy one, and after I harvested my first deer with it, I was hooked. The hardest thing about wanting to go hunting is that elk archery season starts the first of September, which is hard with rodeo season. But after the All American finals in Waco, I was able to slip away and do some hunting. I have some acreage here in Weatherford, but we just leave the deer in the pasture alone. I’d like to set up a feeder here just so the kids can see the deer come in.”
    Clayton’s wife, Alex, enjoys bird hunting with him, and Clayton hopes their six-month-old son, Maclaren, will be his hunting buddy a few years down the road. “My daughter, Addy, (5) isn’t much into hunting, but she likes the meat. We make breakfast sausage with it, and last year, we did the process ourselves and made some links and breakfast sausage.”
    Clayton also uses his down-time between rodeo seasons to travel with his family and train horses. Though he mounted out most of the year on Sterling Wallace’s horse, Cadillac, a two-time AQHA–PRCA Horse of the Year, Clayton did win Pendleton in the all-around and steer wrestling riding his 19-year-old gelding, Rusty. “I use Nutrena for my horses and steers. They digest it better and the fiber is lower, and they’re dang sure looking good,” says Clayton. He won numerous rodeos in the all-around, team roping, and steer wrestling this year, and missed qualifying for the WNFR by $606. “But I’m going to work hard, get better, and come back strong next year,” he says. Until then, the three-time WNFR qualifier will be soaking up time with his family, and working toward his goal of harvesting an elk or a bear this season.

  • Back When They Bucked with Herb Friedenthal

    Back When They Bucked with Herb Friedenthal

    Herb Friedenthal won the bull riding at the second RCA rodeo he ever went to. “It was the night of my 18th birthday and I split first with Walt Mason in Riverside, California,” said the 79 year old from Fallon, Nevada. “I feel so fortunate that in my career I was around the best rodeo cowboys that ever lived from three decades, the 40s, 50s, and 60s.” Herb Joined the RCA in March of 1956. “A couple guys came around to the amateur rodeos and they asked me to throw in with them. It was a big deal for me.”
    Herb was raised in Southern California; back in the 1950s there were lots of rodeos in his area. His dad was an insurance salesman and his mom raised him and his younger brother, John. Herb joined the Marine Corp and served for a little over a year before being honorably discharged. His rodeo career took off after that and he competed all across the west. “Andy Jauregui was a stock contractor and world champion team roper. I worked for him on the labor list, that’s what we did a lot in those days – it kept us busy when we weren’t competing and gave us some extra money.” Herb also worked for Cotton Rosser. “Most of my career I stayed on the West Coast. I was happy living the dream and there were a bunch of good rodeos out there. I placed at most of the major rodeos; Cow Palace, Ogden Prescott, Las Angeles coliseum, and Tucson (he won that one).” He met a lot of great cowboys, including Casey Tibbs, who put together a Wild West Show and Rodeo to take to Japan, and invited Herb to join the group.

    “We went over there in July of 1962,” he explained. The crew consisted of between 35 and 40 people; counting the Mexican bull fighters the Mariachi band, several Indians and the support crew. “Only about 15 of us were rodeo cowboys and out of that there were six past world champions; Gerold Roberts, Ben Johnson, Eddie Akridge, Clyde Vamvoras, Casey Tibbs, and Paul Mayo.” They were there for three months, which included six weeks in Tokyo. “It was a tough deal. We had two performances a day, three on Sunday, and Monday off. Casey took some national finals stock over there. If you got wiped out in the afternoon performance, you had to get on that night. There was no doctor release.” During that time in Japan’s history; 17 years after the war and two years before the Tokyo Olympics, the Japanese still believed that parts of the United States were the same as they had been watching in the old American Westerns, including cowboys and Indians. “It was 100% Japanese. You could get two blocks from the hotel and get lost. The way we made it was we had a business card from the hotel and the cab could drop us off.” After 125 performances, they headed home.

    When he returned, he landed a job modeling for Marlboro. “Clyde Cisco May had it and didn’t want it and gave it to me.” He was photographed in silhouette form for more than a month all over the country. Most of the shots were taken at recognizable landmarks and he wore his hat, spurs, and jeans. He posed with an unlighted cigarette because it took so long to get each shot. “I’ve never smoked or even lit a cigarette,” he said. The ads ended up in national magazines such as “Life” and the “Saturday Evening Post.” That exposure led to stunt work as a bull rider on the television series, “Cowboy in Africa,” which starred Chuck Connors. He also doubled for Michael Landon (Little Joe) on Bonanza and bulldogged a steer for a Buick commercial. He never cared for the Hollywood life, and decided to move on.
    He used his GI bill and went to aviation school. He also met and married his wife of 50 years, Starr. They have two girls, Carry Ila and Ila Carry, and two grandchildren. Herb worked as a flight instructor for two years before becoming a union carpenter. He made that his career for 20 years and moved up to become a business representative for the United Brotherhood of Carpenters until he retired at the age of 70. He took his competitive nature and became a marathon runner. “I finished the LA marathon three times and ran a couple hundred 5k and 10k runs.” He has also been a lifetime supporter of the Braille Institute. “Helping those who are blind or visually impaired is the right thing to do.”
    Herb has no regrets in life. “I’d do it all over again. For 15 years I didn’t have a boss, I got to see the whole world and be around the best guys. I’ve got five acres in Fallon, Nevada. I’ve got a horse, a great wife and family, and I hang out at the sale yard coffee shop (Stockyards Diner), with my friends. The older you get, the fewer friends you have.”

  • Rodeo Scholarships

    For high school seniors there are plenty of opportunities to earn scholarships.

     

    Here are a few tips that I think may help as you look to find the school that is the right fit for you:

    • I just want to keep it real. Less than six percent of all student athletes are on a full ride scholarship. Not rodeo students, all student athletes, every sport, every college. Football, basketball, baseball all sports combined amount to less than six percent on true full ride scholarships. And when you really look at the full ride scholarships, they are in the big revenue sports such as football, and basketball, the sports that fill stadiums and generate revenue for the schools. Rodeo has never filled a 100,000 seat stadium six or eight times a year like an SEC football team will. Scholarships are there—full rides are scarce.

    • The dollar amount of the scholarship should not be the determining factor for your choice of schools. I know students that made the choice based simply on dollars. They took a $3,000 scholarship to Rodeo Time University where tuition is $12,000 per year and turned down a scholarship of $2,000 to Rodeo Tech College where tuition is only $4,000 per year. They took $1,000 more in scholarship money but the choice really cost them thousands of dollars. Look at the big picture and make wise decisions.

    • Many times the schools that make the best offers scholarship wise, have the least to offer in other areas. Check out the dorms, the academic programs you are interested in, the practice facilities, the stalls, the coaches. How many times a week you can practice. How long do you practice in the fall and spring seasons. Does the school offer tutors for you, athletic trainers. Will your classes transfer to other schools? How big is the team? Make sure you are a good fit for the school and the school is a good fit for you.

    • There are a lot of other scholarships available. From having attended three different colleges and working at a couple as well, there is much more money available in academic scholarships than there are in athletic scholarships at every college you will look at. From your freshman year of high school on, your high school grades can help or hurt you when applying for scholarships when you get to college. When combined with athletic scholarships, academic scholarships can be huge, they can truly help you earn that full-ride. Many of the students that I have had that had the best scholarships were on rodeo scholarships combined with academic scholarships. You are a student athlete first, and if you truly are, there can be financial rewards.

    • Apply for as many scholarships as you can. Local scholarships. High School Rodeo Scholarships. Foundation scholarships. Search for scholarships on the internet. There are thousands of scholarships available if you are willing to put in a little work. Don’t be afraid to write a few essays, or fill out some applications. I know several students who have earned over $5,000 for just a little effort in applying for scholarships.

    • Know the employees in your colleges Financial Aid Office on a first name basis. If they know you are willing to apply and put forth effort to get additional scholarships they will help you out.

    • By NIRA rules Letters of Intent cannot be signed until March 1st of your senior year. Start the recruiting process now contact the programs you are interested in now. Visit schools, visit coaches, do your research on the school and rodeo programs. When March 1st rolls around you should have a good idea of which school you are interested in attending. Don’t be fooled or pressured into signing your LOI before March 1st.

    • Once you land a scholarship on a rodeo team make yourself an asset to the team. Get good grades, chances are you can earn an academic scholarship in the future. Score lots of points, you may earn a better rodeo scholarship. Treat college like a job, and be a great employee, chances are you may get a raise in some form of a scholarship.

    Final thought—Scholarships are a privilege not a right. When you receive a scholarship it is fair that the coach/college have expectations for you to do well in the classroom and in the arena. You need to be a good student, a good athlete and a good representative for the school. If you don’t hold up your end of the deal, don’t expect the college to keep you around.

  • On The Trail with Brody Cress

    On The Trail with Brody Cress

    Brody Cress ended his 2017 season with the PRCA with an 88 point ride on Dakota Rodeo’s Bartender to win the saddle bronc riding championship at the Wrangler Champions Challenge Finale on September 30 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. “It is an outstanding feeling – the whole year has been. I can’t think of a weekend that I wasn’t able to win some money,” said the 21-year-old cowboy from Hillsdale, Wyoming. “That helps keep it going and keeps it exciting. You can’t ask for a better season. It makes you want to get on a bucking horse every day.” Brody did something that no other cowboy has done – he won Cheyenne, Salinas, and Pendleton in one season. “I didn’t go to any winter rodeos, but I came back to the first one and won and it’s been clicking – I’ve drawn good and it’s been a year of focus and shooting for the finals. I’ve never been this consistent – 90% this year – dang sure knew things were clicking,” he said. “I’ve always shot for going to the NFR. I’ve always thought if that wasn’t a goal, why rodeo. But this year it’s realistic.” Brody will be heading to the Thomas & Mack this December, but not before completing his finals for his Senior year at Tarleton State University where he is majoring in Ag Business. “I won’t be able to walk with the class, but that’s ok.”

     

    This year has been a lot better than last year, when Brody had a horse fall on him and injure his ankle at St. Paul. “After Cheyenne I took the rest of the year off; my ankle was hurting. I couldn’t walk for ten minutes after I got off the horses. Taking the rest of the year helped me refocus on getting to the gym.”

    Growing up, Brody stayed in the practice pen and didn’t ride a bronc at a rodeo until he was a junior in high school. He rodeoed at junior rodeos from the time he was big enough to steer his own horse, competing at Murray’s arena summer series. He was a member of Mountain States Junior Bull Riders, starting as a mutton buster and stopping with steer riding. He started wrestling at the age of six and concentrated on that, showing pigs and sheep, and being involved in FFA. “My dad was our Ag teacher for freshman year, and then moved into principal. I was around his FFA kids all the time, and I was very big into showing pigs and sheep.” He competed in the Creed his freshman year, as well as sales. FFA taught Brody how to interact with people. “I got put in a lot of situations – when I was practicing for the Creed, my dad would take me to speak in places I was really nervous about. It allowed me to learn how to turn an awkward situation into something I could handle.” FFA also helped Brody learn how to speak in front of large groups. “I built leadership skills – as I got older I liked helping out the younger kids.”

    His parents; Tommy and Lannette, both rodeoed when they were younger. “Mom grew up on a ranch, and she was a rodeo queen, and team roped, breakaway roped, ran barrels and poles in high school rodeo.” Tommy college rodeoed for LCCC and the University of Wyoming, as well as pro rodeoed, qualifying for the Mountain States Circuit Finals numerous times. He rode saddle broncs and got on a few bulls in college. Now Tommy is an assistant principal at Cheyenne East High School with 1,500 kids.

    “I’m really lucky to be in this system – these kids are great,” said Tommy. “It’s my 21st year, and times have changed, but the kids haven’t. My wife works as an Administrative Assistant for the Wyoming Supreme Court. She has a lot to do with the success of the boys – she’s the one they call for everything still.”

    “We did everything we could do to support them all along and the lessons they learned – the biggest one is that life’s not easy – and we never made any excuses for them. He’s done this on his own,” said Lannette. “I’ve helped him get plane tickets and motel rooms, but he tells us when and where. Brody was in the bucking horse sale two years ago and Blaze was in the permit challenge two years ago, and we went to one round, but this year it’s going to be so exciting. It’s a dream of our entire family. I’m really proud of Brody – he’s made this his goal and he got it done.”

    “My parents put me in wrestling to get the mental and physical aspects,” said Brody. “I almost wrestled in college. It started when I was six and I won nine state championships growing up. In high school I was the state champion my last three years.” Throughout those years, he would wrestle up to 140 pounds going wherever coach needed him. “I learned how to handle myself. At first when I would lose, I would get frustrated. As I got into high school I learned how to handle my emotions – I had to cut 16 pounds my Sophmore year and I learned how to go through that mentally. Wrestling also helped me learn how to take a loss and not just quit.” Working on the mental and the physical aspects of wrestling really coincides with riding broncs. “You have to give it all you have as long as it takes.”

    Brody gained respect for all of his coaches along the way. “I had such amazing coaches that helped me be a great young man as well as a good wrestler.”

    Both the boys worked on riding broncs for several years before competing on them. “My dad and Colt Bruegman really started us. We were lucky enough to get great horses from JD Hamaker, the Millers, Morgan and John Forbes. Frank Thompson would come pick up for us; we got help from Rick Griego flanking and my friends, Levi Romsa, Zane Thompson, Dax Cathcart, Anthony Green and Clayton Hanzlik helped on the neck ropes and pulled gates. It was whoever we could get to come help. Sometimes we would practice twice a week – as long as it was warm enough. I know during high school it was twice a week. Up until I was a junior that’s the only bronc riding I could do. I couldn’t go to a rodeo until I was a junior in high school. We had an amazing pen of practice horses, at one time we had nine. It was a great pen of solid horses.”

     

    His parents wanted to make sure Blaze and Brody knew what they were doing before they went to a high school rodeo. Tommy’s rule was they couldn’t get on until they were 100 pounds. “They wanted us to learn how to get off, and how to make somewhat of a successful ride – it made it a little more fun. It was still rough – but I won my first rodeo I went to my junior year, so that proved that staying home and learning paid off. Up till this year, there’s been bumps in the road, but I was more successful because I had a good start.”

    Brody is in his senior year at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas. “I picked TSU for one because it’s warmer. I wanted to be on a rodeo team that would send me places and a bunch of people came here that went on to the NFR. This is a prestigious program and the kids know how to win. My coach knows I am moving up to the next level and he’s there for me. He is awesome – he helps us do more than rodeo, to be respectful and handle ourselves in front of people. He’s taught me not to make excuses – I face the fact of what I did wrong and how to fix it.”

    He also chose Tarleton for the academic side. “I didn’t want to waste my time, and this school will let me get it all done – all the way through my masters.” Brody is going for his Masters in Ag consumer science so he can teach. “If I get in situations where I could coach and be able to teach that would be awesome.” Classes start three weeks after the NFR.

    Between now and December 7, Brody will get back into the gym and finish up his undergraduate degree. “I’m going to get back to working out and get everything set for Vegas. One of the trainers, Shawn Ready, has put together a workout for me that I’m starting now that I’m home and settled. It’s hard to work out on the road. We stay in shape by getting on so many horses, and I still have college rodeos. I’d like to get on two or three a week to keep things going. I’d like to slow down some, but I want to keep things clicking.”

    He will be joined in Vegas by his family, including his brother, Blaze, who is working with Eric Wisehart in California training cutting horses. “Blaze has taken his love of riding colts to another level. He got the opportunity to go to California to ride cutting horses for Eric Wisehart. He’s riding two year olds and is getting to cut. We have different focuses in life and he’s in a great spot. We’re both doing what we want to do.”
    For now, Brody is basking in the texts and messages from everyone cheering him on. “It is awesome to be on the road and know there are people watching. It’s great to be a professional rodeo cowboy and know you have fans.” And Brody will warm up the same way in Vegas he has done all year. “I wear my tennis shoes in the locker room, the amount of time I spend jumping around getting ready – this warm up is left over from wrestling, and that makes sure my body is prepared.”

     

  • Running with Fire

    Running with Fire

    South Dakota horse “Fiery Miss West” wins Badlands Circuit Barrel Horse of the Year

    Minot, N.D. (October 10, 2017) – A young exceptional horse has won the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association Badlands Circuit Horse of the year.

    “Missy”, a six year old palomino owned by Gary Westergren of Lincoln, Neb. and ridden by Jessica Routier of Buffalo, S.D. earned the title after carrying her rider to a qualification and the championship at the 2017 Badlands Circuit Finals Rodeo in Minot.

    Missy, whose registered name is Fiery Miss West, is an “early bloomer,” Routier said. “She didn’t have a lot of barrel racing time put on her in her early years,” as Routier and husband Riley Routier added twin daughters and another daughter to their clan. However, they ranched on the palomino. “I’m a firm believer that that’s what makes a horse great: learning to work hard at a young age. If you ranch on them, the barrel racing should seem easy.”

    Last year, Routier took her to futurities, where she did well. This year, she took Missy to pro rodeos, and the team placed almost everywhere they competed, winning first in Plentywood, Mont., Onida and Aberdeen, S.D., Granite Falls, Minn., and second at Rapid City’s summer rodeo and in Deadwood, S.D. They entered the circuit finals in Minot last week in first place, with over $20,000 accumulated from the season. During the season, they knocked over a few barrels, but Routier credited that to Missy’s youth. “They were young and green horse moments where we didn’t have our timing.”

    Missy does well with nearly every arena situation, Routier said. “She handles all types of ground, and every arena set up. I was little nervous for the first round (at the circuit finals in Minot) because we’ve never done a blind first barrel before. But she handled it fine.” The way the barrel pattern is set up at the circuit finals, horses are not able to see the first barrel till they are through the alley.

    Missy also has a generous personality. “She’s very kind,” Routier said. “She loves all our kids. She’s laid back. The kids can ride around on her.” She does have one small flaw. “Her only vice is she doesn’t like to stand still. But that we can deal with.”

    Missy was sired by Firewater Frenchman and out of Frenchmans Bodashus.

    Routier, who grew up in Wisconsin, has qualified for the Great Lakes Circuit Finals Rodeo four times and the Badlands Circuit Finals Rodeo eight times. She was the 2010 year-end Badlands Circuit champion as well as this year’s champion.

    The horse also won the Badlands Circuit’s Rising Star award as well.

  • Rodeo 34 Winner Announced

    Rodeo 34 Winner Announced

    For the first time, the Greeley Stampede, Rooftop Rodeo Estes, and Larimer County Fair & PRCA Rodeo partnered to recognize one contestant from the combined rodeo series that earned the most points in 2017 for the Rodeo 34 Award.

    The new alliance, named after the highway that connects the three rodeos, was created to help promote the sport of rodeo.  Members from the three rodeo committees will meet throughout the year to share information, cross promote and build new partnership.

    Points were given to the top ten contestants of each rodeo event at all three rodeos. The points were determined on placing with first place earning ten points through tenth place earning one point. To be qualified for the award, contestants were required to compete in all three rodeos.

    The recipient of the inaugural Rodeo 34 Award, will receive a $3,000 gas & grocery gift card and a championship pure beaver custom cowboy hat courtesy of Greeley Hat Works valued at $1,650.

    This year, the winner of the Rodeo 34 Award is barrel racer Sydni Blanchard of New Mexico. Sydni will be recognized on Saturday, October 28 during the Mountain States Circuit Finals in Loveland.

     

    The top nine contestants from the series include:

    1. Sydni Blanchard                      Barrel Racing                          23.5 points
    2. Brody Cress                             Saddle Bronc                           20.5 points
    3. Billy Bugenig                           Steer Wrestling                       20 points
    4. Seth Hardwick                         Bareback Riding                      16 points
    5. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi             Barrel Racing                          15 points
    6. Baylor Roche                           Steer Wrestling                       13.5 points
    7. Leon Foundation                     Saddle Bronc                           13.5 points
    8. Jake Pratt                                Tie Down Roping                     12 points
    9. Josh Frost                                Bull Riding                               11 points

     

     

    courtesy of Kevin McFarling, Marketing Coordinator

  • Elk’s Youth Rodeo

    Elk’s Youth Rodeo

    THE TWENTY FIFTH ANNUAL SHERIDAN, WYOMING, ELK’S YOUTH RODEO was held on August 26 and 27, 2017. The rodeo’s 26 events attracts contestants from Arizona, Oklahoma, Texas, Montana, Idaho, North  Dakota, Colorado, South Dakota, Nebraska, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming.  Three arenas, running at the same time, were used to accommodate the 744 entrees each day. Some of the events included 131 goat tiers, 128 barrel racers and 94 break away ropers each day. This was a hard two days with very skilled competitors. We were impressed with the contestants’ attitudes and their commitment.

    Cash and awards of $71,590.00 were presented to contestants ages 17 and under.  These consisted of cash and scholarships of $12,252.00 and awards valued at $59,338.00.

    Ellie Bard, 16, from Sheridan, Wyoming, won the Senior All Around, a one-year lease of a new Ford truck, provided by Fremont Motors, Sheridan, WY. Ellie has been a contestant in this rodeo since she was a Pee Wee. She has always been willing to help other contestants or our rodeo crew. The Elks are very proud of her and wish her the best in the future.

    Cooper Deveraux, 16, From Newcastle, Wyoming, won the All Around Youth award, a Jackson three horse slant load trailer, provided by Prime Rate Motors, Sheridan, WY.

    Hadley Thompson, 9, from Yoder, Wyoming received a $2,000.00 scholarship as the All Around Youth Reserve Champion.

    Krissy VanderVoort, 17, From Billings, Montana received the All Around Youth Reserve Runner-up $1,000.00 scholarship and Tanner McInerney, 17, From Alzada, Montana received the Senior Reserve Champion $2,000.00 scholarship

    The Senior Reserve Runner-up receiving a saddle was Bella Fossum 16, From Billings, Montana. The saddle for the Intermediate All Around went to Haiden Thompson, 13, from Yoder, Wyoming. The saddle for the Junior All Around went to Hadley Thompson, 9, From Yoder, Wyoming, and the saddle for the pee wee all around went to Jewel Randall, 6, From Wheatland, Wyoming. The other winners are as shown on the attached list.

    The Sheridan Elk’s Lodge #520 wishes to thank all of the contestants and sponsors for their help in making this possible and is looking forward to holding this event again next year.

    Sincerely,

    Youth Rodeo Chairman

  • Championship Bull Riding Announces New CEO

    Championship Bull Riding Announces New CEO

    courtesy of CBR

    WEATHERFORD, Texas – October 10, 2017 – Championship Bull Riding (CBR), a professional bull riding company announced today the promotion of Murphy Lents to Chief Executive Officer (CEO). This position was created to support the growth of CBR over the course of the last few years.  Lents is currently a member of the Board of Directors.

     

    Murphy Lents, former President, Headwaters Roofing and Siding Group of Salt Lake City, UT, stated, “Authenticity is what separates CBR from many other bull riding ventures.  I was brought in by the CBR board because I have the organizational skills to help us grow but also because I have a heartfelt appreciation for the sport’s beginnings as a place for a bunch of cowboys to get together, show off their riding skill, and laugh a lot.  So, we plan to get a little bigger but still have fun and enjoy the ride.”

     

    Lents has an MBA degree from Wharton School of Business in Pennsylvania and graduated from Rice University in Houston with a degree in English and Spanish.

     

    Chairman of the Board, Benny Cude, said, “I am honored to bring Murphy on board to promote our efforts. Adding professionals with deep experience in their fields and strong credentials will make the future very bright for CBR.”

     

    CBR is experiencing growth on all levels including the televised Road to Cheyenne tour and the qualifying Horizon Series. The industry’s top athletes such as six time World Champion Sage Kimzey and PRCA Rookie of the Year Boudreaux Campbell combined with the CBR Bull Team Challenge animal athletes make for an entertaining and authentic western show, and one of Lents’ goals is getting that show in front of more people.

     

    “CBR has the most professionally run and fun bucking bull events in the country while still staying true to the authentic, cowboy sport that it is.  Everyone at CBR wants to introduce our riders and bulls to more people in larger venues.  At the same time, we respect the talent and courage of our riders and the breeding and strength of the bulls at our events.  If we can introduce more people to the sport while staying true to our cowboy roots, we will have done a good job for the company, our riders and bull owners, as well as the new fans we introduce to the sport and our values.”

     

    Murphy’s interest in CBR came through his business partner and CBR Board of Directors member Bob Whisnant.  The two founded and operated Southwest Concrete Products in tandem and grew it to be one of the largest concrete products companies in the Southwest.

     

    Lents began his business career in banking and private equity management and has served as the President of four corporations including Independent Gas Company, Eldorado Stone, Southwest Concrete, and Headwaters’ Roofing and Siding Group.

     

    “I have founded and run a wide variety of businesses over my career.  One of the most important things I’ve learned is that I don’t know everything.  I have a healthy respect for the men and women in a business who are the real operators and boots on the ground. Fortunately, CBR has accomplished professionals that know the business like the backs of their hands.  What I can do is help the team develop meaningful goals and a plan to accomplish those goals. “

     

    Murphy and his wife Dianne own Twisted Rose Farm outside of Kerrville, Texas and has piloted their family’s Morgan horses to multiple World Championships. “We’ve been lucky enough to take several of our horses to world championships and I was the reserve national gentleman’s western pleasure champion the last two years and earned the National gentleman’s Championship just last Saturday.  I’ve almost never been bucked off in less than 8 seconds.”

     

    The Lents management style – “I get everyone rowing the boat in a good direction and the same direction while keeping an eye out for rocks and shallow water,” said Lents from his home in Kerrville, Texas.

     

    For more information contact Leighann@cbrbull.com. Follow CBR on Facebook – Championship Bull Riding, Twitter and Instagram @cbrbull.com.

    Photo Credit: Todd Brewer

     

    About Championship Bull Riding

    Located near the cowboy capital of the world, historic Weatherford, Texas, Championship Bull Riding (CBR) is an organization dedicated to promoting and preserving the very best elements of the sport. Under the direction of Chairman of the Board, Benny Cude and bull riding icon Tuff Hedeman, CBR has grown into an organization that works to put the best riders on the best bulls, delivering world-class qualified rides and entertainment to its legions of world-side fans. CBR has two tours, riders begin in the Horizon Series earning points to move onto the elite Road to Cheyenne Tour. The Road to Cheyenne Tour culminates in July in Wyoming at the legendary Cheyenne Frontier Days where the World Champion Bull Rider earns a $100,000 bonus. The CBR Bull Team Challenge is also part of the tour events where stock contractors bring their best bulls and compete for annual cash prizes that total over $1 million. Providing opportunities for contestants, stock contractors, fans and sponsors is why CBR is the REAL COWBOY SPORTtm. CBR is featured at over 70 venues across the United States with national television programming on the Fox Sports Networks for 26 consecutive weeks in prime time. Follow CBR on all major social media platforms as Championship Bull Riding and CBRbull. For more information visit www.cbrbull.com or call 817-626-BULL (2855).

  • AQHA/PRCA Horses of the Year announced

    AQHA/PRCA Horses of the Year announced

    COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Five first-time winners were chosen as American Quarter Horse Association/Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Horses of the Year, which were announced Oct. 10.

    Three horses were named in each of the six categories, and the lone repeat champion was team roping heeling horse Zans Colonel Shine (Colonel), which is the mount for Jake Long.

    Long enters his seventh Wrangler National Finals Rodeo presented by Polaris RANGER fifth in the WEATHER GUARD® PRCA World Standings. Long owns the horse with his wife, Tasha, and the horse helped him win rodeos at the Gladewater (Texas) Round-Up Rodeo, and Kit Carson County Fair & Rodeo (Burlington, Colo.) with partner Luke Brown, who is fourth in the team roping header standings.

    “It means a lot to me and my family and any time people recognize your animal with something like this (Horse of the Year), it makes you feel good,” Long said. “Colonel is good in every setup. I can ride him anywhere from Salinas to the (Thomas & Mack Center) at the NFR. He never cost me money and it is never his fault. The cool thing about him is he really likes to go and compete.”

    On the other side of team roping, Chad Masters’ horse Madison Oak (Clint), an 11-year-old he has owned since the horse was 4, took top honors. Masters, a two-time world champion (2007, 2012), is headed to his 11th WNFR. Masters and his partner, Travis Graves, had a strong regular season, which included Masters riding Clint to the win at California Rodeo Salinas. Masters enters Las Vegas seventh in the world standings.

    Back in 2015, Clint finished third in the AQHA/PRCA Horse of the Year voting.

    “For the group of horses that are in there, for mine to do good, means a lot to me,” Masters said.

    The bulldogging mount which won Horse of the Year is Canted Plan (Scooter), owned by Tyler Pearson and Kyle Irwin. Pearson enters his second WNFR third in the world standings and Irwin is 11th.

    During Pearson’s career-best regular season he had several wins, including at the Wrangler Champions Challenge presented by Justin Boots (Sioux Falls, S.D.), and the Lawton (Okla.) Rangers Rodeo. Irwin, meanwhile, is headed to his third WNFR and had big wins aboard Scooter at the Cody (Wyo.) Stampede, the Canby (Ore.) Rodeo, and the St. Paul (Ore.) Rodeo.

    “We’re pumped that he won this award,” Pearson said. “Kyle and I knew he deserved this, and I’m really happy that several other people thought the same.”

    Irwin concurred with Pearson.

    “Scooter is a one-of-a-kind horse,” Irwin said. “He has a personality. He’s a winner.”

    Shane Hanchey’s tie-down roping horse, Simon Cow (Si), claimed the top spot. Hanchey, the 2013 world champion, has owned the horse since May of 2015, and he helped Hanchey finish third in the regular season world standings and qualify for his eighth career WNFR.

    “It’s pretty cool that I now have a Horse of the Year,” Hanchey said. “He’s an easy-going horse that doesn’t care about anything, and he got this Horse of the Year honor because any style of roper can win on him and he’s good at any setup.”

    The steer roping horse which took the top spot was John Bland’s Carols Sassy Doc (Salty). The horse helped Bland have the best season of his career and powered him to his first appearance at the Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping, Nov. 10-11 in Mulvane, Kan.

    Salty is 16 years old, and Bland has owned him his entire life.

    “This is unbelievable to know that we’ve been together this long and that everybody thinks as much of him as I do,” Bland said.

     

    Here are the full results in each event:

     

    STEER WRESTLING

    1. Canted Plan (Scooter), owners Tyler Pearson and Kyle Irwin
    2. Landrys Cadillac (Cadillac), owner Frank Sterling Wallace
    3. Famous Chuck (Chuck), owner Kyle Whitaker

     

    TEAM ROPING-HEADING

    1. Madison Oak (Clint), owner Chad Masters
    2. RK Tuff Trinket (Bob), owner Riley Minor
    3. Rappers Ruff Stuff (Rudy), owner Farrell Lee Webb

     

    TEAM ROPING-HEELING

    1. Zans Colonel Shine (Colonel), owners Jake and Tasha Long
    2. Domino Lena (Kevin), owner Dixon Flowers QH
    3. Leos Highbrow (Sug), owner Brady Minor

     

    TIE-DOWN ROPING

    1. Simon Cow (Si), owner Shane Hanchey
    2. HA Nitros CD Player (Nitro), owner Samann Vest Watkins
    3. MFO Harvey (Colonel), owner Timber Moore

     

    STEER ROPING

    1. Carols Sassy Doc (Salty), owner John Bland
    2. Jacks Bay Wolf (Choctaw), owner Jason Evans
    3. SHS Short Go Ike (AJ), owners Aaron and Willow Raley

     

    BARREL RACING

    1. Rafter W Minnie Reba (Sister), owner Sam Williams
    2. MCM Imasharpguy (Sharpie), owners Matt and Bendi Dunn
    3. Show Mance, owner Tiany Schuster