Rodeo Life

Author: Courtesy

  • YETI® Introduces the Hopper® M30 to its Premium Soft Cooler Line

    YETI® Introduces the Hopper® M30 to its Premium Soft Cooler Line

    Newest Cooler Features HydroShield™ Magnetized Closure for Optimal Ice Retention

    Austin, Texas (August 22, 2019) — YETI® Holdings, Inc. (“YETI”) (NYSE: YETI), a leading premium outdoor brand, today launched the latest evolution of its soft cooler collection, the Hopper® M30. The Hopper M30 features a new leak-resistant HydroShield™ magnetized closure that provides superior ice retention and usability.

    “We’re committed to providing our customers with the most innovative and highest quality gear on the market to use as they pursue their active adventures,” says YETI President and CEO, Matt Reintjes. “We know the Hopper M30 design will deliver incredible portability, durability, and ice retention, and we’re excited to officially introduce it to consumers.”

    The Hopper M30 is completely waterproof and uses high-density fabric that resists punctures, abrasions, mildew, and UV rays for unmatched durability. It offers superior thermal performance due to its closed-cell foam insulation and is engineered with a 50 percent wider opening for increased ease of use.

    The Hopper M30 is the latest product within the YETI soft-sided Hopper family and joins the Hopper Flip™ 8, the Hopper Flip 12, and the Hopper Flip 18. While it’s the first Hopper product to use a novel magnet technology, YETI began incorporating magnetic closures in 2017, first with the Rambler® MagSlider™ Lid and most recently within the SideKick Dry™ and Daytrip™ Lunch Bag.

    The Hopper M30 retails for $299.99 and is available in Charcoal, Navy, and, for a limited time, River Green. For more information regarding the Hopper M30, and YETI’s other premium products, please visit yeti.com.

    About YETI Holdings, Inc.

    YETI is a growing designer, marketer, retailer, and distributor of a variety of innovative, branded, premium products to a wide-ranging customer base. Our mission is to ensure that each YETI product delivers exceptional performance and durability in any environment, whether in the remote wilderness, at the beach, or anywhere else life takes our customers. By consistently delivering high-performing products, we have built a following of engaged brand loyalists throughout the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, and elsewhere, ranging from serious outdoor enthusiasts to individuals who simply value products of uncompromising quality and design. Our relationship with customers continues to thrive and deepen as a result of our innovative new product introductions, expansion and enhancement of existing product families, and multifaceted branding activities.

  • Martha Josey

    Martha Josey

    courtesy of Madison Bruce

    When you hear the name Martha Josey, two images come to mind. The barrel racing legend who won every championship barrel racers can win, and the hands-on teacher who has mentored over 200,000 students in her 50+ years teaching about her sport.

    Martha began her domination of the barrel racing scene in the 1960’s. Right out of the gate she qualified for the National Finals Rodeo in 1968, 1969, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1990, and 1998. Throughout her 4 decades competing at the top of her sport, Martha earned world championship titles in the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association, the National Barrel Horse Association, and the American Quarter Horse Association. Then in 1988 the USA Olympic Team called and asked Martha to represent them at the 1988 Calgary Olympic Games, and after the dust settled she walked away an Olympic Medalist. Martha has been inducted into numerous Hall of Fames, notably the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame, the Texas Rodeo Hall of Fame, the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, the Ark-La-Tex Sports Museum of Champions and the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum.

    During her years competing, Martha felt called to share her hard-earned knowledge with other aspiring barrel racers. Being self-taught, Martha knows the value of being mentored in this sport that is only getting more and more competitive. So, in 1967 Martha and her beloved husband R.E. Josey held their first barrel racing clinic. Fast forward 52 years and the Josey Ranch is now synonymous with superior barrel racing instruction. Martha and her team have trained over 200,000 students and many of them have gone on to win big in the barrel racing arena. A few notable names that got their start at the Josey Ranch are: Fallon Taylor, Mary Walker, Jimmie Smith, Lynn McKenzie, and Angie Meadors.

    One thing that stands out about the instruction at the Josey Ranch is that Martha and her team teaches that preparation and care outside of the arena is just as vital to success as training inside the arena. Beyond learning how to practice perfect, the Josey Ranch offers demonstrations during every clinic on how to care for your horse’s legs, how to ensure your horse is getting the nutrients he needs, how to haul safely in your trailer, and what equipment is best for you and your horse.

    The Josey name is known for quality and success. That extends to the types of products and equipment that they advocate for. Martha has never pushed products or companies based on an endorsement or sponsorship alone. Instead, Martha is fiercely loyal to the products that truly make the difference in her performance. It is this commitment to quality that has helped the Josey Ranch craft champions. Students come to our clinics and learn the most effective way to keep themselves and their equine partners in the best health for peak performance. For many students, this is the first time they learn about that level of care and how it can help them in the arena. Because of Martha’s commitment to only recommend the highest level of products and equipment, she has held longtime partnerships with several major companies including Purina, Big Tex, Circle Y, MVP, Fiber Energy Products, and Priefert.

    David Nelson, Director of Purina’s Ambassador Program, says this about Martha and R.E.

    “R.E. and Martha have been fantastic long time partners with Purina. They have a high standard for products they endorse, if the product meets their rigorous standards, Martha and R.E. will strongly recommend it to the thousands of students that pass through the Josey Ranch each year.”

    Martha always says that it is easy to share about a product with her students when she believes it is the best product in the field. This is why the Josey Ranch has fed Purina for over 50 years and why Martha partnered with Circle Y to create a superior barrel racing saddle. However, Martha is always on the lookout for the latest innovations. More recently, she has partnered with Polylast Rubber Flooring Systems because of their padded antimicrobial flooring that allows liquid to filter out. Martha loves this flooring in her trailer and in her barn as it keeps her horses comfortable and healthy.

    The Josey Ranch is the place that students from all over the world come to learn how to be a champion. Martha would not have been able to achieve all of her success without the help of great products and equipment. Therefore, part of the instruction that catapults Josey students into the winner’s circle includes sharing about those great products and equipment. It is a Martha Josey tradition that still stands today –give credit where credit is due. If Purina horse feed helped Martha’s horses to be at their peak performance, then Martha will passionately advocate that her students feed Purina. Because at the end of the day, our priority is that Josey Ranch students achieve their grandest dreams.

  • Twisted X® Earns Spot on Inc. 5000 – for the Second Consecutive Year – as One of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies

    Twisted X® Earns Spot on Inc. 5000 – for the Second Consecutive Year – as One of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies

    Decatur, TX, August 14, 2019 — Inc. magazine officially unveiled their annual Inc. 5000, a prestigious ranking of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies, including Decatur’s Twisted X footwear company earning the no. 3424, as compared to no. 3482 in 2018.

    As a part of 2019’s Inc. 5000, Twisted X® joins a class of companies that together have shown astounding three-year average growth of 454 percent and a median rate of 157 percent. The Inc. 5000’s aggregate revenue was $237.7 billion in 2018, accounting for 1,216,308 jobs over the past three years.

    Since its inception in 2005, Twisted X has dedicated business to creating comfortable handcrafted footwear. From men and women, to kids and infants, every pair of Twisted X® shoes and boots is created with comfort in mind. While they originally started making western boot styles, the creation of the iconic Driving Moc opened the door for Twisted X®, creating an extensive range of styles including casual, lifestyle, work and outdoor footwear.

    “We are thrilled to have earned our spot, for the second year running, on the Inc. 5000 list and to be sharing a pedigree with Intuit, Zappos, Under Armour, Microsoft, Jamba Juice, Timberland, Clif Bar, Pandora, Patagonia, Oracle, and other notable alumni,” Twisted X CEO Prasad Reddy said of the award. “With an unparalleled desire toward design and product development, our speed to market allows us to rapidly create innovative footwear styles that our customers love. As a result, for the past 9 years, we have grown by 30% year-over-year.”

    The annual Inc. 5000 event honoring the companies on the list will be held October 10 to 12, 2019, at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort and Spa in Phoenix, Arizona. As always, speakers include some of the greatest innovators and business leaders of our generation.

     

    About Twisted X®: Twisted X creates comfortable, handcrafted footwear for men, women, and children across the lifestyle, western, work and outdoor categories. In addition to producing innovative products for their customers, Twisted X is known for their cutting-edge comfort technologies, sustainability mindset and philanthropic roots. To learn more about their products, innovations in footwear, and contributions to the community visit www.twistedx.com.

  • Rodeo Historical Society 2019 Inductees

    Rodeo Historical Society 2019 Inductees

    National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum and Rodeo Historical Society to celebrate rodeo legends at annual Rodeo Hall of Fame Weekend – Rodeo legends to be honored during prestigious weekend

    OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – Rodeo icons will be recognized at the Rodeo Historical Society and National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum’s annual Rodeo Hall of Fame Weekend, November 8 – 9, 2019, with induction into the renowned Rodeo Hall of Fame. The Ben Johnson Memorial Award and Tad Lucas Memorial Award recipients will also be honored. The celebration will take place at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.

    The Rodeo Hall of Fame Class of 2019 inductees include Wacey Cathey, Buck LeGrand (1931 – 1997), Gene O. “Buddy” Cockrell, Thomas Joseph “T.J.” Walter (1949 – 2017), Lydia Moore, Frank Shepperson, Rob Smets and Jack Ward, and the Directors’ Choice Award recipient  is Dr. Charles “Bud” Townsend. The Tad Lucas Memorial Award recipient is Cindy Rosser, and the Ben Johnson Memorial Award recipient is Doug Clark.

    “The National Cowboy Museum and the Rodeo Historical Society are delighted to celebrate rodeo by honoring the incredible men and women who helped make it an American tradition,” said Museum & President and CEO Natalie Shirley. “Rodeo Hall of Fame Weekend offers both rodeo enthusiasts and members of the public the opportunity to come together and celebrate a sport that is important to so many individuals — and families — across the country.”

    Rodeo Hall of Fame inductions and awards are sponsored and selected by the Rodeo Historical Society, an organization under the auspices of the National Cowboy Museum whose worldwide members share an interest in preserving both rodeo history and the sport itself. Membership supports the Museum’s rodeo programs, including research, an oral history project, acquisition of materials for the American Rodeo Gallery and the distinguished Rodeo Hall of Fame.

    Rodeo Hall of Fame Weekend includes the Rope ‘N’ Ride Cocktail Reception Friday, November 8, as well as the Inductee panel discussion and the Champions’ Dinner, Induction Ceremony and Benefit Auction on November 9. For more information, visit nationalcowboymuseum.org/event/rodeo-hall-of-fame-weekend/. Reservations for most events are required in advance and can be purchased online or by calling (405) 478-2250 ext. 218. Package pricing and à la carte options are available.

    About the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum

    The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City is America’s premier institution of Western history, art and culture. Founded in 1955, the Museum collects, preserves and exhibits an internationally renowned collection of Western art and artifacts while sponsoring dynamic educational programs to stimulate interest in the enduring legacy of the American West. For more information, visit nationalcowboymuseum.org.

     

    Buck LeGrand (1931 – 1997)

    Bull Fighter and Rodeo Clown

    Buck LeGrand was born September 8, 1931, in Ponca City, Oklahoma. At age 18 he began to rodeo as a bull rider, bareback rider and saddle bronc rider. At one rodeo LeGrand heard a rodeo producer complain about a barrelman and LeGrand offered to take the barrelman’s place. He then became a bullfighter and was known as the cowboy’s bullfighter — one of the toughest men in the rodeo arena. He was selected by the bull riders as the very first NFR bullfighter in 1959, and continued in 1960, 1965, 1967 and 1968. He took the punishment of many bulls to save a bull rider, but never complained. Most major rodeos and many stock contractors sought out LeGrand to work their rodeos. He also entertained audiences with his jokes and animal acts. LeGrand worked the Houston Rodeo 20 times; Madison Square Garden and Boston Garden 10 times each; the Burwell, Nebraska, and Sidney, Iowa, rodeos 17 times each; and the 101 Ranch Rodeo in Ponca City, Oklahoma, 15 times. He was inducted into the AkSarBen Hall of Fame in 1971, and received the Top Hat Award at the NFR in 1985. LeGrand retired from the arena in 1976 and died March 1, 1997.

    Thomas Joseph “T.J.” Walter (1949 – 2017)

    Bareback and Bull Riding

    Thomas Joseph “T.J.” Walter was born February 27, 1949, in Watkins, Iowa. Raised on an Iowa farm with 12 siblings, Walter began riding calves at age 10, bulls at age 13 and bareback horses at age 14. As a high school student, Walter competed in the National High School Rodeo Association (NHSRA), winning the Iowa High School Rodeo bull riding and bareback championships in 1966 and the NHSRA bareback and All-Around championships in 1967. While attending college in Casper, Wyoming, Walter qualified for the NIRA finals in 1967 and 1968. Following college, he competed in the RCA/PRCA for 15 years, making 12 NFR appearances in bareback riding. In addition to competing in all the major rodeos in the United States and Canada, Walter won the bareback riding at the Presidential Rodeo in Washington, D.C., held in honor of President Ronald Reagan, and he earned a Gold Medal as coach of America’s 1988 Olympic Rodeo Team. A gold card member of the PRCA, Canadian Pro Rodeo Association and the Australian Pro Rodeo Association, Walter served on the PRCA Board of Directors for 11 years and as director of PRCA Rodeo Administration for 14 years. He was inducted into the Iowa High School Rodeo Hall of Fame and the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame. Walter died January 1, 2017.

     

    Wacey Cathey

    Bareback and Bull Riding

    Wacey Cathey was born June 29, 1953, in Big Spring, Texas. A bull rider and bareback rider, he participated in the American Junior Rodeo Association (AJRA) from 1970 — 1972, winning the bull riding championship in 1972.  Cathey joined the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) in 1974 and qualified for the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in 1976, winning round 9. He qualified for the NFR a total of 14 times from 1976 — 1991 and was among the top 10 finishers a total of 9 years. He won the Calgary Stampede’s $50,000 payout in 1983 and 1990; was the Texas Circuit Champion in 1982; won the PRCA ProTour in 1985; and was invited to compete at the Summit Presidential Rodeo. In all, he won the bull riding at Cheyenne; the Texas State Fair in Dallas; North Platte, Nebraska; the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo in Colorado Springs, Colorado; and was co-champion at the Greeley, Colorado, Stampede. In 1993 he began competing with the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) and was inducted into their Ring of Honor. Cathey was inducted into the Pecos Hall of Fame, the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame, the Bull Riders Hall of Fame and the Howard County, Texas, Hall of Fame. He has been on the Board of Directors of the Big Spring Cowboy Reunion & Rodeo for 20 years.

     

    Gene O. “Buddy” Cockrell

    Calf Roping, Steer Roping, Steer Wrestling and Team Roping

    Gene O. “Buddy” Cockrell was born June 10, 1934, in Pampa, Texas. He learned cowboy skills early in life and entered calf roping, steer roping, team roping and steer wrestling events at various rodeos. Cockrell was the 1953 Texas High School Rodeo All-Around Champion. He also played football, basketball and boxed in the heavyweight Golden Gloves division in high school. This athletic ability helped Cockrell receive a college education – he received a full football scholarship to the University of Oklahoma and played on the 1955 National Championship team. Yet, Cockrell’s true love remained in the rodeo arena; he transferred to Hardin-Simmons University to rodeo in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA), where he joined the school’s championship rodeo team and played football. Later, Cockrell joined the New York Jets professional football team. He was the PRCA World Champion Steer Roper based on total earnings for 1977, and he later helped start the Senior Steer Ropers Association in 1984. He was a director for the Top of Texas Rodeo Association for eight years, and ran a 540,000-acre ranch in Australia for seven years. Cockrell remains a “cowboy’s cowboy” who gives back to kids and the underprivileged.

     

    Lydia Moore

    Barrel Racing

    Lydia Moore was born March 31, 1937, in St. Charles, Illinois, to a rodeo/circus family. She received trick-roping lessons from Billy Buschbaum at age 10 and performed at area rodeos. She and her sister, Percyna, were instrumental in establishing the Missouri Girls Rodeo Association. They also won events such as goat tying, barrel racing and pole bending. In 1967 the Moore family moved to Oklahoma and, shortly thereafter, Lydia Moore was hired by legendary rodeo announcer Clem McSpadden as the liaison between the NFR and barrel racers. Later, Moore helped run the NFR’s press room. She served as awards chairman for the Girls Rodeo Association (GRA), securing vehicles, trailers and other donations for barrel racing champions, and became a GRA director at large, bull riding director and Southern Region director. In 1973 she accepted the executive secretary position for the GRA/WPRA (Women’s Professional Rodeo Association), a position she held for 22 years. Today Moore lives in Wayne, Oklahoma, with her daughter and son-in-law.

     

    Frank E. Shepperson

    Bareback, Bronc and Bull Riding, Steer Wrestling and Calf Roping

    Frank Shepperson was born April 7, 1942, in Casper, Wyoming. He began rodeoing in 1957 in the Wyoming High School Rodeo Association and won the All-Around and Champion Team Roper titles. He also wrestled steers and rode saddle broncs. He was the National High School Champion Saddle Bronc Rider in 1960, and was part of the University of Wyoming 1962 NIRA champion men’s rodeo team. He competed in saddle bronc riding, bareback riding, steer wrestling, calf roping and bull riding. He was the 1964 NIRA Steer Wrestling Champion. Shepperson joined the RCA in 1964 and competed in all the major rodeos. He qualified for his first NFR in 1970 and was second in the average that year, and again in 1973 and 1975. He won the World Champion Steer Wrestling title in 1975, winning $9,000 more than the reserve champion. Shepperson’s family continues his winning spirit with daughter, Amy, winning the NIRA 2000 Breakaway Roping Championship and son, Les, coming in third at the 2012 PRCA NFR Steer Wrestling. Shepperson and wife, Susan, ranch near Midwest, Wyoming.

     

    Rob Smets

    Bullfighting

     

    Rob Smets was born September 11, 1959, in Palo Alto, California. While attending Salinas, California, High School, he entered every rodeo event except boys cutting. Critical of the bullfighters, he was told to see if he could do it better. Bill Landis, a bullfighter, mentored Smets and in no time he was, in fact, doing it better.
    He joined the PRCA in 1978 and became one of the best bullfighters in the business. In time he worked for Harry Vold, Neal Gay, Jim Shoulders, Cotton Rosser and Christensen Brothers, bullfighting at most major rodeos and many others. Smets was chosen to bullfight at the NFR six times (1983, 1987, 1989, 1990 and 2000). He is a nine-time PBR Bullfighting World Champion, and received the nickname the “Kamikazi Kid” because of his daring. Smets received the Wrangler NFR World Bullfighting Championship five times. He is in the ProRodeo Hall of Fame, the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame and the Bull Riders Hall of Fame, and received the PBR Heroes & Legends – Jim Shoulders Lifetime Achievement Award. An ordained minister, Smets and his wife, Carla, live in Ross Hill, Texas.

     

    Jack Ward

    Bareback and Bull Riding

    Jack Ward Jr. was born May 21, 1948, in Caldwell, Kansas. A bull and bareback rider, he began his career in 1963, competing in junior rodeos through 1966. In 1967 he attended Sul Ross State University, where he competed in the NIRA. That same year he also joined the RCA. He won the NFR bareback title in 1977 and 1978. Winning or placing at all major rodeos during his career, Ward won the All-Around and the bareback riding at Cheyenne Frontier Days in 1978; he won Salinas Rodeo bareback riding twice; the San Francisco Rodeo bareback championship; and the Albuquerque bareback title. Ward also won the All-Around at San Angelo, Texas; the 1970 Calgary Stampede bull riding; and the bull riding title at the Tulsa Rodeo. He served on the PRCA Board of Directors as Bareback Director from 1977 — 1979, and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame. Ward was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 1995, the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2006 and the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2011. Ward is retired and lives in Weatherford, Texas.

    Honorees

    DOUG CLARK

    A member of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association for nearly four decades, Doug Clark epitomizes the legacy of Ben Johnson. He’s a fourth-generation PRCA member.  A quiet gentleman who is one of the most respected rope horse trainers in the business, Clark has shown many horses to AQHA championships. He has qualified for the National Steer Roping Finals, and won the All-Around Championship at Cheyenne Frontier Days.  Like Ben Johnson, Clark spends hours helping children, primarily teaching them roping and life skills. His greatest passion is matching young cowboys and cowgirls with horses that will help them excel in the arena.

     

    Clark has served on the Rodeo Historical Society board of directors. His wife, Linda, is a former barrel racer and daughter Darcy competes in barrel racing, breakaway calf roping and team roping.

     

    Cindy Rosser

    Barrel Racing, Rodeo Production, Rodeo Secretary

    Cindy Rosser was born in December 1954 to Cotton and Linda Rosser in Yuba City, California. Born into a rodeo family, she grew up horseback, and rodeo has remained her life’s work. As a youth, Rosser received 4-H and junior rodeo awards, then graduated to NHSRA awards. She joined the Girls Rodeo Association (GRA)/WPRA in 1969 and spent 20-plus years on their Board of Directors. She was the California Circuit Barrel Racing Champion in 1982 and served on its Board of Directors for 20-plus years. She became the World All-Around Stock Horse Ladies Roping Champion in 1976. The 1995 Coca-Cola WPRA Woman of the Year honors also went to Rosser.

     

    In 1986 Rosser was named PRCA Secretary of the Year, and she was a 1998 NFR Rodeo Secretary and a 2012 Ram National Finals Rodeo Secretary. In addition to the many secretarial duties she has carried out at various rodeos, Rosser was also involved in rodeo production, including carrying the American flag. She trained numerous horses to jump through paper, stand in a Liberty Bell, a birthday cake, a ring of fire, and more. She also produced and designed openings and sponsor flags at the NFR for 10 years.

     

    Rosser is a member of American Bucking Bull, Inc. and has sat on their Board of Directors for more than 6 years. She lives in Arboga, California.

     

    Dr. Charles “Bud” Townsend

    Rodeo Announcer

    Dr. Charles “Bud” Townsend was born in November 1929 in Nocona, Texas. He began his rodeo announcing career at age 16. For the next 50 years he announced rodeos for Bobby Estes, Homer Todd, Cotton Rosser, Beutler Brothers, Everett Colborn, the Steiners, and Walt Alsbaugh. At Rodeo Cowboys Association (RCA) conventions he booked rodeos from Fort Worth, Texas, to Omak, Washington; Greeley, Colorado, to Belle Fourche, South Dakota; Ponca City, Oklahoma, to North Carolina; and into the Deep South.

     

    Townsend received his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin and became a history professor, spending his summers announcing rodeos. He spent 27 years at West Texas A&M in Canyon, Texas. “I owe a debt to rodeo I can never repay,” he said. “Rodeo taught me how to teach students so they enjoyed learning.” He was inducted into the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame, and received an American Cowboy Culture “Lifetime Achievement Award” and an “All-Around Cowboy” Award. He participated for years in the Cowboy Symposium at Lubbock, Texas.

     

    Townsend received the 1975 Wrangler Book Award from the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum for his book San Antonio Rose: The Life and Music of Bob Wills. He also won a Grammy award for his album notes to Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys: For the Last Time.

     

     

  • International Finals Rodeo finds new home at Lazy E Arena

    International Finals Rodeo finds new home at Lazy E Arena

    August 28th, 2019 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oklahoma City, OK – The International Professional Rodeo Association (IPRA) along with the Lazy E Arena (LEA) is proud to announce a collaboration to relocate the International Finals Rodeo (IFR) for its 50th anniversary and beyond. Within this new partnership benefits will be seen by all members involved from contestants to stock contractors to contract personnel. Furthermore, the life blood of the event, the fans, will as well have a refreshed experience from the Lazy E’s rich history in western sports and improved production techniques.

    As discussed in the live press conference on Wednesday, August 28th increases to the contestant prize money will grow from $26,000 per event to over $33,000 per event in the 7 standard events, continuing with equal money in the Team Roping for headers and heelers. We are pleased to announce that the Breakaway Roping will increase from a total of $15,000 to match the 7 standard events with over $33,000. This will bring the total cash payout of the event up to $300,000. Stock Contractors will see a 20% increase per animal in stock lease for the 2020 event. Contract personnel who are selected to work IFR50 will also see a 20% increase in pay.

    When the Lazy E Arena was constructed in 1984, western sports, more specifically rodeo, were the primary tenant in mind. Fans that attend the upcoming International Finals Rodeo will be welcomed with a strong sense of cowboy heritage that lives inside the historic Lazy E Arena. They will also enjoy the unique amenities offered by the LEA including new seating options, an unobstructed, intimate view of the arena floor, and state of the art video, lights, and sound brought in for the new age entertainment. The LEA offers numerous RV hook ups as well as free parking for patrons attending IFR50 slated for January 17-19, 2020.

    “This is a historic day for the International Professional Rodeo Association and the International Finals Rodeo. We are proud to announce a partnership with the Lazy E Arena that will help bring the IPRA and the IFR closer to its goals. Those goals include increased benefits for our members, sponsors, and fans. This move sets in motion a plan of continued growth for years to come.” Says Dale Yerigan, General Manager of the IPRA. Yerigan, who has won 11 World Championships in the Steer Wrestling, has always had sense of what it takes to benefit the rodeo athletes and sees this move as one in a forward direction for all involved.

    For more information on this monumental step, visit www.ifrodeo.om for details.

    About the IPRA: The International Professional Rodeo Association (IPRA) has been providing rodeo excitement for more than 50 years. From big cities to small towns, from major league stadiums to portable arenas, the IPRA is the sport’s second largest professional rodeo association sanctioning over 300 rodeos. The IPRA is keeping the spirit of the west alive from coast to coast throughout the United States and Canada.

    About the LEA: The Fabulous Lazy E Arena – just southeast of Guthrie and northeast of Edmond/Oklahoma City – was established in December 1984. From giving PBR its start to the Timed Event Championship of the World, the Lazy E has hosted world champions, world championships and personalities galore. In 2005, Gaylord sold the property to a partnership from Nevada, and in October 2013 the property was sold to the McKinney Family from Midland, Texas. The ownership group has long recognized not only the tremendous facility, but also the importance of the Lazy E’s place in Rodeo and Oklahoma history. The Family has committed to maintaining the Lazy E as the World’s premier western entertainment facility. Many updates and renovations are taking place at the Arena which will only enhance the lure of the Lazy E to the general population.

  • National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum and Rodeo Historical Society to celebrate rodeo legends at annual Rodeo Hall of Fame Weekend

    National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum and Rodeo Historical Society to celebrate rodeo legends at annual Rodeo Hall of Fame Weekend

    Rodeo legends to be honored during prestigious weekend

     OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – Rodeo icons will be recognized at the Rodeo Historical Society and National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum’s annual Rodeo Hall of Fame Weekend, November 8 – 9, 2019, with induction into the renowned Rodeo Hall of Fame. The Ben Johnson Memorial Award and Tad Lucas Memorial Award recipients will also be honored. The celebration will take place at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.

    The Rodeo Hall of Fame Class of 2019 inductees include Wacey Cathey, Buck LeGrand (1931 – 1997), Gene O. “Buddy” Cockrell, Thomas Joseph “T.J.” Walter (1949 – 2017), Lydia Moore, Frank Shepperson, Rob Smets and Jack Ward, and the Directors’ Choice Award recipient  is Dr. Charles “Bud” Townsend. The Tad Lucas Memorial Award recipient is Cindy Rosser, and the Ben Johnson Memorial Award recipient is Doug Clark.

    “The National Cowboy Museum and the Rodeo Historical Society are delighted to celebrate rodeo by honoring the incredible men and women who helped make it an American tradition,” said Museum & President and CEO Natalie Shirley. “Rodeo Hall of Fame Weekend offers both rodeo enthusiasts and members of the public the opportunity to come together and celebrate a sport that is important to so many individuals — and families — across the country.”

    Rodeo Hall of Fame inductions and awards are sponsored and selected by the Rodeo Historical Society, an organization under the auspices of the National Cowboy Museum whose worldwide members share an interest in preserving both rodeo history and the sport itself. Membership supports the Museum’s rodeo programs, including research, an oral history project, acquisition of materials for the American Rodeo Gallery and the distinguished Rodeo Hall of Fame.

    Rodeo Hall of Fame Weekend includes the Rope ‘N’ Ride Cocktail Reception Friday, November 8, as well as the Inductee panel discussion and the Champions’ Dinner, Induction Ceremony and Benefit Auction on November 9. For more information, visit nationalcowboymuseum.org/event/rodeo-hall-of-fame-weekend/. Reservations for most events are required in advance and can be purchased online or by calling (405) 478-2250 ext. 218. Package pricing and à la carte options are available.

    About the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum

    The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City is America’s premier institution of Western history, art and culture. Founded in 1955, the Museum collects, preserves and exhibits an internationally renowned collection of Western art and artifacts while sponsoring dynamic educational programs to stimulate interest in the enduring legacy of the American West. For more information, visit nationalcowboymuseum.org.

  • Join Us in Thanking Those That Have Served

    Join Us in Thanking Those That Have Served

    The men and women that have served on the front lines in our armed forces, law enforcement and fire departments, have a job that requires them to sacrifice their own lives every day above all others.  Not many of us can say that, nor understand what that truly means – how these sacrifices have impacted them and their families.  Bucks for the Brave allows the loved ones and communities that support these heroes to share their stories and unite us all in honoring and recognizing their service to our great nation.

    This contest allows you to nominate Veterans (no longer serving), Retired Firefighters and Law Enforcement Retirees to win the hunt of a lifetime. This all-inclusive hunt (as defined in our official rules and regulations) will take place Veteran’s Day Weekend, November 8-12, 2019, at Trinity Oak’s Thumbtack Ranch in Batesville, TX.  We will be awarding one winner from each of our seven categories:  Air Force Veteran, Army Veteran, Coast Guard Veteran, Marine Corps Veteran, Navy Veteran, Retired Firefighter, Retired Law Enforcement.  7 HEROES WILL WIN!

    YOUR MISSION

    Honor and recognize the Hero in your life!  Submit a photo along with a short essay as to why this Hero should be chosen to win.  All nominations must be submitted by September 15th.

    Please note, nominees must no longer be serving in the military, this includes Active Duty, National Guard or Reserves.  Firefighters and Law Enforcement must be retired and no longer working in those roles.  See our official rules for more information.

    HEROES AWARDED

    Nominees will be contacted to verify eligibility (see official rules and regulations) and availability to attend the hunt scheduled for November 2019.  ONE (1) hero from each category will be selected by a committee made up of contest partners, Veterans and Retirees of Law Enforcement and Firefighters.  These 7 heroes will be our Grand Prize Winners that are announced on October 5, 2019.

    https://www.sportsmanschoicefeeds.com/bucks-for-the-brave

  • Days Of ’47 Cowboys Games and Rodeo Concludes and Pays Out More Than $1,125,000 in Salt Lake City

    SALT LAKE CITY — The World Champions Rodeo Alliance (WCRA) concluded their third $1,000,000 major paying out more than $1,125,000 to rodeo athletes during the Days of ’47 Cowboy Games and Rodeo (DO47).  A total of 288 athletes competed in the five-day performance in Salt Lake City with 90 athletes battling it out in the gold medal championship round on Wednesday night in front of a sold-out crowd. With the conclusion of the DO47, WCRA and their partners have paid out more than $5,578,890 to athletes since May 2018.

     

    For the third straight year, barrel racer Hailey Kinsel (Cotulla, TX) earned a gold medal in Salt Lake City when she notched a 16.79 time to beat Maggie Poloncic’s (Gillette, WY) 16.83 second place run and Titletown Stampede’s Champion Michelle Darling’s (Medford, OK) third place time of 16.86. Kinsel made it a $50,000 payday.

     

    Matt Reeves (Cross Plains, TX) took the gold medal and $50,000 in steer wrestling after topping Dakota Eldridge (Elko, NV) after a 3.92 second time. With a 4.2 second run, Eldridge walked away with $12,000 and a silver medal.

     

    Gatesville, Texas native Jordi Edens made history when she became the first breakaway roper in DO47 history to win a gold medal and $50,000 when she conquered Jackie Crawford (Stephenville, TX) and ten other contestants with a 2.58 second time.

     

    The team roping pair Ty Blasingame (Casper, WY) and Kyle Lockett (Visalia, CA) found themselves on the winner’s podium in the number one spot after a 5.35 second run. The duo who both earned $50,000, defeated Tanner Tomlinson (Angleton, TX) and Will Woodfin’s (Marshall, TX) 5.98 second place time.

     

    Bareback riders Kaycee Feild (Genola, UT) and Caleb Bennet (Corvallis, MT) co-championed the gold medal after a technical scoring error resulted in a wrong order of finish initially reported, as opted by the committee. Feild scored an 88.25 while Bennett recorded 89.0 points. Both athletes received gold medals and $50,000.

     

    Canada’s Zeke Thurston (Big Valley, AB) received 89.0 points and $50,000 in the finals  round during saddle bronc riding just shy of Cort Sheer’s (Elsmere, NE) 88.0 points.

     

    Ty Harris (San Angelo, TX) was crowned DO47 tie-down roping champion when he bested with a 7.60 second time.

     

    Oklahoma Cowboy Trevor Kastner (Roff, OK) scored an 87.25 to secure the number one spot and $59,000. Boudreaux Campbell (Crockett, TX) notched a 83.25 point score, good for the second place spot. After no qualified rides, Keyshawn Whitehorse (McCracken Springs, UT) earned the silver medal due to the tie being broken by his 90.75 point score from Saturday night during the semi-finals round.

    On Sunday, July 28 fans will be able to tune into the Days of ’47 Cowboy Games and Rodeo Gold Medal Round on a CBS network broadcast at Noon E.T.

    All results from the event can be found here.

    -WCRA-

    About WCRA

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

  • History Made at 123rd Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo

    History Made at 123rd Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo

    History made at 123rd Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo

    CHEYENNE, Wyo. (July 28, 2019) – History was made on Championship Sunday of the 123rd Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo (CFD.) While this year’s rodeo debuted a tournament-style competition format, some familiar faces rode into the winner’s circle.

    Local favorite Brody Cress became the first saddle bronc rider to win three consecutive CFD championships when he rode Stace Smith Pro Rodeo’s bucking horse Resistol’s Top Hat for 87.5 points.

    Saddle bronc began in Cheyenne in 1897 and only Earl Thode, who won four titles between 1927 and 1934, has more wins here than Cress.  Hall of fame cowboy Turk Greenough won three in the 1930s and 13-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR) cowboy Cody DeMoss has won three beginning in the 21st century.

    Cress, whose hometown is nearby Hillsdale, extended the traditional winner’s victory ride on horseback around the arena to three full laps – one for each of his titles. The cheers from the crowd grew louder with each trip.

    “Frank (Thompson-the CFD arena director) told me to make three laps,” Cress said with a smile. “I’ve been listening to Frank my whole life, so I wasn’t going to stop now.”

    The $12,585 Cress won in Frontier Park will help him on his quest for a third consecutive NFR qualification. He is currently ranked 28th and needs to be among the top 15 on September 30 to return to Las Vegas.

    Nellie Miller of Cottonwood, California, became the first barrel racer since Kristie Peterson in 1998 to successfully defend her CFD championship. The 2017 world champion, who is currently ranked second in the 2019 standings, won $20,697 dollars in Frontier Park, making her the highest money winner of the rodeo.

    “This is such a traditional-filled rodeo,” Miller said. “It’s so special to win here. My horse loves big pens and she runs well here.”

    She rode the blue roan mare named Rafter W Minnie Reba (called Sister) that she raised and trained. They rounded the pattern in 17.22 seconds, an identical time to that set by Shali Lord of Lamar, Colorado, seven runs earlier. While both women shared the final round’s first and second place prize money, Miller won the tiebreaker to be crowned champion based on having the fastest time in the earlier rounds.

    The 19-year-old professional rodeo rookie sensation Stetson Wright of Milford, Utah, has begun carving out his own place in the CFD record books. Wright became the first rough stock cowboy to win the all-around title at the Daddy of ‘em All since Chad Eubank in 2007 won money in bareback and bull riding.

    Wright qualified for Championship Sunday in both saddle bronc riding and bull riding. He thought his shot at the all-around title might have slipped away when he bucked off Stace Smith Pro Rodeo’s saddle bronc Utopia. But the money he had earned in the quarterfinals and semifinals in saddle bronc riding still counted toward the all-around.

    The defeat in the bronc riding made Wright more determined to do well in bull riding, his favorite event. When the day began, he was second in the world championship standings, just about $16,000 behind five-time world champion bull rider Sage Kimzey.

    Parker McCown of Montgomery, Texas, set the bar high when he scored 90 points on Stace Smith Pro Rodeo’s bull Hacksaw Ridge. Wright was the next-to-last cowboy to compete and he came within a single point of the CFD bull riding record with 93 points on Dakota Rodeo’s bull Safety Meeting.

    That earned Wright both the bull riding and the all-around championship and his own place in the record books. Wright comes from a legendary bronc riding family. He is the third-oldest son of two-time world champion Cody Wright; the brother of world champion Ryder and NFR bronc rider Rusty; the nephew of world champions Spencer and Jesse; and three other uncles have qualified for the NFR in bronc riding.

    “I’d have figured one of them would have won it before now,” he said. “What really means the most to me is to be the first member of my family to win a title here.”

    Wright, who turns 20 on Tuesday, won just over $16,000 in two events with more than $13,000 from bull riding.

    Clayton Biglow of Clements, California, was the final bareback rider to compete. Former CFD champ Richmond Champion has just scored 89.5 points on Sankey Pro Rodeo’s Prairie Rose, so Biglow knew he needed 90 points or more to win the title and he delivered.

    He made a wild ride on Stace Smith Pro Rodeo’s bucking horse Witchy Woman and earned 91 points from the judges to win his first CFD title in four tries.

    2019 has been Biglow’s best rodeo season thus far. He is ranked second in the world championship standings, about $27,000 behind four-time world champion Kaycee Field. The nearly $12,000 he earned in Frontier Park will help keep him within striking distance as the pro rodeo season begins its final two months.

    The Cheyenne crowd had a chance to cheer for more than one local winner. Steer roper Trey Sheets grew up in western Nebraska and has made Cheyenne his home for the past seven years. He had the second-fastest time of the finals, but the championship in this event was awarded in the traditional format of total time on three runs. His 45.6 seconds was the best by four seconds.

    In tie-down roping and steer wrestling, one of the first cowboys to compete in the finals set a pace that could not be beaten. Seth Hall of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was the second roper and his time of 10.5 seconds earned the championship. Hall has competed at CFD about eight times but had only made the finals once before-in 2012.

    “This is almost more than amazing,” Hall said of earning the championship in Frontier Park.

    Eli Lord was the first steer wrestler to ride out from CFD’s Chute 9 and he stopped the clock in 6.9 seconds. The next 15 competitors got no closer than two seconds to Lord’s time. He credits his hazer, Linn Churchill, a former CFD steer wrestling champion with helping him win the title. Lord is the third CFD champion that Churchill has assisted.

    Dustin Bird of Cut Bank, Montana, and Trey Yates of Pueblo, Colorado, are the 2019 team roping champions in Cheyenne. They won the final round in 7.8 seconds and each won just under $12,000. Bird is a former NFR qualifier, and Yates is the 2018 collegiate champion who roped at his first NFR last December. Their paychecks in Cheyenne will jump Yates into the top 20 in the heeling standings and put Bird in the top 30 in the heading.

    Frontier Days added women’s breakaway roping for the first time and drew 242 entries. When the tournament-style competition ended, seven of the 16 ropers in the championship round turned in times in the four-second range.

    Jordan Jo Fabrizio of Canyon, Texas, was the fastest of the seven – 4.18 seconds. She is the first breakaway roping in the CFD record book with winnings of more than $17,500.

    “All of the breakaway ropers took time to take a group photo in front of the grandstand before the finals today and it really hit me how historic this is,” she said. “This will be something I’ll never forget and always treasure.”

    Fabrizio took inspiration from the buckle she wore, a CFD champion tie-down roping buckle won by Raymond Hollabaugh in 1983. Fabrizio spent five years competing in college rodeo for West Texas A & M University where Hollabaugh is the coach.

    Plans are already underway for the 124th edition of Cheyenne Frontier Days scheduled for July 2020.

    2019 Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo Champions

    (money is total earned during the rodeo)

    Bareback Riding – Clayton Biglow, Clements, Calif., 91 points, $11,784

    Steer Wrestling – Eli Lord, Sturgis, S.D., 6.9 seconds, $8,628

    Team Roping – (header) Dustin Bird, Cut Bank, Mont., 7.8 seconds $11,979

    (heeler) Trey Yates, Pueblo, Colo., $11,979

    Saddle Bronc Riding – Brody Cress, Hillsdale, Wyoming, 87.5 points, $12,585

    Tie-Down Roping – Seth Hall, Albuquerque, N.M., 10.5 seconds, $12,615

    Barrel Racing – Nellie Miller, Cottonwood, California, 17.22 seconds, $20,687

    Bull Riding – Stetson Wright, Milford, Utah, 93 points, $13.253

    Steer Roping – Trey Sheets, Cheyenne, Wyo., 45.6 seconds (on three) $19,903

    Breakaway Roping – Jordan Jo Fabrizio, Canyon, Texas, 4.18 seconds, $17,515

    All-Around – Stetson Wright, $16,007 won in saddle bronc and bull riding

    CHEYENNE, Wyo., July 28, 2019 — The following are final round and overall Cheyenne Frontier Days results.

     

    Bareback Riding: 1, Clayton Biglow, Clements, Calif., 81 points on Stace Smith Pro Rodeo’s Witchy Woman, $8,259. 2, Richmond Champion, The Woodland, Texas, 89.5, $6,257. 3, (tie) Will Lowe, Canyon, Texas, and Tilden Hooper, Carthage, Texas, 87.5, $3,754 each. 5, Steven Dent, Mullen, Neb., 85.5, $1,752. 6, Pascal Isabelle, Okotoks, Alberta, 85, $1,251.

     

    Steer Wrestling: 1, Eli Lord, Sturgis, S.D., 6.9 seconds, $5,948. 2, Reed Kraeger, Elwood, Neb., 8.7, $5,172. 3, Del Ray Kraupie, Bridgeport, Neb., 8.9, $4,396. 4, Trell Etbauer, Goodwell, Okla., 9.2, $3,620. 5, Kyle Callaway, Blue Creek, Mont., 10.6, $2,845. 6, Riley Wakefield, O’Neill, Neb., 15.2, $2,069. 7, Jeff Johnston, Thedford, Neb., 16.0, $1,293. 8, Joe Nelson, Alexander, N.D., 16.6, $517.

     

    Tie-Down Roping: 1, Seth Hall, Albuquerque, N.M., 10.5 seconds, $8,278. 2, Ryan Thibodeaux, Stephenville, Texas, 10.8, $7,199. 3, Austin Hurlburt, Norfolk, Neb., 11.6, $6,119. 4, Marcos Costa, Menard, Texas, 11.7, $5,039. 5, Shad Mayfield, Clovis, N.M., 11.9, $3,959. 5, Tyler Thiel, Belle Fourche, S.D., 13.4, $2,879. 6, Chase Williams, Stephenville, Texas, 13.6, $1,800. 8, Tristan Mahoney, Florence, Ariz., 16.5, $720.

     

    Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Brody Cress, Hillsdale, Wyo., 87.5 points on Stace Smith Pro Rodeo’s Resistol’s Top Hat, $7,918. 2, (tie) Jacobs Crawley, Boerne, Texas; Wade Sundell, Boxholm, Iowa; and Sam Harper, Paradise Valley, Nev.; 86 and $4,399 each. 5, Mitch Pollock, Winnemucca, Nev., 84.5, $1,680. 6, (tie) Jake Watson, Hudson’s Hope, British Columbia and Allen Boore, Axtell, Utah, 84, $600.

     

    Team Roping: 1, Dustin Bird, Cut Bank, Mont., and Trey Yates, Pueblo, Colo., 7.8 seconds, $9,459. 2, Brenten Hall, Stephenville, Texas, and Chase Tryan, Helena, Mont., 9.3, $8,225. 3, Jake Cooper, Monument, N.M., and Caleb Anderson, Mocksville, N.C., 9.5, $6,991. 4, (tie) Pace Freed, Chubbuck, Idaho and Dustin Searcy, Weatherford, Texas; and Dustin Egusquiza, Mariana, Fla., and Jake Long, Coffeyville, Kan., 9.6, $5,141 each. 6, Peyton Holliday, Chouteau, Okla., and Thomas Smith, Barnsdall, Okla., 9.7, $3,290. 7, Coleman Proctor, Pryor, Okla., and Ryan Motes, Weatherford, Okla., 14.4, $2,056. 8, Chad Masters, Cedar Hill, Tenn., and Joseph Harrison, Overbrook, Okla., 14.6, $823.

    Barrel Racing: 1, (tie) Nellie Miller*, Cottonwood, Calif., and Shali Lord, Lamar, Colo., 17.22 seconds, $6,919. 3, Megan Champion, Ukiah, Calif., 17.24, $4,961. 4, Lacinda Rose, Willard, Mo., 17.53, $3,655. 5, Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, Victoria, Texa,s 17.56, $2,350. 6, Michelle Darling, Medford, Okla., 17.59, $1,305. *Miller won the championship based on fastest previous time.

     

    Bull Riding: 1, Stetson Wright, Milford, Utah, 93 points on Dakota Rodeo’s Safety Meeting, $10,077. 2, Parker McCown, Montgomery, Texas, 90, $7,706. 3, Ruger Piva, Challis, Idaho, 87, $5,632. 4, Nic Lica, Garden City, Mich., 85.5, $3,853. 5, Joseph McConnel, Bloomfield, N.M., 84.5, $2,371.

    Steer Roping: (final round winners) Dan Fisher, Andrews, Texas, 13.7 seconds, $1,870. 2, Trey Sheets, Cheyenne, Wyo., 15.6, $1,548. 3, J. Tom Fisher, Andrews, Texas, 18.4, $1,226. 4, Vin Fisher Jr., Andrews, Texas, 19.5, $903. 5, Marty Jones, Hobbs, N.M., 21.9, $581. 6, Roger Branch, Wellson, Okla., 25.8, $323.  (overall winners) 1, Sheets, 45.6, $13,197. 2, Dan Fisher, 49.6, $10,922. 3, J. Tom Fisher, 49.9, $8,647. 4, Vin Fisher Jr., 51.3, $6,371. 5, Jones, 54.2, $4,096. 6, Branch, 59.4, $2,275.

     

    CFD Invitational Breakaway Roping: 1, Jordon Jo Fabrizio, Canyon, Texas, 4.18 seconds, $10,573. 2, Chloe Frey, Eunice, La., 4.43, $8,010. 3, Kasey Eaves, Milan, N.M., 4.49, $5,767. 4, Linsay Sumpter, Fowler, Colo., 4.66, $3,845. 5, Daysha Steadman, Georgetown, Texas, 4.92, $2,243. 6, K.L. Spratt, Lysite, Wyo., 4.98, $1,602.

    Wild Horse Race: (final round winners) 1, Outlaw Liquors, $896. 2, Team Crazy Horse, $672. 3, BMC Construction/Applebaker, $448. 4, Shockers, $224.  (overall winners) 1, BMC Construction/Applebaker, $6920. 2, Outlaw Liquors, $5,549. 3, Team Crazy Horse, $3,989. 4, Shockers, $2,526.

  • Back When They Bucked with Jerome Robinson

    Back When They Bucked with Jerome Robinson

    courtesy of the family

    For Jerome Robinson, being born in Ogallala, Nebraska (the self proclainmed “cowboy capital of Nebraska”), might have been an omen as he was destined to spend his entire life dreaming about, and then acting out the life of a cowboy… Specifically, a rodeo cowboy. A three-year-old Robinson announced he wanted to be a bull rider while attending the Denver Stock show with his grandmother. Later that year he rode a horse (led by his mounted father) in the county fair and rodeo parade. By age five he was riding calves on the family wheat farm in Brandon, Nebraska.
    Riding calves evolved into riding steers and then cows in the farm’s corral that was converted into a make shift rodeo arena. These practice sessions along with breaking and training ponies and horses gave Robinson the confidence to enter little britches rodeos and later high school rodeos where he experimented in calf roping, bareback riding, and steer wrestling in addition to bull riding… He excelled at none of the rodeo events. When Robinson graduated from high school, he had not yet won an event at any of the rodeos entered and had placed only once.
    Robinson enrolled in Colorado State University (CSU) in Fort Collins, Colorado with thoughts of studying veterinary medicene. While struggling with chemistry, Robinson discovered a rodeo arena in Boulder, Colorado that was scheduled to host weekly practice sessions every Sunday afternoon throughout the year, weather permitting. Robinson became a regular at Rex Walker’s Sombrero Ranch practice sessions where he cut a deal to serve as rodeo bull fighter in return for mounting all the stock he could, without paying the customary three dollar practice fee.
    Robinson’s faithful practice habits didn’t render many results and his freshman year he was not selected to be on the csu rodeo team. Excluded from competing at any of the intercolligiate rodeos was his fate until team member injuries took their toll and Robinson was allowed to enter the last two rodeos of the year. Placing at both gave him a berth on the team and a trip to the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA) Finals in Yankton, South Dakota. The next two years of college, Robinson doubled down on the practice sessions along with attending World Champion Ronnie Rossen’s week long bull riding school where he got on thirty-three head of bulls at the seven day school. At one point, Robinson had practice sessions Tuesday and Thursday afteroons and Saturday and Sunday mornings in Fort Collins. Wednesday night and Saturday afternoon sessions took place in nearby Laramie, Wyoming and Sunday afternoon, it was Boulder again. Practice did not make perfect but it did make Robinson competitive on the intercolligiate level where he finished third and ninth nationally his junior and senior season, and the summers saw him being competitive at local PRCA rodeos while finishing fourth at Cheyenne Frontier Days in 1968.The 1970 PRCA rodeo year actually started the first rodeo after the 1969 San Franciso Cow Palace rodeo which ended in early November. All other 1969 rodeo winnings were credited to the 1970 championship standings. Robinson was attending his last few months of college, but to get a jump on the 1970 season, he would leave classes friday, driving overnight to scheduled PRCA rodeos in the midwest, competing on saturday or sunday and drive overnight to be back at school on Monday. St. Paul, Minnesota was the first rodeo of the 1970 season and Robinson drew up in the first performance on bull #1 and was the first bull rider to compete in that night’s performance. Robinson’s score held up for a first place finish. The next weekend was Bismark, North Dakota, where Robinson rode to another first place finish winning his first PRCA buckle and he won a second at the Chicago Stockyards rodeo over Thanksgiving weekend. The January 1st issue of the “Rodeo Sports News” had Robinson leading the bull riding standings. That would be the only issue in his sixteen years of competition (1967-82) that showed him leading the standings. Robinson would qualify for his first of eleven National Finals Rodeo (NFR) bull riding appearances, a PRCA record at the time. Robinson’s record would be broken by Donnie Gay, Wacey Cathy, Ted Nuce, and tied by Tuff Hedeman.

    Jerome competing at the Fort Collins College Rodeo, 1967 – Clore Photo

    Having qualified for his first NFR in 1970, Robinson decided to make some use of his degree in education and conduct a bull riding school. He recognized that at the seven day school he had attended, the majority of the learning was done in the first three days and the last four were just practice so he elected to cut the tuition in half and conduct a three-day riding clinic. Robinson’s clinics turned out some very accomplished riders. Wally Badgett from Ashland, Montana was a student at the first clinic and won the NIRA bull riding championship the next year and was an NFR qualifier four years later. Student’s from Robinson’s second and third clinic also won NIRA championships the year following their attendance. In addition to Badgett, several NFR qualifiers came from the ranks of Robinson’s clinic including Cody Lambert, Lonnie Wyatt, and Michael Gaffney (who, along with Owen Washburn, won PBR world titles).
    After six consecutive NFR appearances, Robinson while serving his fourth year as the PRCA bull riding director became involved in the implementation of a centralized rodeo entry office, known then as rocom (rodeo communications) and today as procom (prorodeo communications) that utilized a computer programed to implement the rules and guidelines of the prca rulebook regarding entries and drawing of competitive positions and livestock. It also utilized a bank of toll- free telephone lines to accommodate the communications of the rodeo contestants, stock contractors, and committees. Procom essentially consolidated the in excess of five hundred prca rodeo entry offices across the united states into one, facilitating a more efficient and cost- effective method of producing PRCA rodeos. While attending to procom growing pains, Robinson found it difficult to focus on his riding and 1976 proved to be the only year in a twelve-year span, Robinson failed to qualify for a berth at the NFR.
    Robinson left the 1981 NFR and elected to skip rodeos in Odessa, Texas and the Denver Stock Show for World Cup competition in Melbourne and Sydney Australia. Returning from Australia in time for the start of the Fort Worth Stock Show Rodeo, Robinson won a bull riding in Amarillo, Texas on his way to Fort Worth where he placed high in both of the first two go rounds and was leading the average going into the progessive third round. Prior to the his third round competition, Robinson competed in Scottsdale, Arizona, and was scheduled to fly from Scottsdale to Fort Worth the next morning when two bronc riders asked him to help them make the overnight drive and Robinson agreed. Robinson slept through the better part of the night and took over his driving shift at El Paso just after midnight Friday morning running into a Texas ice storm. Just past Big Spring, Texas, about three hours fom the Fort Worth destination, the storm seemed to subside, but a patch of ice sent the top-heavy van careening into the median, flipping onto its top, pinning Robinson’s right hand between the roof and the dashboard. An ambulance soon arrived and transported Robinson to the Big Spring hospital, leaving the bronc riders, who were uninjured, to settle the paperwork on the accident and find themselves a ride to Fort Worth where they were scheduled to ride that Friday night. Robinson was admitted to the hospital where a local surgeon amputated the end of two fingers and took skin from the front of his thigh and graphed it to the front of the two amputated fingers while suturing the third finger closed. All the time Robinson, being a left handed rider, was calculating his odds of competing on his third bull in Fort Worth. Calling the Fort Worth rodeo office, Robinson applied for and received a medical waiver allowing him to postpone his competition ride until Sunday afternoon. By Friday night, other residuals of the accident set in and Robinson was unable to lift his head off the hospital bed pillow. He all but abandoned any thoughts of Fort Worth competition. Amazingly, after a good nights rest, Robinson was much more mobile and began to think, “if I can improve as much in the next twenty-four hours as I have in the last eighteen, I think i could get on in Fort Worth”. By Saturday night, Robinson had made arrangements with a long-time-friend/traveling partner and Big Spring resident to catch a ride to Fort Worth for the Sunday afternoon third go round bull ride and hopefully the short-go finals Sunday night. Robinson arrived at the stock show arena in time to have Justin Sports Medicine’s team design and wrap a protective guard on the injured non-riding hand. Robinson scored a moderate score on a substandard bull in the afternoon performance and in the finals that night, Robinson posted another moderate score after the judges docked Robinson’s ride for being somewhat out of control on an excellent short go mount. Compounding Robinson’s lacluster performance was an unorthadox dismount that resulted in what Robinson thought was a dislocated knee but turned out to be a detached ligament. The injury required surgury and put Robinson on the medically disabled list for the next four months allowing him to return to competition on Memorial Day weekend. Robinson’s riding the remainder of 1982 was average at best and Robinson acknowledged that after riding competitive with the event’s premier riders for over a decade, riding just average wasn’t much fun. He announced his retirement that fall after making qualified rides on his last five bulls.

    Jerome tie-down roping at a Nebraska High School rodeo, June 1965 in Harrison, Nebraksa – Ken Studio

    During his four months of recovery, Robinson, who two years earlier had attended a three-day rodeo production seminar decided to try his hand at producing a rodeo. He convinced the CSU rodeo club to let him produce the “Skyline Stampede”, one of the oldest and longest running collegiate rodeos in the nation. The 1982 Skyline Stampede experienced a significant upgrade in entertainment value (complete with a sponsored “25 cent beer day”) and a modest increase in rodeo club profit. Robinson’s profits, though very modest monetarily, came in experience gained from producing a complete event from start to finish.
    Another mini project Robinson involved himself in while convalescing consisted of Howard Harris, PRCA livestock contractor representative, Ken Stemler, PRCA Properties Inc. President, and Robinson making a sales presentation to Steve Gander, a notable indoor rodeo producer in the midwest to bring his brand of “World’s Toughest Rodeo” under the sanctioning umbrella of the PRCA. Gander elected to join the PRCA and at a point in the year that it was obvious Robinson was not going to make his twelfth NFR qualification, Robinson was extended an offer from Gander to be his PRCA livestock liaison and arena director. Warning Gander he would be hiring a neophyte in both job areas, Gander laughed, repeated the offer, and Robinson accepted.
    The following three years, 1983-85, were filled with long days and short nights, with Gander and staff being responsible for Robinson receiving an education in rodeo production. In the late spring of 1985, Robinson was offered the position of production coordinator for a six event prca television series entitled “Winston Tour”. The rodeos were restricted to the top PRCA contestants selected to “outfits” with each “outfit” sponsored by a PRCA corporate partner. The best available livestock was used at each event with the televised performance being limited to the top six contestants in each event competing with two being eliminated, then four competing, eliminating two more, leaving the top two contestants in a head to head competition for the championship. In each televised performance, rodeo fans saw the top two contestants in each event compete three times on premium livestock in the two hour edited television show. The result was a rodeo fan’s dream.
    After the 1985 debut year, the “Winston Tour” made appearances at several existing rodeos in 1986 and then yielded to political pressure from within the PRCA ranks, and the waning involvement of Winston cigarette advertising that became restricted by federal regulation. The “tour” was discontinued at the end of 1986, but the basic concept the Winston Tour was founded on… the top contestants competing on the best livestock, multiple times, in the same performance… Would surface again and play an important part in another chapter of Robinson’s rodeo career.
    In 1986, Rex Walker of Sombrero Ranch practice arena, joined forces with Robinson to create Western Trails Rodeo (WTR) as a recognized PRCA livestock contracting firm. This made western trails rodeo an integrated company capable of producing rodeos from start to finish. While acquiring some venues from an acquisition of an existing company, 1987 proved to be a testing ground and was a springboard to 1988 and beyond when a couple of singing cowboys named Garth Brooks and George Strait, with what Nashville dubbed “the hat acts,” made western lifestyle events very popular with the American public and rodeo attendance soared, making Western Trails Rodeo a financially successful venture and opened the door to one of the most challenging but exciting segments of Robinson’s rodeo adventure… production of overseas rodeos/wild west events.
    Over the next two decades, Robinson would be contracted to take rodeo/wild west shows to Japan, Finland, France, Italy, Canada, Venezuela, Mexico, Oman, and Brazil. He considers the foreign performances as the most challenging and stressful, but also the most gratifying of the thousands of performances he has been a part of in the thirty-seven years of producing rodeo performances.

    Jerome, present day – Rodeo News

    In the middle of the decade of foreign events for Robinson and the WTR crew, they produced a 1992 bull riding in Scottsdale, Arizona for another promoter. Robinson remembers very little about that event other than the announcer being stricken with laryngitis and a woman rodeo association champion bull rider competing against the men, but a significant event took place in a room at the host hotel. A group of bull riders, several of who were the stars of the now defunct “Winston Tour,” acted on the basic premise of showcasing the premier contestant athletes, the best available livestock, and having those athletes compete multiple times in one performance. From that hotel meeting in Scottsdale, the delegation moved forward and soon afterward, twenty bull riders each putting up $1000, formed the “seed money” for a company that today is valued at between an estimated 150-200 million dollars… Professional Bull Riders,” the PBR!
    The next two years were filled with WTR winter/fall productions and the small county fair circuit rodeos in eastern Colorado, Kansas and Oklahoma. Sometime in early 1994, a delegation from the PBR headed by Robinson’s former bull riding school student, standout Winston Tour competitor and PBR founding member, Cody Lambert summoned Robinson to a meeting where they (based on the Winston Tour and subsequent rodeo/bull riding production interaction) asked Robinson if he would be interested in being the production coordinator for their first “PBR World Finals” at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas, Nevada. Robinson accepted the task and began a job that continues today. The first two “PBR World Finals” utilized almost all equipment and personnel supplied and hired by WTR. They were successful beyond expectations and doubled in prize money each of the first three years and with growth, the PBR purchased their own equipment and employed staff to take over many of Robinson’s initial responsibilities. Robinson has remained in a significant operational implementation capacity at every “PBF World Finals” for over twenty-five years. PBR also began partnering with promoters (Robinson being one of them) to produce their own events, many of which Robinson took on the handling of logistical operations and today refers to himself as the PBR’s “logistics coordinator”.
    In 1999, while working on the sixth of the twenty-five PBR World Finals Robinson has worked on, he was bestowed the honor of being inducted into the PBR’s “Ring of Honor” for contributions to bull riding during his competition days and afterwards for work performed on behalf of the PBR. Earlier this year, Robinson was inducted into the “Bull Riding Hall of Fame” in Fort Worth, Texas and in August, Robinson will be inducted into the “PRCA Hall of Fame” as a “Notable Inductee” which is recognition of a competitive career along with contributions made while serving on the PRCA board of directors as bull riding director and a vice president. Serving a term on the National Finals Rodeo commission and serving on the PRCA research and development committee that recommended and facilitated the building of the PRCA headquarters in Colorado Springs and also the ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Museum.
    As Robinson embarks on his seventh decade of his rodeo adventure, he admits he enjoys the job’s travel demands, claiming to be a gypsy, relishes the challenges of producing rodeos/bull ridings and looks forward to more years with the PBR. Robinson is up for at least one, if not half a dozen more tours on foreign soil to share the culture that he loves and that has been so rewarding to him.

  • Full & Maternal Siblings Highlight the 2019 Fulton Sale

    Full & Maternal Siblings Highlight the 2019 Fulton Sale

    Courtesy of Fulton Family Performance Horses

    The Fulton Family Performance Horse & Production Sale on Friday, August 9, 2019 will feature extremely elite performance prospects that represent the best bloodlines in the industry. The sale will be held in Rapid City, SD at the Central States Fairgrounds this year and includes riding two-year olds, plus yearlings, weanlings, broodmares and performance horses sired by A Streak of Fling, A Dash Ta Streak, and CS Flashlight.
    “This offering is a great representation of our program. Our best maternal bloodlines are at the forefront with full and maternal siblings selling and we are excited to showcase new mare lines offered from our consignors and the younger prospects. There is truly something for everyone in this sale,” says Lisa Fulton.
    Give Me A Fling (2017 Bay Roan Stallion) A Streak of Fling x Give Me A Wink (Doc O Dynamite)
    Giveawinktostreaker (2017 Bay Mare) A Streak of Fling x Give Me A Wink (Doc O Dynamite)
    Full siblings. Their dam, Give Me A Wink (Doc O Dynamite), was a 2002 NFR qualifier and 2007 California Circuit Champion with over +$400,000 in barrel racing earnings. Give Me A Fling will be the last stallion out of Give Me A Wink to be offered on the sale and is also the only bay roan stallion of this cross.
    Flingin Corona (2017 Sorrel Gelding) A Streak of Fling x Queen Fa Tima (Dash Ta Fame)
    A Dash Ta Corona (2017 Sorrel Gelding) A Dash Ta Streak x Queen Fa Tima (Dash Ta Fame)
    Maternal siblings. Their dam, Queen Fa Tima si 92 (Dash Ta Fame si 113), has over $115,000+ in progeny earnings and consistently has high sellers on this sale. Progeny from the A Steak of Fling x Dash Ta Fame cross have earned almost $1 million in progeny earnings and are considered a “Magic Cross” according to Equi-Stat.
    Wild Shawne Fling (2017 Brown Mare) A Streak of Fling x Wild Shawne Lace (Shawne Bug)
    A Wild Shawne Dash (2017 Bay Roan Mare) A Dash Ta Streak x Wild Shawne Lace (Shawne Bug)
    Maternal siblings. Wild Shawne Lace is a top producer for Fulton Ranch and is sired by the great Shawne Bug si 101, LTE $277,023 by Lady Bugs Moon si 100, LTE $191, 536.
    Flingin French Grey (2017 Bay Roan Mare) A Streak of Fling x French TJ Grey (Frenchmans Guy)
    Streak French TJ (2017 Gray Gelding) A Streak of Fling x French TJ Grey (Frenchmans Guy)
    Full siblings. These two are flashy and hail from one of the strongest maternal lines in the Fulton herd. Fulton’s have retained several broodmares by the dam, French TJ Grey, in their program. The maternal grand sire is the leading living sire of barrel horses with over $11 million progeny earnings, Frenchmans Guy.
    Streakinwinnsboro (2017 Bay Roan Gelding) A Streak of Fling x Winnsboro (Merridoc)
    Winn Me A Streaker (2017 Bay Roan Gelding) A Streak of Fling x Winnsboro (Merridoc)
    A Dash Ta Winn (2017 Bay Roan Mare) A Dash Ta Streak x Winnsboro (Merridoc)
    Full and maternal siblings. Their dam, Winnsboro si 80, is sired by the great Merridoc si 102, LTE $249,736 who has sired earners of over +$13 million. Their pedigree also includes Tinys Gay si 106, LTE +$445,000.
    The sale will start at 6:00 PM with a live auction and absentee bidders can bid over the phone or online via TheLivestockLink.com. A performance preview will be held at 2:00 PM. All sale information can be found on FultonRanch.com.

     

  • New Fast Back Rope to be Released in July

    New Fast Back Rope to be Released in July

    Granbury, TX – Fast Back Ropes is excited to announce the release of a new core rope this summer. After enlisting the help of customers and fans on social media, the name, “Cobalt” was chosen. Cobalt, a chemical element, is valued for its wear resistance and ability to retain its strength at high temperatures. These characteristics describe the durability seen during the extensive testing of this rope.

    The Cobalt is similar in diameter to the popular Excalibur. The Cobalt will likely appeal to ropers who prefer more tip weight and less body or bounce.

    “The Cobalt is an aqua blue, a highly requested color by our customers and endorsees,” explains Coy Upchurch, Fast Back General Manager. “The combination of poly and dyed nylon has resulted in a highly durable rope. Our goal is always to build a durable rope that feels good and retains that great feel run after run. The Cobalt has surpassed our expectations.”

    The Cobalt will start shipping July 1st. Fast Back dealers are welcome to pre-order immediately. The Cobalt head rope will be 31’ and available in XXS, XS, S, MS. The Cobalt heel rope will be 35’ and available in S, MS, M, HM.