Although he retired from his bronc riding career at a young age, a career in rodeo is exactly the life Sylvain Bourgeois has enjoyed for the past 25-plus years. As the co-owner of Wild Time Productions and 2 Wild Ranch, Sylvain also works as the rodeo manager for the renowned Festival Western Saint-Tite, held in Quebec, Canada each September; and he has been instrumental in the growth and development of the sport of rodeo across Canada. “I started riding broncs as a 15-year-old in 1985 and loved it. However, the distance you had to travel back then was great and you often spent 50-60 hours a weekend traveling between rodeos. Although I sometimes regret letting go of bronc riding, I wouldn’t trade my life for anything, I love what I’m doing. I was still riding broncs in 1995 when I was hired by the festival, but once I started Wild Time Productions with a friend in 2000, I decided to focus on producing rodeos.” When Sylvain began producing rodeos, there were only about 5 or 6 in the province. Within 5 years, that number had increased to over 12 rodeos each season, and after working with the festival as the rodeo manager all these years, the numbers have steadily multiplied and there are now over 40 rodeos in the province for cowboys and cowgirls to compete. “In 2005, my partner decided to go a different direction, so I bought him out and ran things alone for a few years before selling half of the company to the festival in 2008. They had the office, accounting and marketing to offer me, and I was able to promote rodeos for them. It has been a wonderful partnership and things have grown incredibly for us both.”
In 1997, Sylvain married Tania Daudelin, a barrel racer from strong barrel racing lineage. A close friend, Gary Seutter, gave Sylvain and Tania a bucking horse, Wedding Band, as a wedding gift. “I bought 5 more bucking horses to go with him and started having rodeos in 2000 so that I had places to buck my horses. At the time I wanted to raise bucking horses, but we had too many rodeos and an immediate need for horses; so my partner, Eric Desjardins and I partnered and found land and started buying bucking horses from wonderful contractors all over north America. Ten years ago, we started our breeding program and we currently own approximately 60 to 70 horses. We have horses we’ve bred that are ready to buck right now, so having all of the rodeo cancellations this season has been overwhelming.” Sylvain leases all timed-event stock and bucking bulls for the rodeos he produces. Sylvain and Tania have two sons, Micheal, 30, who has worked for the past 10 years in Wild Time Productions as a sound man and DJ: and Zach, their 20-year-old bull and bronc rider.
In 1999, Sylvain produced his very first International Professional Rodeo Association co-sanctioned rodeo and has produced only IPRA first-sanctioned rodeos ever since. The relationship with IPRA has led to many positive changes for rodeo in Canada. The IPRA Canada branch started out with 100 members and has grown to over 700 members attending over 40 rodeos across Ontario and Quebec in the IPRA Canada circuit. The Festival Western St-Tite is now a 10-day event that draws over 600,000 spectators and visitors to the area as well as the top cowboy and cowgirl competitors across Canada and the United States. Although they’ve had to cancel the event in 2020, they have plans for a virtual Festival Western St-Tite, with 10 days of performances being aired on the Wrangler network, and virtual concerts, dance lessons, and other exciting events available on an online platform. “It’s a way that we can still keep in contact with the fans, partners, volunteers, and the cowboys and cowgirls. In 2021, we will celebrate the 53rd event. I look forward to life getting back to normal and getting back out there to all the committees that are a part of our family. It is hard not seeing them all summer, but we look forward to working with them and making their events successful in the future.”
At 12 years old, 7th grader, Braxton Guillot, has already been rodeoing half of his life, and certainly has roping calves on his mind for the rest of it. As the oldest of Janea and Brandon Guillot’s three children, Braxton is grateful to be following in his father’s footsteps and especially appreciates competing in the Louisiana High School Rodeo Association, knowing his father is an LHSRA alumni. In his second year with LHSRA’s junior division, Braxton is competing as a tie-down roper and ribbon roper, roping calves for the 2nd season for his partner, Grace Dubois.
Tie-down roping has always been Braxton’s favorite event, and he was glad to win a bet with his dad last season so he could compete in the event this year. As a 6th grader, Braxton competed in breakaway roping under an agreement that if he qualified for national finals in breakaway roping, they would discuss Braxton switching to tie-down roping for his 7th grade season. If Braxton won the state breakaway title, he could switch to tie-down this season for sure. Braxton was determined to achieve this goal and gladly took on the challenge. As a rookie, he finished the season as LJHSRA’s 2019 champion breakaway roper and went on to national finals where he finished 4th out of the top boy breakaway ropers in the world. “It was exciting doing so well at nationals last year, but tie-down roping is a lot more fun, I love getting off and tying.”
Braxton attends school at Leonville Elementary, where his favorite class is math. When he was younger, he played basketball and baseball, but has focused his energies on roping for a few years now. Braxton’s dad works as a farrier with a large portion of his clientele being racehorses; and his mom stays at home to care for Braxton, his 10-year-old brother, Colt, and 4-month-old sister, Josie. The family also raises beef cattle and trains performance horses. Braxton’s dad still competes in amateur rodeos, seasoning many of the performance horses he is readying as future mounts for Braxton and his siblings. The success Braxton had in breakaway roping last season was even sweeter because it was accomplished on a 12-year-old chestnut mare named Big Momma, that his dad had trained for him. Braxton also competes on a home-raised and trained 8-year-old sorrel bald-faced gelding named Ocho.
After school, Braxton cleans stalls, helps feed livestock, and spends most days practicing for his next rodeo. “I rope almost every day and I tie my Perfect Calf dummy a lot.” Besides competing in the LJHSRA, Braxton has made trips to Las Vegas, Nevada for major youth rodeo competitions in the past two years. Last season, Braxton competed at Mike and Sherrylynn Johnson’s Vegas Tuffest Jr. World Championship, and also at Chris Neal’s Las Vegas Stars, where he won the champion 12-and -under breakaway roper title, and his brother Colt won the fastest time in the same roping with a 2.4 second run on his dun pony, Squirrel. Braxton looks forward to having Colt competing in the LHSRA as soon as he is old enough. “I like competing in the LJHSRA and hanging out with all my friends there. It will be fun when Colt is competing in the association too.”
For the future, Braxton hopes to train performance horses and have a professional tie-down roping career like his favorite professionals, Joe Beaver and Shane Hanchey. Although he aspires to compete at the professional level, he plans to do it his way. “My main goal is just to be the best version of me that I can be.”
Braxton is very grateful to his sponsors for their support: Lone Star Feed, T-Pop Leather Shop, Equine Catalyst, Kaylon Rodriguez, Backyard Bits & Spurs, Cowboy’s Western Store, and Delta Equine Veterinarian.
Big Horn Rodeo Company of Lamar, Oklahoma has been proudly offering quality rodeo livestock and full personnel and rodeo options for committees since 2009. Kyle Robison always knew as he grew up on the competitor side of the rodeo business, that working as a stock contractor was what he wanted to do one day in his future. Big Horn Rodeo Company has been a part of International Professional Rodeo Association events for 5 years now, and they’ve had the honor of bringing their bucking horses to the IFR for the past 3 years.
Growing up, Kyle mainly competed as a team roper and tie-down roper. He was a member of the Oklahoma High School Rodeo Association, and after graduating high school he went on to compete at the college level at Bacone College in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Kyle graduated from Bacone College in 2006 with an associate degree in natural resource management and a bachelor’s degree in business administration. After competing in amateur rodeos for a few years, he started his rodeo company and does approximately 23 rodeos each year. “We own everything, the horses, bulls, steers, and calves. We used to lease some bulldogging steers or bulls when we started out, but now we own most everything that we use.” Big Horn Rodeo Company keeps approximately 15 to 18 hauling bulls, plus about 60 horses for the saddlebronc and bareback events. “Four years ago, we started our own bucking horse breeding program, and we have about 8 mares that we breed. So far, we have a lot of young horses that we are just starting to buck, but we’re looking forward to seeing this generation of our bucking horses in the rodeo arena soon.”
Kyle, and his longtime girlfriend, Amber Butler have three children: 4-year-old daughter, Liz Robison, 2-year-old son, Leigh Robison, and their newest addition, 2-month-old daughter, Anelle Robison. “I couldn’t do what I do without the support of my family and all the great people that work for me.” Their oldest daughter, Liz, helps them gather stock from the back of her little bay roan pony, Mighty Mouse. “Liz will help run a gate when we are sorting; the kids love being out there with us. This is a lifestyle I always liked and knew I wanted for my own family from the time I was a little kid myself.”
Each rodeo that Big Horn Rodeo Company is a part of, has its own special significant value to Kyle. They are generally gone about 40 weekends per year between the IPRA rodeos, junior rodeos, ranch rodeos, and other events they are a part of producing. “This year we have 9 IPRA-first rodeos and 14 that are IPRA co-approved. It was really neat being a part of the IFR50 at the Lazy E Arena and always feels like a reward to be included at the IFR. One of the best things about the IPRA is seeing how hard they work to always make the association better.”
Of course, with the COVID-19 pandemic on everyone’s mind, Kyle is discouraged with the rodeo cancellations that are taking place and what that means for a family in the industry his is in. “It doesn’t scare me or bother me; we will keep going on with what we have to do to take care of the stock and we just hope and pray that we will all resume like we were soon.”
‘Where did this guy come from,’ is undoubtedly on the minds of many team ropers in the IPRA that watched a rookie 21-year-old header, Colton Bugis, climb from the bottom to the top of the team roping leaderboard since June. With nearly $1900 separating him and the next header in line, Colton is excited to be traveling to the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Oklahoma for the IFR50 to see if he can finish the season as a world champion team roper.
Originally from Highland, Michigan, Colton’s start in horses didn’t give much of a clue that he would be where he is today. His parents Ed and Penny Bugis and younger sister, Eva, have a family farm where his dad sells grain, and also operates a septic company, King Septic; and none of them had a rodeo background. There was a love of horses in the family, and Colton’s grandma, Carol Redman, bred and raised Welsh ponies that became projects for Colton and his sister. “We were really young, but we would ride and drive the ponies she raised and turn them into show jumping and dressage prospects for other kids. My mom and sister were both really big into dressage and hunter jumpers, so I competed in that world growing up. I was in the Michigan Hunter Jumper Association and the Pony Club of America and did all that until I was about 13 years old.” In his heart however, he was a cowboy, “I always thought I was a little cowboy, running around with a rope when I was a kid. I went over to a roping school near us when I was young and learned to rope goats and got hooked. I started chasing everything I could on my pony, Lightning. A guy down the road, Tim Brown, took me to a roping pen at Rocky Alberts’ Blue Ridge Stock Farm one day, and that was all I wanted to do after that. My dad was glad to see me getting away from the hunter jumper riding and bought me a really good rope horse. It was a big deal for an old farm family to pay that much for a rope horse, but my dad bought me a black 7-year-old gelding named Player that really gave me a good start.”
Colton showing one of his grandma’s ponies – Courtesy of the family
Colton Bugis riding a ranch bronc – Natural by K.Willford Photography
Colton competing in a pony club game
Colton’s mom explained, “Roping is a better fit for Colton. He’s always been a little cowboy from a very young age. We are so excited to go watch him at the IFR50 in January. There is a whole group of his Michigan roper family going out to Guthrie with us to watch him compete. We are all extremely proud of him.”
Before graduating from Hartland High School in 2016, Colton competed in the Michigan High School Rodeo Association for three years, heading for Cale Johnson his sophomore through senior year of high school. The team won the MHSRA champion team roping title in 2015 and 2016 and qualified for national finals all three years they competed together. Colton also competed in calf roping and trap shooting during high school, but team roping was his main focus. Over the years, he’s even ridden ranch broncs for fun. “I come from a very supportive family, and even though my mom and sister didn’t like that I switched to roping, they still always came to watch me and support me in all that I do. They will be traveling to the IFR to watch me compete at my first IPRA finals rodeo, and hopefully watch me win the title there.”
Over the past few years, Colton has spent a lot of time at amateur rodeo associations and team roping jackpots. He attended a horse shoeing school in Purcell, Oklahoma in January 2017. “I didn’t stick with that as a profession, but I did learn enough to do some of my own horses when I need to.” He did, however, make a friend with Baker Roush while at the school, and Baker invited him to his family ranch in Dripping Springs, Texas for the winter. “He and I ranched cows, shoed horses, hauled cattle, and did odd jobs. His family had a wedding venue, so we helped set up things for weddings and maintain the property. I roped some, but mainly did whatever I could come across to make some money while I was there, and then I’d go back home to Michigan for the summer.” While Colton was riding a friend’s calf horse at a rodeo when he was in Michigan for the summer, Mike Culhain made a phone call that began a change in the course of Colton’s roping career. “I told everyone I talked to that I wanted to go back to Texas for the winter. Mike told me he was friends with Bob Masters, and that he would call him and put me in touch with his son Chad Masters. I ended up going out to Chad’s for the winter in 2018.”
Colton started out as the low man on the totem pole at Chad’s, mucking stalls, feeding cattle, and fixing fence. “I did whatever needed done, just trying to do my part. I also got to ride and rope with Chad and worked my way up. Chad taught me how he needed me to ride the horses and how he wanted things done. After winter, Chad went back to competing, and I decided to try rodeoing in the IPRA for the 2019 season. I didn’t really have a partner starting out, but I met Ty Parkinson at the Fort Worth Stockyards and we decided to start roping together in June. Ty is from Australia, and he’s a phenomenal heeler, he’s qualified for the IFR multiple times. We started out doing well together, and really went hard at the rodeos. From June until the end of the season we entered probably 75 rodeos and placed regularly. We won the team roping at St. Tite in Quebec, Canada, and just kept climbing in the standings as the months passed. Going into the IFR50, I’m leading the heading and Ty is leading the heeling.”
Colton on his pony Lightning that he started roping on
Colton with his mom, dad and sister – Courtesy
Colton roping with Ty Parkinson – Rayne Sherman, Circle S Photography
A little dark brown mare named Betty has helped Colton make his mark in the heading competition. “My good horse ended up having ringbone, and Chad had gotten Betty in from a guy and made me a good deal on her. I’ve been riding her since this spring. She’s a little mare, maybe 14.3, but she is such a good horse and has made my job so much easier. I’m so grateful Chad helped me out with her. Coming from Michigan to Chad’s ranch in Lipan, Texas was very eye opening. It’s a totally different ball game. In Michigan, roping is more of a hobby that you do for fun, but here it’s the real thing; this is what they do. You learn a lot! I learned how to ride my horses better, how to use a rope better, and how to rope smart.” Colton is currently at the Masters’ ranch for his third winter and honing his skills so that he is as ready as possible for the IFR in January.
“My main plan for the IFR50 is to get ready to catch them all so we can go for the average. I don’t get to practice with Ty much, he’s all over the place. But we’ll get together right before we head to Guthrie and make some runs together and we’ll be fine. After the IFR my goal is to just keep getting as good as I can get and see how far I can take it. I’ve been able to learn a lot from several people over the years, and I’ve been lucky enough that people have seemed to like helping me. I plan to take all of it and see where it leads. I may not have come from a rodeo background, but it’s in my blood and I’m here to stay.”
What started out as a way to support their horse addiction has turned into a full-time business for an Arizona family. Melanie Edwards of Buckeye, Arizona, and her daughter, Doskie Edwards of Casa Grande, Arizona, are the mastermind artisans behind the sassy signature styles of Circle M Custom Hides. This mother-daughter-duo spends many hours creating custom leather creations, whether it be luscious purses that would make a statement on any western runway, or into a bridle/ breast collar set that has their horses looking like the best dressed equine in the alley. It all began 12 years ago, when Melanie was competing along with her three daughters, Megan, Courtney, and Doskie, in 4D barrel race jackpots. “It was a lot of money just for all the entry fees, then of course the girls would want new tack for their horses, and I just flat couldn’t afford to spend money on tack that wasn’t even made of good leather; and the quality stuff I really liked was way overpriced. I had dabbled in leatherwork before, so I started embellishing what we already had. Imagine my surprise when people started buying my used pieces, literally off my horses’ back.” And, so the seed was planted. “We wanted to offer tack that was made well in addition to being rustic and unique,” explained Melanie.
By making cowhide rugs and fulfilling their own desires for quality original tack that would hold up to competition and use, a business was born that not only supported the passion the Edwards’ had for their horses, but also fed their creative fires as they developed new skills to continue producing items that stood out. “The city of Phoenix offered a jewelry making class, and Doskie and I took the class so we could learn more about soldering and jewelry making. We learned skills that helped us create our own buckles and conchos that are used in our completely handcrafted products.” With every detail of each item they make customized to their own liking, the Edwards really prefer to consider their equine creations “horse jewelry” rather than tack. And each piece with its truly one-of-a-kind embellishment is perfect for special occasions and events. Besides their horse products, they are also well-known for their one-of-a-kind purses, belts, and dog collars.
One of the dog collars you’ll find on their website, www.circlemleather.com is called the “Charlie collar,” which Melanie created 10 years ago as a gift for Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman. “I loved reading her blogs every morning with my coffee and just decided to make a collar for her Basset Hound, Charlie. I sent it to her with a letter, not really expecting to hear anything back. Little did I know, Ree had posted it online, and our computer went crazy! The next morning my email was flooded with inquiries about the collar, and we are still making the Charlie collar after all these years!” Many creations made are never advertised before being sold, and although they try their best to update their website and Facebook page, Circle M Custom Hides, it is impossible to show all that they do. Besides their leather work, they also carry a full line of Dutton bits and spurs, which they embellish to make special awards or gifts. They are also a dealer for Iconoclast boots. “It is hard to keep up with making sure the website is completely updated with all we are doing, because I work in manufacturing, purchasing, bookkeeping, as well as being a wife, mother, and horse rider!”
Circle M Custom Hide’s booth in Las Vegas during the NFR
Breast collars
Doskie on Peanuts mom, Skipper
Dog collars
Melanie was your typical horse crazy girl, toting Breyer horses to school and starting with an ornery Shetland pony named Candy and she’s ridden her entire life. As she grew up, she competed in gymkhanas, but most of her horseback miles were racked up on desert trails. Married in 1988, Melanie and her husband, Paul Edwards, enjoyed their horses together. Melanie rode horses till just before the birth of each of their children. Besides the three daughters, they have a son, Craig, who lives just a mile down the road from them with his wife Nikki and daughter, Mary. “When each of the kids were little, they would ride in a backpack with me; as they got bigger, I could pony them along on a lead line, until they were finally old enough to ride alone.” Paul recently retired from his family trucking business, Edwards Brothers Trucking, and while he enjoys trail riding and has been supportive of all the horse activities the family was involved in, his passion has always been in the horsepower of old vehicles and tractors. “My husband always joked that I better not break our family with my horse obsession, but the leather hobby turned into a business, so it was perfect.” Melanie began competing alongside her daughters while they were attending the barrel racing jackpots, and currently still rides at least three times a week, and enters Grand Canyon Professional Rodeo Association rodeos when she can. “We’re not any top-notch rodeo people, but we love the people and rodeo and being a part of this life.”
Doskie remembers staying up late one night when she was about 16 years old and helping her mom work on adding crystals to some tack sets she was working on. “I remember her taking the tack in to the local feed store in Casa Grande, Arizona and when she came back, she handed me some money for helping her finish the orders. I thought that was a pretty cool way to make some money and have been working on orders ever since!” Doing double duty in her own shop as well as her mother’s, Doskie says she likes looking at vintage tack and even clothing for inspiration when coming up with new designs. “I’m not afraid to try creating something different, and I make things I think are cool, and hopefully someone else thinks it is cool too. I really look forward to setting up our booth in Vegas each year and seeing all the other vendors again; we are like a bunch of rodeo carnies, traveling the roads with our goods.” Doskie is as enthralled with her horses as her mom and is extremely proud of the babies she raises. Her main three horses she rides and has consistently running in the 1D, are Peanut, Bailey, and FX. “Peanut is a 12-year-old sorrel gelding with a flaxen mane and tail, and he’s huge, not much of a peanut at all. He is my everything horse; the first one I raised from birth and trained myself, and I just love him.” Doskie has had two major horse accidents where she had to be medi-flighted by helicopter to the hospital but has not let that deter her from riding. She is hopeful that next year will be a great year of competition in the GCPRA and WPRA with her beloved horses.
For the past 9 Decembers, Circle M Custom Hides has made the trek to Las Vegas, Nevada to display and sell their wares at the Southpoint Hotel and Casino during the WNFR’s Cowboy Christmas. “We love going to the NFR and showing all that we’ve been up to. People are always so surprised because there is not two of anything in our booth, we don’t make the same thing over and over, unless someone places a custom order for multiple items, such as awards, otherwise you won’t see a repeat. So, people always enjoy coming into our booth each year and seeing new things and knowing that they are one-of-a-kind creations. Doskie is so artistically talented and comes up with so many ideas of her own. Our tastes really complement each other, and we love sharing the quality items we produce. We guarantee everything we sell, and we are picky about what we do and how we do it. That’s part of the reason we have stayed smaller because we want control over every piece we produce.” Brent Giblin of BG Custom Silver works with Circle M, “Brent creates stunning jewelry, and he does a lot of cutting and piercing of metals used for our products. He is so good at what he does, it’s truly an art.”
Each year begins with a plan of making a certain amount of inventory each month, so that by December they will be able to fill their 10 X 30 booth in Las Vegas. The few months prior to the NFR is like crunch-time for Doskie and Melanie. Doskie explained, “We really have to hustle to crack things out before we get to Vegas, and I’m always creating things thinking of what would be good to have there at the NFR. Truth is we don’t get a lot of guys that rope coming to buy our tack, but we do get a lot of chick ropers and barrel racers that want to make as much of a statement with their looks as we do.”
Circle M Custom Hides started out as a means to an end for the Edwards family, but has turned in to a source of expression and creativity they didn’t initially expect. They are proud to use Herman Oak Harness leather from the United States of America for the base of all of their tack. They invite you to check them out and give them a chance to set you apart with one of their custom creations. If you’re in Vegas this December, stop by and tell them hello!
The first man with a rope in his hands from North Carolina to qualify for the WNFR.
The 29-year-old heeler from Mocksville, North Carolina is now preparing for his first-ever PRCA National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas and fulfilling a goal he’s had since he was a young child. Caleb’s path to Las Vegas has been a long one, but with each year he worked towards qualifying, his determination grew and his passion for becoming one of the best heelers in the business never waned. He will compete in Las Vegas in December, with Jake Cooper, and the team roping duo is preparing just as hard for the competition now, as they did to qualify for it.
By all rights, Caleb should have been a fourth-generation logger, as he grew up with his dad, Jeff Anderson, making his living as a logger like the many Anderson men before him. Caleb definitely knows the family business and has returned to it several times over the years, as he was making his way in the rodeo world. “My mom, Kathy Stikeleather, works for Statesville Auto Auction and ran barrels some; and my dad liked to team rope and would head at jackpots.” Caleb has an older sister, Leah Renegar, and younger brother Koda Stikeleather.
Caleb started competing as a calf rider when he was just 6 years old. When Caleb was 8, he started roping at Ricky Vaughn’s, in Harmony, North Carolina, and practiced there often, as he started competing in several junior rodeo associations. Caleb started high school rodeoing his sophomore year and qualified for national finals in Springfield, Missouri with Clint Keller, and again his senior year in Farmington, New Mexico with Brent Murphy before graduating from Davie High School in 2008. Although roping had become his main focus, his roughie spirit never left. “I was a bull rider at heart. I won steer riding titles and moved up to bulls, riding some 2-year-old bulls Mike Colyer owned; but when I moved up to the senior bulls it was a little intimidating and ended my bull riding career. I’ve always wished I would have stuck with it.”
Weatherford, Texas was where Caleb always felt he needed to end up to really make his team roping dreams realities. After high school he hoped to go to college there, but instead went to Hobbs, New Mexico after childhood friend, Maggie Moore, convinced him to try college rodeoing there. “I knew school was not something I was going to do over roping, but I knew it would give me a chance to get out on my own. I became friends with Kurt Jones out there, and he had made the finals a couple times, had won the George Strait, and I hung out with him and tried to learn as much as I could from him. There was another buddy at school that was from Canada and he talked me into going to some Canadian rodeos. I stayed up there for a month, but Canada was not for me at that age, so I came home and got a real job.”
Caleb & Cory Honeycutt – madeyoulookphotography
Caleb with his wife Carrie Putnam Anderson – madeyoulookphotography
Caleb still roped every day but worked with his dad in the Bear Creek Logging company, where he had worked off and on since he was 10 years old. “I’d start early and log until 5:00pm, then I’d go rope at Corey Honeycutt’s arena. I was a #6 heeler but didn’t completely understand the basic fundamentals of how I was roping; and Cory knew how to break it down for me. I’d load up all the horses I had, and we’d take turns heading and heeling for each other. Our friendship grew during those years, I became a better roper, and he became my best friend. Caleb had a lot of success during his younger years in North Carolina, winning a truck at a JX2 roping at 16, and started competing seriously in the IPRA in 2012. Caleb qualified for his first IFR in 2012, where he won the team roping average, and went on to win the heeling title at the IFR in 2013, 2014, and 2015.
On January 1, 2017, Caleb moved to the Phillips Ranch in Navasota, Texas. Shane Phillips gave him a job riding as many horses as he could stand and breaking in steers. “I stayed there for 8 months and rodeoed through the winter with Brady Tryan. But when April came, I didn’t go to California to rodeo like everyone else was. I moved to Hillsboro, Texas with DJ Smith and worked for his dad’s grading company to make money to keep alive. When he sold his place and moved to Weatherford, Caleb bought a camper and he and then girlfriend, Carrie Putnam, moved the camper to DJ’s new place in Weatherford, where Caleb was certain he needed to be.
Caleb roped all of 2018 with fellow North Carolinian, Cory Kidd, and was determined to compete all year without going back home. “It was kind of crazy how God works and that I had finally ended up in Weatherford. It’s like He let me know what I needed to do and worked me towards it. It took me a little longer to get there because I was kind of stubborn; but being there felt like I was on the right track. It wasn’t’ the greatest year, but it was the first year I had accomplished rodeoing from start to finish.” Caleb ended up in the top 30 heelers in the world in 2018, and although it was not enough to make it to the WNFR, it qualified him for Houston the following season, and that’s where things started really turning around for him.
After the season was over in 2018, Caleb began working for Luke Brown as he built his new ranch in Lipan, Texas. “Carrie works as a cost analyst for Patrick Smith’s company, Driven, and I’d drop her off at work, and work at Luke’s all day. “We started building the NFR arena at Luke’s so they could practice for the 2018 finals, and it was really cool because if Luke’s partner wasn’t there I’d get to fill in and rope with him. I would work turning steers out, raking the arena, basically everything they didn’t need to do so they could just rope. Just being around those elite ropers was like being at school, watching the pros and how they did things. I was fortunate to get to be around them and tried to pay attention to every detail.” Caleb fed for Luke, Paul Eaves, and Clayton Hoss, while they competed in Las Vegas last December, and after the finals were over, he and Carrie moved their camper to Luke’s ranch, where they now reside. “it’s been a blessing being at Luke’s, we have a Texas family and it has been a great thing for us.”
Caleb wasn’t sure who he would rope with for the 2019 season, but after some success at jackpots during the winter with Jake Cooper, the ropers agreed to team up together. “I was broke and trying to do anything I could to make money that winter, and although we started out with a few successes, it was a little shaky. But we agreed we were going all the way and not giving up on each other. When we went to Houston, we were in 80th position, and after winning $30,000 each there, it shot us up 77 places. It was the most money I’d ever won at one time, and we had confidence that we could keep going.” Towards the end of the season, Caleb’s position to qualify seemed fairly solid, but Jake had dropped to 16th after Pendleton. “It was tough towards the end because he was on and off the chopping block, and I really wanted to qualify with him for finals. I couldn’t really take a deep breath until the final steer was roped that season and I knew we had made our goal and qualified together. It wouldn’t have been as sweet if we hadn’t both made it; but it worked out the way the good Lord wanted it to, and we’re blessed with that.”
Caleb and Carrie recently came back to North Carolina in October, and surrounded by family and friends, were marred after 5 years of dating. Caleb’s groom cake was a replica of an NFR back number. Although Carrie is a competitor herself, she’s put off her rodeo aspirations these past few years to support Caleb’s goals. “Carrie won the IPRA barrel racing title in 2015 and has given up quite a bit for me. I look forward to getting to a point where she can start going for herself again.”
Caleb will compete on his sorrel mare that he’s been riding since 2012, “My aunt, Ronda Beaver, gave me Sugar Bear. She’s a 2006 model and has taken me through all of my competition so far. I have a second horse I ride occasionally, but when it’s game time and big money is up, I ride Sugar Bear. I’m looking forward to being at the finals on her because I’ve always felt if I could get her in that building that she’d do well. In the east, the set-ups are short in small pens and we rope a lot of big steers, so I think she’ll be right at home. I think she’ll be one of the best heel horses there.”
Caleb is all about setting goals and staying disciplined to reach them. “I’m big on being prepared and working hard. This is what I’ve always wanted to do. If something isn’t right, I work to fix it. I’ve been studying tapes from prior finals and watching how other teams go about it. It hit me the other day, that I’m not just going to be watching it on tapes; it’s going to be me backing into the box. I don’t think it will sink in fully until I’m there.” In 2017, when Caleb moved out to Texas for his first real attempt at qualifying, he saved a screenshot of a Facebook post before turning off his social media. “The post was a picture of the Thomas & Mack that said, ‘Set a goal so big that when you achieve it, it will blow your mind.’ I quit Facebook when I moved out there because I knew I had to full heartedly be in it. I didn’t want distractions, I figured I could be roping a dummy or riding my horses rather than wasting time looking at things that weren’t going to get me to my goal. But I’d open that screenshot often to remind myself of exactly where I was trying to get.”
Caleb has had the chance to go to the WNFR several times over the years, and although the stands are often filled with many aspiring rodeo athletes, hoping to be on that arena floor one day, for Caleb he declared at a young age that he’d never go to the WNFR until he was there to run a steer himself. So, although over the years he passed on many trips to attend as a spectator, he held fast to his goal and has saved the special moment of walking into the Thomas & Mack, for this December, when he rides in as a 2019 WNFR competitor, mind blown.
There have been years of preparation leading up to the success that Smarty Young Pro, Mason Pitts, has experienced. When the Haughton, Louisiana 18-year-old showed interest in roping at a young age, his dad, Chet Pitts got involved as well, and he and Mason’s mom, Kelli Pitts, did all they could to provide opportunities for Mason to grow in a sport he was enthralled by. Mason’s parents both work in the oil industry, Kelli for an oilfield company, and Chet as a self-employed contractor. Kelli put aside her barrel racing competition to support Mason’s goals when he started getting serious about the rope in his hands at about 9 years old. Mason’s older brother, Colton, 27, roped some, but was more involved in other sports. State, national, and world titles have come since those beginner roper days; and most recently Mason and fellow Smarty teammate, Chet Weitz, finished as the 7th place team ropers in the world at the 2019 National High School Finals Rodeo in Rock Springs, Wyoming.
Although Mason was born and raised in Louisiana and spent 6 years competing in the Louisiana High School Rodeo Association, he chose a zip code change to Hamilton, Texas in February to finish out his final high school rodeo season in Region 10 of the Texas High School Rodeo Association. “Chet and I were the 2019 Texas High School Rodeo Association Champion Team Ropers this year, and it felt really good to come to such a competitive state and finish on top my first year there. It is a great environment to be in.” After graduating from Haughton High School in Louisiana in December, Mason moved to live and work for a family in Stephenville, Texas helping around their ranch, and putting himself in a prime location for a dedicated heeler with big goals ahead.
During his rodeo years in Louisiana, success became standard for the cowboy. Mason was the 2015 LJHSRA Champion Heeler, roping with Morgan Sparks; and he was the 2014, 2016, and 2018 LHSRA Champion Heeler with partner, Tyler McGuffee, whose dad, Brian McGuffee was a friend of Mason’s dad and helped Mason with his roping skills. Mason and Tyler were the 2014 NJHFR world champion team ropers, winning the coveted title in Des Moines, Iowa. The team almost repeated their world champion success at last year’s NHSFR and came back to the short round as the second-high call team. “When I threw my rope in the short round the steer took a big jump and hopped right over my rope and there wasn’t much I could do. We finished as the 11th place team in the world in Rock Springs last year.”
Mason is currently competing on the 14-year-old bay mare, Belle, that he has owned since he was in 5th grade. But, most of his success came from the back of a red roan gelding he called Junior. “I competed on Junior for 7 years and went from a number 4 roper to a number 9 on him. I just retired him a few months ago at 16 years old. After taking him around the world every year, he had lots of miles under him, and I felt it was time to give him a break.”
As a second-year Smarty Young Pro member, Mason is grateful for all of the people he meets on the team and enjoys seeing them at the ropings and rodeos he attends. He also likes getting recognized by younger kids that come up to talk to him at events. “It’s been a great thing going to Decatur to camps and seeing Allen Bach and Jade Corkill and some of the pros that attend.” Although initially Mason thought being on the team would be a great thing, he appreciates all the company does for him even more today. “It’s become more than what I expected, and I’m grateful for the recognition it gives us in the industry. I love the conference calls and I feel like a better person every time I get off the phone after listening to Trey Johnson.”
With youth rodeo competition behind him, Mason looks forward to the big ranks of rodeo for his future. He appreciates all that his sponsors do for him to keep him traveling down the rodeo trail; Classic Ropes, Resistol, and Smarty Young Pros.
Third-generation cowboy, Dillon Hahnkamp, is no stranger to the rodeo lifestyle. Although his little hometown of Melrose, Montana only has 75 residents, he had a father, Jay, and grandfather, Charlie Hahnkamp, who set the example in front of him his entire life. Now 20 years old, Dillon still carries on that rodeo tradition in his own life and is grateful to have a wonderful support system making it possible for him to compete at the college level in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association, as he secures an education for his future. Dillon was a recipient of the Montana Silversmiths Pursuit of Excellence scholarship this past spring, and he is looking forward to putting the scholarship to use in the fall as he continues his education.
Dillon attended school at Beaverhead County High School in the nearby town of Dillon, which is home to approximately 5,000 Montanans. He competed in the Montana High School Rodeo Association as a calf roper and team roper while in high school. After graduating in 2017, he went on to Ranger, Texas to attend Ranger Community College where he competed in the NIRA and studied welding technology. “The Southwest region of the NIRA is one of the toughest regions there is. It’s just a melting pot of fantastic ropers and the competition there is outstanding. I think if you want to rope, that’s where you need to be for at least a little while.” Dillon appreciates all that he learned while in the region and is proud to have made it to several short-gos at region rodeos during his time there.
Dillon’s dad competed as a calf roper, and he and Charlie also worked as pick-up men at pro rodeos in Montana for nearly 30 years. Charlie also worked for many years as a stock contractor. “My grandpa went with the more reliable paycheck when it came to rodeo. He’s 88 and still rides and shuttles cattle around, he’s a true cowboy. He’s the real deal.” Dillon’s mom, Denise, is from Minnesota and rodeo was not a huge part of her life before moving to Montana. However, she is now immersed in the lifestyle with Dillon, and his younger brother, Cord, 15, who competes as a bareback rider and roper.
Dillon is still making the decision between attending school in Laramie, Wyoming at the University of Wyoming, or Miles Community College in Miles City, Montana next fall. He’s considering focusing on business to complement his welding skills he’s gained so far and turn his associate degree into a bachelor’s degree while continuing to compete in the NIRA. Dillon appreciates the support of Montana Silversmiths and is honored to carry the scholarship with him as he continues to prepare for his future. “Being a college student that rodeos is very expensive. When you have to be at school with horses and trailers and have the extra expenses that rodeoing in college entails, every little bit of help makes a huge difference. I am so grateful to Montana Silversmiths for recognizing me with this honor.”
Implemented in 2005, the Pursuit of Excellence Scholarship program was created to give back as an investment in candidates who have a history of self-improvement and a desire to better themselves and their communities. Montana Silversmiths’ vice president of marketing, Judy Wagner, explained, “Montana Silversmiths is grateful for this opportunity we have to give back. The most rewarding part is reading the applications and stories the applicants send in. It gives me hope and pride in the future to see the talent and stories these young people share with us. Of course, it’s a great asset to have straight A’s, but the whole premise of this scholarship is not just academic, it’s more about applicants that have improved themselves no matter what, and the effort they have put in to get where they are.” The trophy hat feathers that Montana Silversmiths unveiled this year seemed like the perfect product to pair with this scholarship program, and a portion of the sales of the trophy hat feathers will be used to support the Pursuit of Excellence Scholarship program.
The International Finals Youth Rodeo, known as the world’s richest youth rodeo, will take place for the 27th year on July 7-12, 2019, in Shawnee, Oklahoma. Not many understand the beginnings of the event better than Phil Sumner of Phil Sumner Rodeo Company. “The national high school rodeo finals had been held for three years in Shawnee, and when they moved to Gillette, Wyoming, Ken Etchieson put together a plan for the IFYR. Ken’s whole concept was that he didn’t want just one stock contractor, he wanted to have several stock contractors bringing in the best stock for the kids to compete on. He was very specific that he didn’t want any eliminators in the rough stock. So, the whole deal turned out that I won the bid on the stock contract, and I ended up bringing in some of the best contractors to furnish the stock for the IFYR for 20 years. That first year, I provided all the labor to run three arenas, picked up broncs, had horses and bulls there, and coordinated the rest of the contractors. Over the years I’ve coordinated with many stock contractors such as: Wendel Ratchford, J.C. Ward, Dale Hall, David Bailey, Sammy Andrews, the Rumfords, Bar 44, Chuck Donaldson, Lindell Tunes, Danny Hajek, Charlie John Coffee, Hall Rodeo Company, Vicki Long, and Charlie Thompson.”
An Oklahoma native, Phil grew up between Stillwater and Perkins, Oklahoma, and graduated from Perkins High School before graduating from Oklahoma State University in 1966 with an animal science degree. Rodeo was a part of his upbringing and his senior year of high school he started riding bulls and made a short stint as a bareback rider as well. After leaving OSU, he managed 150 head of Black Angus in Glenwood, Arkansas, so rodeo was put on hold for a few years. Phil’s first wife, with whom he had a son, Rod, and set of boy and girl twins, Walt and Misty, had an aunt and uncle that were involved in a serious accident, so they came back to Stillwater, Oklahoma to help manage their dairy while they recuperated. Once the family was able to take back over at the dairy, Phil went to work for Oklahoma State University as the assistant beef herdsman for several years, before going to work for Farmland Industries in Enid, Oklahoma, where he has worked for 43 years. And between all the full-time jobs, Phil was building his name as a stock contractor throughout the country.
Starting out, Phil had the opportunity to breed to a bull, Andy Capp, owned by Jim Shoulders that was nearing the end of his successful career, having been a favored bull at the NFR for many years with Jim. Phil was glad to end up with several great bulls out of those crossings. “I was doing work with Carl Rice, out of Begas, Oklahoma at that time, picking up broncs and leasing him bulls, and several of those bulls made the IFR at that time in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Things kept progressing along and I went to a Jerald Smith sale in Texarkana and bought some bulls and ended up with some really good bulls. I’d buy bulls that were someone else’s mistake and I’d bring them home and had success in bringing them along.”
Phil had a portable bull riding arena, and he started hauling it to different locations and putting on bull ridings. Hank Moore put in Tumbleweeds, a bar in Stillwater, Oklahoma with an arena behind it, and Phil started bucking bulls there every Saturday night. He’d also buck bulls at Doug Blem’s arena on Sundays, plus buck bulls at his house in Goltry each week. “I had the opportunity to show those bulls three different types of arenas within a week’s time, it was good for them.” In 1991, he bought 3 bulls from Jess Kephart, one was Tumbleweed, and another, Bodacious. “I bought Bodacious in 1991 and in 1992 he went to the IFR, although he didn’t buck there. “Sammy Andrews started hauling them and Bodacious began an extremely successful career. He bucked off Bubba Don, and Terry Don West was the first man to ride him. Terry Don got on him four times, he rode him twice and got hurt twice. I watched Tuff Hedeman ride him in Long Beach and it was the best ride I’d ever seen on him, Tuff matched him move for move, but then got hurt on him. Tuff drew him at the NFR later and stepped off him out of the chute, because he didn’t want to chance getting hurt.” Bodacious had a reputation throughout the bull riding world as “the world’s most dangerous bull.” Bodacious was the bucking bull of they year in the PRCA twice, PBR bull of the year once, and was inducted into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs in 1999 and inducted into the Bull Riding Hall of Fame in 2017. On November 5, 2019, Bodacious will be recognized at the 2019 PBR Heroes & Legends Celebration at South Point Casino & Hotel with the PBR Brand of Honor, the sport’s highest recognition for a bovine athlete.
Besides Phil’s success in breeding and choosing bulls, he also had some stand-out horses over the years. “I started putting together a few head of horses, Sammy Andrews would send colts to our friend Danny Hajeck to grow in the summer, and I would haul the colts and started putting on rodeos. A lot of the horses out of that deal went on to be outstanding. Cool Water, Lock and Load, Power Play, Roly Poly; they all went on to make the NFR. One of the latest horses I hauled for Sammy was H-09 who went on to be an NFR saddlebronc horse. Having the success that I’ve had with the horses and bulls has been a very self-fulfilling experience.”
Through all the horses, bulls and productions, Phil was determined to not let rodeo interfere with his business life. “There were many times that I’d get off work on Friday, rent a car and drive to a rodeo where I had hired guys to haul my horse and meet me. I’d work as a pick-up man, and rodeo all weekend, and the guys would drop me off at work Monday morning, and I’d start work in the clothes I was wearing from the night before. Not too many people knew that’s what I was doing.”
Phil has a stepson, Jason Auddell, from his second wife, “Jason has a passion for rodeo and has been extremely helpful. He’s got some bulls that he’s had good success with, and his son Thatcher just graduated from high school but hauls bulls to events himself. All my kids have helped me at rodeos. My daughter helps time, and all of them have helped me at the IFR over the years. It’s great to share it all with them.” Phil’s wife Jeni is now helping him with some of the rodeos he puts on each year. Phil passed on the torch and stopped bringing stock to the IFYR 5 years ago, but he currently puts on many IPRA and KPRA rodeos each year.
Phil looks back fondly on the two decades he was involved with the IFYR, “One of the best things I ever did at the IFYR was on Sunday, I’d set up a trailer for the contractors to keep all their tack, and I’d put a 10 X 20 tent with a shade cloth on the west side, and I’d set up water misters. The stock contractors would all gather around there, and let me tell you, there were some very enjoyable stories told under that tent. Monday, the rodeo would start, so at that tent it was like the quiet before the storm.”
When your grandma is Betty Roper, the winningest barrel racer in the International Professional Rodeo Association, the announcer often mentions her when introducing you to the crowds. Jayco Roper has grown accustomed to hearing the announcers rave about his grandma and her six world titles as he is getting things just right in the chutes before they break open the latch for his bareback horse to bolt into the arena. Especially when Jayco is at an IPRA or IFYR rodeo, where the Roper name has a longstanding history. Jayco has competed at the International Finals Youth Rodeo for the past two years and is looking forward to going this July for his third attempt at winning it all. “I’m ready to make a big appearance this year, so they can remember my name.”
As with many fourth-generation Oklahoma cowboys, rodeo surrounds Jayco on all sides, and with multiple family members traveling rodeo roads both currently as well as the past, rodeo is as much a part of the milestones in life as learning to walk. Jayco and his sisters, Jaylie, 23, and Jernie, 8, have had plenty of examples set before them, as their dad, J.W. competed as a team roper for many years, and besides their grandma Betty’s successful barrel racing and horse training career, their grandpa Jimmy Roper was a well-known and accomplished steer wrestler. Betty and Jimmy grew up with rodeoing parents, and, Jayco’s mom, Nikki, had grandparents that rodeoed back in their day as well. “I’ve lived in the rodeo environment my whole life, and both my sisters are hardcore barrel racers. Jaylie competed at the IFYR in barrel racing when she was younger and has trained some great barrel horses; and Jernie lives, eats, and breathes barrel racing.”
Jayco at Huntsville, Arkansas rodeo
Trevor Lattin and Jayco – Courtesy of the family
Jayco at the 2018 IFYR – RodeoBum.com
At just 17, the Epic Charter School, homeschooled high school senior started his rodeo career riding sheep at 3 years old and stepped up the rough stock ladder to calves, steers, and mini broncs when he was 6 years old. Although he comes from a family of mainly timed-event competitors, Jayco had a passion for rough stock from the very beginning at the Ward Rodeo Company rodeos he would compete at. Jayco’s first year in the Oklahoma Junior High Rodeo Association led him to a national title as a seventh grader, when he left the NJHSFR in Des Moines, Iowa as the 2015 National Champion Bareback Steer Rider. Leading up to that, he had won the Oklahoma bareback steer champion title and champion rookie cowboy title. Jayco placed 4th in 2016 at the NJHSFR. He stepped up to bareback horses when he was about 14, and soon he was riding with all the big boys on full size broncs. Jayco won the 2017 Oklahoma High School Rodeo Association Champion Bareback Rider title his freshman year.
Learning the bronc riding ropes has been easier with the help of neighbor Justin McDaniel. Justin competed in the IFYR in 2003 and 2004, winning the all-around championship in 2004 after topping the earnings board with money earned in both bareback and bull riding. He was inducted into the IFYR Hall Of Fame in 2014. “Justin has been a huge help to me over the years. He lives about 25 minutes away from our place in South Muscogee and he comes over to help me alot. He is always there to help fix my rigging and give me advice; I really look up to him. And, I never ride a horse without praying to God first.”
Jayco keeps up a very busy schedule, competing in the American Cowboys Rodeo Association, Cowboys Regional Rodeo Association, and the All Indian Rodeo Cowboys Association. “My dad is my big-time manager; he takes care of everything. He schedules what rodeos I’m entering, and I hop and don’t ask too many questions. I take what I do very seriously and work hard to step-up my game to ride with the big guys at these associations.” Jayco spends much of his time practicing on his spur board, preparing for rodeos, and goes to the gym at least three times each week. “I like to run and do a lot of core work and powerlifting at the gym.” He does make some time for fly fishing occasionally and enjoys going fishing for trout with his bulldogger friend, Shylo Glover.
Jaylie and Jernie Roper, and Quinton Roberson
Jayco and his grandfather, Jimmy
Jayco’s dad works for the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, and his mom works as a schoolteacher at the Oklahoma School for the Blind. J.W. is happy to be a big part of Jayco’s rodeo aspirations, and enjoys the time they spend on the roads, knowing that the next transition is already beginning; and that is Jayco hauling with other rodeo competitors to rodeos. Currently, Jayco is starting to travel with his calf roper friend, Glenn Jackson to some of the local rodeos. This transition will let J.W. naturally progress into focusing his energies towards his ball of fire youngest, as she makes her way through the rodeo ranks as a star barrel racer.
J.W.’s mom, Betty, lives next door to the family and at 70 years old, is still riding every day. “Grandma Betty is still healthy and gets around like a 40-year-old. She’s never sitting down unless they’re eating lunch.” Betty has helped both granddaughters with their barrel racing and imparted much of her training knowledge on the girls as they work with her. “Jayco hasn’t slacked up at all since he started riding, it has been non-stop. Jernie is riding a chestnut gelding named Cantina that my mom started, and she is rearing to go. She’s already been winning at some junior rodeo associations, and once I get Jayco going on his way, it’s about time for me to focus on her rodeo career,” explained J.W.
Getting ready for the IFYR competition is building anticipation in the Roper household. “IFYR is the next big thing. It’s a great competition where you can win a lot of money and our family has a lot of history with both the IPRA and IFYR. Sometimes I joke with my grandma that I wish she wouldn’t be the center of attention all the time when I’m there. But really, I think it’s cool, and I want to keep working towards my goals to be one of the great ones. I’d like to win as many world champion titles as she has so that one day, they may be talking about me when my grandson is getting ready in the chutes.”
Jayco appreciates his sponsor, Up North Outlaws, for keeping him looking great with their clothing line.
The National Little Britches Association was founded in 1952, and sanctions rodeos in over 33 states, giving children 5 to 18 years old opportunities to compete in rodeo events across the country. For kids in the central part of the country, NLBRA is one of few choices they have when it comes to being a rodeo competitor, and they couldn’t be more grateful. The Hinrichs family from Ellsworth, Minnesota have only been involved with the NLBRA for a few years now, but much of their time is now centered around the rodeo schedules in both the Dakota Prairie Little Britches and Minnesota/Eastern South Dakota Little Britches rodeos.
“The Big Deal Land & Cattle Company, that’s what everyone likes to joke about and call me around Minnesota and South Dakota,” laughs Steve, patriarch of the Hinirichs family, who supplies all the timed event cattle and goats for Little Britches rodeos across Minnesota and South Dakota. The fact is, the busy family hasn’t slowed down enough to give the stock-contracting business an actual name since they started rolling along three years ago. Not only do Steve and his wife Bridget work jobs outside of the family’s horse training business, but all three of their children, Paige, 18, Tanner, 15, and Kiana (Bubbles), 8, compete in the Little Britches Rodeo Association with quite a bit of success. In 2016, the Hinrichs children became more involved in rodeo and started in the MN/Eastern SD Little Britches Rodeo Association. Word spread that the family kept stock for the kids to practice on and train horses, and it wasn’t long before the requests started coming to bring livestock to the rodeos. “A contractor backed out right before a rodeo a couple years ago, so they asked if we could bring some stock. People were happy with what we brought, and it’s grown to full-time from there. We bring stock to rodeos in both states and will supply cattle and goats at approximately 50 rodeos this year.”
Paige barrel racing at the 2018 NLBFR – JenningsRodeoPhotography.com
Hinrichs family at a family birthday – Courtesy of the family
Tanner and Paige with their buckles from 2018 NLBFR – Courtesy of the family
Paige competes in all 7 rodeo events available to a senior girl competitor; breakaway roping, ribbon roping, team roping, barrel racing, pole bending, goat tying, and trail. She recently graduated from Adrian High School, and will be attending the Southeast Technical Institute, where she’ll be studying Invasive Cardiovascular Technology. Besides maintaining a 4.0 GPA, which helped her obtain a full-ride scholarship to the school, Paige has worked for two years as a CNA at Parkview Manor, a nursing home in Ellsworth. Paige also helps with farm chores and attends the Salem Reformed Church in Little Rock, Iowa with her family on Wednesday nights. “I’ve enjoyed competing in the Little Britches Association. I really like the leadership role I can have as a senior in the association and cheer on and mentor the little ones.” Paige favors roping the most, “At home I normally break in the tie-down calves, so the kids often ask me how they’re going to run at the rodeos. It’s been nice competing with Tanner and we’re fortunate we can practice together.” Paige hopes to continue roping in the future and looks up to Trevor Brazile as a competitor, although she doesn’t get much chance to keep up with his career. “We don’t have time to watch much television because we’re always outside. Friends will talk to me about something that was on television and I’ll tell them ‘I have no idea what you’re talking about,’ we just live a different lifestyle than most people do.”
Tanner, a sophomore at Adrian High School, likes math and playing guard for the school basketball team. He competes in calf roping, and as Paige’s partner in both ribbon roping and team roping. He spends time watching rodeo runs on YouTube and especially likes to watch his favorite calf roper, Cory Solomon. He agrees with his dad that he lives in a rodeo paradise and appreciates the opportunities he has to practice whenever he wants. “I can tie goats or rope when I need to, and if it’s raining, I can rope in the indoor arena. I’m pretty competitive, so It’s great being able to have the tools I need to get to the top of my game.” Tanner enjoys hanging out with his friends at the rodeos and has learned a lot seeing the backside of rodeo production through the family’s involvement. “Being involved in the Little Britches Association has been great, my family enjoys the time together and everyone in the association has been so good to us.” Tanner likes getting to drive within a 20-mile range of the farm with his newly acquired farm permit but looks forward to turning 16 in July, so he can have more freedom on the roads. “It’s not bad having all the chores on the farm; my dad says if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.”
The youngest of the Hinrichs crew, Bubbles, may have been born with the name Kiana, but since her dad started the nickname after noticing she blew little bubbles laying in the hospital bassinet, Bubbles is what she’s gone by her whole life. As a second grader, her favorite school subject is reading, and she especially likes to read stories in the Biscuit series. She loves to compete in barrel racing and pole bending the most and likes practicing at home with her siblings. Bubbles likes riding Henny Penny, her 13-year-old black mare in all her events. “The Little Britches rodeos are giving Bubbles a great environment to grow as a competitor. She was a little hesitant to go too fast at first, but her confidence is growing, and she’s getting faster at each rodeo. She recently won the flag race and that used to be the event she dreaded the most.” Her favorite chore to help with in the afternoons is bottle-feeding the baby goats and calves.
The Hinrichs – Courtesy of the family
Bubbles competing at the 2018 NLBFR – JenningsRodeoPhotography.com
Tanner at the 2018 NLBFR – JenningsRodeoPhotography.com
The family’s settling into their new home at Hinrichs’ Arena, on land where Steve grew up as the youngest of four children belonging to George and Leona Hinrichs. The farm is in the southwest corner of Minnesota, just one mile from Iowa and 30 miles from South Dakota. “My parents were very involved in showing horses and my mom was the secretary and treasurer of the Southwest Minnesota Trail Riders’ Club where we showed horses in halter, pleasure, and game events. When they passed away, I bought their 80-acre farm, and we’re raising our family here.” The farm has an outdoor and indoor arena that Steve used after he graduated from Ellsworth High School in 1989, to train outside horses while helping operate their dairy cow business. Bridget, graduated from Ellsworth High in 1997 and is grateful she’s just three miles from her childhood home, where her father, who remarried after her mom passed away, still farms and raises stock cows. Steve and Bridget have been married since 1998 and appreciate raising their family in their hometown with so much family history surrounding them.
Currently, Steve works for a neighboring farm managing 4,000 head of swine. Besides that daily work, he spends three days each week riding horses at the sale barn, sorting and bringing livestock up for auction. “I work at the Sioux Falls sales barn on Mondays and Wednesdays, and the Sheldon, Iowa barn on Thursdays. I ride horses I have in for training while I work at the auctions and it gives me great opportunities to train horses for my clients.” Bridget who team roped, and barrel raced before family responsibilities took over, also works at the sale barn with Steve on Thursdays but spends much of her time managing the family and farm, where she takes charge of raising bottle calves and goats.
The family keeps approximately 25 head of roping cattle, 30-40 goats, and 50 calves ranging from those still on milk, up to 350 pounds. “Right now, we’re bottle feeding 20 calves and get new calves in from the dairy twice each week. We use lots of Jerseys for the Little Britches rodeos; people thought they’d be too weak and wouldn’t run, but we feed them heavy and they work great for the kids. The cattle we use give each of the competitors a chance to win and we work hard to keep them as even as possible. If one of the cattle or goats don’t work well, we don’t bring them back again. We can’t always predict what they’ll do, but we want to bring the most user-friendly stock we can to the rodeos. I’d much rather see the kids beat each other on times rather than beat another contestant just because they drew better.”
It’s said that a family that plays together, stays together; and for the Hinrichs that’s what their life is about. When they aren’t taking care of business, they like to take their dogs out for coon hunts and go bow-hunting for deer. They enjoy their time together on the road; Tanner shared, “On the way to rodeos, Paige and I put in the aux cord and get jamming with dad to get pumped up. We mostly play old country music that dad will recognize, and he gets crazy with all that stuff.” One of the family’s pre-game traditions is the kids all praying together before the rodeo competition gets started. Steve explained, “It’s not all about blood and guts, of course we all want to win, but it’s more about making good horses, learning from our mistakes, and helping each other get better. We’re glad that the Little Britches association gives us a great opportunity to watch our kids grow in rodeo and enjoy the members and the comradery we share. If we’re not having a good time while they’re competing, what’s the point in doing it?”
Front porch sittin’ will have to wait at the Rocking Chair Ranch, in Philipsburg, Montana, because Carolynn and her husband Willy Vietor are far too busy in the rodeo world to occupy rocking chairs. Carolynn, former Miss Rodeo America 1966, has spent a lifetime promoting and competing in professional rodeo as well as promoting the western lifestyle. Carolynn spends many hours in the saddle each week exercising and training on three horses, (her competition horse, back-up horse and prospect mare) and often stays at the barn until after dark. With a rodeo career spanning over 6 decades, Carolynn still has a passion for running barrels and every Tuesday night through the summer season you can find her sharing that passion at the Ranch at Rock Creek, just 20 minutes across the mountain from her home. “Riding in the exhibition rodeos and sharing rodeo with people that know nothing about it has been one of the most rewarding things I’ve done in the promotion of the sport and the western lifestyle.” The rodeos are produced at the luxury dude ranch to share the experience of the wild west and a close-up view of rodeo with guests from all over the world, including social hours so guests can interact with the cowboys and cowgirls competing. Willy and Carolynn began working with the Ranch at Rock River three years ago, and the rodeos, produced with the help of former PRCA stock contractor Joe DeMers, offer a full slate of rodeo events to wow the crowds. Willy flags timed events and competes as a team roper in the rodeos. Barrel racing is one of the favored events of the night, and although many of the ranch’s wranglers race, Carolynn is the only professional barrel racer to star in the show, “I ride in full-dress code, bring one of my best horses and make the best run I can each rodeo, giving the guests a glimpse of true rodeo runs. All I’ve done in my life is coming to a head in doing this, it’s turned out to be one of the highlights of my life.”
NIRA Finals, 1965 in Laramie, Wyoming where she finished with a 14.0. – Courtesy of the family
Carolynn as Miss Rodeo America, 1966, Belle Fourche – Foxie
At age 9 years old, Carolynn carried the flag at the Breckenridge Park rodeo in San Antonio, Texas, 1952 – Courtesy of the family
Carolynn grew up in San Antonio, Texas as an only child and spent many days at her grandparents’ ranch just outside of Campbellton, Texas. Doll and J.G. Callan instilled a love of horses into their granddaughter, and as a child would take her to the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. “Some friends of my grandparents gave us box seat tickets, and from those seats I watched the barrel racing for the first time and was hooked. I knew right then and there that I wanted to barrel race one day.” Carolynn’s grandpa was a cattleman and although he didn’t have rodeo horses, he made sure to buy his young granddaughter a horse that was kept at a nearby boarding stable and Carolynn spent several years riding and even competing in western pleasure shows. “My grandparents bought me a wonderful Palomino gelding named Sunny Boy. I was honored to carry the American flag on him at one of the shows at just 9-years-old; little did I know then that I would one day carry the American flag as Miss Rodeo America, and later at the 1998 opening ceremony of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo on the WPRA’s 50th Anniversary.”
Although Carolynn’s dream was to be a barrel racer, even then barrel horses were very expensive, so she started out on ranch horses and entered high school rodeos as a breakaway roper. “I was 4th in the state of Texas in breakaway roping, on borrowed horses with borrowed trailers, actually borrowed everything!” Carolynn graduated from W.B. Ray High School in Corpus Christi, Texas before going on to compete on the college rodeo team for Southwest Texas State as a goat tyer. Carolynn was the NIRA Southern Region Champion Goat Tyer two years in a row and placed deep in the goat tying at the college national finals in 1964. In 1965, the NIRA held a Rodeo Queen contest and Carolynn rode away from the competition with the crown and title that summer. By the fall of that same year, she had also claimed the Miss Rodeo Texas crown, and finally went on to collect the coveted Miss Rodeo America crown, reigning for all three associations in 1966. Carolynn was the first Miss Rodeo America to win in all three categories of the competition; horsemanship, personality, and appearance. After taking the year off from college to focus on her responsibilities as rodeo queen, Carolynn graduated from Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas in 1968 with a degree in home economics and speech. Carolynn’s senior year of college, a friend set her up on a blind date with Bill, known as Willy; they were married 6 months later and have enjoyed a life of 50-years together so far. Willy served as a T-38 instructor pilot, stationed at the Laredo Air Force base for 6-years during the Vietnam War before the couple and their young son Cal, short for Callan, moved to Willy’s family ranch where they raised commercial cross-bred cattle in Philipsburg, Montana. While they were in Montana, Carolynn barrel raced at local amateur rodeos, staying close to home to focus on her family. The couple had their second son, Justin in 1974. Sadly, tragedy struck the young family in 1979 when they suffered the loss of both their 8-year old son, Cal, and Willy’s father Bill, in a tragic airplane accident.
Opening ceremony at the 1998 WNFR. She was president of the WPRA, during its 50th anniversary. – Copeman, PRCA
Carolynn, Miss Rodeo America, 1966 at the Aquatic Wonderland in Aquarena, Texas. Printed on a postcard
Women’s Professional Rodeo Association President, Carolynn Vietor, 2003-2016 – Courtesy of the family
In the late 70’s Carolynn had a sorrel gelding that made such an impression on her that his impact on her life can still be seen today. “Promino, a son of Classy Bar, was the best horse I have ever owned, and because of him, I bought his full sister, Classy Julie, from Dears Quarter Horses in Simms, Montana, and she and our Doc Bar stud, Dee Barretta have been the foundation of every great horse I’ve had since then.” Carolynn won the Montana Barrel Racing finals on Promino two years, and while riding Promino, she filled her rookie GRA (now the WPRA) permit in 1979 at one rodeo in Helena, Montana. After filling her card while competing in the PRCA Montana Pro Rodeo Circuit, she went to the circuit finals a total of 18 times on 7 different horses. In 2003, she was the Montana Circuit Champion on one of her colts, Classy Eye Am, a sorrel mare more fondly known as Bump. In 2003, Carolynn qualified for the 2004 Dodge National Circuit Finals in Pocatello, Idaho. The couple built a winter home in 2005, just outside of Wickenburg, Arizona and Carolynn stopped going to the Montana circuit rodeos as heavily. However, slowing down was not exactly Carolynn Vietor’s speed, and she and Willy continued to compete in the National Senior Pro Rodeo Association, with Carolynn winning the 2008 NSPRA Champion Barrel Racer title on Bump.
In 1985, she held the Northern Region Director position, followed by the Montana Director position for the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association, for a total of 10 years before taking the reins as president of the association from 1995 until 2003. After retiring for 10 years, she was re-elected as president once again serving from 2013 until 2016. During Carolynn’s time with the WPRA, she not only saw incredible growth in the industry but was also recognized with many honors and awards. Carolynn was named the 1999 Coca-Cola Woman of the Year, 2002 Pioneer Woman of the Year, and was awarded the WPRA Heritage Award in 2002 as well. “Everything is bigger and better, Miss Rodeo America, rodeos, barrel racing, all of it. There are so many more rodeos, more sponsors, and so much more money. No one ever dreamed we’d compete for the money we can today.” In 2008, Carolynn was honored as the Texas State University Alumna of the Year because of her work in professional rodeo. Although it was due to the efforts of several board members and many years of earnestly working towards goals, Carolynn was fortunate to see major accomplishments while she was the WPRA president; in 1998, team ropers and barrel racers were given equal money at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, and she was also in the lead of the WPRA when the prize money went to over a million dollars at the WNFR.
Carolynn is as busy as ever today, filled with the same passion for barrel racing that has been the story of her life. “I have a 7-year old horse coming up, so I’m about ready to get more heavily into competing again. I broke my leg last year so that slowed me down some, but I’ve finally just about forgotten I broke it, so I’m getting back in the groove and ready to go again.” Besides judging at multiple events, when in Arizona Willy ropes nearly every day of the week, sometimes going to 2 or 3 ropings a day. They enjoy spending time with Justin, his wife Brook, and their two granddaughters, Ellie, 8, and Reese, 6, (lovingly known as MayMay), who live near Salt Lake City, Utah. Carolynn and Willy are on a desperate search to find the perfect kid horses to share with their granddaughters, hoping to instill the same passion for the lifestyle that her grandparents once did for her.
The Vietor family was inducted to the 2016 Montana Pro Rodeo Hall and Wall of Fame and in 2017, Carolynn was included as one of the Outstanding Women of the West at the Montana Silversmith World Reunion and Gold Card Gathering.
“Professional rodeo has grown by leaps and bounds from the cowboys of the Turtle days that worked to gain recognition as a professional sport to what it is today, but still with the ground roots of the western lifestyle and where we came from. I am so happy to have been a part of it and see it all happen.”
