Author: Siri Stevens

Iowan wins Triple Crown, $1.1M at RFD-TV’s The American

story courtesy of RFD-TV

Arlington, Texas; Feb. 28, 2016 – Wade Sundell, 31 of Boxholm, Iowa, earned $1.1 million after an eight-second rodeo ride on Feb. 28 at AT&T Stadium during RFD-TV’s The American, presented by Polaris Ranger.

The nationally televised rodeo annually invites the 10 best professional athletes in the world to compete for a $1 million purse, but the format also allows a handful of athletes to pay a fee to attempt to qualify throughout the season. A million-dollar bonus was reserved for any qualifier who could beat the best in the world on Feb. 28.

But Sundell, the 2015 reserve world champion saddle bronc rider, was also eligible for the bonus this year – if he could win his event for a remarkable third straight year as the “Triple Crown” champion. None of the qualifiers could unseat the elite athletes, and Sundell took home the entire bonus after an epic ride of 90.75 points on a Frontier Rodeo bronc named Maple Leaf.

“I think I was born for this place,” said Sundell, who also won $100,000 at RFD-TV’s The American in AT&T Stadium in 2014 and again in 2015. “There’s no backing up here; you have to let it all hang out.”

Sundell had to sweat the run of fellow Triple Crown contender Lisa Lockhart of South Dakota, who also won the preliminary round of her event and looked likely to split Sundell’s million-dollar windfall. But by less than two-tenths of a second, Lockhart was edged to second in barrel racing, making Sundell the lone bonus winner.

His paycheck of $1.1 million on Sunday comes close to the $1.4 million it has taken him nine years of professional bronc riding to earn in his career. Sundell recently won the Cheyenne (Wyo.) Frontier Days rodeo on Maple Leaf.

“I’m always wound up, but I was really wound up when I found out I had that horse,” said Sundell, who was a high-school standout wrestler. He became the first saddle bronc rider to qualify for the NFR from Iowa in 2009, and has made repeat trips to Las Vegas every year since.

Roping Hall-of-Famer Clay O’Brien Cooper, 55, was Derrick Begay’s idol 30 years ago. On Sunday, the pair turned in the fastest time in team roping to earn $100,000 apiece. Begay, 32, from the Navajo Nation in Arizona, had never set foot in AT&T Stadium before Feb. 28, and he seldom shows much emotion. But he offered fans one of the biggest smiles to ever crack his face – twice – on Sunday.

“When you’re back home practicing, you imagine that last steer is for $20 or $100,000, and it’s nice that it worked out today,” he said. “But the best thing about this is the partner I’m roping with – that makes it a lot more special.”

Cooper of Gardnerville, Nev., was characteristically humble, saying, “I was just glad to see that steer jump in my loop.” He referred to RFD-TV’s The American as the greatest one-day rodeo in the world.

Minnesota bareback rider Tanner Aus of Granite Falls defeated the great world champion Kaycee Feild by just a quarter-point to earn $100,000 on the same bronc that Taylor Price rode to win the event last year – Frontier’s Showstomper. Incidentally, Feild had just laid his father, Lewis, to rest a week earlier. He brought his father’s saddle to center stage in the stadium and dozens of cowboys adorned it with roses while a special music video recorded by Jewel for the occasion played on the jumbo screen.

In steer wrestling, Montana’s Ty Erickson took the six-figure prize home, while Sarah McDonald of Georgia dominated the barrel racing on her roan mare. The tie-down roping offered plenty of drama, as well.

Hunter Herrin, on a borrowed horse, not only won the first round with a 6-second run, but then came back and bumped the man who looked to have a lock on the $100,000 check. Tyson Durfey, who won the American in 2014, had been first to go and clocked in at 6.8 seconds. But Herrin, last out, turned in a heart-thumping 6.7.

In bull riding, Brazilian Joao Ricardo Vieira of Brazil was the lone man to ride his final bull, earning $100,000 for an 81.75-point effort. By virtue of staying on his bull for the longest duration of those who bucked off, North Dakotas Stetson Lawrence placed second.

Every event champion also took home nearly $50,000 in prizes that included new Polaris RANGERs. In addition, The American paid out more than a half-million dollars through its Semi-Finals and its Contestant Patch Auction in Fort Worth, Feb. 17-21.

Following are official results from RFD-TV’s The American, presented by Polaris RANGER, on Feb. 28, 2016:

Bareback Riding: Preliminary Round: 1. Tim O’Connell, Zwingle, Iowa, 86.25 points on Calgary Stampede’s Trail Dust; 2. RC Landingham, Hat Creek, Calif., 85.25; 3. Tanner Aus, Granite Falls, Minn., 83.75; 4. Kaycee Feild, Spanish Fork, Utah, 83.5; 5. Austin Foss, Terrebonne, Ore., 82.25; 6. Winn Ratliff, Leesville, La., 82.25; 7. Steven Dent, Mullen, Neb., 81.75; 8. Jake Vold, Ponoka, Alberta, 81.25; 9. Tyler Nelson, Victor, Idaho, 81.25; 10. Will Lowe, Canyon, Texas, 80; 11. Ty Breuer, Mandan, N.D., 76; 12. Evan Jayne, Marseille, France, 56. Shootout Round: 1. Tanner Aus, Granite Falls, Minn., 88.50 points on Frontier’s Showstomper, $100,000; 2. Kaycee Field, Spanish Fork, Utah, 88.25, $25,000.

Team Roping: Preliminary Round: 1. Derrick Begay, Seba Dalkai, Ariz./Clay O’Brien Cooper, Gardnerville, Nev., 3.85 seconds; 2. Trevor Brazile, Decatur, Texas/Patrick Smith, Lipan, Texas, 4.01; 3. David Key, Stephenville, Texas/Dugan Kelly, Paso Robles, Calif., 4.09; 4. Blaine Vick, Dublin, Texas/Dakota Kirchenschlager, Stephenville, Texas, 4.2; 5. Nick Sartain, Yukon, Okla./Cory Petska, Marana, Ariz., 4.33; 6. Chad Masters, Cedar Hill, Tenn./Travis Graves, Jay, Okla., 4.42; 7. Coleman Proctor, Pryor, Okla./Kory Koontz, Stephenville, Texas, 4.64; 8. Jake Barnes, Scottsdale, Ariz./Rich Skelton, Llano, Texas, 5.32; 9. Colby Lovell, Madisonville, Texas/Kollin VonAhn, Blanchard, Okla., 13.74. Shootout Round: 1. Derrick Begay, Seba Dalkai, Ariz./Clay O’Brien Cooper, Gardnerville, Nev., 4.56 seconds, $100,000; 2. David Key, Stephenville, Texas/Dugan Kelly, Paso Robles, Calif., 4.94, $25,000.

Steer Wrestling: Preliminary Round: 1. Cody Cassidy, Donalda, Alberta, 4.10 seconds; 2. Ty Erickson, Helena, Mont., 4.12; 3. Dakota Eldridge, Elko, Nev., 4.35; 4. Casey Martin, Sulphur, La., 4.39; 5. Clayton Hass, Terrell, Texas. 4.41; 6. K.C. Jones, Decatur, Texas, 4.50; 7. Todd Suhn, Hermosa, SD., 4.83; 8. Bray Armes, Pilot Point, Texas, 5.8; 9. Justin Shaffer, Hallsville, Texas, 6.08; 10. Lee Graves, Calgary, Alberta, 6.43; 11. Olin Hannum, Malad, Idaho, 8.19; 12. Baylor Roche, Trementon, Utah, 9.12; 13. Trevor Knowles, Mount Vernon, Ore., 14.91; 14. Luke Branquinho, Los Alamos, Calif., 15.2; Shootout Round: 1. Ty Erickson, Helena, Mont., 4.80 seconds, $100,000; 2. Cody Cassidy, Donalda, Alberta, 7.75, $25,000.

Saddle Bronc Riding: Preliminary Round: 1. Wade Sundell, Boxholm, Iowa, 85.5 points on Calgary Stampede’s Stampede Warrior; 2. Jake Wright, Milford, Utah, 85.5; 3. Cort Scheer, Elsmere, Neb., 85.25; 4. Jacobs Crawley, Boerne, Texas, 83.25; 5. Cody DeMoss, Heflin, La., 80; 6. CoBurn Bradshaw, Beaver, Utah, 80.25; 7. Heith DeMoss, Heflin, La., 80; 8. Taos Muncy, Corona, N.M., 79.25; 9. Rusty Wright, Milford, Utah, 79; 10. Wyatt Casper, Balko, Okla., 78.75; 11. Clay Elliott, Nanton, Alberta, 78.25; 12. Joey Sonnier, New Liberia, La., 72. Shootout Round: 1. Wade Sundell, Boxholm, Iowa, 90.75 points, Frontier’s Maple Leaf, $100,000 plus $1,000,000 bonus; 2. Jake Wright, Milford, Utah, 87.75, $25,000.

Tie Down Roping: Preliminary Round: 1. Hunter Herrin, Apache, Okla., 6.8 seconds; 2. Cory Solomon, Prairie View, Texas, 7.14; 3. Justin Maass, Giddings, Texas, 7.42; 4. Tyson Durfey, Savannah, Mo., 7.48; 5. Cooper Matthews, Cleburne, Texas, 7.53; 6. Fred Whitfield, Hockley, Texas, 7.76; 7. Marty Yates, Stephenville, Texas, 7.88; 8. Braxton Laughlin, Westlake, La., 8.02; 9. 10. Monty Lewis, Hereford, Texas, 8.83; 10. Taylor Santos, Creston, Calif., 9.07; 11. Matt Shiozawa, Chubbock, Idaho, 9.85; 12. Caleb Smidt, Bellville, Texas, 11.11; 13. Trevor Brazile, Decatur, Texas, 11.51; 14. Randall Carlisle, Athens, La., 12.49; 15. Tuf Cooper, Decatur, Texas, 17.09; 16. Sterling Smith, Stephenville, Texas, 17.70. Shootout Round: 1. Hunter Herrin, Apache, Okla., 6.77 seconds, $100,000; 2. Tyson Durfey, Savannah, Mo., 6.86 seconds, $25,000.

Barrel Racing: Preliminary Round: 1. Lisa Lockhart, Oelrichs, S.D., 14.552 seconds; 2. Jackie Ganter, Abilene, Texas, 14.571; 3. Sarah Rose McDonald, Brunswick, Ga., 14.594; 4. Callie DuPerier, Boerne, Texas, 14.664; 5. Dustin Angelle, St. Gabriel, La., 14.768; 6. Taylor Jacob, Carmine, Texas, 14.791; 7. Fallon Taylor, Whitesboro, Texas, 14.799; 8. Mary Smothers, Sinton, Texas, 14.846; 9. Cassidy Kruse, Gillette, Wyo., 14.868; 10. Sherry Cervi, Marana, Ariz., 14.876; 11. Ashley Schafer, Yoder, Wyo., 14.892; 12. Kelli Barichello, Kennewick, Wash., 14.897; 13. Michele McLeod, Whitesboro, Texas, 14.910; 14. Jessica Dunbar, Del Rio, Texas, 14.919; 15. Rylee Jo Dick, Oakley, Utah, 14.919; 16. McKenzie Morgan, Maryville, Tenn., 15.259; 17. Derek Diedrich, Goose Lake, Iowa, 15.768; 18. Nancy Hunter, Neola, Utah, 19.60; 19. Sabrina Ketcham, Yeso, N.M., 20.22; 20. Lindsay Sears, Nanton, Alberta, 20.172. Shootout Round: 1. Sarah Rose McDonald, Brunswick, Ga., 14.470 seconds, $100,000; 2. Lisa Lockhart, Oelrichs, S.D., 14.648, $25,000.

Bull Riding: Preliminary Round: 1. Stetson Lawrence, Williston, N.D., 85 points; 2. Fabiano Vieira, Perola, Brazil, 83.75; 3. Joao Ricardo Vieira, Soa Paulo, Brazil, 81.25. Shootout Round: 1.

Bull Riding: 1. Joao Ricardo Vieira, Soa Paulo, Brazil, 81.75 points, $100,000; 2. Stetson Lawrence, Williston, N.D., no score, $25,000.

March 15, 2016
SUPER SERIES IV CHAMPIONS SADDLE UP FOR RODEOHOUSTON® SEMIFINALS

SUPER SERIES IV CHAMPIONS SADDLE UP FOR RODEOHOUSTON^®SEMIFINALS — MARCH 12, 2016 — HOUSTON — FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE —Best times and high scores advanced Super Series IV champions to a semifinal round Saturday, March 12.

TIE-DOWN ROPING

Adam Gray of Seymour, Texas, earned the Super Series IV Tie-Down Roping Champion title with an 8.4 second run in the third round.

“It [winning] is a really neat feeling,” Gray said. “RodeoHouston is the largest rodeo I go to. The fans here are awesome, and it is unlike anywhere else.”

Advancing to Semifinal Round:

Adam Gray, Seymour, Texas — $5,000
Marcos Costa, Childress, Texas — $4,750

Jayce Johnson, Hempstead, Texas — $3,750

Cody Ohl, Hico, Texas — $3,000

BAREBACK RIDING

Caleb Bennett of Tremonton, Utah, won the Super Series IV Bareback Riding Champion title with an 85-point ride in the third round.

“RodeoHouston is the way I wish all rodeos could be,” Bennett said. “It’s one of the places you dream of being at.”

Advancing to Semifinal Round:

Caleb Bennett, Tremonton, Utah — $8,000
Ty Fast Taypotat, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada — $4,250

Devan Reilly, Sheridan, Wyoming — $2,750

Will Lowe, Canyon, Texas — $2,250

TEAM ROPING
Brothers John Philipp and Shane Philipp became Super Series IV Team Roping Champions with a 6.4-second run in the third round.

“We have been doing this together since we were little boys,” Shane Philipp said. “Winning here is great, because it is a hometown rodeo for us.”

Advancing to Semifinal Round:
Shane Philipp – Washington, Texas, and John Philipp – Washington, Texas — $12,000
Roland McFadden – Vulcan, Alberta, Canada, and Tyrel Flewelling – Lacombe, Alberta, Canada — $11,500

Billy Bob Brown – Stephenville, Texas, and Garrett Jess – Coulee City, Washington — $8,000

Cody Graham – Everton, Missouri, and Monty Joe Petska – Turlock, California — $5,500

SADDLE BRONC RIDING

Coburn Bradshaw of Milford, Utah, rode Stampede Warrior in the third round to win the Super Series IV Saddle Bronc Riding Champion title. Bradshaw said RodeoHouston is one of the best rodeos of the year.

“I’ve always wanted to ride for [the $50,000],” Bradshaw said, “and I’m glad [this rodeo] is going as good as it is.”

Advancing to Semifinal Round:
Coburn Bradshaw, Milford, Utah — $7,000
Doug Aldridge, Carthage, Missouri — $3,000

Curtis Garton, Lake Charles, Louisiana — $2,875

Heith Demoss, Heflin, Louisiana — $2,500

STEER WRESTLING

Stockton Graves of Alva, Oklahoma, wrestled in 3.8 seconds to win the Super Series IV Steer Wrestling Champion title.

“Houston is a favorite rodeo of mine to come to if not my absolute favorite,” said Graves, a previous RodeoHouston champion.

Advancing to Semifinal Round:
Stockton Graves, Alva, Oklahoma — $3,750
Tyler Waguespack, Gonzales, Louisiana — $3,000

Josh Peek, Pueblo, Colorado — $3,000

Kyle Irwin, Robertsdale, Alabama — $3,000

BARREL RACING

With a time of 13.94 seconds, the fastest time in the series, Nancy Hunter of Neola, Utah, won the Super Series IV Barrel Racing Championship.

“I’ve won over $160,000 here at Houston in the last three years,” Hunter said. “There’s no other rodeo in the country that you can do that at.”

Advancing to Semifinal Round:
Nancy Hunter, Neola, Utah — $6,000
Carley Richardson, Pampa, Texas — $5,750

Brenda Mays, Terrebonne, Oregon — $3,000

Rachel Dice, Byron, California — $3,000

BULL RIDING

Trey Benton of Rock Island, Texas, was named the Super Series IV Bull Riding Champion with an 85-point ride in the third round.

“I just treat it like any other rodeo I go to,” Benton said. “But, I really enjoy the big stadium and the fans.”

Advancing to Semifinal Round:
Trey Benton, Rock Island, Texas — $7,500
Trevor Kastner, Ardmore, Oklahoma — $5,500

Reid Barker, Comfort, Texas — $4,750

Aaron Pass, Kaufman, Texas — $1,750

The top four in each event from each Super Series will advance to a Semifinal Round. Then, the top four from each event in the Semifinal rounds will advance to the RodeoHouston Super Series Championship, Saturday, March 19. The remaining six from each event in the two semifinals will compete Friday, March 18, in the Wild Card Round, where the top two from each event will advance to the Championship. Each event champion will walk away with a $50,000 payout, in addition to previous winnings. The RodeoHouston Super Series continues through March 19, with the RodeoHouston Super Shootout: North America’s Champions^® presented by Crown Royal, on Sunday, March 20.

March 12, 2016
Meet the Member: Lori Tierney

above: M-SRA member, Lori Tierney – Sugar Creek Photos

story by Terry Rhodes
“Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire.” That quote has a lot of meaning to Lori Tierney and she strives to live by it every day. “I believe in this 100% and the preparation that I do in my roping and working my horses is part of that. It is a true passion for me. I believe that the amount of effort you put into something is what you will get out. I do that kind of preparation so when I get to the rodeo no matter how the cards fall I am satisfied with the results”
Lori has been in the Mid-States association 12 years and has served as event director for the breakaway roping for the last few years. You’ll find her in just about any event that includes throwing a rope, and sometimes barrel racing. “I’m kind of a closet barrel racer.”, she admits with a laugh. She likes the association because of the great people that are in it. “In the summer we travel all over the state each week. I feel like everyone is family; everyone supports one another. We have rodeos in a lot of little towns and the committees that put them on are great.” She is also in the KPRA, NSRA, and WPRA.
The Tierney name is well known in rodeo so it came quite naturally for Lori to get an early start in the arena. “My dad calf roped and team roped so it’s always been part of our family. Growing up on a ranch, I have always been around horses and roping. I did some junior rodeo and 4-H. I had a rodeo scholarship and went to Garden City Community College for two years and transferred to Southwestern Oklahoma State University and got my degree in social work.”
In roping, horse power is everything and Lori has a couple of great horses; Bueno and Charger. “Bueno was raised by my cousins, “Tierney Quarter horses.” Which is neat since they live right down the road and I travel with my cousin, Ginalee to many of the rodeos and ropings. My ‘B’ string horse, Charger was a raffle horse that I won in college and he’s turned out to be a really neat horse.”
Her home is in Broken Bow, Neb. with her family. Her parents are Larry and Kathy Tierney and she has an older brother, Cole. Lori says that she’s had several people helped in her rodeo career but none more than her father. “He’s turned out thousands of calves for me and he’s given me every opportunity to succeed in the arena. Jan Brown has always been a big influence and supporter. She took me under her wing when I was just starting out and has been big a supporter. I have a good friend, Lacey Baehler that is one of the most positive people I know. I think we push each other to bring out the best in each other. Those friendships are irreplaceable. There are so many people that have helped me.”
Lori’s work week is a mix of jobs and duties that keep her on the run. She’s a secretary for Power Solutions part of the day, runs cattle with her dad, does day work, rides horses, and teaches a Zumba class. “I love to dance, so Zumba is an opportunity to share my passion and hopefully inspire people. I’m lucky I have a really awesome balance in my life with all different avenues. I get to live my dream everyday! I’m pretty simple really. I love to rope, dance, am a huge Husker football fan and love to enjoy life!”

February 19, 2016
On the Trail with Jackie Ganter

Jackie Ganter grew up in Texas, born and raised in College Station. Unlike most people from Texas, Jackie chose the English discipline when she started riding at the age of six. “I’d been around horses through my mom (Angela), who ran barrels,” said Jackie. The family moved to Abilene, Texas, and at the age of 8, Jackie lost her father to a heart attack and complications from diabetes. “He owned nine bars and restaurants in College Station; one of them is the Dixie Chicken.” After he passed away, Jackie focused on her riding, entering shows and winning.

“I rode English until I was 12.” Dixie was her English horse and when she got hurt, Jackie couldn’t find another fit. “I’d won every show I went to on Dixie and my mom still ran barrels, and so I decided to do what my mom did.” Riding English gave Jackie the foundation for running barrels. “The judging (in English) involves watching body posture and it takes a lot more strength and body position to keep it correct. My English teacher used to make me jump the whole course without stirrups.”

Switching to barrel racing involved years of trying to get it right. “I was slow at first,” she remembers. “I had an instructor, Jan Burns, who started me out slowly. I ran 18s and 20s. My mom had the best eye for horses and she kept me on the best horse every step of the way. I’ve gone through so many horses, getting a little faster each time. I learned from every horse she put me on.” Jackie worked her way up a few tenths at a time; a horse at a time; to get where she is now.

Jackie barrel racing – Hubbell

Jacki Ganter and Vickie Carter at the PRCA Resistol Rookie Presentation – Rodeo News

Jackie and her mom – Rodeo News

Jackie with Baby J posing for her senior photo – Marcelain Photography

Jackie at the 2012 National High School Finals Rodeo – JenningsRodeoPhotography.com

When she got Frenchmans Jester, previously having been to the NFR with Jordon Briggs, she learned how to win. “That horse and Bobbie Gene drove my passion into what it is now and something I will do for the rest of my life. My goal had been to win the Resistol Rookie when I was 18 and I did it.” Jester passed away after a lengthy illness. Jester wrote Jackie’s ticket in the junior world.

Jackie and her mother met the Alan and Teri Dufur family three years ago. “From the time my wife and I met them at their place in Abilene, we meshed,” said Alan, whose runs a registered Hereford cattle and Quarter Horse operation in Caddo, Okla. “We have onsite trainers on the Quarter horse side that teach all the rodeo principles.” They partnered with Jackie as a major sponsor and that sponsorship involves not only horses, but assisting with any challenges that may happen on the road, such as last week in Rapid City. Jackie was stranded in Nebraska in a blizzard and Alan made sure she made it for the rodeo. “We let them go through our young horses and pick out potential future mounts for her.” Guys French Jet, who she rode in Ft. Worth and the WNFR, is a partnership horse. “No matter what horse you have, you have to have the work ethic. It’s not unusual for her to ride and exercise her string at two in the morning. To me she is beyond her years in the way she handles herself.”

The battle for the Resistol Rookie position was a tight race all the way to the end between Jackie, as the youngest competitor at the WNFR and Vickie Carter, the oldest competitor at 60. “I didn’t meet her until she started beating me,” said Jackie. “It was late winter and we’d never heard of her. She won several rodeos. It was crazy – towards the end, the last two months of the season, every single week we would trade off on the lead. It was literally week by week we would switch back and forth. I don’t think either one of us would have made the NFR without the other. We were fighting each other for the top spot. We are very good friends now.”

The 19-year-old spent last year making the run for the WNFR. “I graduated high school in the middle of my senior year. I went to public school and graduated in December of my senior year, doubling up on classes so I could travel.” She could only make a few of the fall rodeos because of where her birthday fell, but after December, she hit the road. “I went back home between the California and Canada run to walk the stage with my graduating class.”

She travels with her mom, who has been battling breast cancer since late 2010. “They diagnosed it after she had found a knot under her armpit. It came back Stage 3 breast cancer even after a clear mammogram a month prior. She had 28 lymph nodes removed, and went through chemo and radiation and nine surgeries. She is still on a chemo pill daily, so she is still not in remission.” Sometime in 2016, Angela has her last appointment. The cancer treatment has affected Angela’s balance, so she has not run barrels since then. Instead, she has focused on helping her daughter achieve her goals.

“There are not a lot of people that can say they spent a year on the road with their 18-year-old daughter with only one argument,” said Angela. “Driving all the time was a major change for us all – but we experienced things that we would have never done if we weren’t chasing this dream. We spent a lot of time doing other things than just rodeo – we took a helicopter ride in the Canadian Rockies, we saw Mt. Rushmore. My dream of making the NFR was gone when I got sick, and Jackie started riding my horses and I never got them back.”

They run down the road in a trailer from Stephenville Trailers. “It’s a 53’ Hart trailer, with a two bedroom living quarters. We put the bathroom in between the living room and the bed in the nose. You can shut both doors and have two bedrooms. I’m on the couch and we have two different satellites so we can both watch TV. The horse part has automatic waterers and a huge tack in the back.” They pull it with a Freightliner equipped with a 500 engine. “I could drive it up and down the mountains without a problem.” They haul four or five horses along with two dogs. “We get along great – in fact, the only time we had a fight was when I was in the middle of my slump.”

The slump hit during the July Cowboy Christmas run. “When everyone is supposed to win big and make the NFR, I did not win one dollar. It was horrible and the worst slump I’ve ever been through in my career. I was having horrible runs and couldn’t pull it together. I watched myself go from the top 15 to the top 30. My main horse, Baby J, is only six, and Cartel is only 7. My older horse is 12, but I’d sent him home because he got tired on the road and wasn’t working his best. My young horses fell apart so it was a shock all the way around. I saw that it looked impossible to make the NFR, and I got discouraged because I had this goal to make the NFR and Rookie when I was 18. It looked like that was going up in flames and I kept telling myself how horrible it was and that’s what I told myself. I knew my attitude was affecting my runs.”

Realizing the definition of insanity was doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results, Jackie changed everything from how she worked her horses to how she thought. “I watched videos from past NFRs and told myself how I wanted to be there. I told myself that over and over and it finally worked. After July, I finally placed somewhere in the bottom hole and won a check and then things started turning around.” She got on a pretty good roll the last two months and that landed her a spot at the WNFR. Jackie placed in four go rounds and won second in the average after Callie Dupier, who won the world and the average. “We were the only two that had all ten runs clean.” Jackie won more money than any other Resistol Rookie had won as a barrel racer. The race lasted all the way through the WNFR.

“We set out to have a goal that nobody’s done, and about July I told her it was the stupidest thing we’ve ever done,” admitted Angela. “We were used to winning at the barrel races and I wanted to go home. She bawled and cried and I told her to find another driver. She made me give her until the end of July. And she did it. This life is like being in a carnival circus – I remember at the end drawing up as bad as could be and driving two full days and nights to get into four rodeos.” In the end, walking down the alley with her daughter at the Thomas & Mack was this mother’s best dream. And it’s not over.

Jackie’s goal for this year is making the WNFR again, and getting the gold buckle. “Making the NFR is the most incredible thing I’ve ever done,” she said. “My horses are great and I’m going to go as long as I can.” She is also attending college online.

February 19, 2016
Perfect Proctor wins PBR’s Bass Pro Chute Out in St. Louis
Asteroid wins Salem NationaLease High-Marked Bull award in 2016 debut
1. LOUIS – Shane Proctor, the only PBR (Professional Bull Riders) athlete to go 4-for-4 on the weekend, won the Bass Pro Chute Out, presented by Cooper Tires on Sunday at Scottrade Center. It was Proctor’s first Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS) win in more than two years; the last one coming in 2013 at the Anaheim Invitational.
Proctor posted an 88.75-point ride on Shoot Out The Lights (K-C/Josie McElroy Bucking Bulls) to win Round 3 and added an 89-point ride aboard Cooper Tires Brown Sugar (Dakota Rodeo/Chad Berger/Clay Struve/Julie Rosen) to capture the Built Ford Tough Championship Round in his victory. With a third-place showing in Round 1, a seventh-place finish in Round 2, and a first-place finish in the event aggregate, Proctor earned a total of 755 points toward the PBR world standings. He moved from 23^rd to No. 7 in the rankings.

“I felt good on my championship round bull,” Proctor said. “I could hear (Dickies Bullfighter) Frank Newsom yelling at me to ‘just keep spurring, just keep spurring’ so I knew I had him. I get on a lot of bulls throughout the year so to get a win early in the season and avoid the cut, takes a load off.”

Rookies Wallace de Oliveira and Nevada Newman each picked up 340 points to tie for second place. Newman finished second to Proctor in the championship round after an 87.75-point ride on Mississippi Hippy (K-C Bucking Bulls/Spark-Lin Acres/Blythe Cattle), adding to his first place finish in Round 1. Oliveira finished third in Round 3 on an 86.75 point ride aboard Doc Mosely (Jeff Robinson Bucking Bulls). He also finished 13^th in Round 1 and third in Round 2.

Newman’s ride on Mississippi Hippy marked the bull’s first out since the 2015 PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals in October. The PBR’s largest bull, weighing in at nearly 2,300 pounds, had been getting treatment for an infection in his horn, and tumors on his eyelids. To watch Newman and Mississippi Hippy square off, click here.

“This weekend really jump started my career,” Newman said. “I had a gut feeling about picking Hippy in the championship round and I always try to go with my gut. I was a little intimidated by him because he is so huge, but Frank Newsom told me to just keep my hand in the rope and my feet down and I’d have him.”

While 2015 PBR World Champion J.B. Mauney failed to cover his championship round bull, his first-place finish in Round 2, his second-place finish in Round 3, and fourth-place finish in the aggregate gave him 265 points toward the PBR world standings and a fourth place finish in the event. It also secured the No. 2 ranking in the world standings, just 7.5 points behind leader Paulo Lima.

Stetson Lawrence was the leader heading into Round 3, but was unable to cover either of his bulls in the final rounds. He finished in fifth place with 126.7 points.

In his first BFTS out since his retirement a year ago, Asteroid (Dakota Rodeo-Berger/Struve) won the Salem NationaLease High-Marked Bull award in St. Louis with his 45.75-point score. The 2012 PBR World Champion Bull Asteroid launched Joao Ricardo Vieira in quick fashion in 2.9 seconds during the 15/15 Bucking Battle on Saturday. To watch Asteroid’s performance click here.

“I was real nervous for him this weekend,” owner Chad Berger said. “I was just ready to get it over with and see how he did. Now we know and the nerves have gone. He looked real good.”

St. Louis was the sixth of 26 stops on the 2016 Built Ford Tough Series. The tour will continue in the Midwest next weekend, stopping in Kansas City, Missouri, on Feb. 20-21, for the Kansas City Clash presented by Foley Equipment at the Sprint Center.

Following Round 1 on Saturday, Feb. 20, the sport’s top bovine athletes and best bull riders will compete in the fourth 15/15 Bucking Battle of the season. The series’ Top 15 PBR stars will be randomly matched against the 15 highest-ranked bulls in this round, competing for bonus points that count towards the world standings and a total purse of $21,000.

CBS Television Network will broadcast the 15/15 Bucking Battle on Sunday, Feb. 21 at 12 p.m. ET.

Round 2 and the Built Ford Tough Championship Round of the Kansas City Clash will air on CBS Sports Network on Sunday, Feb. 21 at 8 p.m. ET. Fans can also watch all of the action in real time on PBR LIVE online at www.pbr.com/live, or via the PBR LIVE app, which is available for download now on Google Play and iTunes.

The BFTS is televised every week on CBS, CBS Sports Network and networks around the world. BFTS telecasts are produced for the PBR under a multi-year agreement with David Neal Productions, a Los Angeles-based production company led by 34-time Emmy® Award winner and Peabody Award winner David Neal, who serves as executive producer.

Professional Bull Riders
Bass Pro Chute Out Presented by Cooper Tires

St. Louis, Missouri
Event Leaders (Round 1- Round 2 – Round 3 – Round 4 – Event Aggregate-Event Points)
1. Shane Proctor, 87-81-88.75-89-345.75-755 Points.
2. Wallace Vieira de Oliveira, 82-85.75-86.75-0-254.50-340 Points.
(tie). Nevada Newman, 88.25-0-0-87.75-176.00-340 Points.
1. J.B. Mauney, 0-87-87-0-174.00-265 Points.
2. Stetson Lawrence, 85-86.75-0-0-171.75-126.66 Points.
3. Eduardo Aparecido, 85-0-85.5-0-170.50-86.66 Points.
4. Cooper Davis, 85.75-0-84.5-0-170.25-77.5 Points.
5. Gage Gay, 87.75-0-0-0-87.75-65 Points.
6. Paulo Ferreira Lima, 0-84.25-84.5-0-168.75-62.5 Points.
7. Derek Kolbaba, 0-85.5-0-0-85.50-45 Points.
8. Joao Ricardo Vieira, 85.75-0-0-0-85.75-40 Points.
9. Cody Nance, 85.25-0-83.75-0-169.00-35 Points.
10. Kaique Pacheco, 0-83-83.5-0-166.50-25 Points.
11. Silvano Alves, 85-0-0-0-85.00-6.66 Points.
12. Fabiano Vieira, 84.25-80.25-0-0-164.50-5 Points.
13. Stormy Wing, 84.5-0-0-0-84.50
14. Ben Jones, 84-0-0-0-84.00
15. Guilherme Marchi, 81.25-0-0-0-81.25
16. Rubens Barbosa, 74.75-0-0-0-74.75
17. Lindomar Lino, 73.5-0-0-0-73.50
Lachlan Richardson, 0-0-0-0-0.00

Mason Lowe, 0-0-0-0-0.00

Mike Lee, 0-0-0-0-0.00

Valdiron de Oliveira, 0-0-0-0-0.00

Kasey Hayes, 0-0-0-0-0.00

Aaron Roy, 0-0-0-0-0.00

Cody Heffernan, 0-0-0-0-0.00

Ryan Dirteater, 0-0-0-0-0.00

Douglas Duncan, 0-0-0-0-0.00

Tyler Harr, 0-0-0-0-0.00

Justin Paton, 0-0-0-0-0.00

Nathan Schaper, 0-0-0-0-0.00

Robson Aragao, 0-0-0-0-0.00

Claudio Crisostomo, 0-0-0-0-0.00

Reese Cates, 0-0-0-0-0.00

Professional Bull Riders World Standings Points

1. Paulo Ferreira Lima, 18, 4, 8, 1,362.50, $167,619.40
1. J.B. Mauney, 9, 1, 6, 1,355.00, $73,064.63
2. Wallace Vieira de Oliveira, 19, 2, 3, 1,195.00, $69,785.68
3. Joao Ricardo Vieira, 9, 0, 4, 1,190.00, $44,875.00
4. Fabiano Vieira, 10, 2, 3, 1,173.66, $83,190.39
5. Robson Palermo, 12, 0, 3, 1,115.00, $46,127.95
6. Shane Proctor, 7, 1, 2, 926.66, $62,898.80
7. Tanner Byrne, 8, 1, 2, 785.00, $50,311.48
8. Derek Kolbaba, 16, 5, 6, 660.00, $56,956.85
9. Nevada Newman, 11, 1, 5, 510.00, $36,385.48
10. Lachlan Richardson, 12, 1, 2, 475.00, $24,512.30
11. Mason Lowe, 12, 1, 3, 455.00, $27,219.66
12. Eduardo Aparecido, 8, 0, 2, 446.66, $20,873.33
13. Mike Lee, 16, 1, 4, 435.00, $29,469.54
14. Valdiron de Oliveira, 14, 0, 3, 432.50, $25,347.52
15. Kaique Pacheco, 12, 1, 5, 427.83, $34,481.05
16. Gage Gay, 12, 1, 2, 412.83, $27,141.67
17. Cooper Davis, 4, 0, 1, 360.00, $20,435.00
18. Kasey Hayes, 7, 0, 1, 310.33, $19,366.67
19. Aaron Roy, 9, 0, 1, 290.00, $11,891.67
20. Cody Heffernan, 15, 4, 7, 281.66, $22,891.61
21. J.W. Harris, 4, 1, 1, 250.00, $16,700.00
22. Cody Nance, 8, 0, 0, 230.00, $11,270.51
23. Ryan Dirteater, 7, 0, 1, 200.00, $11,978.33
24. Silvano Alves, 12, 0, 1, 176.66, $13,728.39
25. Stetson Lawrence, 8, 0, 1, 173.66, $12,398.33
26. Lindomar Lino, 13, 1, 5, 170.00, $16,197.38
27. Chris Lowe, 4, 2, 4, 155.00, $13,426.55
28. Douglas Duncan, 5, 0, 0, 150.00, $8,505.00
29. Tyler Harr, 12, 0, 4, 147.50, $12,902.72
30. Stormy Wing, 6, 0, 1, 145.00, $9,480.00
31. Justin Paton, 12, 0, 4, 137.50, $14,172.69
32. Fraser Babbington, 9, 1, 3, 120.00, $9,078.07
33. Juliano Antonio Da Silva, 9, 1, 3, 120.00, $12,510.84
34. Josh Faircloth, 11, 0, 4, 110.00, $10,882.57
35. Guilherme Marchi, 3, 0, 1, 110.00, $3,350.00
36. Emilio Resende, 12, 0, 4, 107.50, $11,205.97
37. Nathan Schaper, 8, 0, 0, 105.00, $4,625.00
38. Ben Jones, 6, 0, 0, 102.50, $6,475.00
39. Bonner Bolton, 1, 0, 0, 102.50, $4,950.00
40. Jorge Valdiviezo, 6, 1, 5, 100.00, $9,161.70
41. Cristiano Cunha, 4, 1, 2, 95.00, $7,559.14
42. Cody Ford, 11, 1, 2, 92.50, $8,782.71
43. Chad VanAmburg, 3, 1, 2, 90.00, $8,784.88
44. Jess Lockwood, 16, 0, 4, 85.83, $9,571.80
February 15, 2016
Added Fat Improves Behavior
by Juliet M. Getty, Ph.D.

Diet affects behavior. This makes sense. A well-fed horse is healthy. And a healthy horse feels good. Conversely, a poorly-nourished horse is suffering. A variation in hormone levels, for example, can have a temporary effect on how the horse sees the world. Just as reaction to sugar intake varies in humans, so it does in horses. Horses may feel ill or “off” from an overindulgence in sugar/starch, and they certainly have been reported to exhibit “sugar highs and lows” caused by the sudden surge and subsequent drop in blood glucose from a high carbohydrate (sugar/ starch) meal. Although there is, in fact, little scientific evidence that proves a sugar/starch-driven behavioral component, many horse owners will attest to their own horses showing adverse behavioral responses and will therefore avoid feeding anything that contains starchy cereal grains or is sweetened with molasses.
There are plenty of good reasons beyond the scope of this article to avoid high sugar/high starch diets, but in terms of behavior, what alternative does a horse owner have if the horse simply needs more calories to meet the added demands of exercise, work, and performing? Hay and grass simply cannot provide enough energy (calories) to support the these additional requirements.

The answer is fat.

Gram for gram, fat provides more than double the calories of carbohydrates or protein. And it is well digested. But there’s an added bonus! Fat has a calming effect on horses’ behavior.

Researchers at Virginia Polytechnic Institute¹ noticed that horses fed a high fat diet are less reactive to startling stimuli and had lower levels of excitability and anxiety than horses fed a more traditional grain-based diet. The horses in their experiment received 15% of the total calories from fat, which is high for most horses. However, the study reveals that fat is worth trying if you have a sensitive horse who may become easily excited by everyday activities.² (Please note: Ponies, minis, donkeys, and mules should not receive high fat diets.³)

What type of fat?

All fat has the same number of calories, regardless of the source. But from a health perspective, it is best to steer clear of animal fats, as well as oils that are have too many omega 6s (which increase inflammation) in relation to omega 3s (which have an anti-inflammatory effect). Oils high in monounsaturated fatty acids are a good source since they neither increase nor decrease inflammation.

Below are some commonly fed fat sources:
- Ground flaxseeds and flaxseed oil: Has a 4:1 ratio of omega 3s to omega 6s, making it an ideal choice
- Chia seeds: Has similar omega 3 to omega 6 ratio as flax
- Canola oil: 10% omega 3s and relatively low in omega 6s. Also contains monounsaturated fatty acids (no harmful impact on inflammation)
- Rice bran oil: Only 1% omega 3s, less than 50% omega 6s and high in monounsaturated fatty acids
- Copra meal and coconut oil: Not a source of omega 3s and omega 6s but rather medium chain fatty acids which may be beneficial when added to an omega 3 source
- Soy lecithin: Only 4% omega 3s but also contains choline, a helpful component of neurotransmitters
- Soybean oil: Only 7% omega 3s and mostly omega 6s (less desirable choice)
- Corn oil: No omega 3s and higher in omega 6s than soybean oil (poorest choice)
How much?

I prefer to limit fat intake to no more than 10% of the total calories, though some athletes are fed levels as high as 20%. For the lightly exercised, mature 1100 lb (500 kg) horse, the National Research Council recommends a minimum total diet of 20 Mcals per day to maintain body condition. Ten percent would be 2 Mcals per day from fat. One cup (8 fluid ounces or 240 ml) of oil will meet this requirement. It weighs 240 grams and at 9 kcals/g, provides 2.16 Mcals.

How to add?

When adding any amount of oil to your horse’s feed, start with a small amount (say, one tablespoon or 15 ml). Most horses do not like oily feed, but more important, it takes several weeks for the horse’s cells to become accustomed to metabolizing more fat.

Summary

Short attention span, spookiness, reluctance to work, excessive sensitivity and alertness to surroundings, irritability, and “hot” behaviors can be reduced by adding fat to the diet. Fat is high in calories, so limit the amount you feed based on the horse’s weight and his caloric need. Omega 3s need to be in balance with omega 6s, so choose oils carefully. And finally, build up to desired intake by starting slowly and increasing over 4 to 6 weeks.

Permission to reprint this article is granted, provided attribution is given to Juliet M. Getty, Ph.D. No editorial changes may be made without her permission. Dr. Getty appreciates being notified of any publication.

Juliet M. Getty, Ph.D. is an independent equine nutritionist with a wide U.S. and international following. Her research-based approach optimizes equine health by aligning physiology and instincts with correct feeding and nutrition practices.

Dr. Getty’s comprehensive resource book, Feed Your Horse Like a Horse, is available at www.GettyEquineNutrition.com — buy it there and have it inscribed by the author, or get it at Amazon (www.Amazon.com) or other online retail bookstores. The seven separate volumes in Dr. Getty’s topic-centered Spotlight on Equine Nutrition series are available with special package pricing at her website, and also at Amazon in print and Kindle versions. Dr. Getty’s books make ideal gifts for equestrians.

Find a world of useful information for the horseperson at www.GettyEquineNutrition.com: Sign up for Dr. Getty’s informative, free e-newsletter, Forage for Thought; browse her library of reference articles; search her nutrition forum; and purchase recordings of her educational teleseminars. Reach Dr. Getty directly at gettyequinenutrition@gmail.com. She is available for private consultations and speaking engagements.
February 12, 2016
On the Trail with Jace Melvin

The 2015 PRCA Resistol Rookie All Around, Jace Melvin, was born and raised in Fort Pierre, SD. He moved to Texas for college, and now claims the road as his home. “I rope calves, team rope, and steer wrestle, but not everywhere because of scheduling conflicts; getting up in three events is tough.”

The 23-year-old has been involved in rodeo his entire life, with three generations on his mom’s side, four on his dad’s before him. “I have two older sisters, Jessica (12 years older) and Jenny (10 years older); they were rodeoing a lot in the youth rodeos, National Little Britches and high school, so I went everywhere with them. They taught me most of what I know.”

His parents, Mark and Diana, rodeoed and now they run stocker yearlings and raise quarter horses. “Some of the horses that I compete on are some that we have raised and with my brother-in-law’s (Brent Belkham) help, I’m hauling them.” Another brother-in-law, Cody Moore, won Rookie of the Year Steer Wrestling, riding the family horse, Talk, in 2010. That horse, Talk, was critical to Jace’s success as well. “I was blessed with a phenomenal horse in high school and college – horse power has such a huge part in rodeo.” Cowboys Talk helped Jace make it to the National High School Finals all four years (2008-2011) in the steer wrestling and the college finals the past two years in the steer wrestling. Jace also qualifed for the college finals in calf roping in 2015. “Talk is old now – 19, but I had him as I was growing up. He’s got an awesome personality – he’s a character … he’s always talking.”

His dad, Mark, raised the horse on the race track, and Mark’s sister, Lorita Crowford, picked him and futuritied him as a barrel horse. “He was a great barrel horse, and my sister took him and raced barrels at the college rodeos. You can tie down, team rope, and it came time I started chute dogging and needed a bull dogging horse and he was as broke as it gets and was amazingly fast. Se we tried him as a steer wrestling horse. For as awesome as a barrel horse he was for my aunt and my sister, he was an extremely phenomenal bulldogging horse. He truly loved the steer wrestling.” Jace enjoys calf roping the best, but admits his strength lies in steer wrestling. “I really dedicate at all three events, but I see my most success in the steer wrestling. At a younger age I focused on it more.” His hard work and ingrained family competitive nature paid off when Jace won All Around at the National Junior High Finals in Gallup, NM, in 2007, as well as ended up third in the nation in steer wrestling his junior year and reserve his senior year of high school. “The nature of our family is extremely competitive,” he explains. “We could turn fixing fence into a competition. That goes for all of my family. Through that nature, I won the National Junior High All Around as an eighth grader. I went there to win first in every single event. Everything we do, we go with the intention of winning first and being successful. Being competitors, we know that losing is part of winning. If you don’t win something you learn something. I’ve learned that, and through God’s hand in it, things have fallen into place.”

After high school, Jace went to college at Vernon for two years and spent the last two years completing his Bachelors in Ag Business at Tarleton, rodeoing with the team that won the Men’s National Championship last year. His degree is coming in handy as he builds his business supplying timed event cattle for several youth and amateur rodeos around his hometown in South Dakota. Melvin Timed Event Cattle happened quite by accident.

“I had bought 30 head of roping calves when I was a junior in high school. I had planned to train horses on those calves, but I blew my knee wrestling for the high school team, so I couldn’t. A stock contracting company called me and had heard I had these calves and they needed timed event cattle for a Little Britches rodeo and I said yes and hauled those calves to that rodeo.” Growing up in rodeo, Jace knew how important it was for kids starting out and making their goals of the finals to have the best quality stock possible. “My junior and senior year I supplied the timed event cattle at our high school finals,” he said. “I haven’t done a perfect job, but I have a vested interest and sincerely care about the stock these kids get. I know that there is always going to be a bad draw, but to the best of my ability I’m trying to make sure the cattle are even.” The addition of the business is good for the ranch too. “Turning roping calves into feeder calves has been a perfect addition to the ranch.” He admits the business is expensive, hard work, but he plans to continue with it as well as his own career in rodeo. “This past summer I was gone rodeoing and my mom and dad helped me manage the contracts. I was setting up truck drivers and coordinating the events. I can sit and watch the entire slack and pay attention to the details because I’ve trained myself to do that. We mostly put together cattle in the spring, keep over our light end, and keep over team roping and bulldogging steers to reuse at the early rodeos wherever they will fit.”

Winning the All Around Resistol Rookie award was a goal Jace had set for himself. “It is an unbelievable accomplishment to get there – the trials and tribulations of trying to win this award and then when I won it, it really meant something. I had a really good year in the steer wrestling, but not so good in the team roping and calf roping. I won money, but scheduling and traveling and keeping horses in the trailer was difficult, but in the end it all worked out.” Jace hauls four or five horses at all times. “I travel with my two brother-in-laws and we have to have horses for team roping, hazing, steer wrestling, and calf roping. We’ll share horses and the horses will do more than one thing.”

Resistol has sponsored the Resistol Rookie awards since the late 70’s and for the first time, they added an awards banquet, along with other prizes, to the event. “I am unbelievably grateful for everything they did for us and how we were treated. Resistol offered us all a sponsorship package that was awesome,” said Jace. “For a lot of us going down the road, our biggest sponsors are our mom and dad and knowing that a company that sponsors the best in the world would sponsor us was amazing. Joining their team is an unbelievable opportunity – everything they did was great.” The 2015 Resistol Rookie recipients received two all-expense paid trips to the WNFR, Cactus saddles, coats, shirts and hats for the year.

Now it’s time to look ahead to 2016, and Jace’s number one goal this year is to make it to the WNFR in the steer wrestling. “My next goal would be to qualify for the circuit Finals in the steer wrestling and calf roping. It’s hard to get the rodeo count in that many events. If you were just circuit rodeoing, it would be a little less difficult, but when you’re trying to get to the bigger and better rodeos, it’s hard to schedule it.” He is spending part of January practicing in Texas, then he’s up in Odessa in the calf roping and steer wrestling, heads to Louisiana, back to Denver in the steer wrestling and team roping, then to Rapid City for all three events. “The month of February – I look at the Sports News every day for a few hours to figure out my schedule – that month is really busy.” Coming off last year, Jace is confident about his skills. “I really feel good going into spring and every chance I get, I’m going to get in the practice pen and keep my confidence level up and go for first and see where it all shakes out. I’m looking forward and I’m ready to get started.”

January 27, 2016
Back When they Bucked with Wick Peth

Wick Peth was born in 1930 at Mt. Vernon, Washington. “My parents were farmers and ranchers. We run cattle and raised quite a few peas and potatoes.” In his early years, his dad and uncles put on a rodeo at the ranch that turned into a stock contracting business in the 1950s. “My father wanted to keep us out of town, so he had roping steers and calves for us. He asked one year what we wanted for Christmas; I was 17 or 18; I asked for some bulls. He had 20 come to town for us in a box car in the middle of January … we had as many as 60 living around here during the stock contracting years. The neighbors would come – my brothers (Jerry, Ted, and Buzz) were always roping, I steer wrestled a little but didn’t rope. Everybody would get on a bull and somebody had to get the bulls off, so I was good at that.
“After we got bulls, at night I would crawl out in the pasture and lay down on the ground and watch them. I’d watch them fight in the daytime and watch where their feet were and where they are when they turn around. I did things with a bull that other bullfighters wondered how I figured it out.” One of the moves he used to make with a bull is to run up and grab him by the tail. “I don’t grab that until I get past his rear end. I swing around on his tail and on towards his head. He comes around in a circle. After he goes two or three times around, he figures he can’t hook me, I pull my butt away from his head, when he turns back the other way, he’s got all my momentum going and I can turn a summer sault in front of him and he can’t touch me. I’d show people how to do that in bull fighting schools after I studied the bulls and found ones that would work. It wouldn’t work on all of them, they think different. It’s hard to explain. It was a certain minded bull.”

Wick studied the bulls. When he was growing up, he watched them and how they behaved and moved and took his job of taking care of the cowboys very seriously. He could predict what was going to happen and how the bulls were moving. He had a system. “When I was protecting the bull riders, I always went to the side of the right handed or left handed. I had a plan of what I was going to do if this or that happened or he got thrown off a certain side.” Wick never considered himself to be funny. “I always felt like the good bull fighters came off of cattle ranches that had some cow sense,” said Wick, who got his name from a neighbor. “I used to go with my father around the country to buy cattle,” he explained. “We would stop at the hardware store, and this guy’s name was Vick and they called me Little Vick. This guy had a stroke and he couldn’t say V and it became W, and that’s how it started.” His given name is Melvin, but he has never gone by that name. Wick put on bull fighting schools with Jerry Beagley over a period of ten years. “I had several students that picked up on them. The one main thing I told them is when you get knocked down, get up.” The schools were held all over the county.
“Everybody is a genius at something and figuring out what that is is a blessing,” said his daughter Liza. “He was a genius at fighting bulls.” He changed the way rodeo clowns were in the rodeo. The art of the rodeo clown became the science of bull fighting. He took his job seriously. Not only did Wick study bulls, he rode them. Along with playing football, Wick competed in the bull riding, continuing that after high school. “I never went full time, because I had to work on the ranch.” He met his wife, Dorothy, at a rodeo. “She was always helping me,” said Wick, who considered her as his biggest support. “She never said “be careful” she was always trying to encourage me to go on.”
Wick traveled thousands of miles to rodeo and fight bulls. As word got out about his abilities as a bull fighter, he gained the attention of the Beutler Brothers. “Lynn came over to me in Nampa, Idaho, and asked me to work all the rest of his shows and that kept me going.” Wick would stay gone for two or three weeks at a time, and then come home and spend hours on the tractor catching up. He and Dorothy had three children, Liza, and Lana, and Dan. He continued to ride until the late 1950s. “The reason I quit riding bulls is they kept me so sore, I felt like I owed it to the bull riders to stay healthy.” He quit fighting bulls in 1985 – after 35 years. “By that time, I was 55 years old and I couldn’t move as fast or heal up as quick. Age takes care of things.” He stressed the value of education and as a result all three of his children are college graduates.
He still lives on the ranch and helps where he can. His son, Dan, and his grandson, Owen, run the day to day operation of the ranch, running 600 head of cows. Wick is there every morning to help and then he heads to the coffee shop. “Dad was so well received,” recalls Dan of his travels with his dad. “The bull riders looked up to him and appreciated what he was doing. They were really glad to have him around.”

The man in the red striped shirts, who helped change the way bull riders were protected, looks back on his life as a bull fighter and farmer. “I like fighting bulls and it was something that everybody couldn’t do. It got me off the farm and I could relax and go fight bulls.” Traveling down the road, he was always studying the soil, watching what other farmers did with the land. He has seen many changes in both bull fighting and farming. “We just started to irrigate the pasture ground 10 years ago, and we have a couple big reel sprinklers – we never used to have that here. What you don’t see, you don’t do.” His plans for the future are simple. “I just want to farm myself away – plow myself into the dirt.”
Wick was inducted in the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in 1979, Cheyenne Frontier Days, Ellensburg Rodeo, and St. Paul Rodeo Halls of Fame. His family has nominated him for induction into the National Cowboy Museum in Oklahoma City.

January 27, 2016
Near capacity crowd enjoys final rodeo at 110th National Western

Winners of the 2016 NWSS

Bareback Riding – Jake Brown, Hillsboro, Texas, 252 points, $10,620

Steer Wrestling – Baylor Roche, Tremonton, Utah, 13.0 seconds, $10,168

Team Roping – Clay Smith, Broken Bow, Okla., &

Paul Eaves, Lonedell, Mo., 16.7 seconds, $7,006 each

Saddle Bronc Riding – Sam Spreadborough, Snyder, Texas, 246 points, $8,620

Tie-Down Roping – Trevor Brazile, Decatur, Texas, 23.8 seconds, $10,200

Barrel Racing – Shelby Herrmann, Stephenville, Texas, 46.11 seconds, $11,387

Bull Riding – Cody Campbell, Summerville, Ore., 247 points, $10,583

This year’s rodeo paid $466,672.

By Susan Kanode

For the National Western Stock Show

DENVER, (Jan. 24, 2016) — When the 110^th annual National Western Stock Show came to a close on Sunday, there were some very happy contestants in the Denver Coliseum.

A near capacity crowd of over 7,400 people were on hand to see the action. Jake Brown, Baylor Roche and Clay Smith are all coming off of their first Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifications and left with National Western titles.

Brown, from Hillsboro, Texas, won the bareback riding with a total score of 252 points. He earned a total of $10,620. He also wowed the crowd earlier in the competition with a 90-point effort on Calgary Stampede’s great bucking horse Reckless Margie. This is the same horse that took Tim O’Connell to an 87-point score at the finals. O’Connell from Zwingle, Iowa tied for the round win with Richmond Champion from The Woodlands, Texas, who rode Cervi Brother’s Rodeo Houston’s Gander Goose.

Roche dominated the steer wrestling earning the title with a total of 13.0 seconds on three runs. His nearest competitor was Colorado’s Josh Peek who made three runs in 14.8. Roche from Tremonton, Utah earned $10,168 here.

“I think that the guys that were at the NFR have an edge at these building rodeos,” Roche said. “I feel like I’m sharper than I have been in the past. I’ve only had two weeks off. I had a pretty good finals and that helps give you momentum going into the new year.”

Clay Smith, from Broken Bow, Okla., roped at the 2015 NFR with Paul Eaves and their team roping partnership has stayed intact. Eaves has been to Las Vegas to compete in rodeo’s championships four times. Last December was Smith’s first. With Smith doing the heading and Eaves heeling, they roped three steers in 16.7 seconds for a total of $7,006 each.

Shelby Herrmann left Denver last year with a second place finish. This year, the Stephenville, Texas resident got the buckle and $11,387. She was the high-money winner at the rodeo and had a total time of 46.11 seconds on three runs.

This year’s rodeo paid $466,672. Other winners Sam Spreadborough, Snyder, Texas, saddle bronc riding; Trevor Brazile, Decatur, Texas, tie-down roping; and Cody Campbell, Summerville, Ore., bull riding.

DENVER, (Jan. 24, 2016) – The following are unofficial results from the National Western Stock Show Rodeo.

Bareback Riding: (final round) 1, (tie) Tim O’Connell, Zwingle, Iowa, on Calgary Stampede’s Reckless Margie and Richmond Champion, The Woodlands, Texas, on Cervi Brother’s Rodeo Houston’s Gander Goose, 87 points and $1,450 each. 3, (tie) Austin Foss, Terrebonne, Ore., and Kyle Bowers, Drayton Valley, Alberta, 84.5, $750. 5, Nate S. McFadden, Elsmere, Neb., 82, $350. 6, Wyatt Maines, Maple Creek, Saskatchewan, 81, $250. (total on three) 1, Jake Brown, Hillsboro, Texas, 252 points, $5,370. 2, Bowers, 249, $4,117. 3, Champion, 248, $3,043. 4, (tie) Foss and Tanner Aus, Granite Falls, Minn., 247, $1,611 each. 6, O’Connell, 242, $895. 7, McFadden, 240, $716. 8, Maines, 237, $537.

Steer Wrestling: (final round) 1, Ty Erickson, Helena, Mont., 4.1 seconds, $1,421. 2, Tanner Brunner, Ramona, Kan., 4.2, $1,176. 3, Baylor Roche, Tremonton, Utah, 4.3, $931. 4, (tie) Dirk Tavenner, Rigby, Idaho and Tyler Pearson, Louisville, Mo., 4.7, $564. 6, Luke Branquinho, Los Alamos, Calif., 5.3, $245. (total on three) 1, Roche, 13.0, $6,188. 2, Josh Peek, Pueblo, Colo., 14.8, $5,381. 3, Brunner, 15.0, $4,574. 4, (tie) Erickson; Pearson; and Clayton Moore, Pouce Coupe, British Columbia, 15.2, $2,960 each. 7, Tavenner, 16.0, $1,345. 8, Branquinho, 16.2, $538.

Team Roping: (final round) 1, Chase Wiley, Charlotte, Texas, and Ace Pearce, Washington, Texas, 5.8 seconds, $1,435. 2, Levi Simpson, Ponoka, Alberta, and Jeremy Buhler, Abbotsford, British Columbia, 6.1, $1,188. 3, Clay Smith, Broken Bow, Okla., and Paul Eaves, Lonedel, Mo., 6.4, $940. 4, Jake Cooper, Monument, N.M., and York Gill, Stephenville, Texas, 6.7, $693. 5, Will Clark and Kolby Miller, Erin, Tenn., 7.7, $445. 6, Paul Beckett, Laramie, Wyo., and Chad Wahlert, Kersey, Colo., 11.1, $247. (total on three) 1, Smith and Eaves, 16.7, $4,585. 2, Wiley and Pearce, 17.6, $3,987. 3, Cooper and Gill, 18.4, $3,388. 4, Simpson and Buhler, 18.7, $2,790. 5, Clark and Miller, 19.6, $2,192. 6, Beckett and Wahlert, 23.3, $1,594. 7, Aaron Tsinigine, Tuba City, Ariz., and Ryan Motes, Weatherford, Texas, 26.3, $997. 8, Jr. Dees, and Matt Zancanella, Aurora, S.D., 27.9, $399.

Saddle Bronc Riding: (final round) 1, Sam Spreadborough, Snyder, Texas, 89 points on Burch Rodeo’s Lunatic From Hell, $1,650. 2, (tie) Cort Scheer, Elsmere, Neb.; and Allen Boore, Axtell, Utah; 83, $1,075 each. 4, Chuck Schmidt, Keldron, S.D.; CoBurn Bradshaw, Beaver, Utah; and Jacobs Crawley, Boerne, Texas; 82, $400. (total on three) 1, Spreadborough, 246, $6,336. 2, Crawley, 243, $4,858. 3, Boore, 242, $3,590. 4, Scheer, 239, $2,323. 5, (tie) Bradshaw and Clay Elliott, Nanton, Alberta, 235, $1,267. 7, (tie) Schmidt and Spencer Wright, Milford, Utah, 233, $739.

Tie-Down Roping: (final round) 1, Riley Pruitt, Gering, Neb., 6.9 seconds, $1,435. 2, Trevor Brazile, Decatur, Texas, 7.5, $1,188. 3, Ryan Watkins, Morgan Mill, Texas, 7.9, $940. 4, Justin Macha, Needville, Texas, 8.1, $693. 5, Shane Hanchey, Sulphur, La., 8.2, $445. 6, Jerrad Hofstetter, Shallow Water, Texas, 9.3, $247. (total on three) 1, Brazile, 23.8, $6,281. 2, Pruitt, 24.6, $5,407. 3, Hanchey, 24.7, $4,596. 4, Macha, 26.1, $3,785. 5, Watkins, 26.6, $2,974. 6, Hofstetter, 27.2, $2,163. 7, L.D. Meier, Texhoma, Okla., 28.3, $1,351. 8, (tie) Adam Gray, Seymour, Texas, and Tyson Durfey, Weatherford, Texas, 28.4, $270.

Women’s Barrel Race: (final round) 1, Mary Walker, Ennis, Texas, 15.33 seconds, $2,534. 2, Mary Burger, Pauls Valley, Okla., 15.41, $1,900. 3, Kim Couch, Rattan, Okla., 15.43, $1,267. 4, Shelby Herrmann, Stephenville, Texas, 15.46, $633. (total on three) 1, Herrman, 46.11, $5,132. 2, Ivy Conrado, Hudson, Colo., 46.19, $4,399. 3, Couch, 46.38, $3,665. 4, Walker, 46.44, $3,177. 5, Burger, 46.52, $2,443. 6, Calyssa Thomas, Harrold, S.D., 46.60, $1,955. 7, Cassidy Kruse, Gillette, Wyo., 46.68, $1,466. 8, Jana Griemsman, Piedmont, S.D., 46.76, $977. 9, Lisa Lockhart, Oelrichs, S.D., 47.26, $733. 10, Jackie Jatzlau, Giddings, Texas, 51.40, $488.

Bull Riding: (final round – five rides) 1, Jeff Askey, Athens, Texas, 91 points on JK Rodeo’s Page Break. 2, (tie) Josh Koschel, Nunn, Colo., and Rorey Maier, Timberlake, S.D., 81, $1,075. 4, Cody Campbell, Summerville, Ore., 79, $600. 5, Joe Frost, Randlett, Utah, 75, $350. (total on three) 1, Campbell, 246.5, $6,517. 2, Askey, 244.5, $4,996. 3, Maier, 242, $3,693. 4, Koschel, 240, $2,390. 5, Frost, 237, $1,520. (on two) 6, Trevor Kastner, Ardmore, Okla., 167, $1,086. 7, (tie) Elliot Jacoby, Fredericksburg, Texas, and Garrett Tribble, Bristow, Okla., 162, $760.

January 25, 2016
Gold Buckle Matches set for Feb. 10 in San Antonio

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Jan. 14, 2016 – RFD-TV announced today a series of matches between some of the most decorated cowboys and cowgirls in history.

On Feb. 10, a dozen individuals will saddle up at the San Antonio Rose Palace with skills that have earned them a collective 54 gold buckles. They’ll compete head-to-head for exemptions into RFD-TV’s The American, presented by Polaris Ranger, on Feb. 28. There, they’ll have a shot at winning $1 million!

The network already announced an epic match for an exemption that day between tie-down roping legends Cody Ohl and Fred Whitfield, using different score lengths and different-sized calves. The two have earned 14 world championships between them. And that same day, Feb. 10, there will be three other big timed-event matches at the same venue.

Rope Myers, 46, won the gold buckle in steer wrestling in 2001 and has wrestled his way to $1.2 million. Myers, who has been hosting steer wrestling camps and clinics, told Justin McKee recently, “I can still slam ’em.” He will match Lee Graves, 44, who earned two world titles (in 2005 and 2009) and has earned $1.6 million.

“It’s go time,” said Graves. “I’ve been shoeing horses and ranching in Canada, so maybe I can cut back on that and make some money I know how to make.”

Also, world champion barrel racers Lindsay Sears and Kelly Kaminski will face off, likely with the requirement they’ll each ride two different horses. Kaminski won two world titles back-to-back in 2004-05, and Sears was the world champ in 2008 and 2011.

And the match in team roping could be the most talked-about, ever. It pits a round-robin-style format among six legends who own a staggering 32 gold buckles, including headers Jake Barnes (7), Speed Williams (8) and Tee Woolman (3); pairing with heelers Allen Bach (4), Rich Skelton (8) and Walt Woodard (2).

If you’re in Texas, get tickets to these once-in-a-lifetime matches by calling (817) 599-7681 or visiting SARosePalace.com. The matches will be televised on RFD-TV that same week.

To get your tickets to The American Semi-Finals in Fort Worth, Feb. 17-21, and/or The American in Arlington on Feb. 28, plus the PBR’s Iron Cowboy on Feb. 27, visit www.ticketmaster.com or call 800-745-3000.

For more information, visit americanrodeo.com, and Facebook.com/RFDTVTheAmerican and Twitter with handle @RFDTVAmerican. To follow trends, it’s #TheAmerican.

January 15, 2016

2016 PRCA WORLD STANDINGS

4. 2016 PRCA WORLD STANDINGS

Unofficial through Jan. 11, 2016

	Bareback Riding
1	George Gillespie IV, Hamilton, Mont.	$7,187
2	J.R. Vezain, Cowley, Wyo.	6,215
3	Tanner Aus, Granite Falls, Minn.	5,375
4	Evan Jayne, Marseille, France	4,908
5	Buck Lunak, Cut Bank, Mont.	3,518
6	Blade Elliott, Livingston, Ala.	3,436
7	Grant Denny, Minden, Nev.	2,737
8	Jessy Davis, Power, Mont.	2,735
9	R.C. Landingham, Paso Robles, Calif.	2,732
10	Heath Ford, Slocum, Texas	2,695
11	Bill Tutor, Huntsville, Texas	2,398
12	Jake Brown, Hillsboro, Texas	2,335
13	Chris Smith, Lafayette, Ga.	1,932
14	Clint Cannon, Waller, Texas	1,785
	Ty Breuer, Mandan, N.D.	1,785
16	Troy Vaira, Richey, Mont.	1,717
17	Chad Rutherford, Lake Charles, La.	1,614
18	Brian Bain, Powell Butte, Ore.	1,550
19	Winn Ratliff, Leesville, La.	1,106
20	Tyson Thompson, Bradley, Calif.	1,080

	Steer Wrestling
1	Brad Johnson, Reva, S.D.	$7,778
2	Tyler Waguespack, Gonzales, La.	7,467
3	Jacob Edler, Alva, Okla.	5,543
4	Ty Erickson, Helena, Mont.	4,893
5	Clayton Hass, Terrell, Texas	4,857
6	Rhett Kennedy, Chowchilla, Calif.	3,899
7	Charles Harris, Salinas, Calif.	3,452
8	Clint Shofner, Pleasanton, Texas	3,124
9	Blaine Jones, Templeton, Calif.	3,049
10	Casey Martin, Sulphur, La.	2,720
11	Rowdy Parrott, Mamou, La.	2,653
12	Cody Doescher, Oklahoma City, Okla.	2,546
13	Justin Thigpen, Waycross, Ga.	2,502
14	Jarret New, Wimberley, Texas	2,484
15	Kamry Dymmek, Kissimmee, Fla.	2,448
16	Tanner Brunner, Ramona, Kan.	2,304
17	Sterling Lambert, Fallon, Nev.	2,203
18	Jacob Talley, Keatchie, La.	2,019
19	Stan Branco, Chowchilla, Calif.	2,011
20	Ory James Lemmons, Castro Valley, Calif.	1,875

	Team Roping (header)
1	Jake Barnes, Scottsdale, Ariz.	$6,595
2	Shane Philipp, Washington, Texas	6,338
3	Kaleb Driggers, Albany, Ga.	5,100
4	Tyrell Moody, Edgemont, S.D.	4,196
5	Bobby Joe Hill, Mexia, Texas	4,129
6	Caleb Smidt, Bellville, Texas	4,043
7	Ryan Reed, Wittmann, Ariz.	3,870
8	Tee Luttrell, Woodlawn, Texas	3,669
9	Luke Brown, Stephenville, Texas	3,640
10	Cody Snow, Los Olivos, Calif.	3,431
11	Joel Bach, San Augustine, Texas	3,410
12	Rowdy Rieken, Arp, Texas	3,398
13	Joshua Torres, Ocala, Fla.	3,348
14	Matt Sherwood, Pima, Ariz.	3,230
15	Wes Kent, Grand Cane, La.	3,204
16	Tyler Wade, Terrell, Texas	3,127
17	Cody Tew, Belgrade, Mont.	3,024
18	Will Clark, Erin, Tenn.	2,916
19	Jake Orman, Prairie, Miss.	2,877
20	Paul Beckett, Laramie, Wyo.	2,836

	Team Roping (heeler)
1	Dugan Kelly, Paso Robles, Calif.	$6,661
2	John Philipp, Washington, Texas	6,338
3	Travis Graves, Jay, Okla.	5,100
	Junior Nogueira, Scottsdale, Ariz.	5,100
5	B.J. Dugger, Three Rivers, Texas	4,534
6	Rory Brown, Edgemont, S.D.	4,196
7	Justin Hendrick, Huntsville, Texas	4,175
8	Boogie Ray, Mabank, Texas	4,129
9	Allen Bach, Weatherford, Texas	3,650
10	Justin Price, La Veta, Colo.	3,398
11	Jonathan Torres, Ocala, Fla.	3,348
12	Scott Webster, Converse, La.	3,204
13	Kinney Harrell, Marshall, Texas	3,127
14	Matt Robertson, Augusta, Mont.	3,024
15	Camish Jennings, Houston, Texas	2,809
16	Clark Adcock, Smithville, Tenn.	2,307
17	Dee Rampy, Bertram, Texas	2,301
18	Matt Kasner, Cody, Neb.	2,131
19	Corey Hendrick, Huntsville, Texas	2,073
20	Trey Carter III, Bellville, Texas	2,009

	Saddle Bronc Riding
1	CoBurn Bradshaw, Beaver, Utah	$6,681
2	Jacobs Crawley, Boerne, Texas	6,418
3	Joey Sonnier, New Iberia, La.	3,928
4	Bradley Harter, Loranger, La.	3,638
5	Nick Laduke, Livermore, Calif.	3,486
6	Isaac Diaz, Desdemona, Texas	3,437
7	Cody Wright, Milford, Utah	3,313
8	Josh Reynolds, Ekalaka, Mont.	3,097
9	Jake Watson, Hudsons Hope, British Columbia	3,040
10	Ben Londo, San Luis Obispo, Calif.	2,501
11	Allen Boore, Axtell, Utah	2,484
12	Cole Neely, Duchess, Alberta	2,331
13	Dalton Davis, Holcomb, Kan.	2,317
14	Gus Thoreson, Dell, Mont.	2,149
15	Jeremy Melancon, Huntsville, Texas	2,130
16	Joe Harper, Paradise Valley, Nev.	2,125
17	Alex Wright, Milford, Utah	1,851
18	Matthew Bartsch, Warwick, Md.	1,816
19	Curtis Garton, Kaitaia, New Zealand	1,807
20	Ty Kirkland, Lufkin, Texas	1,737

	Tie-down Roping
1	Houston Hutto, New Waverly, Texas	$8,662
2	Ryan Jarrett, Comanche, Okla.	5,780
3	Tyler Prcin, Alvord, Texas	4,772
4	Hunter Herrin, Apache, Okla.	4,420
5	Tim Pharr, Resaca, Ga.	4,354
6	Braxton Laughlin, Westlake, La.	3,802
7	Ryle Smith, Oakdale, Calif.	3,431
8	Adam Gray, Seymour, Texas	3,230
9	Clint Kindred, Oral, S.D.	2,840
10	Chad Johnson, Cut Bank, Mont.	2,616
11	Cody Collins, Galt, Calif.	2,526
12	Dennis Luetge, Hempstead, Texas	2,511
13	Bart Brunson, Terry, Miss.	2,452
14	Marcus Theriot, Poplarville, Miss.	2,222
15	Riley Pruitt, Gering, Neb.	2,175
16	Mike Johnson, Henryetta, Okla.	2,086
17	Robert Mathis, Mart, Texas	2,016
18	Jordan Ketscher, Squaw Valley, Calif.	2,003
19	Josh Eirikson, Bandera, Texas	1,952
20	Alwin Bouchard, Scandia, Alberta	1,934
	Clint Arave, Blackfoot, Idaho	1,934

	Steer Roping
1	Chet Herren, Pawhuska, Okla.	$5,382
2	J. Tom Fisher, Andrews, Texas	4,478
3	Scott Snedecor, Fredericksburg, Texas	3,697
4	Trey Sheets, Cheyenne, Wyo.	3,486
5	Cody Lee, Gatesville, Texas	3,361
6	Dan Fisher, Andrews, Texas	2,105
7	Lawson Plemons, Axtell, Texas	1,994
8	Marty Jones, Hobbs, N.M.	1,814
9	Mike Chase, McAlester, Okla.	1,788
10	Guy Allen, Santa Anna, Texas	1,771
11	Kim Ziegelgruber, Edmond, Okla.	1,519
12	Leo Campbell, Amarillo, Texas	1,393
13	Brian Garr, Belle Fourche, S.D.	1,346
14	Neal Wood, Needville, Texas	1,269
15	Tony Reina, Wharton, Texas	1,066
16	Roger Branch, Perkins, Okla.	981
17	Vin Fisher Jr., Andrews, Texas	897
18	J.B. Whatley, Gardendale, Texas	812
19	Rocky Patterson, Pratt, Kan.	802
20	Jim Locke, Miami, Texas	591

	Bull Riding
1	Clayton Foltyn, Winnie, Texas	$9,113
2	Lon Danley, Tularosa, N.M.	8,832
3	Trevor Kastner, Ardmore, Okla.	8,390
4	Garrett Tribble, Bristow, Okla.	6,520
5	Dalan Duncan, Ballard, Utah	5,780
6	Lane Selz, Bakersfield, Calif.	5,383
7	Nevada Newman, Melstone, Mont.	4,948
8	Adam Jamison, Okotoks, Alberta	4,220
9	Corey Maier, Timber Lake, S.D.	4,011
	Cole Melancon, Liberty, Texas	4,011
11	Jeffrey Ramagos, Zachary, La.	3,880
12	Luke Haught, Weatherford, Texas	3,751
13	Michael Riggs Jr., Claxton, Ga.	3,437
14	Wagner Luciano, Rhondonia, Brazil	3,328
15	Tyler Smith, Fruita, Colo.	3,108
16	Denton Fugate, Dixon, Mo.	3,051
17	Jeremy Kolich, Norco, Calif.	2,736
18	Casey Huckabee, Athens, Texas	2,693
19	Rocky McDonald, Colonia Juarez, Mexico	2,573
20	Mike Adams, Oxford, Pa.	2,532

*2016 Barrel Racing (through Jan. 11, 2016)
Barrel racing standings, provided by the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA), are unofficial, subject to audit and may change. Unofficial WPRA Standings are published by the PRCA as a courtesy. The PRCA is not responsible for the verification or updating of WPRA standings.

1	Mary Burger, Paul’s Valley, Okla.	$13,848
2	Megan Swint, Lithia, Fla.	12,514
3	Carley Richardson, Pampa, Texas	6,648
4	Jackie Ganter, Abilene, Texas	6,503
5	Ivy Conrado, Hudson, Colo.	6,342
6	Benette Little, Ardmore, Okla.	5,832
7	Nicole Riggle, Scottsdale, Ariz.	4,677
8	Layna Kight, Ocala, Fla.	4,603
9	Ari-Anna Flynn, Charleston, Ark.	4,550
10	Jackie Jatzlau, Giddings, Texas	4,293
11	Chloe Hoovestal, Dublin, Texas	4,050
12	Callie Duperier, Boerne, Texas	4,023
13	Lara Dewees, Dade City, Fla.	3,573
14	Ashley Day, Volborg, Mont.	3,253
15	Taylor Jacob, Carmine, Texas	3,234
16	Michele McLeod, Whitesboro, Texas	3,230
17	Robin Mantague, Bandera, Texas	3,217
18	Sherrylynn Johnson, Henryetta, Okla.	3,060
19	Rachel Dice, Byron, Calif.	2,955
20	Jessi Fish, Franklin, Tenn.	2,922

5. 2016 PRCA Xtreme Bulls Standings

Unofficial through Jan. 11, 2016

1	Sage Kimzey, Strong City, Okla.	$5,481
2	Reid Barker, Comfort, Texas	4,560
3	Cody Rostockyj, Lorena, Texas	4,397
4	Garrett Tribble, Bristow, Okla.	4,335
5	Cole Melancon, Liberty, Texas	3,819
6	Luke Haught, Weatherford, Texas	3,751
7	Thor Hoefer, Priest River, Idaho	3,474
8	Guthrie Murray, Miami, Okla.	3,080
9	Preston Preece, Troy, Texas	2,985
10	Colten Jesse, Konawa, Okla.	2,875

January 15, 2016

19-year-old wows National Western Stock Show crowd at Denver Chute-Out bull riding

By Susan Kanode

DENVER, Colo. (Jan. 13, 2016) — The Denver Chute-Out bull riding came to a conclusion at the National Western Stock Show on Wednesday with a 19-year-old from Washington winning the championship and over $20,000.

Derek Kolbaba rode three bulls in the Denver Coliseum for a total of 258 points, just three points ahead of Shane Proctor, who also calls Washington home. Kolbaba, from Walla Walla, rode here in the first round on Monday night at the event, sanctioned by the Professional Bull Riders and part of their Blue DEF Tour. He scored 86.5 points on the bull named Smoken Guns owned by Let ‘R Buck and the Long Ranch. That was just out of the money for the round. He came back to the semi-finals on Wednesday and rode Day Job Voodoo owned by Diamond S Bucking Bulls for 86 points to tie for first place.

That put him in the lead in the final round and gave him the opportunity to get on Talbert Bucking Bulls’ four-legged athlete named Compact, resulting in a 85.5-point score. Kolbaba was sixth in the Blue DEF Velocity tour standings prior to riding here. With his success at the National Western, he should move up to first place in the standings which will help him in his quest to qualify for his second World Finals.

Proctor won the first round with an 88.5-point ride Tuesday night on Diamond S’s Little Turbo. He had an 84 in the semi-finals on Ty Rinaldo’s bull named Black Jack. In the final round, he scored 82.5 points on Night Train, a bull owned by Hebert Bucking Bulls. He finished the event with 255 points and $14,386.

“It’s awesome to come to an event like this,” Kolbaba said. “You know you are getting on great bulls and there is a great crowd. The fans here are amazing and we couldn’t do any of this without them.”

Rodeo action continues at the National Western Stock Show with the Cinch Super Shoot Out beginning at 7 p.m. on Thursday.

DENVER, Colo. (Jan. 13, 2016) —The following are results from the PBR Blue DEF Velocity Tour Denver Chute-Out at the National Western Stock Show Rodeo.

First round: 1, Shane Proctor, Grand Coulee, Wash., 88.5 points on Diamond S Bucking Bulls’ Little Turbo, $2,863. 2, (tie) Kaique Pacheco, Itatiba, Brazil, and Roscoe Jarboe, New Plymouth, Idaho, 87.5 each, $1,782. 4, Cody Johnson, Kaufman, Texas, 87, $716.

Semi-Finals: (Tie) 1, Fabiano Vieira, Parana, Brazil, on TNT Rodeo Company’s Thunderbolt; Ouncie Mitchell, Fresno, Texas, on Western Star Bucking Bulls’ Divinity; Bryan Titman, East Bernard, Texas, on Ty Rinaldo’s Bad Grandma; and Derek Kolbaba, Walla Walla, Wash., on Diamond S Bucking Bull’s Day Job Voodoo, 86 points and $1,789 each.

Finals: 1, Sean Willingham, Summerville, Ga., 89.5 points on Talbert Bucking Bulls’ Joe’s Over the Top, $2,863. 2, (tie) Cody Johnson, Kaufman, Texas, and Derek Kolbaba, Walla Walla, Wash., 85.5, $1,789 eahc. 4, Silvano Alves, Pilar do Sul, Brazil, 85, $715.

Overall Winners: (total on three) 1, Kolbaba, 258 points, $16,533. 2, Proctor, 255, $11,532. 3, Viera, 252.5, $6,513. 4, Alves, 229.5, $4,509. (on two) 5, Willingham, 175.5, $3,507. 6, Johnson, 172.5, $2,505. 7, Titman, 172, $2,004. 8, Pacheco, 170.5, $1,503. 9, (tie) Tanner Byrne, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, and Mitchell, 170, $751 each.

January 15, 2016

Author: Siri Stevens

Winners of the 2016 NWSS