Author: Ted Harbin

Boxleitner finds glory at Rooftop, the rodeo that pointed him toward roping

ESTES PARK, Colo. – Just two days before his 23^rd birthday, Tyler Boxleitner gave himself a bit of a present.

He roped and tied his calf in 12.1 seconds during Sunday’s fifth performance of the Rooftop Rodeo to move into a share of the tie-down roping lead with one day left in the Town of Estes Park signature event. What makes it special are the facts around his 2023 run at the rodeo just 20 miles from his home in Loveland, Colorado.

“Seven years ago I came to this rodeo with my mom to watch the barrel racing,” said Boxleitner, whose mom, Kari, and sister, Taryn are barrel racers. “That was the day I decided to become a calf roper, and I ran with it. It’s special to be here at the rodeo that started it all. To be able to be splitting the average and win the first round is just an unbelievable feeling.”

All of this week’s experiences give him a hometown feeling, because so much of his life has been spent up the mountain at the base of the Rocky Mountain National Park.

“I grew up fishing and hunting around Estes Park,” he said. “It’s just a special place. Loveland is a special place to me, but this is one of my favorite rodeos, especially now.”

Boxleitner stopped the clock in 9.9 seconds Thursday night to win the first round. That was worth $1,620 and gave him a boost he needs to catch Mountain States Circuit leader Riley Pruitt. Leading up to Sunday night, Boxleitner had earned $6,889 in the region made up primarily of rodeos and contestants in Colorado and Wyoming.

His earnings in Estes Park already have shot him to the standings lead, and he’ll add to it with his average check. He and Kincade Henry each roped two calves in a cumulative time of 22.0 seconds. Boxleitner began competing in ProRodeo in 2019 and has tried his hand at competing full time. This year, though, his focus is on rodeoing primarily in the circuit.

“I decided this year the best option for me was to stay close to home and finish out my 7-year-old horse named Slick,” he said of the sorrel gelding. “I made the decision to stay on him no matter how bad or good it went and just try to figure it out on him. It’s been really good on him lately.”

“I plan to go for (the National Finals Rodeo) next year. I’m going to try to dominate the circuit this year and be ready to hit the trail hard come Oct. 1.”

The ProRodeo season is cyclical. It runs Oct. 1 of one year to Sept. 30 of the next, but world champions aren’t crowned until the NFR in December. In order to win a gold buckle, cowboys and cowgirls must qualify for the finale, but only the top 15 in the world standings at the end of the regular season earn that right.

All the positives are stacking up for Boxleitner. He trusts his young horse, because the gelding always works to help his human partner. It takes a horse that can get to the calf quickly, then stop fast and keep the line tight to allow the cowboy to tie three legs together. It’s a combination of horsemanship and the thrill of competition that drives him.

“At the end of the day, it’s you and your horse, and you’re competing against your calf and don’t have to rely on anybody else,” Boxleitner said. “It’s on you and your horse to make the best run you can. Maybe it’s selfish, but I like to win my self and not have to share the glory.

“This is the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and it’s something you can never quit getting better at and never quit learning. I think that’s why I’m so drawn to it. I’m always trying to get better. You can never hit the ceiling.”

Results
Rooftop Rodeo
July 5-10
Bareback riding : 1. (tie) Waylon Bourgeois, on The Cervi Brothers’ Bazinga, and Richmond Champion, on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Hitman, 85.5 points; 3. Jacob Raine, 85; 4. Lane McGehee, 83; 5. (tie) Kade Berry, Keenan Hayes and Jacob Lees, 79.

Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Aaron Vosler, 3.6 seconds, $1,721; 2. Riley Duvall, 3.7, $1,425; 3. Bridger Anderson, 4.1, $1,128; 4. (tie) Rowdy Parrott and Cash Robb, 4.3, $683 each; 6. (tie) Jace Joos and Tristan Martin, 4.5, $148 each. Second round: 1. Brandon Harrison, 3.6 seconds; 2. Clayton Hass, 3.7; 3. Stephen Culling, 3.9; 4. Kyler Dick, 4.2; 5. Dakota Eldridge, 4.5; 6. Walt Arnold, 4.6. Average: 1. (tie) Aaron Vosler and Dakota Eldridge, 9.1 seconds on two head; 3. Rowdy Parrott, 9.2; 4. Bridger Anderson, 9.3; 5. Tyler Pearson, 9.9; 6. Kyler Dick, 10.8.

Team roping: First round: 1. Korbin Rice/Jake South, 4.4 seconds, $1,721 each; 2. Tyler Wade/Wesley Thorp, 4.5, $1,425; 3. (tie) Cam Jensen/Tanner Whetham and Kreece Thompson/Landen Glenn, 4.7, $979 each; 5. Lightning Aguilera/Jared Fillmore, 4.8, $534; 6. (tie) Pedro Egurrola/JC Flake and Kellan Johnson/Carson Johnson, 5.0, $148 each. Second round: 1. (tie) Tanner Tomlinson/Patrick Smith and Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins II, 4.2 seconds; 3. Dustin Egusquiza/Levi Lord, 4.3; 4. Payden Emmett/Lucas Falconer, 4.5; 5. (tie) Kellan Johnson/Carson Johnson and Kreece Thompson/Landen Glenn, 4.7 each. Average: 1. (tie) Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins II and Kreece Thompson/Landen Glenn, 9.4 seconds on two head; 3. Kellan Johnson/Carson Johnson, 9.7; 4. Korbin Rice/Jake South, 9.8; 5. Lightning Aguilera/Jared Fillmore, 10.3; 6. Tanner Tomlinson/Patrick Smith, 14.2.

Saddle bronc riding: 1. Stu Wright, 87.5 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Ricky Bobby; 2. Stetson Dell Wright, 87; 3. Kade Bruno, 86; 4. Sam Martin, 84; 5. Cort Scheer, 83; 6. Lefty Marvel Holman, 82.5.

Tie-down roping: First round: 1. Tyler Boxleitner, 9.9 seconds, $1,620; 2. Kincade Henry, 10.1, $1,341; 3. Kyle Dickens, 10.2, $1,061; 4. Colton Farquer, 10.7, $782; 5. Ross McAdow, 12.2, $503; 6. Zaine Mikita, 12.9, $279. Second round: 1. Jeremiah Peek, 10.0 seconds; 2. Kincade Henry, 11.9; 3. Tyler Boxleitner, 12.1; 4. Ricky Lambert, 12.5; 5. Seth Peterson, 12.6; 6. Cash Hooper, 13.3. Average: 1. (tie) Kincade Henry and Tyler Boxleitner, 22.0 seconds on two head; 3. Seth Peterson, 25.7; 4. David Trahan, 28.8; 5. (tie) Cash Hooper and Ross McAdow, 29.7 each; no other qualified runs.

Barrel racing: 1. Shelley Morgan, 15.84 seconds; 2. Steely Steiner, 16.01; 3. Hayle Gibson, 16.10; 4. Kelly Allen, 16.11; 5. Kelly Yates, 16.14; 6. (tie) Michelle Darling and Makala Pierce, 16.18; Sadie Wolaver, 16.19; 9. (tie) Rainey Skelton, Heidi Tillard and Sydney Graham, 16.21; 12. (tie) Michelle Merrick and Halyn Lide, 16.24; 14. (tie) Fallon Forbes and Preslie Reid, 16.25.

Bull riding: 1. Stetson Dell Wright, 88 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Theodore; 2. Tyler Kippes, 87.5; 3. Wyatt Phelps, 83; 4. Luke Mast, 82; 5. Fulton Rutland, 81; 6. Braden Richardson, 80.5.

Bad break during NFR slows bullfighter but doesn’t derail his dreams

Dusty Tuckness didn’t have to look down to know something dire had just happened.

It was the ninth night of the 10-round National Finals Rodeo, and the Cinch bullfighter had just helped bull rider Braden Richardson escape harm after making an 89-point ride on Sankey Pro Rodeo and Phenom Genetics’ Bouchon. As Richardson scrambled to his feet, Bouchon took one step toward the bull rider and Tuckness.

The bull’s hoof landed on Tuckness’ left shin, breaking both the bullfighter’s fibula and tibia.

“Instantly I knew it was something pretty bad,” said Tuckness, who has worked 13 straight NFRs and is a 10-time PRCA Bullfighter of the Year. “I didn’t have to look down for any clarification, but when I looked down, it was noticeable to any eye what had happened.

“At that moment, I instantly started praying and trying to have peace about it.”

The damage was done, and the prayers continued. Tuckness knew his NFR, and a good portion of the 2022 season, was done.

“The biggest thing about it wasn’t the physical pain,” he said. “The physical pain was definitely there; it definitely hurt. The heartfelt pain is what hurt the most. So many times, I could tough out and fight through the injury and finish my job, but I knew this was something I physically couldn’t do, and they weren’t going to let me.

“That was the thing that probably stung the most, knowing I couldn’t finish out that round and the next round. But you’ve got to take the good days with the bad days and build from them.”

The injury was bad enough that doctors initially wanted to do surgery that night, but traumas at the Las Vegas hospital delayed the repair work until the next morning, Dec. 11. After the operation and with pain medicine coursing through his veins, Tuckness returned to the Thomas & Mack Center to honor all that had earned the right to be at ProRodeo’s grand championship.

“It was good to see those guys,” said Tuckness, 36, of Meeteetse, Wyoming, now living near Purcell, Oklahoma. “There were a lot of emotions to be there that night.

“Even laying in the hospital (Friday) night, I believed God was going to heal me, and I’d be back there the next night and go back to work. That didn’t happen, so there were some crazy emotions in a crazy situation.”

It was just the first of many emotional days. It’s the nature of his injury, but a few weeks after his first surgery, Tuckness noticed something hinky with his leg. There was movement where there shouldn’t have been. That was disappointing, because he was ready to get back to work and shock the rodeo world by returning to the arena sooner than anyone had ever expected.

Upon seeing doctors closer to where he lives in Oklahoma, it was determined that a second surgery was imperative if he were to heal properly. That delayed the process a bit more, and doubt started to set in.

“I felt like I was almost three weeks into my recovery, so that information stung,” he said. “For probably three or four hours, I was pretty down.”

Then he remembered something he’d learned from one of his mentors, the late Rex Dunn.

“He would always say, ‘Life’s problems and issues are like a flat tire; you can get out and throw dirt and kick it, or you can change it and move on,’ ” Tuckness said. “As soon as that crossed my mind, I knew that was exactly right.”

A bigger rod was put in place with more screws. The surgeon, Dr. Sean Bryan in Oklahoma City, also realigned the bones to make sure the healing process would improve.

“The next day, I noticed how much more stable it was,” Tuckness said. “Those that know me know I’m pretty dedicated to my fitness and my nutrition. Instantly I knew and believed it was a better choice. God’s got a plan through this, and I’m going to trust in it and believe in it, and I’m not going to let my faith falter.”

The work was intense, but that’s just the way Tuckness would have it. A man doesn’t become the best at his profession without a tremendous work ethic, and his is better than most. With the help of physical therapist Kevin Taylor in Oklahoma City, Tuckness was taking all the right steps.

“I looked at it as a step process of 10,000 steps,” he said. “The steps I don’t take today I’m going to have to take in the future. If I could maximize every minute, watch what I eat, watch what I allow my mind to consume and put in the work, I could not only come back quicker than anybody thought, but I could come back physically stronger than before.”

That’s what he did. When he wasn’t allowed to put weight on his left leg, he did everything else he could to build his mind and his body. He knew there would be some steps backward in his recovery, so focused his attention on the positives.

“Sometimes it felt pointless, but I kept telling myself there’s a reason they’re giving me this, and it’s going to benefit me when I’m off my crutches or out of my boot and when I’m running and jumping,” he said. “There were some long, hard days, but I would try to reverse the thinking on it. The time I was putting in was going to allow me to come back and be mentally and physically strong and be able to handle it.”

Always faithful, Tuckness took the words from James 1:2, which he translated in a way to help him through each level of the rehabilitation: “Consider it pure joy when you go through trials and tribulations, because the testing of your endurance will improve your faith.”

“This is part of the challenge,” he said. “Jesus told his disciples that He would see them on the other side of the river. He didn’t say there wouldn’t be any storms or bad waves or anything like that, but he did tell them that that He would see them through it.

“I knew God was going to walk through it with me and be there every step of the way.”

Each led to his return to action at the Reno (Nevada) Rodeo, which took place June 16-25. He took advantage of his relationship with Maury and Nicky Tate and worked on a few things prior to arriving in Reno at the Cody (Wyoming) Night Rodeo, then was put through his paces during the Reno Xtreme Bulls to open things in western Nevada.

His faith has continued to drive him. He’s worked dozens of performances since his return two months ago and has maintained a stern focus; from what he needed to do to get back to work to returning to elite form.

“Ultimately it’s just a reflection of God and Him working through me,” Tuckness said. “If me going through something like this can help someone or inspire them get through something and make their life better, it was worth it.”

Well-known announcer has a great history with well-known Idaho rodeo

GOODING, Idaho – Steve Kenyon is from Oregon, lives in Texas and makes Gooding his home for about a week every August.

It’s a great place to be for a man with one of the most recognized voices in rodeo. Now in his 21^st year announcing the Gooding Pro Rodeo, Kenyon looks forward to his annual visit.

“When I first started going to that rodeo, it was just a small-town rodeo,” he said. “Every year, Don Gill does the right things to make that rodeo better, little things, little improvements. When he got to the point where me showing up with a sound system wasn’t adequate, he hired Jill (Franzen) Loden.”

Loden has been handling sound at rodeos for better than a decade, and she’s a two-time winner of the Music Director of the Year. Some of that is because of the work she does at the Gooding Pro Rodeo, set for Thursday, Aug. 18-Saturday, Aug. 20, with a special “Beauty and the Beast” performance set for Wednesday, Aug. 17. All performances take place at 8 p.m. at Andy James Arena.

“In my opinion, hiring Jill was the single best thing Don’s done,” Kenyon said of Gill, the fair and rodeo’s manager. “The electricity and energy that she provides in that place is just unbelievable.”

The rodeo has been nominated for the PRCA’s Large Outdoor Rodeo of the Year and is often recognized for its rambunctious crowd.

“For a small town and a small county – the city has about 3,000 people and the county has roughly 15,000 people – this is a big-money added rodeo,” Kenyon said. “That rodeo adds equal money in breakaway roping.

“It attracts every single big name in rodeo. A lot of the guys have gotten to be known in the community by doing little things like going down to the local Stampede Burger and signing the wall and doing things around the community like that.”

What makes a great rodeo? World-class competition is a good start, and Gooding has that. There also has to be a level of entertainment, and organizers and volunteers work to make sure that happens. They want everyone involved to get the most bang for their entertainment dollars.

Kenyon has experienced that over the last two decades, all while watching the Gooding Pro Rodeo blossom into the spectacle it is today.

“This is one of the most unique rodeos in the PRCA,” he said. “It’s not just the contestants; we get the top 15 in each event. It’s not just because of the stock; we bring in three of the premier stock contractors in ProRodeo with Summit, Korkow and Mazca.

“It’s because of that crowd. That crowd is incredible. I don’t know if it’s legal or sanitary, but there’s a little group that sits in that spot where the contestants know. A guy could jump out and ride for 85 or 90 points or a guy could have an ugly dismount and be 72 points, and they’ll hold up the sign that says ‘Beer Worthy,’ and guys are trotting over there to get a free chug.”

It just adds to the experience.

“The people in Gooding have so much fun, and they are so into this event,” Kenyon said. “The rodeo is a major part of the little fair in Gooding. I think the rodeo has become the major identifying factor of the community.”

That says something about the residents and about the town’s rodeo. Cowboys from all across the country will make sure to put their names in the hat to compete in Gooding.

“I hear it all the time: ‘I’m not going to miss Gooding,’ ” Kenyon said. “The contestants like Gooding. They like the fact that they have great contestant hospitality and the caliber of stock that Gooding gets. They don’t have a concern over the arena or ground conditions.

“The people in Gooding put on a first-class event. The rodeo is almost on a National Finals Rodeo level when it comes to livestock. So much of what is done in Gooding is to make it a top-flight production, and the contestants can win some good money and have fun.”

When it comes to the Gooding Pro Rodeo, the sentiment from one person to another seems to be the same.

“That crowd makes it the most entertaining few days of rodeo you’ll ever experience in your life,” Kenyon said.

Wyoming tie-down roper takes 2^nd-round lead while competing for John Jaros

ESTES PARK, Colo. – To be an elite athlete, it takes an attention to detail and an intense focus.

Forgive tie-down roper Hunter Reaume for having his mind wonder a bit during Saturday night’s fourth performance of Rooftop Rodeo. He tried to focus on his run and on his calf, but there were other things going on in his heart.

“Up here in Estes, I’m roping for John Jaros,” said Reaume, 28, of Meeteetse, Wyoming. “He was on the committee here, and he passed away a few weeks ago. I’m really thankful that I had a good calf and that I could make a good run for him.”

Jaros was an important part of Estes Park Western Heritage Inc., a group of volunteers that works with the town of Estes Park to produce the annual rodeo. He was also a volunteer fireman. He died June 18, and the committee has continued to produce this year’s event while also recognizing the efforts Jaros has provided the group over the years.

“John bought my truck from me last fall,” Reaume said. “He’s got a construction company here in town, and I met him in Vail because I was staying in the mountains. We met over the truck and just hit it off. I found out he was from here and on the rodeo committee and a big rodeo fan. He actually came to my circuit finals last fall.”

It was a bittersweet moment. Reaume stopped the clock in 8.2 seconds to take the second-round lead and sits third in the two-run aggregate. Both give him a solid chance to cash in, beyond the $100 he earned for having the fastest run of the night. After each event, the contestants with the best times or best scores take a victory lap, then stop in front of the grandstands, where they are handed a $100 bill.

“I know his family was here the other night,” he said. “This money is going to go to his family. I’m going to put it in the fund jar they have for it.”

Like Reaume, Rooftop Rodeo is part of the Mountain States Circuit, the region made up of contestants and events primarily in Colorado and Wyoming. The money he earns in the arena will help him toward another qualification to the circuit finals.

“I grew up on a horse in Wyoming, but I started taking calf roping serious in college,” Reaume said. “I couldn’t do it without this horse here. There’s definitely a bond you have with them. I’ve always been an athlete growing up, so calf roping is one of the most demanding events as far as horsemanship, roping ability and athleticism. I also like that it’s just me and my horse.”

That horse is Tango, a gelding he’s had for a couple months. Their Saturday night run was the best they’ve produced together. It just happened at a special time during a special moment.

“I come here every year,” he said. “This is one of my favorite rodeos. I love it up here. The committee’s awesome.”

Rooftop Rodeo
July 6-11
Bareback riding: 1. Bill Tutor, 87 points on Cervi Brothers’ Jelly Bean; 2. Chad Rutherford, 84; 3. (tie) Tyler Griffin and Waylon Bourgeois, 83.5; 5. Colton Crawford, 83; 6. (tie) Luke Thrash and Kory Hart, 80; 8. Will Lowe, 79.

Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Sam Goings, 3.8 seconds, $1,807; 2. Stockton Graves, 4.1, $1,495; 3. Travis Munro, 4.2, $1,184; 4. Cody Devers, 4.3, $872; 5. (tie) Ty Allred, Grady Payne and Landris White, 4.6, $291 each. Second round: Clayton Hass, 3.5 seconds; 2. (tie) Kyler Dick and Shane Frey, 3.6; 4. Landris White, 3.9; 5. Rowdy Parrott, 4.0; 6. (tie) Cody Devers, Riley Duvall, Colt Honey, Tait Kvistad and Cash Robb, 4.2. Average: (tie) Cody Devers, Sam Goings, Kyler Dick and Landris White, 8.5 seconds on two runs; 5. Rowdy Parrott, 8.9; 6. Grady Payne, 9.5.

Team roping: First round: 1. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 4.3 seconds, $1,869; 2. Brenten Hall/Chase Tryan, 4.6, $1,547; 3. (tie) Chad Masters/Paul Eaves and Kolton Schmidt/Cole Davison, 4.7, $1,064 each; 5. (tie) Payden Emmett/Lucas Falconer, Luke Brown/Hunter Koch and Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp 4.8, $301 each. Second round: Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 3.9 seconds; 2. Tyler Wade/Trey Yates, 4.0; 3. Coy Rahlman/Douglas Rich, 4.1; 4. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 4.5; 5. Austin Crist/Josh Fillmore, 5.2; 4. Todd Drommond/Jason DeVore, 5.5. Average: 1. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 8.8 seconds; 2. Chad Masters/Paul Eaves, 10.3; 3. Kolton Schmidt/Cole Davison, 10.9; 4. Austin Crist/Josh Fillmore, 15.5; 5. Britt Smith/Jake Smith, 15.6; 6. Payden Emmett/Lucas Falconer, 17.1.

Saddle bronc riding: 1. Ross Griffin, 85 points on Cervi’s Two Cookies; 2. Statler Wright, 84.5; 3. Houston Brown, 83; 4. Jake Watson, 82.5; 5. Spencer Wright, 82; 6. (tie) Brody Cress and Will Pollock, 81; 8. Ben Anderson, 80.5.

Tie-down roping: First round: 1. Riley Pruitt, 7.4 seconds, $1,890; 2. Lane Livingston, 7.9, $1,644; 3. Cody Craig, 9.1, $1,397; 4. Ryan Thibodeaux, 9.4, $1,151; 5. Blane Cox, 9.8, $904; 6. Jeremiah Peek, 10.2, $657; 7. (tie) Macon Murphy, Brody Stallard and Buck Tate, 10.4, $192 each. Second round: 1. Hunter Reaume, 8.2 seconds; 2. Garrett Jacobs, 8.6; 3. Blake Chauvin, 8.8; 4. (tie) Brody Stallard and West Smith, 9.1; 6. (tie) Sy Felton, Tom Joe Crouse and Marcos Costa, 9.3. Average: 1. Brody Stallard, 19.5 seconds on two runs; 2. Marcos Costa, 19.8; 3. Hunter Reaume, 20.4; 4. Blane Cox, 20.6; 5. Jase Staudt, 20.9; 6. Jeremiah Peek, 21.1; 7. Cason Kingsbury, 21.3; 8. Colby Anders, 22.0.

Barrel racing: 1. Nicole Driggers, 16.39 seconds; 2. Josey Owens, 16.49; 3. Carly Cervi, 16.57; 4. Kathryn Varian, 16.62; 5. Keyla Costa, 16.66; 6. Elizabeth Ellis, 16.67; 7. (tie) Kaycee Willbanks Colletti and Reagan Laney, 16.70; 9. Wendy Hoefer, 16.74; 10. Brittyn Rocha, 16.77; 11. Leslie Smalygo, 16.85; 12. Peyton Stepanoff, 16.86.

Bull riding: 1. Jesse Flores, 87 points on Cervi’s Skim Walker; 2. Brody Yeary, 85.5; 3. Robbie James Taylor, 84.5; 4. J.R. Stratford, 84; 5. Koby Radley, 82; 6. Jackson Ward, 79; 7. Jeff Askey, 78.5; 8. Corye Daily, 70.

A lifetime of struggles has placed bull rider in position for greatness

When Laramie Mosley suffered a fractured neck last September and was forced to miss the rest of his promising season, it would have been easy for any competitor to get down in the dumps.

Mosley has been through worse, so his frustration didn’t last as long as it may have for other men. He knows what it means to be bounced around a bit. He knows what it means to have suffered great loss. Missing out on his first qualification to the National Finals Rodeo sucked, but he didn’t sulk for long. He used it as motivation.

“It emotionally wrecked me for a long time,” said Mosley, who finished the year 18^th in the world standings while on injured reserve. “I didn’t know if I was going to be able to overcome that. After three months into it, I figured I could sit back and sulk and quit, or I could do what I’ve done the rest of my life and get out of the mud and come back firing.”

If he was going to take time away from the game he loved, he was going to figure out a way to make things better. It’s the way he’s handled things his whole life, and he’s dealt with a lot for a 26-year-old man.

Born in Corsicana, Texas, he never really knew that as his home. He was 6 months old when his parents took a job managing a feedlot in Walsh, a community on the Plains in eastern Colorado. They moved to Saint Francis, Kansas, for a few years, then back to Walsh, all while in the feed-yard business, a prospering operation in cattle country.

His folks divorced when he was 12, and his mother died two years later. He moved in with his father some and lived with other families until his aunt, Trish Parrish, moved him to Sublette in southwest Kansas. He finished out his last three years of high school and found a true kinship with a man named Larry Phillips, who also served as a mentor.

Growing up near the pasturelands and wheat fields of western Kansas and eastern Colorado provided the nutrients for growth, just a bit different than many. He learned about life and sports and found a passion for riding bulls, and he had people like Parrish and Phillips who helped develop a passion for good.

“My mom and real dad … they always worked hard, but when I got with Larry, it was a whole new level of work,” said Mosley, 26, a Cinch endorsee now living in Palestine, Texas. “I learned how to work cows and ride a horse good. I always had work wherever I wanted to go. Now, if I need something or want something, I’m not scared to ask somebody if they want help. I managed a feed yard for Larry Phillips, so I actually know what it takes to do all that. I’m not afraid to work, and I got that by how I grew up.”

He graduated from Sublette High School in 2014, then found his way to the rodeo teams at Pratt (Kansas) Community College and Oklahoma Panhandle State University. Two years after wearing the cap and gown in Sublette, his father died. Just out of his teens, he had been through more than most people experience in a lifetime.

It didn’t define Laramie Mosley, but it did help him figure out who the man was that he wants to be.

“I feel like it was more motivation than anything,” he said. “I knew right at the point when I was in high school that I grew up a little bit. I could dwell on the past and my life, or I could let it be motivation.

“Maybe somebody would want to be like me, and I could be an example. If I can go from losing both my parents and still be successful and being a role model to somebody, then I’m going to do it. I could have gone the other way. I could be a drunk or on drugs or in jail, but I didn’t want that, and I didn’t want there to be any sort of doubt that I was going to be better than that.”

Fast forward to September 2021. He was ninth in the PRCA’s bull riding world standings and was hoping to close out his season with his first NFR qualification. He was bucked off in Lewiston, Idaho and suffered a spinal fracture in three cervical vertebrae. Doctors fused his C5-C7 – his C6 was crushed.

The truth is he was fortunate it wasn’t worse. He didn’t return to action until the first of March, and while he struggled at first, he was able to continue to push through. Over the first weekend in April, he scored 90 points, which held on for the first-round victory at the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo. He finished second overall and pocketed more than $13,000.

“Going into San Angelo, it had been pretty rough,” Mosley said. “I had just been getting beat up. I had a bull that everybody was talking about how tough he was, how he hadn’t been ridden. I thought if it didn’t work out here, I might have to find something else to do.

“I’m not one to give up, but it was rough. Then I was 90 on that bull, and I felt like I could do this. Financially it was a blessing. I dang sure needed it for the world standings and my bank account. I had a different feeling that day.”

He found renewed confidence, and he hopes to build upon it.

“There’s no better feeling when you’re in time with one of those rank bulls,” he said. “It’s pretty much effortless.”

Laramie Mosley knows how to ride the rank ones. He’s scored at least 90 points several times in his life, including last May when he won the Guymon (Oklahoma) Pioneer Days Rodeo with a 91-point ride. He did that in front of his rodeo coach, Robert Etbauer, and at a rodeo that was just across the state line from his friends and family in southwest Kansas. It was a hallmark moment.

“That was one of my bucket-list rodeos to win,” he said, a smile seeping through his words. “I’ve always loved Guymon. It was just a cool feeling with all my friend that were still there.

“When I was in college, I said, ‘When I’m 90 here and I win it, I’ll feel really good.’ It sure enough came true.”

Dreams do come true. They might not happen in a specific timeline, but dreamers who have a strong work ethic realize them in a fashion they’ll always remember.

Resistol header is ready to cash in this next weekend at American

Over the last few years that he’s competed at The American via an exemption, Resistol cowboy Dustin Equsquiza has yet to cash in at the lucrative rodeo.

He is a header by trade, a man that ropes the horns and turns the steers for a heeler in team roping. It’s a competitive industry, and he’s pretty good at it. In 2016, he earned the Resistol Heading Rookie of the Year award for being the best first-year man in the game. A year later, he was playing on ProRodeo’s biggest stage, the National Finals Rodeo, for the first time.

Since then, he’s returned to the NFR three more times and had his best finish in 2021. Roping with fellow Resistol cowboy Travis Graves, the tandem placed in three rounds, winning at least a share of two of them. They tied for first in the seventh round, then won the 10^th round outright. They earned just shy of $80,000 in 10 days.

Most importantly, they concluded the year No. 3 in the world standings. Now, it’s time they step it up a bit, and doing well at The American later this week could go a long way to supporting that claim.

“The American is something everybody looks forward to,” said Egusquiza, 26, of Marianna, Florida. “It’s the biggest-paying single rodeo besides the NFR, and everybody wants to win it. It’s definitely on people’s minds, and it brings a lot of attention to the sport.”

The main factor is the payout, which is $3 million this year. The winners of each event will take home $100,000, but there’s more to it. Ten contestants in each event have exempt status, meaning they earned their way to The American by how well they finished the previous season. That’s where Egusquiza sits, and those contestants are only eligible for the $100,000 first-place prize

The remaining six contestants competing in the first round – set for Friday, March 4, at Cowtown Coliseum in the historic Fort Worth (Texas) Stockyards – will come through a series of qualifying events that culminates in the semifinals. Each qualifier that advances to the opening round will be eligible for the side pot, which is typically $1 million.

Since no qualifier won The American in his/her specific event in 2021, the money rolled over to this year and has increased the side pot to $2 million. The best times and scores from Friday will advance to the final day of rodeo, Sunday, March 6, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

“It is really unbelievable the amount of money somebody can win there,” Egusquiza said. “It’s disappointing we don’t get to rope for a million dollars, but $100,000 would be great.

“There’s nothing else like competing in that stadium. Houston has a pretty big stadium, but the stadium there in Arlington is crazy. You’ve never seen a rodeo like it.”

Egusquiza is one of six Resistol headers who have received the automatic invitation to The American. He will be joined by:

ERICH ROGERS, 35, Round Rock, Arizona: Roping with young heeler Paden Bray, Erich Rogers put his name on the big lights in Arlington twice last year, winning the NFR average title in December 2020 while the finale was at Globe Life Field, then the two won The American last March. Now an 11-time NFR qualifier, Rogers also owns the 2017 heading world championship. Last year, he finished second in the world standings. He and Bray placed in four NFR rounds and finished second in the average, leaving Las Vegas with $108,000.

CLAY SMITH, 30, Broken Bow, Oklahoma: Clay Smith didn’t walk lightly onto the ProRodeo scene; he burst onto it like a superstar. He’s already qualified for seven straight trips to the NFR, and he won gold buckles in 2018 and ’19. Now roping with three-time champ Jade Corkill, Smith finished last season fourth in the world standings. At the NFR, he and Corkill placed in five rounds, including the eighth-round victory, and placed finished in the all-important aggregate. The nearly $111,000 they earned in 10 days has provided them momentum in 2022.

RHEN RICHARD, 32, Roosevelt, Utah: He’s a header now, but Rhen Richard hasn’t always been. In fact, he was the 2008 Resistol Heeling Rookie of the Year. More than anything, though, he’s just a talented all-around cowboy. In 2018, he qualified for the NFR has a header and a tie-down roper. He returned to the finale in 2019 in just tie-down roping, and last year, roping with Jeremy Buhler, Richard placed in six rounds at the NFR, winning on Night 3. The two placed third in the average, pocketed nearly $137,000, and Richard finished fifth in the world standings.

TYLER WADE, 29, Terrell, Texas: Tyler Wade wasn’t a newcomer when he first qualified for the NFR in 2016. No, he was in his fifth season in ProRodeo, but he wasn’t far from finishing among the top 15. In fact, he had finished 17^th twice and 21^st before making a run at the gold buckle and has added three more trips to Las Vegas since. That’s what many would have expected out of the 2012 Resistol Heading Rookie of the Year. At the 2021 NFR this past December, Wade and fellow Resistol cowboy Trey Yates won the first round and placed on two more nights. Wade finished ninth in the final standings.

CODY SNOW, 25, Los Olivos, California: In December 2019, Cody Snow and his partner, fellow Resistol cowboy Wesley Thorp, had an NFR to remember. They each won $162,000. Thorp won the heeling gold buckle; Snow finished as the runner-up to the heading champ. Snow is now a six-time NFR qualifier. At the championship three months ago, he and Thorp shared the ninth-round victory, then placed on two other nights to earn just shy of $71,000. Snow finished the year as the No. 10 header in the world standings.

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Estes Park rodeo returns and puts on a heck of a show for big crowds

ESTES PARK, Colo. – In January, the members of the Estes Park Western Heritage Inc., began planning an event they didn’t even know if they’d be able to have.

The organization is a group of volunteers that annually works with the town of Estes Park to produce Rooftop Rodeo, which just completed its six-day run Saturday night. After having to cancel the 2020 edition of the community’s most prestigious events, there were some challenges that had to be overcome in order for the rodeo to occur this year.

“The first numbers regarding capacity for our rodeo were just ugly,” said Mark Purdy, the group’s chairman. “We were going to be allowed just 25 percent of capacity, and we could not have run it at that level. Once we got to 50 percent, it was still ugly, but we started thinking we could possibly pull this thing off.

“We also were at 50 percent of our normal sponsorships at April, and we started tightening our budget so we could have it this year. In May, Colorado went full capacity, so we got to add some things back. We just tried to make it as normal as possible.”

Over the years, Rooftop Rodeo has been recognized as one of the best events in ProRodeo. Six times it’s been honored as Rodeo of the Year: five times in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association as Small Rodeo of the Year and once as the Medium Committee of the Year in the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association.

Regularly it has hosted hundreds of the greatest stars in the game and has been seen as a destination event, but something spectacular happened this year with 830 entries.

“We set a record,” Purdy said. “That was just incredible. We were just gratified to see the contestants were coming back. With that, we started seeing other things happen. We had all our box seats sold out three weeks out. We had our stands filled to about 90 percent to 95 percent capacity early in the week, and we were sold out on Friday and Saturday nights. Our traditional sponsors started coming back in a big way.”

What they saw was spectacular competition. There were big scores and fast times all week, with one of the biggest winners was Utahan Stetson Wright, who won the bull riding and all-around titles in Estes Park; he is the reigning world champion in both.

Actually, the leaderboards of all events were filled with world champions and National Finals Rodeo qualifiers, including saddle bronc rider Sterling Crawley, who claimed the crown with his 83-point ride on the final night. The times in barrel racing were exceptionally fast throughout the week of competition, with NFR qualifier Shelley Morgan winning the title in a time of 16.66 seconds, just two-tenths off the arena record.

It all happened because a group of dedicated volunteers made a concerted effort to overcome whatever challenges they faced and produce an incredible event for members of the Estes Park community and the tourists that make it such a vibrant mountain town each summer.

“We have a really passionate group of committee people, and they never wavered,” Purdy said. “I know a lot of rodeos and other events had a real big problem with volunteer retainment after the pandemic, but we didn’t have a problem with that.

“Everybody stepped up. We were ready for a 50 percent capacity in April, and then it opened up. We also got a handful of new sponsors are now long-term committed to our rodeo. Our future is looking very bright at Rooftop Rodeo.”

Rooftop Rodeo
Estes Park, Colo.
All-around cowboy: Stetson Wright, $4,276, saddle bronc riding and bull riding.

Bareback riding: 1. Tyler Johnson, 87.5 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Zipper Trick, $5,534; 2. Tray Chambliss III, 86.5, $4,243; 3. Bodee Lammers, 84.5, $3,136; 4. Garrett Shadbolt, 83.5, $2,029; 5. (tie) Lane McGehee, Will Lowe, Luke Creasy and Jake Brown, 83, $876 each.

Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Dirk Tavenner, 3.3 seconds, $1,861; 2. Brandon Harrison, 3.4, $1,541; 3. Dalton Massey, 3.7, $1,220; 4. (tie) Tristan Martin and Payden McIntyre, 3.8, $738 each; 6. (tie) Cade Staton, Kyle Broce and Bill Claunch, 3.9, $107 each. Second round: 1. Jule Hazen, 3.4 seconds, $1,861; 2. Grady Payne, 3.5, $1,541; 3. Rowdy Parrott, 3.6, $1,220; 4. (tie) Kyle Irwin, Riley Krassin, Jacob Talley, Will Lummus and Laramie Warren, 3.8, $359 each. Average: 1. Brandon Harrison, 7.9 seconds on two head, $2,792; 2. (tie) Jacob Talley and Will Lummus, 8.0, $2,070 each; 4. Laramie Warren, 8.4, $1,348; 5. (tie) Tyler Waguespack and Riley Krassin, 8.5, $674 each.

Team roping: First round: 1. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 4.5 seconds, $1,811 each; 2. Tate Kirchenschlager/Cole Davison, 4.8, $1,499; 3. Coy Rahlmann/Douglas Rich, 5.0, $1,186; 4. (tie) Tanner Tomlinson/Patrick Smith and Rhen Richard/Jeremy Buhler, 5.1, $718 each; 6. Lightning Aguilera/Shay Dixon Carroll, 5.2, $312. Second round: 1. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 4.2 seconds, $1,811 each; 2. John Gaona/Trevor Nowlin, 4.4, $1,499; 3. Colby Lovell/Paul Eaves, 4.5, $1,186; 4. Clay Smith/Jade Corkill, 4.7, $874; 5. (tie) Tyler Waters/Richard Durham and Tate Kirchenschlager/Cole Davison, 4.9, $437 each. Average: 1. (tie) Tate Kirchenschlager/Cole Davison and Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 9.7 seconds on two head, $2,482 each; 3. Tyler Waters/Richard Durham, 10.3, $1,780; 4. Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins II, 10.8, $1,311; 5. Erich Rogers/Paden Bray, 10.9, $843; 6. Jake Orman/Brye Crites, 11.0, $468.

Saddle bronc riding: 1. Sterling Crawley, 83 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s 2 week Notice, $5,584; 2. Colt Gordon, 81.5, $4,281; 3. (tie) Jacob Kammerer and Ryder Wright, 79, $2,606 each; 5. (tie) Layton Green, Mitch Pollock, Wyatt Casper and Jacobs Crawley, 78, $884 each.

Tie-down roping: 1. Riley Pruitt, 7.3 seconds, $4,054; 2. Trenton Smith, 8.0, $3,627; 3. Bo Pickett, 8.4, $3,201; 4. Andrew Burks, 8.6, $2,774; 5. Tom Crouse, 8.7, $2,347; 6. Ryan Belew, 8.8, $1,920; 7. (tie) Hunter Reaume and Colton Farquer, 8.9, $1,280 each; 9. (tie) Marty Yates and Bryce Barney, 9.1, $427 each.

Barrel racing: 1. Shelley Morgan, 16.66 seconds, $4,221; 2. Dona Kay Rule, 16.68, $3,376; 3. Sissy Winn, 16.78, $2,743; 4. Jessie Telford, 16.80, $2,110; 5. Sidney Forrest, 16.85, $1,688; 6. Katie Halbert, 16.93, $1,266; 7. Michelle Alley, 16.95, $1,055; 8. Emily Miller-Beisel, 16.96, $950; 9. (tie) Jill Wilson and Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, 16.97, $791 each; 11. Nicole Waggoner-Ludwick, 16.98, $633; 12. Jessi Fish, 17.00, $528; 13. Paige Jones, 17.01, $422; 14. Lisa Lockhart, 17.02, $317; 15. Maddy Dickens, 17.03, $211.

Bull riding: 1. Stetson Dell Wright, 86.5 points on The Cervi Brothers’ Major Leaguer, $4,276; 2. Briggs Madsen, 86, $3,278; 3. Jesse Hopper, 81, $2,423; 4. Dakota Nye, 78.5, $1,568; 5. Lon Danley, 77, $998; 6. Ednei Caminhas, 76, $713; 7. Trevor Reiste, 75, $570; 8. Sage Kimzey, 74.5, $428.