Rodeo Life

Category: Articles

  • ProFile with the Snake River Stampeders

    ProFile with the Snake River Stampeders

    The velvet darkness of the Thomas & Mack arena in Las Vegas, Nev., has been lit up five times by the Snake River Stampeders, a precision drill team of 16 riders galloping in the cover of darkness, each one glowing in the outline of nearly 200 lights. The only drill team invited to perform at the WNFR, the Snake River Stampeders also performed at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah, and the 2002 Copenhagen Cup Finale held in Texas, and were even approached by America’s Got Talent, who is considering adding outdoor related talent to the show. But the Stampeders’ trademark is their hometown rodeo in Nampa, Idaho.
    The Snake River Stampede moved from its well loved outdoor rodeo grounds to the indoor arena of the Ford Idaho Center in 1997, but Stampede fans were loathe to give up the old arena. “I wanted to think of something we could do to dress up the rodeo in the new place – something we couldn’t have done in the outdoor arena,” says Jimmie Hurley, the Stampede’s executive secretary. Brainstorming with her longtime friend Shawn Davis, the general manager of the WNFR, Jimmie’s solution didn’t come until Shawn’s wife recalled the opening of a rodeo she had seen with pretty girls on fast horses. It seemed the perfect complement to the Stampede’s claim as the wildest, fastest show on earth, but Jimmie wanted to add one more element – the pretty girls and their fast horses would perform in the dark.
    Jimmie set to work appointing a drill instructor and holding tryouts, which were well attended by horsewomen curious to ride in a drill team unlike any other. The riders wore all black clothing and hats, with yellow Christmas lights safety-pinned on to their clothes and tack. It was wryly observed by one of the volunteers that even D-Day hadn’t required so much planning. The hours of practice and planning were an instantaneous hit, however, and the cheers of the 1997 rodeo audience confirmed what Jimmie hoped was true – the Snake River Stampeders were ready for Las Vegas. They performed that very December at the WNFR and returned again in 2001, riding in red, white, and blue lights, to “Proud to Be an American”, sending out a lone Stampeder with a flag made of lights to start the drill, an especially moving performance just months after 9/11.
    Horsewomen all, the team is largely made up of wives, mothers, rodeo queens, and drill instructors, all hailing from the Treasure Valley in Idaho. Coached by Paula Vanhoozer, a seasoned drill team judge and rider, the Stampeders practice once a week over the course of three months, members chosen each year after a challenging night of tryouts in the spring. Of the 30 – 40 women who audition, only 19 are chosen – 16 regular team members and three alternates.
    “I enjoy practice!” says Brandi Krajnik, a seven year member of the team. “Paula writes such good drills, and adding that mixed element of danger turning the lights off is a challenge.” Another member, Heather Miner, adds, “You have to have a horse and rider that are willing to push the boundaries of what common sense says is okay, and have a little fun with some adrenaline.” Heather has ridden with the Stampeders the last four years and coaches another drill team, the EhCapa Bareback Riders, with Brandi. “Stampeders is challenging horsemanship wise. It takes a rider who can push through fear, and a horse that has some go but that also stays under control, which is kind of a rare combination.”
    Since its creation 18 years ago, the Snake River Stampeders have changed very little beyond team members and drill instructors coming and going. The team switched to L.E.D lights in 2010, which was brought about by Randi Wood, the assistant drill instructor, light coordinator, and rodeo board liaison. The new, brighter lights snake over the riders’ sleeves and up to their glowing hats with the help of extension cords. “Once your lights are fastened on, you’re pretty well staying put in the saddle,” says Randi.
    By the time the Snake River Stampede week arrives in July, the Stampeders’ drill – written anew each year by Paula – is second nature. Once the arena is set up, they have just three practices in the dark before launching into their six performances during the Stampede. Though seldom, when the lights do fail, charged by 45 pound battery packs on the saddles, the Stampeders never fail to care for one another, especially during the accidents that inevitably occur. Even performing to music so loud they can feel it in their horses’ hooves, the team manages to communicate with one another during what one Stampeder described as a four minute barrel race in the dark with 16 horses.
    “I think proof of how good we are is that we have the fastest riding, in the dark, with some of the best riders practicing in the least amount of time,” Heather Miner describes, “and there’s no way you can do that without amazing horses and riders.”

     

     

    Snake river stampede
    Celebrates 100 years

    Potatoes immediately spring to mind when the state of Idaho is mentioned. But among PRCA cowboys and cowgirls, the pistol shaped state hosts one of the West’s top rodeos to compete in during July. And while Idaho produces more than 13 billion pounds of spuds every year, the Snake River Stampede boasts a $400,000 payout, placing it in the top ten of the PRCA’s regular season rodeos.
    The Snake River Stampede, which lands in the middle of Cowboy Christmas, celebrates 100 years this month, a historic milestone coming just after the rodeo was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2014. The legendary barrel man and rodeo clown, Leon Coffee, is coming out of retirement to be the man in the can during the rodeo, while the rodeo’s trademark drill team, the Snake River Stampeders, are performing their dark defying routine with a surprise twist at the opening. They’ll ride in green and yellow lights – the colors of the original Stampede arena.
    Originally an offshoot of the Nampa Harvest Festival, which began in 1911, the Snake River Stampede started as a bucking contest in a roped-off block in town. The event became official in 1915, the first year admission was charged, and soon took place in a ball field. Other events were added, and the buck show, still nameless, grew in popularity.
    The year of 1937 proved pivotal when the buck show was christened the Snake River Stampede by rodeo director Ike Corlett, and joined the Rodeo Cowboys Association. The bucking stock, which was originally herded to Nampa from a ranch near Horseshoe Bend, some 50 miles away, was later provided by Leo Cramer, a Montana stock contractor who brought the stock by train. The rodeo was changed to a nighttime show when lights were installed, and President Franklin Roosevelt opened the new rodeo from his home in Hyde Park, New York, where he pressed a golden telegraph key that turned on the lights of the rodeo grounds 2,000 miles away. In 1950, a new arena was built, seating 10,000 in its horseshoe shaped stadium. Gene Autry was the Snake River Stampede’s first star, followed by entertainers including Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, and later, Reba McEntire, and Glen Campbell. The Snake River Stampede moved indoors in 1997 to what is now the Ford Idaho Center, pulling spectators in from the heat and closer to the thrills and spills of the wildest, fastest show on earth.
    “I’ve been working here since 1977, and the rodeo is part of my family,” says the Snake River Stampede’s executive secretary, Jimmie Hurley. “I love the rodeo’s heritage, and the fact that the committees have toughed it out through the good and bad years and didn’t let the rodeo go. We strive to have the best announcers, stock, bullfighters, clowns, and specialty acts – and to pay out a lot of money – which of course attracts the best cowboys and barrel racers. It’s an honor for us to be one of the top ten (PRCA) rodeos!”

     

  • On the Trail with the Peterson Family

    On the Trail with the Peterson Family

    The Peterson family is the embodiment of the motto “One for all, all for one.” From the school auditorium to the sports bleachers and rodeo sidelines, the Petersons stand together and cheer in tandem. The bond of the family was forged largely in rodeo, the sport that Ross and Chrissy both competed in through high school and college, and wished to pass down to their children. “Ross and I feel that kids don’t come with manuals when they’re born,” says Chrissy with a laugh. “We decided the best way to raise our kids was to keep them super busy and keep them with each other. Every weekend, they’re with us! We know their buddies, and we have expectations for them.”

    Raised on these expectations, the girls have grown up training horses and selling them to pay their entry fees. Kaitlin and Karlee also competed in several rodeo royalty contests before they were ten, holding titles with local rodeo organizations. “The girls had to learn to speak eloquently in front of adults and crowds, introduce themselves, and learn horsemanship skills,” says Chrissy. “Today, when they have a high school or college presentation and have to speak in front of others, it’s not even an issue.”

    Rodeo practice at the Petersons is serious fun. Their arena, referred to as the Peterson Playpen, is almost more of a home to them than their log house, which pins down a portion of the swelling Black Hills. Karlee and Sidney practice together daily, and their parents join them after work. Ross is the shift supervisor at a saw mill in Spearfish, S.D., and Chrissy is the Special Education Director for the Meade School District. “Practice is kind of mass chaos,” says Ross. “Chrissy is the chute helper, I’ll be riding some young horses, and then we’ll have someone lining calves and holding goats, loping horses, and saddling and unsaddling.” Karlee adds, “Grandpa will help us, and some kids come over too, but you won’t get to come and watch. When friends come over to the Peterson house, Mom puts them to work – and they love it!”

    Kaitlin, a junior this fall at University of Wyoming (UW) in Laramie, Wyo., is competing in breakaway roping and goat tying. An NJHFR, NHSFR, IFYR, and NLBFR qualifier, she finished the college rodeo season sitting high in the breakaway roping for the Central Plains Region, which she competed in for Oklahoma Panhandle State University (OPSU) in Goodwell, Okla. She is also majoring in secondary math education, with plans to graduate in the next two years with a 3.5 or higher GPA. Her other passion is riding colts and turning them into barrel or roping horses, and she’s doing just that this summer as she rodeos with her family and does ranch work for the Haugen family. Last winter, she bought two broodmares, one of which foaled in early June. Kaitlin is smitten with her new bay filly.

    Karlee graduated from Sturgis Brown High School on May 17. With 12 college credits already under her belt from dual enrollment, her flair for time management has also allowed her to be this year’s student body president for her school, work 20 hours a week at The Buckle, volunteer in the South Dakota Teen Court System, and compete in the SDHSRA, SDRA, NLBRA, and 4-H rodeo. “Time management is something I learned from a young age, and its shown me how much I care about rodeo,” says Karlee. Family is her other secret to success. “It absolutely wouldn’t be possible to rodeo if not for such a team effort. Since I have so many horses to get in shape, Sidney helps me with exercising them every single day.”

     

    Full story available in our July 1, 2015

     

     

  • Back When They Bucked with J.W. Stoker

    Back When They Bucked with J.W. Stoker

    For seven of his eight decades, J.W. Stoker has entertained rodeo and western fans.
    The Weatherford, Texas cowboy has criss-crossed the nation and the globe, trick riding and trick roping for hundreds of thousands of people.
    Born in 1927, it began for J.W. when his parents moved from Colorado Springs to Kansas City when he was eight. J.W. attended the Santa Fe Trail Riding Club in Kansas City, and one week, a cowboy by the name of Pinky Barnes came to town. Barnes, a trick rider and trick roper, gave lessons to the club kids. “I liked it real well, and he was a good teacher, too,” J.W. remembers. Even though he didn’t know it yet, his career path was born.
    J.W. took to the roping, spending his lunch times and recess at home practicing.
    The next spring, Pinky brought a guest to town. Clyde Miller, who put on rodeos and Wild West shows, had heard how good J.W. was. “I was practicing, and they asked me if I’d take them down to the house. They’d like to see my parents.” Clyde wanted to hire J.W., who was the tender age of ten years old. “Of course my folks weren’t going to send me down the road at ten.” So Clyde had a different proposal for them. It was the Depression days, and money was scarce. He offered the whole family a job: J.W.’s dad could haul the bucking chutes, his mother would care for kids, and J.W. and his sisters Frankie and Bessie would trick rope.  His parents decided to do it. It brought him notoriety and fame. In 1939, he was billed as the “Juvenile World Champion Trick Rider,” with his picture featured on a box of Wheaties. To his knowledge, he is the only western lifestyle person to be put on the iconic cereal box.
    J.W.’s work with Miller continued till Miller suspended his rodeos during World War II due to gasoline and tire rations. Stoker had begun booking his own shows as a brother/sister act with his sisters. One of his first rodeos was Burwell, Neb., in 1940, which he worked for 25 years.
    He continued to trick rope and ride till he was drafted for the Korean Conflict. Basic training was at Ft. Benning, Georgia then he was sent overseas, where he was put in the Special Services, the entertainment division of the Army. “I was wanting to trick rope, the same thing I’d been doing in the States,” he remembers. “They auditioned me, and said we’ve never had a trick roper before, but we’ll try it and see what happens. I trick roped and got along real good.” Stoker spent his entire time overseas entertaining the troops, with artillery fire occasionally going on overhead during shows.
    He was discharged in 1952, when he came home and his career continued.
    In addition to rodeos, Stoker worked Wild West Shows and served as a stuntman in movies. He went to Europe with Rodeo Far West in 1970 for Buster Ivory, and in 1973, worked with Casey Tibbs at a Wild West show in Japan. When the show didn’t go well, Casey got him a job promoting Las Vegas and Nevada outside a log cabin, similar to the one from the Bonanza TV show.
    He worked in the movie “Bus Stop” with Marilyn Monroe  in 1956 (“she was late every day,” he says, and much shorter than he expected), in “The Kansan” in the late 1940s, where he trick rode and roped, and in “Bronco Billy,” where he doubled for Sam Bottoms, who played Lariat Leonard James in the movie. Stoker taught Bottoms basic spins and for the more difficult spins, trick roped and was filmed from behind him.
    Stoker trick roped in Harry Truman’s inaugural parade in 1948. That was back when news reels were shown prior to movies, and Stoker’s trick roping showed up in those reels. He entertained President Ronald Regan and future president George H.W. Bush at the 1984 Republican convention in Dallas. He’s also entertained in nine countries: Venezuela, Germany, England, France, Switzerland, the Dominican Republic, Finland, Japan, and Cuba. He served as entertainer at the Calgary Winter Olympics in 1988, and worked on Michael Martin Murphy’s West Fest for a decade.
    Stoker served as a stunt double for Roy Rogers, and Roy even rode one of J.W’s horses. It was while Stoker was working the Houston Rodeo in 1969. Rogers was there, and he’d been told by his doctor he shouldn’t ride because of heart problems. On the second performance, he said to J.W., “I don’t feel right walking out (in the arena to do the Sons of the Pioneers). Can I use your horse to enter and leave on?” J.W. was honored to share his horse.
    He made his own trick riding horses, and two of them stick out as favorites. One of them was Pumpkin, the same horse that Roy Rogers rode. He was a palomino with stocking legs and a wide blaze, and “he really ran,” Stoker says. Pumpkin was purchased from the famous woman trick rider and bronc rider Tad Lucas.
    Another favorite horse was Hot Diggity. Hot Diggity was purchased from Rex Rossi, another famous trick rider who worked a lot of shows with Stoker. Stoker’s trademark was white horses and Hot Diggity fit the bill. His current horse, Romeo, a paint stallion, is exceptionally intelligent and has a big personality. “I wish I’d had that horse decades ago,” Stoker says.
    Living 50 miles from Dallas, he had the opportunity to work conventions as well.
    About six years ago, he was forced to slow down and eventually retire. He was diagnosed with spinal stenosis, which pinches nerves and causes leg pain. He can walk to the barn, but once he’s there, he has to sit down for a bit before he can continue. “You can’t trick rope sitting down,” he says.
    But Stoker hasn’t quit for good. He has been willing to help anybody who asks. “People would call up and say, ‘I need help with the roping.’ I’d say, come over. I didn’t charge them. I figure it’s been good to me.” He currently works with the Cowgirl Chicks, an entertainment and trick riding group. He and the Cowgirl Chicks are on RFD-TV weekly.
    The 87-year old cowboy has had numerous honors and awards. He’s been a two-time Pro Rodeo Cowboys Association Entertainer of the Year. He’s inducted into the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City, the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame, and the ProRodeo Hall of Fame.
    And life’s been good for the entertainer. “I’ve done so many things, there’s no end to it,” he recalls. “I just lived life, and lived it good.”

     

    Story also available in the July 1, 2015 issue.

    WEB_shoulderstand
    Stoker doing a shoulder stand
    WEB_CCI03202015_00008
    J.W. Stoker, age 12
    WEB_jw-and-hot-diggity-(2)
    J.W. and Hot Diggity
    WEB_romeo-and-jw-stoker-(1)
    Romeo, the paint with JW: JW loves his current horse, a paint stallion he wishes he had had years ago.

     

  • Roper Review with Stefan Ramone

    Roper Review with Stefan Ramone

    Stefan Ramone is the youngest of five children, growing up in Lehi, Utah, roping and riding from the time they could walk. Stefan’s mom, Patricia, says Stefan actually started swinging a rope before he could walk.
    “As young kids we used to rope at the National Dummy Roping in Las Vegas each December,” says Stefan. “We would practice all year for it. My sister, Tashina, won it when she was about eight.”
    Stefan and older brother, Brady, roped as a team as youngsters. They practiced every day using both a donkey and a lead steer for practice. Stefan credits his parents for pushing him to achieve his goals. Stefan’s father, Benson, is a horse trainer and farrier. His mom, Patricia, is a behavioral specialist at a children’s hospital.
    “Stefan just doesn’t give up and has always had a lot of determination,” says Patricia. “He’s very easy going and doesn’t let things get to him. He’s able to shake it off and go to the next one. That has helped him in both roping and baseball.”
    Stefan, a junior in high school, was recently crowned the Utah High School Rodeo Association Champion Heeler. He and his partner, Louie Ivie, plan to attend college in Texas after graduation.
    In addition to roping, Stefan is an avid baseball player and has played varsity baseball since he was a freshman. He pitches and plays shortstop. Half Native American, Stefan is proud of his heritage and wears his hair in a long braid.
    “I’m very thankful to have such a close family,” says Stefan. “My parents are always there to support us and help us achieve our goals.”

    COWBOY Q&A

    How much do you practice?
    Every day.
    Do you make your own horses?
    Yes.
    Who were your roping (rodeo) heroes?
    Speed Williams, Rich Skelton
    Who do you respect most in the world?
    My mom and dad.
    Who has been the biggest influence in your life?
    My dad.
    If you had a day off what would you like to do?
    Go fishing.
    Favorite movie?
    Driven
    What’s the last thing you read?
    American Sniper
    How would you describe yourself in three words?
    Hard working, dedicated, motivated.
    What makes you happy?
    Roping, playing baseball and being with my family.
    What makes you angry?
    When my family gets beat roping.
    If you were given 1 million dollars, how would you spend it?
    I’d pay our place off.
    What is your worst quality
    – your best?
    My worst is I get distracted easily. Best quality is being easy going.
    Where do you see yourself in ten years?
    On a ranch in New Mexico.

  • ProFile with Phil & Terri Kissack

    ProFile with Phil & Terri Kissack

    Each year the association selects honorees who’ve shown dedication and passion for the sport of high school rodeo in South Dakota. Phil and Terri Kissack of Spearfish, South Dakota were recently named the 2015 South Dakota High School Rodeo “Persons of the Year.”
    Passion and dedication are two very good words to describe how the  Kissack’s    feel about rodeo. Phil and Terri grew up in the rodeo community. Both competed when they were in high school. Terri competed for the Faith rodeo team and Phil rode for Spearfish.
    In 1974, Terri earned the the National High School Girls Cutting Championship aboard a horse her dad, South Dakota Cutting Horse Hall of Fame trainer Darrel Griffith, had trained and shown. Her senior year, she was the South Dakota breakaway, cutting and all-around champion. Phil stayed busy running his family’s farming operation outside of Spearfish, but he made high school rodeo a priority and competed in team roping and tie-down roping.
    Fast forward a number of years to when Phil and Terri’s two oldest children were in high school. Jesse and Billie Jo excelled in sports, but they loved competition outside the rodeo arena. Phil and Terri spent their time traveling to baseball and basketball games, and “loved every minute of it.”
    In 2006, their youngest son Dane entered high school and their world shifted back to rodeo. Dane had competed in the Junior and Little Britches ranks, and his involvement in High School Rodeo was an exciting next step. That year Terri became the advisor for the Spearfish/Belle Fourche rodeo club, a position she held for five years.
    In 2007 Phil became a Host Site committee member and a state director, roles  he served in until 2014. Over the past ten years, the Kissacks have invited countless high school kids to come and practice at their arena, oftentimes helping them with their horses and horsemanship. Terri has found a fun niche judging queen contests, and recently, Terri and Phil joined forces to co-judge the Deadwood “Days of 76” queen competition.
    Phil joined the Host Site committee in its second year of hosting the State High School Finals rodeo. He quickly got to work organizing community support to improve the city’s rodeo grounds, and a partnership between the State High School Finals committee and the Black Hills Round-Up committee was born. The group hauled in sand to improve the grounds, installed drain tile under the arenas, and purchased new bucking chutes, roping chutes, and holding pens. They also enlarged both arenas, the cutting pen, and the warm up arena.
    “I wanted to try and make the privilege that Belle Fourche had to host the event as an ongoing thing. We wanted to make it better every year,” said Phil.
    “I’d describe Phil as the quiet person behind the scenes who’s making sure everything goes smoothly all week long,” commented Terri.
    “I remember one year, it rained like crazy during the [state high school] finals, and Phil went and worked the ground all night long,” said Terri. “Then he talked them into starting the rodeo two hours late so the ground could be just right for the kids. He served because he loves the sport of rodeo and he loves seeing kids compete and work so hard at something.”
    The work ethic of the contestants is a quality Terri and Phil believe is unique about the sport. They also appreciate the family-centric nature of the competitions.
    “Rodeo is a really unique sport because you compete as an individual, yet the whole rodeo community is like a family. When one family sees another family in need of a horse, a place to practice, or advice, it’s freely given,” said Terri. “I like that you’re more in control of the direction of your kids. There’s so much family time to be had driving to and from rodeos, versus them riding to a game in a bus.”
    “As we helped with high school rodeo, our mission focused on how rodeo builds character in everyone who participates,” said Terri. “Some will never be involved with horses again, while others will get full ride scholarships to rodeo in college. Yet their experiences in high school rodeo help them be successful in their future lives.”
    “I feel very honored by this recognition, but I’m also very humbled knowing how many people are doing exactly what we’ve done to help the sport of rodeo in South Dakota. I’d like to share this honor with those people,” said Terri.
    “We do it because somebody else was doing it for us when we were kids,” smiled Phil.

     

  • On the Trail with the Ellerman’s

    On the Trail with the Ellerman’s

    This year marks the end of a long era at the College National Finals Rodeo for the Ellerman family. Jay competed in 1979, followed by Tammy in 1982, Taya (McAdow) in 2003, and now Brit is making his shot at the team roping title this year. Tammy remembers going straight from her wedding to Jay’s 1979 college finals in Lake Charles, Louis. Taya will continue making an appearance at the CNFR as one of the rodeo coaches from Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colo. Much has changed in the 36 years, but what hasn’t is the bond that still unites the Ellerman family from Ft. Lupton, Colo. Sand, horses, roping, and the Lord.

    The family claims Ft. Lupton as home, even though they have moved more than 14 times during Brit’s 22 years. “We haven’t moved more than 30 miles,” said Jay. “The last house was a mile and a half over the hill.” Tammy’s career in real estate has created this unique situation. Every time they found the “perfect place” to build, someone came along that wanted to buy it and they found the next “best place ever.” The requirements were simple.
    “It had to have lots of sand,” said Tammy. “That’s what we rope in and that’s what we wanted.” She is quick to defend the multiple moves. “We lived in one house for eight years and we never had to change schools.” The kids seemed to adapt to the multiple moves. “We built six places for us that we planned to stay at – but we all realize that a house is just a roof over our head.”

    Jay was used to moving from his childhood with his father and his long career on the rodeo road. “I went to many different schools before I left for Arizona when I was 15,” said the 5x NFR header. Jay learned how to rope on a ranch as a kid doctoring cattle. “At night, if there was time, we’d rope a few steers or go to a jackpot.” He got his start at the PRCA level through his friendship with Walt Woodard. “He called me and asked if I wanted to head for his nephew, Rickey Green. I went to California and roped with Rickey and Tammy would come out and visit. In the summer, Rickey would come to our house.”  He headed for Bobby Harris the first year he made the Finals in 1984.

    Tammy stayed home with Taya, and started building her real estate career as well as roping. Ten years after Taya, Brit came along and the family helped found the Colorado Junior Rodeo Association in 1994 to provide a place for kids to hone their roping and timed event skills.  The family spent hours practicing in the arena of one of their many homes. “We are a super competitive family,” said Taya. “We’d get out our own money and rope for that.” Roping for something helped get the jitters out of the way when the stakes got higher along the way … like last year when Tammy backed into the box at the Perry Diloreto with Tyler Boyd for $200,000.

    She traveled out to Reno with Barry Smith and was keeping up with her family (and her real estate) during the roping via her cell phone. “There’s more pressure when I back in the box with my kids than the $100,000. I wasn’t thinking about the money.” She admits that win was the biggest so far in her career, but the family treats every roping the same. “$100,000 was a great day,” she said. “But what I focus on when I ride in the box is to catch the steer I drew and give my partner a chance to do his job.”

    “We stress being prepared, to do your job – nothing more or less,” said Jay, who remembers quitting school to rope and what his mother told him about it. “She said that roping was like gambling … but the first time I made the Finals, she was there to watch.” Jay equates the feeling of winning to the movie with Paul Newman, The Color of Money, and the quote: “Money won is twice as sweet as money earned.”

     

    Full story available in our June 15, 2015 issue.

     

     

  • Back When they Bucked with Jim Aplan

    Back When they Bucked with Jim Aplan

    Jim Aplan grew up in Casey Tibbs’ shadow.
    The Rapid City, S.D. cowboy was born in Casey’s hometown of Ft. Pierre, S.D., and Jim followed Casey and his rodeo buddies down the rodeo road. But since Tibbs was two years older, Jim’s mother wouldn’t allow him to travel with the soon-to-be-famous cowboy, and Casey went on to national fame and recognition while Jim stayed closer to home.
    Jim was born in 1931, the youngest child of Frank and Helen Fischer Aplan. His family owned Fischer Bros. General Store in town, and anything that happened in the county was “duly reported in the general store,” Jim said. “I was always kind of thrilled with the cowboys who came into the store,” he remembered, “much to my family’s dismay. They were dead set against anything rodeo.”
    Jim’s mother’s family, the Fischers, also owned two large ranches, and even though they were in the cattle business, there was no tolerance of rodeo. “Of course, wherever the cowboys were, you could find me.”
    The rodeo bug had bitten Jim, and he loved to follow Tibbs and another South Dakota cowboy, Billy Myers, as they went to rodeos. Tibbs and Meyers won money at the Ft. Pierre rodeo, and went on to Huron, and Jim followed. He was only sixteen, and hadn’t gotten permission from his mother, so she sent after him to come home. Tibbs and Meyers went on to compete across the country while Jim stayed home.
    His mother sent him to a boarding school in Canon City, Colo. The school had its own herd of horses, with students caring for them, and it had its own rodeo. The first rodeo paycheck Jim won was in the wild cow milking at that school. He graduated from boarding school and went on to junior college in Trinidad, Colo.
    That’s where his pro rodeo began in earnest. He was befriended by stock contractor L.D. Ward, and traveled with Ward and rodeoed. It got him away from his family, which was an advantage. “I couldn’t rodeo in South Dakota. Too much pressure. A lot of families encourage their kids in rodeo. Nobody encouraged me, they discouraged me.”
    He worked all the events as he traveled with Ward, but the saddle bronc riding and bull riding were his strength. He was best at the bucking horse riding, mostly because he’d grown up breaking horses. “I could ride a tough horse, but nobody ever showed me how,” he said. “I never looked very good doing it. I could usually place because I didn’t buck off. That’s how I got by.”
    Jim’s rodeo life might have looked a lot different if he’d have gone to North Dakota in 1955. All-around hands Jim and Tom Tescher, excellent bareback, saddle bronc and bull riders and bulldoggers as well, asked him to come north with them for the summer. “Had I done that, it would have helped me,” Jim said. Instead, he went to work for East Coast rodeo producer Jim Eskew, who was well-known for the western entertainment at his rodeos. Aplan fought bulls and clowned for him, and competed as well.
    In those days, nearly anyone would work as a bullfighter, and at some rodeos, the cowboys would stand in the arena, in front of the chutes, and randomly step out in front of a bull during a ride. “It sure made me mad when they did it to me,” while he was riding, Jim said, as it could ruin a ride and the score.
    There wasn’t much training for bullfighting in those days. “It wasn’t like today, where they go to school for it and learn moves. Then we just got out there and did it and hoped we didn’t get killed or get some rider hurt. That’s the nightmare of all bullfighters.”

    Full story available in our June 15, 2015 issue.

     

  • ProFile with Macy Fuller

    ProFile with Macy Fuller

    Macy Fuller has spent her time since graduating from Central Arizona Community College searching for a barrel horse for the CNFR. “I’ve tried four so far,” said the defending Women’s All Around Champion, who is entered in three events this year – barrels, breakaway, and goat tying – the same events she has qualified for in the past four years. “My black horse is out until September, so I need to find one for the whole summer. The barn at the college finals is tiny, and indoors, so I am looking for a horse that fits that as well as the big outdoor arenas that I’m used to running in.”
    Her favorite event is a toss-up between tying goats and breakaway. “The goat tying I’ve really studied and I can give a lot more back with my style,” said the young lady that spends endless hours coaching students. “People ask me what I’m going to do when my career is over – and it’s not – it’s just beginning. I’ve got an outstanding stud and I want to give him every opportunity that I can.” The stud is Heza Judge of Honor, and she is excited to enter him in futurities. The other thing Macy is excited about is giving back all her goat tying knowledge to her students. “I have a few schools for the summer, but I like to do it over and over with my students and watch them progress slowly. When I’m in Arizona I have a goat practice every Tuesday night and we have fun and hang out. You really get to know them and that’s what I want – a long term relationship with the kids to make sure they are getting the most out of it that they can.”
    The style she teaches is one that she picked up through the years with the help of her mom, Karen, who made the college finals and was reserve champion goat tier. “I didn’t ever go to any clinics – it was me figuring new things out. Some kids use the style now – I get off late and flank by the collar and gather in the air. I don’t hang on the side of my horse at all. My horse is truly amazing and is so fast – when he feels me make a slight move, he slows down.” Now that her career chasing a goat tying title is about over, she is excited to have sold this amazing horse. “I’ve had him since he was six and he’s 19. Kaiden Ayers is the new owner – from California. I can’t wait … she has fire in her eye and likes to go fast so it’s a perfect match.”
    Macy got her start in rodeo through her dad, Mike, who was rodeoing hard when Macy was young. “When I was three weeks old, I’d been in 17 states while my dad was trying to make the NFR. I actually enjoy being in a truck – I don’t think I’ll ever stop traveling. It’s too much fun and I can’t imagine staying at home. I love to see new people and new rodeos and have fun going.” Mike finished 16th a couple different times, missing the NFR by just a few hundred dollars. He and Karen were college rodeo coaches at LCSC in Washington State, which is where Macy grew up. She continues to hold the record at the National High School Rodeo Association as the only person to win seven consecutive All Around championships at the junior high and high school level. She had plenty of opportunities to practice during those years in Washington and credits her dad with training all the horses she rides today.
    “He makes sure that if one’s down, I’ve got another one,” said Macy. “He and my mom always make sure I have the best opportunity I can have. She’s been the one on the phone telling me where to go to try horses.” Macy is an only child, something she has liked. “I am spoiled and I appreciate everything that’s been done for me. I don’t take anything for granted.”
    Macy started giving back her knowledge when she was in grade school. “I went to a school of 17 kids and there was a kid at school in the special needs program. I decided to make a change and became his best friend. I still stay in touch with him, but that friendship made a difference in my life. As long as I have something to offer and someone asks me for help, I’m going to give it to them. I’m sure if I’m stuck somewhere, I’m going to ask for help too.” Macy wasn’t involved in any school activities. “I played basketball for a couple years, but it cut into my riding time. My horses are my babies. They have shavings in their stalls and blankets on. They truly are like having kids. I’ve always been like that. Making sure they are comfortable and happy makes me happy.”

     

  • Roper Review with Ted Chancey

    Roper Review with Ted Chancey

    Ted Chancey, Dover, Florida, has been training horses for over forty years. During that time he has finished two AQHA Supreme Champions. In 2008, Ted earned the last points needed, in heading and heeling, for Mr Joe Im Kool to become the 47th AQHA Supreme Champion, the first in twenty years. Five years later, Ted helped Gotta Good Habit earn the remaining points for his open Supreme Champion title on December 31, 2013, in Tampa, Florida. Gotta Good Habit was the 50th Supreme Champion.
    As a kid, Ted grew up watching his elderly neighbor ride a big palomino and begging for a chance to ride. When he was about 12, his parents bought a little Quarter Horse stud. Ted was hooked and that was the start of his training career.
    “I got my first check for training a horse when I was 14,” says Ted. “I was doing something I loved and thought it was the greatest thing ever to get paid to ride a horse.
    “I didn’t know much but I would watch the people who were winning at the open horse shows and try to emulate what they were doing. I learned a lot from Jack Hennig. He was the first to talk to me about how a horse’s mind works and how they think. I’d ride all day and at night Jack would teach me to rope calves. It just kind of snowballed from there.”
    Ted credits several horsemen for teaching and shaping him as a trainer. Henry Kitchen from Plant City, Florida, produced calf ropings where Ted would watch great calf ropers and horsemen. There he learned about position and training calf horses.
    “Frank Barnett, Williston, Florida, is probably the best horseman I know. He was instrumental in teaching me how to control different parts of a horse’s body with the least resistance and how to work on position.”
    In addition to the two Supreme Champions, Ted will quickly tell you he has been blessed to ride many great horses. “The buckle I wear today I won on a horse named Cody’s Boogie Man. I bought him for just $3,500 and he turned into a phenomenal horse. He was a great head horse that Nelson Linares hauled on the rodeo trail. He was eventually bought by a professional calf roper for $45,000.”
    Ted has two grown sons, Trip and Ty, and one daughter Taylor, who is five. Trip and Ty are both farriers and avid team ropers.
    “I ride for a living and it’s all I’ve ever done,” explains Ted. “Going to work for me is not really going to work. I enjoy team roping, I just don’t get to go very often. I go to about 30 horse shows a year and that keeps me pretty busy.
    “I’ve been lucky to be around some great horses and people in my career, but my kids are still my greatest accomplishment.”

    COWBOY Q&A

    How much do you practice?
    We ride everyday. Sometimes we take Sundays off. I pretty much live at the barn.
    Do you make your own horses?
    Yes.
    Who were your roping or rodeo heroes?
    Jack Hennig. Roy Cooper changed the face of calf roping like the Camarillo brothers changed team roping. They might not necessarily be my heroes but I respect the impact they’ve had on the rodeo industry. Now days Trevor Brazile is someone for the younger guys to look up to.
    Who do you respect most in the world?
    Anthony J. Sacco – he gave me my first really good horse to ride when I was young and had confidence in me. He is still a good friend to this day.
    Who has been the biggest influence in your life?
    My dad.
    If you had a day off what would you like to do?
    Go fishing.
    Favorite movie?
    Lonesome Dove
    What’s the last thing you read?
    Bits by Lewis Taylor
    How would you describe yourself in three words?
    Driven, Laid Back, Patient
    What makes you happy?
    Listening to the horses eating early in the morning when it’s quiet, that brings me a lot of peace.
    What makes you angry?
    Abusive people – whether they’re abusive to animals or other people.
    If you were given 1 million dollars, how would you spend it?
    I’d build a covered arena and then give the rest to a children’s hospital.

    What is your worst quality –
    your best?
    Though I’m patient with horses, I have a definite lack of patience with people. My best quality is my patience with my horses.

  • On the Trail with Zack Jongbloed

    On the Trail with Zack Jongbloed

    Zack Jongbloed started riding when he was in diapers. His mom, Karen Jongbloed, came from a rodeo family and rodeoed in high school and college. Zack is fortunate to have two uncles, Jeff Corbello and Joey Roberts, that are multiple NRF steer wrestling qualifiers to serve as his coaches. His dad, Mike, didn’t come from a rodeo family, but started roping in high school. “That’s what my parents and my family did, so that’s what I grew up around,” said the 16-year-old quarterback from Iowa, Louis. He also played baseball when he was younger, but finds that football and rodeo keep him plenty busy. He credits his family as being his biggest supporters. “They are always out there tending to my animals while I’m at football practice. My family is always doing something to make it easier for me. I find myself running short of time with all the events that I work, maintaining my school work, and football practice.”

    Zack is partial to rodeo, even over football. “I like that its family oriented – we do everything together as a family and I like the people that we are around.”  Zack is a sophomore at Iowa High School, a school of more than 600 students, where he maintains a 4.0 GPA. He heads to school at 7:15, and after school he goes to football practice, where he is the varsity quarterback, until around 6. “Football helps me with rodeo in many different ways – it keeps me in shape and strong,” he said. After football is over, Zack heads to the arena to practice his events. He will usually concentrate on one event each evening. He competes in steer wrestling, tie down roping, team roping, cutting, and the new high school event, reined cow horse. “I’m still learning the reined cow horse, but I like it. It teaches me better horsemanship. In both the cutting and the reined event, the horse has to do a lot of the work.”

    His favorite event is bulldogging. “I have two uncles who made the NFR, they are always willing to take the time to come up and help me. I would not be where I am today in this event if it were not for them.  I like how it’s always full blast, there’s no safety up, its just reaction.” When Zack practices that event, he’ll jump 10 or 15 steers a night, while working on a young horse as well as riding his seasoned horse. Tie down roping is a close second favorite event, where he won all four major junior ropings this year and was the Louisiana Rodeo Cowboys Association Rookie of the year. “I am very fortunate to have family friend Jade Conner, an accomplished roper as my tie down coach which contributes to my success.” Then comes team roping, where he is a heeler for Riley Fontenot, his partner for the past two years. He works all his events using his pen of eight horses.  “I have three calf horses, a couple practice horses, a bull dogging horse, a haze horse and a team roping horse.” Zack likes his calf horse the best. I’ve been riding him for quite a few years and we’re starting to fit together. I feel confident on him and feel like he gives me a chance to win. We’ve begun to figure each other out and I’ve learned how to ride him better.”

     

    Full story available in our June 1, 2015 issue. Read online!

  • Back When they Bucked with Howard Barker

    Back When they Bucked with Howard Barker

    Howard Barker lived out his dreams.
    Ever since he was a little boy, he wanted to be a cowboy, and he wanted to fly, and he did both.
    The Houma, La. man spent his time flying through the air on bareback and saddle broncs and bulls, and when his rodeo days were over, he spent the rest of his life flying through the air in sprayer aircraft.
    He spent seven years full time rodeoing, and when he was done, came home to begin an aerial application business.
    He was born in Yumatilla, Fl. in 1937, the oldest child of Howard, Sr. and Adelade Barker. Soon after he was born, the family moved to Groveland, Fl., where he spent most of his growing-up years.
    His interest in rodeo stemmed from being around cattle, and even though no one in his family competed, he wanted to. “It interested the heck out of me,” he said. His dad didn’t approve. “My father always told me I needed to quit that foolishness and get a job.”
    At the age of fifteen, he entered his first rodeo. He didn’t have the entry fees, so he went to the bank to get a loan. “I just went in and talked to the president of the bank,” Howard recalled. “He took the money out of his pocket and loaned it to me.”
    He also entered high school rodeos, of which there was one a year, hosted by the FFA chapter in Inverness, Florida.
    At first, Howard rode bareback broncs and bulls. There wasn’t a lot of saddle bronc riding in Florida, but when he could find it, he entered it, choosing to quit riding barebacks.
    By the time he graduated from high school in 1956, he was competing in amateur rodeos across the state. He worked on large ranches in Florida, some with spreads as big as 500,000 acres. He loved the work. “I was happy in the woods, working cows, just about as happy doing that as being at a rodeo.”
    When he was nineteen, he left Florida to rodeo. He didn’t make a big splash, but made enough to pay entry fees and living expenses. “You’d be broke one day, then have a pocketful of money the next, then broke again.”
    In 1958, he joined the Rodeo Cowboys Association, forerunner to today’s Pro Rodeo Cowboys Association, and competed full time. Most of Howard’s rodeos were in the Northwest and Canada. By then, he had quit the broncs and was riding bulls only. In the winter, he’d come home, get a ranch job, and save up money to leave again in the spring.
    He traveled with good friends Ronny Welch, Tex Martin, Winston Bruce and his brother Duane, and bull rider Leo Brown, “one of the best hands to ever come out of Canada, maybe the best,” Howard said.
    Then, after being on the road for most of seven years, he decided to retire.
    In 1966, he got his pilot’s license and begin a crop dusting business two years later. He lived in Belleglade, Fl., at the time, and sprayed not only crops but for mosquitoes. He sprayed over a million acres a year, with contracts with county, state and federal governments. In the summer, his business went west and he sprayed for grasshoppers in the western states.
    In 1991, he moved to Houma and his business changed. He sprayed oil spills with dispersants, chemicals that break oil into tiny droplets that suspend in water so naturally occurring bacteria eat the droplets. His company, Airborne Support, was instrumental in the BP Oil spill in 2010. A picture of one of his planes spraying was on the front page of the New York Times and a South African friend even saw the picture in a newspaper in that country.
    Howard never suffered any major injuries in his rodeo days. Sprains and a broken cheekbones and a couple of concussions were it. He had temporary amnesia twice, due to the concussions.
    The Calgary Stampede was his favorite rodeo because of all the activities. “It was  like a three ring circus,” Howard said, with bucking stock in the arena, “some movie star singing a song, and a horse race going on all at the same time.” And his favorite bull was HB, owned by Howard Harris. Howard drew him three times: once in Cowtown, N.J., and in the West, after he was sold to someone else. Very few people covered HB, but Howard did it three times, as did a friend, Joe Chase, who Howard gave advice as to what to do when riding HB.
    In 1968, he married Evelyn, and they had four children, two boys and two girls: Vance, who lives in Minnesota, Laura Beth, who lives in Boston, and Brad and Nancy, who both live in Houma. He and Evelyn have seven grandkids, with a grandson, Reese Barker, who rides bulls and is a three-time state champion junior bull rider in the Louisiana Little Britches Rodeo Association.
    It was tough quitting rodeo when he did it in 1966. “I had to stay away from it completely,” he remembered. But he had a business to run. “I couldn’t afford to get hurt and not be able to fly.”
    Three years ago, his health forced him to retire from the aerial application business, and now son Brad runs it.
    Rodeo was a passion he loved. “When I’d make a good bull ride, I don’t know of a better feeling in the world.”
    But he loved flying too. “A lot of people go through life with a job they don’t like,” he said. “But I’m the luckiest man in the world. I got to do two jobs I really liked. I’m glad I rodeoed. I wasn’t a champion but I got to ride with those that were.”

    Story is also available in our June 1, 2015 issue.

     

  • ProFile: Johnny Dudley

    ProFile: Johnny Dudley

     

    Johnny Dudley, Rodeo Clown, Rodeo News
    Johnny’s famous backflip -Miller Photo

    Laughter is a precious commodity for “Backflip” Johnny Dudley. The rodeo clown, dubbed for his backward springs, has been splitting sides and spreading smiles at rodeos since 2006, but his dedication to his work is no laughing matter. “It’s my passion!” says the 37 year old from Aubrey, Texas. “I tell people all the time that I’d be a rodeo clown for free, I love it so much. I’m a certified air traffic controller, and I could be making $180,000 a year, but I love being a rodeo clown.”
    Though built like a steer wrestler at 6’3”, Johnny’s only ties to rodeo were the local rodeos in Dayton, Texas, that he and his family went to in the summer. The antics of the rodeo clowns were a highlight for Johnny, but by the time he was in third grade, his parents had divorced and he and his mom moved to Groesbeck, Texas. No more rodeos or rodeo clowns until 1999 on the Marine Corps base in Beaufort, S.C.. Johnny was 21 and had joined the Marines immediately after graduating high school. A rodeo was being held on the base and Johnny, who had no intention of going, was volunteered into taking tickets at the gate for the first half of the rodeo. He found a seat in the bleachers for the second half and unknowingly met his future. “I was paying attention to the clowns, and this short, chunky, older guy runs into the stands and sits on a good looking blonde lady’s lap,” Johnny says, recounting one of his favorite stories. “Her husband laughed, and a light bulb went on for me.” Johnny met the clown after the rodeo and was offered a role in his clown act the following night. “I bought some big pants and makeup and showed up as a clown. In my mind, I was thinking I’d be a clown, not a prop,” Johnny recalls humorously. “The fire was lit!”
    After getting out of the Marines in 2004, Johnny found the practice bull riding arena in his hometown of Dayton, Texas, and started learning to fight bulls twice a week. “I knew that bull fighting was my gateway to being a clown. I was young and athletic, and the guy who owned the practice pen also produced several local rodeos, so he hired me to clown for him. Cleveland, Texas, was my first rodeo. I made $50.” At the same time, Johnny attended San Jacinto College in Pasadena, Texas, paying for his degree in international business with his rodeo income and Montgomery G.I. Bill. He also continued to attend rodeos and study how other rodeo clowns worked. The experience wasn’t always comfortable. Some people were more welcoming than others, and a few rodeo clowns wanted nothing to do with the competition. “I didn’t have any buckles or boots,” says Johnny. “I was just some guy out of the Marines that wanted to learn! I didn’t know the rodeo terminology – I just wanted to clown.” Yet the people who were willing to help Johnny influenced one of today’s funniest men in ProRodeo. These included Rudy Burns and Lecile Harris, two of Johnny’s rodeo clown idols. “Rudy helped me with anything I wanted and sold me one of his clown cars. I learned from the old guys, so I’m more of a traditional clown. I’m not much for dancing around or clapping – I like to tell jokes and do clown acts.”
    Johnny has six different acts and a slew of jokes at the ready for what he calls “situational comedy”. “I don’t go out with a plan,” Johnny explains, “I just go out and wait for something to trigger a joke in my mind. It could be a girlfriend and boyfriend walking down the bleacher, or a guy with long hair. I want to relate to the crowd with a current situation that’s happening, not just tell little Johnny jokes out of nowhere.” None of Johnny’s banter with the rodeo announcer is ever scripted, and his title backflips are also spontaneous. The crowd pleasing maneuver is one of Johnny’s childhood talents that started with showing off for the girls at the swimming pool. Of the thousands of backflips he has made, only two have gone awry – once at a PBR event in Salt Lake City when the fence gave way beneath him, resulting in a broken neck, and one other rodeo where he slipped and barely made his rotation in time.
    Johnny is also known for his electric blue wig and large foam cowboy hat, courtesy of any mall in Texas. One of his best known acts is Cow Patty, performed to Jim Stafford’s song of the same title, completed by a mechanical bull mounted on a three wheeler, blowing smoke out the nostrils and shooting water from the rear. Another favorite act involves Johnny’s skunk, Rosie. His first skunk, Flower, was in the act for six years before passing away, and now Rosie performs to the frightened delight of rodeo audiences. “Everyone thinks she’s trained, but I just act off her instincts,” says Johnny. “If I want her to lift her tail, I’ll run at her to startle her a bit, or jump around in front of her. Then I’ll throw a dummy skunk into the audience, and depending on where I throw, they scatter!”
    Though the rodeo arena is a second home to Johnny, his home in Aubrey with his wife, Emily, and 18-month-old son, Jase, is still his favorite place to be. They recently purchased a 40 foot motor home so that Emily and Jase can travel with Johnny. The husband and wife first met in 2009 at a rodeo – Johnny clowning and Emily barrel racing. Emily is also the owner of Deuce’s Wild Tack, known by many professional barrel racers for its bright colors and bling. While helping Emily with the business, Johnny spends his time at home going to the gym, duck hunting, watching football and announcing barrel races, many of which Emily competes in. He recently became a certified hypnotist, and plans to do several shows during his off weekends. Johnny is also the cook of the family, having dinner with Emily’s parents several nights a week. “I have a killer lasagna, and I can put anything on a pit and smoke it,” he says.
    Taking to the road again, Johnny will be performing west of the Rocky Mountains this summer, with rodeos from Utah up to Montana, and even several in Alaska. He’ll work the All American ProRodeo Series Finals in October for the second year in a row, and is also the PRCA Turquoise Circuit Finals barrelman for the second time. “Everybody wants to do the biggest rodeos for the money and prestige, and I do too, but my favorites are the small hometown rodeos that I grew up working,” says Johnny. “When it comes to prestige in this business, I’d love to work Fort Worth, Pendleton, and of course the WNFR. But the one I thing I want even more is the Coors Man in the Can award, because that’s about who’s best at protecting the bull fighters. I’m just a family guy that likes clean comedy and rodeo.”