Category: Newsletter Articles

Rooftop Rodeo will memorialize former queen Roxann Harris on July 9

 

ESTES PARK, Colo. – Roxann Harris always seemed to be giving back to others.

Her friends and comrades at Estes Park Western Heritage Inc. and the Town of Estes Park are going to honor that sentiment and her life during the Rooftop Rodeo, which is set for 7 p.m. Monday, July 8-Saturday, July 13, at Granny May Arena in Estes Park inside the Estes Park Fairgrounds.

“Her husband, Tom Harris, will be the grand marshal at the Rooftop Rodeo parade on Tuesday, July, 9, and we will be honoring her at the Queens Luncheon that day,” said Mark Purdy, chairman of Estes Park Western Heritage Inc., a group of volunteers that works with the town of Estes Park to produce the annual rodeo.

“Our Tuesday performance will be Roxann Harris Night, and we will be performing a rider-less ceremony with her Rooftop Rodeo saddle, boots and hat.”

Harris, the 1982 Rooftop Rodeo queen, died Jan. 7, 2019, after a short illness. She was 53.

After graduating from the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, she worked her way up the corporate ladder in commercial real estate. After meeting her husband, she and Tom moved to Steamboat Springs and purchase a ranch. Five years later, they moved to Douglas County and lived there until her death.

Harris first became involved in the royalty program at the National Western Stock Show, which led to her involvement with Miss Rodeo America, where she was elected to the executive board of directors. She coached girls on horsemanship, poise, public speaking, fashion and other skills needed to become rodeo royalty.

For the past six years, she was a co-chair of the royalty coordinator program for the Douglas County Fair & Rodeo.

“Roxann was one of the best souls I have ever had the chance to meet,” Purdy said. “She has supported many rodeo royalty young ladies over the years over the years, including my own daughter, Kellsie, and our close friend, Alex Hyland Cox. Please join us July 9 for a day of celebrating the life of our wonderful friend, Roxann.”

GUNNISON, Colo. – Every year since its inception, many of the greatest cowboys in the country make their way to this picturesque town for the annual Cattlemen’s Days celebration and PRCA rodeo.

Two of the greatest cowboys to have ever been here are repeat visitors, working the annual rodeo as pickup men for Stace Smith Pro Rodeo, one of the most decorated livestock firms in the sport. Jason Bottoms and Shawn Calhoun are two of the premier pickup men in the land, and they are regulars in the Gunnison Valley.

“We’re just tickled to have guys of that caliber here in Gunnison,” said Kevin Coblentz, chairman of the volunteer committee that produces the rodeo. “They are great cowboys, and I know the bareback riders and bronc riders love knowing they have guys like that to help them at Cattlemen’s Days.”

Each man has been selected to work the National Finals Rodeo, an honor bestowed on them by the top cowboys who play the game. Once they’ve earned the right to compete at the NFR by finishing the regular season as the leaders, the top 15 bareback riders and saddle bronc riders vote on who will rescue them for 10 straight December nights in Las Vegas.

Calhoun was named to the NFR in 2012, while Bottoms’ three ventures to the Nevada desert came in 2005, ’07 and ’11. While the world has seen their talents on the biggest stage of the sport, the folks in Gunnison have seen them up close for many years.

They are just two of the faces that come with the Smith Pro Rodeo, an Athens, Texas-based firm that has been named PRCA Stock Contractor of the Year 11 times. They are just a few of the biggest names in the game that are expected to be part of Cattlemen’s Days this year, with three performances set for Thursday, July 11-Saturday, July 13, at Fred Field Western Center in Gunnison.

This year marks the return of entertainer John Harrison, who has been named the PRCA Comedy Act of the Year three times and Coors Man in the Can twice. His brand of comedy and his award-winning acts were a big hit for fans in Gunnison last July.

“A lot of people don’t know this, but John is the grandson of Freckles Brown,” Coblentz said, pointing out that Brown is a ProRodeo Hall of Fame inductee who won the bull riding world title in 1962 at the age of 41. “When you have that kind of legacy, it says something.

“But what I think is even bigger is that he’s an outstanding horseman, and a lot of people around here can appreciate that. When he adds that to the comedy, it really makes something cool happen.”

Announcer Andy Stewart returns to call the action, providing his baritone voice and distinct flavor to every ride and run that takes place during each performance. From Colliston, La., Stewart has been nominated as PRCA Announcer of the Year each of the past nine seasons, and there’s a good reason for it.

Gunnison-raised Linda Alsbaugh serves as the rodeo secretary and has for many years. She offers a great understanding of Cattlemen’s Days to her tasks of the behind-the-scenes work that goes on throughout rodeo week. She, too, is well decorated.

Alsbaugh and her late husband, Art, were recipients of the 2012 Donita Barnes Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2015, she was named the PRCA Secretary of the Year.

“Hands down, I think we bring the best rodeo personnel to our event every year,” Coblentz said. “The cowboys know that when they get here, and it shows in every level of our rodeo.”

Williamson Co. native wins bareback riding; champions crowned at 70th annual Franklin Rodeo

Franklin, Tenn. (May 18, 2019) – A Williamson County native took home a win at the seventieth annual Franklin Rodeo.

Logan Corbett, who grew up in Thompson’s Station, won the bareback riding with an 83 point ride.

During his high school days, he competed in the Tennessee High School Rodeo Association, in the bareback riding, saddle bronc riding and bull riding, crediting Tim and Diane McPeake with helping him throughout high school rodeo. After graduation from Page High School in 2007, Corbett attended Murray State  University in Kentucky and competed collegiately, graduating with an animal science degree.

Three years ago, he and his wife, Lacey, moved to New Mexico, where Corbett is the rodeo coach for New Mexico State University. He has sixty students on the New Mexico State University rodeo team, with twelve of them having qualified for the College National Finals Rodeo, held in Casper, Wyo., in June. “It’s a full time job,” he said, with that number of students on the team, and he’s pleased with the twelve who are going on to College Finals. “We’re excited about that.”

Corbett is working on his master’s degree in agricultural education at New Mexico State, hoping to be able to teach introductory college courses.

Corbett and his wife came back home a few days before he rode, to visit his mom, who lives in Bellevue, so grandma could see her grandkids: a daughter, who is two years old, and a son, who is three weeks old. While he is in the area, he visited the high school rodeo in Scottsville, Kentucky. “I ran up there to do some recruiting, talk to some kids, and see if I can’t get them to come to New Mexico State,” for the rodeo team. He has already recruited a saddle bronc rider from east Tennessee to compete for him.

He remembers coming to the Franklin Rodeo as a kid. The Franklin Rodeo “has always been one of my favorites,” he said. “In high school, I wasn’t old enough to have a PRCA card, so I’d come watch and hang out with my friends. I’ve been coming to this rodeo for years and years. It’s really a blessing to be able to get to come here and do well. It’s awesome.”

The thirty-year-old cowboy rode the J Bar J Rodeo bronc Freckled Doll for his win.

The Franklin Rodeo was the first pro rodeo that Blake Ash competed at, ten years ago, when he was a PRCA permit member. He filled his permit, winning the required $1,000, in Franklin.

Ten years later, he won the tie-down roping at the same rodeo with a time of 8.5 seconds.

The Aurora, Mo. man credited his horse with the good run. Sancho, a thirteen year old bay gelding, “worked really good,” Ash said. “He keeps getting better and better.”

The horse is owned by Mike Reade of Arkansas, and Ash has been riding him for the last two years. He makes sure the horse is in top health. “I don’t win anything if he doesn’t feel good.” In late June, Ash will hit the rodeo trail hard, and he’s had Sancho checked out by a veterinarian and equine chiropractor. “We did all the regular maintenance. We do it twice a year, at the beginning of the summer, and right before circuit finals. If I want to win anything, I want him to feel good.”

Ash has competed close to home the past ten years but this spring, went to the California rodeos and won the Clovis, Calif. rodeo, which has given him a good start to the rodeo year. He plans on competing farther from home this summer. A run at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, the pinnacle of the pro rodeo world, where world champions are crowned, might be in the plans. “I think I’m going to try the best I can,” he said.

Ash has competed at the Great Lakes Circuit Finals Rodeo eight times, winning the year-end title once and the average title once. His dad, Greg Ash, was a perennial circuit finals qualifier, first in the Prairie Circuit and later in the Great Lakes Circuit.

He is currently ranked twenty-first in the PRCA world standings.

Other champions from the Franklin Rodeo are steer wrestler Justin Raburn, Lafayette, Ga.(4.3 seconds); saddle bronc rider Jade Blackwell, Rapid City, S.D. (83 points); team ropers Nelson Wyatt, Llano, Texas/Levi Lord, Sturgis, S.D., and Marcus Theriot, Poplarville, Miss./Chase Graves Bogalusa, La. (4.2 seconds for each team); barrel racer Nicole Love, Morton, Miss. (16.39 seconds); and bull rider Coleton Greninger, Rose Bud, Ark. (85.5 points).

Next year’s rodeo will be held May 14-16, 2020. This is the seventieth anniversary of the rodeo, which is a service project for the Franklin Noon Rotary Club. Since the rodeo began, it has raised over $3 million for local and international charities.

 

 

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Results, Franklin Rodeo, May 16-18, 2019

 

Bareback riding

1. Logan Corbett, Las Cruces, N.M. 83 points on J Bar J Rodeo’s Freckled Doll; 2. Bryce Sifford, Martin, Tenn. 82.5; 3. (tie) Trey Moore, III Chatchee, Ala., Houston Herbert, College Grove, Tenn., and Jesse Pope, Marshall, Mo. 81 each; 6. Taylor Broussard, Estherwood, La. 80.5.

 

Steer wrestling

1. Justin Raburn, Lafayette, Ga. 4.3 seconds; 2. Will Lummus, Byhalia, Miss. 4.4; 3. Zack Varner, Livingston, Ala. 4.7; 4. Jordan Thrasher, Culleoka, Tenn. 4.8; 5. Justin Thigpen, Waycross, Ga. 4.9; 6. Juan Alcazar Jr., Okeechobee, Fla. 5.0.

 

Team roping

1. (tie) Nelson Wyatt, Llano, Texas/Levi Lord, Sturgis, S.D. and Marcus Theriot, Poplarville, Miss./Chase Graves, Bogalusa, La. 4.2 seconds each; 3. Coy Rahlmann, Ellsinore, Mo./Ryan Von Ahn, Palmyra,Mo. 4.5; 4. Cory Kidd V, Statesville, N.C./Clay Futrell, Union Grove, N.C. 4.7; 5. (tie) Mason Boettcher, East Bernard, Texas/Trace Porter, Leesville, La. and Kaston Peavy, Bay Minnette, Ala./Brad Culpepper, Poulan, Ga. 4.9 each; 7. Will Clark, Erin, Tenn./Tanner Ward, Wister, Okla. 5.3; 8. Kyle Letzelter, Canyon, Texas/Casey Cox, Ballston Spa, N.Y. 5.6.

 

Saddle bronc riding

1. Jade Blackwell, Rapid City, S.D. 83 points on J Bar J Rodeo’s Dirty Bugger; 2. Justin Browning, Lake Charles, La. 79; 3. Riggin Smith, Winterset, Iowa 78; 4. Briar Dittmer, Runnells, Iowa 77; 5. (tie) Roper Kiesner, Riley, Okla. and Ryder Sanford, Beaumont, Texas 76 each.

 

Tie-down roping

1. Blake Ash, Auora, Mo. 8.5 seconds; 2. Tim Pharr, Resaca, Ga. 8.9; 3. Hadley DeShazo, Ash Flat, Ark. 9.1; 4. Alex Caudle, Livingston, Ala. 9.2; 5. (tie) Justin Smith, Leesville, La. and Blake Chauvin, Raceland, La. 9.6 each.

 

Barrel racing

1. Nicole Love, Morton, Miss. 16.39 seconds; 2. Sadie Wolaver, Fayetteville, Tenn. 16.55; 3. Caroline Kelly, Auburn, Ala. 16.64; 4. Alishea Broussard, Estherville, La. 16.79; 5. Taylor Carver, Broxton, Ga. 16.81; 6. Laura Kennedy, Quitman, Ark. 16.87; 7. Ashley Parks, Dania Beach, Fla. 16.90; 8. Beth Ann Thomas, Hoboken, Ga. 16.91; 9. Nicole Helm, Tulsa, Okla. 16.95; 10. Sondra Conklin, Fayette, Mo. 16.96.

 

Bull riding

1. Coleton Greninger, Rose Bud, Ark. 85.5 points on Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Two High; 2. (tie) John Young, Orient, Iowa and Trevor Reiste, Linden, Iowa 85 each; 4. (tie) Corey Atwell, Moravian Falls, N.C. and Denton Fugate, Niangua, Mo. 83 each; 6. Creek Young, Fordland, Mo. 81.

Curtis woman uses life experiences to prepare young women for success

North Platte, Neb. – May 20, 2019 – Linda Evans is passing on the things she’s learned to the young women around her.

And she’s doing it through rodeo queen pageants.

The Curtis, Neb. woman has helped in one way or another with the Miss Rodeo Nebraska pageant, the Miss Teen Rodeo Nebraska pageant, the Buffalo Bill Rodeo, and a plethora of other rodeo related activities.

She stays in touch with the rodeo queens around the state, knowing that’s where the field of potential Miss Rodeo Nebraskas come from. She’s an expert at social media, because that’s the “language” of the young women. She’s an encourager, a booster, and a quiet behind-the-scenes worker.

It all stems from more than thirty years ago, when, after a divorce, she had $500 to her name, a seven-year old child, and one year of college education. She learned quickly how to cope, selling copiers, then radio and TV advertising.

When her daughter Kelli won the Sutherland Rodeo Queen title, Evans became interested in rodeo queen pageants. The public speaking skills that Kelli gained from being a rodeo queen helped her as she became the Nebraska High School Rodeo Queen, then a Nebraska State FFA officer, and then a National FFA president, the first ever from Nebraska. The pageants “strengthened her ability to speak well,” Evans said.

Evans had been a barrel racer, so she was familiar with the sport. She began volunteering with the two state rodeo queen pageants. She’s currently the Miss Teen Rodeo pageant director, but she does so much more than organizing the pageant, which takes place the week of the Buffalo Bill Rodeo.

Evans works on helping the next generation of rodeo queens get started. She has organized a rodeo queen clinic for five years before someone else coordinated it, and last year, she put on a rodeo queen contest for six to ten year olds. “You have to start young,” she said. “The contestants say, ‘oh, I had fun,’ and hopefully they want to go back.”

Evans believes in the skills girls can learn through rodeo queen pageants. “There are lifetime skills there,” she said. “Learning how to be in front of people, and not being scared of interviews,” are important things the girls learn. Evans relates the story about a young woman, a past Miss Teen Rodeo Nebraska candidate who didn’t win. At her first interview for a teaching position, she got the job. “They told her she was the best interview they had, and she gave all the credit for trying out for Miss Teen,” Evans said.

Evans, who has been attending the Buffalo Bill Rodeo in North Platte for nearly every year of her life, also volunteers with the rodeo. She helps organize the flags and the cowgirls who carry the flags during each night of the grand entry. Between ten and a dozen rodeo queens from across the state carry the flags on horseback, in addition to the Velvet Spurs, a drill team from the North Platte area. Cowgirls are usually eager to carry flags at the rodeo. “They really want to do it,” Evans said. “It’s a big deal to ride in the Buffalo Bill Rodeo.”

Evans works as diligently for the girls who don’t win titles as the girls who do. “We work hard trying to make them feel good, even if they don’t win,” she said.

She wants the teens and young women who come through the rodeo queen pageants to know their own strength. “I want those young women to feel confident, that they can go and do whatever they want, by themselves. They don’t need anyone to do things for them. They can succeed on their own.”

Her family and friends call her the “caretaker.” Evans moved back to Nebraska thirteen years ago, after two years in Texas, to care for her mother, until her mom passed away in early April. Her son, who is blind due to diabetes, has had two kidney transplants, and alongside his wife, she’s helped care for him during his surgeries.

“I’m the caretaker,” she said. “That’s my purpose in life, to help make somebody else’s life easier.”

She will move to Texas in late June to run a bed and breakfast, and she will be missed, said Cindy Peterson, also a volunteer with the Miss Rodeo Nebraska Association. “You can always depend on Linda,” Peterson said. “With our committee, Linda is always kind and understanding and if we have different ideas, she’s always willing to listen to someone else’s opinion.”

“She’s going to be a hard person to replace,” Peterson said. “It may take two or three people to replace her.”

In addition to her daughter, Kelli Brown and son Kory, Evans has another daughter, Jodi Propst, who lives in North Platte, and four grandsons. Jodi was also a Nebraska State FFA officer.

The Miss Rodeo Nebraska and Miss Teen Rodeo Nebraska pageants are held in conjunction with the Buffalo Bill Rodeo in North Platte. The 2019 Miss Teen Rodeo Nebraska winner will be crowned on June 12 at 1:30 pm at the Community Playhouse in North Platte, and the 2020 Miss Rodeo Nebraska is crowned the same day, during the first night of the rodeo. The rodeo runs June 12-15 and is held at the Wild West Arena in North Platte.

Tickets to the Miss Teen Rodeo Nebraska coronation can be purchased at the door. More information on the activities surrounding the Miss Teen Rodeo Nebraska and Miss Rodeo Nebraska pageant can be found on Facebook (search for Miss Rodeo Nebraska Association.)

Tickets for the rodeo can be purchased at the NebraskalandDays office, online at NebraskalandDays.com, and at the gate. For more information, visit the website or call the office at 308.532.7939.

North Platte woman volunteers with youth, wins Buffalo Bill Award

 

North Platte, Neb. – May 6, 2019 – High school rodeo in Nebraska is stronger, because of Tricia Schaffer, and because of her efforts, the Buffalo Bill Rodeo in North Platte awarded her last year with the 2018 Trail Boss Award.

The North Platte woman has spent more than two decades volunteering with high school rodeo at the state and national levels.

It started in 1991 when she and her husband Dewey’s oldest daughter, Emily, began competition in the Nebraska High School Rodeo Association. Schaffer began volunteering, and she hasn’t quit since.

Five years later, in 1996, she became a national director for the National High School Finals Rodeo Association, and is still in that role.

At the state level, Schaffer has helped grow the high school rodeo association’s annual scholarship auction and banquet. Because of the fundraising ability of the auction and banquet, each senior high school rodeo student gets a scholarship.

Since she’s been a national director for more than twenty years, she understands all that high school rodeo has to offer the youth, and she is able to share that info with the Nebraska high school kids. “There are a lot of opportunities out there, and if you’re not aware, your state misses out on those things.” Each state with participating high school rodeo athletes at Nationals gets a minimum of three college scholarships, and Schaffer makes sure the Nebraska high school seniors apply for those scholarships. “There are states that have no one who applies,” she said, noting that it’s sometimes because new directors don’t realize the opportunities that are there.

At the national level, she is chair of the National High School Rodeo Queen contest, the world’s largest rodeo queen pageant, with more than forty participants each year. When she first started as a national director, it was nearly impossible for a director to resign. “National directors stayed on forever,” she said. “They had to die, basically,” to get off the board,” she laughed. “I hope I don’t die, doing this job.”

The job requires a big time commitment. Schaffer is required to attend the National High School Finals Rodeo, a seven-day event, and is there several days early for her work with the queen contest. She also spends a week each winter at the mid-winter meetings. She’s been a stay-at-home mom, raising her and Dewey’s four children, which allowed her the time to serve.

Schaffer acknowledges that many people don’t have the time to volunteer anymore, and they serve for the four years their children are high school rodeo athletes. She would like to pass on the baton to someone else, but she’d also like to know that whoever replaces her is there for the long haul. “I want somebody to take it over who will stick with it, who will uphold the traditions for why the National High School Rodeo Association was formed, someone who will keep rodeo alive so families can experience it. I hear, from so many people, that their years in high school rodeo were the best of times and how much they will miss the time spent with their kids.”

Schaffer knows the good that high school rodeo does for kids. When her own four kids competed, they made friends across the state. When her kids played high school basketball, they had friends who were members of the other team. “My kids would know the other kids on the opposing team, and the other kids would say, “how do you know these people?” Her kids still network with the friends they made while rodeoing. “You have this whole family of people all over the country,” that are friends.

Rodeo is also a good learning experience for kids. “It’s a good opportunity to teach your kids responsibility,” Schaffer said, “to take care of an animal, for meeting deadlines for entering rodeos, and for taking leadership roles as event directors.”

And rodeo kids are good kids. Schaffer recalls the comments made by the people at the venue for the National High School Finals Rodeo in Springfield, Illinois. Nationals involves more than 1,700 high school kids, and it was the first time the rodeo had been held east of the Mississippi River. “The people at the fairgrounds couldn’t believe we didn’t have one fight and not one window got broken out. They were amazed that we had that many kids in one location and nothing happened.”

She also helps with the Miss Rodeo Nebraska Association, and, alongside Sheri Dodson of North Platte began the “Partner Up” rodeo, a rodeo for special needs youth. The Partner Up rodeo has grown to where ESU 16 supports it; last year, about 180 kids and 300 community volunteers helped with it.

She volunteers at Great Plains Hospital in North Platte, as well. “Everybody needs to donate their time doing something,” she said.

In 2013, the National High School Rodeo Association honored her with the “NHSRA Woman of the Year” award.

She and Dewey have six grandchildren.

The Buffalo Bill Rodeo takes place at the Wild West Rodeo Arena in North Platte June 12-15 with performances beginning at 8 p each night.

Tickets for the rodeo can be purchased at the NebraskalandDays office, online at NebraskalandDays.com, and at the gate. For more information, visit the website or call the office at 308.532.7939.

Franklin Rodeo is fundraising venture, as well as a fun time

Franklin, Tenn. (May 13, 2019) – From the outside, the Franklin Rodeo looks like a fun place to spend an evening.

But take a closer look, and a person realizes that there’s more to the rodeo than entertainment.

For the seventy years of its existence, the Franklin Rodeo has always been a philanthropic venture hosted by the Franklin Noon Rotary Club. Over its seven decades, more than $3 million has been raised by the rodeo and given back through the Noon Rotary Club.

Expectant moms were recipients of rodeo funds last year, through Operation Homefront’s Star Spangled Babies.

Operation Homefront throws baby showers for military spouses when they are expecting little ones. Often those soon-to-be moms are far from friends and family, and finances can be tight as well. “For a lot of these military moms, their spouses are deployed through the pregnancy and sometimes upon delivery,” said Kristen Henry, program manager for Operation Homefront.

The baby showers provide critical needs for the new moms, giving them things as simple as diapers and baby wipes and as big as car seats and pack and plays. “It makes a huge impact,” Henry said. “It helps eliminate financial stressors as they prepare for their new arrival. The program is in place to welcome the newest patriot to their families.”

Adults with special needs at BrightStone in Franklin, Tenn. also benefitted from the Franklin Rodeo.

BrightStone is a day program for adults with mental and developmental challenges.

The forty students served each day come to BrightStone for job training, social skills, lifelong learning, health and wellness, music and the arts.

They also work together making products: greeting cards, ceramics, and consumer food products that are sold to the public. Last year, 7,500 items made by BrightStone students were sold. “We typically sell out every year,” said Kristi Perkins, communications coordinator for BrightStone.

The work that BrightStone students do gives them a sense of accomplishment, Perkins said. “Our students are very proud of the products they make, and they’re proud that the community recognizes, appreciates and enjoys the products.”

Being able to work is important to BrightStone students. “To be independent, to get up each morning, do a job, and see the fruits of it,” is satisfying to them.

And having the students at BrightStone is important to the students’ parents and caregivers. “It’s such a relief (for them) to know that there’s a place their loved one can go, and use their talents to the best of their ability.”

Last year, thirty-nine organizations, from the Boys and Girls Club of Middle Tennessee to the Gentry Education Foundation to the local Alzheimer’s Association benefitted from the rodeo.

This year’s Franklin Rodeo is May 16-18. Performances start at 7 pm each night at the Williamson County Ag Expo Park. Advance tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for kids ages twelve and under and are available online at www.FranklinRodeo.com. At the gate, tickets are two dollars more per ticket. For more information, visit the website or call 615-RODEO-11.

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

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

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

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

The Rooftop Rodeo has a very exciting 2019 lined up! Estes Park Western Heritage provides “boots on the ground” working with the Town of Estes Park to produce the award winning Rooftop Rodeo each year. In addition to last year’s awards, the Rooftop Rodeo has won the PRCA’s Rodeo of the Year five times and the Western Pro Rodeo Association’s Rodeo of the Year in 2017 along with numerous PRCA Mountain States Circuit awards.

This years Rooftop Rodeo’s dates will be July 8-13 with the nightly preshow starting at 6:30 and the performance at 7:00. Kicking off rodeo week festivities will be the traditional Rooftop Rodeo Parade on Tuesday, July 9^th starting at 10:30 am. Bands, horseback riders, draft hitches, floats, unique automobiles, rodeo-royalty, clubs, organizations, traveling bands, trick riders, clowns and more have added a distinctively fun time and western flavor to Estes Park as the colorful entourage makes its way along Elkhorn Avenue to the Stanley Park Fairgrounds.

Attendees can also buy tickets to attend our “Behind the Chutes” tours. Behind the Chutes is your chance to venture out to where all the action happens. You’ll meet the stock contractor, contestants and arena crew who will explain the sport of rodeo. Get an up close and personal tour of the arena equipment, participate in some mock events, see the livestock and meet the clowns. It’s a great time to ask questions and learn more about the sport of rodeo from the pros themselves.

Each night of the rodeo, 10 lucky cowboys and cowgirls will have a chance to compete in the exciting sport of mutton bustin. Six spots each night are offered to the first six kids to fill out an application for that night!

We are also excited to announce that we be a part of WPRA’s Barrel Racing Tour this year (there are only 60 of 620 rodeos invited) and will be offering three nights of “after rodeo” competitions! This will also be our fifth year of working with PRCA Hall of Fame stock contractor Cervi Championship Rodeo. Cervi brings world-class stock and a fast-paced production to the Rooftop. We have gone from a high water mark in 2014 of 475 contestants to almost 800 last year, and we had a record payout to contestants of almost $174,000 in prize money!

New in 2019 is our “Gold Buckle Experience.”  With the Gold Buckle Experience, you get to experience the Rooftop Rodeo in a completely unique fashion. With this ticket, you’ll be able to enjoy an unprecedented level of exclusive access, convenience and extras. The evening starts with an optional tour of the rodeo grounds before the show and you’ll then be escorted to the west end of the arena, home of some of the best views in the stadium. You’ll want to take advantage of the hospitality room where you can rub elbows with the Cowboys and enjoy a catered meal from a local restaurant. While watching the rodeo events, you’ll be taken care of by a designated bartender, providing you with drinks at no extra charge. Sip on a cold one around a tall boy table while the sun sets at your back and the action unfolds in front of you!

You can also check us out on ProRodeoLive.com (who will also broadcast live on the Internet all week) and see us in national rodeo magazines, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Bassett, Neb.  (May 13, 2019) –Jaya Nelson is passionate about gelato.

Not just eating it, but making and selling it, too.

The Nebraska High School Rodeo Association member is part of a team of four high school students who have established a school-based business called “On the Go Gelato.”

The business is part of the program through Nebraska FFA with assistance from the Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The teenage business owners have developed their own gelato flavors and make and sell the gelato at various locations in Rock County High School in Bassett, around town, and at events.

Nelson, along with classmates Karley Anderson, Jillian Buell, and Grace Olson, began their venture last September, under the guidance of their FFA advisor Mrs. Ann Dvorak. They make it in the school kitchen from milk, eggs, cream, sugar, and flavoring, and sell it on Fridays at school to students. They’ve had requests for catering at area businesses, like vineyards, banks, and birthday parties. They’ll be at the Ranch Expo held in Bassett June 19-20, and were on hand at the Shark Tank filming in Lincoln, where they served gelato and made a pitch to the “sharks.”

Nelson estimates she and her business partners average about ten hours a week working on their business, before and after school. During busy weeks, it might be twenty hours. Between school, studies, and rodeo practice, it makes for long days. She’s learned to manage her time better than she thought she could. “I’ve always been decent at time management,” she said,” but it’s crazy trying to juggle school, a job and rodeo.”

She’s done well with all three facets: she’s on the honor roll at Rock Co. High School and is ranked in the top ten in the breakaway roping. She also team ropes.

The business has done well, too. The young women have made a gross profit of $5,000 since they started last fall and have the goal of doubling that by this September. The profit goes back into the business, and since it’s a school-based business, any money they earn from the hours they work is held by the school in a scholarship fund, to be given to them when they graduate. They have two options when they’re done with high school: to buy the business from the school, or pass it on to other students.

A lot of people didn’t take the four women seriously when they started. “There are not many sixteen year old entrepreneurs running a business,” she said. “We had our fair share of naysayers and inspectors.” But that didn’t set them back. “It sets a fire under you when somebody says you can’t do something,” Nelson said. “It drives you to do it and prove them wrong.”

They’ve come up with a motto: dishing out girl power, and they plan on blogging about their struggles. “Being teenage girls, starting a business, we want to show other students that you can do this just like we are,” Nelson said.

The first high school rodeo for the 2020-2021 season is in Bassett, and the On the Go Gelato businesswomen would like to sell gelato at the rodeo. And the National High School Finals Rodeo comes to Lincoln in 2020, and they hope to have a booth there, too.

But for now, they keep mixing and flavoring and dishing out the sweet treat.

Nelson is vice-president of her school’s FFA chapter, is on the speech team and is a member of the National Honor Society. She is the daughter of Devon Nelson and Kelby Nelson.

The Nebraska High School Finals Rodeo will be held in Hastings at the Adams Co. Fairgrounds June 13-15. The rodeo is held at 10 am and 6 pm on Thurs., June 13 and Fri., June 14, with the finals at 1 pm on June 15. Tickets are $7 for everyone ages five and up and are available through the office and at the gate. For more information, visit AdamsCountyFairgrounds.com or hsrodeo-nebraska.com, or call 402.462.3247.

St. Paul High School volleyball, girls basketball teams chosen as grand marshals for rodeo parade

St. Paul, Ore. (May 13, 2019) – The Oregon High School 1A State Champion volleyball team and basketball team, both from St. Paul High School, have been selected as grand marshals for the 2019 St. Paul Rodeo parade.

Both teams won their respective sports at state this year and both will be honored during the parade on July 4 through downtown St. Paul.

 

The girls on the teams were special this year, said their coaches, Coach Lesli Hiller (volleyball) and Coach Dave Matlock (basketball), and it wasn’t just because they were state champs.

“The way the kids conducted themselves, they were tough as nails,” said Matlock. “They didn’t back down to anybody. We’d get behind in some games, and come right back.”

Both teams were undefeated, each with overall records of thirty wins and no losses.

“We went into the (volleyball) season deciding we were always going to try to improve upon what we already were,” said Coach Hiller. “Going into state playoffs, our focus was to remain confident and calm, regardless of the score, and to always play one point at a time.”

Five girls played on both teams: Emma Connor, Erin Counts, Karlee Southerland, Megan Tuck and Isabella Wyss, and the seniors provided leadership. Matlock remembers Megan Tuck taking a leadership role without being asked. It was in the 2017-2018 school year and the team was playing Central Linn and down fifteen to six after the first quarter. Central Linn had made three three-point shots in a row, Matlock said. “I remember, Megan said, ‘hey, it’s ok, there are four quarters to this game, we’re all right.’ Without being prodded, she took it upon herself to be a leader.”

The basketball team never looked too far ahead, Matlock said. “Our mantra was one day at a time, one play at a time. They were able to work hard on the next thing and not get hung up on what was coming or looking back. It paid dividends, because we were tough to beat over 32 minutes.”

The St. Paul Rodeo is a fundraiser for the St. Paul High School Booster Club, and each high school team is required to volunteer time in the stadium concession stands and parking cars for the rodeo. The kids enjoy it, Matlock said. “You should see them parking cars. They’re everywhere, doing everything.” The athletes who are on more than one team volunteer multiple times, once for every sport.

Hiller’s team had one goal in mind, she said. “We came into the season, focused on that goal and how to get there. The team is a very mature, calm team. They never let drama come onto the team.”

Hiller, who has coached at St. Paul for the past nine years, spoke highly of her players. “They were very confident and able to motivate others. Sometimes high school kids are embarrassed and afraid to motivate others and put themselves out there. But this team had strong motivators and confident players. They didn’t worry about what other people thought.”

Matlock began as an assistant coach at St. Paul High School five years ago and moved into the role of head coach four years ago. He has a deep respect for the kids, the families and the sense of community in St. Paul. “I actually told the girls, you don’t know how good you have it here. This is a special place. This group of girls was probably the finest group I’ve coached, and it’s not just because they were state champs. When you add up the tenacity, mindset, character, talent, and work ethic, this team was heads and tails above everybody else.”

He says those characteristics are passed to the kids from their families. “You can enhance them, but they’re an innate thing that goes back to the traits they were taught in the homes of parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. All these people have been teaching these kids for that moment.”

The rodeo is part of that. “That’s the beauty of the rodeo. It’s always looking to stay current, but it’s not losing its roots in the past. The kids and their families understand that and work really hard to help at the rodeo.”

“The rodeo very much embodies all of this, and that’s why it’s so special.”

Matlock loves his team and the community, and has coined a phrase for the team. “St. Paul is the oasis in the desert of life. I really firmly believe that.

“St. Paul is a very special place and the rodeo is a part of that.”

The St. Paul Rodeo parade kicks off at 10 am on July 4, followed by a rodeo matinee at 1:30 pm that day. Rodeo performances also take place at 7:30 pm each night of July 2-6.

For more information, visit www.StPaulRodeo.com or call 800.237.5920.

SPRINGS, COLO. – The Women’s Professional Rodeo Association in partnership with Wrangler® is excited to announce the first ever Wrangler Network Tour for 2019. This new tour with long standing corporate partner Wrangler will bring additional opportunities for WPRA members to compete for bonus money at rodeos they are currently competing in.

“We are extremely excited to partner with Wrangler and the Wrangler Network to highlight some of the best rodeos in our business while offering our members a chance at a bigger paycheck at the end of the year,” said Doreen Wintermute, WPRA President. “Not only does this Tour provide bonus money for the barrel racers but also for our breakaway ropers, which has never been done before.”

The Wrangler Network Tour will feature a total of 18 barrel racing events and a minimum of 5 breakaway roping events for a total of 23. A total of $34,000 will be up for grabs in the barrel racing division paying eight places in the final Tour standings with the winner receiving $10,000. The breakaway roping will feature $15,000 in new bonus money paying five places with the top point earner receiving $5,000.

“As a longtime supporter of the WPRA the Wrangler brand is very proud to announce an extended three-year partnership, including the creation of a Wrangler Network Tour Bonus program,” said Jeff Chadwick, Director, Western Special Events. “In addition to the WPRA barrel racing bonus, we are extremely excited to include breakaway roping as part of the Wrangler Network Tour bonus program at selected WPRA sanctioned events – Long Live Cowgirls.”

Each of the events on the Wrangler Network Tour will be live streamed on Wrangler Network. A full explanation of the format and schedule of events can be found below.

 

Format: Points earned at each Wrangler Network WPRA approved live streamed rodeo will count for the Wrangler year-end bonus money. Points to be awarded based off the official results.

 

Point distribution will be as follows for each round and average:

If payout is 4 places = 1st = 40 points, 2nd = 30 points, 3rd = 20 points and 4th = 10 points

If payout is 8 places = 1st = 80, 2nd = 70, 3rd = 60, down to 8th = 10

If payout is 10 places = 1st = 100, 2nd=90, 3rd = 80 – down to 10th = 10

 

Following the final stop on the 2019 Wrangler Network Tour schedule the top eight point earners will receive bonus checks according to the following breakdown:

Barrel racing distribution      Breakaway Roping distribution

1st = $10,000   1st = $5,000

2nd = $7,500    2nd = $4,000

3rd = $5,000     3rd = $3,000

4th  = $4,000    4th = $2,000

5th = $3,000     5th = $1,000

6th = $2,000

7th = $1,500

8th = $1,000

Total = $34,000          Total= $15,000

 

2019 Wrangler Network Tour Schedule

Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo – Jan. 25 – Feb. 9

San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo – Feb.7-23

La Fiesta de los Vaqueros (Tucson, Ariz.) – Feb. 16-24

*Red Bluff (Calif.) Round-up – April 19-21

Clovis (Calif.) Rodeo – April 26-28

Santa Maria (Calif.) Elks Rodeo – May 30 – June 2

Reno (Nev.) Rodeo – June 21-29

Ponoka (Alberta) Stampede – June 25 – July 1

Greeley (Colo.) Independence Stampede – June 27 – July 3

St. Paul (Ore.) Rodeo – July 2-6

Calgary (Alberta) Stampede – July 5 – 14

Sheridan WYO Rodeo – July 8 – 14

California Rodeo Salinas – July 18 – 21

Cheyenne (Wyo.) Frontier Days Rodeo – July 19 – 28

Dodge City (Kan.) Roundup – July 30 – Aug. 4

*Horse Heaven Round-Up (Kennewick, Wash.) – Aug. 20 – 24

*Ellensburg (Wash.) Rodeo – Aug. 30 – Sept. 2

*Pendleton (Ore.) Round-Up – Sept. 7 – 14

*WPRA World Finals – Oct. 18-20

*Denotes the events with WPRA approved breakaway roping

 

For more information on the Wrangler Network Tour visit www.wpra.com and to catch the free live stream these events visit www.wranglernetwork.com.

 

About the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA):

The Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA) is the oldest women’s sports organization in the country. The Association started in 1948 with a group of Texas ranch women who wanted to add a little color and femininity to the rough-and-tumble sport of rodeo. A major move at the time, 38 women met in a hotel in San Angelo, Texas, on February 28, 1948, to change the way they were being treated in the male-dominated world of rodeo. These women banded together to create the very first professional sports association created solely for women by women – the Girls Rodeo Association (GRA). The GRA began with 74 original members with 60 approved contests with a total payout of $29,000. In 1981, the GRA changed its name to the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA). Today, it is a computerized association with more than 3,000 members, over 1,700 events and payouts totaling over $5.2 million. The WPRA, headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colo., provides opportunities for women across the United States and Canada to compete in the timed events of barrel racing, team roping, breakaway roping, and tie-down roping. For more information on the WPRA and a list of events visit www.wpra.com.

 

About the Wrangler Network

Wrangler Network is the online and mobile destination for fans of the western lifestyle with access at no cost to exclusive live video of country music, rodeo, and equestrian performances at 1000s of events. Millions of people access WranglerNetwork.com or the Wrangler Network via its free mobile app to get the latest clips, news, photos and more. For more, visit the Wrangler Network at WranglerNetwork.com and download the mobile app, free of charge, for iPhone or Android. You can also find Wrangler Network content on WN Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

 

About Wrangler®

Wrangler® is enduring American freedom; it’s in the spirit of people who work hard, have fun and recognize courageous individuality.  As a company, we believe in solid commitments and perseverance in the face of obstacles and challenges.  Most of all, we respect ourselves, each other, our western heritage and the environment in which we live.

 

It’s the same as ever, even before the first pair of Wrangler® jeans were made in 1947.  Our history runs parallel to the rise of the country, our jeans worn by the same people who built it.