Category: Newsletter Articles

With Performance in the FanZone at Semi-Finals in Fort Worth on Friday, February 17

 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Nashville recording artist and former professional bull rider, Austin Wahlert, will return to Texas, where he attended college on a rodeo scholarship, to perform at RFD-TV’s The American presented by Polaris RANGER on Sunday, February 19 in AT&T Stadium following a one-hour performance in the FanZone at The American Semi-Finals on Friday, February 17 in Fort Worth, TX leading up to the event. Previous performers include Country music superstars Justin Moore, Jewel, and William Michael Morgan. Known as one of the world’s richest one-day rodeos, The American, which gives $2,000,000 in prize money on Sunday for the Finals and $1,000,000 in prize money at Semi-Finals, will begin with Semi-Finals on Wednesday through Friday at the historic Fort Worth Stockyards and conclude with Finals on Sunday at AT&T Stadium. RFD-TV’s The American is dedicating the entire week prior to the event to military and first responders by bringing the Wall that Heals, a half-scale replica of the Vietnam Wall, to the stockyards. The processional of the wall will begin on Tuesday, February 14 and will remain in the stockyards until Saturday, February 18 when the museum portion of the wall will move to the plaza at AT&T Stadium. Along with the wall, free tickets have been offered to active military and first responders at various bases, along with discounts. “Playing my song ‘Thin Blue Line’ to honor first responders and military at an event called The American in Cowboys Stadium, it doesn’t get more patriotic than that!” says the Colorado-native and Rocky Mountain CMA Songwriter of the Year, who is playing his second rodeo performance of 2017 after he performed as the first entertainment act at the National Western Stock Show in January.  Wahlert, who also performed at the 10th Round at the Wrangler’s National Finals Rodeo in 2014 and the Mandalay Bay Stage in December of 2016, has had great success in both America and Europe, where his song “Long Live Cowboys” hit #7 on the international chart and broke the top 100 on the pop chart. His latest album I WILL WIN has been described by Real American Cowboy Magazine as a “ballsy album with songs that challenge your realities and make you swell inside, some even make you re-commit to things that you’ve left behind.” The album can be purchased here.   Event Details: Who: Austin Wahlert What: Live at Semi-Finals FanZone and Live at RFD-TV’s The American When: Friday, February 17 and Sunday, February 19 Where: Fort Worth Stockyards and AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX Tickets: For more ticketing information, click here. Please contact us if you would be interested in either pre-coverage in the form of a phone or in-person interview or if you wish to attend the performance for on-site coverage and interviews. ###

 

About Austin Wahlert: Originally from Northern Colorado, singer-songwriter Austin Wahlert grew up in the world of rodeo, participating as a collegiate and professional bull rider. Inspired at the age of 16 by his grandfather who served in the Korean War, where he also entertained the troops playing USO concerts, Wahlert began writing his own songs. While attending Odessa College in West Texas on a bull riding scholarship, he also found success in the small bars and honky-tonks of Texas playing his music. The next few years brought Wahlert a combination of tragedy, love, and excitement, which became the inspiration behind his songwriting, from losing his grandfather to Parkinson’s, to marrying his wife, Justine, then the birth of his children who later had health complications. Still touring Texas and other parts of the country, including an opening performance at the 10th Round at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in 2014, Wahlert has turned his focus to the national stage, while also working on his songwriting in Nashville. In a short time, the 2016 Rocky Mountain CMA Songwriter of the Year has garnered respect from established Music Row songwriters and industry executives, helping to guide his promising career from the bucking chutes to the stage in the arena. About RFD-TV’s THE AMERICAN Presented by Polaris RANGER: Taking place at Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium  on Feb. 19, 2017, RFD-TV’s The American is the richest single-day event in the history of rodeo. With $2 million on the line, the best athletes in the world will gather in Dallas to battle for the biggest single paycheck of their lives. The American invites the top athletes from the 2016 PRCA, ERA, WPRA and PBR world standings and pits them against underdogs who advance from the American Semi-Finals, held Feb. 14-17 in Fort Worth. If a nationally ranked athlete wins, the prize is $100,000, but if a qualifier from the Semi-Finals – or an athlete who earned an exemption – wins THE AMERICAN, that contestant shares in a $1 million bonus pool. For more information, please visit:www.americanrodeo.com and www.RFDTV.com. Follow us on Twitter @RFDTVAMERICAN and find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/RFDTVTheAMERICAN.

FORT WORTH, Texas (February 17, 2017) Before the three performances of The American Semi-Finals begin Wednesday night, a field of more than 450 was whittled down to 90 contestants. The top 30 in barrel racing and 20 in team roping and steer wrestling are one step closer to Sunday’s RFD-TV’s The American presented by Polaris RANGER and a chance to earn a $1 million bonus.

Preliminary rounds of the semi-finals received a big boost this year when RFD-TV added half a million dollars to the purse. That increased the total payoff to nearly $1 million and spread the paychecks to more semi-finals contestants.

The biggest money winner in the preliminary rounds was barrel racer, Brianna Trepanier of Stephenville who won more than $1,000 per second – taking home $13,876 for her time of 13.468 seconds. The top 40 finishers of the 178 semi-finalists earned a paycheck. First through 20^th earned a percentage of the $114,000 purse while 21^st through 40^th each earned $750.

“Now that we’re on the same page in a team sense, she is pretty easy to ride,” Trepnier said of her seven-year-old mare called “Quill.” “She is a free runner and it took a while to get with her, but I get along great with her now. We’re on a roll.”

The racers with the 30 fastest times will compete again at Cowtown Coliseum with 10 different individuals running Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights.

Team ropers earned a share of the $109,500 prize money in each of two rounds and for fastest total time. The biggest money winners of the 172 participants were Stephenville cowboys Charley Crawford and Will Woodfin. They each won $8,308 after placing seventh in round one, fourth in round two and first overall with a total time of 10.36.

Crawford earned two slots in the performances. He and Woodfin rope Wednesday night and he teams with Oklahoman Joe Harrison on Thursday. Two other ropers – heelers Wesley Thorp of Throckmorton and Brady Norman of Springer, Oklahoma – also earned two semi-finals slots.

The 20 teams with the fastest total times will compete Wednesday and Thursday night. The ten fastest times from those nights rope again Friday night. Those with the five fastest times Friday night will advance to The American at AT&T Stadium on Sunday.

Crawford missed his final steer at last year’s semis and is looking forward to two chances at redemption. “We were the final team and just needed a clean run,” he said. “I want some overs, I want ‘em bad.”

2016 National Finals Rodeo cowboy, Riley Duvall of Checotah, Oklahoma was the high money winner in steer wrestling. He won $10,118 after placing second in round one with 4.06 seconds, followed by a first-place finish of 3.56 seconds in round two. Steer wrestlers won $54,970 in the preliminary rounds. Duvall heads the list of 20 steer wrestlers who will compete on Wednesday and Thursday night with the top 10 advancing to Friday night’s performance. The top five finishers Friday night will earn the chance to compete at AT&T Stadium.

Two more groups of qualifiers in calf roping and bull riding had not been determined at press time.

The American Semi-Finals runs Wednesday through Friday with nightly performances at 7:30 p.m. The Wall That Heals, the half-size replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., is a cornerstone of the FanZone and will be open 24 hours a day until 3 p.m. Saturday.  The FanZone will feature live music, food trucks, beer vendors and a fashion show and will be open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Tickets for the semi-finals start at $10 and are available at Cowtown Coliseum. Ticket for The American in Arlington start at $20 and are available through Ticketmaster.

 

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Fort Worth, TX-February 14, 2017— The following are results after preliminary rounds of competition at RFD-TV’s The American Semi-Finals rodeo.

Barrel Racing: 1, Brianna Trepanier, Stephenville, Texas, 13.768 seconds, $13,876. 2, Abby Penson, Blossom, Texas, 13.868, $10,903. 3, Kelsey Lutjen, Casa Grande, Ariz., 13.922, $8,920. 4, Callahan Crossley, Hermiston, Ore., 13.928, $7,632. 5, (tie) Kellie Collier, Hereford, Texas, and Jessica Leach, Rockville, Neb. 13.942 $6,690. 7, Amy Jo Farella, Cheyenne, Wyo., 13.948, $5,947. 8, (tie) Brook Rix, Skidmore, Texas, and Jimmy Bryant, Columbus, Ind., 13.958, $5, 203. 10, Lindsey McLeod, Whitesboro, Texas, 13.973, $4,460. 11, Stevi Hillman, Weatherford, Texas, 13.978, $3,965. 12, Chris Martin, Brookston, Texas, 13.991, $3,667. 13, Ari-Anna Flynn, Charleston, Ark., 13.994, $3,271. 14, Kathy Korell-Rach, Loveland, Colo., 14.010, $2,874. 15, (tie) Kylie Conner, Welsh, La., and Leslie Willis, Chester, S.C., 14.031, $2,278. 17, Kassie Mowry, Dublin, Texas, 14.041, $1,685. 18, Shelby McCauley, Hockley, Texas, 14.042, $1,388. 19, Wylee Mitchell, Pioche, Nev., 14.048, $1,189. 20, Terri Wood-Gates, West Jordan, Utah, 14.059, $991.

Team Roping: (first round winners) 1, Cody Snow, Los Olivos, Calif., and Billy Jack Saebens, Nowata, Okla., 4.77 seconds, $9,063. 2, Lane Ivy, Amarillo, Texas, and Buddy Hawkins II, Colombus, Kan., 5.09, $5,664. 3, Shane Philipp, Washington, Texas, and Wesley Thorp, Throckmorton, Texas, 5.13, $4532. 4, Zac Small, Welch, Okla., and Tyler Worley, Stephenville, Texas, 5.32, $3,776. 5, Brenten Hall, Jay, Okla., and Paden Bray, Granbury, Texas, 5.4, $3,399. 6, Tanner Baldwin, Vail, Ariz., and Lane Siggins, Phoenix, Ariz., 5.41, $3,021. 7, Charly Crawford and Will Woodfin, Stephenville, Texas, 5.49, $2,643. 8, Logan Olson and Walt Woodard, Stephenville, Texas, 5.53, $2,266. 9, Travis Whitlow, Queen Creek, Ariz., and Tanner Luttrell, Hermiston, Ore., 5.74, $1,888. 10, Bubba Buckaloo, Kingston, Okla., and Jake Smith, Broken Bow, Okla., 5.84, $1,511. (second round winners) 1, Cody Snow, Los Olivos, Calif., Wesley Thorp, Throckmorton, Texas, 4.43, $9,063. 2, Caleb Smidt, Bellville, Texas, and BJ Dugger, Center Point, Texas, 4.44, $5,664. 3, Trey Blackmore, Hillside, Ariz., Brock Hanson, Casa Grande, Ariz., 4.74, $4,532. 4, Charly Crawford and Will Woodfin, Stephenville, Texas, 4.87, $3,776. 5, David Key, Stephenville, Texas, and Rich Skelton, Llano, Texas, 5.41, $3,399. 6, Brenten Hall, Jay, Okla., and Tyler Worley, Stephenville, Texas, 5.56, $3,021. 7, Paul D. Tierney, Oral, S.D., and Cesar A. DeLaCruz, Tucson, Ariz., 5.71, $2,643. 8, Will Clark, Erin, Tenn., and Lane Mitchell, Bolivar, Tenn., 5.82, $2,266. 9, Dylan Gordon, Comanche, Okla., and Gage Williams, Foster, Okla., 5.83, $1,888. 10, Zac Small, Welch, Okla., and Tyler Worley, Stephenville, Texas, 5.87, $1,511. (total on two – Semi-Finals qualifiers) 1, Charly Crawford and Will Woodfin, Stephenville, Texas, 10.36, $10,196. 2, Zac Small, Welch, Okla., and Tyler Worley, Stephenville, Texas, 11.19, $6,457. 3, Lane Ivy, Amarillo, Texas, and Buddy Hawkins II, Colombus, Kan., 11.64, $4,418. 4, Dylan Gordon, Comanche, Okla., and Gage Williams, Foster, Okla., 11.89, $3,738. 5, Travis Whitlow, Queen Creek, Ariz., and Tanner Luttrell, Hermiston, Ore., 12.0, $3,059. 6, Shane Philipp, Washington, Texas, and Wesley Thorp, Throckmorton, Texas, 12.22, $2,719. 7, Manny Egusquiza Jr., Marianna, Fla., and Cody Hintz, Spring Creek, Nev., 12.32, $2,039, 8, Brenten Hall, Jay, Okla., and Paden Bray, Granbury, Texas, 12.35, $1,359.

Steer Wrestling: (first round winners) 1, Jacob Shofner, Huntsville, Texas, 3.50 seconds, $6,521. 2, Riley Duvall, Checotah, Okla., 4.06, $3,598. 3, Brandon Harrison, Beaumont, Texas, 4.12, $2,923. 4, Donnie Endres, Elkville, Ill., 4.13, $2,024. 5, Ace Campbell, Robertson, Ala., 4.35, $1,799. 6, Billy Bugenig, Ferndale, Calif., 4.50, $1,574. 7, (tie) Shane Frey, Duncan, Okla., and Will Lummus, West Point, Miss., 4.52, $1,237. 9, Cole Edge, Durant, Okla., 4.65, $899. 10, Chase Crane, Boynton, Okla., 4.68, $675. (second round winners) 1, Riley Duvall, Checotah, Okla., 3.56, $6,521. 2, Ty Talsma, Verdigre, Neb., 3.78, $3,598. 3, Todd Suhn, Hermosa, S.D., 3.94, $2,923. 4, Cody Cabral, Hilo, Hawaii, 4.10, $2,024. 5, Cameron Morman, Glen Ullin, N.D., 4.22, $2,799. 6, Blake Knowles, Heppner, Ore., 4.34, $1,574. 7, Casey Harmon, Lipan, Texas, 4.35, $1,349. 8, Trevor Knowles, Mt. Vernon, Texas, 4.43, $1,124. 9, Tommy Denny, Menifee, Calif., 4.45, $899. 10, Kody Woodward, Dupree, S.D., 4.51, $675.

by Ruth Nicolaus

The Red Bluff Round-Up needs YOU!

The Round-Up is searching for volunteers who would like to be involved in the biggest event in Northern California, who want to make a difference in the community, meet new people, and have fun!

In its 96^th year, the Round-Up is one of the largest rodeos in the nation and volunteers are needed to help produce the three-day event. Help is needed with ticket sales, merchandise sales, the fan fair area, autograph sessions, hospitality, first aid booth, livestock, grounds maintenance, and the first aid booth.

Anyone can volunteer, said James Miller, general manager for the Round-Up. “You don’t have to be a cattle rancher or a cowboy or cowgirl.” Volunteers also don’t have to live in Red Bluff; the Round-Up has volunteers from all over, including some from Idaho who spend the week in town.

Interested people can apply online at RedBluffRoundup.com at the “get involved/become a volunteer” link.

The Round-Up is fun for volunteers, as well as its fans. “One thing is, during Round-Up, everybody has a good time.”

This year’s Round-Up is April 21-23, with Eleven Days of Round-Up activities beginning on April 13. For more information, visit the website or call 530.527.1000.

 

Courtesy PRCA

For the second year in a row, Grant Denny, the older brother of WNFR bareback rider Wyatt Denny, was the winner of the slalom competition at the 43rd annual Cowboy Downhill in Steamboat Springs, Colo., Jan. 16. Denny clocked a 27.75-second time to edge fellow bareback rider Joel Schlegel (28.46). Saddle bronc rider Jesse James Kirby of Dodge City, Kan., won the Stampede for the second-consecutive year. Best crash of the day went to 2017 Miss Rodeo Canada Ali Mullin. There were 92 cowboys and cowgirls participating in the event. The Cowboy Downhill is held in conjunction with the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo in Denver, and began in 1975. The Downhill has become a fundraiser for the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund, which provides financial assistance to injured PRCA cowboys. JCCF President & CEO Cindy Schonholtz attended the Downhill, and said that more than $6,000 was raised through a silent auction and merchandise sales.

St. Paul, Ore. (June 6, 2016) – Get the Smith family from St. Paul together, and you’ve got a whole lot of history.

And it’s not just the history of the family who settled down, farmed, and still lives in the small community thirty miles south of Portland, but also a history of the St. Paul Rodeo.

Three Smith brothers: Morris, Bill and Carl, were charter members of the St. Paul Rodeo in 1936, when it began, and later, a fourth brother, Claude, became a director alongside his brothers.

The sons of J.E. Smith, the boys “borrowed” their dad’s cows and calves for the St. Paul Rodeo, returning them after the big event every Fourth of July. J.E., also known as Jim, a county commissioner and head of the Oregon Works Project Administration, wasn’t very happy about his cows being ridden and roped at the rodeo. Claude was able to smooth things out with his dad, and the boys kept using their dad’s cattle.

Claude’s son Sam got his start with the rodeo at a young age. He rode his Shetland as a youngster, helping his parents with rodeo duties. In 1959, he married Claudia Ernst, another St. Paul resident, who had grown up going to the rodeo and whose dad ran Ernst Hardware. The couple’s involvement with the event continued.

Sam’s main job at the rodeo when he was younger was to run the livestock out of the arena on horseback. Claudia sold tickets, working the will call window. “Sam was a cowboy and a natural,” she says of her husband. And so the Smiths were always around the rodeo, always in the background helping in whatever way was needed.

Rodeo queens also run in the Smith family. Their oldest daughter Jennifer was queen in 1981, and her daughter, Jackie Crosby, was queen in 2012. Claudia’s aunt Virginia Ernst was the very first St. Paul Rodeo queen, in 1936, and again in 1937, mostly because the rodeo didn’t have enough money to buy a second outfit for the next year’s queen.

The rodeo, which attracts 50,000 people over its five day run, is produced by nearly all volunteers, mostly townspeople from St. Paul, population 400. It takes every person in town to put on a show for that many people, and everybody has a role: from the barbecue chicken cooked by the St. Paul Catholic Church, to parking cars, serving beer, taking tickets, ushering, and all the myriad duties that come with hosting a celebration of that size. The Smiths were right there with everyone else. “When we grew up, everyone worked for the rodeo, your mother and dad, everyone put in hours and hours of labor because they believed,” Claudia says.

“They bought the rodeo story,” Claudia said. “Everyone worked, but it was a big family reunion because everyone was there. Everybody was on every committee, and we had fun. We hired babysitters and went to work on those committees. It’s a wonderful story. It’s an intimate story about St. Paul.”

Claudia remembers, in her youth, working to save money for her rodeo outfit, new jeans and a shirt to wear to the rodeo. “You had to pick a lot of strawberries to get them,” she said, “and beans, and we worked on the hop picker.”

Even though Claudia and Sam are in their eighties, they still volunteer with the St. Paul Rodeo. They help with the annual Wild West Art Show, setting up the vendor spaces, organizing vendors, musicians and artists, and making sure things run smoothly. “We’re active in the Art Show, and I believe it has a value to the whole rodeo story. I think it’s one of the textures of the St. Paul Rodeo story.”

Sam and Claudia are not the only Smiths who continue to volunteer with the rodeo.  Morris, Bill and Carl’s children, grandchildren and now great-grandchildren are also involved. It’s not common for a family to stay with one group for that long, and Claudia is proud of her family. “In organizations, the family generations do not always stay committed, but the Smiths have, and we’re proud of it, and we’re good at it.

“I believe in our rodeo, and I want it to be bigger and better.”

In addition to Jennifer, the Smiths have three other daughters: Kay, Jeanne, and Stefanie, and son, Monte, who also helps with the rodeo each year.

This year’s St. Paul Rodeo is June 30-July 4. Performances begin at 7:30 pm each night, with a parade at 10 am on July 4 and a matinee performance on the 4^th at 1:30pm. Tickets are on sale online and range in price from $16 to $26. For more information on the rodeo, visit the website at StPaulRodeo.com or call the rodeo office at 800.237.5920.

By Susan Kanode

For the National Western Stock Show

DENVER (January 17, 2017) — Jake Brown’s 2016 season got a big boost when he won the bareback riding title at the National Western Stock Show Rodeo.

He’s back in Denver this year and working towards a similar result. Brown rode here on Monday afternoon scoring 74 points. He had his second horse on Tuesday night where he wowed the crowd with an 85.5 point effort.

Brown, from Cleveland, Texas, is now leading the second round and is in fifth place overall. He has a good chance of being here on Jan. 22 for the U.S. Bank Championship Finals. The top 12 contestants will advance.

After winning the National Western Stock Show Rodeo last year, he  was at the top of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association world standings and was on track to qualify for his second Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Then in Jasper, Texas, last May, he sprained his thumb on his riding thumb.

Bareback riders need a healthy and strong thumb to grip the handle in their riggings, so Brown had surgery to repair it in June. He missed three of the busiest months of the season. He came back and won two rodeos to get to rodeo’s championships in ninth place.

His injury list is long and extensive and got a little longer in Las Vegas. He sustained a concussion and had to watch from the sidelines before returning. He is completely healthy and riding like a champion here.

Jordan Hansen had his second successful bull ride on Tuesday night. The Okotoks, Alberta, resident scored 85.5 points on Cervi Brothers’ Hangin Ten to move into second place in the round and take command of the overall lead.

Hansen has a total of 173 points on two rides. Dustin Bowen from Waller, Texas, is now in second with 168.5.  Joe frost also moved into the bull riding standings here. The three-time NFR qualifier from Randlett, Utah, is currently fourth with 161.5.

There are two rodeos on Wednesday in the Denver Coliseum. The afternoon begins at 1:30 p.m. and the evening performance begins at 7 p.m.

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DENVER (January 17, 2017) — The following are unofficial results from the National Western Stock Show Rodeo sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.

 

Tenth Performance —

 

Bareback Riding: 1, Jake Brown, Cleveland, Texas, 85.5 points on Cervi Brother’s Ransom’s Disaster. 2, Caleb Bennett, Tremonton, Utah, 83. 3, Mike Solberg, Sunnynook, Alberta, 81. 4, Winn Ratliff, Leesville, La., 78.

 

Steer Wrestling:  1, Clayton Tuchscherer, Dona ana, N.M., 5.8. 2, Wyatt Jurney, Las Cruces, N.M., 6.9. 3, Dru Melvin, Hebron, Neb.,  7.8. 4, Tanner Brunner, Ramona, Kan., 10.6.

 

Team Roping: 1, Charly Crawford, Prineville, Ore., and Joseph Harrison, Overbrook, Okla., 5.2 seconds. 2, Jake Orman, Prairie, Miss, and Tyler Domingue, De Kalb, Texas, 5.9. 3, Lane Karney, Creston, Calif., and Dalton Pearce, San Luis Obispo, Calif., 6.1. 4, Rowdy Rieken, Arp, Texas, and Ace Pearce, Washington, Texas, 6.4.

 

Saddle Bronc Riding: (two rides) 1, Jace Blackwell, Hermosa, S.D., 66 points on Cervi Championship’s Hello Dolly. 2, Colton J. Miller, Lance Creek, Wyo., 54.

 

Tie-Down Roping: 1, Dane Browning, Coyote, Calif., 9.9 seconds. 2, Tuf Cooper, Weatherford, Texas, 10.3. 3, Paul David Tierney, Oral, S.D., 10.6. 4, Matt Kenney, Onawa, Iowa, 11.0.

 

Women’s Barrel Race: 1, Jordan Moore, Mauston, Wis., 15.31 seconds. 2, Kelly Yates, Pueblo, Colo., 15.35. 3, Cranna Roberts, Lacombe, Alberta, 15.52. 4, Tiany Schuster, Krum, Texas, 15.54.

 

Bull Riding: (three rides) 1, Jordan Hansen, Okotoks, Alberta, 85.5 points on Cervi Brothers Hangin Ten. 2, Jacob Smith, LaSalle, Colo., 79.5. 3, Joe Frost, Randlett, Utah, 75.

 

Current Leaders —

 

Bareback Riding: (first round) 1, Logan Corbett, Las Cruces, N.M., 87 points on Calgary Stampede’s Xplosive Skies. 2, (tie) Buck Lunak, Cut Bank, Mont., and Tim O’Connell, Zwingle, Iowa, 83.5. 4, Kody Lamb, Sherwood Park, Alberta, 82.5. (second round) 1, Jake Brown, Cleveland, Texas, 85.5 points on Cervi Brothers Ransom’s Disaster. 2, Richmond Champion, The Woodlands, Texas, 85. 2, Tim O’Connell, Zwingle, Iowa, 84.5. 3, Kody Lamb, Sherwood Park, Alberta, 83. 4, Seth Hardwick, Ranchester, Wyo., 81.  (total on two) 1, Tim O’Connell, Zwingle, Iowa, 168. 2, Kody Lamb, Sherwood Park, Alberta, 165.5. 3, Logan Corbett, Las Cruces, N.M., 161. 4, Buck Lunak, Cut Bank, Mont., 160.5.

 

Steer Wrestling: (first round) 1, (tie) Luke Branquinho, Los Alamos, Calif.; Heath Thomas, Hemphill, Texas; Jule Hazen, Ashland, Kan.,; and Clayton Tuscherer, Dona Ana, N.M., 4.2 seconds each. (second round) 1, Ryan Swayze, Freedom, Okla., 3.4. 2, Jason Thomas, Benton, Ark., 3.8. 3, (tie) Cameron Morman, Glen Ullin, N.D.; Gary Gilbert, St. Cloud, Fla.; and Matt Reeves, Cross Plains, Texas; 4.1. (total on two) 1, Gary Gilbert, St. Cloud, Fla., 8.9. 2, (tie) Jule Hazen, Ashland, Kan., and Luke Branquinho, Los Alamos, Calif., 9.0. 4, Blaine Jones, Templeton, Calif., 9.2.

 

Team Roping: (first round) 1, Kelsey Parchman, Cumberland City, Tenn., and Kinney Harrell, Marshall, Texas, 4.6 seconds. 2, (tie) Bubba Buckaloo, Kingston, Okla., and Jake Smith, Broken Bow, Okla.; and Jhett and Bret Trenary, Salida, Colo.; 5.0. 4, (tie) Robert Ansley, Moriarity, N.M., and Shad Chadwick, Cave Creek, Ariz.; and Charly Crawford, Prineville, Ore., and Joseph Harrison, Overbrook, Okla.; 5.2.  (second round) 1, Olin Pulham, Payson, Utah and Thad Ward, Howell, Utah, 4.1. 2, Tanner Baldwin, Vale, Ariz., and Tanner Luttrell, Oroville, Calif., 4.2. 3, Clay Tryan, Billings, Mont., and Jade Corkill, Fallon, Nev.; 4.3. 4, Philip McCoy, Beggs, Okla., and Josh Fillmore, Penrose, Colo., 4.6.  (total on two) 1, Kelsey Parchman, Cumberland, City, Tenn., and Kinney Harrell, Marshall, Texas, 9.6. 2, Matt Sherwood, Pima, Ariz., and Joel Bach, Mount Vernon, Texas, 11.4. 3, Tanner Baldwin, Vale, Ariz., and Tanner Luttrell, Oroville, Calif., 15.3. 4, Wade and Wylee Nelson, Faith, S.D., 16.0.

 

Saddle Bronc Riding: (first round) 1, Will Smith, Marshall, Mo., 88 points on Calgary Stampede’s Stampede Warrior. 2, Audy Reed, Spearman, Texas, 86. 3, Shade Etbauer, Goodwell, Okla., 85.5. 4, (tie) Brady Nicholes, Hoytesville, Utah, and Hardy Braden, Welch, Okla., 82.5 each. (second round) 1, Jacobs Crawley, Boerne, Texas, 85 points on Calgary Stampede’s Sergeant Whitney. 2, Audy Reed, Spearman, Texas, 82.5. 3, Hawkins Boyce, Malad, Utah, 81.5. 4, (tie) Sterling Crawley, Stephenville, Texas, and Will Smith, Marshall, Mo., 81. (total on two) 1, Will Smith, Marshall, Mo., 169. 2, Audy Reed, Spearman, Texas, 168.5. 3, Jacobs Crawley, Boerne, Texas, 166.5. 4, Hardy Braden, Welch, Okla., 162.5.

 

Tie-Down Roping: (first round) 1, Monty Lewis, Hereford, Texas, 7.6. 2, Marcos Costa, Childress, Texas, 7.8. 3, Ryle Smith, Oakdale, Calif., 8.0. 4, (tie) Will Howell, Stillwater, Okla., and J.D. McQuistion, Collinsville, Texas, 8.1 each. (second round) 1, (tie) Caddo Lewellan, Morrison, Okla., and Ike Fontenot, Ville Platte, La., 7.9. 3, Marcus Theriot, Poplarville, Miss., 8.0. 4, Dillon Holder, Eugene, Mo., 8.3. (total on two) 1, Marcos Costa, Childress, Texas, 16.2. 2, Monty Lewis, Hereford, Texas, 17.0. 3, Rhen Richard, Roosevelt, Utah, 17.9. 4, J.C. Malone, Hooper, Utah, 18.4.

 

Women’s Barrel Race: (first round) 1, Jordan Moore, Mauston, Wisc., 15.31 seconds. 2, Kelly Yates, Pueblo, Colo., 15.35. 3, (tie) Dena Kirkpatrick, Post, Texas, and Cayla Small, Burneyville, Okla., 15.38 each. (second round) 1, Kali Parker, Wendell, Idaho, 15.34. 2, Hailey Kinsel, Cotulla, Texas, 15.46. 3, Rainy Pratt, Stephenville, Texas, 15.51. 4, Michele McLeod, Whitesboro, Texas, 15.56.  (total on two) 1, Kali Parker, Wendell, Idaho, 30.80. 2, Hailey Kinsel, Cotulla, Texas, 30.87. 3, Sidney Forest, Lipan, Texas, 31.06. 4, Cayla Small, Burneyville, Okla., 31.13.

 

Bull Riding: (first round) 1, Jordan Hansen, Okotoks, Alberta, 87.5 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Vitalix White Smoke. 2, Joe Frost, Randlett, Utah, 86.5. 3, Mike Sparks, Caldwell, Idaho, 85.5. 4, Cain Smith, Pendleton, Ore., 85. (second round) 1, Dustin Bowen, Waller, Texas, 86 on Cervi Championship’s Slim Kitty. 2, Jordan Hansen, Okotoks, Alberta, 85.5. 3, Trevor Reiste, Linden, Iowa, 84.5. 4, (tie) Jeff Berturs, Avon, S.D., and Elliot Jacoby, Fredericksburg, Texas, 81.5. (total on two) 1, Jordan Hansen, Okotoks, Alberta, 173. 2, Dustin Bowen, Waller, Texas, 168.5. 3, Trevor Reiste, Linden, Iowa, 163. 4, Joe Frost, Randlett, Utah, 161.5.

 

Garden City sports editor awarded Pro Rodeo honor
courtesy of PRCA

Garden City, Kan. (December 9, 2016) – A Garden City, Kan. man has won the PRCA’s Media Awards Excellence in Rodeo Print Journalism.

Brett Marshall, sports editor for the Garden City Telegram, was honored with the award during the PRCA’s annual awards banquet held in Las Vegas on November 30.

Marshall got involved in rodeo when he moved back to his hometown area eight years ago. As sports editor for the Telegram, he covered the Beef Empire Days Rodeo, held annually in June. He hadn’t covered a rodeo since the 1980’s in Hutchinson, Kan., and it was new to him. Rodeo personnel, including secretary Barb Duggan and stock contractors Jim and TJ Korkow of Korkow Rodeo helped him, giving him the information he needed and introducing him to cowboys and rodeo contract personnel.

Since then, Marshall has covered the Beef Empire Days every year and loves it. “Those three days I cover the rodeo are three most fun days I have all year.” He credits Jim and TJ Korkow and the rodeo crew for making it enjoyable. “They make it fun. It doesn’t feel like work when I go there.”

His rodeo stories have ranged from interviews with winning cowboys to the livestock. One year, he wrote a story from the perspective of a bucking bull. The story was well-received, he said. “It got a lot of responses.”

Tom Blackburn, a former member of the Beef Empire Days rodeo committee, said Marshall is deserving of the award. When Marshall first covered the rodeo eight years ago, “he got right in there, and even though he didn’t know anything about rodeo, he asked questions and worked hard at establishing relationships and getting to know rodeo.”

Marshall, who was involved in amateur golf, among other sports throughout his career, has developed a love for the sport and the contestants. “They’re the most courteous group of athletes I deal with, far and away,” he said. “I have a high regard for what they do. When they earn their winnings, it’s what they’ve done, and nobody else has done it for them. I think the cowboy competitor in the PRCA is a very committed individual and they love what they do. They do it with a passion.”

Other media category winners include Excellence in Rodeo Photography, won by Ric Andersen, and Excellence in Rodeo Broadcast Journalism, won by Marty Campbell.
The PRCA Media Awards are given each year to winners in the categories of rodeo photography, rodeo broadcast, and print journalism, for their excellence in portraying pro rodeo.

courtesy of PRCA

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Four Star Rodeo Company’s bull Yellow Fever had an outstanding Wrangler National Finals Rodeo presented by Polaris RANGER.
The 5-year-old, 1,500-pound bull won bull of the night in Rounds 1 and 6.
For his effort, Yellow Fever was named Top Stock of the WNFR for the first time.
“It’s pretty awesome for him to go against that quality of bulls over there (at the WNFR) and come out on top,” said Jeff Davis, the owner/manager of Four Star Rodeo in Cottonwood, Calif. “This is a huge honor.”
Yellow Fever bucked off Tyler Smith in Round 1, and he did the same to Roscoe Jarboe, the 2016 PRCA/Resistol Bull Riding Rookie of the Year, in Round 6.
“He enjoys his job, and when he gets in the bucking chute it is game on,” Davis said. “He has great strength and athletic ability. He can leap four feet in the air and act like he’s going to go one way and spin the other way.”
In 2015, Yellow Fever made his Wrangler NFR debut, and competed in just one round – Round 5, with Joe Frost riding him for 75 points.
“He was a young bull (at the 2015 WNFR), and he didn’t handle it very well,” Davis said. “The difference this year (at the WNFR) is he grew up. He matured mentally and physically. This year, he handled things very good mentally. He bucked and played and didn’t get bothered by anything. This spring, he had a couple of ‘wow’ trips, and that’s when I realized this bull has it, but I didn’t know how good he was until we matched up with the other bulls (at the WNFR). I knew he had a chance (to get top bull of the WNFR) if he had his trips, and he had two exceptionally good trips.”
This is the first time Davis’ company has won the top bull of the WNFR award.
“This is the No. 1 accomplishment for our Four Star Rodeo Company,” Davis said.
Calgary Stampede’s Xplosive Skies won top WNFR bareback horse. She bucked off Orin Larsen in Round 5, and was chosen bareback horse of the night.
Xplosive Skies, 6, is the granddaughter of Calgary Stampede’s Grated Coconut, the 2003-04, 2006-2009 Bareback Horse of the Year. Those six Bareback Horse of the Year honors for Grated Coconut are a PRCA record.
“It’s awesome, and a great honor because it is voted on by your peers,” said Keith Marrington, the Director of Rodeo for Calgary Stampede. “For them to recognize our bareback horse as the top horse of the NFR is outstanding. I couldn’t be any happier.”
Xplosive Skies went to the 2015 Canadian Finals Rodeo as a saddle bronc horse.
“She was fighting her head this past spring, so we decided to move her to bareback and she has fit right in and been outstanding,” Marrington said. “I think her biggest trait is her athletic ability, and she has a good mind on her.”
Beutler & Son’s Wound Up, 9, was named top WNFR saddle bronc horse. Wound Up was chosen saddle bronc horse of the night in Round 5 after bucking off Rusty Wright. Cody Wright also had a 90.5-point ride on Wound Up to win Round 10.
“She bucks guys off about 50 percent of the time, and when they ride her, they usually win the (saddle) bronc riding,” said Bennie Beutler, co-owner of the Beutler & Son Rodeo Company with his son, Rhett. “She’s a bay horse, and she’s out of Commotion; her and Killer Bee both are out of Commotion.”
Commotion was Bareback Horse of the Year (1998-2000), and made 10 consecutive trips (1997-2006) to the WNFR before retiring in his prime at the 2006 WNFR at the age of 15. Commotion passed away at age 25 this past September.
Two go rounds were won on Wound Up at the 2015 WNFR – Round 5 and Round 10. She was voted runner-up for the Top Saddle Bronc of last year’s WNFR.

courtesy of PRCA

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – With $10 million and nine world championship buckles up for grabs, the 2016 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo presented by Polaris RANGER was full of drama, thrills and everlasting memories.
There were numerous historic performances in Las Vegas over the 10 nights, but no cowboys left town with bigger smiles than Junior Nogueira, steer wrestler Tyler Waguespack and bull rider Sage Kimzey.
Nogueira, a 26-year-old team roping header from Presidente Prudente, Brazil, combined with his heeler, Kaleb Driggers, to place sixth in Round 10, which was enough to earn Nogueira the all-around gold buckle. Nogueira is the first Brazilian in PRCA history to win a gold buckle.
Nogueira’s season total of $231,728 earned him the title by less than $3,600 over steer wrestler Clayton Hass.
Since 2002, there have now only been three different all-around champs – Nogueira joins Trevor Brazile and Ryan Jarrett. Jarrett’s title came in 2005.
Waguespack captured his first world title, thanks to an outstanding WNFR. The Gonzales, La., cowboy had a winning time of 41.9 seconds in the 10-head average. He placed in eight of the 10 rounds, and split victories in Rounds 1, 3, and 6. He also split second place in Round 4, and was second outright in Round 9.
The $213,218 he earned over the 10 nights was a steer wrestling WNFR record, and also won him the RAM Top Gun Award for the contestant with the most money earned in a single event.
In addition to the two buckles he took home, Waguespack also received a one-of-a-kind wrapped RAM truck, a custom buckle from Montana Silversmiths and a one-of-a-kind RAM Truck Top Gun-branded rifle from Commemorative Firearms.
Bareback rider Tim O’Connell ($374,272) set a PRCA record for most money won in any event in any year, eclipsing the mark of $327,178 established by bull rider Sage Kimzey last year. The single-season record for most money won in bareback riding before 2016 was $319,986 by Kaycee Feild in 2011. Waguespack also established a new single-season steer wrestling money record with $298,676, as did team roping header Levi Simpson ($249,133) and his heeler Jeremy Buhler ($258,311).
With all the money earned at the 58th annual WNFR a handful of cowboys passed the million-dollar mark in career earnings. The list is comprised of team roping heeler Dugan Kelly ($1,014,232), bull rider Shane Proctor ($1,214,620), team roping header Riley Minor ($1,068,647) and team roping heeler Russell Cardoza ($1,021,387).
Aside from Waguespack, the only other WNFR earnings record broken was set by world champion header Simpson and heeler Buhler, with $186,000 each in team roping.
Nogueira, O’Connell, Kimzey and barrel racer Mary Burger were the only world champions who led their events heading into the WNFR. As a result of the shakeup at the top, there were seven first-time world champions in 2016: Nogueira (all-around), O’Connell (bareback riding), Waguespack (steer wrestling), Simpson (team roping header), Buhler (team roping heeler), Zeke Thurston (saddle bronc riding), and Tyson Durfey (tie-down roping).

courtesy of the PRCA
Rodeo Fans only chance to see the champions of the PRCA, PBR, and ERA compete in one event on February 19^th at AT&T Stadium

courtesy of RFD-TV’s The AMERICAN

(NASHVILLE, TENN. — December 14th, 2016) RFD-TV president and founder Patrick Gottsch announced RFD-TV’s The American top invitees on a special selection show edition of “Western Sports Weekly.” The cowboys or cowgirls invited in each event features a mixture of champions and top competitors from the PRCA, PBR, and ERA. The American is the only time the champions of these three professional organizations can be seen at one event. Two fan exemptions, Cole Bailey and Sage Kimzey, were also announced. The recipients, listed below will automatically qualify for the finals in the world’s richest one-day rodeo, to be held February 19^th at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. They will be eligible for a $100,000 check plus a wealth of prizes should they win their event.

“This is a mixture of ERA, PRCA, and PBR champions,” said Patrick Gottsch, founder and president of RFD-TV. “I think what’s really neat is that all these folks will be able to compete head-to-head really for the first time since their finals took place.”

The world’s richest one-day rodeo is an action packed day, explains Gottsch. “We kind of brag about the fact that this is a five-hour rodeo. It’s gone fast in the past and I think people are going to enjoy it just as much, if not more this year.”

One million dollars is also up for grabs in the Semi-Finals, held at Cowtown Coliseum in the historic Fort Worth Stockyards February 14 – 17, 2017. This year, RFD-TV added $500,000 to the purse, making the Semi-Finals a $1,000,000 rodeo in its own right. Payouts will be larger and deeper for qualifiers. In addition to the added money in the Semi-Finals, qualifiers will have a chance to win their share of the $1,000,000 side pot should they win their event at The American. Watch the announcement online.

RFD-TV’s The American Ten Invitees (by event):

BAREBACK

1. Tanner Aus
2. Caleb Bennett
3. Richmond Champion
4. Steven Dent
5. Kaycee Feild
6. Austin Foss
7. Orin Larsen
8. Bobby Mote
9. Tim O’Connell
10. Jake Vold

 

STEER WRESTLING

1. Bray Armes
2. Luke Branquinho
3. Dakota Eldridge
4. Stockton Graves
5. Clayton Hass
6. Kyle Irwin
7. Matt Reeves
8. J.D. Struxness
9. Jason Thomas
10. Tyler Waguespack

 

TEAM ROPING

1. Derrick Begay/Clay O’Brien Cooper
2. Dustin Bird/Russell Cardoza
3. Trevor Brazile/Patrick Smith
4. Luke Brown/Jake Long
5. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira
6. Riley Minor/Brady Minor
7. Erich Rogers/Cory Petska
8. Levi Simpson/Jeremy Buhler
9. Clay Smith/Paul Eaves
10. Clay Tryan/Jade Corkill

 

SADDLE BRONC

1. CoBurn Bradshaw
2. Jacobs Crawley
3. Cort Scheer
4. Wade Sundell
5. Zeke Thurston
6. Jake Watson
7. Cody Wright
8. Jake Wright
9. Ryder Wright
10. Rusty Wright

 

TIE-DOWN ROPING

1. Trevor Brazile
2. Tuf Cooper
3. Marcos Costa
4. Tyson Durfey
5. Shane Hanchey
6. Hunter Herrin
7. Cody Ohl
8. Caleb Smidt
9. Marty Yates
10. Cade Swor
11. Marty Yates
12. Cole Bailey (Fan Exemption)

 

BARREL RACING

1. Mary Burger
2. Pamela Capper
3. Sherry Cervi
4. Chayni Chamberlain
5. Kassidy Dennison
6. Lisa Lockhart
7. Amberleigh Moore
8. Fallon Taylor
9. Mary Walker
10. Kimmie Wall

 

BULL RIDING

1. Eduardo Aparecido
2. Cooper Davis
3. Ryan Dirteater
4. Mike Lee
5. Jess Lockwood
6. Guilherme Marchi
7. JB Mauney
8. Kaique Pacheco
9. Fabiano Vieira
10. Joao Ricardo Vieira
11. Sage Kimzey (Fan Exemption)

Great tickets are still available for both the Semi-Finals and the Finals. For those who might not have done their Christmas shopping, RFD-TV is offering 10% off to the Finals. Visit www.AmericanRodeo.com and click on the ticket link and enter “Top10” when prompted at checkout.