Category: Newsletter Articles

Pro rodeo selects horse of the year awards for the Badlands Circuit

MINOT, N.D. (October 19, 2020) – The 2020 Badlands Circuit PRCA and WPRA Horses of the Year have been selected for their exceptional ability in rodeo.

The steer wrestling horse of the year was won by Cameron Morman, Glen Ullin, N.D.; the hazing horse of the year also went to Morman. The tie-down horse of the year is a repeat winner, won by Trey Young, Dupree, S.D., and the team roping head horse of the year went to Cooper White, Hershey, Neb. The team roping heel horse of the year was awarded to Jade Nelson, Midland, S.D.

For the women’s events, the Women’s Pro Rodeo Association Badlands barrel horse of the year went to Jessica Routier, Buffalo, S.D., and the WPRA Badlands Rising Star horse of the year went to Molly Otto, Grand Forks, N.D.

It’s the first time for Jade Nelson’s horse Ray to win the heeling award.

The ten-year-old sorrel, with a flaxen mane and tail, has just come into his own, Nelson said.

“He’s a really big motored horse, who is kind of wild. It took him longer to get good. He wasn’t really good till he was eight.”

Ray is great to be around, Nelson said, but has a quirk that is unusual for rodeo animals: he’s scared of livestock, when they’re facing him. When the steer or sheep is looking away from him, he’s fine, Nelson said, “but if they’re looking at him, he’s plumb crazy.” Nelson rides him for cattle drives, but Ray doesn’t work well for sorting cattle.

Ray does an excellent job for Nelson. “He’s a bigger horse, and he can move better than any horse I’ve ever rode before. He can do things that most horses can’t, and that makes my job a little easier.” Nelson purchased him as a four-year-old, and knew he had potential even then. “He’s been phenomenal since he was four.” Nelson roped with Jade Schmidt at this year’s Badlands Circuit Finals Rodeo.

A Nebraska horse is another first-time winner.

Cooper White rides Razor, a nine-year-old bay roan, for the heading.

Razor, owned by Andy Miller of Wellfleet, Neb., is a threat in the scoring: how fast the cowboy can be, after he gives the steer a head start. No matter the size of the arena, Razor delivers the goods. “Any set up, scoring isn’t a problem. You can go from a little building like Minot  (N.D., where the Badlands Circuit Finals Rodeo was held), to the long score in Cheyenne,” for Frontier Days.

 

Razor is also speedy. “His next biggest threat is how fast he is,” White said. “He’s crazy fast. It makes it easier for me to not reach so much. Sometimes I can use my horsepower instead of me trying to do it all with my rope.”

White roped on him nearly all year, and Razor responded well to the travel. “He took a lot of runs,” he said. “He travels good. He’s an easy keeper.” White and his brother, Tucker, make sure Razor gets the care he needs. “We take pretty good care of him,” Cooper said. “Tucker does, too. He knows he’s the way he makes money, too.”

Miller roped on the horse for several years, but as his rodeo career slowed, he offered the horse to White to ride. White never made a practice run on Razor, never even got on him, till a rodeo in Nelson, Neb. “He felt like nothing I’d ever been on before,” he said. “He’s a lot of fun, that’s for sure.”

The brothers finished the 2020 rodeo season as the Badlands Circuit team roping year-end champions.

Morman’s horse Rio won the steer wrestling horse of the year for the fourth consecutive year; the fifteen-year-old buckskin, previously owned by Jake Rinehart, had three riders at the Badlands Circuit Finals Rodeo.

Morman’s horse Bull, the hazing horse of the year, is also a repeat award winner; he tied for the award last year.

Young’s horse Fozzy is also a repeat winner, having won tie-down horse of the year in 2017 and ’18. The horse is owned in partnership by Young and his father Doug.

In the barrel racing, Routier’s horse Missy, a nine-year-old palomino owned by Gary Westergren of Lincoln, Neb., won the barrel horse of the year award for the fourth consecutive time.

The 2020 Badlands Circuit Finals Rodeo took place in Minot October 9-11, where champions were crowned. More information can be found at www.prorodeo.com.

Leaderboard pool roster of 60 athletes per discipline also revealed ahead of the $750,000 event slated to be held in tandem with the 2020 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast in Texas

 AUSTIN, Texas- Ahead of the inaugural, $750,000 Women’s Rodeo World Championship, WCRA (World Champions Rodeo Alliance) and PBR (Professional Bull Riders) have announced the Top 4 leaderboard athletes per discipline that will automatically advance to the main event of the historic, all-women’s sporting championship.

Sixty additional women’s rodeo all-stars from each discipline have also been revealed as the first group of contestants to advance to the pool competition, set to comprise the WCRA Leaderboard Pool for the landmark Women’s Rodeo World Championship.

The Women’s Rodeo World Championship will pay equal money in all four competing disciplines (breakaway roping, barrel racing and team roping, heading and heeling). Each discipline champion will collect $60,000, while the All Around Champion will earn a $20,000 bonus.

The championship event will hold its qualifying rounds from November 8-12 at the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth Texas, with the final six from each of the four disciplines advancing to run at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas alongside the 2020 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast. Competing from November 13-15, team roping will compete on Nov. 13, followed by barrel racing on Nov. 14 and breakaway roping on Nov. 15.

The following athletes in each discipline earned the top four spots on the Women’s Rodeo World Championship leaderboard (W20) in their respected disciplines by nominating their efforts on the Virtual Rodeo Qualifier (VRQ) and will be directly seeded into the main event:

 

Breakaway Roping	Barrel Racing	Heading	Heeling
JJ Hampton (Stephenville, Texas)	Hallie Hanssen (Hermosa, South Dakota)	Lari Dee Guy (Abilene, Texas)	Kelsie Chace (Dublin, Texas)
Josie Conner (Iowa, Louisiana)	Chenessa McGraw (Hamilton, Montana)	Bev Robbins (Muscle Shoals, Alabama)	Danielle Lowman (Gilbert, Arizona)
Kelsie Chace (Dublin, Texas)	Maggie Poloncic (Gillette, Wyoming)	Kayelen Helton (Stephenville, Texas)	Lorraine Moreno (Mathis, Texas)
Hope Thompson (Abilene, Texas)	Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi (Lampasas, Texas)	Jackie Crawford (Stephenville, Texas)	Jessy Remsburg (Leighton, Alabama)

 

The athletes ranked No. 5-64 on the W20 leaderboard will compete in two preliminary rounds of competition to qualify into the main event. A roster of all athletes competing in the WCRA Leaderboard pool can be found HERE.

Athletes who did not earn a position on the WCRA Leaderboard can still compete in the championship event through the open pools. Open entries for the Women’s Rodeo World Championship will remain open until October 25 at 11:59 p.m. CT. Entry fees are $750 and are taken on entrytool.com. All female athlete’s ages 13 and up are eligible to enter the event.

The Women’s Rodeo World Championship will be carried on a CBS Sports Network telecast, and streamed LIVE on RidePass, available at RidePass.com or via the RidePass app available on iOS, Android and Roku

Tickets for the 2020 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast are on sale now and can be purchased online at ATTStadium.com or SeatGeek.com, or via the phone to PBR Customer Service at (800) 732-1727.

More information about the Women’s Rodeo World Championship including payout, overview schedule and format can be found at www.womensrodeoworldchampionship.com or by contacting support@wcrarodeo.com.

Since launching in May of 2018, the WCRA and its partners have awarded more than $7,700,000 in new money to rodeo athletes.

About WCRA (World Champions Rodeo Alliance):

WCRA (World Champions Rodeo Alliance) is a professional sport and entertainment entity, created to develop and advance the sport of rodeo by aligning all levels of competition. In association with the PBR, WCRA produces major rodeo events, developing additional opportunities for rodeo-industry competitors, stakeholders, and fans. To learn more, visit wcrarodeo.com. For athletes interested in learning more about the WCRA Virtual Rodeo Qualifier (VRQ) system, visit app.wcrarodeo.com.

About PBR (Professional Bull Riders):

PBR (Professional Bull Riders) is the world’s premier bull riding organization. More than 700 bull riders compete in more than 200 events annually across the televised PBR Unleash The Beast tour (UTB), which features the top 35 bull riders in the world; the PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour (PWVT); the PBR Touring Pro Division (TPD); and the PBR’s international circuits in Australia, Brazil, Canada and Mexico. PBR’s digital assets include RidePass, which is home to Western sports. PBR is a subsidiary of IMG, a global leader in sports, fashion, events and media. For more information, visit PBR.com, or follow on Facebook at Facebook.com/PBR, Twitter at Twitter.com/PBR, and YouTube at YouTube.com/PBR.

Media Contacts

For WCRA – Kyle Jones

Kjones@wcrarodeo.com or 775-304-2545

 

For PBR – Kacie Albert

Kacie.albert@img.com or (908) 343-3348

Equipment is as important as a cowboy’s ability to become a world rodeo champion.

“As rodeo has changed during the past half century so has equipment used by the contestants,” said Neil Barstow.

“It sounds strange to spectators, but rodeo equipment today is technically engineered,” insisted the rodeo equipment manufacturer.

“Every rigging used by champion cowboys is custom designed to their specific request,” Barstow said.

Equipment manufactured by Barstow Pro Rodeo Equipment, Corsicana, Texas, is preferred by the world’s champion rough stock riders

“Many of the best Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association bareback bronc riders and bull riders are using our equipment,” Barstow verified.

Actually, the “Top 15” bareback bronc riders at the last National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas had Barstow riggings.

“Our goal is, and always has been, to build the best rodeo equipment made,” Barstow insisted. “We are one of the few manufacturers cowboys can call and place their order with the same people who build it.”

A family business with worldwide demand Barstow Pro Rodeo Equipment began by accident. The business might have never started if there hadn’t been a rodeo misfortune.

“I broke my neck in a bareback bronc riding wreck competing at a college rodeo in Columbus, Nebraska,” Barstow said. “I was in the hospital six weeks and didn’t do much of anything for several months.

“I started taking a bull rope apart, putting it back together, and decided to make my own rope,” he remembered. “Before long other college cowboys asked me to braid their bull ropes and demand for ropes continued to increase.”

Growing up at Johnson in Stanton County, Kansas, Barstow always wanted to be a cowboy. “We later lived in Colorado and then in South Dakota where I got my first chance to rodeo.

“My grandpa paid my entry fee to compete in bull riding,” he smiled. “I hardly knew what a bull rope was. But I made one of sorts, got on the bull and landed on my head.

“I saw the other cowboys’ bull ropes and decided I’d have better equipment in the future,” Barstow said.

Competing in bareback bronc riding and bull riding, Barstow was on the rodeo team at Fort Hays State University.

Upon graduation in 1970, he became a regional representative for Vigortone Feeds in Kansas.

“I continued to compete in rodeos while making and selling bull ropes,” Barstow said. “Cowboys also wanted other equipment so the business grew.”

In 1979, Barstow and his wife Belinda bought Jim Houston Rodeo Equipment of Burkburnett, Texas. They moved the company to a building at the fairgrounds in Beloit, Kansas, selling wholesale as well as retail.

It was a family business with their three daughters working too. “They didn’t always like to sweep and clean up, but that’s all part of it,” Barstow said.

From college and amateur cowboys using Barstow gear, professional rodeo cowboys soon demanded the precision-made equipment.

Known for bareback riggings and bull ropes, the business also originally manufactured saddles. Now only bronc saddles made by another manufacturer are sold retail.

 

Barstow developed his own line of specialized riding boots used by rodeo cowboys and performance horse trainers.

Each Barstow bareback rigging is individually handcrafted using only the finest materials. “Our Pro Flex riggings are in highest demand, as we constantly make changes to perfect them,” Barstow said. “Before a new rigging is marketed, it is tested by the best cowboys in the world.”

Each bareback rigging takes several weeks to complete with tedious design of the rawhide handhold. A finished bareback rigging built to order sells in the $700 to $800 range.

“We really had a high demand in the 1990s selling an average of 30 riggings a week,” Barstow said. “Bareback participation declined during the early 2000’s, but has been on the rise in recent years.”

Originally braiding bull ropes with manila, Barstow now makes long-wearing poly ropes, rot, mud and moisture resistant.

One bull rope requires about eight hours to braid and sells in the $300 range.

Chaps are also custom made to order for rodeo events and ranch work. Spurs, halters, gloves, about anything used by cowboys and cowgirls are sold.

Coronavirus impacted sales as rodeos slowed down this year, but Barstow Pro Rodeo Equipment demand is again expanding.

“Our equipment is still handmade one item at a time,” Barstow assured. “This is important in a time when much of the rodeo equipment available is mass-produced here and in foreign countries.”

With daughters Danna and Mandy also living in Texas, Barstow is retired from everyday operations staying home with Belinda.

“Our daughter and son-in-law Erica and Brent Hodge now own and operate the business with a dozen dedicated employees,” he credited.

“The customer is always Number One, whether a beginner or a seasoned professional. Satisfaction is the top priority,” Neil Barstow stated.

The ALL IN Barrel Race and ALL IN Breakaway Roping will be held this December in “The Cowboy Capital of the World”, Stephenville, Texas at The Lone Star Arena.

This location is paramount to the barrel racing industry.

Our staff and our entire arena team is already making plans for our famous “ALL IN ground” to ensure the quality of our race event, instant replay video in main arena, on site RV hookups, on site stalls, host hotels nearby, and many other features to ensure this will be one of the best ALL IN Events you have ever experienced.

We appreciate your patience, as we have tirelessly managed through this challenging time to ensure we are able to continue to produce the very best ALL IN Event possible.

Adjustments will be made to all entries to accommodate for the hotel part of your entry.

All pertinent details will follow in a separate email to ALL contestants who are currently entered.

Please know, everyone will be contacted by email to address any changes this may cause.

We ask you to be patient and watch your email for updated information that will help you and us manage these adjustments.

Marty Barnes built a career in rodeo, as a competitor and a business owner providing bulls and bucking horses for events across the U.S.

Barnes is seeking to build a rodeo team as coach of the new Buena Vista University rodeo team in Storm Lake, Iowa.

“It’s a great opportunity to build a rodeo program at BVU,” said Barnes, who directed his daughters Micah Barnes, a 2020 BVU graduate, and Mary Barnes, a fourth year BVU student, in rodeo competitions for the Beavers. “I’ve been coaching competitors in the sport on an unofficial basis for 25 years. I also spent 25 years competing in professional rodeo. Now, I get the chance to put all that experience and knowledge to work in getting student-athletes at BVU to excel in something we’re passionate about.”

Barnes, who owns and operates Barnes PRCA Rodeo Company, will make the Barnes Ranch near Peterson, Iowa, available for practice sessions, as well as providing space for students to house their horses. The ranch is about 30 miles northwest of Storm Lake.

“We have 300 acres here for students to work their horses,” Barnes said. “This will be a place where we’ll work to improve on our rodeo skills. It’s also a place where students can come ride and relax as their horse gets exercise.”

The rodeo program is an outgrowth of BVU’s new Agriculture Institute, a focused-growth strategic initiative led by business and science professors, including Landon Sullivan, Instructor of Animal Science and a former rodeo competitor who coached rodeo teams at the collegiate level for nearly a decade.

BVU will compete in the Great Plains Region of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association with about half of the competitions occurring within a 200-mile radius of Storm Lake.

Q&A Wrangler® NFR 2020

1. Where can I purchase tickets?
   com/NFR. Tickets go on sale to the general public September 25. Advance presale tickets for season ticket holders go on sale September 16. Special ticket instructions for season ticket holders will be sent via email.
2. How many tickets can I buy at once?
   To aid in social distancing, all tickets will be sold in groups of four with space between groups. Season ticket holders with fewer than four tickets will be given the opportunity to purchase a block of four seats.

RELATED: 2020 Wrangler NFR moving to Globe Life Field  

1. What will the guidelines be regarding social distancing, masks, health guidelines?
   All local and state recommended guidelines will be followed.
2. Where can I park?
   Parking passes for this event can be purchased at TexasRangers.com/NFR when purchasing event tickets.  Additional event information and a parking map will also be available on this site.
3. If I don’t have tickets, how do I watch?
   All performances will be covered by The Cowboy Channel live and simulcast on RFD-TV. The performances will also be streamed on the PRCA on Cowboy Channel Plus app. Visit cowboychannelplus.com for more info.
4. What happens if there are changes in the pandemic between now and December? Will I be able to get a refund if the restrictions on a gathering like this will change?
   Globe Life Field will communicate any changes and subsequent instructions via TexasRangers.com/NFR and Globe Life Field social media.
5. For questions about ticketing and the event, who should I contact? In an effort to limit contact, mobile tickets are preferred.  If you are unable to access your mobile ticket, please visit the Southeast box office at Globe Life Field on event day and staff will be happy to assist you.  For questions regarding the purchase of tickets, please call 972-RANGERS or email SpecialEvents@TexasRangers.com.  For questions regarding PRCA or NFR, please visit prorodeo.com.
6. There have been so many other events alongside the NFR in Las Vegas, what is planned for the new venue?
   Ancillary events will be included, such as Cowboy Christmas, Buckle Ceremonies, etc. Specifics pertaining to those events will be announced at a later date. Look for updates on ProRodeo.com for everything NFR.
7. What is the location for the 2020 PRCA Convention?
   That will be announced at a later time.
8. Will there be a ProRodeo Zone at the new venue?
   Yes, the ProRodeo Fan Zone presented by Polaris will be at Globe Life Field.
9. Will there be a Spurs & Spikes golf tournament in the new location?
   Plans for Spurs & Spikes are being made now.
10. Are there special security arrangements being made for NFR 2020?
    The health and safety of all who enter Globe Life Field is of the utmost importance.  All staff and guests must go through appropriate screening before entering the building.
11. With the move away from Las Vegas, are any of your sponsors sitting out NFR 2020?
    All sponsors are engaged and excited to be part of the 2020 Wrangler National finals Rodeo. We hope to expand that with sponsors in the North Texas region.
12. Will media be permitted to cover the event?
    Media are encouraged to cover the event.

 

Story by Jim Plousis

More than a decade ago, an important anniversary was approaching.

On September 19, 2009, the U.S. Marshals Service would celebrate the 220th anniversary of its founding. Each district was encouraged to generate special events to focus public attention on the history of a great law enforcement organization.

As the U.S. marshal for New Jersey, I envisioned an event that would recall those thrilling days of yesteryear when intrepid marshals brought law and order to the West.

My problem was that, to most people, the Garden State is better known for tomatoes, blueberries, the Sopranos, and corrupt politicians than cowpokes and quick-on-the-draw marshals.

But in South Jersey’s rural Salem County we have CowTown Rodeo, which bills itself as the “oldest weekly rodeo in the United States.” Every Saturday evening from May to late September this venue offers bull riding, steer wrestling, tie-down roping, bare back riding, and other traditional events.

The man running CowTown is Grant Harris, whose great-grandfather started the first rodeo there. So I called the local sheriff and asked him to arrange a meeting with Harris to discuss hosting a rodeo event marking the historic anniversary. “I just want to give you a heads up,” Sheriff Chuck Miller confided before we met the rodeo kingpin. “When you shake hands with Grant, he’s missing a finger on his right hand. He’s a real cowboy, and he lost his thumb in a roping accident that took it clear off at the joint.”

A real cowboy, indeed. At age 8, Grant Harris was a Junior Bullriding Champion. He was a professional rodeo competitor at age 14, and later went to Casper College in Casper, Wyoming, on a full rodeo scholarship.

Soon I was face-to-face with a mountain of a man, someone just a little shorter than John Wayne, who spiked his conversation with aphorisms like, “That guy has a big hat but no cattle.”  Grant invited us to lunch at a local down-home bar. On his recommendation we ordered a prime rib sandwich an inch thick, including gristle.

Munching on food that would horrify a cardiologist, I explained my idea for a rodeo ceremony to highlight our anniversary. Grant listened thoughtfully.

When I finished, he said: “I’ll have a rodeo for you. But there’s one thing I want. If we’re doing this for the Marshals Service, we have to have marshals riding in the opening ceremony.”

“OK,” I said. “I’ll get some marshals.” I called Arlington, Virginia, knowing that our director had grown up on a farm and rode horses. He declined. No one else there was interested as well.

Grant Harris was not pleased when he heard the news. “Then I’m just not gonna do it,” he told me. “It makes no sense to have a ceremony for the Marshals Service with no marshals in it.”

After a pause he said, “What about you?”

“Grant, I haven’t been on a horse in 30 years.”

“I’ll teach you.”

I called U.S. Marshal Dave Thomas in neighboring Delaware. “Get ready,” I said. “It’s you and me. We’re taking riding lessons because you’re the only other marshal I could get.”

Our first session with Grant was like a first day in Kindergarten.

“Here’s how you put the blanket on the horse,” he explained. “Here’s how you put the saddle on…This is how you strap the saddle…You put the bit in the horse’s mouth this way…”

Then we mounted up and rode in circles, learning how to stop and start. After six hours of instruction, Grant said it was enough for one day.

As we started to dismount, Dave, who was wearing combat boots, got his foot stuck in a stirrup. He tumbled to the ground, smacking his head. Grant could not conceal his disdain. “What are you guys, jackasses?!” he yelled. “You gotta have cowboy boots to ride a horse! You can’t wear things like that!”

After our third lesson, which included Sheriff Miller, Grant told us we had done so well that he would let us herd some cattle. Our assignment was to move 40 head from a pasture across the road from CowTown to an adjacent field.

It was a blazing hot day and we were in the saddle until 4 o’clock in the afternoon. My backside was as sore as a baby with an unchanged diaper.

The night of the big rodeo finally arrived. Dave Thomas, Sheriff Miller, and I waited on horseback in the chutes. With some 3,000 spectators looking on, the rodeo contestants and the three of us were supposed to parade into the arena carrying the Marshals Service flag and other flags.

But Dave had trouble controlling his horse. “Get that horse straight!” Grant barked. He finally got the critter positioned, and the event began.

The crowd cheered when we were introduced and trotted out into the arena like Glenn Campbell’s rhinestone cowboys, except that we were attired in our uniforms. The script called for us to line up, salute the American flag and in unison with the audience, recite the Pledge of Allegiance and sing the National Anthem. (Back in those days, no one took a knee.)

In addition to the pomp and circumstance, we had a colorful display of Marshals Service paraphernalia, including body armor, shields, and stick-on badges. Winners of the various events also received belt buckles embossed with the Marshals Service emblem.

I’ll bet a glass of sarsaparilla at your neighborhood saloon that the event that year garnered more attention than any other anniversary celebration for the Marshals Service.

Jim Plousis is a former U.S. marshal. This article is adapted from “Jersey Lawman,” a memoir of his 40 years in law enforcement. Proceeds from the book go to the U.S. Marshals Survivors Benefit Fund.

Courtesy Ruth Nicolaus

91^ST Annual Kansas Biggest Rodeo crowns champs, awards buckles

Phillipsburg, Kans. (August 1, 2020) –  A home state cowboy came to Phillipsburg to ride and left with a gold buckle.

 

Bareback rider Jesse Pope, Waverly, Kan., rode the Beutler and Son Rodeo horse Anything Goes for 89.5 points to best the field by three points more than the number two man, Tilden Hooper.

 

Pope loved his draw. “Man, that horse is really, really strong, and just bucks. That’s what I enjoy getting on, just buckers.” He likens bareback riding to a fist fight. “I tell myself, before I get on, if you start the fight, you better finish it. And that’s what (the ride) was the whole time, a fist fight.”

 

Pope, who will be a junior at Missouri Valley College in Marshall, Mo., this fall, has never lost a regular season college rodeo, winning twenty consecutive rodeos. He’s a two-time Ozark Region collegiate champion (2018-2019) who is majoring in public relations.

 

Last year in the second week of August, he tore his hamstring at a rodeo in Lovington, N.M., taking him out of competition for ten weeks and dashing his dreams of a trip to his first Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. This year, he’s ready. He’s ranked fourteenth in the world standings. “That’s the plan,” he said, of a Wrangler NFR trip.

 

The horse, Anything Goes, was the same mount that the 2019 bareback champ, Shane O’Connell, rode last year to win the rodeo.

 

Sterling Crawley already owns a piece of Phillipsburg rodeo hardware, and he’s taking home another one.

 

The saddle bronc rider scored 84.5 points on No Show Jones to be the top score for the weekend, to win the three-piece gold buckle. He won his first Phillipsburg title in 2014.

 

The Huntsville, Texas cowboy has made good use of his time, since COVID-19 canceled nearly three months of rodeo. He worked on his and fiancée Hanna Rose’s house, preparing for their November wedding. “I did a lot of honey-dos I’ve never gotten to in past years,” he said. “I redid the entire porch on the house, which we bought a year and a half ago. And I got more land cleared on the skid steer than I thought I’d get done in two calendar years. It’s been really good to catch up on things.”

 

Crawley didn’t get rusty while out of pro rodeo competition. A group of Texas stock contractors held informal buck-outs, for cowboys to stay fresh. “They bucked hard enough to show a guy where there are chinks in his armor,” Crawley said. “We got to hone things.”

 

Crawley has competed at six Wrangler National Finals Rodeos and is headed to his seventh, as he is ranked sixth in the world standings.

 

A special mare carried her barrel racer to the win for the 91^st annual Kansas Biggest Rodeo.

 

Shelley Morgan, Eustace, Texas, rode her mare, Kiss, to make a 16.76 second run around the cloverleaf pattern.

 

It’s unusual for a six-year-old horse to be doing so well on the pro rodeo world, but Eustace and her husband, Rex, knew she was good. “We knew she had it in her,” she said.

 

Kiss, whose registered name is HR Fameskissandtell, is “all woman,” Morgan said. “She loves people, and always has. The more they pet her, the better she likes it.” But she’s also grouchy, too. “She knows she’s somebody. She knows she’s the queen of the place.”

 

Morgan is ranked as the number five barrel racer in the WPRA standings right now, thanks to Kiss. “She’s making this summer really fun,” Morgan said. “I’m really, really blessed and thankful and appreciative to be her person. I definitely do not take her for granted.”

 

Morgan’s husband, Rex, travels with her. “He drives me everywhere. He’s definitely my moral support and keeps me grounded. And I think he enjoys it as much as I do.” They have been married 28 years.

 

Other champions from this year’s rodeo include steer wrestlers Taz Olson, Prairie City, S.D., Clayton Hass, Weatherford, Texas and Maverick Harper, Iowa, La. (3.5 seconds each); team ropers Jeff Flenniken, Caldwell, Idaho/Tyler Worley, Berryville, Ark. (4.8 seconds); tie-down ropers Ryan Jarrett, Comanche, Okla., Justin Smith, Leesville, La., Stetson Vest, Childress, Texas (8.4 seconds each); and bull rider Shad Winn, Nephi, Utah (84.5 seconds).

 

The rodeo saw the most contestants it had seen in years, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Because more than 350 PRCA rodeos have been cancelled, remaining rodeos are seeing higher contestant numbers as contestants rodeo to make a living and qualify for the 2020 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. More than 700 cowboys and cowgirls came through the gate at Kansas Biggest Rodeo, and among them, many world champions and those in the top fifteen of the world standings.

 

For more information and complete rodeo results, visit www.kansasbiggestrodeo.com.

 

– ### –

 

Cutlines:

Jesse Pope, Waverly, Kan., poses with the buckle he won as 2020 bareback riding champion at Kansas Biggest Rodeo in Phillipsburg.

 

It’s the second time for Sterling Crawley to win a Phillipsburg rodeo buckle. The saddle bronc rider from Huntsville, Texas won his event with an 84.5 point ride.

 

Final results, Kansas Biggest Rodeo, Phillipsburg, Kansas – July 30-August 1, 2020

 

All-around co-champions: Clayton Hass and Maverick Harper

 

Bareback Riding

1. Jesse Pope, Waverly, Kan.89.5 points on Nutrena’s Anything Goes; 2. Tilden Hooper, Ft. Worth, Texas 86.5;  3. Jake Brown, Cleveland, Texas 86; 4. (tie) Garrett Shadbolt, Gordon, Neb. and Waylon Bourgeois, Church Point, La. 85.5 each; 6. Jamie Howlett, Rapid City, S.D. 85; 7. Caleb Bennett, Corvallis, Mont. 84.5; 8. Jayco Roper, Oktaha, Okla. 84.

 

Steer Wrestling

1. (tie) Clayton Hass, Weatherford, Texas, Taz Olson, Prairie City, S.D., and Maverick Harper, Iowa, La. 3.5 seconds each; 4. (tie) Reed Kraeger, Elwood, Neb. and Scott Guenthner, Provost, Alb.3.6; 6.Gus Franzen, Kearney, Neb. 3.8 seconds; 7. (tie) Tanner Brunner, Ramona, Kan., Will Lummus, Byhalia, Miss.,  Rowdy Parrott, Bellville, Texas, Jason Thomas, Benton, Ark., Kaleb Summers, Claremore, Okla., Jesse Brown, Baker City, Ore. 3.9 seconds each;

 

Team Roping

1. Jeff Flenniken, Caldwell, Idaho/Tyler Worley, Stephenville, Texas 4.8 seconds; 2. (tie) Matt Sherwood, Pima, Ariz./Trey Yates, Pueblo, Colo. and Clay Smith, Bowie, Texas/Jade Corkill, Stephenville, Texas 4.9 seconds each; 4. Jake Clay, Sapulpa, Okla./Martin Lucero, Stephenville, Texas 5.2; 5. Riley Minor, Ellensburg, Wash./Brady Minor, Ellensburg, Wash. 5.3; 6. (tie) Tanner Tomlinson, Angleton, Texas/Brady Norman, Springer, Okla., Brandon Webb, Carizzo Springs, Texas/Kollin VonAhn, Blanchard, Okla., Lane Stock, San Tan Valley, Ariz./Bruce Reidhead, Taylor, Ariz., and Charly Crawford, Stephenville, Texas/Logan Medlin, Tatum, N.M. 5.4 seconds each; 10. Andrew Ward, Edmond, Okla./Buddy Hawkins II, Stephenville, Texas 5.5.

 

Saddle Bronc Riding

1. Sterling Crawley, Huntsville, Texas 84.5 points on 040 No Show Jones; 2. Jacob Lewis, Stephenville, Texas 84; 3. Ben Anderson, Rocky Mountain, Alb. 83.5; 4. Chase Brooks, Ennis, Mont. 83; 5. 5. (tie) Tanner Butner, Daniel, Wyo., Logan James Hay, Wildwood, Alb. and Rusty Wright, Milford, Utah 82 each; 8. Isaac Diaz, Desdemona, Texas 81.

 

Tie Down Roping

1. (tie) Justin Smith, Leesville, La.; Ryan Jarrett, Comanche, Okla., and Stetson Vest, Childress, Texas 8.4 seconds each; 4. Tyler Prcin, Alvord, Texas 8.5; 5. Caleb Smidt, Bellville, Texas 8.6; 6.Ty Harris, San Angelo, Texas 8.8; 7. Haven Meged, Miles City, Montana 8.9; 8. Cody Huber, Albia, Iowa 9.2; 9. Paul David Tierney, Oklahoma City, Okla. 9.6; 10. Trell Etbauer, Goodwell, Okla. and Michael Otero, Weatherford, Texas 9.7 each.

 

Barrel Racing

1. Shelley Morgan, Eustace, Texas 16.76 seconds; 2. BryAnna Haluptzok, Tenstrike, Minn. 16.89; 3. Jessica Routier, Buffalo, S.D. 16.95; 4. Dona Kay Rule, Minco, Okla. 16.96; 5. Shali Lord, Lamar, Colo. 16.97; 6. Wenda Johnson, Pawhuska, Okla. 17.03; 7. Hayln Lide, China Springs, Texas 17.16 8. Cassidy Kruse Dean, Wills Point, Texas 17.18; 9. (tie) Abby Phillips, Marshall, Texas and Ivy Hurst,  Springer, Okla. 17.21 each; 11. Jacie Etbauer, Edmond, Okla. 17.22; 12. Megan Champion, Ukiah, Calif. 17.23; 13. (tie) Lexie Goss,  Redmond, Ore. and Hollie Etbauer, Edmond, Okla. 17.25 each; 15. (tie) Haley Wolfe, Flora Vista, N.M. and Jill Tanner, Stephenville, Texas 17.27 each.

 

Bull Riding

1.Shad Winn, Nephi, Utah 84.5 points on Beutler and Son Rodeo’s 014 Make My Day; 2. Ky Hamilton, Mackay, Australia 84; 3. Levi Gray, Klamath Falls, Ore. 83.5; 4. Roscoe Jarboe, New Plymouth, Idaho 79; 5. Parker Cole McCown, Montgomery, Texas 78.5; 6. (tie) Brady Portenier, Caldwell, Idaho and Sage Kimzey, Strong City, Okla. 76 each; 8. Tyler Bingham, Honeyville, Utah 70.

 

** All results are unofficial.  For complete results, visit www.prorodeo.com. For more information, visit www.KansasBiggestRodeo.com.

CASTLE ROCK, Colorado (Aug. 2, 2020) – Nathan Hatchel will always call Hennessy, Oklahoma home because that is where he was born and raised, but on Sunday afternoon, he was very proud to be a current resident of Douglas County Colorado.

Hatchel rode Summit Pro Rodeo’s bull named Sandhills Terror for 87 points to win $2,546 at the 102^nd Douglas County Fair & Rodeo. It was one of the biggest wins of his young career and definitely a memorable one.

One year ago, Hatchel was just three months into a new job working for his grandfather who owns a custom home construction company in the area. He was preparing for a September wedding and was just a few months out of college. He graduated from Southwestern Oklahoma State University with a business management degree. His wife, Kodi, has a nursing degree from the same institution.

He competed in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association and qualified for the College National Finals Rodeo. And while he loves riding bucking bulls, his priority is the homebuilding business. So, on the weekends he will be decked out in boots, cowboy hat and spurs, and during the week, his attire turns to business casual.

Many rodeo contestants say that their hometown rodeo is the hardest to win, they feel more pressure there with family and friends in attendance and never do as well as they would like. Hatchel had plenty of people rooting for him, but the bulk of them had to watch it on The Cowboy Channel.

Another Colorado cowboy that had success at the 102^nd Douglas County Fair & Rodeo on Sunday afternoon was bareback rider Logan Patterson of Kim. He rode Summit Pro Rodeo’s Game Trail to tie Draper, Utah’s Mason Clements. They each had 87-point rides and won $2,058.

Patterson is currently 19^th in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association world standings. The money he won here will get him closer to the top 15 who qualify for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo held in Las Vegas in December.

The Douglas County Fair & Rodeo celebrated their 102^nd anniversary this year. The committee worked to put on a rodeo in a time when many events are cancelling due to COVID-19. Social distancing and extra safety measures were put into practice. This year’s rodeo saw a $4,000 increase in their total payoff. Their event is continuing to grow and attract great contestants from the Mountain States Circuit as well as across North America.

One of those contestants was saddle bronc rider Jake Watson from Hudson’s Hope British Columbia. Watson rode a horse from Summit Pro Rodeo named Western Expo for 87 points to win $2,284. Blake Knowles from Heppner, Oregon finished at the top of the leaderboard in the steer wrestling. He stopped the clock in 4.5 seconds to win $2,097.

In the team roping it was Kaleb Driggers from Hoboken, Georgia and Carson Johnson of Casper, Wyoming who got the win. They earned the biggest paychecks of any contestant here at $2,666 each for their 4.7-second run. Kincade Henry from Mount Pleasant, Texas had the fastest time in the tie-down roping at 8.8 seconds, good for $2,530.

The best barrel racing run came during Saturday night’s performance when Emily Miller of Weatherford, Oklahoma stopped the clock in 17.19 seconds. Riding her great horse Beau, she added $1,854 to her season earnings.

 

CASTLE ROCK, Colo., (Aug. 2, 2020) — The following are unofficial results from the 102^nd Douglas County Fair & Rodeo.

 

Bareback riding: 1, (tie) Logan Patterson, Kim, Colo., on Summit Pro Rodeo’s Game Trail and Mason Clements, Draper, Utah, on Summit Pro Rodeo’s Revolving Door, 87 points and $2,058 each. 3, Tim O’Connell, Zwingle, Iowa, 84.5, $1,320. 4, Craig Wisehart, Kersey, Colo., 83, $854. 5, Tilden Hooper, Carthage, Texas, 82.5, $388. 6, Jeffery Zdziarski, Weston, Wyo., $388. 7, Tanner Aus, Granite Falls, Minn., 80, $311. 8, (tie) Cole Reiner, Kaycee, Wyo., and Jake Brown, Cleveland, Texas, 79, $116.

 

Steer wrestling: 1, Blake Knowles, Heppner, Ore., 4.5 seconds, $2,097. 2, Kalane Anders, Bayard, Neb., 4.8, $1,824. 3, Dalton Burgener, Douglas, Wyo., 4.9, $1,550. 4, Seth Peterson, Saguache, Colo., 5.3, $1,277. 5, Trey Jackson, Keensburg, Colo., 5.4, $1,277. 6, Mike Garcia, Casper, Wyo., 5.6, $729. 7, Tanner Jackson, Keensburg, Colo., 5.7, $456. 8, Austin Eller, Glendo, Wyo., 5.9, $182.

 

Team roping: 1, Kaleb Driggers, Hoboken, Ga., and Carson Johnson, Casper, Wyo., 4.7 seconds, $2,666 each. 2, J.B. James Jr., Bennett, Colo., and Brock Hanson, Bennett, Colo., 4.8, $2,385. 3, Garrett Tonozzi, Lampasas, Texas, and Dustin Davis, Terrell, Texas, 5.1, $2,104. 4, Cory Kidd V, Statesville, N.C., and Clay Futrell, Union Grove, N.C., 5.4, $1,824. 5, (tie) Casey Tew, Billings, Mont., and Jared Fillmore, Payson, Utah; and Jhett Trenary, Salida, Colo., and Trevor Schnaufer, Pueblo, Colo., 5.5, $1,403. 7, (tie) Austin Crist, Fountain, Colo., and Caleb Anderson, Mocksville, N.C.; and Matt Sherwood, Pima, Ariz., and Trey Yates, Pueblo, Colo.; and Philip Schuman, Johnstown, Colo., and Josh Fillmore, Penrose, Colo., 5.9, $702. 10, Brit Ellerman, Fort Lupton, Colo., and Trey Johnson, Weatherford, Texas, 6.0 and $140 each.

 

Saddle bronc riding: 1, Jake Watson, Hudson’s Hope, British Columbia, 87 points on Summit Pro Rodeo’s Western Expo, $2,284. 2, Cody Demoss, Heflin, La., 86, $1,751. 3, Mitch Pollock, Winnemucca, Nevada, 82.5, $1,294. 4, Tanner Butner, Daniel, Wyo., 79, $838. 5, Layton Green, Meeting Creek, Alberta, 78.5, $533. 6, Allen Boore, Axtell, Utah, 77.5, $381. 7, Tyler Corrington, Laramie, Wyo., 75, $305. 8, CoBurn Bradshaw, Beaver, Utah, 74, $228.

 

Tie-down roping: 1, Kincade Henry, Mount Pleasant, Texas, 8.8 seconds, $2,530. 2, Stetson Vest, Childress, Texas, 9.0, $2,200. 3, Clint Graves, Limon, Colo., 9.2, $1,870. 4, Hagen Houck, Henrietta, Texas, 10.1, $1,540. 5, Joey Dickens, Loveland, Colo., 10.3, $1,210. 6, Ryan Belew, LaJunta, Colo., 10.5, $880. 7, Sterling Williams, Stephenville, Texas, 10.8, $550. 8, Rance Johnson, Cheyenne, Wyo., 11.0, $220. .

 

Barrel racing: 1, Emily Miller, Weatherford, Okla., 17.19 seconds, $1,854. 2, Leia Pluemer, Bosque Farms, N.M., 17.31, $1,589. 3, Michelle Alley, Madisonville, Texas, 17.36, $1,324. 4, Megan Champion, Ukiah, Calif., 17.43, $1,147. 5, Jackie Ganter, Abilene, Texas, 17.47, $883. 6, Amanda Welsh, Gillette, Wyo., 17.50, $706. 7, Kathy Grimes, Medical Lake, Wash., 17.60, $530. 8, Mindy Goemmer, Battle Mountain, Nev., 17.64, $353. 9, (tie) Fallon Taylor, Dallas, Texas, and Chris Gibson, Windsor, Colo., 17.67, $221 each.

 

               Bull Riding: 1, Nathan Hatchel, Hennessy, Okla., 87 points on Summit Pro Rodeo’s Sandhills Terror, $2,546. 2, Ruger Piva, Challis, Idaho, 83.5, $1,960. 3, Garrett Smith, Rexburg, Idaho, 82.5, $1,458. 4, Dylan Grant, Pavillion, Wyo., 81, $956. 5, Stetson Wright, Milford, Utah, 75.5, $621. 4, Dillon Tyner, Eaton, Colo., 75, $454. 7, Gray Essary III, Somerville, Tenn., 74, $370.