Category: Rodeo Life Today

Three-time World Champion Silvano Alves further solidifies record, Derek Kolbaba snaps buckoff streak, and world No. 1 Jose Vitor Leme falters

GUTHRIE, Okla. – At the historic third closed-to-fans PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Unleash The Beast event inside Lazy E Arena in Logan County, Oklahoma, the world’s Top 35 bull riders continued to pioneer the return of professional sports in an empty arena on a night where the bovine athletes reigned supreme.

With bull power in full force, only six cowboys recorded qualified rides on the opening night of the two-day PBR Lucas Oil Invitational, presented by U.S. Border Patrol.

Compliments of his 88.75-point score aboard Hell on the Red (Bill Henson/Gene Owen), young gun Mason Taylor (Maypearl, Texas) won Round 1.

The ride marked Taylor’s second round win of the 2020 season and also snapped a three-out buckoff streak for the 20-year-old. He earned $3,750 and 20 world points.

After beginning the event No. 17 in the world, the Texan climbed one position to No. 16.

In Round 2, Taylor will face a familiar opponent, set to attempt God’s Country (Owens/Wyatt/Smith) for the second time in his career.

When the duo first met last weekend at the Lazy E, God’s Country bested Taylor in a swift 4.71 seconds.

Three-time PBR World Champion Silvano Alves (Pilar do Sul, Brazil) further etched his name in the PBR record books tonight, courtesy of his 82.5-point, fifth-place ride aboard Sidewinder (TNT Bucking Bulls/Hart Cattle Co.) in Round 1.

The 8-second effort marked the Brazilian veteran’s 414^th career ride on the elite Unleash The Beast.

After surpassing two-time PBR World Champion Chris Shivers (Jonesville, Louisiana) for fifth-most rides all-time last weekend, Alves is now within 15 rides of tying Valdiron de Oliveira (Balcimo, Brazil) for fourth in the league history books. Shivers logged 412 rides in his career, while Oliveira reached the 8-second whistle 429 times.

PBR’s 2008 World Champion Guilherme Marchi (Tres Lagoas, Brazil) leads the league with 635, followed by two-time World Champion J.B. Mauney (Statesville, North Carolina) with 528, and 2004 World Champion Mike Lee (Decatur, Texas) with 525.

Alves’ latest ride netted him seven world points, propelling him from No. 49 to No. 42 in the world.

In Round 2 of the PBR Lucas Oil Invitational, presented by U.S. Border Patrol, Alves will attempt Bullseye (Owens/Wyatt/Smith/Mears). After propelling Alves’s countryman Fabiano Vieira (Perola, Brazil) to the event victory at the first premier series event held inside Lazy E Arena in late April, Bullseye got the best of Lucas Divino (Nova Crixas, Brazil) last weekend.

The opening night of PBR’s final event at the Lazy E to finish a three-weekend stand also featured a breakthrough performance from phenom Derek Kolbaba (Walla Walla, Washington).

Kolbaba snapped a five-out buckoff streak in riding Caddy Black (Owens/Wyatt/Smith) for 81.75 points to finish sixth in the opening round.

Kolbaba earned six world points, maintaining his No. 19 ranking.

World No. 1 Jose Vitor Leme (Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil) was not among the contingent celebrating the evening’s six qualified rides.

Leme was bucked off by rank, high-kicking M.A.G.A. (TNT Bucking Bulls/Hart Cattle Co.), in an uncharacteristic 1.84 seconds.

As he looks to redeem himself on Championship Sunday, the former semi-professional soccer player will attempt a bovine athlete in a high-profile rubber match.

Leme will face Blue Crush (Cord McCoy/Chad Reese) for the third time in his career. With both their outs on record taking place at the annual January Unleash The Beast event in Chicago, Leme first rode Blue Crush for 87.25 points in 2019, before being bucked off in 5.61 seconds this season.

Rookie of the Year contender Amadeu Campos Silva (Atair, Brazil) was second in Round 1, earning $2,500 and 10 world points, after completing an 87.5-point trip aboard Real Gun (Cord McCoy/Graber/Gallagher).

Climbing one position in the world standings, now No. 30, Silva will attempt Honey Man (D&H Cattle Co./Buck Cattle Co.) in Round 2 as he seeks his first premier series event win.

Third was Alex Cerqueira (Iguatemi, Brazil).

As the first rider to log a qualified ride, Cerqueira covered Spit Out The Bone (Cord McCoy/Double R) for 84.75 points to net $2,000 and nine world points.

The 8-second effort marks the second time Cerqueira has been able to cover the bovine athlete. The duo first squared off this January when Cerqueira reached the whistle for 85.5 points at the Touring Pro Division’s Cowtown PBR in Fort Worth, Texas.

Cerqueira’s performance allowed him to gain ground in the world title race. Ahead of his Round 2 matchup against Danny Boy (D&H Cattle Co./Gordon/OK Corralis), the 27-year-old rose from No. 48 to No. 41 in the world.

Rounding out the Top 5 in fourth was Divino, riding Eye of the Storm (McCoy Ranches) for 84.25 points.

Nabbing a paycheck for $1,250, along with eight world points, Divino maintained his world No. 12 rank.

The PBR Lucas Oil Invitational, presented by U.S. Border Patrol, will conclude with Round 2 and the championship round on Sunday, May 17. CBS Sports Network and RidePass’ LIVE coverage of Round 2 will begin at 11:30 a.m. ET.

Starting at 2:00 p.m. ET, CBS Sports will televise the championship round LIVE, as PBR’s historic trio of events concludes inside Lazy E Arena, utilizing a health and safety plan that has been reviewed by more than a dozen other sports leagues and organizing bodies.

Fans can relive all the action from Round 1 of the PBR Lucas Oil Invitational, presented by U.S. Border Patrol, starting at 8:00 a.m. ET on Sunday, May 17, on RidePass at RidePass.com or via the mobile app.

PBR Unleash The Beast
PBR Lucas Oil Invitational, presented by U.S. Border Patrol
Lazy E Arena – Guthrie, Oklahoma
Event Leaders (Round 1-Round 2-Round 3-Event Aggregate-Event Points)

1. Mason Taylor, 88.75-0-0-88.75-20 Points.
2. Amadeu Campos Silva, 87.5-0-0-87.50-10 Points.
3. Alex Cerqueira, 84.75-0-0-84.75-9 Points.
4. Lucas Divino, 84.25-0-0-84.25-8 Points.
5. Silvano Alves, 82.75-0-0-82.75-7 Points.
6. Derek Kolbaba, 81.75-0-0-81.75-6 Points.

Jose Vitor Leme, 0-0-0-0.00

Daylon Swearingen, 0-0-0-0.00

Colten Jesse, 0-0-0-0.00

Cole Melancon, 0-0-0-0.00

Fabiano Vieira, 0-0-0-0.00

Matt Triplett, 0-0-0-0.00

Mauricio Gula Moreira, 0-0-0-0.00

Tye Chandler, 0-0-0-0.00

Cody Teel, 0-0-0-0.00

Joao Henrique Lucas, 0-0-0-0.00

Stetson Lawrence, 0-0-0-0.00

Taylor Toves, 0-0-0-0.00

Andrew Alvidrez, 0-0-0-0.00

Brennon Eldred, 0-0-0-0.00

Marcus Mast, 0-0-0-0.00

Jake Lockwood, 0-0-0-0.00

Cody Casper, 0-0-0-0.00

Rafael dos Santos, 0-0-0-0.00

Dalton Kasel, 0-0-0-0.00

Keyshawn Whitehorse, 0-0-0-0.00

Brady Sims, 0-0-0-0.00

Dakota Louis, 0-0-0-0.00

Keith Hall, 0-0-0-0.00

Devon Weaver, 0-0-0-0.00

Joseph McConnel, 0-0-0-0.00

Grayson Cole, 0-0-0-0.00

Wallace Vieira de Oliveira, 0-0-0-0.00

Cannon Cravens, 0-0-0-0.00

Rubens Barbosa, 0-0-0-0.00

During pandemic isolation, Proctor finding a silver lining to moments at home

PRYOR, Okla. – Anybody who knows him will describe Coleman Proctor in an abundance of ways, but most will discuss his openness and ability to communicate with anyone and everyone.

“I’m a pretty social person, so the hardest thing for me is being so far out of the loop,” Proctor said, describing his thoughts on self-isolation through the COVID-19 pandemic. “It’s like being on my own little island.”

His piece of paradise is 240 acres near Pryor, and he shares that plot of land with his wife, Stephanie, and their two daughters, Stella, 2, and Caymbree, 9 months. On a typical year, he would have just returned to Oklahoma from a spring run California. Instead, he’s been hanging out with his girls, performing tasks around his place and finding a little extra work when possible.

“It’s actually been nice,” he said. “I’ve had a set of heifers I’ve been calving; we have about 240 head of cows, 40 of which were first-year heifers.

“I’ve been catching up on the around-the-house stuff. My youngest has been changing, so that’s been fun to see in person. I got to see her crawl for the first time, and how she’s standing up and pulling herself up to things.”

There were several little things he missed when Stella was this age that he’s not missing with Caymbree. That’s the life of a rodeo cowboy, especially one in the elite status like Coleman, a five-time National Finals Rodeo qualifying header. He’s roped with three cowboys at ProRodeo’s grand finale: Longtime friend Jake Long, Billie Jack Saebens and, most recently, Ryan Motes.

Other than calls and other forms of communication, that’s really all he’s been able to do as far staying in touch with other ropers.

“Motesy and I did a Zoom interview for our friends at Brazos Valley Equine, and that was the first time I’d seen him since we left Houston,” said Proctor, noting that he and Motes had competed in the first two rounds of the third set at RodeoHouston before it was canceled in March. “It was definitely odd leaving Houston and not knowing when we’d see each other again.

“We’ve got our run down pretty good. I’m practicing on what makes me really good, and he’s practicing on what makes him really good. He and (wife) Courtney are the most hospitable people you’d ever meet. I’ve been missing out on being with them, grilling out and roping.”

The hardest part of being at home, he said, is not having a steady income, which is proof of his roping prowess; he has made a pretty good living roping the horns. For a man who is used to the confidence it takes to pay the entry fees at rodeos and ropings and understand the opportunity before him, it’s a bit of a stretch to know the chances of that have been diminished greatly.

“It feels like you’re spending a lot of money, and you’re not making a lot,” he said, noting that he’s taken on some skid-loader work recently. “I think we get accustomed to how rodeo can be a very profitable business.”

He’s done pretty well over his career, most of it coming in the last six years. At the NFR alone, he has pocketed about $325,000, but that’s even small compared to the big win he and Motes secured at The American in 2019; they each earned $433,000 by winning the team-roping title, $50,000 of which helped them secure their NFR bids.

He’s holding out hope everything recovers quickly from the pandemic, which not only hit the rodeo industry hard but also has affected the overall economy.

“I think we’re going to see a pretty good drought of selling horses right now, and that limits everyone,” Proctor said. “Diesel is below $2 a gallon, and while that seems nice, it’s not good for anybody. Oil fields drive a lot of what we do.

“Still, I love the time at home and the time I get to spend with my family. It’s been a lot of fun. We’ve been able to work on Steph’s breakaway roping.”

Interest and financial support have boomed in breakaway roping over the last two years, and more rodeos are planning to include the event in their schedules. That might open the door for more opportunities for the family.

Doing things with ropes is nothing new for Coleman Proctor. With the support of his parents, friends and other family members, he’s been doing it all his life.

“Even though they were divorced, my mom and dad were very good friends,” he said. “Both would take me roping. Jake Long and I roped together when we were 2 and 3. That’s all I ever wanted to know. My freshman year of high school, Jake and I started going around Miami (Oklahoma) with our Fast Lane (roping dummy). We’d rope in parking lots all over town, and we’ve been kicked out of every parking lot.

“We’d rope in all the different parking lots, and we’d save the Walmart parking lot to last. It didn’t have the best lighting, but they’d let us rope there longer.”

Even then, he had an end goal in mind.

“Even when I got jobs, it as what I needed to do to get my fees paid,” Proctor said. “Working was a way to gather up money. I wanted to rope for a living and make the National Finals.”

He’s done that, and over time, his priorities have changed. That comes with having a family; in his case, Proctor looks directly into the eyes of his three girls.

“My greatest accomplishment would be giving Stella and Caymbree everything I had,” he said. “I want Stella and Caymbree to feel it for the rest of their lives.

“I want a gold buckle. Now I’ve made a living with a rope in my hand, but I want something more. Last year was the first time I went to the National Finals and really wanted to win the gold buckle. This is the only reason I’m still doing this.”

Still, he’s ready to get back out on the road and chase his dreams of that elusive world championship. He knows what it takes, and he has faith in Motes that the tandem can make it happen in short order, but there’s work to be done.

“I think being home more is almost making me more excited about getting started again,” Proctor said. “This has been a first-hand look at life after rodeo. You’re getting a free look at what it could be. I know my time on the road is getting shorter. I’m more excited and grateful. I have so much at home that keeps me grounded.

“Sometimes it’s hard to leave and go to rodeo, but I think this year, it’s going to be a little more reactive. At the end of the day, the competition is what drives me.”

Mid-Plains Community College Rodeo Team coach Garrett Nokes has been named Coach of the Year for the Great Plains Region.

The coaches and captains from every team in the region vote for a Coach of the Year at the end of every season. It’s the first time Nokes has received the recognition.

“It’s a big honor,” Nokes said. “One of the things I love about my job is that coaching in this region is pretty unique. Our environment is the most positive environment I’ve ever been around in college rodeo. All of the coaches want their kids to win, but there’s not a coach in the region that won’t help a kid from another school if asked.”

He said that type of cooperation has led to a phenomenal atmosphere where student-athletes can develop their skills and advance to the next level.

“We just want the competition to be the toughest it can be, and that’s something that’s felt by every coach in the region,” Nokes said.

It’s important to him that his own team develops a strong work ethic and that members take away as much from outside the arena as inside.

“I want them to learn that if they want it, they have to work for it. Then, the sky’s the limit. That’s true for life in general,” Nokes said. “I will help them get to wherever they want to go, but I also want them to get an education to fall back on. In this business, it’s never ‘if a rodeo career is over’ – it’s when.”

His convictions stem from a lifetime spent in the rodeo industry – experiencing its ups and downs – in addition to his own experience as a college rodeo athlete at Oklahoma Panhandle State University in Goodwell, Okla. He was on the university’s first two national championship teams in 1997 and ’98.

“College rodeo prepared me for both professional rodeo and life after because I was surrounded by good mentors,” Nokes said. “My coach during my first two years of college [Dr. R. Lynn ‘Doc’ Gardner] had never been in a rodeo arena but ended up being one of the most influential guys in my life. I’m thankful for him every day.”

Gardner died when Nokes was a junior – about the time Nokes’ professional career was taking off.

“That next year, I was contemplating leaving school without a degree,” Nokes said. “What prompted me to stick around and finish was a friend and our team secretary [Lynette Frueh Harbin]. She told me that if I left without a degree, Doc would roll over in his grave. That really hit home, and I decided to stay. I just hope that someday I can have that kind of impact on someone else.”

He already has if the Coach of the Year award is any indication. One of the themes that remains consistent year-to-year among MPCC Rodeo Team members is that they appreciate Nokes for caring about them. They also respect him for not just talking the talk, but also living it.

A member of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association since 1996, Nokes currently has $740,032 in PRCA career earnings. That includes winnings from the 2005 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo where he competed in steer wrestling and placed fourth in the world standings.

Later on, in 2017, Nokes won the Ariat World Series of Team Roping in Las Vegas, beating out more than 500 other teams for a spot in the final round.

Nokes has also been highly involved in “the greatest sport on dirt” at the local level. He won the Nebraska State Rodeo Association’s “Rookie of the Year” title in 1996 and was the all-around champion in 2011 and 2014. He was the organization’s tie-down champion in 2011, ’13 and ’14.

A state to the south, Nokes was named the Kansas Professional Rodeo Association’s all-around champion in 1996, 2010, ’12 and ’14, steer wrestling champion in ’96 and tie-down roping champion in 2011, ’13 and ’14.

Additionally, Nokes is a three-time Prairie Circuit steer wrestling and all-around champion and was the tie-down roping champion in 2007.

He has won numerous all-around titles at major rodeos such as the National Western Stock Show in Denver in 2005 and Cheyenne Frontier Days in 2006.

He took home the all-around title and was co-champion in the team roping, alongside Matt Wilken, at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo in North Platte in 2012. He also won the calf roping at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo in 1997 and steer wrestling in ’98.

Nokes currently lives on a farm south of McCook with his wife, Laura, and sons, Trevor and Parker. Together they raise crops, cattle and performance horses. Garrett is also a crop insurance agent for First Crop Insurance, LLC.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – ProRodeo is targeting Memorial Day weekend for a return to competition, PRCA CEO George Taylor told The Cowboy Channel in an interview Saturday.

Taylor addressed several topics in the interview, including the affect the COVID-19 pandemic is having on PRCA rodeos and a timetable for the possible return of rodeos.

“You know, sooner is better, for sure,” Taylor said. “We’re really hopeful Memorial Day weekend (May 23-25) that we can get something started. We’re working very closely right now with Fort Smith (Ark.) and the local officials there in order to have a rodeo. Whether that means it is a fan-less event or reduced occupancy style of event, that’s really our direction and what we are going to try to pull off because we do need to get the rodeo engine going and have everybody in these communities see some encouraging things. We are really excited about the potential of starting that on Memorial Day weekend.”

The “Kick Open the Chutes” PRCA incentive plan, which will help rodeo committees, is also something Taylor discussed.

“The big focus of this is, ‘How do we get going?’” Taylor said. “What we are going to do as the PRCA is we’re looking to partner with PRCA rodeo committees to begin to understand what they can do to just say, ‘Yes.’ … These are challenging times. How can we supplement some of the things the local committees are trying to do, whether they have lost sponsors, their gate might be reduced substantially, or maybe we are just helping to try and give them a backstop of some additional funds.

“The PRCA wants all our committees and communities to know that we are very flexible, that we work with them on the format, the number of days, but we really want to get going and create some good for all of our membership, for the committees and the communities they serve, as well as their charities. We are starting out looking through June initially just to provide some incentive and some additional stimulus to get rodeo going.”

Taylor also touched on the 2020 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, Dec. 3-12.

“We’re having regular conversations with them and we have gone to weekly meetings,” Taylor said. “We’re really working on what’s the format going to be in terms of additional entertainment we might have and how do we make this NFR even better than the last one. We’re beginning to have some of those discussions now and (are) working with them. Obviously, it’s really critical for Las Vegas to open back up. We’re hearing some rumors that in May, early June, we will start to see some of the casinos open again. We can just hope and pray that there’s no additional spikes of activity relative to the virus and that we can get that planned and have our season and have that crowning of our world champions on our normal schedule.”

Taylor also talked about the Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) and encouraging members to apply with new stimulus money available.

“The President (Donald Trump) just signed nearly another $500 billion into stimulus that will help fund that,” Taylor said. “Our membership, much of it, is eligible for those types of forgivable loans as they go forward. So, we’re really wanting to make sure that our members are utilizing those things and pursuing them. The money had run out, but now it has been replenished, and we need to act fast and keep everybody with money and food on the table, if you will.”

To Our IFYR Family,

After much discussion and reflection the Board of Trustees for the Shawnee Civic

& Cultural Development  Authority have decided to postpone the International

Finals Youth Rodeo activities scheduled for July  12th – 17th 2020 until next year. The

2021 dates will be July 11th– 16 th right  here in Shawnee, Oklahoma.

The decision was not made lightly and the health of our athletes and their families, volunteers, rodeo personnel and staff is the top priority of the board during this unprecedented time.

The IFYR is more than an event it is a family. Those who have been involved through the years know the importance of the relationships, memories and opportunities fostered during rodeo week and we anticipate this to continue with the 2021/FYR.

To our athletes, volunteers, staff and fans know that you are in our prayers as we all face this together and we will be back next year ready to go.Watch for updates as they become available.

We will see you next year at IFYR 2021!

Shawnee Civic & Cultural  Development Authority

Board of Trustees

PRCA CEO George Taylor interview airing on Cowboy Channel

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – George Taylor, CEO of the PRCA, gave an inside glimpse to The Cowboy Channel about the affect the COVID-19 pandemic is having on PRCA rodeos and ProRodeo in general.

“It really changes the way you do your work and how everything has begun to evolve,” Taylor told The Cowboy Channel via video interview, March 30. “We got a call last Wednesday night (March 25) at about 5 p.m. when the governor (of Colorado) announced and asked everybody to stay home starting (March 26) at 6 a.m. We were scrambling to figure out how we could carry on business with as many people as possible from our home offices (in Colorado Springs).”

Taylor also addressed the impact COVID-19 has had on the PRCA season.

“The way things are currently going, we think we are going to be fine, but we plan for a number of scenarios,” Taylor said. “Those scenarios would be what happens if we start May 1? What happens if we start June 1, July 1? Then things really start getting crazy if you move that out another 30 days. Thirty to 60 days we can handle pretty easily in partnership with our athletes and all of our members, but when you start getting out 120 days, it really changes the picture to be sure.”

Taylor also discussed the possibility of the PRCA season extending beyond Sept. 30, the final day of the regular season.

“Right now, I would say there isn’t anything that you don’t think about,” he said. “What we like to say is we hope and pray for the best and we plan for the worst. We have to be thinking about all those scenarios, how they play out and how to make all this work.”

Santos holds off Tierney to become 16^th man to win CINCH Timed Event crown

March 15, 2020 / Guthrie, Oklahoma – Taylor Santos’ youth was spent in roping pens and rodeo arenas.

When he wasn’t practicing or competing, he was watching it on TV. The family’s pile of video cassettes included years of the CINCH Timed Event Championship, and those images helped fill the young cowboy’s thoughts of being one of the greatest ever.

Fast forward to Sunday, when his dreams were realized. He roped, tied and wrestled 25 animals in a cumulative time of 340.4 seconds over just three days to win $103,000 and become just the 16^th person in the 36-year history of the CTEC to claim the elusive title.

“This is a long three days, but it’s so worth it,” said Santos, 25, of Creston, California. “It was a blast.”

Yes, it was. Of course, when one pockets that kind of cash, it’s bound to be more exciting. But there was more to it. The weekend’s festivities featured one of the tightest championships in recent history. Only 30.2 seconds separated first through fifth place, and Santos edged the runner-up – 2017 champion Jess Tierney – by just 7.3 seconds.

“Things can go great or they can go the other way, but this weekend went really good,” said Tierney, the rodeo coach at Western Oklahoma State College, who pocketed $29,000. “I’d say that money will fit just right.

“I feel like I overcame some things, but I had great help and some great support. There are some things I’d change, but there are some things I wouldn’t change. In anything you do, you can win something or you can learn something, and I think I got to do both this weekend.”

This was just an extension of recent first for Santos. In 2019, he qualified for the National Finals Rodeo for the first time in his young career. He finished 10^th in the tie-down roping world standings and earned $81,076 in Las Vegas this past December. All the while, he also gained a boatload of confidence, and that carried over into this weekend.

Still, he had to overcome some early jitters.

“After getting that first steer under my belt, I felt a lot better about things,” Santos said, referring to Friday afternoon’s first run of the opening round. “You don’t have time to overthink things too much. It’s definitely a battle and definitely a marathon.”

This endurance-test included his older brother, Lane Karney, who just completed his fourth CTEC. In his first trip to the Lazy E Arena in 2017, Karney enlisted in Santos’ help. That, too, paid off for the younger sibling, albeit three years later.

“Lane and I are two years, two weeks apart in age,” Santos said. “Every day of our lives, we were basically matching each other.

“I’ve been on the waiting list the last couple of years. I’m glad I’ve seen it on TV and on the tapes so many times, but that first year I came with Lane, I realized that it’s completely different than what it looked like on the big screen. I got a whole new vision and idea of what the event was. I learned a lot that year.”

And it paid off in his first time competing at the “Ironman of ProRodeo.” It’s not often that newcomers walk away with the biggest check at this unique event, but this marks the second straight year that a CTEC rookie earned the crown – a year ago, Georgia cowboy Justin Thigpen won the title, then he missed this year after suffering an injury just two weeks ago.

“Taylor is a great kid with an amazing talent,” Tierney said. “Everybody here was such a great talent, and that made for fun watching.”

First round: 1. Jordan Ketscher, 65.3 seconds, $3,000; 2. Marcus Theriot, 65.8, $2,000; 3. Roger Nonella, 68.6, $1,000.

Second round: 1. Jess Tierney, 58.3 seconds, $3,000; 2. Haven Meged, 59.3, $2,000; 3. Clay Smith, 63.7, $1,000.

Third round: 1. Taylor Santos, 56.6 seconds, $3,000; 2. Marcus Theriot, 58.6, $2,000; 3. Seth Hall, 61.8, $1,000.

Fourth round: 1. Clay Smith, 53.4 seconds, $3,000; 2. Haven Meged, 65.2, $2,000; 3. Jess Tierney, 66.4, $1,000.

Fifth round: 1. Clay Smith, 45.8 seconds, $3,000; 2. Kyle Lockett, 51.2, $2,000; 3. Clayton Hass, 52.8, $1,000.

Average: 1. Taylor Santos, 340.4 seconds on 25 runs, $100,000; 2. Jess Tierney, 247.7, $25,000; 3. Seth Hall, 351.5, $15,000; 4. Clay Smith, 360.6, $10,000; 5. Marcus Theriot, 370.6, $7,500; 6. Haven Meged, 395.1, $5,000; 7. Paul David Tierney, 400.4, $4,500; 8. Jordan Ketscher, 445.7, $3,000.

Total money: 1. Taylor Santos, $103,000; 2. Jess Tierney, $29,000; 3. Clay Smith, $17,000; 4. Seth Hall, $16,000; 5. Marcus Theriot, $11,500; 6. Haven Meged, $9,000; 7. Jordan Ketscher, $6,000; 8. Paul David Tierney, $4,500; 9. Roger Nonella and Clayton Hass, $1,000 each.

Oh, Canada!

McLeod battles through Jr. Ironman to claim crown, $11,750

March 15, 2020 / Guthrie, Oklahoma – Long ago, Tee McLeod knew he was representing his home country of Canada, his home province of Saskatchewan.

On Sunday morning, he earned the first international title in the young history of the Jr. Ironman at the Lazy E Arena. He was somewhat dominant over the three days of rugged competition, though it got a bit hairy at the end.

“This is a dream come true,” said McLeod, 20, of Waldeck, Saskatchewan. “I prepared every day for two months. I did all the events every day and went to the gym.

“This place is awesome. Everybody does a great job putting this on, and I’m just fortunate enough to be here.”

He won the first two rounds, then finished second in Sunday’s final round. By winning the title and earning top pay in the rounds, he pocketed $11,750. Quade Hiatt, a two-time competitor from Canyon, Texas, finished second in the overall average, just three-tenths of a second behind the Canadian. For that, Hiatt earned $5,000. He also won the third round worth $750, and his calf horse, Hercules, was named the WCRA’s Top Horse of the Jr. Ironman, valued at another $250.

Hiatt made a run for the title, though. His 4.7-second steer wrestling run to close out the competition on Sunday put the pressure on McLeod, who needed to be 7.2 seconds or faster to claim the top prize; McLeod stopped the clock in 7.0.

“I’ve never been to anything like this,” he said “I had a good friend come and help me out, saddle my horses and get them warmed up. He talked me through it the whole way. (Helper) Paden Bray was huge, too.

“That money is not like the big guys,” he said, referring to the $100,000 paid out to the winner of the CINCH Timed Event Championship, “but that’s life-changing money to me. I’m going to take it back to college, and it’s going to help out a bunch.”

While the exchange rate might mean that he keeps the cash close to his vest at Eastern New Mexico State University instead of sending it home, he’s still awfully proud to carry on a strong Canadian legacy in rodeo.

“I have a lot of family and friends that were supposed to come down here,” McLeod said. “With the coronavirus, they didn’t want to come down here, but they got to watch it on TV. Representing Canada is awesome. I’ve done it my whole career, going to the high school nationals, but this is huge.”

Jr. Ironman first round: 1. Tee McLeod, 39.3 seconds, $750; 2. Tyler West, 44.1, $250; 3. Sam Morgan, 47.8.

Jr. Ironman second round: 1. Tee McLeod, 36.1 seconds, $750; 2. Tyler West, 39.5, $250; 3. Quade Hiatt, 40.3.

Jr.  Ironman third round: 1. Quade Hiatt, 33.0 seconds, $750; 2. Tee McLeod, 46.5, $250; 3. Denton Good, 53.2.

Jr. Ironman average: 1. Tee McLeod, 121.9 seconds on 12 runs, $10,000; 2. Quade Hiatt, 122.2, $5,000; 3. Tyler West, 151.5, $2,000.

Two former champions sit atop the CINCH Timed Event Championship standings

March 13, 2020, 2020 / Guthrie, Oklahoma – Since the early days of the CINCH Timed Event Championship, the name Tierney has been a staple at the Lazy E Arena.

Over the 36 years of the “Ironman of ProRodeo,” a Tierney has been crowned its champion seven times. It began in 1987, when Paul Tierney won the first of his four titles – the last time in 2000. Youngest son Paul David followed with titles in 2014 and ’16, then Jess earned the 2017 crown.

This is no easy title to claim, either. Only 15 men in the event’s history have been crowned titlists, because the unique challenge pits top all-around cowboys competing in each of the five timed events to complete a round. Over the five-round weekend, each man will make 25 runs over just three days.

On Friday night, Jess Tierney put the finishing touches to a long, two-round day with the fastest-round of the weekend so far, stopping the clock in a cumulative time of 58.3 seconds to win the second go-round and pocket $3,000 for doing so.

“These rounds are really good for getting your fees back, but you don’t want to focus on winning the rounds, because it’s such a marathon here,” he said. “If you focus on going too fast here, a bunch of crazy stuff can happen.

“Solid rounds are great. I’ve watched (seven-time winner) Trevor Brazile for years, and he wasn’t scared of winning three or four rounds. Anytime you can put a good round together, it just gives you confidence going into the next one.”

In fact, Jess Tierney finished the opening round in seventh place, then utilized a strong second performance to move into the No. 2 spot, just 7.2 seconds behind leader Jordan Ketscher’s 130.1-second cumulative time on 10 runs.

“It’s a long weekend,” said Tierney of Hermosa, South Dakota, now living in Altus, Oklahoma, where he is the rodeo coach at Western Oklahoma State College. “It’s the longest weekend I have all year. Anytime you can keep your mind straight here – where you’re making practice-type runs but still hustling and trying to get the most out of yourself and out of your horse – that’s when I’ve had the best luck.”

It happens because of his experience and his talent, but there’s also something special that occurs at the CTEC. Because he competes in each event, he relies on other cowboys and their horses to assist.

“Tony Reina (who has made both the National Finals Rodeo in tie-down roping and the Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping) has been a huge blessing this year letting me use his good mare as a calf horse,” Tierney said. “He’s a great guy to have in my corner, as is my dad. I have never been here without (team roper) Jace Crabb; nothing rattles that guy. (Steer wrestler and hazer) Kody Woodward has always been here. I don’t even call those two. They just now they’re going to be here.

“The thing about the Timed Event is that it’s a huge mental game. I don’t know anybody that’s come to this event that’s just awesome in all five events. There are going to be obstacles. When you get here, you’ve got to play the game where you can see those obstacles coming.”

Ketcher hasn’t had many obstacles. He took the lead in the opening round, which took place Friday afternoon. The 2018 CTEC winner from Squaw Valley, California, Ketscher never relinquished the top spot. He won the opening round and has just continued to build.

“My whole game plan was to make solid runs and rope what I draw, and it seems to be working out,” he said. “I still don’t have a great amount of experience in (steer roping), but being around here the last four years, I’ve seen these scenarios play out. It’s just about me not getting ahead of myself and grinding it out.”

How will he approach the final three rounds of this unique competition?

“I’ll try not to do anything different,” he said “I’ll just keep making my runs and let the cards fall where they’re going to fall.”

The Jr. Ironman took on a bit of an international flavor, when Canadian Tee McLeod won the opening round Friday morning. He roped, tied and wrestled four animals in a cumulative time of 39.3 seconds to claim the $750 prize. Reigning champion Tyler West finished second in 44.1 seconds to pocket $250.

First round: 1. Jordan Ketscher, 65.3 seconds, $3,000; 2. Marcus Theriot, 65.8, $2,000; 3. Roger Nonella, 68.6, $1,000.

Second round: 1. Jess Tierney, 58.3 seconds, $3,000; 2. Haven Meged, 59.3, $2,000; 3. Clay Smith, 63.7, $1,000.
Average leaders: 1. Jordan Ketscher, 130.1 seconds on 10 runs; 2. Jess Tierney, 137.3; 3. Marcus Theriot, 140.4; 4. Roger Nonella, 153.4; 5. Taylor Santos, 156.9.

Jr. Ironman first round: 1. Tee McLoud, 39.3 seconds, $750; 2. Tyler West, 44.1, $250; 3. Sam Morgan, 47.8.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — In front of an electric crowd inside the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri, rodeo athletes from across the globe were crowned champions and walked away with upwards of $1 million. The WCRA (The World Champions Rodeo Alliance) Royal City Roundup was the first Triple Crown of Rodeo eligible event offering a minimum of $111,000 per discipline.

Canadian bareback rider Orin Larsen (Inglis, Manitoba) landed in the showdown round after earning an 88.5 ride in the long round along with Pascal Isabelle (Okotoks, Alberta Canada) and Mason Clements (Spanish Fork, Utah). The 5x NFR qualifier topped Isabelle’s 86.5 points and Clements 88.5 points earning the highest marked of the night with 90.5 points.

The team roping duo Erich Rogers (Round Rock, Arizona) and Paden Bray (Granbury, TX) found themselves in the short round after earning the top spot in the long round. Bray and Rogers matched up against 11^th in the world Chad Masters (Cedar Hill, Tennessee) and 10^th in the world Wesley Thorp (Stephenville, Texas) along with Cody Snow (Stephenville, Texas) and Paul Eaves (Lonedell, Missouri) in the showdown round. The dominate wave of team roping superstars ended with Rogers and Bray recording a 3.65 second run, besting Master/Thorps 3.67 seconds and Snow/Eaves 4.4 seconds.

The 2019 fifth man in the world and 3x NFR steer wrestling qualifier J.D. Struxness (Appleton, Minnesota) delivered a 3.9 second run in the long round before meeting  Pro Rodeo Hall of Famer Robert Etbauer’s son Trell Etbauer (Gruver, Texas) and Texas cowboy Cody Devers (Perryton, Texas) in the short round. Struxness notched a 4.37 second run defeating Etbauer’s 4.41 seconds and Dever’s no time.

At age 40, Chet Johnson (Douglas, Wyoming) exhausted the competition earning the high-marked-ride in both rounds at the Royal City Roundup earning $50,000. After receiving an 86.5-point score in the long round, Johnson fought to stay on top overcoming Shorty Garrett’s (Eagle Butte, South Dakota) 88 points and Dalton Kingery’s 81.5 points with a vast 91.5-point score.

Reigning, and two-time WPRA Breakaway Champion Kelsie Chace (Cherokee, Oklahoma) delivered a powerful performance when her string broke away from her saddle horn at the 2.04 second mark in the showdown round Friday night. After defeating the legends of the sport in the first round, Chace was joined in the box by 16-year-old Josie Conner  (Iowa, Louisiana) who had a 3.18 second run along with and Hope Thompson’s (Abilene, TX), who received a no-time. Chase joins the ranks of Jackie Crawford and Makayla Boisjoli to become the fourth breakaway roper in history to compete in a one-day $1 million rodeo.

After no qualified times during the June 1 Titletown Stampede in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the $50,000 cash prize was unclaimed and pushed to the Royal City Roundup giving tie-down ropers a shot at $100,000 in one-night. After earning the number one spot on the WCRA leaderboard and receiving an automatic advancement to the one-day $1 million major, Shad Mayfield (Clovis, New Mexico) claimed the 100-grand check after roping just two calves. Mayfeild matched up against Marty Yates (Stephenville, TX) and Caddo Lewallen (Morrison, OK) in the short-go. Mayfield’s 7.24 second time outdid Yates’ 7.25 second time along with Lewallen’s 8.45 second run.

After earning an advancement to the Royal City Roundup for landing the number one spot on the WCRA leaderboard, 2x World Champion Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi (Lampasas, Texas) went into the showdown round in the number three spot behind Wenda Johnson (Pawhuska, Oklahoma) and Kassidy Lovell (Madisonville, Texas). Johnson opened the final round with a swift 13.197 second run which was followed by Lovell’s 18.031 second time. Tonozzi made an abrupt to 13.112 second run to take home the gold.

After 2x PBR World Champion Jess Lockwood (Volberg, Montana), Joao Ricardo Vieira (Decatur, Texas), and Jose Vitor Leme (Decatur, Texas), did not cover in the showdown round, the athletes walked away with $12,500 (short go). The bull riding payout from the Royal City Roundup will carry forward to the May 16 Stampede at The E.

Since launching in May of 2018, the WCRA and its partners have awarded more than $7,400,000 in new money to rodeo athletes.

On Saturday, February 29 fans will be able to tune into the Royal City Roundup Round on a CBS network broadcast at 12:30 ET.

All results from the event can be found here.

-WCRA-

About WCRA

WCRA 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.

Feb. 28, 2020 / Guthrie, Oklahoma – Tyler West had a slip on the third run of the 2019 Jr. Ironman, but he didn’t let that get him down.

He battled back over the final two days of the competition, producing an event-record 32.2-second third round to win the championship. That wherewithal proved to be beneficial, and he will return to defend his title at this year’s event, set for March 13-15 at the Lazy E Arena.

“When I think about winning it last year, it makes me want to win it again,” said West of Mertzon, Texas, a sophomore at Southwest Texas Junior College. “The first day wasn’t a good day, taking a 60 (second run). I realized I needed to just have fun. I realized it was just like going to rodeos and doing what I love to do.

“Having fun carries into winning.”

In both the Jr. Ironman and the CINCH Timed Event Championship, a 60-second run is the equivalent to a no-time. For West, that happened on his first heeling attempt, the third of 12 runs he made over the weekend. But his perseverance was a building-block for the cowboy. He finished his freshman year in Uvalde, Texas, as the reserve national champion in steer wrestling at the College National Finals Rodeo.

“It’s just proof that hard work pays off,” he said of his second-place finish at the College National Finals Rodeo last June. “When you give your all to something, you can expect big things. I wasn’t expecting to finish second, but I was doing the best I could do. I was thankful for how it all happened.”

He’ll bring that back to this year’s Jr. Ironman as one of four cowboys to return from the 2019 edition: reserve titlist Trevor Meier of Garden City, Kansas; Rylen Sutherland of Benton, Kentucky; and Quade Hiatt of Canyon, Texas.

Meier, who led the race after Round 2, suffered a 60 in heeling on the final day. He finished as the runner-up.

“I’m glad I get a second chance to redeem myself,” he said. “It would be really nice to come out first instead of second.”

Like West, Meier competes in three of the four Jr. Ironman disciplines in college, where he is a sophomore at Oklahoma Panhandle State University. He doesn’t look at last year as a bad outcome; it was a learning opportunity.

“Probably the best thing I learned was keeping your head up for every run,” Meier said. “Even if something doesn’t go right, you just roll on.

“The thing I’m looking forward most to is being there with Cooper (Slavin), my cousin. It’ll be good to experience it with him.”

Meier and Slavin (of Goodwell, Oklahoma) are actually two sets of cousins in this year’s field of 10 young cowboys; they are joined by Sutherland and his cousin, Kolton Powell of Benton, Kentucky.

“Cooper and I are close enough in age that we competed at Little Britches Rodeos, junior high and high school, and we’ve roped against each other a bunch,” Meier said. “Living down here close to him, we get to practice together quite a bit.”

That practice will come in handy, as will the work done by every cowboy in this elite field. The Jr. Ironman is a tremendous challenge, battling through four timed events: heading, heeling, tie-down roping and steer wrestling. It’s a test of talent, horsemanship and mental fortitude over three days of competition.

Each round will pay the winners $750, but the biggest earnings come in the 12-run aggregate, with the winner collecting $10,000. The incentive is well worth the challenges each man will face.

“The biggest thing about that event is that being consistent wins in the long run,” West said.

2020 Jr. Ironman Championship Contestants

Tyler West – Mertzon, Texas                                                 Trevor Meier – Garden City, Kansas

Rylen Sutherland – Benton, Kentucky                                   Quade Hiatt – Canyon, Texas

Denton Good – Long Valley, South Dakota                           Dalton Hartle – Rochester, Indiana

Cooper Slavin – Goodwell, Oklahoma                                   Kolton Powell – Benton, Kentucky

Tee Mcleod – Waldeck, Saskatchewan                                 Sam Morgan – Southwest Ranches, Florida

The 2020 CINCH Timed Event Championship and Jr. Ironman is sponsored by CINCH, Priefert – Farm, Ranch & Rodeo, YETI Coolers, Montana Silversmiths, Sooner Trailers, ABI Equine, Nutrena, CSI Saddle Pads, P&K Equipment, WCRA, National Saddlery, Cross Bar Gallery, Carroll Original Wear, The Team Roping Journal, Western Legacy, RAM and Pendleton Whisky.

The 2020 CINCH Timed Event Championship and Jr. Ironman are Lazy E Productions. For more information on the CINCH Timed Event Championship or other Lazy E events, contact the Lazy E Arena, 9600 Lazy E Drive, Guthrie, OK 73044, (405) 282-RIDE, (800) 595-RIDE or visit www.lazye.com.

Several contestants at the San Antonio Stock Show Rodeo their last opportunity to qualify for Saturday night’s championship Finals during Semifinals 2.

No where was it more evident than in the team roping. Clay Smith, of Broken Bow, and Jade Corkill, from Fallon, Nevada, didn’t expect to be among the competitors here in the Semifinals. They finished fifth in their bracket and the top four advanced. Then when a team withdrew because one of them was injured, Smith and Corkill got the call.

They had earned less money than any other team that advanced and had a lot of ground to make up. During the first round on Wednesday night, ,they picked up a fourth place check for $1,500. That helped, but still wasn’t enough to see them roping for the championship in the AT&T Center on Saturday night.

They were the first team ropers to swing their loops on Thursday night and made it stick at 4.1 seconds. The other nine teams that followed them couldn’t get the job done any faster. Smith and Corkill added $5,000 to their checking accounts and now will start Saturday’s competition with $8,500 in earnings.

Bull rider Travor Kastner, from Roff, Oklahoma found himself in a similar situation. He also was fifth in his bracket and got the call when another bull rider was on the injured list. Kastner was one of the nine riders that hit the dirt on Wednesday night, so he had to ride eight-seconds on Thursday or be the one rider during Friday night’s Wildcard round with the high score to advance.

Kastner rode 4L and Diamond S Rodeo’s bull named Ferdinand for 86 points and the win. With the $5,000 he won on Thursday, he has total earnings of $7,750 to start the Championship Finals. Kastner will also be competing at the Xtreme Bulls performance Saturday afternoon.

The bareback, saddle bronc and bull riders who finished in the bottom five spots in each of the Semifinals here have one more opportunity to qualify for the Championship Finals at the Wildcard on Friday night. A new group of timed-event contestants will ride into the AT&T Center for the first time for that performance. In the steer wrestling, tie-down roping, team roping and barrel racing, it is the top 10 finishers from San Antonio’s qualifiers who will have the opportunity.

In all the events it will come down to one ride or one run to have a chance to compete for the big money on Saturday. Friday night’s Wildcard round starts at 7 p.m.

###

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Feb. 20, 2020) — The following are unofficial results from the San Antonio Stock Show Rodeo, the 14-time Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Large Indoor Rodeo of the Year. Complete results are at www.sarodeo.com.

Semifinals 2 Round 2 followed by Championship Finals qualifiers –

Bareback Riding: 1, Richmond Champion, The Woodlands, Texas, 89 points on Powder River Rodeo’s Two Buck Chuck, $5,000. 2, Jamie Howlett, Rapid City, S.D., 88.5, $4,000. 3, Shane O’Connell, Rapid City, S.D., 86.5, $2,500. 4, Tim O’Connell, Zwingle, Iowa, 85.5, $1,500. (Finals qualifiers) 1, Howlett, $11,250. 2, Vold, $9,500. 3, Shane O’Connell, $9,250. 4, Champion, $8,750. 5, Dantan Bertsch, Eastend, Saskatchewan, $7,625.

Steer Wrestling: 1, Curtis Cassidy, Donalda, Alberta, 3.7 seconds, $5,000. 2, Jule Hazen, Ashland, Kan., 4.4, $4,000. 3, Tanner Bruner, Ramona, Kan., 4.7, $2,500. 4, Jace Melvin, Fort Pierre, S.D., 5.7, $1,500. (Finals qualifiers) 1, Hazen, $13,000. 2, Bruner, $9,500. 3, Cassidy, $9,375. 4, Blake Knowles, Heppner, Ore., $8,500. 5, Melvin, $5,000.

Team Roping: 1, Clay Smith, Broken Bow, Okla., and Jade Corkill, Fallon, Nev., 4.1 seconds, $5,000. 2, Coleman Proctor, Pryor, Okla., and Ryan Motes, Weatherford, 4.2, $4,000. 3, (tie) Billy Bob Brown, Carbon, Texas, and Tanner Braden, Dewey, Okla.; and Erich Rogers, Round Rockc, Ariz., and Paden Bray, Stephenville, Texas, 4.6, $2,000 each. (Finals qualifiers) 1, Brown and Braden, $9,000. 2, (tie) Smith and Corkill; and Proctor and Motes, $8,500. 4, Matt Sherwood, Pima, Ariz., and Trey Yates, Pueblo, Colo., $7,000. 5, Tanner Baldwin, Vail, Ariz., and Nano Garza, Las Cruces, N.M., $6,000.

Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Allen Boore, Axtell, Utah, 86.5 points on Stace Smith Pro Rodeo’s Grab your Guns, $5,000. 2, Lefty Holman, Visalia, Calif., 86, $4,000. 3, Ryder Wright, Milford, Utah, 85.5, $2,500. 4, Tegan Smith, Winterset, Iowa, 83.5, $1,500. (Finals qualifiers) 1, Boore, $11,250. 2, Holman, $8,375. 3, Joe Harper, Paradise Valley, Nev., 79, $8,000. 4, Smith, $7,500. 5, Wright, $6,250.

               Tie-Down Roping: 1, Timber Moore, Aubrey, Texas, 6.9 seconds, $5,000. 2, Cody Huber, Albia, Iowa, 7.1, $4,000. 3, Ryan Jarrett, Comanche, Okla., and Shad Mayfield, Clovis, N.M., 7.3 and $2,000 each. (Finals round) 1, Catfish Brown, Collinsville, Texas, $10,750. 2, (tie) Moore and Mayfield, $9,500. 4, Chance Oftedahl, Pemberton, Minn., 8.2, $7,875. 5, Huber, $7,250.

Women’s Barrel Race: 1, Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, Lampasas, Texas, 13.91 seconds, $5,000. 2, Cindy Smith, Lovington, N.M., 13.97, $4,000. 3, (tie) Hailey Lockwood, Cotulla, Texas, and Shali Lord, Lamar, Colo., 14.06, $2,000. (Finals qualifiers) 1, Ryann Pedone, Sunset, Texas, $11,500. 2, Tonozzi, $10,000. 3, Wilson, $9,750. 4, Lockwood, $7,750. 5, Smith, $6,750.

Bull Riding: (three rides) 1, Trevor Kastner, Roff, Okla., 86 points on Four L & Diamond S Rodeo’s Ferdinand, $5,500. 2, Colten Fritzlan, Rifle, Colo., 85.5, $4,500. 3, Denton Fugate, Niangua, Mo., 81, $3,000. (Finals qualifiers) 1, Ruger Piva, Challis, Idaho, $16,222. 2, Fritzlan, $9,472. 3, Kastner, $7,750. 4, Fugate, $6,500. 5, Tyler Bingham, Huneyville, Utah, $4,250.

About the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo:
Established in 1949, the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, winner of the PRCA Large Indoor Rodeo of the Year for an unprecedented 14 consecutive times, has grown to be one of the largest and most prestigious single events in the city, with nearly 2 million visitors entering the grounds each year. The success of the organization is attributed to over 6,000 volunteers who give countless hours to the organization. With community, donor and volunteer support, the organization has donated over $210 million to the youth of Texas through scholarships, grants, endowments, auctions, a calf scramble program and show premiums. For more information, visit sarodeo.com.