Cowboy Up_18
The Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, presented by Polaris RANGER, is the season-ending championship event for the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and is widely acknowledged to be the world’s premier rodeo. Held annually since 1959 – and since 1985, every December at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas – the Wrangler NFR is ProRodeo’s richest and most prestigious rodeo, and it showcases the very best cowboys, barrel racers and livestock in the world.
A new contract keeps the Wrangler NFR in Las Vegas for another 10 years (2015-24) and raises prize money signi cantly over that decade. It is telecast to more than 55 million households on CBS Sports Net. New in 2015: Polaris RANGER is the presenting sponsor of the event. Polaris RANGER will award each world champion a brand new Polaris RANGER UTV.
The top 15 contestants in bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping (headers and heelers), saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping, barrel racing and bull riding – based on money won during the regular season including Wrangler Champions Challenge events, the Justin Boots Playo s and Championships, and for many bull riders, PRCA Xtreme Bulls Tour earnings – qualify to compete at the Wrangler NFR. At the conclusion of the Wrangler NFR, the sport’s world champions are determined based on total season earnings – what they win during the Wrangler NFR added to what they won before the Wrangler NFR.
The Wrangler NFR, presented by Polaris RANGER, consists of 10 rounds on 10 consecutive days. Cowboys and barrel racers earn money by placing rst through sixth in any round, and pick up more money by placing rst through eighth in the average (cumulative times or points earned during the 10 rounds). At the end of each Wrangler NFR, there are two champions in each event (four for team roping): the average winner, who won the Wrangler NFR by having the best cumulative time or score for that event over the 10 rounds, and the world champion, who nished the year with the most money (including what he or she earned at the Wrangler NFR). For each event, the average winner and world champion may be the same person or di erent people.
The 2014 Wrangler NFR was highlighted by a number of remarkable achievements and developments, including these:
• All PRCA world champions won the Wrangler NFR average titles as well as their gold buckles (WPRA barrel racer Fallon Taylor did not); it’s the only time this has happened other than 1976-78, when the world title was given to those who won the NFR
• Multi-event superstar Trevor Brazile extended his record number of world all-around champion- ships to 12 (clinching that title in Round 3) and broke the record he set last year for total world championships (he now has 21) as well as breaking his own records for most consecutive all-around championships (nine), highest Wrangler NFR/NFSR career earnings ($1,894,187) and highest career earnings ($5,532,121), among others
• Bareback rider Kaycee Feild won two rounds and placed in six more, becoming the rst contes- tant to win four consecutive world titles in his event as well as the second contestant to win the average title in any event at the Wrangler NFR four consecutive years (joining team roper Leo Camarillo, 1968-71) . As we approach halftime of the 2016 world championship show, there are a few new sheriffs in town vying for the coveted all-around crown. We’re seeing stepped-up efforts to enter and excel in multiple events, and extra pep in the practice pen directed at second, third and fourth events.
Ryan Jarrett—who in 2005 won the world all-around title right before his 22nd birthday to become the third youngest all-around champ ever, behind only Ty Murray in 1989 and Jim Shoulders in 1949—is the current king of the all-around mountain. Jarrett, who’s now 32 and lives in Comanche, Okla., about 100 miles southwest of Oklahoma City, also leads the world tie-down roping race at this time. He’s won $45,323 of his $51,927 to date in 2016 roping calves. The eight-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo presented by Polaris RANGER tie-down roper, who also bulldogged at the 2005 NFR, has made a mighty splash at Wrangler Champions Challenge presented by Justin Boots events in 2016.
“The Champions Challenges have been good to me,” Jarrett said. “We’ve had three of them, and I’ve won two firsts and a second. That’s dang sure a big booster. And I won Tucson (Ariz.), second at Logandale (Nev.), and placed at San Antonio and Jackson (Miss.). It’s been really good.”
He’s selective about where he enters the steer wrestling since a 2007 knee injury at Odessa (Texas). “I don’t want to go through another knee surgery, so I’m not going to get out there and run six or eight steers every other day,” Jarrett said. “I probably should try it on a little more and practice more than I do, but I don’t put forth the effort in that event because I’d really dread having to go through that again. I do some checking around before the books close and see what kind of steers they’re going to run and if it’s my kind of setup before I enter. The fast setups are what I grew up doing, so I feel more comfortable at those. But I also get to thinking about the $8,000 go-rounds at places like Cheyenne.”
The plan was to keep this conversation to the current top five—Jarrett, Clayton Hass, Russell Cardoza, Caleb Smidt and Josh Peek—for now. But in visiting with them a couple more all-around cowboy curveballs emerged, including reigning reserve world all-around champ JoJo LeMond, who last year roped at both the NFR and the Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping.
“You let that young man get on a roll in the team roping and he will blow by me like no other,” Jarrett smiled. “JoJo steer ropes good, too. He’ll be a pretty big threat.”
You have to win at least $3,000 in each event for it to count toward the world all-around title. So, RJ, how critical will qualifying for the National Finals in a second event be in this year’s race?
“Extremely,” he said. “I’m not saying I can’t get that done, but I’m going to have to do good in the team roping and steer wrestling throughout the year and continue to do good in the calf roping. JoJo will for sure be at the NFSR and the NFR. Maybe if I can finish in the top 25 in the bulldogging and the team roping it’d be great, but I’m going to have to dang sure bear down in those events to have a chance.”
Jarrett’s been team roping some with fellow tie-down roper Marty Yates. “It’s tough to enter a second and third event,” Jarrett said. “Another reason I haven’t bulldogged as much as I’d like to the last few years is because I don’t own a steer wrestling horse. With the rodeos back-to-back, there are a few guys in a buddy group on each horse, so getting on a good horse is tough. I will enter the team roping and steer wrestling accordingly—when it works out—but not when it’s too much of a challenge or hassle.”
Jarrett’s been traveling by himself, but plans to enter with Yates and Hunter Herrin this summer. The guy who strings from the belt, which started because as a kid growing up on a dairy he didn’t want to put a piggin’ string “covered in everything from snot to you know what” in his mouth (“I decided to just tuck it in my belt and call it good”), would naturally be thrilled to strap on a second gold all-around buckle.
“I’ve put more thought into the all-around just here lately than I have in a long time,” Jarrett said. “It’s always been on my mind, but at the back of it. I see a little light at the end of the tunnel now. Getting that done would be spectacular—probably something I never thought would have happened, if it does come true.”
Second only to Jarrett in the all-around line at this time is Clayton Hass, a versatile, ranch-raised veteran of the last two NFRs who’s best known as a bulldogger. His top priority for 2016?
“Winning all I can,” he said. “I just try to do my job and win as much as I can. The ultimate goal is to win the gold buckle in the bulldogging. But there is also an opportunity in the all-around, if the cards fall right.”
His buddy group includes Ty Erickson, Tyler Waguespack and Cody Doescher, who heels for Hass every chance he gets and is ranked ninth in the world all-around race himself right now.
“My bulldogging comes first, but if I can work the team roping, too, then I’ll be entered,” Hass said. “It’ll be tougher to team rope over the Fourth (of July run), because it’s so busy.”
Hass enters the tie-down roping on occasion also, but “just sporadically, a little bit here and there if they rope big calves, because of my size,” said the 6-foot-3, 235-pound cowboy from Terrell, Texas. Hass also enters the steer roping when he gets a chance, though “not much, because I don’t have a horse and it’s hard to get mounted out in.
“I think about the all-around. To be an all-around cowboy is prestigious, and to win it you have to be talented in more than one event. You can’t just try to get by. There are a few guys who are sure enough tough. JoJo does well at all three, and so does Jarrett. Josh Peek works two events all the time, and Caleb heads steers extremely well. It’s going to be who bears down the hardest and takes it the most serious. I think those guys are the biggest threats. And hearsay is that Sage Kimzey’s going to enter some saddle bronc riding to try to get qualified for the all-around, too.”
And boom. There it is—that second curveball I promised you. I heard that, too, so I called Kimzey and caught him out on the ranch branding calves. The idea of Sage entering multiple events—and even showing up at both ends of the arena—is no great surprise to me, because I watched him work as a kid at the National Junior High Finals Rodeo in Gallup, N.M., back when I was there watching my own boys. Kimzey’s bagged back-to-back gold bull riding buckles the last couple years, and has just had $327,178 and $318,631 seasons in his main event.
“I rode broncs in high school,” Kimzey said. “I made high school nationals, but it wasn’t ever my favorite event. But I figured I’d give it another shot for the all-around. I haven’t been on any broncs to speak of since high school, but the all-around is definitely something I have in my sights this year. The all-around gold buckle is the one that means the most to every cowboy. To everybody who grew up in a rodeo family, like I did, the all-around means you’re the champion cowboy—not just the champion bull rider or calf roper. It means you’re a true cowboy.”
I high school rodeoed with Russell Cardoza’s mom, Lynn, and he’s got some bronc riding blood in his veins, too. The cowboy currently ranked third in the world all-around race, who grew up in California but now calls Terrebonne, Ore., home, is best known as a four-time NFR heeler. But by now it surprises no one to see him entered—and winning in—all four timed events.
“Since the all-around is going to be a lot different this year, my goal right now is to try to enter the team roping, calf roping and bulldogging everywhere,” Cardoza said. “To win a gold buckle in the heeling and win the all-around gold buckle would be the ultimate. To make the Finals in the calf roping would be great, but I’ve always done three events, and the other two will be more important than ever this year.”
He’s roping more calves in the practice pen right now, and his horse Raindrop is firing. “I’m going to darn sure try to enter the calf roping everywhere, and the rodeos I normally enter in the bulldogging,” he said. “I’ve never entered all three events year-round before. I usually just enter the (Columbia River) circuit and California rodeos and some of the bigger ones, like Reno. It’s not easy to get up right in all three events. Trying to trade in three events is harder than one, for sure.
“Ever since I won second in the calf roping at Clovis and moved up toward the top in the all-around standings it’s been on my mind. I’ve been steer roping, too. I’ve been practicing all four events, and will enter the steer roping as much as I can without fouling up another rodeo. I’ll enter four events every chance I get, at rodeos like Ellensburg, Pendleton, Lewiston and Walla Walla. I might as well while I’m young enough and have a chance.”
Cardoza is currently second only to Paul Eaves in the world heeling standings. He’s roping with Dustin Bird everywhere but the Champions Challenges, where he’s teamed up with Coleman Proctor. Cardoza considers Jarrett the biggest threat to this year’s all-around throne, and not just because he’s the leader of the pack.
“I’d have to say Ryan Jarrett, because he’s won the all-around before,” Cardoza said. “He’s got a lot won in the calf roping, and he bulldogs really good, too. He’s ahead of me, so he’s the one I’m looking at. Being an all-around cowboy means a lot to me. When I was younger I always wanted to do all three events. But I was really small back then. I’m going to go at it this year and see what happens.”
When I was sitting there with Joe Beaver watching last year’s NFR team ropers run the steers at the Thomas & Mack Center before the rodeo started, I remember Joe saying how things could have gone differently had Jake Barnes not withdrawn from the Finals so fast after that horse fell with him the week before he was to head to Vegas. Had Jake kept his name in the hat until showtime, there was a possible scenario where instead of JoJo rolling up to head for Junior Nogueira, Junior picked a header already entered in another event at the Finals. Two of the guys in this year’s all-around mix—Jarrett and Caleb Smidt—were on Joe B’s short list of who Junior would have been wise to consider.
Reigning World Champion Tie-down Roper Smidt says his No. 1 goal for 2016 is to “win another gold buckle. If it just happens to be in the all-around, it’d be great. But we’re still after this calf roping one. I probably won’t team rope much this summer. I’ll mainly be just roping calves. I don’t really have a horse and it’s really hard and expensive to work two events. It’s also hard to keep a partner, because team ropers want to focus on that event. It’s hard without two rigs and drivers, too. I have one calf horse and one head horse.”
Smidt, who lives in Bellville, Texas, headed for B.J. Dugger this winter, and Will Woodfin this spring. “But I won’t be team roping much this summer, just here and there,” Smidt said. “Maybe at a few big rodeos, if somebody wants to rope with me. Calf roping is No. 1, and my wife (Brenna) and kid (baby boy Cru) are going to go with me after the Fourth.
“I always think about the all-around, I just don’t think I’m in a position to do it right now. To do that I’ll have to do it to the full extent, and I don’t think I have heading figured out yet. I have a lot of work to do so I don’t embarrass myself and lose.”
He’s obviously harder on himself than everybody else is. Smidt says it’s too soon for him to name one name as the favorite in this year’s all-around race.
“I think it’s between a lot of guys,” he said. “It’ll have something to do with whoever spends the most money getting around everywhere in multiple events. All it takes is $3,000 in a second event to have a chance, so there are a lot of guys with a chance. Sage Kimzey’s only going to be at the Finals in one event, but he wins $300,000 in the bull riding every year. So making the Finals in more than one event is a big deal, but it won’t be everything. It’ll be good watching.”
Peek rounds out the all-around contenders top five at this time, and he’s hardcore in two events. Armed with his bay bulldogging horse, Ace, a couple of sorrel tie-down roping horses, Rio and Thumper, and an ultra-positive buddy group in Dirk Tavenner and Jason Lahr, Peek’s taking aim at three world titles in 2016.
“The all-around has been a goal of mine forever,” said Peek, who with his wife, Kori, is expecting a baby in September to join their 6-year-old twins, Emry and Keagan. “Going into this year, my goal was to be in the top five of the steer wrestling and tie-down with a chance at a world title in both events. The way I’ve always thought about the all-around is if it came around it was a blessing. I’ve been strongly going at it this year to be the best bulldogger and the best calf roper in the country. I’m really wanting to focus on individual calf roping and steer wrestling titles. I work hard at both of my events, and my goal is to win the world in both of them.
“Most guys practice one event a lot, then kind of play at the second event. I faithfully put the same amount of time into each event. You have to be prepared to be successful. This winter, my roping was more of a trial because my horses are young and a little green. But I’ve been hitting it hard in the practice pen at both events to stay sharp. When I practice hard I expect to win.”
Pueblo, Colo.’s Peek sees this year’s all-around field as pretty full and wide open to all sorts of heirs apparent. “There are a lot of two-event guys who have a shot at the all-around this year,” he said. “Ryan Jarrett, Russell Cardoza, Caleb Smidt, Rhen Richard (who’s seventh right now), Marty Yates, Trell Etbauer (the four-time Linderman Award winner)—you’ve got a substantial amount of two-event guys who are really working to develop that second event now. Getting to the Finals in two events is going to be the ticket.”
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why I can’t make myself cut this thing off at the top five. Cowboy contender No. 6—JoJo LeMond—is just too dangerous in the team roping and steer roping not to be a tall factor.
“I’m focusing on the team roping more than ever this year,” said four-time NFR header and two-time NFSR steer roper LeMond of Andrews, Texas. “I think I’ve got the best horses I’ve ever had and one of the best partners I’ve ever had a chance to rope with.”
LeMond is heading for 20-time NFR heeler Kory Koontz in 2016. “I’m really going to concentrate on my team roping and steer roping. I don’t have the rigs and the people to help me that some people have, so I’m just going to go where I can and hopefully do good. I’m going to start entering the calf roping a little bit along the way, too. I don’t have a horse, but a friend of mine’s going to lend me a couple horses. I don’t think I rope calves good enough to make that a priority, but I’ll do it when I can.
“I think about the all-around, but not as much as an individual title. I started out the year wanting to win the all-around world championship, but it seems like with the horses that are in my life and the partner I have, I’m being directed more to the team roping. So many things have to go right in two or three events vs one to win a world all-around title. I would love to win it, but a lot of things have to go right to have a shot at that.”
LeMond predicts this year’s all-around crown will basically be won in the postseason. “The world all-around championship will be won from October to December,” he said. “The end of the year is going to make the difference. I don’t think guys getting a little bit ahead right now will be able to take down a multiple-event Finals cowboy, and I don’t think there are going to be too many of those this year. It’s too early for serious predictions, but you have to go with the top few guys with a chance to get there in more than one event. Everything’s just got to go right, and only time will tell. I’d like to think I’ll be a threat, but there are more guys trying to win the all-around this year, for sure. Ryan Jarrett, Josh Peek, Caleb Smidt, Russell Cardoza, Clayton Hass—there are a lot of good cowboys out there. Making it in two events will be the difference this year, and you’ll have to have a good Finals when you get there, too. There are a lot of ‘ifs’ involved here.” The 2015 ProRodeo season kicked off October 1, and as everyone is making a game plan for this next year, it seems like prime time to step back and look at all the new money on the table in our sport. The fact that it’s historically unparalleled is very exciting for all of us, as is the fact that it’s going to impact every level of our game.
At the very highest level is the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, so let’s look at that first. The 2014 Wrangler NFR will pay out a record $6.375 million, with first through sixth in the rounds paying $19,002, $15,018, $11,340, $7,969, $4,904 and $3,085, and first through eighth in the average paying $48,732, $39,537, $31,262, $22,987, $16,550, $11,953, $8,275 and $4,597. With equal money at the NFR, that’s all per man in the team roping, of course.
Thanks to the new 10-year contract we negotiated with our friends and partners in Las Vegas, the 2015 Wrangler NFR payoff will spike to $8.8 million. The top six holes in each go-round will pay $26,231, $20,731, $15,654, $11,000, $6,769 and $4,231. The top eight finishers in the average in each event will cash checks for $67,269, $54,577, $43,154, $31,731, $22,846, $16,500, $11,423 and $6,346.
In addition, for the first time ever, every Wrangler NFR qualifier will receive a $10,000 qualifying bonus, which will not be taken out of his earnings, as has been the case in years past. If you make the Top 15 cut, you get the 10 grand. That equates to another $1.2 million per year, which takes us to $10 million a year for the NFR. Over the course of the next 10 years, which is the life of the contract, that’s a minimum payoff to PRCA contestants of $100 million.
The even bigger money at the Wrangler NFR will only add to the drama of the world championship races in 2015 and beyond, as no lead will be safe. Only two cowboys ever—team roper Allen Bach in 1990 and bull rider Cody Hancock in 2000—have climbed from 15th to first over the 10-day course of the NFR. But we might be seeing more of that moving forward, and the fans will get to see it all unfold right there in Vegas, where it will truly be anybody’s game. Raising the bar so significantly at our crowning event is a big step in elevating our sport, as it amps up the excitement factor in a big-league way.
The 10-year Wrangler National Finals Rodeo contract with Las Vegas also allows the PRCA to distribute $1.2 million—$100,000 in new money to each of the 12 PRCA circuits, eartagged for their respective circuit finals rodeos—for the next 10 years, starting in 2015. The bottom line is that the new Wrangler NFR contract is instrumental in making things better for every PRCA member, no matter how hard you rodeo or from which part of the country you’re from.
I’ve said a lot in recent times that if you don’t buy your PRCA permit or card in 2015 you’re not really serious about rodeoing, and I mean that. A similar comparison of the RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo from 2014 to 2015 illustrates more good news in terms of competitive opportunity for our members moving forward. In 2014, the top six contestants in each of the first two rounds and the average at the $479,878 RNCFR earned $4,525, $3,428, $2,468, $1,645, $960 and $686. First through fourth in both the semifinal and final rounds paid $5,484, $4,113, $2,742 and $1,371.
In 2015, when our friends and partners in Osceola County host the RNCFR in Kissimmee, Fla., each of the first two rounds and the average will pay $6,182, $4,683, $3,372, $2,248, $1,311 and $937. The top four finishers in both the semifinal and final rounds will win $7,493, $5,620, $3,747 and $1,873. Every contestant who qualifies for the 2015 RNCFR will receive a first-time-ever $1,000 qualifying bonus, and every RNCFR champion will receive a $20,000 RAM vehicle voucher, which brings the grand total for the 2015 RNCFR to $1,007,651. And that does not include the championship buckles or saddles.
The taller dollars at the end of the line will do nothing but help bolster entries at every level of the game year-round, which again is a win-win for all involved—contestants, stock contractors, contract personnel, sponsors and fans alike. I can’t say enough about the folks in Osceola County, who brought a strong Wrangler NFR offer to the table. When they didn’t get that, they came right back with a plan to raise the bar on the RNCFR and got that done.
We also just had another successful All American ProRodeo Finals in Waco, Texas, which is another great financial opportunity for our contestant members who compete at 30 or more rodeos with a minumum of $30,000 in total prize money. We’re proud to have so many championships to offer our members, and there is truly something for everyone.
We’re all getting ready to head to Mulvane, Kan., for our first world championship event of 2014, the Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping. This year’s NFSR will be held Nov. 7-8 at the Kansas Star Arena, and we wish all of our steer ropers luck.
As we then get ready to head back to Las Vegas to crown our 2014 world champions, it’s a good time to thank everyone in Cowboy Town. Everybody knows negotiations were at times difficult, as we discussed what we felt was best for all involved, but we now all agree that the final outcome was worth the headaches, as it really is what’s best for everyone—most importantly the sport of professional rodeo. Our relationship with Las Vegas Events and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority has never been stronger, so please join me in celebrating 30 years in Las Vegas in style. A performer must qualify in his or her regional circuit to move on to the Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo (RNCFR), held every year from 1987-2010 in Pocatello, Idaho, before moving to Oklahoma City in March 2011, Guthrie, OK in 2014 and then to Kissimmee, FL in 2015. The top two contestants in each of the seven rodeo events from the 12 different PRCA regional circuits compete in the four-day championship event. Points are achieved for the top competitors in each of the circuit rodeo events held throughout the year. The winner in each event at the RNCFR is the national circuit finals champion for that event. In addition to the eight individual event winners, there is also an overall champion titled the All-Around Cowboy. All eight winners receive the National Circuit Championship gold belt-buckle. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is the title sponsor of the NCFR.. The championship round of the RNCFR is broadcast on CBS Sports Network.
Since 2003, the PRCA has sanctioned events that feature bull riding alone called the Xtreme Bulls tour. These events are held in conjunction with less than a handful of the PRCA’s several hundreds of annual rodeos. Forty PRCA bull riders compete in a select rodeo arena in a one-day competition, and the top 12 riders based on scores come back to the championship round. The rider with the most points on two bulls wins the event. The PRCA crowns an Xtreme Bulls tour champion every year. This is the rider who wins the most money on tour. The Xtreme Bulls tour championship event has been held at the Ellensburg Rodeo arena for several years. A bull rider must compete in at least forty complete PRCA rodeos if he wants the money won in the Xtreme Bulls tour to count in the world standings towards the National Finals Rodeo. The Xtreme Bulls events are broadcast on Lucas Oil-owned MavTV.
The top 15 money winners in each PRCA discipline (including the top 15 “headers” and “heelers” in team roping) earn a trip to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, commonly called the National Finals or NFR. The NFR is held in Las Vegas, Nevada every December and airs live on CBS Sports Network. Rodeo action is held over 10 consecutive days at the National Finals, with the top money winner for the year crowned the year’s champion in each discipline at the end of the NFR. Because of the large amount of money (10 million dollars) at stake in the NFR, the leaders in each event going into the NFR are often dethroned for the year’s championship at that event. Bull Riding: {no qualified rides}
Steer Wrestling: Chris Soto, 8.4 seconds, $451
Saddle Bronc Riding: Will Stites, 62 pts on CT Hellzapoppin, $357
Bareback Riding: Tim Kent, 74 pts on CT Old School, $418
Tie-down Roping: JR Myers, 17.9 seconds, $406
Team Roping: Jose Mota/Chris Soto, 5.1 seconds, $790 each
Barrel Racing: Lorraine Bytheway, 17.34 seconds, $497
All Around Cowboy: Chris Soto, $1,241, Tie Down Roping, Steer Wrestling and Team Roping Bull Riding: Robert Carter $5,215.40
Steer Wrestling: Chad Stoltzfus $3,541.92
Saddle Bronc Riding: Matt Bartsch $6,001.58
Bareback Riding: Andy Carter $4,044.82
Tie Down Roping: JR Myers $3,999.70
Team Roping: Jose Mota (header) & Chris Soto (heeler) $4,445.19 each
Barrel Racing: Liz Leonard $5,429.44
All Around Cowboy: Chris Soto, $6,519.76 yearly combined winnings Rodeo competition, in the beginning, was a natural extension of the daily challenges cowboys confronted on the ranch - roping calves and breaking broncs into saddle horses.
Bull riding, which is intentionally climbing on the back of a 2,000-pound bull, emerged from the fearless and possibly fool-hardy nature of the cowboy. The risks are obvious. Serious injury is always a possibility for those fearless enough to sit astride an animal that literally weighs a ton and is usually equipped with dangerous horns. Regardless, cowboys do it, fans love it and bull riding ranks as one of rodeo’s most popular events.
Bull riding is dangerous and predictably exciting, demanding intense physical prowess, supreme mental toughness and courage. Like bareback and saddle bronc riders, the bull rider may use only one hand to stay aboard during the eight-second ride. If he touches the bull or himself with his free hand, he receives no score. But unlike the other roughstock contestants, bull riders are not required to mark out their animals. While spurring a bull can add to the cowboy’s score, riders are commonly judged solely on their ability to stay aboard the twisting, bucking mass of muscle.
Bull Riding Competitions NJ, PA, DE, NY
Size, agility and power create a danger that makes bull riding a crowd favorite everywhere. Balance, flexibility, coordination, quick reflexes and, perhaps above all, a strong mental attitude are the stuff of which good bull riders are made.
To stay aboard the bull, a rider grasps a flat braided rope, which is wrapped around the bull’s chest just behind the front legs and over its withers. One end of the bull rope, called the tail, is threaded through a loop on the other end and tightened around the bull. The rider then wraps the tail around his hand, sometimes weaving it through his fingers to further secure his grip.
Then he nods his head, the chute gate swings open, and he and the bull explode into the arena.
Every bull is unique in its bucking habits. A bull may dart to the left, then to the right, then rear back. Some spin or continuously circle in one spot in the arena. Others add jumps or kicks to their spins, while others might jump and kick in a straight line or move side to side while bucking. Saddle bronc riding is rodeo’s classic event, both a complement and contrast to the wilder spectacles of bareback riding and bull riding. This event requires strength to be sure, but the event also demands style, grace and precise timing.
Saddle bronc riding evolved from the task of breaking and training horses to work the cattle ranches of the Old West. Many cowboys claim riding saddle broncs is the toughest rodeo event to master because of the technical skills necessary for success.
Every move the bronc rider makes must be synchronized with the movement of the horse. The cowboy’s objective is a fluid ride, somewhat in contrast to the wilder and less-controlled rides of bareback riders.
Dan Erickson shows the form and technique that have made him a Wranger NFR qualifying saddle bronc rider. One of the similarities shared by saddle bronc and bareback riding is the rule that riders in both events must mark out their horses on the first jump from the chute. To properly mark out his horse, the saddle bronc rider must have both heels touching the animal above the point of its shoulders when it makes its first jump from the chute. If the rider misses his mark, he receives no score.
Saddle Bronc Riding Competitions NJ, PA, DE, NY
While a bareback rider has a rigging to hold onto, the saddle bronc rider has only a thick rein attached to his horse’s halter. Using one hand, the cowboy tries to stay securely seated in his saddle. If he touches any part of the horse or his own body with his free hand, he is disqualified.
Judges score the horse’s bucking action, the cowboy’s control of the horse and the cowboy’s spurring action. While striving to keep his toes turned outward, the rider spurs from the points of the horse’s shoulders to the back of the saddle. To score well, the rider must maintain that action throughout the eight-second ride. While the bucking ability of the horse is quite naturally built into the scoring system, a smooth, rhythmic ride is sure to score better than a wild, uncontrolled effort.
Bareback riders endure more abuse, suffer more injuries and carry away more long-term damage than all other rodeo cowboys.
To stay aboard the horse, a bareback rider uses a rigging made of leather and constructed to meet PRCA safety specifications. The rigging, which resembles a suitcase handle on a strap, is placed atop the horse’s withers and secured with a cinch.
Bareback riding has been compared to riding a jackhammer with one hand. Jason Jeter can probably attest to that definition. As the bronc and rider burst from the chute, the rider must have both spurs touching the horse’s shoulders until the horse’s feet hit the ground after the initial move from the chute. This is called “marking out.” If the cowboy fails to do this, he is disqualified.
As the bronc bucks, the rider pulls his knees up, rolling his spurs up the horse’s shoulders. As the horse descends, the cowboy straightens his legs, returning his spurs over the point of the horse’s shoulders in anticipation of the next jump.
Making a qualified ride and earning a money-winning score requires more than just strength. A bareback rider is judged on his spurring technique, the degree to which his toes remain turned out while he is spurring and his willingness to take whatever might come during his ride.
Bareback Riding Competitions NJ, PA, DEL, NY
It’s a tough way to make a living, all right. But, according to bareback riders, it’s the cowboy way. Fort Worth, Texas — The 119th edition of the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo swung to its conclusion on Saturday, February 7 with two performances including the Championship Round on Saturday night.
No one, in any event, had dominated the rodeo like 2014 WPRA Rookie of the Year Sarah Rose McDonald’s and going into the final round it was her title to lose. The Georgia cowgirl carried a three-plus tenth lead into the short round. Behind her, the other 11 ladies qualified into the short round were separated by just over three tenths, running from Alexa Lake’s 33.13 to Michele McLeod’s 33.48.
The second go wrapped up during the Saturday afternoon performance with Lake taking top honors in that perf. Lake, who is currently ranked sixth in the WPRA World standings, ran a 16.46 second run to finish second in the go round and land second going into the short go round.
The short round however was all McDonald, despite running against the reigning WPRA World Champ Taylor and the last two FWSSR Champions Taylor Jacob and Shelly Anzick.
Running slowest to fastest in the short round, Kenna Squires and Jana Bean were closest to the young phenom, clocking in at 16.48 seconds followed by a good run by Anzick at 16.60 seconds.
However, McDonald, who ran last on the ground as the leader entering the short round, posted the fastest time of the entire rodeo, a 16.32 second effort that ensured that no one outran the Georgia cowgirl and her amazing mare Fame Fling and Bling for the entire duration of the rodeo.
McDonald’s three run total of 49.11 was seven tenths better than Bean and Kali Parker, who finished in a tie for second with 49.80 seconds each. Kendra Dickson, who captured her second Jerry Ann Taylor Best Dressed Award title, finished up fourth in the average.
All totaled up, McDonald won an astounding $20,933 for her clean sweep of the field over three rounds. Bean won $8,873 while Parker banked $8,109.
2nd Go Results
1. Sarah Rose McDonald, Fame Fling and Bling, 16.37, $4,936
2. Alexa Lake, Sure Down Dash, 16.46, $4,231
3. Jana Bean, Dashing Klee, 16.48, $3,526
4. Kali Parker, Tuneful, 16.50, $3,056
5. Lisa Lockhart, An Okie with Cash, 16.52, $2,351
6/7. Shelly Anzick, Scooten ta Fame, 16.53, $1,645
6/7. Kendra Dickson, Dr. Te Hancock, 16.53, $1,645
8. CJ Vondette, Cache a Mount, 16.54, $940
9. Kenna Squires, Dash to the Flame, 16.56, $705
10. Katelyn McLeod, Kellies Chick, 16.58, $470
Short Round
1. Sarah Rose McDonald, Fame Fling and Bling, 16.32, $3,656
2/3. Kenna Squires, Dash to the Flame, 16.48, $2,285
2/3. Jana Bean, Dashing Klee, 16.48, $2,285
4. Shelley Anzick, Scooten ta Fame, 16.60, $914
Ave
1. McDonald, 49.11, $7,404
2/3. Bean, 49.80, $5,818
2/3. Parker, 49.80, $5,818
4. Dickson, Dr. Te Hancock, 49.87, $4,584
5. Squires, 49.89, $3,536
6. Taylor Jacob, EC Flashy Nickbar & Honor Thy Frenchman, 50.05, $2,821
7. Anzick, 50.06, $2,116
8. Fallon Taylor, Flos Heiress, 50.09, $1,410
9. Jill Tanner, Credit ta Fame, 50.32, $1,058
10. Michelle Lummus, Mia Bugs Kid, 50.46, $705
Other Short Round Qualifiers
Alexa Lake, Sure Down Dash
Michele McLeod, Kellies Chick
Total Money Won
McDonald, $20,933
Bean, $8,873
Parker, $8,109
Squires, $6,516
Lake, $5,112
Anzick, $4,675
Taylor, $4,466
Romany Gordan, $4,231
Jacob, $3,702
Mary Buger, $3,426
Meghan Johnson, $2,351
Lisa Lockhart, $2,351
Tanner, $1,939
CJ Vondette, $940
Deb Guelly, $881
Lummus, $705
Katelyn McLeod, $470