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Last updated March 9, 2010

UPCOMING RODEOS & MEDIA NEWS

UPCOMING RODEOS

Wright documentary receives Western Heritage Award

Born to Ride: Cody Wright and the Quest for a World Title will receive the Western Heritage Award as the Outstanding Documentary film of 2009 during ceremonies April 17 at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. The documentary, produced by Southern Utah University, tracked Wright’s season-long battle with five-time World Champion Saddle Bronc Rider Billy Etbauer to claim the gold buckle during the 2008 season. Action footage is interspersed with interviews with Wright, his family, friends and mentors, chronicling his journey from boyhood in rural Utah to the bright lights of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. The film was produced by Jon Smith, written and directed by Lyman Hafen and narrated by Wilford Brimley.

Ledoux suffers broken left foot, sidelined 3-4 weeks

Steer wrestler Gabe Ledoux, a two-time Wrangler NFR qualifier who currently stands fifth in the world standings, suffered a broken left foot during the March 7 Super Series II competition and is projected to miss 3-4 weeks. Ledoux said his hazing horse stepped on him during a run and dislocated his big toe. X-rays taken in Houston this morning by Dr. Taylor Brown showed two broken bones. Ledoux has a walking boot on his left foot and will not need surgery. “At worst, I think I’m only going to miss Rodeo Austin (March 15-27) and Huntsville, Texas (March 26-27),” Ledoux said, “but we’ll see how the foot feels after a few days.”

Notes from up and down the rodeo road …

Jewel’s romantic theme for the new feature film Valentine’s Day was written to let her husband, seven-time World Champion All-Around Cowboy Ty Murray, know how special he was to her. “We travel so much,” Jewel told contactmusic.com, “but sometimes it’s nice to stay home with the one you love, and I wrote about that,” with Stay Here Forever. … The city of San Juan Capistrano, Calif., closed escrow last month on a triangular 132-acre parcel of land from Rancho Mission Viejo, securing the rodeo grounds at the east edge of town for open space. According to the agreement, the property will be forever restricted to sports fields, habitat, agriculture and equestrian uses, including continuation of the Rancho Mission Viejo Rodeo, the PRCA’s richest two-day rodeo competition. … Former PRCA steer wrestler Scott McKinney has been named head football coach at Madera (Calif.) High School. McKinney had earnings of $60,102 in PRCA rodeos, competing between 1993 and 2005. … The University of Great Falls (Mont.) has hired Dick Lyman as coach of the school’s newly-formed rodeo team. Lyman competed in rodeo at Montana State University, where he was also an All-American defensive player on the 1976 Division II national championship team. … Mike Allen, one of the founders of the Ellensburg (Wash.) Rodeo Hall of Fame, saw his 2004 book A Patriot’s History of the United States climb all the way to No. 1 on the Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble best-sellers list after talk show host Glenn Beck said during a broadcast that it should be required reading. … The Mesquite Championship Rodeo schedule this year will include several post-rodeo concerts. Mesquite organizers were encouraged to take this step after a recent concert by country singer Dwight Yoakum drew more than 6,000 spectators. … The Greeley (Colo.) Stampede Foundation will be giving 15 scholarships of $1,500 each to selected students from Weld and Larimer County high school seniors. Since the program’s inception, the Stampede has awarded more than $177,000 in scholarships to Northern Colorado students. … The Wrangler Timed Event Championships return to the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Okla., March 5-7. Twenty of the PRCA’s top cowboys will compete in “The Ironman” event, each trying their hand at tie-down roping, steer roping, heading, heeling and steer wrestling over five rounds. Trevor Brazile is the six-time and reigning WTEC champion.

 

ProRodeo Livestock video available for free

A 20-minute video titled ProRodeo Livestock is available free of charge to rodeo enthusiasts through the PRCA Industry Outreach Department in Colorado Springs, Colo. The educational video covers rodeo history, livestock care, PRCA stock contractors’ born-to-buck breeding program and PRCA rules that govern the safety of animals in competition. PRCA stock contractors Dona Vold Larsen (Triple V Rodeo Company) and Jim Korkow (Korkow Rodeos) speak in the video, and several cowboys talk about the athletic ability of bucking horses and bulls and also discuss rodeo equipment. Three-time and reigning World Champion Bareback Rider Bobby Mote, 2006 World Champion Bull Rider B.J. Schumacher and 19-time Wrangler NFR saddle bronc qualifier Rod Hay are among the cowboys featured in the video. Representatives of rodeo committees, rodeo clubs, Western youth groups and other organizations wishing to get a copy of the free video may call PRCA Industry Outreach Director Cindy Schonholtz at 719.593.8840 or e-mail requests to animalwelfare@prorodeo.com.

 

Night Jacket brings record price of $200,000

Night Jacket, a seven-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo bareback horse, was recently sold by Jim and Margaret Zinser to Cullen Pickett of Lancaster & Pickett Pro Rodeo for $200,000, which is believed to be the most money every paid for a rodeo bucking horse. The 15-year-old horse was part of the Zinsers’ stable, and the sale came a year after the family sold off more than 600 head of animals and transitioned out of the rodeo business. They had been part of J Bar J Rodeo, which has been supplying stock to PRCA rodeos since 1996.

Team roping horses each claim fourth AQHA/PRCA Horse of the Year award

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. – Team roping heading horse Precious Speck, owned and ridden by Travis Tryan, and team roping heeling horse, Baileys Cooper Doc, owned and ridden by Randon Adams, both earned their fourth AQHA/PRCA Horse of the Year honors. Precious Speck, “Walt,” has taken top honors in 2003 and from 2007-2009, while Baileys Cooper Doc, “Diesel,” has claimed consecutive first-place honors since 2006. Steer wrestling horse Rocks Eyes Opener, “Jessie,” owned by Lee Graves and ridden by Graves and Trevor Knowles, picked up a second Horse of the Year award. Jessie also got the top nod in 2007. “When you back him in the box, he’s going to give you 110 percent every time,” said Graves, of Calgary, Alberta, who leads the PRCA World Standings with season earnings of $120,574. Larneds Ricoche Doc, “Woody,” owned and ridden by Dan Fisher, was voted the steer roping AQHA/PRCA Horse of the Year for the second consecutive year. Also picking up a second honor was barrel racing horse Rare Fred, owned by Ronald Martin and ridden by 2006 World Champion Mary Burger. “Fred” also was named AQHA/WPRA Horse of the Year in 2006. In the tie-down roping, Big Smokin Wonder, “Pearl,” owned by Sid Miller and ridden by Cody Ohl, took its first AQHA/PRCA Horse of the Year honor.

The rest of those recognized included:

STEER WRESTLING– 2. Black Velvet Win “Streak,” owned by Richard and Leigh Ann Ramsey, ridden by Jeff Green, Shawn Greenfield, Travis Carnine, Dane Hanna, Cash Myers, K.C. Jones and Stockton Graves; 3. (tie) Latches Rockette, “8-Ball,” owned and ridden by Jake Rinehart and Docs Otoe Peppy, “Smarty,” owned and ridden by Billy Bugenig.

TEAM ROPING HEADING– 2. Lite My Dynamite, “Sic Em,” owned by Treda LLC, ridden by Trevor Brazile; 3. BMG Custom Hotrod, “Bullseye,” owned by Chuck Crawford and Charly Crawford and ridden by Charly Crawford.

TEAM ROPING HEELING– 2. Take Aim N Fire, “Slim Shady,” owned and ridden by Justin Davis; 3. (tie) Freckles Taz, “Taz,” owned and ridden by Kinney Harrell and Boot Scootin’ Bingo, “Gambler,” owned by Dean Tuftin and ridden by Rich Skelton.

TIE-DOWN ROPING– 2. Eightys Sport, “Sweetness,” owned by Spur Resources 1, Ltd., ridden by Clint Cooper, Houston Hutto and Blair Burk; 3. Acre Te Run, “Oz,” owned by Justin Maass, ridden by Maass, Scott Kormos and Cimarron Boardman.

STEER ROPING– 2. White Hot Ike, “Bullseye,” owned and ridden by Chance Kelton; 3. Happy San Doc, “Happy,” owned and ridden by Paul Patton.

BARREL RACING– 2. Judge Buy Cash, “Jethro,” owned by Frank and Lynne Mays, ridden by Brenda Mays; 3. Sugar Moon Express, “Martha,” owned and ridden by Lindsay Sears. 10/20/09

The top 25 timed-event contestants in the PRCA World Standings and the top 25 in WPRA NFR standings as of Oct. 5 are eligible to vote on those timed-event horses nominated for the 2009 AQHA/PRCA/WPRA Horse of the Year. Voting was conducted by phone on Oct. 6 through ProCom. Points were awarded as follows: 1=3 points 2=2 points 3=1 point The animal with the most points is awarded AQHA/PRCA Horse of the Year in each timed event category. Horses that are nominated must be AQHA registered horses, and anyone can nominate a horse.

USSTC/PRCA Bucking Stock of the Year announced

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – If Grated Coconut could talk, the Calgary Stampede bucking horse could ask for a raise, or at least an extra scoop of oats. The Calgary Stampede stud claimed the U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company/PRCA Bareback Riding Horse of the Year Award for the fourth consecutive year and a record-tying sixth time (2003-04, 2006-09). With the top nod, Grated Coconut ties the legendary bucking horse Descent of Beutler Brothers & Cervi, who also garnered six awards (1966-69, 1971-72). Grated Coconut claimed his sixth Canadian Professional Rodeo Association award last week. Grated Coconut, 12, is the son of dam, Coconut Roll, and sire Wyatt Earp. Bareback riding equine stars Wise Guy, of the Classic Pro Rodeo string, and Growney Brothers’ Moulin Rouge finished second and third in the voting, respectively. In the saddle bronc riding, Spring Planting of the Flying 5 Rodeo string earned her first USSTC/PRCA Horse of the Year honor. The blue roan mare is a source of pride for the Hutsell family, since she was raised on the family’s eastern Washington ranch. She is the daughter of dam, Jubille, and sire Iron Mountain, also Flying 5 Rodeo bucking horses. “She is solid from when the gate opens until the whistle blows,” said Chad Hutsell, general manager of Flying 5 Rodeo. Frontier Rodeo’s Let ’er Rip finished second and Harry Vold Rodeo’s Painted Valley came in third in the voting. Buckeye of Silverado Rodeo Company has been honored as the USSTC/PRCA Bucking Bull of the Year posthumously. The bull sustained a back injury in an altercation with another bull in a pen. The bull was treated by veterinarians at Texas A&M University Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital in College Station for about 10 days. However, extensive efforts were not successful. Owner Harlan Robertson was greatly moved to have Buckeye honored. “He just bucked like heck,” said Robertson of the Wrangler NFR qualifier and son of Panhandle Slim. Reigning World Champion Bull Rider J.W. Harris was bucked off Buckeye in their one meeting. “He had it all,” said Harris, the PRCA World Standings leader. “He would jump five feet into the air, kick over his head and turn back. That is what you want in a bucking bull. If you rode him, you would be 90 points. He bucked.” The honor is Robertson’s second. His bull Biloxi Blues was USSTC/PRCA Bull of the Year in 2006. Robertson submitted Buckeye for honors at the request of bull riders. “It was special to me (to win) in 2006, but this is more special,” Robertson said. Beutler & Son Rodeo’s Little Lightning earned the No. 2 spot in the voting, while Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Multi-Chem Texas Cocktail finished third. Stock contractors submitted nominations for two animals from their herds for the livestock of the year awards. The top 30 cowboys in bareback riding, saddle bronc riding and bull riding, as of Sept. 1, were mailed a ballot with the list of eligible stock in their event. Ballots returned by Oct. 9 were counted for the awards. The livestock, and their owners, will be honored at the annual PRCA Awards Banquet, Dec. 2 at the South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa in Las Vegas. The AQHA/PRCA Horses of the Year are expected to be announced later this week and will be posted on ProRodeo.com. The list also will be included in the Oct. 18 news release.