Monthly Archives: December 2010

I’ve been fortunate to have visited with Lisa Lockhart several times over the last few years in my role of covering the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association and writing for the organization and its magazine, Women’s Pro Rodeo News. On Thursday night, I visited with Lisa again about her first-round winning run on her backup horse, Louie. Here’s what I submitted for the WPRA’s website. http://www.wpra.com/nfr_results_stories01.asp

1. Lisa Lockhart, 13.84 seconds, $17,512. 2. Nellie Williams, 13.92, $13,840. 3. Sydni Blanchard, 14.00, $10,451. 4. Jill Moody, 14.03, $7,344. 5. Tana Poppino, 14.05, $4,519. 6. Brenda Mays, 14.09, $2,825.

Lots and lots of barrels on the ground in the WPRA barrel racing.

1. Clif Cooper, 7.9 seconds, $17,512. 2. Trent Creager, 8.9, $13,840. 3. Fred Whitfield, 9.1, $10,451. 4. Tuf Cooper, 9.5, $7344. 5. Ryan Jarrett, 9.8, $4,519. 6. Jerome Schneeberger, 10.0, $2,825.

1. Jesse Kruse, 87 points on D&H Cattle’s Lipstick & Whisky, $17,512. 2. Wade Sundell, 86.5 on Korkow Rodeo’s Vidalia, $13,840. 3. Shaun Stroh, 86 on Calgary Stampede’s Knife Money, $10,451. 4. Taos Muncy, 84.5 on Calgary Stampede’s Fearless Warrior, $7,344. 5. Heith DeMoss on Beutler & Son’s Fox Trot and Cody Wright on Frontier Rodeo’s Griz, 81.5, $3,672.

1. Colby Lovell/Kory Kuntz, 4.1 seconds, $17,512. 2. Charly Crawford/Russell Cardoza, 4.6, $13,840. 3. Trevor Brazile/Patrick Smith, 4.8, $10,451. 4. Turtle Powell/Broc Cresca, 5.0, $7,344. 5. Derrick Begay/Cesar de la Cruz, 5.2, $4,519. 6. Clay Tryan/Travis Graves, 5.3, $2,825.

1. Billy Bugenig, 3.4 seconds, $17,512 2. Trevor Knowles, 3.6, $13,840 3. Kyle Hughes and Dean Gorsuch, 4.1, $8,897. 5. Jule Hazen, 4.2, $4,519 6. Ethen Thouvenell, 4.3, $2,825

1. Joe Gunderson, 88 points, Brookman Rodeo’s Good Times, $17,512 2. Bobby Mote, 86.5, Powder River’s Showboat, $13.840 3. Wes Stevenson on Classic Pro Rodeo’s Sorrel Top and Kayce Feild on Calgary Stampede’s Coconut Roll, 84.5, $8,897. 5. Steven Dent on Beutler & Son’s Molly Brown and Will Lowe on Calgary Stampede’s Kauai Coconut, 82, $3,672.

After the awards ceremony Wednesday night, my wife and I went into the Cheyenne Frontier Days party. It was a large room at the South Point, and there were plenty of people filing in. The Cheyenne committee always throws a nice bash during the PRCA Convention. From there, we went to a suite for a Badlands Circuit gathering. It was great to visit with folks we didn’t know, then folks we did. About midnight, our friend Ken Stonecipher showed up with Kyle Shobe, and each had a guitar case in hand. That’s when the party really got started. And it was a good time.

So last night, I wasn’t able to post on the fly on the blog, so I went through my Facebook account — yes, you can find TwisTED Rodeo on Facebook, and that can direct you as you go. So I apologize to anyone who doesn’t “like” TwisTED Rodeo on Facebook for not having the up-to-the-minute posting from last night’s awards banquet. It was my first time to experience that event, and I was honored to be there. I’m also very honored to have received the buckle for print media, and I got to share the table with Rick Thompson, who with Talk Radio won the broadcast award, and Bob Click, the top photographer. Other winners were Keith Isley, who won Man in the Can, Clown of the Year and Comedy Act of the Year; Haley Schneeberger, the secretary; John Payne won his 11th Dress Act of the Year; Estes Park, Colo., won small rodeo; Deadwood, S.D., won medium rodeo; San Antonio won large indoor rodeo; and Pendleton, Ore., and Cheyenne, Wyo., won large outdoor rodeo; Dusty Tuckness is the bullfighter; Stace Smith won his seventh straight stock contractor; and Wayne Brooks is the announcer of the year. There are some other great stories, so keep checking back.

Canadian Curtis Cassidy of Donalda, Alberta, is the No. 2 man in the most prestigious world standings in ProRodeo, the all-around. He still has to have one of the best Wrangler National Finals Rodeos ever to surpass Trevor Brazile for the gold buckle. Cassidy has earned $137,461 wrestling steer and roping calves in ProRodeo, yet he trails Brazile by $159,000 heading into the final 10 days of the season with the biggest money on the table. Cassidy is the No. 1 steer wrestler in the world standings, but that’s the only event he’ll be competing in at the Thomas & Mack Center starting Dec. 2. Brazile, who has already competed at the Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping, is No. 1 in tie down roping and eighth in heading, which is a good reason why Brazile has earned $296,411. If any contestant makes a clean sweep, winning each go-round and, as warranted, the NFR average title, he/she will win $220,030. If Cassidy were to do that, he’d finish the season with $357,491. The third-ranked cowboy, Ryan Jarrett, would finish with $323,191, while fourth-ranked Josh Peek would finish with $322,236. But let’s go back to Cassidy. Even if he were to pull off the near-impossible, Brazile would have to earn less than $61,080 while Cassidy handled the sweep. So you see why it’s going to be very difficult for anyone to hold off Trevor Brazile’s record-setting eighth all-around world championship.

When I got to town Monday night, I was a little shocked — there just weren’t that many cowboys in town, which, as I’ve experienced, is atypical when it’s time for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. It seems I was just a little early. While I attended the Gold Buckle Gala to honor Larry Mahan and raise money for the ProRodeo Hall of Fame with hundreds of others, the real action started Tuesday with the opening of the PRCA convention and trade show. The cowboy population increased dramatically. The welcome reception Tuesday night was evidence. I’m thankful and blessed to be here. It’s an honor for the contestants to play for the biggest pay in ProRodeo during the 10 days of the NFR, but it’s also a right they earned over the past 12 months on the rodeo trail. Tonight countless contestants showed those smiles and shared those awe-filled emotions. I’m thankful and blessed to have seen it.