Monthly Archives: March 2011

OKLAHOMA CITY – In just five years, Tyson Durfey has gone from relative obscurity to the national spotlight, considered one of the best tie-down ropers in the world. Durfey’s list of accomplishments is growing, and he’s itching to add the Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo title to his resume. “It would be a pretty big thing for me,” said Durfey, who will make a run at the DNCFR when it runs March 31-April 3 at Jim Norick Arena at the State Fairgrounds in Oklahoma City. “I’d like to do things that I’ve never done before. I’ve never done really good at a circuit finals, so for me, it means just a whole lot. It’s great just to be able to rope and hopefully be able to bring a championship back.” This marks the fifth time in his career that Durfey has qualified for the DNCFR, which features the top contestants in each event from the 12 ProRodeo circuits. But in a Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association career that dates just eight years, the Missouri-born calf roper has qualified four straight years for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and has earned two Canadian Professional Rodeo Association tie-down roping championships. “Making it to Oklahoma City is an accumulation of a year’s worth of work,” said Durfey, a second-generation calf roper. “That’s what everybody that goes to the circuit rodeos tries to do. I’m excited to go back to the championship and represent my circuit.” He expects having the DNCFR in Oklahoma City will be positive for the sport and for the contestants. “It’s going to be a new, exciting change,” Durfey said. “The finals had been in Pocatello, Idaho, for so long, and people just associated the circuit finals being there. Hopefully we’ll have warmer weather and we’ll get to see what kind of great things Oklahoma City has to offer.”

The last several times Sherry Cervi and Stingray have competed inside Reliant Stadium for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, they’ve won. Cervi, the three-time and reigning Women’s Professional Rodeo Association barrel racing world champion, got a big boost in her 2010 season by winning RodeoHouston. This year, she and her trusty mount started hot, winning all three rounds in their Super Series. On Wednesday night, they remained hot by posting the fastest time in the first of two semifinals and earning a spot in Saturday night’s performance, where the champions in each event will be crowned and handed a Shootout check for $50,000. But Cervi has already had a financial windfall inside the stadium that houses the NFL’s Houston Texans, cashing in for an event best $12,350. The second set of semifinalists will battle it out for the next four spots in the finals. Each semifinal consists of 10 contestants in each event. The remaining six contestants in each semifinal – 12 total – will try to work their way to the final performance during Friday’s Wild Card round, where only the top two contestants in each event advance. Others to make it to Saturday’s show are: Tie-down roping: 1. Fred Whitfield, 2. Jerome Schneeberger, 3. Cody Owens, 4. Jerrad Hoffstetter. Bareback riding: Steven Peebles, 2. Tilden Hooper, 3. Clint Cannon, 4. Will Lowe. Team roping: 1 Derrick Begay/Cesar de la Cruz, 2. Matt Garza/David Key, 3. Brandon Beers/Mike Beers, 4. Travis Tryan/Rich Skelton. Saddle bronc riding: 1. Wade Sundell, 2. J.J. Elshere, 3. Rusty Allen, 4. Tyler Corrington. Steer wrestling: 1. Kyle Hughes, 2. Trevor Knowles, 3. Casey McMillen, 4. Curtis Cassidy. Bull riding: 1. Clayton Savage, 2. Clayton Savage, 3. Luke Haught, 4. Shawn Hogg. Barrel racing: 1. Sherry Cervi, 2. Jane Melby, 3. Jody Sheffield, 4. Annesa Self.

Tie-down roper Jerome Schneeberger didn’t win a single go-round during Super Series V at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. In fact, he didn’t even place until Tuesday’s final run of the series. But the 11-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier roped consistently, posting runs of 11.3 seconds, 11.0 and 11.1. That was good enough for second place in the three-head average, which is worth $2,250. Add that to the $500 he earned for his third-place finish Tuesday, and that’s how Schneeberger advanced into RodeoHouston’s semifinals, which begin Wednesday. He will be joined by Tuf Cooper, who won Super Series V with $7,000, Shane Hanchey and Nate Baldwin. Other series winners were: Bareback riding: Will Lowe, $8,000 Team roping: Derrick Begay/Cesar de la Cruz, $11,500 Saddle bronc riding: Wade Sundell, $7,500 Steer wrestling: Nick Guy, $7,000 Bull riding: Steve Woolsey, $8,500 Barrel racing: Deb Renger, $7,500

AUSTIN – To say the 2011 has been frustrating for barrel racer Tana Poppino might be a huge understatement. The three-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo from Big Cabin, Okla., has struggled on the rodeo trail. Both her horses, Amigo and Goose, have suffered some injuries, and that just compounds a potential lack of confidence in the world-class cowgirl. “I hadn’t won a dime all year, and that’s frustrating,” said Poppino, who runs this week at the Heart of Texas Fair and Rodeo. But there is no quit in Poppino, who has continued working through all those issues. She’s given the horses the best care possible, and she’s gaining more confidence with every run. Poppino ran last week at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo; while success was limited, there was a bright spot. “Amigo made the best two runs that he’s ever made in the Reliant Stadium,” Poppino said. “Even though I got the first barrel in the second-go, our time was good.” In the third round of Super Series III at RodeoHouston, Poppino and her main partner finished in a tie for third place to secure $250. Although it wasn’t a big paycheck, it was finally something. The two standout athletes then followed it up with a solid run at the Marshall (Texas) ProRodeo, where they finished seventh and earned $415. “We’re on a roll,” Poppino said. “That’s two in a row. Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength.”

Utah bull rider Steve Woolsey has started off the final Super Series of RodeoHouston as hot as anybody can. Woolsey, a five-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier hasn’t posted a big ride in two rounds inside Reliant Stadium, but the 79 Sunday and the 81 Monday were round wins and worth $2,000 each. Woolsey also is the only bull rider to earn two qualified rides, so he also leads the average as well as the overall earnings. Shawn Hogg, who was the runner-up Sunday night with a 74, and Corey Navarre, the No. 2 man Monday with an 80, have earned $1,000 each. But Woolsey has already clinched his spot in the semifinals, which begins Wednesday evening. Steer wrestler Nick Guy has almost assured himself of a spot in the next level of play at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Guy won the second round of Super Series V with a 4.7-second run. He also finished second Sunday night, so he leads the standings with $3,000 and the average with 10.1 seconds on two runs. Other leaders are barrel racer Deb Renger, $2,500; saddle bronc rider Wade Sundell, $3,000; team ropers Britt Williams and Bobby Harris, $5,000; bareback riders Will Lowe and Wes Stevenson, $2,000 each; and tie-down ropers Tuf Cooper, Shane Hanchey and Nate Baldwin.

GUYMON, Okla. – The Hitch name is as much a part of the Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles as the communities the family ranch surrounds. It’s only fitting, then, that one of the biggest stadiums in No Man’s Land wears the family name. Henry C. Hitch Pioneer Arena is home to many of the big events that happen in Texas County, Okla. The biggest event is Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 6; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 7; and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 8. “The Hitches were one of the first ranching families in the area, and rodeo has roots in ranching, so that’s appropriate,” said Melyn Johnson, director of Main Street Guymon and a longtime community supporter. “The Hitches came out before statehood. They were supporters of the community in more ways than anybody could imagine, and I don’t mean just money, but also in time and in passion. They’re probably as close to a community servant as you can get. “They really feel like they owe back.” The Hitch brand continues to be a major part of Guymon, and the arena is just one piece of the community that recognizes it. Hitch Arena is city property, not ranch property. Built in 1946, Pioneer Arena was remodeled in 1960, and the city has maintained and repaired it since. In the mid-1990s, renovations on the arena began, and it was rededicated then. That’s also when the name changed to Henry C. Hitch Pioneer Arena. “I know Ladd Hitch wanted it named after his dad,” said Johnson, who was part of the Pioneer Days Rodeo committee at the time. “I think it’s a family that belongs to the Plains more so than the Plains belong to them. They were supporters of the Guymon rodeo from Day 1. Yes, the arena is used for much more than rodeo, but the main thing is Pioneer Days Rodeo.” The renovations that began in 1994 were plenty, from tearing down the pens and chutes and rebuilding them to installing water lines, new arena lights and fixtures and putting up a new catwalk between the pens. Grant money was put together with local contributions to help fund the project, which was completed primarily by donated labor that reached into thousands of hours. Years later, rodeo committee members, local businesses and other volunteers built a new concessions area and a large building – outfitted with restrooms – used primarily for hospitality during the rodeo. The third phase of renovations involved Leadership Guymon and several other community volunteer groups built the handicapped accessible parking, covered seating for the handicapped and some landscaping. In 2010, Guymon’s Convention and Tourism department paid to have some new chutes installed, which was done by community volunteers and businesses. But the work is not done. “It’s important to the city to upgrade and maintain the arena, and we are doing that,” said Vicki McCune, the city’s community development director. City Manager Ted Graham said the city is fixing some concrete bleachers by repairing the steps and cracks on the bottom front side of the arena. “It’s like a makeover on some of the concrete stairwells to make it more appealing on sight and safer to walk on,” Graham said. “The reason for some of this work is a combination of things. Where the arena was built, there is the water infiltration that comes through the bleachers on the hillside. We’d have the drainage issues on the times we do get rain. There was a settlement issue, I think, underneath the stairwells caused by erosion. “In addition to that, we’re starting to address how we put an all-season parking surface on the parking lot.” The city has also removed the top cinderblock ticket booth and is installing water lines so it can update the water in the pens and behind the chutes. “It’s important to know the convention and tourism are the ones who are spending the money on this, which is generated from hotel/motel tax, and that money is generated from events like the rodeo, the bike rally, etc,” Graham said. “That money is allocated for the convention and tourism dollars, and their specific goal is to attract people to the city of Guymon and the surrounding area.” Guymon is the hub of the Oklahoma Panhandle, and having a top-flight place to play like Henry C. Hitch Pioneer Arena is an important piece of that pie. “What we have is pride in having a facility that is better than everybody else’s,” Johnson said. “It’s unique in the way it sits down in a bowl and unique in its size. It’s unique in the concrete and how much concrete is there.” Another advantage to the facility is that it’s used by Oklahoma Panhandle State University, which has one of the top programs in college rodeo. “That college tie to being a great rodeo school is why we have cowboys who became part of the rodeo committee,” Johnson said. “That helped us become a great rodeo and a great rodeo town.”

The theme for “The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business” might be more than giving teams a second chance. It might be about extending one leg of the race directly into another and bringing fans along for the ride. For the second time in the four episodes, the CBS-TV reality series is “To Be Continued,” and there was no rest for the nine remaining teams in the race for $1 million because the “pit stop” was more of a yield sign. “You are still racing,” host Phil Keoghan told the teams, which began the fifth leg of the race before the fourth episode came to a close. Cowboy brothers Jet and Cord McCoy began the Sunday night show in sixth place as the teams left Japan for China and raced to second place Sunday night. Most of the teams had about 12 hours to get to the Tokyo airport for their mandatory flight to Kunming, China, where they would book their own travel to the city of Li Jiang. Once there, they boarded a bus that took the teams to Jade Dragon Mountain. “There is a yak with a saddle on it,” Jet said. “That is awesome.” Each team had to saddle the longhaired bovine, then ride it over a precarious area of the river. “We weren’t yaking around,” said Cord, who then hat-whipped the animal as he crossed the waterway. Once that challenge was complete, the teams took a gondola ride to a spot three miles above sea level, where they faced a “road block” at Spruce Meadow. There one team member searched among tens of thousands of hanging charms to find the 12 animals used in the Chinese zodiac. Cord handled the duties for the cowboys and had to put the charms in the correct order. As he tried to find the rooster, he asked for help from locals by clucking like a chicken. The next clue directed teams to get on a marked bus that would take them to Old Town Li Jiang, where they found a monument with signs of the Chinese zodiac. Teams had to write a wish on a piece of paper, then slip the paper in the slot near the zodiac sign that correlates with their birth years. “Cord wished for world happiness,” Jet said. That’s where they learned of the detour, where teams could either hammer pulverize hot, molten candy or make their way to a certain part of Li Jiang carrying a horn and leading a long processional. The cowboys hammered the candy, then learned they needed to make their way to the Eternal Tower on the top of Lion Hill for the fourth leg’s “pit stop.” Mother-son team of Margie and Luke Adams won the leg. Best friends Zev Glassenberg and Justin Kanew and Goth couple Kent Kaliber and Vyxsin Fiala were still running the fourth leg of the race when the hour-long program was continued. The friends struggled getting the charms together in order, while Kaliber and Fiala got lost in Japan early in the show and didn’t make it to the Tokyo airport in time to make the mandatory flight. Fans of the reality series will have to wait until next week to see which team comes in last and whether that team is eliminated from the competition. The same scenario happened on the Feb. 20 season premiere, with the McCoys finishing well behind the field. But it was a non-elimination leg of the race, which kept the cowboys in the running.

Rodeo has been part of Matt Sherwood’s life for most of his life. “Rodeo, as great as it is, can be a detriment,” said Sherwood, a two-time world champion team roper from Pima, Ariz. “I was 26 or 27 years old, working and going to school in Florida, and my wife was pregnant with our third child. I thought to myself, ‘What am I doing?’ “When we moved back to Arizona, I rodeoed a little bit. I bought my first home, my first property. I thought it was time to address myself.” He realized he needed more stability, so he set out to take car of his family. He began laying tile and carpet for his father-in-law. In fact, rodeo almost became an afterthought. “I quit completely for 10 years until I was able to work myself into a situation that worked best for me,” Sherwood said. “It’s so expensive to rodeo, so expensive to make a living. I figure it costs you $50,000 at the beginning of the year, not including buying the horse and buying the truck. That’s a tough thing to swallow if you think you’re going to make a bunch of money rodeoing.” How did Sherwood get to that level? Primarily working for his wife’s father, but when the opportunities allowed, he branched out on his own. That’s how he opened of Sherwood Flooring. “I worked for my father-in-law exclusively until five years ago,” he said. “As I learned things, the construction business was going crazy in the Phoenix area. I started doing other things, all the while still working for my father-in-law. I slowly started taking more jobs on my own.” It’s been five years since Sherwood quit being a regional cowboy and started taking his shot at the big time. In 2006, with the help of his sorrel mount, Nicks Rocket Rojo, Sherwood earned his first qualification to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. After 10 rugged nights of competition, he rode out on the horse he calls Nickolas wearing the gold buckle given to the world champion. He repeated that tremendous feat two years later. But none of it would be possible if he hadn’t done what he needed in order to take care of his family, which includes wife, Kim, and their seven children ages 7-17. Priorities are important to Sherwood, who takes time off the rodeo train in order to be with his family, even during the busiest times of the season. “Yes, there’s stuff you miss,” he said. “But I try to be home as much as I can.” Spoken like a true champion, in and out of the arena.

Tana Renick is exploding onto the rodeo scene, and she made even more noise Thursday-Saturday during Super Series IV at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. The Kingstown, Okla., barrel racer won the first go-round of the series Thursday night, then added a second-place finish during Saturday’s third round. It all added up to the three-run average championship and $7,000 in earnings. That propelled her to the semifinals at RodeoHouston, which take place Wednesday and Thursday. The other three cowgirls from the series that qualified were Anessa Self, Angie Meadors and Lisa Lockhart, all of whom have competed at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Renick hasn’t played on ProRodeo’s grandest stage just yet, but she’s doing the things it’s going to take to make that important trip to Las Vegas. She won the Prairie Circuit championship last year and finished 26th in the final Women’s Professional Rodeo Association’s NFR standings. Other event winners in Super Series IV are: Tie-down roping: Houston Hutto, $6,667 Bareback riding: Clint Cannon, $8,000 Team roping: Aaron Tsinigine/Gabe Gwaltney, $5,000 each Saddle bronc riding: Cody DeMoss, $7,000 Steer wrestling: Lee Graves, $6,500 Bull riding: Bobby Welsh, $9,000

Clint Cannon won the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s bareback riding championship just two years ago. It helped him to the best regular season of any contestant, and he set a PRCA record for most regular-season money won in any event with $233,504. He knows the importance of that RodeoHouston title. Through Super Series IV’s two go-rounds, the Waller, Texas, cowboy has already secured his spot in next week’s semifinals, winning the opening go-round Thursday night, then splitting the second-round victory on Friday. In two days, he’s pocketed $3,500, but he’s just $1,250 ahead of the No. 2 man, Dusty LaValley, with whom Cannon shared Friday’s victory. Bull riders Allen Helmuth and Bobby Welsh traded places. After Helmuth won Thursday, followed by Welsh, who won Friday. Both cowboys have earned $3,000. Other leaders heading into Saturday’s final round of the series are barrel racer Angie Meadors, $2,500; tie-down roper Houston Hutto, $2,500; saddle bronc rider Rusty Allen, $2,500; team ropers Austin Adams/Steve Purcella and Brandon/Mike Beers, $2,000 each man; and steer wrestlers Lee Graves, Hunter Cure and Jack Vander Lans, $2,000 each. There is still a lot of room available for someone to sneak up the standings and into a spot in the next round.

When Sherry Cervi looks around, there are plenty of reminders of an already great rodeo career. From gold buckles to photographs of her great horses to the memories of racing to the average championship at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, Cervi certainly has the pedigree. She will carry that hefty experience with her when she competes at the 25th anniversary of the Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo, set for March 31-April 3 at Jim Norick Arena at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds in Oklahoma City. “It’s always been a really good rodeo and one that you want to qualify for,” said Cervi of Marana, Ariz., a three-time and reigning Women’s Professional Rodeo Association barrel racing champion who has claimed the DNCFR title in her storied career. “It’s a really good bonus program.” The DNCFR pits the top cowboys and cowgirls from the 12 regional ProRodeo circuits against one another for the prestigious national title. Contestants will compete in the seven traditional rodeo sports. “What I think is neat about it is the team deal, where you were trying to get the team title,” Cervi said. That involves a lot of team pride, but the team concept is built through the rigors of the rodeo circuit. Contestants build camaraderie at all the rodeos in which they compete in order to win the circuit crowns. “It made it to where you stayed and watched the other events, which made it fun for us,” Cervi said.

Lee Graves is an  exceptional athlete, and he’s got the gold buckles to prove it. The Canadian steer wrestler took the early lead during the first go-round of the BP Super Series IV at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo on Thursday night with a 4.5-second run. He pocketed $2,000. More importantly, he’s got more than a two-second lead on the No. 2 cowboy, Hunter Cure, who posted a 6.6. A lot of things can happen over the next two nights of this series, where the top four money-earners in each event advance to the semifinals. Of course, the most coincidental victor Thursday might’ve happened in tie-down roping, where Houston Hutto took the lead at RodeoHouston. Hutto’s 10.5-second run was a 10th of a second faster than Josh Peek, who finished second. Other first-round winners were bareback rider Clint Cannon, team ropers Steve Purcella and Austin Adams, saddle bronc rider Cody DeMoss, bull rider Allen Helmuth and barrel racer Tana Renick. There are just five more performances in the Super Series, then RodeoHouston will feature two nights of semifinals, a night of a wild card event featuring those that didn’t advance out of the semifinals, then a night for the Super Series championship. The Cinch RodeoHouston Super Shootout: North America’s Champions will take place Sunday, March 20 and will feature the champions from the top 10 rodeos based on prize money. There will be much more about that specialty event, so keep checking back.

I found a problem with livestreaming the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo: There was so much traffic Wednesday night that I had trouble maintaining the speed needed to actually livestream. There were so many hiccups that it was difficult to watch. Nonetheless, I’ll try again. When you can watch one of the greatest rodeos in the world, you may as well try.

Cord McCoy didn’t have a great ride Wednesday night during the third go-round of Super Series III at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. But he made the whistle. The score, a 70.5, reflected the “trashy” dance between McCoy and his bull, Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Vitalix Tiny Dancer. There was no confetti. There wasn’t even a standing ovation. Those things don’t happen when a bull ride totals 70.5. But it was a timely ride for McCoy, who watched the other seven bull riders fail to make the qualifying eight-second ride. That meant the $2,000 McCoy earned for winning the go-round moved him to third place in money earned and catapulted the Tupelo, Okla., cowboy into the next level of the bracketed format. Clayton Savage won the series with $7,000, followed by Howdy Cloud’s $5,250. Chance Roberts also advanced. While McCoy cashed in for the first time in his three rounds at Super Series III, tie-down roper Tyson Durfey placed for the third straight night. His 8.6-second run secured his first round victory and helped him earn the three-head average. All told, Durfey has collected $8,000 so far.  Others to advance were Cory Solomon, J.D. Kibbe and Shank Edwards. The top four in the other events were: Bareback riding: 1. Jessy Davis, 2. Luke Creasy, 3. Jared Smith and 4. Steven Peebles. Team roping: 1. Justin Yost/Kyle Crick, 2. Turtle Powell/Jhett Johnson, 3. Riley and Brady Minor and 4. Travis Tryan and Rich Skelton. Saddle bronc riding: 1. J.J. Elshere, 2. Curtis Garton, 3. Ryan Mackenzie and 4. Tyrell Smith. Steer wrestling: 1. Stockton Graves, 2. Wade Sumpter, 3. Kenneth Lewis and 4. Curtis Cassidy. Barrel racing: 1. Brenda Mays, 2. Jeanne Anderson, 3. Benette Barrington and 4. Lindsay Sears.

Of the 40 bull riders at RodeoHouston, 17 are members of the Professional Bull Riders organization. Most earned their way to their way into the field through their ranking in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, but they own both PRCA and PBR cards. In fact, Jay Dougherty, the PBR’s vice president for event tours, said all those who had qualified for Houston had the option to purchase a PBR card for 2011. This is important because money won inside Reliant Stadium will count toward qualifications to the PBR World Finals because the PBR is sanctioning the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo; it is not sanctioned by the PRCA. That means the winner of the Super Series shootout, who earns $50,000 for that feat, will be a virtual lock to ride bulls in Las Vegas in October when the PBR rides into Sin City; if that bull rider is just with the PRCA, the money doesn’t count for any standings. The PBR World Finals is where they can ride for some the biggest paychecks in bull riding, so there’s plenty of incentive. Of course, there’s always the prestige of winning RodeoHouston.

I feel rather foolish. It took me eight days to figure out the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo had livestreaming of the rodeo on its website. I’ve been missing out on something special. The action is great, and there are plenty of added benefits to taking in RodeoHouston this way. I loved the interviews, something that would jazz up about any production. Plus, I believe, the livestreaming is what patrons inside Reliant Stadium are viewing when they look at the screens. With this feature, fans got to see Kansan Jeanne Anderson win Tuesday’s second go-round in Super Series II. Anderson, a veteran barrel racer, qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo for the first time in her career his past December. Tyson Durfey placed second in tie-down roping for the second straight night and leads the average. His $2,000 in earnings puts him in a tie for most money earned with Cory Solomon, Monday’s round winner, and Shank Edwards, who won the second go. Other winners were bareback rider Jessy Davis, team ropers Turtle Powell and Jhett Johnson, steer wrestler Kenneth Lewis and bull rider Clayton Savage. Saddle bronc rider J.J. Elshere took advantage of a re-ride to win his second straight go-round. And the best part is I got to watch it live from the comfort of my recliner.

Heith DeMoss travels all across the United States competing for rodeo glory. He knows the two-late roads and interstates that lead down the rodeo trail. But he likes competing for some of the biggest prizes in his sport, which is why he’ll be part of the field at the 2011 Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo, set for March 31-April 3 at Jim Norick Arena at the State Fairgrounds in Oklahoma City, where the top cowboys and cowgirls from the 12 regional ProRodeo circuits will compete for national championships and big money. “I think it’s pretty historic to get to go back to Oklahoma City for the National Circuit Finals the first year it moves there,” said Heith DeMoss of Heflin, La., a three-time NFR qualifier in saddle bronc riding who also is competing at the DNCFR for the third time. “It’s closer for me, but it’s also a good rodeo town. I think it’ll be beneficial for all the stock contractors and fans, too.” But where does this rank among his list of accomplishments? “The DNCFR is the next step under the NFR,” said DeMoss, who competes in the Southeastern Circuit. “This is darn sure a big deal, and I’m excited to make it. Usually it doesn’t pay off for me to go to the circuit rodeos, because every bit of money I’ve won there is already spent just trying to get to those rodeos. “All the chips are in trying to cash in here at the finals. It’s quite a gamble, but I believe in having good horses and riding at the finals. I believe in myself and think I’ve got what it takes to do well there.”

Call it karma or coincidence or whatever you want, but I find it kind of cool: I posted the story on TwisTED Rodeo today about Stockton Graves’ qualification to the Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo, and the Oklahoma cowboy won the first round of steer wrestling during Super Series III at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo on Monday night. Graves posted a 4.5-second run to win the round and earn $2,000. He’s well on his way to qualifying for the next round in the bracketed format. He joined barrel racer Lindsay Sears, bull rider Howdy Cloud, tie-down roper Cory Solomon, bareback rider Bo Casper, team ropers Travis Tryan and Rich Skelton, and saddle bronc rider J.J. Elshere, who all earned go-round wins. They return for the second go-round Tuesday evening, and they’ll bring plenty of firepower to the show.

When Stockton Graves learned the Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo was moving to Oklahoma City, he knew he wanted to be part of the field. He’s competed for the national title six times in his career, but this year’s championship means even more to the Newkirk, Okla., cowboy because the 25th anniversary event will take place March 31-April 3 at the Jim Norick Arena at the State Fairgrounds in Oklahoma City. “Qualifying has always meant a lot to me,” said Graves, who won the DNCFR steer wrestling title in 2006. “It’s a great deal with Dodge being involved, and it’s always been important to me to make the circuit finals and try to win the circuit and qualify for the Dodge National Circuit Finals.” The DNCFR pits the top cowboys and cowgirls from the 12 regional ProRodeo circuits against one another for the prestigious national title. Contestants will compete in the seven traditional rodeo sports of bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping, team roping, steer wrestling, barrel racing and bull riding. The central location could prove to be an advantage for competitors from the Prairie Circuit, made up primarily by rodeos and contestants from Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. “It’s a great rodeo with a lot of money,” Graves said. “This year was even more important to me since it’s in Oklahoma and just an hour and a half from the house.”

The extremes of Japanese culture found their way into cowboy culture Sunday night when Jet and Cord McCoy competed in the third leg of “The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business.” Through the hour-long show, which was recorded last November and December, the McCoys and nine other teams raced around the Tokyo area tackling challenges and trying to stave off elimination in the race around the world for $1 million. The brothers began the episode in third place, then left Sydney for Tokyo. There were two flights up for consideration, one a direct and another that connected through Hong Kong. The direct through Qantas Airlines was scheduled 15 minutes later than the connection on Cathay Pacific, so half the teams took the chance on the connection in order to try for a 15-minute head start. “Jet and I’s idea was to get the guaranteed straight through flight,” said Cord, who competed in the Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series event this weekend, the Chicago Invitational, where he rode one bull and finished in a tie for 17th place. The five teams that took the Qantas trip arrived an hour and five minutes ahead the others, however, when one of the connection flights was delayed. Once in Tokyo, the teams had to find their way to the city of Kamakura for a challenge, a “road block.” But first, each team had to get a car from a Tokyo parking garage, which featured a large mechanical cylinder that rotated the vehicles around to a ground-level position, and the unique way of parking cars was noted. “I just thought I’d get me a soda pop out of it,” Cord said of the machine. While teams made their way to the Yabusama Dojo to take part in the “road block,” the McCoys seemed to have some trouble navigating the streets around Japan’s largest city. At one point, the brothers were eastbound, when they should have been driving south. “We’ve been driving around, and all the signs are in Japanese,” Jet said. When they finally arrived at the dojo, Jet and Cord were in ninth place, ahead only of the NFL cheerleaders, Jaime Edmondson and Cara Rosenthal. But Cord cut through the challenge fairly quickly, from dressing as a samurai to learning the proper Yabusame ritual and techniques that are needed to hit a target using a bow and arrow from a wooden horse. “You know, I’m from Oklahoma,” Cord said. “I shoot a bow and arrow; I feel right at home.” Home at that time was seventh place for the cowboys, both of whom own five world championships from the International Professional Rodeo Association. The next challenge was a “detour,” where the teams chose from “cleansing” their purity or seeking the frog of luck. The brothers took a stab at the latter, where they stripped down to diaper-looking outfits and searched into a mud pit while onlookers pelted them with mud. The teams’ objective was to find a frog, then give it to the grandmaster, who then gave them the next clue. “Cord was sporting that Japanese loin cloth,” Jet said, his words tailing off. “I do what I can, man,” Cord replied. “I do what I can.” In an interview format that aired during the show, Cord revealed that throughout the challenge he was looking for a live amphibian, not the plastic frog that was the muddy prize. “I kept listening for the ‘brrrp,’ ” he said while imitating the sound a frog makes. “Live frogs jump at any time, so, you know, you want to stay quiet, stay down.” Then he looked to his brother and said, “The frogs weren’t alive. Did you know that?” Jet just nodded his head. Once the teams finished their “detour” challenges, they raced to Commodore Perry’s Landing and the “pit stop” for the third leg of the race. Zev Glassenberg and Justin Kanew won the leg, their second straight victory, and the McCoys placed sixth. The father-son team of Mel and Mike White were eliminated, leaving just nine teams.

A lot of money has been won at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, and we’re just two-fifths of the way through the first level of competition. Congratulations to those who won Super Series II in their event: – Tie-down roping, Scott Kormos, $6,500: won the first round, finished third in the third round and won the average. – Bareback riding, Kaycee Feild, $10,000:  he won all three go-rounds and the average. – Team roping, Erich Rogers and Kory Koontz, $8,000 each: won he second round, finished runner-up in the other two and won the average. – Saddle bronc riding, Cort Scheer, $9,000: Won the first two rounds, finished second in the third and won the average. – Steer wrestling, Kyle Hughes, $8,500: Won the first round, tied for first in the third round, was runner-up in the second round and finished first in the average. – Bull riding, Kanin Asay, $7,000: Won the first round, finished second in the second round and won the average. – Barrel racing, Sherry Cervi, $10,000: Won all three rounds and the average.

Californian Kyle Lockett proved the power of experience when he won the 2011 Timed Event Championship, earning that prestigious gold buckle for the second time in his career. Of recent champions, most had earned the title before. Josh Peek, who won the title a year ago, is the most recent first-timer to have made worn the crown. The event, which features contestants competing in the five timed-event disciplines in each of the five rounds, is a test of the tremendously talented cowboys who tend to make their living on the rodeo trail. Trevor Brazile, who finished second this weekend, has won six championships; he also was the only player in the field to have qualified for the ProRodeo national finals in all four roping events. But this weekend was about Lockett, who has earned his stripes and that well-deserved gold buckle.

Sherry Cervi and Stingray made quite a statement in 2010. Together they won the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association’s barrel racing world championship, set the single-season earnings mark and established a new arena record with the fastest run at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. She’s also the reigning Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo barrel racing champion. Based on the first two go-rounds of Super Series II, Cervi will be tough to beat. She posted a 14.31-second run Friday night, then bettered that by 1-100th of a second Saturday. She’s earned $4,000 and has clinched a spot in the next round of the bracketed format. Bareback rider Kaycee Feild also added his second straight round win and has secured his advancement into the next level of play. Saddle bronc rider Cort Scheer, coming off his first trip to the NFR, also captured another first-place finish; he scored 80.5 rides each night to earn the victory lap. Bull rider Kanin Asay is the only contestant in the field to have ridden two bulls; his 81.5 on Saturday earned the Wyoming cowboy the round win. Dane Hanna won bulldogging with a 3.9, but Kyle Hughes, who won Friday, finished just a 10th of a second behind. Hughes has earned $3,000 in two days. Ace Sloan won calf roping with an 8.4-second run and is atop the leaderboard with Scott Kormos with $2,000, but Kormos has a two-head aggregate of 17.8 seconds, nearly two seconds ahead of Fred Whitfield, who has earned $1,500 but is second in the average race. The tandem of Erich Rogers and Kory Koontz won team roping Saturday, and combined with their second-place finish on Friday night have surged into the series lead with $6,000 in combined earnings.

Ah, the Timed Event Championship can be quite fickle. Four former champions were atop the leaderboard after Friday’s first go-round, but that changed dramatically Saturday night. In fact, six-time champion Trevor Brazile and two-time winner Daniel Green fell to the bottom half of the standings in the 20-man field. Brazile had trouble in heeling, where he was saddled with a 60-second run, equal to a no time in this unique event. Green suffered 60s in steer wrestling and steer roping and 18th, while Brazile is 13th. JoJo LeMond leads the race in 127.3 seconds through two rounds and 10 runs, where contestants must perform all five timed-event disciplines in order to complete a go-round. He’s followed closely by first-time contestant Clayton Hass, who posted a 127.9. Hass was added to the field just three days before the competition began That’s looking at pressure square in the face and asking for more.