Monthly Archives: May 2011

Wade Payne is a bull rider and a ranch hand. He’s also a cancer survivor. Put everything together, and Payne has an interesting story to tell; the latter is the most provocative, because it’s been a whirlwind experience for the cowboy from Beaver, Okla. Last spring, Payne was diagnosed with cancer, just about the time when he was supposed to be celebrating his 22nd birthday. It meant surgery and chemotherapy, and it was a scariest time of his life. But Payne fought, his smile piercing through the doubt, his swagger of confidence a banner he carried on the outside as he battled the disease. “I don’t know if that helped me all that much, but I think my family was helped as much as anything by seeing me that way,” Payne said Saturday night after the second performance of the Will Rogers Stampede in Claremore, Okla. “They tried to act like it didn’t bother them or that it didn’t scare them – what I was going through – but I could see it.” The reality is there was plenty of fear for Payne, his family and his friends. For cowboys, it isn’t about being fearless; life is about overcoming fear and doing everything possible to get the job done. That’s Payne’s approach, whether he’s climbing over the chutes and onto an 1,800-pound heap of muscle and flesh or whether he’s watching poison drip into a tube that’s attached his blood lines. That’s a champion in my books.

CLAREMORE, Okla. – Caine Riddle wasn’t yet born when his dad, Rusty, qualified for the National Finals Rodeo for the final time. That really doesn’t matter for the Vernon, Texas, cowboy; he’s still carrying on the family legacy quite well. On Sunday night, Riddle rode the Rafter H Rodeo Livestock’s Cat Ballou for 86 points to win the Will Rogers Stampede and $1,160. “Yeah, this is the best year I’ve had to this point,” said Riddle, the 11th ranked bareback rider in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association standings. “I had about $1,000 won this time last year. This year I’ve hit a lick. Once you get a taste of winning, it makes you just try even harder. Once you get some big checks, it makes you want to take it a little more seriously.” The money in Claremore will move Riddle’s 2011 earnings past $22,500. More importantly, it moves the cowboy ever closer to his first qualification to the NFR in Las Vegas. “I don’t think there’s a better way to make a living than riding and spurring bucking horses,” he said. “The more experience you have, the better. I still learn stuff every day. I don’t take nothing for granted. It’s 150 percent effort every time. “I try to stick to the basics, too. I think a lot of guys just get to thinking too much about it. If you just focus on your riding instead of where you are in the standings, you’ll do a lot better.” It sounds like all those years of lessons have paid off. He has been around the sport all his life. In addition to his father, Riddle’s mother, Dollie, was born into the famed Beutler family, which has provided stock for and produced rodeos since 1929. “Everybody knows my dad was a great bareback rider,” he said, noting that Rusty Riddle finished second in the world standings four times. “I don’t feel like have to prove anything. As long as I do the best that I can, I think I’ll be OK.” He will. He’s still making a name for himself, but he’s doing it the right way. That’s just how Dean Gorsuch did when he broke out on the ProRodeo trail nine seasons ago. On Sunday, the two-time world champion from Gering, Neb., clinched the Will Rogers Stampede title for the first time in his career. “It’s a good rodeo, but any rodeo you win is going to be a good rodeo,” said Gorsuch, a five-time NFR qualifier who is a regular fixture at the Ram Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo. “It’s a good circuit rodeo. The circuit’s always important to me.” A big reason is that his family can join him on the rodeo trail when he competes close to home. In Claremore, 6-year-old Taydon was on hand, and he’s joined by 2-year-old Trell and his wife, Bekah, when possible. “The circuit’s a great place to start, too,” Gorsuch said. “You’ve got to start somewhere, and I like going to the circuit rodeos.” Other 2011 Will Rogers Stampede champions are Trevor Brazile, all-around and steer roping; Brad Harrt, tie-down roping; Blake Hughes and Steve Orth, team roping; Carlee Pierce, barrel racing; and Trevor Kastner, bull riding.   Will Rogers Stampede Claremore, Okla. Third performance All-around champion Trevor Brazile, $4,120, tie-down roping and steer and steer roping Bareback riding 1. Caine Riddle, 86 points on Rafter H Rodeo Livestock’s Cat Ballou, $1,160; 2. Ty Breuer, 83, $879; 3. Matt Bright, 79, $632; 4. Bee Jay Scott and Bo Casper, 78, $334; 6. Tanner Aus, 72, $176. Steer wrestling 1. Dean Gorsuch, 3.9 seconds, $1,661; 2. Ricky Riley, 4.2, $1,444; 3. Dru Melvin and Jacob Talley, 4.3, $1,119; 5. Brandon Volker, Zach Cobb and Trey Austin, 4.4, $578; 6. Chance Howard, 4.5, $144. Saddle bronc riding 1. Jacobs Crawley, 80 points on Rafter H Rodeo Livestock’s Spade, $1,458; 2. Cody Angland, 79, $1,104; 3. Doug Aldridge and Jeremiah Diffee, 77, $663; 5. Hardy Braden and Jordan Corrigan, 76, $265. Tie down roping 1. Brad Hartt, 7.8 seconds, $1,825; 2. Trevor Brazile, 8.1, $1,511; 3. Stetson Aldridge, 8.3, $1,196; 4. Chris Neal, 8.5, $881; 5. Trent Creager and Cole Bailey, 8.7, $441. Team roping 1. Blake Hughes/Steve Orth, 5.2 seconds, $2,211; 2. Casper May/Derrick Peterson and Philip McCoy/Brandon Wright, 5.8, $1,862; 4. Troy Kitchener/Chad Mathes and Adam Newcomb/Chad Harper, 6.0, $1,397; 6. Nick Sartain/Kollin VonAhn, 6.1, $1,047; 7. Jimmy Tanner/Manny Egusquiza Jr., 6.2, $815; 8. Trey Robert Harmon/Braden Harmon, 6.3, $582; 9. Justin Turner/Ty Knott, Joshua Tores/Jonathan Torres and Keystone Morgan/Trevor Connolly, $155. Barrel racing 1. Carlee Pierce, 16.96, $1,731; 2. Mary Burger, 17.04, $1,483; 3. Shelley Morgan, 17.11, $1,236; 4. Kaley Bass, 17.12, $1,071; 5. Donna Findlay, Tracy Nowlin and Jessi Eagleberger, 17.28, $659; 8. Sabra O’Quinn, 17.29, $330; 9. Laura Kennedy, 17.30, $247; 10. Robyn Herring, 17.31, $165. Bull riding 1. Trevor Kastner, 87 points on Rafter H Rodeo Livestock’s Too Salty, $1,442; 2. L.J. Jenkins and Austin Ambrose, 82, $940; 4. Wade Payne, 80, $524; 5. Jeff Askey, 72, $306; 6. Rankin Lindsey, 69, $219.

I’ve uploaded more PHOTOS from the Will Rogers Stampede in Claremore, Okla.

CLAREMORE, Okla. – Droughts are part of any sport, and the biggest factor in overcoming them is confidence. Take Brad Hartt, a tie-down roper from Sebring, Fla. He’s been roping well; he just hasn’t done so well in securing that quality calf on which to compete. The animals and the contestants are matched together by a blind draw, and it hasn’t treated Harrt so well recently. That changed Saturday night during the second performance of the Will Rogers Stampede, where Hartt posted a 7.8-second run to rip the lead from 14-time world champion Trevor Brazile. He’ll wait out about a dozen more cowboys for Sunday’s final performance, set for 7:30 p.m. at Will Rogers Stampede Arena. “I just had a good calf,” said Hartt, a three-time Southeastern Circuit champion. “I’ve been waiting on him all week.” That’s a testament to the sometimes-frustrating game cowboys play in the world of rodeo. But perseverance also is part of the equation. Hartt has stayed close to home for most of his eight-year career, but he’s finished in the top 50 in the tie-down roping standings three times. That’s pretty good for a cowboy who has missed most of the last two years of competition. “I just stayed home and worked,” said Hartt, who runs a 1,500-head cow-calf ranch. “I’ll go some this year.” And like every man in the game, there are plenty of dreams of playing on its biggest stage, the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. “That’s always my goal,” he said. “Right now, I just want to win my circuit again.” Hartt wasn’t the only cowboy Saturday night who took the lead in his respective event. Bull rider Wade Payne of Beaver, Okla., rode Rafter H Rodeo Livestock’s Hot Wheels for 80 points to move atop the leaderboard in bull riding. Payne, who just last spring was diagnosed with cancer, is back to the business of rodeo. “My plan this year is to go as much as I can and get my qualifications up,” said Payne, 23, noting that the top 45 cowboys in the final world standings earn the right to compete at most of the big-money rodeos for the following year. “I’d love to make the NFR this year, and if it works out, great. But I just want to be able to go to San Antonio and those rodeos next year.” Bareback riding leaders 1. 1. Ty Breuer, 83 points on Western Trails’ Lorra Belle; 2. Tanner Aus, 72; 3. Blade Elliott, 69; 4. Nate Moore, 59; no other qualified rides. Steer wrestling leaders 1. Ricky Riley, 4.2 seconds; 2. Dru Melvin and Jacob Talley, 4.3; 4. Zach Cobb and Trey Austin, 4.4; 6. Chance Howard, 4.5. Saddle bronc riding leaders 1. Jacobs Crawley, 80 points on Rafter H Rodeo Livestock’s Spade; 2. Cody Angland, 79; 3. Doug Aldridge and Jeremiah Diffee, 77; 5. Hardy Braden and Jordan Corrigan, 76. Tie down roping leaders 1. Brad Hartt, 7.8 seconds; 2. Trevor Brazile, 8.1; 3. Stetson Aldreidge, 8.3; 4. Chris Neal, 8.5; 5. Trent Creager and Cole Bailey, 8.7; 6. Payden Emmett, 9.0. Team roping leaders 1. Blake Hughes/Steve Orth, 5.2 seconds; 2. Casper May/Derrick Peterson and Philip McCoy/Brandon Wright, 5.8; 4. Troy Kitchener/Chad Mathes and Adam Newcomb/Chad Harper, 6.0; 6. Nick Sartain/Kollin VonAhn, 6.1. Barrel racing leaders 1. Carlee Pierce, 16.96; 2. Mary Burger, 17.04; 3. Shelley Morgan, 17.11 seconds; 4. Kaley Bass, 17.12; 5. Tracy Nowlin and Jessi Eagleberger, 17.28; 6. Sabra O’Quinn, 17.29; 7. Robyn Herring, 17.31; 8. Jeannie McKee, 17.32; 9. Tana Renick, 17.38; 10. Rachelle Holt, 17.45. Bull riding Leaders 1. Wade Payne, 80 on Rafter H Rodeo’s Hot Wheels; 2. Jeff Askey, 72; 3. Corey Navarre, 68; no other qualified rides.

CLAREMORE, Okla. – Trevor Brazile owns the most prestigious record in ProRodeo with his eight all-around world championships. He’s closing in on several more. Brazile, of Decatur, Texas, has earned 14 gold buckles in his 15-year Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association career, including three tie-down roping titles, two steer roping championships and a team roping-heading victory. He’s won two Triple Crowns – earning three world championships in a single season – doing so in 2007 and 2010. During Thursday’s opening day of competition at the Will Rogers Stampede, Brazile won steer roping, earning the first-round victory and placing third in the second round. In all, he added $2,609 to his season earnings. It marks the fifth time this season he has earned a steer roping title, adding to victories in San Antonio; Odessa, Texas; Bridgeport, Texas; and Guymon, Okla. Overall, Brazile has earned 18 rodeo titles this season, nine of which are all-around crowns. He’s earned more than $107,000. Less than a month ago in Guymon, he added the team roping title roping with Patrick Smith, and pocketed more than $14,000 to earn the all-around championship, a mini Triple Crown. He’s well on his way to earning another. In addition to his steer roping victory, Brazile posted an 8.1-second run in tie-down roping and carries that lead heading into the final two performances in Claremore, set for 7:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Whatever money earned in that event likely will push Brazile to his 10th all-around victory in 2011. Will Rogers Stampede Claremore, Okla. Steer roping First round 1. Trevor Brazile, 10.8, $983; 2. Rocky Patterson, 12.2, $813; 3. Cody Scheck, 13.6, $644; 4. Cody Lee, 14.0, $474; 5. Rod Hartness, 14.1, $305; 6. Brad Prather, 15.1, $169. Second round 1. Jason Stockton, 10.7, $983; 2. Will Gasperson, 10.8, $813; 3. Trevor Brazile, 11.3, $644; 4. J. Paul Williams, 11.5, $474; 5. Cody Lee, 11.7, $305; 6. Worm Shipley, 11.8, $169. Average 1. Trevor Brazile, 22.1, $983; 2. Cody Lee, 25.7, $813; 3. Rocky Patterson, 26.4, $644; 4. Chuck Thompson, 31.1, $474; 5. Brady Garten, 33.2, $305; 6. Mike Chase, 34.0, $169.

Go to www.WillRogersStampede.com and take a look at the photos we’ve got so far from the rodeo in Claremore.

CLAREMORE, Okla. – In essence, Ricky Riley’s life changed several years ago when he moved from his native New Mexico to Checotah, Okla. The steer wrestler wanted to be one of the best, so he decided to learn from the best, and every one of them seemed to be from that small eastern Oklahoma community known as the Bulldogging Capital of the World. “I used to come over here, and they just took my money time after time,” said Riley, who posted a 4.2-second run Friday on opening night of the Will Rogers Stampede to take the steer wrestling lead. “When you’re there, you’re surrounded by all those guys, and you take it all in.” Riley did. In fact, he won the Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo in 2005. In his eight-year ProRodeo career, Riley has traveled the country chasing his gold-buckle dreams. But life continues to change. Rodeo isn’t the most important thing in Riley’s life; that little piece of his heart belongs to his wife of seven years, Kristie, and their son, Grant, born just 13 days ago. “This is my first PRCA rodeo of the year,” Riley said, referring to the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, the premier sanctioning body in the sport. “Between my work and with him coming along, I just haven’t gone.” Riley works for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and was recently transferred to the office in Chandler, Okla., a 95-mile commute until the family can find a home. But he found his way to Claremore in an effort to finally earn a paycheck at this rodeo. “Memorial Day Weekend is such a good weekend around here,” he said, noting that there are events in Hinton, Okla., and Tonganoxie, Kan., this weekend, and the rodeo in nearby Fort Smith, Ark., begins Monday. “Since I bought my permit in 2002, I haven’t missed a year of this rodeo, but I’ve never done any good here either. “This has always been a really good rodeo, but I’ve just never done well here.” That’s about to change. Riley will have to wait out two more performances, set for 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, to see if any of the other 22 bulldoggers in the field can move him off the top of the leaderboard. Still, Riley is content in his lifestyle. He’ll try to go to 40 rodeos this year, unlike the years when he hit the road for tens of thousands of miles and 150 steer wrestling runs a year. He’ll enjoy sharing his time with his growing son. And just like many of the top contestants in the game, he’s already making plans to be in Claremore in 2012. “We decided to raise a family and stick around the circuit, stay close to the house,” he said. “That’s fine by me.” Will Rogers Stampede Claremore, Okla. First performance Bareback riding leaders 1. 1. Ty Breuer, 83 points on Western Trails’ Lorra Belle; 2. Tanner Aus, 72; no other qualified rides. Steer wrestling leaders 1. Ricky Riley, 4.2 seconds; 2. Dru Melvin and Jacob Talley, 4.3; 4. Zach Cobb and Trey Austin, 4.4; 6. Chancey Larson, 5.0. Saddle bronc riding leaders 1. Jacobs Crawley, 80 points on Rafter H Rodeo Livestock’s Spade; 2. Cody Angland, 79; 3. Bobby Griswold, 75; 4. Sterling Crawley, 74; 5. Tyrel Larsen, 73. Tie down roping leaders 1. Trevor Brazile, 8.1; 2. Chris Neal, 8.5; 3. Trent Creager and Cole Bailey, 8.7; 4. Payden Emmett, 9.0; 5. Blake Eliason, 9.5; 6. Steve Brickey, 10.5. Team roping leaders 1. Blake Hughes/Steve Orth, 5.2 seconds; 2. Casper May/Derrick Peterson, 5.8; 3. Adam Newcomb/Chad Harper, 6.0; 4. Nick Sartain/Kollin VonAhn, 6.1; 5. Jimmy Tanner, Manuel Egusquiza, 6.2. Barrel racing leaders 1. Shelley Morgan, 17.11 seconds; 2. Jessi Eagleberger, 17.28; 3. Jeannie McKee, 17.32; 4. Tana Renick, 17.38; 5. Rachelle Holt, 17.45; 6. Keely Weger, 17.48. Bull riding leaders 1. Corey Navarre, 68; no other qualified rides. Steer roping First round: 1. Trevor Brazile, 10.8, $983; 2. Rocky Patterson, 12.2, $813; 3. Cody Scheck, 13.6, $644; 4. Cody Lee, 14.0, $474; 5. Rod Hartness, 14.1, $305; 6. Brad Prather, 15.1, $169. Second round: 1. Jason Stockton, 10.7, $983; 2. Will Gasperson, 10.8, $813; 3. Trevor Brazile, 11.3, $644; 4. J. Paul Williams, 11.5, $474; 5. Cody Lee, 11.7, $305; 6. Worm Shipley, 11.8, $169. Average: 1. Trevor Brazile, 22.1, $983; 2. Cody Lee, 25.7, $813; 3. Rocky Patterson, 26.4, $644; 4. Chuck Thompson, 31.1, $474; 5. Brady Garten, 33.2, $305; 6. Mike Chase, 34.0, $169.

What a busy and wonderful day in Claremore, where competition has begun for the 65th edition of the Will Rogers Stampede. Announcer Scott Grover and I were part of the KITO morning broadcast in Vinita, Okla., then we stopped in wonderful Chelsea, Okla., to have breakfast with our dear friend, Donna McSpadden. We hung out there and checked out all the fantastic memorabilia inside the McSpadden & Associates office. If you’re in the Tulsa area Friday, check us out on TV. Heck, DVR it for me and send me the DVD. Kristin Tallent will be at the arena interviewing Gizmo McCracken sometime after 8 a.m., and Scott Grover and I will be on KTUL-Channel 8 between 9 and 10. Then come on out to the rodeo. It’ll be a whale of a show.

Kansas City Royals great Paul Splittorff died today after a battle with oral cancer and melanoma. He was an original Royal, drafted in 1968, and he played all 14 years in Kansas City. Even after he retired from playing, he stayed with the game and has served as one of the voices of the Royals on radio and TV broadcasts. Many might recall Split’s voice on college basketball games, but he was a major piece of the Royals for decades. No matter which play-by-play guy called the games, Split provided deft analysis and was as critical of the Royals in their struggles as he was in his applause in their success — realistically, there hasn’t been much success in the franchise in many years, but you get the point. I reflect on that because the Royals have been my baseball team since my childhood, and Paul Splittorff has been part of my life nearly all of my life. He was, and still is, an icon. Today I make my way to the northeastern Oklahoma hamlet of Claremore for the Will Rogers Stampede, just a 20-minute drive from the home of Clem McSpadden, the voice of ProRodeo. My first trip to Rogers County came in July 2008, when my wife and I attended Clem’s funeral. The strongest supporter in rodeo had lost his battle with cancer, and I needed to say goodbye to my friend. Today, though, I rejoice. I celebrate the men Paul Splittorff and Clem McSpadden were, and I thank them.

I’m getting the rig packed and ready to head to Claremore, Okla., for the 65th edition of the Will Rogers Stampede. Of course, I’m well aware of the severe weather throughout this region of the world, just two days removed from the deadly tornado that hit Joplin, Mo., and killed at least 123 people. Although that would’ve been along my chosen path from home to Claremore, I’ve opted to take an alternate route through eastern Kansas instead. I’ve spent most of my life in the area called Tornado Ally, so this is nothing new to me. I saw my first tornado in the lat 1970s when we lived in Texarkana, Texas, and I even outran a storm one Sunday afternoon in the mid-1990s: I was leaving my parents’ home in Leoti, Kan., in order to get to my post in Dodge City, Kan., when I heard the distinct sound of a weather advisory indicating a tornado was on the ground north-northeast of Leoti. I thought, “That should be to my left.” Yep, it was. Gas pedal meet floorboard. I drove as fast as I could, slowing down only for other traffic and the towns en route, all the while listening to the weather reports on the radio. As I took 90-degree turns to make my way to Dodge City, the storm took the direct path over the countryside. I wheeled into the parking lot at the Dodge City Daily Globe, ran inside and into the storm shelter in the building’s basement just as that same tornado hit. In Oklahoma, a tornado watch is an indicator for residents to hurry home so they could barbecue and watch the storm brewing. But tornadoes are no joking manner. A friend posted on Facebook today that his home in western Oklahoma took a direct hit and that one horse had been killed. The Weather Channel is reporting that at least one fatality has been reported from the tornado that hit near El Reno, Okla. There is a beauty about the storms. I prefer to see that beauty from a distance, and I pray for those affected.

CLAREMORE, Okla. – Rodeo is America’s original extreme sport, and every year its greatest athletes make their way to Rogers County to fight for the thousands of dollars in prize money available at the Will Rogers Stampede. This year marks the 65th anniversary of Claremore’s rodeo, and the producers of the annual event are making the celebration a showcase for everyone in the region. “We know we’ve got a great show with the competition, but we want to give the fans everything they’re looking for in the way of entertainment,” said David Petty, the rodeo’s chairman. Sky-diver Bobby Reid will be parachuting the U.S. flag as part of an elaborate opening during each of the three performances of the rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Friday-Sunday at Will Rogers Stampede Arena just off East Blue Starr Drive in Claremore. “Bobby does this kind of thing at events all across the country, and we wanted to kick off each night of our rodeo with a bang,” Petty said. “I think this is a great way to honor America and to honor our sport of rodeo.” The Will Rogers Stampede will feature outstanding athletes, both human and animal. From the talented bucking horses and bulls to the phenomenal timed-event horses that make the difference in a championship and finishing out of the money. There will be plenty of horse power this year with a record 564 entries. Quite possibly the fastest animals in the competition will be in barrel racing, an event sanctioned by the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association. In fact, the ladies in the organization rewarded the Will Rogers Stampede with its 2010 Justin Best Footing award for the Prairie Circuit, the ProRodeo region involving contestants and events from Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. “The ground is a big deal in every timed event in rodeo, but good ground is essential in barrel racing,” said Tana Poppino, a three-time qualifier to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. “Without quality ground, it can really make a difference in the competition.” The recognition is quite an honor for the volunteers who work hard all year to provide the best opportunity for all those contestants. “When you look at the hours these people put in to make that ground so good, you know how much work it took,” Petty said. “It’s a pretty special feeling that the WPRA selected our rodeo, because it was a statement made by the competitors, the ladies that ran at our rodeo and all the other rodeos in the circuit.”

When Matt Bright won the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo in the Oklahoma Panhandle earlier this month, it was a great sign for the Tennessee cowboy who now lives near Fort Worth, Texas. Bright suffered a fracture of his lumbar spine last December when the Carr Pro Rodeo horse Real Deal rared in the chute during the eighth go-round of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. He spent a lot of time on the sidelines, but since he returned to the game, he’s earned two bareback riding victories – in Guymon and in Shreveport, La. Still, his late start means he has a lot of ground to make up if he intends to finish the 2011 regular season among the top 15 in the world standings, thereby earning his second straight trip to the NFR. “Look at Justin McDaniel,” Bright said of the 2008 bareback riding world champion. “He doesn’t even start rodeoing hard until later in the year, but he still makes the finals.” In fact, McDaniel had back surgery in February 2010 and didn’t return to competition until June. Still, he earned nearly $82,000 in less than four months, qualified for the NFR, then won the average during the 10-round championship. McDaniel won more than $103,000 last December in Vegas and moved to No. 2 in the world standings. That”s motivation for some, but they have to look on the Bright side. Matt sure does.

Casey Sisk has always been a cowboy. That’s just the way of life for the Corona, N.M., man, who is still looking for his breakout season in ProRodeo. Sisk is hot on the rodeo trail this season, traveling the circuit with some of the best in the business: Cody Taton, the 2009 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo saddle bronc riding winner who serves as the event representative; Taos Muncy, three-time NFR qualifier who won the world title in 2007; and Isaac Diaz, two-time NFR qualifier. This isn’t Sisk’s rookie year, but it seems like it. The 25-year-old cowboy has spent the last couple of seasons on the sideline trying to overcome injuries, so this year he’s trying to compensate for time lost. That means hauling from one rodeo to another with some of the best in the game. “Taos and I grew up together, and we’ve practiced together since we were little,” Sisk said. “It’s good to be able to travel with guys like that. Your buddies give you that motivation to want to do good.” So how did Sisk join the crew? “I asked Cody and Taos last year that, since I was healthy, if I could jump in with them,” he said.  “I think my riding has improved tremendously just by going with them guys. It’s been good getting that motivation and mental game back.”

I’m a writer. I make a living putting words together in order to tell stories, share experiences and arouse passions. There are no words that will take away the pain of loss, and in the case of the family and friends of Kim Asay, I offer my prayers and my heart to you in her death. Kim, the mother of NFR qualifer Kanin Asay and bronc rider Kaleb Asay, died Wednesday in a horse-related accident. I never got to know Kim, but I’m proud to say I’ve become acquainted with Kanin, a wonderful bull rider and, from many others tell me, one of the best people this world has. He’s polite, he’s kind and he’s giving. He’s also a Christian, and I suspect he and others will lean heavily on their faith in the coming days. Tragedy is nothing new in the world of rodeo, but this is a case where I reach into my “thankful” bag and appreciate all the things I have close to me. I hope you do, too.

CLAREMORE, Okla. – Jerry Wayne Olson is an entertainer who loves it when thousands of people crowd around an arena to watch him work. But that’s not his favorite part of being a specialty act in ProRodeo. “I just love being around the horses and livestock and being able to do what you do,” said Olson, who will be featured at the 2011 Will Rogers Stampede, which will have three performances set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 27-Sunday, May 29, at Will Rogers Stampede Arena just off East Blue Starr Drive in Claremore. “As far as the entertaining part of the job, we want to entertain the people and have them satisfied. For me, though, it’s as much about working with the animals as anything. I enjoy working with the horses and the other animals.” Olson Specialty Acts has been in the entertainment business for decades, and Olson has been at it almost all of his life. He started at 18 months old when he would sit on his father’s shoulders as his dad rode on the back of two horses. The rodeo entertainment business seemed to come easily for Olson, who travels the circuit with his wife, Judy, whom he met at a rodeo in southwestern Iowa in the mid-1970s. “In college, I started Roman riding,” he said, referring to the method of riding two horses while standing with one leg on each animal. “I’ve just been around a long time. I got my pro card in 1974.” In his nearly 40 years in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, Olson has been heavily involved in the sport. He was one of the organization’s directors for a number of years, and he’s worked hundreds of rodeos. In fact, this isn’t his first stop in Rogers County. “We’ve had Jerry Wayne before when he had his buffalo act,” said Bob Morton, co-chairman of the volunteer committee that produces the annual rodeo. “In fact, his dad brought his buffalo act here before. They’re good showmen, and they’re good people.” In 1988, he was named the PRCA’s Specialty Act of the Year, and recently he worked the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. He has a liberty horse act with his pal, Justin Boots, an 18-year-old palomino; a miniature horse act with Scout; and a trick roping act, something that might be special for folks who know their Rogers County history and Will Rogers. “Jerry Wayne is an icon in the rodeo specialty act business,” said Scott Grover, the Stampede’s arena announcer. “He’s been around forever. It’s always an honor to get to work with someone who has been to the NFR and worked every big rodeo in the world. He is a future hall-of-famer.” Jerry Wayne and Judy Olson shared their talents with fans for years. By 1980, Judy was Roman riding in their act, and she did it until the early 1990s. When Jerry Wayne realized knee injuries wouldn’t allow his own Roman riding, he focused on working with animals. His first liberty horse act introduced the world to Dude, and it wasn’t long before the family tradition of having a trained buffalo was part of his act, too. “I worked both Dude and the buffalo until about 1999, then I started working on this horse, Justin Boots,” said Olson, who points out that his wife’s role in the show has changed over the show. “She refers to herself as the PPP, the Professional Prop Person. People don’t realize that driving the truck for J.B. to jump into is very hard. You can’t go too fast or too slow; you’ve got to be consistent all the time. Plus she handles everything. I don’t have to worry about anything because she has everything ready for me.” The work hasn’t always been very easy. Olson’s knees got so bad a dozen years ago that he retired. In 2001, he had both knees replaced. After a few years away from the game, his body felt good enough to take to the road again, and he works up to 40 events a year. “I decided I feel so good that I’d go out and take off like a mad man,” he said. “This is what I’ve always done, and I like it. I like the cowboys and the committeemen. I like the people. People are involved in this sport because they love it, and that’s the same with me. “Rodeo is a love industry; you’ve got to love it to do it.” That passion, it seems, has been passed along the branches of the family tree, but also it’s something Olson shares with the animals that are part of the act, especially Justin Boots. “The only drawback to J.B. is he’s a little bit on the lazy side,” Olson said. “Other than that’s, he’s been a really good horse. He likes what he does and is very responsive.” And he’s very talented, just like Olson.

CLAREMORE, Okla. – There’s a lot of history in the Will Rogers Stampede PRCA Rodeo, and Dell Hall has seen his share. Hall is the owner of Rafter H Rodeo Livestock Co., and he’s been the stock contractor for the Claremore annual rodeo since 1975, his first year in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. “Claremore was the first PRCA rodeo that my dad actually had on his own,” said Shelley Hall, Dell’s daughter and a key member of the stock-contracting firm. “He signed a contract with them the very first year he was a member of the PRCA. We have been here ever since.” And that means a lot to the locals in Rogers County, too. “The first contract was written on a paper napkin at Dot’s Café,” said David Petty, chairman of the rodeo, which will have performances beginning at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 27-Sunday, May 29. Over the years, Rafter H has consistently had some of the best bucking animals in the region, if not the entire country. Two bulls, No. 105 and Skoal’s King Kong, were named the best in the PRCA – 105 in 1981 and ’84, and Skoal’s King Kong in 1998 – and the horse Alibi was the saddle bronc riding horse of the year in 1983. Those are just the top of the list of honors for the Halls’ animal athletes. Headquartered in Tahlequah, Okla., Rafter H was formed in 1961. The 49 years since have seen Hall bucking beasts in some of the biggest rodeos in the country, including those that are voted by the cowboys to be part of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, the year-ending championship that has taken place in Las Vegas since 1985. “He consistently has as even a pen of bucking stock as anybody in the business,” Petty said. “It’s an honor to have your stock at the NFR, and he consistently sends them there and to the Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo. “Dell’s always done a good job for us in Claremore. He’s always done what he said he was going to do.” That, it seems, is part of the package for people who hire Rafter H. “To put on a good rodeo, you have to have a good crew – the people you have working for you and the people you are working with,” Shelley Hall said. “Everyone has to be on the same page for your rodeo to be the best and to be successful. “The goal is to put on the best rodeo you can to make people want to come back each year.” That method seems to work pretty well at the Will Rogers Stampede, now in its 65th year. The love of the rodeo has been passed along the generations. “I think what’s special about the Will Rogers Stampede is that it is a homecoming to all the rodeo and ranching people in the area,” Shelley Hall said. “Every year, you see people you haven’t seen in years, and they all gather at the rodeo to visit and see old friends. Lots of old cowboys that competed at the rodeo over the years show up to watch the bucking horses and bulls. “Dad always wants to put on the very best rodeo he can at Claremore, because the people in the stands know a good rodeo when they see it.”

CLAREMORE, Okla. – Greek Ellick Sr. lives here, just like many members of his family. Originally from Verdigris, this part of Oklahoma is home. Before retiring to the Claremore Nursing Home, he was a rodeo clown and a spur maker, recognized as one of the best in the country. Now his son, Greek Ellick Jr., carries on that family tradition, donning greasepaint for rodeo arenas across the country when he’s not tooling with metal. On Memorial Day weekend, the younger generation returns to his Claremore roots to fight bulls and entertain the crowds at the Will Rogers Stampede PRCA Rodeo. “I love what I do,” said Ellick Jr., who will fight bulls with Josh Rivinius of Elgin, N.D., during the three performances that start at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 27-Sunday, May 29. “I’m going to clown rodeos and fight bulls. That’s what I was born and bred to do. I realized the love for the sport and what I enjoy doing, so I’m doing it. “I was fortunate enough to be good enough to do it for a living. I’ve had a really neat career. The future is really wide open.” The younger Ellick was born in Claremore in 1964 and graduated high school in Dexter, Kan. He attended Butler County Community College in El Dorado, Kan., chasing his dreams and living the life he’d seen for so many years. “I went to college on a rodeo scholarship, working all three roughstock events,” he said. “Then I picked up my (bullfighting) baggies and pursued my career in rodeo as fast and hard as I could run. My dad was a rodeo clown, so I’m a second-generation rodeo clown and bullfighter. I’m from the old school, where you put on the makeup to make ’em laugh, then at the end of the rodeo you scare ’em.” Rivinius first came to Claremore in 2003 and has shown so much ability in so many aspects of the job that he’s still part of the show. “They keep having me back, so I keep coming back,” said Rivinius, 33. “It’s a good rodeo to come back to with all the history there. It’s got a lot of good people on the committee.” The Dakotan got his start in the rodeo business as a lad, competing through high school-level competitions. “I grew up in a rodeo, ranchy family,” he said. “After I graduated high school, I decided I wanted to fight bulls. I went to a three-day school, and it just took off from there.” Over his career, he’s been named the North Dakota bullfighter of the year six times and has fought at the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association tour finale in Omaha, Neb., twice. He’s also worked the Badlands Circuit Finals Rodeo five times. “I think to be a good bullfighter, it’s just being able to read animals and playing it out in your head before it all happens, then reacting when it happens,” Rivinius said, referring to the turmoil that is involved in bull riding, especially the undecided nature of when or how the bull rider gets off the animal. “Watching everything as it unfolds, and you just pick your shot where you need to go. If you just go back to the basics, it all kind of takes care of itself.” This year marks the third straight that Ellick returns to work his hometown rodeo. It’s not only a family reunion, but also a working reunion, because Ellick will reconnect with Rivinius the event’s stock provider, Dell Hall and the Rafter H Rodeo Livestock Co. “We actually work a lot of Dell Hall rodeos together, so I get to see all those folks again,” Ellick said. “Josh is great. There are those certain guys you don’t click with in the arena, but Josh is not one of those. You look forward to seeing him, and you look forward to fighting bulls with him. “He’s probably one of the most on-time bullfighters out there in terms of being in the right position when he needs to be.” That’s an important aspect in bullfighting, where the contestants try to gain control of the nearly two tons of bucking beast to help keep the bull riders and others in the arena out of harm’s way. The bullfighters use tremendous athleticism and have no problem using their hands to get the bull’s attention away from a fallen cowboy. “It definitely makes it easier when you’re working with somebody you get along with or you know is going to be holding up his end of the deal,” Rivinius said. “Greek and I have worked tog ether a good handful of times, and when you’re with him, everybody knows what they’re doing.” Ellick feels the same way. “If I ever get knocked down, I don’t have to worry about it because I know Josh will be there,” Ellick said. “As a bullfighter, you know you can take that extra step and get in a little deeper because you know you’ve got someone in the arena who’s got your back.” Over his career, Ellick said, he’s been tremendously blessed. By following in his father’s footsteps, he’s seen nearly everything before in some fashion or another. “Most guys don’t’ get the opportunity to work with their dad and just enjoy them for the professionals that they are,” he said. “I respected my dad very highly I the arena. He was extremely good at what he did, and I took all the good points I could and applied it to what I do. I try to learn something from everybody I work with and apply it to what I’m doing.” And like Ellick, Rivinius’ return to Rogers County is like old-home week. “I’ve been there long enough that I know a lot of people in Claremore,” Rivinius said. “The hospitality there is second to none. It’s just like coming home for the family reunion.”

LAMONI, Iowa – There’s something about the rodeo dust on the rodeo trail that gets into a cowboy’s blood. That’s the life Talton Toney lives, whether it’s on his place just north of Lamoni or while producing bull ridings, barrel races and rodeos throughout the Midwest. It’s a lifestyle, too, and something Toney carries proudly with his wife, Terri, and their children. “This is what I love to do,” said Toney, who operates T&C Rodeo Co. with his wife. Together with partners from throughout the community, T&C Rodeo is producing the fourth annual Lamoni Bulls & Barrels Bash beginning at 7 p.m. Sunday, May 29. The bull riding will be sanctioned by the Crossroads Pro Rodeo Association, and the barrel racing will be sanctioned by the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association. That just adds to the excitement, because an event like this will draw the very best in the business to south central Iowa. “We try to put on the best show possible in Lamoni, since it’s my hometown,” said Toney, who has partnered with several local businesses in producing this year’s festivities. “It’s great that American State Bank has stepped on board with us this year, along with the Lamoni Livestock Auction, Bank of the West and KAAN, the radio station out of Bethany. We’ve also had a long relationship with Pettijohn Auto Center in Bethany, which is part of the Ram Rodeo program. “We’ve got several other local organizations that will be part of the program, and I’m excited to have them all on board.” The focus of the entertainment package will be the dangerous bull riding action inside the arena, where 140-pound cowboys try to match their skills against some of the most ruthless bucking beasts in the land. In addition, the Lamoni Bulls & Barrels Bash will feature the extreme speed of WPRA barrel racing, where cowgirls will circle the cloverleaf pattern horseback in mind-altering speeds. The fastest run wins. This is all the creation of Toney, who began his rodeo career nearly 30 years ago riding steers. In fact, he was a champion steer rider, an event set for the youth who hope to ride bucking bulls and horses as they grow older. That’s just what Toney did. “I rode bulls and bareback horses, and I started in 1991,” he said. “Then I got hurt, stepped on. I took some time off because I was expected to have a liver transplant, then the liver started heeling itself so I didn’t have to have one.” Toney was also involved in a horrific car wreck in 1993 that put him in a coma for 10 days. He bounced back from it all and competed in rodeo until three years ago. “I won a lot of rodeos but never won any year-end titles,” Toney said. “But when you’re around rodeo, you see what makes it special. That’s what I want to bring to our events, especially the one in my hometown.”

Trevor Brazile became the first $4 million cowboy, surpassing the mark this weekend. See the story HERE.

Many of the great storylines in rodeo are about the overall toughness of the cowboys and cowgirls that are part of the sport. They know how to work hard, and they realize that hard work is what it takes to be successful. They have the mindset it takes to block out the pain in order to take care of business, whether it’s caring for livestock or riding a wild, bucking beast. Chaney Latham is a cowgirl who comes from a ranch-raised family. Both her parents were raised on ranches, Lori in South Dakota and Craig in Wyoming. They moved to Texas County, Okla., in 1980s to attend Oklahoma Panhandle State University, and they’ve remained in Goodwell, Okla., since. That’s where Chaney and her younger sister, Sadie, have been raised. It’s also where they continue the legacy of being cowgirls. One aspect of that job, especially for the Lathams, is rodeo. Craig Latham was a nine-time saddle bronc riding qualifier to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Now he’s the rodeo coach at his alma mater. One of his prized student-athletes is Chaney. A few weeks ago during the Panhandle State rodeo, the final event of the Central Plains Region season, Chaney was competing in team roping with her boyfriend, Tyrel Larsen. As she roped, her right thumb became entangled in the lasso; she was yanked off her horse and drug across the arena. This was a freak deal, but it sometimes happens in the roping world. Oftentimes the digit is severed, and there are plenty of great team ropers who have learned to compete at a high level with either a portion of the thumb or without it altogether. Fortunately for Chaney Latham, the thumb remained attached in the horrifying incident, but it was broken to the point that surgery was required. Asked if she’ll compete in team roping, Chaney just shrugs and says her mom is strongly suggesting she not. I’m eager to hear the final take, but I’d lean toward Lori’s suggestion. I’m a dad; I’m supposed to think that way. Besides, I type for a living. I’d like to keep my digits attached if at all possible.

CLAREMORE, Okla. – Bob and Alice Morton knew they’d be part of the Rodeo Legends Banquet produced by the Will Rogers Roundup Club. They’ve been part of the organization for nearly 35 years, so being involved comes with the territory. When they learned they were part of the inductees into this year’s hall of fame class, there was an element of surprise. “I was floored,” Alice Morton said. “I really think Bob should’ve been honored, but not necessarily me. He’s done so much for this rodeo.” That he has. Since moving to Rogers County in the mid-1970s, Bob Morton has been a big part of the organization that produces the annual Will Rogers Stampede, this year celebrating its 65th year with three performance set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 27-Sunday, May 29. He’s heavily involved in getting everything ready for the record number of contestants and the fans who will flock to town. “Being inducted is a matter of respect and pride in what we’ve done with the rodeo and, hopefully, for the community,” said Bob Morton, co-chairman of the rodeo who has spent more than two decades as the rodeo’s chairman. “We moved here in 1974 from western Oklahoma via Shawnee. I was raised on a ranch in Custer County. “I’d been involved in rodeo before, so when we got here, I got involved in the Chelsea Roundup Club and the Claremore roundup club. I wanted to stay involved in ProRodeo, and ultimately, I was the rodeo chairman for 23 years.” But he’s had a lot of help over the year, primarily with his partner in life. “I couldn’t have done it without her,” he said of Alice. “She’s been an integral part of it from the beginning. She’s stuck through a lot of things and has been a very helpful partner.” That’s the way life works in these parts. It takes hard work, sometimes, but the passions behind it all should be celebrated. “Bob was always very helpful in making this a great rodeo,” said David Petty, the rodeo chairman. “He put in a long time as chairman of this rodeo, and when I came on board, I basically went back to him to come back in and share his expertise to help us. He’d been there before, and I had a lot of deep respect for Bob, who knows what it takes to make it a great event.” The proof is in the years of sweat poured into the rodeo, the rodeo arena and the roundup club. The proof is in the 564 entries in this year’s rodeo and the Justin Best Footing award in the Prairie Circuit, awarded by the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association in 2010. “It’s just a way to stay involved in a sport we both love and respect,” Bob Morton said. “You get to stay involved with the pole you’ve been involved with, and you get to be around good people. Our kids were raised up in this arena, too. Both Deann and Greg helped around here. “A lot of other people in the roundup club have been a lot of help, too. Over the years, Tommy and JoAnn Orr, Joe and Wahnee Tanner and Earl and Nita Chambers have all worked their butts off promoting the roundup club and the Will Rogers Stampede through the years.” The Mortons were honored during the Rodeo Legends Banquet with world champion ropers Guy Allen, Roy Cooper and Shoat Webster. “It was a great honor to be included with people like that,” Bob Morton said. “We happen to know all those guys, so that made it even better.”

CLAREMORE, Okla. – Trevor Brazile is a record-breaking world champion cowboy. For folks in northeast Oklahoma, he’s also one aspect of the record 564 entries at this year’s Will Rogers Stampede, which will feature 26 world championships and dozens of qualifiers to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and the Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer roping. “We’ve always had some of the greatest cowboys in the world come to Claremore,” said David Petty, the rodeo’s chairman. “I think we represent the best rodeo has to offer, and the fans will get to see that.” Brazile owns 14 Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association world championships and has earned nearly $4 million over a 15-year career. Last year alone, he won the team roping-heading, tie-down roping and all-around world championships, the second time in four years he collected the coveted Triple Crown, collecting a record $507,921. He’s one of two cowboys in the history of the PRCA to have qualified for the national finals in all four roping disciplines – heading, heeling, calf roping and steer roping. The Will Rogers Stampede will have three performances set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 27-Sunday, May 29. Claremore will be the weekend home to some of the greatest cowboys and cowgirls going down the rodeo trail today. “I think that’s definitely the most entries we’ve ever had,” said Bob Morton, the rodeo’s co-chairman who has been part of the Will Rogers Roundup Club for more than 30 years. “It shows that this rodeo has enough respect from the contestants that they want to come here. We want to put on the best show in the area to try to differentiate from the many amateur rodeos right around here. “The fans that come here will know right away they’re seeing the best rodeo around.” While the performances take place over Memorial Day weekend, the competition actually begins Thursday, May 26, with non-performance competition known as slack – there will be more entrants into the timed events of the competition than will fit in one of the three performances, so the remainder of the contestants will make their runs throughout the day. The evening competition will feature tie-down roping and steer roping. “It provides opportunities for more contestants,” Petty said. “Each contestant pays an entry fee in order to compete, and that fee goes into the prize money along with our committee purse. The more contestants in each event, the bigger the purse will be.” And with a good number of world champions in the field, there is plenty of drama in the competition. Brazile, for example, owns a record eight all-around championships. In 2010, he surpassed roughstock legend Ty Murray, who earned his seventh all-around gold buckle in 1998. Brazile is joined by several other contestants who wear those coveted and elusive buckles, like two-time and reigning steer wrestling champion Dean Gorsuch, two-time barrel racing champion Brittany Pozzi and two-time reigning steer roping titlist Rocky Patterson. “We take a lot of pride in the rodeo we have, and I think the cowboys realize that,” Morton said. “Of course, I think we have a lot of other good things with our rodeo. We’ve always believed in having pretty good contract acts, and we’ve got a great one this year.” Jerry Wayne Olson has excelled as a specialty act since the day he broke out in ProRodeo in 1974. He and his horse, Justin Boots, perform a liberty horse act, and he also has a miniature horse act and does trick roping. “We had Jerry Wayne before when he was doing his buffalo act,” Morton said. “In fact, his dad brought his buffalo here. They’re both good showmen and good people.” The overall atmosphere of the annual rodeo is about fun, something that is needed. Whether it’s Gizmo McCracken clowning around or the fantastic athletic action inside Will Rogers Stampede Arena, there’s plenty for every fan of every age to enjoy. “I don’t think people can find better entertainment,” Petty said. “The way the gas prices are, you don’t have to go very far to find a lot of fun over Memorial Day weekend. It’s right here in Claremore.”   CLAREMORE, Okla. – Trevor Brazile is a record-breaking world champion cowboy. For folks in northeast Oklahoma, he’s also one aspect of the record 564 entries at this year’s Will Rogers Stampede, which will feature 26 world championships and dozens of qualifiers to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and the Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer roping. “We’ve always had some of the greatest cowboys in the world come to Claremore,” said David Petty, the rodeo’s chairman. “I think we represent the best rodeo has to offer, and the fans will get to see that.” Brazile owns 14 Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association world championships and has earned nearly $4 million over a 15-year career. Last year alone, he won the team roping-heading, tie-down roping and all-around world championships, the second time in four years he collected the coveted Triple Crown, collecting a record $507,921. He’s one of two cowboys in the history of the PRCA to have qualified for the national finals in all four roping disciplines – heading, heeling, calf roping and steer roping. The Will Rogers Stampede will have three performances set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 27-Sunday, May 29. Claremore will be the weekend home to some of the greatest cowboys and cowgirls going down the rodeo trail today. “I think that’s definitely the most entries we’ve ever had,” said Bob Morton, the rodeo’s co-chairman who has been part of the Will Rogers Roundup Club for more than 30 years. “It shows that this rodeo has enough respect from the contestants that they want to come here. We want to put on the best show in the area to try to differentiate from the many amateur rodeos right around here. “The fans that come here will know right away they’re seeing the best rodeo around.” While the performances take place over Memorial Day weekend, the competition actually begins  Continue Reading »

CLAREMORE, Okla. – When Benje Bendele clicks his fingers, something magical usually happens. Ah, the life of the preeminent sound and effects man in ProRodeo. If it happens in the arena, the speakers rumble with a complementary sound. It’s a split-second, a click and a style that has led the Texan to many of the biggest rodeos in North America. “It’s been a great ride,” said Bendele, who has lent his talents the last nine years to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. “Rodeos have picked up this format. They’ve left the traditional brass bands, and they realize that this is another aspect of the performances.” And that’s one of the reasons he will be a major player in the three performances of the Will Rogers Stampede PRCA Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 27, Saturday, May 28, and Sunday, May 29, at Will Rogers Stampede Arena. “This is a big deal for the Will Rogers Stampede to get the No. 1 sound guy in the business,” rodeo chairman David Petty said. “I’m excited we were able to bring him to Claremore, because he adds so much to the show. The reason he’s worked the NFR so many times is because he’s simply the best.” The effects and music can’t be choreographed, because the action doesn’t allow it. But with split-second timing, Bendele finds the right music or right sound effect to bring together that excellent ride, fast time or explosive dismount. “I think the thing I like about my career is being part of the way the rodeo is watched and taken in by rodeo fans and how that’s changed in the last 10 years,” he said. “It’s changed drastically in the last five years. It’s just the way sporting events in general are being seen, and we, in the rodeo business, have to keep up with that. I’ve been part of that, part of the goal in our sport. “It’s how our sport evolves.” That’s something Bendele understands well. He started his rodeo career as a contestant, then followed his passion for the sport to the announcer’s stand and on to the sound booth. Beginning at age 9, he competed in youth, high school and college rodeo as a team roper and tie-down roper. He even tried his hand at bull-riding, which lasted 15 seconds – five bulls at an average of three seconds each. “It was then and there that I decided that bull riding was not for me,” he said. No matter. Bendele has used that experience and an insider’s understanding of the extreme sport to stand out among his peers. Not only does he work the annual championship, but he’s also been hired to produce sound for the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, Calgary Stampede, Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo, Dodge City (Kan.) Round-Up Rodeo, and the tour finales in Dallas and Omaha, Neb., just to name a few. He’s also worked his way up the charts, so to speak, with ingenuity and hard work. In fact, he got the NFR job while working at a rodeo in Glens Falls, N.Y. “I knew Shawn Davis, the general manager of the NFR, was looking for a music guy for the Dallas event, so I called him up from a little hotel room,” Bendele said. “I’d set up all my equipment in this room, kind of a mini-studio, and when I called him, he asked, ‘What can you do for me?’ “So I put on a little show. By the end of the conversation, I was hired. I did the Dallas event, and at that point, they hired me for the NFR.” Bendele got his start 22 years ago when, at the age of 20, he fell into a job while accompanying his brother to a youth rodeo. There was no announcer available, so Bendele jumped in, and a career was born. “I started announcing at that time,” he said. “I worked a bunch of youth rodeos after that, then started working some open rodeos. I got tired of showing up to places where the sound wasn’t good, so I bought a small sound system. “I was getting called more for my sound, so in 2001, I made the decision to start focusing on the sound.” And even though his focus is on the sound, he has been voted by other announcers to serve as their representative on the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association’s executive council. It’s a position on the political side of the business he takes very seriously and has leaned on the assistance of others, including the late Clem McSpadden, a former statesman from Chelsea who was a legend in rodeo. “I did ask advice from Clem, and he gave it honestly,” Bendele said. “I had the chance to work with Clem in Dodge City, and I enjoyed working with him when I had the chance.” He’s had plenty of enjoyable experiences, especially in the past 10 years. He recalls the days of not only hauling equipment into announcer’s stands at rodeos all across this land, but hauling cassette tapes and CDs, too. Now all the effects and music are loaded on computers, and making updates is a regular part of his job. “We have to keep up with technology,” he said. “Digital is constantly changing. Now with the computer, it’s at the touch of a button, and there’s so much more of a variety to have.” And whether it’s a snippet from a hip hop song or brass trumpets or the moans of a crowd, there is a defined marriage between the action in the arena and the sounds that accompany it. Bendele has orchestrated the ceremony countless time, perfecting it, even. That’s just one of the many reasons he will be in Claremore for the Will Rogers Stampede.

CLAREMORE, Okla. – Dale McCracken has multiple personalities, but it’s not a disorder. It’s quite the opposite, really. Like a superhero donning his cape, McCracken covers his face with greasepaint and enters the world of his alter-ego, Gizmo, the funnyman/barrelman who has entertained rodeo crowds for much of his life. It’s as if Dale drives and Gizmo does all the work, but it works well for McCracken. “The guy that wears the makeup gets paid better, that’s for sure,” said McCracken, who will be one of the featured acts at the Will Rogers Stampede PRCA Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 27-Sunday, May 29, at Will Rogers Stampede Arena. “The name came along several years ago. I worked on a music show in Branson (Mo.) for about eight years, and there you’ve got to have a stage name. “So with all the gizmos and gadgets I had, they came up with the name, “Gizmo, the Ozarks Greatest Inventor. So instead of selling a particular act, I sell a character.” That character carries on several personas, but they’re all comedic. His entertainment includes the Buchin Ambulance, Gizmo’s Sir-rink-in Machine, Mustang Sally, Chicken Rocket and a golf act. During much of the rodeo, he’ll do what is called the “walk and talk,” sharing his comedy with the audiences each night of the three-performance rodeo. “We’ve got a lot of stuff planned for Claremore,” said McCracken, still referring, possibly, to his multiple personalities. “It’s been awhile since we’ve been there, but we’ve got a lot of friends and fans there. It’s always good to go to a rodeo where you see a bunch of fans. “The big thing we do is the ‘walk and talk,’ and we work it from the hello to the end. I’ll bring out a lot of characters throughout the rodeo, because I think if you come for more than one night, you should see the different characters.” McCracken joined the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association in 1992 and has earned several honors in that time: he’s worked several PRCA circuit championships and has been a nominee for the association’s Comedy Act of the Year. Five times, he’s been named the ACRA Clown of the Year and has worked the Cheyenne (Wyo.) Frontier Days, quite possibly the most prestigious regular-season rodeo in the country. “Probably the hardest part of the job is just leaving the house,” said McCracken, who lives in Wheaton, Mo. “You need to read the crowd, and we change our stuff up to blend in. If the crowd is a rowdy bunch, then you have to work a little faster. If the crowd’s laid back, then we’ll slow it down a little.” At each rodeo, there are a variety of duties for McCracken. As a comedian, he will interact with the crowd throughout each performance and put on skits that tend to leave fans in stitches. During bull riding, he continues to provide comedic relief as well as a necessary tool for the bull riders, bullfighters and others that are in the arena. “First of all when I’m in the barrel, my best friend is Jesus, and my second best friend is the barrel,” he said. “It’s your safe haven there a lot. It also has its important part for cowboys and bullfighters to use, a place for them to go in the arena if they’re in a bind. That barrel is like that one tree out in the middle of the desert that gives you a little protection.” And it’s also a heavy object with which some of the feistier bucking beasts love to play. So what’s it like for McCracken to be hit with that much force? “It’s like getting into an aluminum trashcan and put into the back of a pickup going down the road at 35 miles per hour,” he said. “Then when you get up to speed, you have your buddy throw you out of the pickup, and you just bounce along down the road. “The first time they hit you, it’s like a carnival ride. Then they hit you again, and it’s more like a car accident that turns into a carnival ride. It’s a pretty exciting tilt-o-whirl.” So is McCracken’s life as a rodeo clown. He spends many weeks on the road, working events in several states, but he loves what he does. He enjoys the crowds and the excitement that comes with rodeo, and loves to see the smiles and hear the laughter. “I really enjoy seeing people have a good time,” McCracken said. “Maybe there’s a guy that’s had it pretty rough, is struggling some. If we can just get him to the rodeo and use our last American heritage sport to help him forget his troubles, then he’s had a good night, and we, as a rodeo, have had a good night, too. Laughter is pretty good medicine, and the way things are right now, everybody needs a shot.”