Monthly Archives: December 2012

Bull riding: 1. Cody Teel on Kesler Rodeo’s Whiskey Jack, 88 points, $18,257; 2. Beau Schroeder, 84.5, $14,429; 3. Shane Proctor, 83, $10,895; 4. Seth Glause, 82, $7,656, 5. Tag Elliot, 81.5, $4,712; 6. Brett Stall, 78, $2,945.

Saddle bronc riding: 1. (tie) Jake Wright, on Bar T Rodeo’s Big John, and Jesse Wright, on Frontier Rodeo’s Let ’Er Rip, 87 points, $16,343; 3. Wade Sundell, 85, $10,895; 4. Cody Taton, 83.5, $7,656; 5. Sterling Crawley, 80.5, $4,712; 6. Cody Wright, 79.5, $2,945. Tie-down roping: 1. Cody Ohl, 7.1 seconds, $18,257; 2. Justin Maass, 7.2, $14,429; 3. Adam Gray, 7.4, $10,895; 4. Clint Robinson, 7.6, $7,656; 5. Matt Shiozawa, 7.8, $4,712; 6. Tuf Cooper, 8.0, $2,945. Barrel racing: 1. Mary Walker, 13.69 seconds, $18.257; 2. Kelli Tolbert, 13.73, $14,429; 3. Lindsay Sears, 13.76, $10,895; 4. (tie) Benette Barrington-Little, Lisa Lockhart and Sherry Cervi, 13.82.

Tie-down roping: 1. Cody Ohl, 7.1 seconds, $18,257; 2. Justin Maass, 7.2, $14,429; 3. Adam Gray, 7.4, $10,895; 4. Clint Robinson, 7.6, $7,656; 5. Matt Shiozawa, 7.8, $4,712; 6. Tuf Cooper, 8.0, $2,945.

Bareback riding: 1. Will Lowe, 88 points on Flying U rodeo’s Comanchero, $18,257; 2. Jessy Davis, 84.5, $14,429; 3. (tie) Matt Bright, J.R. Vezain and Kaycee Feild, 83, $7,754 each; 6. Steven Peebles, 81, $2,945. Steer wrestling: 1. Wade Sumpter, 3.6-second run, $18,257; 2. (tie) Bray Armes and Billy Bugenig, 3.8, $12,662; 4. (tie) Luke Branquinho and Matt Reeves, 4.5, $6,184; 6. Casey Martin, 4.0, $2,945. Team roping: 1. Erich Rogers/Kory Koontz, 3.9 seconds, $18,257; 2. Trevor Brazile/Patrick Smith, 4.0, $14,429; 3. Kaleb Driggers/Jade Corkill, 4.3, $10,895; 4. Derrick Begay/Cesar de la Cruz, 4.5, $7,656; 5. Keven Daniel/Chase Tryan, 4.6, $4,712; 6. Colby Lovell/Russell Cardoza, 4.7, $2,945.

LAS VEGAS – Justin McDaniel knows as well as anyone what it means to get on a roll athletically. In 2012, McDaniel utilized a late-season run to qualify for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo for the fifth time in his young career. Now that he’s in Las Vegas, he’s ready for that roll to carry him to success in ProRodeo’s grand finale. It might have started Friday night during the NFR’s second go-round. He rode Sankey Rodeo’s Mony for 81.5 points to finish sixth in the round, worth $2,945. That could be all it takes to make things happen for McDaniel, the 2008 world champion bareback rider from Porum, Okla. “You have a chance to get on the best bucking horses in the world every night for 10 nights,” said McDaniel, who won the coveted average title at the NFR twice for having the best cumulative score – 2008 and 2010. “You know you’re going to draw good horses here, and you’ve just got to do your part.” McDaniel has pushed his season earnings to $61,244, but he knows there is a great opportunity to make a significant living during his two-week stay in Las Vegas. Go-round winners earn checks worth $18,257 for each of the 10 nights. The best part for McDaniel is that he’s got eight more chances to finish strong. In addition, to the nightly opportunities to cash in, the average winner will pocket a bonus worth $46,821 when the NFR concludes Dec. 15. “You can’t think about that, especially at this point,” McDaniel said. “You’ve just got to try to win every round and take a run at $18,000 each night. If you do that, the average will take care of itself.”

LAS VEGAS – He’s back. Cort Scheer proved it quite well Friday night during the second go-round of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, scoring an 84.5-point ride on Three Hills Rodeo’s Big Jet to share the round win with Jake Wright and Wade Sundell. It’s the second go-round victory in his second qualification to ProRodeo’s grand finale, and it was nice to collect the $14,527 paycheck this early in the NFR. “I just feel like I’ve got some experience under my belt,” said Scheer, who first qualified for the NFR two seasons ago – he missed last year’s championship after suffering a torn knee ligament. “I’m not going to worry about what’s going to happen, just go after them.” Of course, it helps to have animals like Big Jet, the type of horse that leads cowboys to the pay window more often than not. “It’s a blast, and I’m drawing great,” said Scheer, 26, of Elsmere, Neb., who attended Garden City (Kan.) Community College, Montana State University and Oklahoma Panhandle State University on rodeo scholarships. “That sets everything up right there. “Some people are saying this is another rodeo, but I’m thinking, ‘This is Vegas.’ I want to win this thing. I’m excited about this. I want to use that to get better.” Riding well on the biggest stage in the sport is a good way to do it. Doing so on Big Jet proves something to those who care about the sport. “It’s one thing when you draw a horse you don’t know, but it’s another when you’ve seen a horse a couple of times,” Scheer said. “I told my dad, ‘If I ride him good, I’ve got this one.’ ” Mission accomplished. The purse is $6.5 million, and go-round winners will earn $18,257 each night – unless they split first place three ways, of course. When the rugged 10-round slugfest ends, the contestants with the top cumulative score or time will add a bonus of $46,821. “I’m thinking Round 3 right now,” Scheer said. “You go round by round, and that’s what makes up the average. If you start thinking 10th round, you’re going to forget the third round. You’ve got to go after them every time, and you’re not going to have to worry about it.”

Barrel racing: 1. Mary Walker, 13.80 seconds, $18,257; 2. Benette Barrington-Little, 13.82, $14,429; 3. (tie) Lindsay Sears and Lee Ann Rust, 13.91, $9,276; 5. Brittany Pozzi, 14.00, $4,712; 6. Nikki Steffes, 14.09, $2,945. Bull riding: 1. Cody Whitney, 89 points on Wild Card Rodeo’s The Grinch, $18,257; 2. J.W. Harris, 88, $14,429; 3. Beau Schroeder, 87, $10,895; 4. Seth Glause, 86.5, $7,656; 5. Trevor Kastner, 83.5, $4,712; 6. Clayton Savage, 80.5, $2,945.

Tie-down roping: 1. Clif Cooper, 7.3 seconds, $18,257; 2. (tie) Tuf Cooper and Monty Lewis, 7.5, $12,662; 4. Adam Gray, 7.7, $7,656; 5. Hunter Herrin, 7.8, $4,712; 6. Fred Whitfield, 8.0, $2,945.

Saddle bronc riding: 1. (tie) Wade Sundell, on Calgary Stampede’s Mad Money, Jake Wright, on Mo Betta’s Shasta, and Cort Sheerm on Three Hills Rodeo’s Big Jet, 84.5, $14,527; 4. Cole Elshere, 83.5, $7,556; 5. (tie) Tyrell Smith and Taos Muncy, 82.5, $3,828.

Team roping: 1. Luke Brown/Martin Lucero, 4.0 seconds, $18,257; 2. Derrick Begay/Cesar de la Cruz, 4.6, $14,429; 3. Dustin Bird/Paul Eaves, 5.2, $10,895; 4. Travis Tryan/Jake Long, 5.3, $7,656; 5. Charly Crawford/Jim Ross Cooper, 5.4, $4,712; 6. Keven Daniel/Chase Tryan, 9.5, $2,945.

Bareback riding: 1. (tie) Will Lowe, on Classic Pro Rodeo’s Bi Polar, and Kaycee Field, on Carr Pro Rodeo’s River Boat Annie, 86.5, $16,343; 3. J.R. Vezain, 85.5, $10,895; 4. Brian Bain, 83.5, $7,656; 5. Jessy Davis, 83, $4,712; 6. Justin McDaniel, 81, $2,945. Steer wrestling: 1. Billy Bugenig, 3.6 seconds, $18,257; 2. Dean Gorsuch, 3.9, $14,429; 3. Casey Martin, 4.0, $10,895; 4. Trevor Knowles, 4.1, $7,656; 5. (tie) Tom Lewis and Luke Branquinho, 4.2, $3,828.

LAS VEGAS – It was a strong opening night of the 2012 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo for Team MGM Grand. In all, contestants who are part of the “Home of the Champions” collected nearly $176,000 in earnings at Thursday’s first go-round, highlighted by the top three finishers in tie-down roping: World champion Tuf Cooper of Decatur, Texas, won the round, followed by Shane Hanchey of Sulphur, La.; and Houston Hutto of Tomball, Texas. “It gives me more confidence to know that I can do it,” Cooper said winning the 2011 title. “Last year’s gold buckle is going to help me get this one.” Cooper was one of three MGM Grand contestants to win the go-round and the paychecks worth $18,257; he was joined by bareback rider Wes Stevenson of Lubbock, Texas, and three-time world champion bull rider J.W. Harris of Mullin, Texas. Stevenson matched moves with J-Bar-J Inc.’s Freckled Doll for 87 points, while Harris posted a 90.5 on Four Star Rodeo’s Stink Eye. “Any time you can ride for 90, it’s special,” Harris said. “Usually if you’re 90 out here, you’re going to win the round.” Thursday’s ride marked the first time Stevenson had been on Freckled Doll, but he knew the animal’s legacy. “I’ve ridden his mom five or six times, and she threw me off a few runs on her,” Stevenson said. “I was pretty pumped to have a shot at her son.” In all, 15 MGM Grand contestants earned money on opening night: Bareback riding: 1. Wes Stevenson, 87 points, $18,257; 3. Casey Colletti, 85, $10,895; 6. Bobby Mote, 83.5, $2,945. Team roping heading: 3. Trevor Brazile, 4.8 seconds, $10,895. Team roping heeling: 3. Patrick Smith, 4.8 seconds 10,895; 5. Cesar de la Cruz, 5.8, $4,712. Saddle bronc riding: 2. (tie) Jake Wright and Jesse Wright, 84.5 points, $12,662; 4. Cody Wright, 83.5, $7,656; 5. Jacobs Crawley, 82, $4,712; 6. Tyrell Smith, 82.5, $2,945. Tie-down roping: 1. Tuf Cooper, 7.4 seconds, $18,257; 2. Shane Hanchey, 7.6, $14,429; 3. Houston Hutto, 8.1, $10,895. Barrel racing: 3. Brittany Pozzi, 13.86, $10,895. Bull riding: 1. J.W. Harris, Mullin, Texas, 90.5 points, $18,257; 2. Cody Whitney, Sayre, Okla., 86.5, $14,429.

LAS VEGAS – Rodeo is a roller coaster. Carlee Pierce knows that as well as anyone. Oftentimes, that first dip is a doozy, which was the case Thursday on opening night of the 2012 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Pierce and her great horse, Dillion, tipped all three barrels en route to a 29.11-second run. With winning times in the sub-14-second range, the Alberta-born, Oklahoma-raised Texan is behind the eight ball. But there are nine go-rounds remaining, and Pierce has proven she can handle the fierce competition that takes place inside the Thomas and Mack Center. She and Dillion own the NFR record with a 13.46-second run posted in the fifth go-round of last year’s championship. They also won the fourth go-round and left Las Vegas with $50,769. “There are a lot of rounds to go and a lot of money is still out there,” said Pierce, a two-time NFR qualifier from Stephenville, Texas. The cowgirl and her team met Friday morning and decided to make a change in horses. Instead of runner her trusty 13-year-old buckskin gelding, Pierce will test out Hammer, a 5-year-old gelding she ran a month ago during the Canadian Finals Rodeo in Edmonton, Alberta. “We’ve decided to run Hammer tonight,” she said of Friday’s second go-round. “I’m extremely blessed to have another horse that is capable of running with the best in the world.” In fact, Pierce ran Hammer to an arena-record, 14.214-second run to win the third go-round of the CFR. Now it’s time to see how the young sorrel handles the bright lights of Vegas and the zealous rodeo fans who fill the Thomas and Mack to the rafters each of the 10 go-rounds. “You can be disappointed in a run, but you really can’t let it bother you,” Pierce said. “We get to compete against the best girls in the world every night, and we have a lot more opportunities to have a great NFR.” That’s a great attitude, because the peaks of the NFR roller coaster are quite high – round winners earn $18,257 each night. That’s worth chasing.

LAS VEGAS – Anyone who drives a performance car in competition knows the importance of a good start. The same can be said in rodeo, especially in the sport’s grand championship. Tie-down roper Ryan Jarrett cruised out of first gear Thursday on opening night of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, roping and tying his calf in 8.7 seconds to earn a fifth-place paycheck worth $4,712. “The first round’s a little tricky as far as we haven’t seen the calves go or as far as the competition goes,” said Jarrett, a seven-time NFR qualifier from Comanche, Okla. “You don’t know what to expect. You’ve got to play everything on the safe side and trust your partner.” Jarrett’s partner is Country, a 13-year-old chestnut owned by friend Clint Robinson, also an NFR qualifier. Actually Jarrett sold the horse to Robinson a few years ago; this is the fourth time Jarrett has ridden the horse in Vegas. “He worked good,” Jarrett said of Country. “The calf I had drawn was good. He stepped left pretty good and, yeah, I probably could have taken a high-risk throw and it might’ve worked, but I went ahead and eased over there and took another swing to get it secured.” It paid off. Reigning world champion Tuf Cooper won the round by stopping the clock in 7.4 seconds. He and Louisianan Shane Hanchey were the only cowboys under the 8-second barrier – oftentimes it takes times in the 7-second range to earn a check in Vegas. The key ingredient to being successful in an atmosphere like the NFR is to take advantage of each situation. “We had planned to rope this pen of steers four times,” he said, noting that there are three groups of steers at the NFR and 10 rounds, so one pen will need to be used four times. “After tonight played out, I’m going to say they get voted out and we rope another set four times.” The tie-down ropers have done and will continue to do their homework. Like professional football players, they will watch video of the calves to learn the animals’ tendencies – how they start, how they handle the tie, etc. “You have got to be on tome of your game and paying attention,” Jarrett said. “When you get to this level, you need every advantage you can get.”

LAS VEGAS – Every one of the 120 contestants at the 2012 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo experienced considerable nervousness and quite a bit of anxiety. None did it more than Casey Colletti, a two-time qualifier from Pueblo, Colo. He was the first contestant to compete during Thursday’s second go-round, so all that pressure of the $6.5 million purse laid upon his 155-pound shoulders. “It’s exciting, but it’s nerve-wracking,” said Colletti, who will celebrate his 27th birthday on Dec. 21. “There’s a lot of pressure. Everybody’s waiting on you, the judges, the announcers, and they want the first night to go off without a hitch. “I couldn’t spit for 30 minutes I was so nervous.” He did. Colletti matched moves with Korkow Rodeo’s Flaxy Lady for 85 points to finish third in the round, collecting $10,895 in the process. “That’s a good horse that I had in Guymon (Okla.),” he said. “I didn’t place there, but she just stalled out there part way down the arena. I didn’t get to watch it on the replace because I was so excited.” A horse that “stalls out” will continue to buck and kick, but the animal seems to do so in one spot. That allows for the judges to get a perfect view of the ride and gives the cowboy a chance to show off his spurring motion, which, oftentimes, results in higher scores overall. That’s what happened for Colletti. That third-place check moved his season earnings to $77,529. More importantly, it puts him in a good place as he prepares for the next nine rounds. Of course, preparation has been the young cowboy’s focus. “I’ve been working out hard for the past couple of months,” he said. “I gave myself a week off after Omaha (the end of September) and just did nothing. Then we worked out six days a week, sometimes seven.” He did that for about a month, then competed at the Ram Mountain States Circuit Finals Rodeo and the Texas Stampede before returning to his workout regimen. “This week I’ve pretty much taken it easy,” said Colletti, who attended Garden City (Kan.) Community College on a rodeo scholarship. “I’ve ridden the bike the past couple of days to stay loose, but I don’t want to do anything that’s going to make me sore. I’ll be sore enough in a couple days just riding bareback horses.”

Barrel racing: 1. Mary Walker, 13.75 seconds, $18,257, 2. Kelli Tolbert, 13.77, $14,429, 3. Brittany Pozzi, 13.86, $10,895, 4. Lee Ann Rust, 13.99, $7,656, 5. Christ Loflin, 14.03, $4,712, 6. Sherry Cervi, 14.04, $2,945. Bull riding: 1. J.W. Harris, Mullin, Texas, 90.5 points on Four Star Rodeo’s Stink Eye, $18,257; 2. Cody Whitney, Sayre, Okla., 86.5, $14,429; 3. Beau Schroeder, China, Texas, 83.0, $10,895; 4. Cody Teel, Kountze, Texas, 74.5, $7,656; 5. Trey Benton III, Rock Island, Texas, 73.5, $4,712; no other qualified rides.

Saddle bronc riding: 1. Taos Muncy, 87 points on Andrews Rodeo’s Fire Lane, $18,257; 2. (tie) Jake Wright and Jesse Wright, $12,662; 4. Cody Wright, 83.5, $7,656; 5. Jacobs Crawley, 82, $4,712; 6. Tyrell Smith, 82.5, $2,945. Tie-down roping: 1. Tuf Cooper, 7.4 seconds, $18,257; 2. Shane Hanchey, 7.6, $14,429; 3. Houston Hutto, 8.1, $10,895; 4. Adam Gray, 8.2, $7,656; 5. Ryan Jarrett, 8.7, $4,712; 6. Monty Lewis, 8.8, $2,945.

Bareback riding: 1. Wes Stevenson 87 points on J Bar J’s Freckled Doll, $18,257, 2. Winn Ratliff, 85.5, $14,429, 3. Casey Colletti, 85, $10,895, 4. Kaycee Feild, 84.5, $7,656, 5. Caleb Bennett, 84, $4,712, 6. Bobby Mote, 83.5, $2,945 Steer wrestling: 1. Casey Martin, 3.4 seconds, $18,257, 2. Dean Gorsuch, 3.5, $14,429, 3. Ethen Thouvenell, 3.6, $10,895, 4. Les Shepperson, 3.7, $7,656,. (tie) Tom Lewis and Beau Clark, 3.8, $3,828. Team roping: 1. (tie) Ryan Motes/Brock Hanson and Kaleb Driggers/Jade Corkill, 4.7 seconds, $16,343; 3. Trevor Brazile/Patrick Smith, 4.8, $10,895; 4. Chad Masters/ Clay O’Brien Cooper, 5.1, $7,656; 5. Derrick Begay/Cesar de la Cruz, 5.8, $4,712; 6. Keven Daniel/Chase Tryan, 5.9, $2,945.

LAS VEGAS – Ryan Jarrett isn’t one to rest on his laurels. Jarrett already owns the most coveted piece of hardware in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association: The gold buckle that is given to the all-around world champion cowboy. That came in 2005, when he was 21 years old. Now he’s back in Las Vegas for his seventh qualification to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, solidifying a spot to ProRodeo’s grand finale by finishing the regular season among the top 15 tie-down ropers in the world. The $74,758 he earned through the rigors of the 2012 campaign puts him in 10th place heading into the 10-round slugfest, the richest rodeo in the world with a $6.5 million purse. “It’s good knowing you’re one of the top 15 ropers,” said Jarrett, 28, of Comanche, Okla. Jarrett has proven that much of his career. He joined the PRCA in 2004, then qualified for the NFR a year later in both tie-down roping and steer wrestling. He won the calf roping average championship at finals that December, which propelled him to the No. 1 spot in the all-around standings. Not bad for a cowboy that was raised on a dairy ranch in northwest Georgia. “Nobody from my family had ever been involved in rodeo,” said Jarrett, who began competing at age 8. “My dad had a friend that was from Texas that we used to sell dairy cattle to, and his son rodeoed. I hung around him for a couple of summers, and it went from there.” Now he travels the circuit as one of the best in the business and credits his partnerships with Wrangler Jeans, Oxbow Tack, Cactus Ropes and Purina for helping him succeed in the sport he loves. “I really couldn’t do it without their support,” he said. That’s very true. Rodeo cowboys spend much of the season on the road, traveling more than 100,000 miles in a year to try to make their livings. Jarrett hauls multiple horses in a trailer that features living quarters – his home away from home. Between food, fuel, entry fees and other expenses, most contestants scrape by each season in order to qualify for the NFR. But Las Vegas is the place to play. Go-round winners will earn $18,257 each night, and the contestant in each event with the best cumulative time or score at the conclusion of the NFR will add $46,821. Without sponsors, this is about the only chance the cowboys get to make a significant profit. “I love it and love the competition,” Jarrett said. “There’s no other sport like it.” There are no guarantees in rodeo. In addition to paying fees in order to compete, cowboys only earn money if they’ve performed better than most of the competition. At the NFR, for example, only the top six places earn money in the go-rounds; that means the other nine contestants in each event will fail to earn money that night. That’s quite a bit different than most professional athletes. In addition, top hands know it takes a great partner to give themselves the best chance to win. In Jarrett’s case, he’s relying on an old friend, Country, a 13-year-old chestnut horse he sold to friend and occasional traveling partner Clint Robinson several years ago – Robinson is the fifth-ranked tie-down roper heading into Thursday’s first round. “I rode him here in 2005 and ’06, and I rode him out here last year,” Jarrett said. “For this situation, he’s pretty good. This horse is good for short starts and timing fast.” The NFR takes place in the Thomas and Mack Arena on the University of Nevada-Las Vegas campus. Dirt is packed into a space about the size of a basketball court, so tie-down roping is blink-of-the-eye fast. Jarrett knows that as well as anyone. He’s missed this grand championship just twice in his career – in 2007, after he tore the ACL in one of his knees, and in 2008, when he finished the regular season 16th in the world. Last December, he placed in six go-rounds, including wins on the sixth and seventh nights. He finished 2011 fourth in the tie-down roping standings and fourth in the all-around. But his biggest accomplishment came just before the 2010 NFR, when Jarrett married his longtime girlfriend, the former Shy-Anne Bowden. The nuptials took place Dec. 1 in Las Vegas, so oftentimes the couple celebrates its anniversary in the City of Lights. “This year we were actually traveling to Vegas on our anniversary,” said Jarrett, who said Shy-Anne handles much of the work around their place when he’s traveling; while they’re in Vegas, they’ve enlisted the assistance of her mother, Billy and Sandy Bowden of Comanche. “She’s in control when I’m gone. She’s got some young horses and goes barrel racing at some amateur rodeos when she can. “She takes care of a lot.” That’s just part of the family life. Rodeo folks live the Western lifestyle, so they know the importance of caring for land and for livestock. It’s something Ryan Jarrett learned years ago in Georgia. His father, DeJuan, runs the dairy farm, while his mother, Joan, is a retired elementary school teacher. Jarrett has an older sister, Lauren. “People have no idea how much family and friends do for you throughout the year and the sacrificed they have to make to allow for you to do this,” said Jarrett, who joins New Yorker Harry Tompkins as the only two all-around world champions from east of the Mississippi River. Rodeo folks like to consider themselves family, so friends have a tight bond. They’re also willing to help along the way. Jarrett has had his fair share of help in his career and credits another East Coast cowboy, team roper Casey Cox, for getting him started. “He taught me a lot about rodeoiong,” Jarrett said of Cox. It’s worked pretty well. With his gold buckle firmly in place, Jarrett’s legacy will continue to live on for years after being inducted  Continue Reading »

My bags are packed, and, except for a few housekeeping tasks to handle tonight and in the morning, I’m ready for my trip to Las Vegas and the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. This evening will be spent snuggling with my girls, especially the little ones, whom I not get to hug and hold for two weeks – my beautiful bride will get to spend several days with me, helping me in whatever capacities she can. This is professional rodeo’s grand championship, and there’s no spectacle in the sport that’s anywhere like it. This next week, I hope to be able to expand on my growing business and help promote the sport every inch of the way. I’m excited to be part of the NFR and tell the wonderful stories associated with this sport. Let’s get this party started.

I was 41 years old, excited and scared. I don’t remember how much I slept the night of Nov. 30, 2008. It probably wasn’t much. When the time came to head off to the hospital, I was ready. My baby girl was to arrive in just a couple of hours. I was already blessed with a beautiful, loving step-daughter, just three and a half months shy of her seventh birthday. Now my wife and I were adding our own brew to this little family. Yeah, sometimes it’s hard for me to believe it was four years ago. Much has happened in that time, but oftentimes when I close my eyes, I see that baby girl that was distinctly me, distinctly Lynette. For most of this little girl’s life, I’ve tried to build a start-up business while focusing my attention on Daddy Daycare. It hasn’t always been easy, but it has been damn sure worth it. God’s timing is magnificent; just as she was getting old enough for preschool, my rodeo business has improved. It’s another blessing. Today I watch her dancing to “Call Me Maybe,” knowing full well dance lessons are right around the corner. I look forward to the years ahead, but I cherish the moments I have now, the bad and the good. I know the days of remembering these moments are not far off, so I take what I can get. Happy birthday, Channing Dorothy Beatrice Harbin. Today is your day.