Monthly Archives: July 2013

The three Oklahoma tie-down ropers competing at the 2013 Calgary Stampede have fared pretty well this week. Jerome Schneeberger of Ponca City, Okla., has placed in all four preliminary rounds, earning $16,000 in just four days. He’s guaranteed a spot in the next level of the tournament-style format, and he will be joined by Ryan Jarrett of Comanche, Okla., who has $12,500 and is second in the Pool B standings. Hunter Herrin of Apache, Okla., has earned $5,500 so far, but he’s tied for fourth with Albertan Murray Pole. Herrin got into the Sunday round, but Pole will have to come back on Wild Card Saturday to see if he can make it to the final performance. That’s a pretty solid run for the Okies. I’d surely share $34,000 over four days.

‘The Ride’ learns that retired bull rider still all cowboy, doting husband, father Hands down, Ross Coleman was one of the toughest cowboys competing in the Professional Bull Riders organization. Cowboys knew it; sponsors knew it; even fans knew it. It’s one of many attributes to the Oregon-raised cowboy being inducted into the PBR’s Ring of Honor, the hall of fame for the association that was established nearly 20 years ago by the bull riders themselves. From overcoming gnarly injuries to riding the rankest bulls in the business, Coleman was the epitome of tough. During the July 15 airing of “The Ride with Cord McCoy,” fans will get to see another reason why Coleman so well respected by his fellow bull riders. The show airs at 1 and 11 p.m. Eastern on RFD-TV. “He’s one of the toughest men in the world, not just bull riding,” said McCoy, a PBR bull rider and reality TV star who now hosts the show. Coleman will be remembered for that, but it’s just a piece of the puzzle. “When I was going down the road as a young teenager to the first kind of rookie being on the PBR, I was always around Ty, Tuff, Razor, Gaffney and Semas and all the other guys that I looked up to so much,” Coleman said during the episode, referring to Ty Murray, Tuff Hedeman, “Razor” Jim Sharp, Michael Gaffney and Aaron Semas. “There were none of those guys ever whining or complaining about their injuries. If there were to ever get whipped down or smoked down, they were the first guys to stand up on their feet and take it like a man. I just looked up to them so much and tried to be just like them.” It was one of many things McCoy and Coleman visited about during the interview. “This was so cool to be there and to be able to just visit with Ross whether the camera was there or not,” said McCoy, a five-time International Professional Rodeo Association champion, a multiple-time qualifier for the PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals and a 2005 qualifier to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. “We had a time. We’d be doing an interview, and one boy would go up and show his buckle. Then a little later, another would come up and want to go ride a bucking bull.” The interview commenced and the editing doesn’t show the interruptions; meanwhile, the show includes footage of the three Coleman boys riding a bull, which just happened to be Coleman’s alter-ego. “All three of them had to ride a PBR bull on the trampoline,” McCoy said, noting that the boys would wrap a bull rope around Coleman, then mount their daddy and ride as he “bucked” on the trampoline. “I was amazed about what bull they wanted to get on, which was cool, but then Ross would buck just like those bulls; they all know them that well.” Coleman retired from bull riding two years ago, but he still is very much a cowboy. In the show, he gave McCoy a tour of his home in Texas; the pair even roped a little bit, with McCoy wearing a specialized camera strapped to his chest as he heeled. “Ross is such a good daddy, too, in that even when we roped, he let his boy rope first,” McCoy said. “He did some roping, then we roped. He’s a pretty cool dad.” That’s something Coleman seems to take the most pride in displaying. Whether it was playing baseball or roping or trying to buck off his sons, there was a lot of special time with the kids. “I think growing up on a ranch was probably the best thing I could’ve ever done,” Coleman said. “My dad was not afraid to put us to work. It seemed like we were always working hard out there. It made me realize I had to work hard as a young man. “When it came down to riding at the PBR level and making my own money in ProRodeo or even the PBR level, it was nice. It wasn’t always easy, but it was sweet to just go work on the weekend and go win some money.” Now he’s sharing that message with his family, which includes his wife, Amy, whom Coleman refers to as the woman busy handling four boys – including the retired bull rider. “We’re full throttle around here, I promise,” he said. It’s genuine and relevant. Those who know the PBR will love the episode, but so will those who just want to learn more about cowboys. From being ranch raised in Oregon to raising a family in Texas, Coleman is all cowboy. “If there was a bronc standing in the pen that needed busting before the branding, he was the one to do it,” fellow Ring of Honor recipient J.W. Hart said of Coleman. “He had your back no matter how big the calf was or how big the guy was. He’s just a big, tough kid, and he’s grown into a good man and a husband and a dad. “I think that might be what I’m more proud of than anything is that he’s a good daddy.” The show’s message is quite clear. “Whether you’re in Las Vegas or a small town in Texas, you know what Ross Coleman’s like, especially for all those people who have watched him for a decade in professional bull riding,” McCoy said.

GUTHRIE, Okla. – Officials at the Lazy E Arena know team roping and production, and they’re putting it together for the inaugural Red Dirt Classic, set for Friday, July 19-Sunday, July 21, at the Lazy E. “In the enormous industry that makes up big-time roping events, we felt like we could produce a top-tier USTRC roping,” said Robert Simpson, director of events at the Lazy E. “This production should be top notch, and the prizes will be second to none. “We want to make this one event into one of the top team roping events in the country.” The Lazy E is home to make of the top Western events in the United States, including the Timed Event Championship of the World and the Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping. Action begins at 10 a.m. Friday, with books opening at 8:30 a.m. It will feature USTRC-affiliate ropings for classes No. 9-11 (with 40 & Over Inc.). They will feature three full rounds. The short rounds for those classes kick start Saturday’s massive roping schedule, which begins at 8 a.m. Other events are No. 12 (with a No. 11 Inc.), Gold Plus No. 12 (with a No. 10 Inc.), No. 11 (with a No. 10 Inc.) and No. 10 (with a No. 9 Inc.). Sunday’s roping begins at 8 a.m. and will feature Gold Plus No. 10 (with No. 9 Inc.), No. 9 (with a No. 8 Inc.) and No. 8 Pick/Draw for beginner and novice ropers only. “Our plan is to expand this into a four-event series of USTRC events, so we’re looking to build on this experience and be ready for 2014,” Simpson said.

DODGE CITY, Kan. – Gizmo McCracken is in the business of funny. From his days of working shows in Branson, Mo., to some of the biggest rodeos in the country, it’s what makes McCracken tick. He loves to entertain, but he also loves the creativity that comes with being an entertainer. You see, 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 comes together in a nice little package that fans have come to love. “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 Dodge City Roundup Rodeo, set for 7:45 p.m. Wednesday, July 31-Sunday, Aug. 4, at Roundup 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. 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 Dodge City,” 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. He’s worked some of the most decorated events in the PRCA, including the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo; he’s about to add another one. “Dodge City is such a prestigious rodeo, and it’s got such a great tradition,” said McCracken, noting that Roundup Rodeo was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2012. “It’s great to be part of that kind of a rodeo. I’m honored that we’re getting to come.” 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.”

When one thing ends, another begins. Cowboy Christmas is winding down, and it’s been one whale of a run for many contestants. Hundreds of thousands of dollars have found the “right” bank accounts over the last few days. Earnings are still being tabulated, with several events concluding tonight and the World’s Oldest Rodeo in Prescott, Ariz., concluding tomorrow. Meanwhile, the first performance of the 101st Calgary Stampede began Friday afternoon, with steer wrestler Curtis Cassidy, bull rider Scott Schiffner and bronc rider Rylan Geiger (who shared the first-round win with two-time world champion Taos Muncy) being the Canadian winners. Others were reigning barrel racing world champion Mary Walker, tie-down roper Shane Hanchey and bareback rider Casey Colletti. The second round begins at 2:30 p.m. Central today and can be watched via livestream HERE. Of course, no talk about these tremendous cowboys and cowgirls can go on without a little discussion about possibly the hottest athlete in ProRodeo. On Friday night in Window Rock, Ariz., George Gillespie rode Carr Pro Rodeo’s Dirty Jacket for 89 points to win the Navajo Nation’s Fourth of July PRCA Rodeo. Dirty Jacket has performed seven times this year, and six times the 9-year-old bay gelding has carried his cowboy to the round and/or event championship: Ryan Gray shared the short-round victory in Fort Worth, Texas; J.R. Vezain won San Antonio; Jared Keylon shared the final-round win at the Ram National Circuit Finals in Oklahoma City; Bill Tutor won Claremore, Okla.; and Taylor Price won Pecos, Texas. He’s a phenomenal athlete, and if you get a chance to watch him perform, you should take it. Every bareback rider in ProRodeo wants a chance to ride that horse, because they all know he gives them the best opportunity to win. That’s the truest testament to a great bucking horse.

It’s a beautiful holiday, an awesome celebration of our country. The Fourth of July is Independence Day, when we honor our forefathers for fighting for our separation from England more than two centuries ago. We also honor those that have fought for our freedoms every year since. It’s almost magical, and the red white and blue displays are marvelous. It’s humbling and inspiring. Sacrifices have  been made in the form of lives, limbs and countless other injuries, all in in defense of the United States of America. With our freedoms come a bit of complacency and taking our liberties for granted. Today, though, we need to take a deep breath and focus a little of our attention why we have the freedom to do as we please, to watch a ballgame or spend time with family or eat way too much. Today, many of my friends are scurrying from one event to another on the hottest week on the rodeo trail. Some will attempt to compete in three rodeos today, from the short go-round in Greeley, Colo., to Oregon rodeos in Molalla and St. Paul or in Red Lodge, Mont., and Cody, Wyo. The timing has to work out spectacularly, but they’re going to make a run out of those lucrative rodeos that are a big part of Cowboy Christmas. It’s a wild ride. Cars, vans and trucks and trailers will travel thousands of miles in just a few days’ time, all the while airline tickets will frantically be purchased at the last minute – meanwhile, roughstock cowboys’ gear bags must be checked, so there’s always a chance the luggage didn’t arrive on the same flight as the contestants. Many of the top timed-event contestants have numerous rigs on the road and will make sure they’re at the right place at the right time in order to compete. Others will simply attempt to mount someone else’s horse and roll the dice that it’s a good fit. There’s a lot of money available over Cowboy Christmas, which is why it’s such a marvelous and frantic feeling at the same time. Many contestants will make at least $20,000 over the course of this lucrative-rodeo run, so it’s a valuable stretch of the rodeo season. But it’s only happening because of the freedoms we are allowed through the sacrifices made by millions of Americans. We should never take it for granted. Happy Fourth of July. May we all be blessed and safe.

A bad clutch fan left three cowboys improvising Wednesday afternoon in the Arizona heat. Bareback riders Richie Champion, Taylor Price and Bill Tutor had the clutch fan go out on their van, so after riding in Prescott, Ariz., on Tuesday night, they decided to get the van fixed. Champion stayed in Prescott, which is two hours northwest of Phoenix, while the other two made their way to Window Rock, Ariz., for Wednesday night’s performance. “Richie didn’t have a great horse in Window Rock, so we decided to go ahead and get it fixed while we had a guy that could fix it,” Price said. It’s probably a good idea. The trio will leave Window Rock tonight to compete in two rodeos on the Fourth of July, Red Lodge, Mont., and Cody, Wyo. They’re up in Oakley, Utah, on Friday; and St. Paul, Ore., and Molalla, Ore., on Saturday. They tried to use the traditional methods, then found an alternative. “We went to Enterprise, and they were out,” said Price, the No. 2 man in the rookie bareback riding race from Huntsville, Texas. “We tried to call Hertz, and they didn’t answer. We tried a few other places in Prescott, and they didn’t answer, but the U-Haul place had one.” So Tutor and Price loaded their riggings and bags into the back of the rental truck for the nearly five-hour drive to the Navajo Nation Fourth of July PRCA Rodeo. When it comes to Cowboy Christmas, it’s about making a living by any means possible.

July 8 episode of RFD-TV show offers a special surprise for fans, soldiers In a bull riding and reality TV career that has seen him racing around the world, Cord McCoy has been part of hundreds of amazing things. He did it again in early June during the J.W. Hart PBR Challenge in Decatur, Texas; more importantly, cameras were rolling, and the excitement was captured for his regular weekly viewers of “The Ride with Cord McCoy,” set to air at 1 and 11 p.m. Eastern time Monday, July 8, on RFD-TV. “That’s pretty awesome,” said McCoy, the host of the show and a cowboy who has numerous qualifications to the PBR’s Built Ford Tough World Finals. “The J.W. Hart Invitational is something I make sure and put on my schedule every year. It’s not just because J.W. is my friend, but the crowds that are there are amazing, and so is what they put together, especially this year being their 10th anniversary. “With what they’re doing there and what they’re showing, it’s what America’s all about.” The show opens with McCoy working around the ranch he has with his wife, Sara, near Tupelo, Okla., as the pair load bulls into the trailer to haul on the nearly three-hour drive to Decatur – in addition to the event serving as a bull riding competition for several of the top cowboys in the game, the Hart Challenge also is a contest featuring the animal athletes that are rising stars in bull riding, too. “Not only does J.W. bring the rankest bulls in the world and have a good payout for the bull riders, he always gives back,” McCoy said in the episode. “The bulls are in competition for themselves. “I’ll go from loading out bulls to riding them. I’ll be working both ends of the bull riding.” In fact, three of McCoy’s calves are shown in the competition prior to watching the cowboy attempt his ride. “I get more nervous with these baby calves bucking than I do myself,” he said on the show. Those are the two sides of the business for McCoy, who focuses on raising horses and bucking bulls. Now a television show host, he visited with some of the key players from this year’s Hart Challenge, including event organizers and Sgt. Jeremy Frost, a U.S. Army soldier who was injured – the video shows the prosthetic that now serves as Frost’s lower left leg. During the Hart Challenge, five soldiers were recognized and rewarded for their service and their sacrifices. “The Ride” cameras caught the touching presentation that offers grand surprises for all. “We sat down in the bleachers before the show, and I learned more about who he is and what he’s been through,” McCoy said, noting that Frost was the guiding force behind the generous gesture from the Wise County Challenge Charities. “He’s been in those guys shoes that are fighting for our country. He knows what this means to those guys. It’ll bring tears to your eyes.” According to an Internet search, Frost was injured when he stepped on a bomb on July 6, 2012. He lost his left leg below the knee, suffered brain injuries, and his right leg and hip were shattered. What he was part of with the charitable organization is a powerful display of something he’s seen since he returned home. “It shows guys like myself that the country truly does care about you,” Frost said on the show. “It reminds you that you can live.” McCoy said he was more than inspired. “He didn’t let that faze him one bit,” McCoy said. “I ran into him later that night, and he had a pair of jeans on and a Western shirt, and you would’ve never known he was using a prosthetic. He’s a cool guy. After you meet a guy like that, and it stokes your fire a little bit.” And the nugget McCoy likes so much about the episode is that viewers will get to see another side to Hart, a bull rider known as “The Ironman” for his toughness and ability to weather whatever injuries he faced in order to compete at 197 consecutive Built Ford Tough Series Events. Hart’s tenacity and aggressiveness are well known in the PBR, where he is a Ring of Honor recipient. “I thought the show was great, but it’s hard to fit the whole experience into one episode,” McCoy said. “It gives a pretty neat overview of the event, but it also shows the heart that J.W. has. “I knew that a long time before because I got to travel with J.W. a few times. He’s done some really cool things and would just as soon not let anybody know about it.” The secret will be revealed July 8 on “The Ride with Cord McCoy.”

Trevor Brazile and Patrick Smith aren’t satisfied with being hot. The team roping tandem took the early lead at the Navajo Nation Fourth of July PRCA Rodeo in Window Rock, Ariz. During Tuesday’s pre-performance competition (known as slack), the Texans posted a 4.3-second run to take the early lead. They hold a four-tenths-of-a-second lead over three other teams that sit in a tie for second place. In addition, Brazile scored an 8.7-second tie-down roping run, which, so far, is fourth. Donovan Yazzie leads with an 8.0, while the steer wrestling leader is Cooper Shofner, who posted a 3.8; Layna Kight rounded the cloverleaf pattern in 15.88 seconds to lead barrel racing. Last week, Brazile and Smith won the Bob Feist Invitational Team Roping and the West of the Pecos (Texas) Rodeo, then placed in a round at the Reno (Nev.) Rodeo, earning more than $70,000 in seven days. Brazile also won the team roping title in Pecos, adding just shy of $5,000 to the pot. The first performance in Window Rock begins Wednesday, and it’s a big part of the Cowboy Christmas spectacular, which features numerous lucrative rodeos around the Fourth of July holiday.

DODGE CITY, Kan. – Tomas Garcilazo is quite proud of who he is, from his upbringing in Mexico City to being a new citizen of the United States. He combines it all in one of the greatest acts in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. In fact, Garcilazo was recognized as the PRCA’s Dress Act of the Year in 2012, and he will be part of the high-throttle action at the Dodge City Roundup Rodeo, set for 7:45 p.m. Wednesday, July 31-Sunday, Aug. 4, at Roundup Arena. “I really want to thank the committee in Dodge City for bringing me in,” said Garcilazo, who recognizes the southwest Kansas community has a strong Hispanic presence. “So many Mexican people don’t get to go back to Mexico, so the committee is bringing so much of our culture back to these people. “But we have something for everyone to enjoy.” Garcilazo certainly does, and so do fans all across the country. You see, he is a charro and carries on the family heritage of La Charreria, a skill performed through the generations only by the Mexican charro. As did his elders, Garcilazo takes pride in his horsemanship and roping skills, which will be on display during each of the five performances of Roundup Rodeo. “We are very proud of our rodeo and every person that makes up our community, and those are two reasons we wanted Tomas in Dodge City,” said Dr. R.C. Trotter, chairman of volunteer committee that produces the annual rodeo. “We recognize we have a vibrant Hispanic community, and Tomas shares a great piece of the Mexican legacy with them. But he’s the best specialty act in rodeo because he’s so talented and reaches so many people. “We’re truly blessed to have Tomas coming to Dodge City.” The feeling is reciprocated. “This is going to be my first time in Dodge City,” Garcilazo said. “When you bring someone to provide a treat, it’s nice because you contribute something to the community. It’s going to bring more people together.” Rodeo is more than a competition. Sure, Roundup Rodeo will feature the very best in the sport, from numerous world champions in every event to the very best animal athletes in the game. But it’s also an action-packed couple of hours of entertainment. To help make a rodeo even more entertaining, specialty acts provide theatrics to the competition. Garcilazo is the best at what he does, and the members of the PRCA decided that last December. “It’s an honor because specialty acts are so competitive,” he said. “I’m very flattered that what I do as a charro and representing my culture and my tradition with my horses and myself has been recognized with those contractors, committees and contestants that are part of the PRCA. “I emphasize the tradition a lot. The heritage is very strong. For me, it is big that those are being carried on in modern day and that it is a privilege for me to keep up with this way of life. Cattle, horses and roping were all involved in my childhood.” Those lessons learned decades ago are still vibrant in his mind. That’s why he continues to entertain and show the world his talents. “On my mother’s side, they are all churros,” Garcilazo said. “I grew up competing all my life. I picked my skill with a rope and had a vision to develop this with the horses. “It’s a way of developing my dream. My rope, as a child, was a toy. Now I develop the artistry with a rope in such an extensive way. It takes time, effort, patience and the (willingness to) develop all the desires to succeed in horse and roping skills.” It is Garcilazo’s passion to share his talent – and his heritage – with the world. “Being in the entertainment business, you get to see the different traditions and different people from different personalities,” he said. “When you develop something with passion with your heart and express this on stage, it shows. When I see a performer, when they do these with their heart, it shows right away. I have a lot of passion for what I do, and I hope everyone sees that.”