Monthly Archives: September 2013

TEXARKANA, Ark. – Just looking in his eyes and seeing his demeanor, one could easily tell Dirty Jacket is all business who loves his job. He’s big and powerful, just like his daddy, the late Night Jacket, one of the most storied sires in the bucking horse industry. What sets Dirty Jacket apart from most other great broncs in ProRodeo is the passion he carries into the arena. He’ll get to experience that special feeling at the Four States Fair and Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 18-Saturday, Sept. 21, at the Four States Fair Entertainment Center in Texarkana, Ark. “That first jump is what makes bareback riding fun,” said Jessy Davis, a four-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Power, Mont., who won the rodeo in Lovington, N.M., after an 87-point ride in August. “That first jump out when they explode out of there and you know you’ve got him hooked, it feels pretty dang good. You can feel him after that and build your ride. “That’s a dang nice horse, one that will help you out a lot. He’s a pretty well-built horse, too.” Dirty Jacket is well on his way to the NFR for the fifth straight time and has been recognized as one of the very best bucking horses in the business since he was 5 years old. Last year alone, the Carr Pro Rodeo bronc was named the Texas Circuit Bareback of the Year and the runner-up Reserve World Champion Bareback Horse. “He’s the perfect bucking horse, because he loves what he does and he’s excited when it’s time to buck,” said Pete Carr, owner of Carr Pro Rodeo and Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo. “He ready when he gets to the chute, and he stands there until the gate opens; then he has a big leap in the air and bucks hard every time. “When the whistle blows, he lines out with the pickup man and allows the guys to get off without any problem. He’s the kind of horse all the bareback riders want to draw, because they know that as long as they don’t stub their toe, they’re going to win.” That’s been the case most of the time this year. Of the nine times the big bay has bucked in 2013, cowboys have won at least a share of the go-round eight times. “That’s the best bucking horse I’ve ever been on in my life,” said Taylor Price of Huntsville, Texas, who rode Dirty Jacket for 88 points to win in Pecos, Texas, in June. He’s not the only cowboy who feels that way. Jared Keylon shared the final-round victory at the Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo with an 87-point ride on the gelding. “There’s not another one like that horse,” said Keylon, a 2012 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Uniontown, Kan. “Just the sheer ability to stand flat-footed and jump that high in the air is incredible. Just his athleticism alone is so impressive. “That horse is as good an athlete as any cowboy going down the road. When I nodded my head, it felt like we leaped 10 feet off the ground. That was the coolest horse to mark out in the world, because he shoots straight up. The way he’s built, he almost cradles you, almost saddles you up under the rigging. He almost spurs himself with the way he bucks. It was awesome.”

DALLAS – Pete Carr has been part of some major changes in rodeo over the last seven months. Carr, the owner of Carr Pro Rodeo, expanded his firm with the acquisition of Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo, purchasing the company from longtime friend Scotty Lovelace. He’s increased his herd of world-class bucking animals, his staff of rodeo professionals and the number of events he produces annually. Now he’s been nominated for the 2013 Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Stock Contractor of the Year. “It’s been an amazing year for us, this is just another big plus,” Carr said. “The nomination means a lot to me, because I know how hard our staff has worked this year. This is great recognition for them.” It also is recognition for the amazing animal athletes that wear the Carr brands, 31 of which were selected to compete at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, three of which have been voted as Bareback Horses of the Year: Real Deal in 2005, Big Tex in 2010 and MGM Deuces Night last year. “We’ve been real fortunate to have some great horses over the years,” Carr said, noting that River Boat Annie was the 2007 Reserve World Champion Bareback Horse, and Dirty Jacket was the runner-up Reserve World Champion as well as the Texas Circuit Bareback Horse of the Year in 2012. “We’ve had some great success with our bull herd this year, too.” Still, it’s more than bucking animals that make a rodeo. Carr prides his companies on top-level production and working with the best in the sport. In fact, several other contractors who work Carr rodeos also received nominations in their chosen awards: Clown of the Year: Lecile Harris Announcer of the Year: Andy Stewart, Boyd Polhamus and Mike Mathis Comedy Act of the Year: Lecile Harris, John Harris, Mark Swingler and Cody Sosebee Clown of the Year: John Harrison and Cody Sosebee Bullfighter of the Year: Travis Adams, Kelby Pearah and Kenny Bergeron Small Rodeo of the Year: Crosby (Texas) Fair and Rodeo Medium Rodeo of the Year: Crossett (Ark.) Riding Club PRCA Rodeo Large Outdoor Rodeo of the Year: Lea County (N.M.) Fair and Rodeo “When you have the opportunity to work with the very best, it definitely makes you want to step up your game,” Carr said. “It’s because of those professionals that we’ve been able to do that.”

AMERICAN ROYAL WILL PAY TRIBUTE TO THOSE WHO HAVE HELPED MAKE AMERICA FREE KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The American Royal’s mission is to promote and celebrate the excellence in agricultural progress and develop future generations of leaders through agrarian values, disciplines and expressions of skills. The American Royal Parade, set for 9:45 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, expounds upon that purpose with a special “thank you” to the United States military with the theme entitled “A Star-Spangled Salute.” “Because of the American military, we are free,” said Bryden Becker, the American Royal’s director of festival events and promotions. “Because of American agriculture, we have the bounty that is the envy of the Earth. Because of our youth, we have a future. “Those last two are so obviously part of the American Royal’s mission and purpose as a 114-year-old charity and doing our 88th parade. We found a couple years ago that this region is one of the most patriotic, yet we had never pulled together a thank you parade for our military. We did it last year, and we firmly believe that showing our support of the American military was something we need to do again.” The parade will travel north on Grand Boulevard from Pershing to Truman Road. Building on the success of last year’s event – which was the largest in recent memory and the largest in the Midwest honoring the military – organizers are making even bigger plans for this the 2013 festival. “We are grateful to the Commemorative Air Force, Heart of America Wing, for supporting our parade,” Becker said. “They will be performing a formation flyover at about 9:45 that morning, which, I believe, is absolutely wonderful.” The Commemorative Air Force is a national group that has a strong association at New Century Airport in Gardner, Kan. It’s just one aspect of the 2013 parade that will be on display for what organizers hope are tens of thousands of people celebrating all the festival has to showcase. It also is expected to feature 2,000 Boy Scouts, marching bands, drill teams, tractors, the Budweiser Clydesdales and a host of dignitaries, like Kansas City Mayor Sly James and Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback, who will serve as co-grand marshal with Mary Jean Eisenhower, President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s granddaughter, and Clifton Truman Daniel, President Harry S. Truman’s grandson. “The military has provided us the freedom to do this for many generations … freedom that also allowed our nation’s farmers to provide a bounty of food that fed our population,” said Bob Petersen, the American Royal’s president and CEO. “Without our military, none of this would have been possible. It is time we focused on saying thank you.”

TEXARKANA, Ark. – There’s a lot to love about Big Tex. Just ask some of the top cowboys in the game, who will provide grand details about the athletic, 13-year-old bay gelding owned by Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo. “I’ll take that horse anywhere I’m at,” said saddle bronc rider Wade Sundell, who rode Big Tex for 90 points to win the $50,000 round at RodeoHouston in March. “When you get on that horse, you’re nodding your head to win first. He kicks lights out, and he bails in the air. He’s got some hang time, and that allows you really set your feet and show off your spur stroke. “That’s one of the coolest horses to have for $50,000. He’s just so big and showy.” Sundell is a four-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier who will make his fifth trip to Las Vegas this coming December. He’s finished among the top five each of the past three seasons, so he knows a thing or two about riding bucking horses well. “He’s everything you’d want in a bucking horse,” he said. A lot of cowboys think that way. Now cowboys and fans will get the opportunity to see it first-hand at the Four States Fair and Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 18-Saturday, Sept. 21, at the Four States Fair Entertainment Center in Texarkana, Ark. You see, Big Tex has been featured in saddle bronc riding for three years. Before that, he was considered one of the best horses in bareback riding. In 2010, the top cowboys in the sport voted Big Tex the Bareback Horse of the Year; that year, he guided and Tilden Hooper tied the world record with a 94-point ride in Silver City, N.M. In 2008, he was the Reserve World Champion Bareback Horse. As a bareback, he bucked at the NFR four straight times, from 2007-10; he’s been in bronc riding in Las Vegas the last two Decembers. Now bronc riders are enjoying Big Tex’s bucking prowess. “He’s always been a great bucking horse,” said Tyler Corrington, the third-ranked bronc rider in the world standings from Hastings, Minn. “He’s one of the few bareback horses I knew before he became a bronc, because he was just so outstanding. He’s done nothing but be awesome.” Corrington knows as well as anyone in the game. He matched moves with Big Tex for 85 points in February to win the title in San Antonio. “I knew ahead of time that I’d drawn pretty good, but it’s a pretty good sign when you’re sitting in the hospitality area and all your buddies are jealous of you because of what you’ve drawn,” he said. Curtis Garton was pretty excited before the final round at the Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo, and it paid off quite well. Garton, of Kaitaia, New Zealand, who won ProRodeo’s national championship after an 86-point ride on Big Tex. “That’s the one,” said Garton, now living in Lake Charles, La. “Coming into this rodeo, they asked me what my dream draw was, and I didn’t have to think about that: Big Tex. I just thank the Lord that it all worked out.”

McCOY TAKES VIEWERS ON AN ADVENTURE WITH EQUINE FUN OF CAMPDRAFTING  The first time Cord McCoy witnessed the Australian sport of campdrafting, it was while competing at a bull riding event “down under.” His return to the equine sport came a little closer to home in Kiowa, Colo., home of the newly created United National Campdrafting Association. It’s there that McCoy takes a film crew and showcases this unique adventure for the Sept. 16 episode of “The Ride with Cord McCoy,” which airs at 1 and 11 p.m. Eastern time Mondays on RFD-TV. “Like anybody who grew up on a horse, I was excited to give it a try,” McCoy said. “The first time I got the phone call that campdrafting was coming to the United States, I knew right then I wanted to give it a whirl.” He isn’t the only one. Mary Harris organized the U.S. campdrafting organization and established the clinic that took place at the Elbert County Fairgrounds near Kiowa. “A group of us here in Elbert County formed a business round table with the idea to bring more business to Elbert County,” said Harris, president of the association. “The idea was to help the small communities get a little bit more business and grow a little bit more.” Thus Destination Elbert County was born, with three members on the committee. Harris focused her attention on campdrafting, and it’s taken off. Earlier this year, she solicited the assistance of a couple Australians to help with the clinic, Pete Comiskey and Steven Hart. They conducted the clinic shown in the half-hour episode. In the show, Hart explains how campdrafting got its start, based on the process of gathering a herd of cattle. “It evolved into a competition,” he said. “They had the better camp horses, and they had a competition in the Outback, then it moved on to regular competitions in outlying districts, towns and cities to where it is formed now. “With this campdrafting school, there’s people from all walks of life. The main reason, I believe, is they’ve got the opportunity to use their horse, whatever breed it is.” Campdrafting is the fastest-growing equine sport in Australia, the experts said, and there’s a good reason. The first step is for a horseback competitor to utilize a smallish pen to cut a cow out of a herd, much like what is seen in the cutting horse industry. Once the cow is secured, then the rider must then maneuver the cow into the larger arena, where he/she uses horsemanship to direct the cow around a cloverleaf pattern. The competition is based on points at various levels of the “run.” “I campdraft break horses and campdraft competitions throughout Australia,” Hart said, noting he has competing in hundreds of performances over the last 11 years. He also teaches clinics, much like the one in Colorado, which featured numerous students from all over the country converging on the community tucked between Denver and Colorado Springs with just a little sway to the east. “The fact that people drove 1,500 miles to do this is phenomenal,” Harris said. “We’re going to have more campdrafting competitions next year. They’re already talking about it in Texas, and we’re working on a group, hopefully, in California, Nebraska and Montana. “I think this sport is primed for moving ahead. People are excited. I think it’s going to go forward and be very successful.” The reason, Hart said, is that it’s open to just about anyone who loves to work their horses. “Anyone can come and have a go,” he said in a rich Australian dialect. “Like any sport, it’s really good if you can go and get some training.” That’s just what McCoy experienced. “Those guys really were great teachers,” he said. “It shows you anything from riding good to having a good horse to your working together. Just reading your cow and which one to get is one thing, then right after that, you’re putting some trust into that horse as a cutting horse to show that he has some cow. “Once you feel like you’ve got the horse and the cow and that you’re all working together, that you’ve got a little bit of control, you call for the gate.” That’s the signal to go from the pen to the arena and begin the craft of rounding the cloverleaf pattern – it would be akin to being a barrel racer, all while herding a cow in the process of rounding the pattern. “That first 40 yards feels a little bit like being a jockey in a Quarter Horse race, and that first left turn comes fast,” McCoy said. It was just another equine adventure for McCoy, who looks perfectly at home as a television host.

In my line of work, I get to learn about some pretty cool things. Just minutes ago, I had a request from Marissa Muncy, wife of two-time world champion saddle bronc rider Taos Muncy, who wrote, “I’m pretty sure Taos is over his million dollar mark in the PRCA. Do you know who I’d talk to to make sure?” I reached out to the PRCA’s information guru, Jim Bainbridge, who not only confirmed this news and information but also pointed me to the piece on ProRodeo.com that listed the item, seen HERE. What Bainbridge also pointed out was that Muncy surpassed the mark with earnings last weekend in Fort Madison, Iowa; Puyallup, Wash.; and Lewiston, Idaho, and that Muncy was joined by Steven Dent, who earned second-place checks in both bronc riding and bareback riding in Lewiston. They are the 114th and 115th men to reach the milestone. Muncy won his first Montana Silversmiths gold buckle in 2007, just six months after winning the college bronc riding title while competing at Oklahoma Panhandle State University; with that feat, he became just the third cowboy in rodeo history to win a college championship and a PRCA championship in the same calendar year, joining bull rider Matt Austin and all-around talent Ty Murray. Muncy also won the world title in 2011. That same year, Dent won the all-around championship at the College National Finals Rodeo and led his team, Ranger (Texas) College, to the men’s title. Like Muncy, he also qualified for his first Wrangler National Finals Rodeo that December, albeit in bareback riding. Both men are well on their way to their sixth trip to Las Vegas.  

TEXARKANA, Ark. – Just a few miles east of historic State Line Avenue sit another piece of Texarkana history: the Four States Fair and Rodeo. The history returns again this year, with Pete Carr and his crews coming to town to produce the annual rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 18-Saturday, Sept. 21, at the Four States Fair Entertainment Center in Texarkana, Ark. “I know you couldn’t ask for any better animals at one rodeo,” said Ronny Sparks, chairman of the rodeo committee. “That’s what we want. One thing about our rodeo is that with this time of year, we’ve got a lot of guys coming that are on the bubble to make the National Finals (Rodeo). They only take the top 15 in each event, so they’re all busting their butts to make as much money as they can this time of year.” Sparks knows a thing or two about quality rodeo. He and his twin brother, Donny, were professional bullfighters for many years. In fact, they were two of the best in the business – Ronny was a three-time Wrangler Bullfights world champion, and Donny was a three-time reserve world champion. Now Ronny works hard to put on a great rodeo for his hometown. “There are a lot of people involved in our rodeo that love the sport, and they know when we get an NFR-caliber contestant here,” he said. “We’ll see a lot of them, that’s for sure, and part of that comes back to the stock we’ll have.” Carr, owner of Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo and Carr Pro Rodeo, will produce the four performances of Texarkana’s rodeo; it’s the showcase of the Ark-La-Tex, and it’s exactly what makes the sport of rodeo so grand. “It’s nice to go to a rodeo and have really good horses, because you know the stock contractor is going to have that kind of caliber of animals,” said saddle bronc Jake Wright, a 2012 NFR qualifier. “You know it’s going to be a riding contest instead of a drawing contest. It’s pretty sweet.” Wright shared the event championship in Lovington, N.M., with his oldest brother, Cody Wright, a two-time world champion. Both the Milford, Utah, cowboys rode Carr horses for 87 points to claim the coveted title. The top cowboys in the game will nod their heads for a chance to win some big-time money on Carr horses in Texarkana. Those are a few of the powerful tools that come with the combination of Carr Pro Rodeo and Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo. Mixing them together has created the largest stock contracting company in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. “That’s a lot of animals pooled together in one spot,” said Will Lowe, a three-time world champion bareback rider from Canyon, Texas. “You can put together whatever type of pen you want when you have that many horses, and it’s always going to be in the high 80s.” That’s great for contestants, but it’s a coup for fans, who will get to see the biggest names in the sport test their talents against the best bucking animals in the game. “I’m combining two of the best crews in rodeo to form one of the top rodeo companies in our industry,” said Pete Carr, the owner of the stock contracting firms. “I’m excited about the new opportunities that are ahead for the company. I want committees to know we have a lot to offer them. We’re going to have unprecedented resources for all the rodeos, which will benefit everyone involved: committees, sponsors, contestants and spectators.” With the Carr firms bringing the power to Texarkana, it should be an electric showcase.

My grandmother died this morning in what I would call a celebration of a wonderful life. She was 102. Just a week ago, all eight of her living children were with her as we honored the recent marriage of Cheyenne, one of her 26 grandchildren. My mother – the oldest of five daughters and the third child of the nine – preceded Grandma in death by 13 years, and Grandad’s been gone almost 14 years. Alice Ruth (Elder) Summers was born March 28, 1911, in Leoti, Kan., and married Grandad, Henry David Summers, one day before her 18th birthday in 1929. She lived through the Depression and raised children in the Dirty Thirties, a farm wife who was as much of a farmer as any woman who lived in the ruggedness of western Kansas. In 1972 when my family moved from Leoti, she and Grandad moved from the farm into our home. She lived in that little house until her mid-90s and has spent the last few years at the Wichita County Long Term Health Care Unit. Even after a century of living, her mind was sharper than most retirees, and she shared that gift with all of us. Though we moved away from there four decades ago, Leoti always has been my home. When I was a senior in high school, I returned to Kansas and lived that year with my older brother while my parents, sister and her oldest daughter lived in New Orleans – they returned to Leoti in 1988, just before my senior year in college. With the folks more about 1,000 miles away, I spent weekends and long breaks from college with Grandma and Grandad. I piddled, mainly, because there was a big lifestyle difference between the generations. Still, they tolerated me and the ants in my pants, and they loved me for it. Grandma had the biggest heart of most anyone you would ever meet, and she loved sharing that. One wall in her nursing home room was covered in photos of her family members and loved ones, a true testament to the people she’s reached in her 102 years on this Earth. Neither of my children got to meet my wonderful momma, but I’m so very thankful they got to spend time and love on her momma. She has been a blessing to me all my life, and I will miss her. But she lived an amazing life, of which most of us would envy. While I will miss Grandma Summers, I am comforted by the realization that today is just the first of many celebrations of her wonderful life.

JONESBORO, Ark. – Northeastern Arkansas is filled with the majesty and beauty that rests in the picturesque landscape that flows like the Mississippi River. Come mid-September, the attractiveness magnifies with the powerful bucking beasts from Texas-based firms Carr Pro Rodeo and Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo, which will produce awesome athleticism that is on display during the NEA District Fair and Rodeo, set for 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13-Saturday, Sept. 14, at the Arkansas State University Convocation Center in Jonesboro. “The thing about Pete Carr’s rodeos is that when you go to one, you know you’re going to get a chance to win first,” said bareback rider Matt Bright, a three-time NFR qualifier from Stafford, Texas. “A lot of guys don’t have that. “I really respect that guy a lot, because he used to be a bareback rider himself. I think that’s why he’s got such a good pen of bareback horses. He knows what kinds of horses guys can win on.” Carr knows the importance of quality livestock. Bareback riders and saddle bronc riders need great horses, while bull riders hunger for awesome athletes. Scores, using the 100-point scale, come from both sides of the equation: The cowboy judged from 1-50 on how well he rides, while the animal is scored 1-50 on how well he bucks. That’s why top quality livestock is the backbone of a great rodeo, and the Carr staff works hard throughout the year to provide that at the 34 events it will produce. “These animals thrive on this,” said Pete Carr, owner of the two elite livestock firms. “It’s just like people. When somebody feels good, they’re happy and they’re upbeat. They carry themselves differently. “It’s the same with a horse. When a bucking horse knows he’s going to get to buck, he gets excited, and he’s ready to go.” Carr animals live most of the year on lush grasslands in east Texas. From a tremendous breeding program that features world-class genetics to the right diet and health plan for each animal, that’s where they receive the tender loving care they need to perform at their best when it’s time to hit the rodeo trail. “They’re all bred to buck, and even though they all have different personalities, they’re ready to go,” Carr said. “By getting on the truck, they know they’re going to go buck. They’re pretty eager to get on the truck.” They’re pretty good, too. In fact, the Carr firms accounted for 31 animals that were selected to buck at the 2012 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, the sport’s grand championship that takes place each December in Las Vegas. Only the elite horses and bulls in rodeo are selected to perform at the NFR. “We’ve been pretty blessed to have had some great animals over the years,” Carr said, noting that three animals from his herd have been named the Bareback Horse of the Year: Real Deal in 2005, Big Tex in 2010 and MGM Deuces Night in 2012. That’s just one reason why Carr Pro Rodeo and Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo is recognized as one of the very best in the sport. There are many others, and fans in Jonesboro will see it very soon.

HIGHLY DECORATED ENTERTAINER IS READY TO BE PART OF AMERICAN ROYAL RODEO KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Keith Isley is one of the most decorated clowns in rodeo. Now Isley will bring his brand of funny to the American Royal Rodeo, set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27, and 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, inside Hale Arena at the American Royal Complex. “I thoroughly enjoy watching people have a good time and enjoy what I do or what I say,” said Isley, 55, now in his 20th year in ProRodeo. “Just seeing people enjoy it and have a good time. Sometimes later in the year, you’ll get home and have some letters for you and have some pictures of you that kids have drawn. “It’s the little things that really make me feel like I’m accomplishing something.” He has accomplished much. He’s been named the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Clown of the Year six times, the Coors Man in the Can five times, the PRCA Comedy Act of the Year five times and PRCA Specialty Act of the Year three times. For three straight years, from 2009-11, he won the funnyman’s trifecta: Clown of the Year, Coors Man in the Can and Comedy Act of the Year. “We really like working with Keith, because, for one, his comedy is second to none,” said Cody Kidd, production supervisor for Smith Pro Rodeos, the stock contractor at the American Royal Rodeo. “Keith has two sides to him that the older generation can relate to, but he’s also able to do things that reach the younger generation. He can do both aspects of it.” That’s just one piece of the puzzle that makes Isley such a commodity. In addition to being one of the best funny men in the business, he also has some of the top acts in rodeo. He’ll bring it all with him when he arrives at the West Bottoms for the American Royal. “I enjoy what I do, and it’s a lot of fun when you’ve got a good crowd and a good announcer,” Isley said, noting that while in Kansas City he will work with Randy Corley, who has been named the PRCA Announcer of the Year 11 times. “When you see people with smiles on their faces, and then people come up to you and appreciate what you do, that makes what we do a lot more worthwhile.” Isley sees a lot of smiles and has for much of his professional life. Though he was considered a class clown, being a comedian didn’t come easily. “Oh, it was natural if I knew you, but if I didn’t know you, it was really hard,” he said. “When I started the comedy, that was really hard for me to get used to because I didn’t know those people watching me.” He has since overcome his stage fright to become one of the most sought-after entertainers in the game. There’s good reason for it, too. Part of a good clown’s job is to fill any down time that could some during the event. If there’s a pause in the action, Isley knows it’s his turn to step up to the plate. “From a production standpoint, it’s the small things that Keith does that makes a big difference,” Kidd said. “When we have a delay, I can turn to Keith and let him know I need him to fill, and he’ll be right there. With him and a guy like Randy Corley announcing it, you know they bring the professionalism to the table that you need to make the production seem seamless.” It’s just part of the job for Isley. “I like to play on the crowd,” he said. “I like to have fun with people that like to have fun.” It works, but Isley has a lot of tricks up his sleeve. He loves working with animals and allowing them to steal the show. When it’s all put together, it’s an award-winning showcase that reaches so many people. “Back in 1999, I worked a rodeo in Belle Foursche (S.D.); during the trick riding act, I was talking to the announcer and was just looking around,” he said. “That’s when I saw the contestants standing all around the arena just watching.” When Isley left town, he reflected on that image and still considers it one of his greatest honors. Later that year, he earned was named the Specialty Act of the Year for the first time. “Since then, I’ve won it a few times,” Isley said. “I’ve undoubtedly been the most blessed man who’s ever bought a PRCA membership.” The fans are pretty blessed, too.

BULLFIGHTER BATTLES THE BEAST TO KEEP EVERYONE SAFE AT AMERICAN ROYAL RODEO KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Kenny Bergeron is one of the most decorated bullfighters in rodeo. The south Louisiana man has been nominated as Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Bullfighter of the Year each season since 2008. In that time, he’s been chosen by the bull riders to protect them during the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. He returns to Kansas City this fall for the second time to work the American Royal Rodeo, with three performances set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27, and 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, inside Hale Arena at the American Royal Complex. “It is an honest thrill to be able to work an event with as much prestige as the American Royal,” said Bergeron, 35, of Iota, La. “It’s a very big deal to me to be able to work the Royal, because it’s that special. It’s the last weekend of the rodeo year, and there will be a big push for those guys to be there if they hope to make it to the NFR.” The rodeo season concludes Sept. 30, so the American Royal and its healthy purse will be attractive for those cowboys and cowgirls trying to secure their spots in ProRodeo’s grand championship. Only the top 15 on the money list in each event qualify the NFR, set for December in Las Vegas. Money won in Kansas City can serve as a springboard for world championships. But that’s just one aspect regarding the rodeo world’s love affair with the American Royal. There are plenty of others, and Bergeron knows them as well as anyone. “When I think of the Royal, I think about those old guys who were pushing to make the NFR in their day,” he said. “I think about that, and I can feel the anticipation that guys like Larry Mahan and Tuff Hedeman and Jim Sharp had when they got to the Royal. “When I realized what I was coming to Kansas City, I realized I was going to the capital of the Midwest, I’m going to the Royal. It’s a pretty good feeling.” Bergeron began fighting bulls professionally in 2001, but he’s been around rodeo all his life. “I was born into it,” he said. “My dad and uncle were stock contractors, and my dad was a bullfighter. He was still fighting bulls when I was really young, and I kind of remember him doing it. I grew up in the rodeo business. When you grow up in the business, you just do what you’re needed to do at the time. When I was 15, we needed a bullfighter, so I told my uncle that I was going to do it. He told me I couldn’t. “I went out there and did it anyway. I took my first hooking, and I fell in love with it.” A bull’s natural tendency is to hook, whether it has horns or not. It’s a natural reflex, whether in the grasslands or in the rodeo arena and serves as a means to move things out of the way. A bullfighter’s primary purpose is to assist bull riders once they dismount the animal – whether the cowboy is bucked off or whether he leaps off after the ride. Bergeron and his partner, Kelby Pearah of Mansfield, La., will work in tandem to gather the bull’s attention and, hopefully, providing a clear path for all others to escape harm’s way. Over the three performances, Pearah and Bergeron will look the beasts in the eyes, then touch the bulls to gather the animals’ attention. From there, it’s all about using athleticism to keep themselves out of the way. But there’s much more to the job that drives the bullfighters’ passions. “Getting to rodeo with the very best friends in the world is the best part of my job,” Bergeron said. “I get to be around people that not only are my friends, but are people that I respect. I know that if I need anything, all I would have to do is make a phone call. “It’s an honor to be part of a business where it’s more like a family.” In his lifetime, Bergeron has seen many things and has had a front-row spot to witness some of the greatest feats in ProRodeo. He was in the arena in Silver City, N.M., in 2010 when Tilden Hooper rode Big Tex of the Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo string for a world record-tying 94 points. Bergeron also was inside the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas when good friend J.W. Harris won his third straight world title. And while one might consider working the NFR as the highlight of his career, Bergeron keeps things much more simple. “All I’ve ever wanted to do was just be part of it and to be respected by the guys I rodeo with,” he said. “To me, my biggest honor is to talk out of the arena and some bull rider I saved that night says, ‘I’m glad Kenny was here.’ “That’s all I’d ever need.” It’s what he gets, because it’s what he deserves.

HOST McCOY HONORS A REINING LEGEND, LEARNS MORE ABOUT CLYDESDALES When decorated reining horse sire Colonels Smoking Gun died two months ago after a bout with laminitis, he left behind a great legacy. His life and his lineage is just one part of the Sept. 9 episode of “The Ride with Cord McCoy,” which airs at 1 and 11 p.m. Eastern on Monday on RFD-TV. McCoy visits with some of the top reining horse professionals about the stallion, then turns his attention to other outstanding steads, the Express Ranches Clydesdales, providing fans with the opportunity to recognize some of the most majestic animals in the equine industry. Gunner was “one of the best performing horses and producing horses ever in the reining world,” McCoy said as he opened the show. “He will be missed, by not only the producers, the trainers but also the fans.” Owned by McQuay Stables, Gunner was 20 years old when he died July 8. To date, his offspring have earned more than $5 million in the National Reining Horse Association, allowing Gunner to be one of just five stallions to reach that landmark; he is also the only paint to do so, according to the American Paint Horse Association. “When we bought Gunner, I thought he would be a sire,” said Tim McQuay, the owner of McQuay Stables. “I was fortunate enough to ride a handful of colts he sired already when we made the deal to buy him. I had a feel that every one that I rode wanted to stop. That’s a big part of what I hunt for.” Last year alone, the top two horses in the NRHA’s open futurity were his colts: Americasnextgunmodel won the championship, while Gunners Tinseltown was the reserve champion. In addition, another colt, Customized Gunner, was named the NRHA’s non-pro co-champion. “Last year his colts won a million and a half dollars themselves,” McQuay said. “There’s not another stud in the industry that’s had colts be first and second in the reining futurity. He did his job better than I ever expected him to.” Gunner’s death reached beyond McQuay Stables. “It was a sad day when he passed,” said Dell Hendricks, owner of Hendricks Reining Horses. “I competed against him all those years, but he still kind of gets into your heart. I don’t know why that flop-eared thing did it, but he got into you.” Hendricks isn’t the only reining professional to see that. “I think Gunner’s impact in the industry is greater than any other stud that we’ve seen,” said Tom McCutcheon, owner of McCutcheon Reining Horses. “As much as anything because any practice pen you go to across the country, you see white legs and white faces. It’s changed the industry completely.” Gunner not only sired great champions, but he performed quite well in the arena, too. “He won $177,000 himself,” McQuay said. “Everybody loved him. He was this cute, little bald-face horse with floppy ears, and they loved him. The crowd went crazy when they walked into the pen. It was a different look, a different breed, but it sure did work.” His work as a sire is where his legacy lives. “He’s turned into the go-to sire,” McCutcheon said. “He’s always the first horse you think about, at least for us. I manage probably 30 of the best brood mares in the country, and our go-to stud is that. We try to have as many of them here as we can, because we’ve never seen anything like it. “There’s seven, eight, nine horses in the finals by Gunner. We’ve never had any stud like it. The industry is going to miss him terrible.” Great animals not only stand out, but the reach deeply into people’s hearts. Whether it’s a great reining horse or a powerful Clydesdale, it’s attractive. Bob Funk realized that 15 years ago when he invested into his own program. “We’re owned by Bob Funk, who owns Express Employment Professionals,” said Tabitha Minshull, the events coordinator for Express Clydesdales. “He was introduced to the Clydesdales back in 1998. He just fell in love with them, but he particularly decided to have the black and white Clydesdales, which they’re a lot more rare. He purchased a hitch in 1998 and has since used them as a marketing ambassador for the company.” Now the Express Clydesdales are famous worldwide and are being utilized in numerous ways by the Western community. During the 2011 Calgary (Alberta) Stampede, Prince William and his wife, Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, rode atop the Express Stage that was led by the team of Clydesdales. The Clydesdales used in the teams range in age from 4 to their mid-teens, Minshull said. They’re started at ages 3 or 4. “They’ve hit their full height,” she said, noting the horses stand from 17 hands to the biggest one being 19.1 hands tall. “They may have some weight to gain, but they’re maturing to start driving. “An 18-hand horse is 6 foot to the withers.” To show the versatility of the animals, McCoy closed the show by riding one of the Clydesdales “off into the sunset.” It was the perfect way to celebrate the episode about some of the most celebrated horses in the world.

DUNCAN, Okla. – Stockton Graves has had a special place in his heart for the Prairie Circuit. Graves got his start in professional rodeo competing at events close to his Newkirk, Okla., home, those primarily within the borders of the Oklahoma-Kansas-Nebraska region. Now 34 years old, he has qualified seven times for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and has been one of the top steer wrestlers in the sport for a decade. So far this season, he has won nearly $32,000, which has him down the money list in the closing weeks of the season and out of opportunities to play in Las Vegas this coming October. But that’s OK, because Graves has other priorities in his life – he is the rodeo coach at his alma mater, Northwestern Oklahoma State University. “This year’s been really good, especially in the circuit,” Graves said. “I think I’ve won more money in the circuit than I ever have.” Of his season earnings, more than $20,000 has come from rodeos in the circuit. He has five key victories for the 2013 campaign – steer wrestling crowns in Lawton, Okla.; Guymon, Okla.; and Eureka, Kan.; and tie-down roping and all-around titles in Topeka, Kan. He leads the bulldogging standings with $19,479, nearly $8,000 ahead of the No. 2 cowboy, Kyle Irwin, a Northwestern alumnus who competed on Graves’ rodeo team. Graves also leads the all-around standings with $20,227, just about $1,000 ahead of Trell Etbauer of Gruver, Texas. They’ll battle for the coveted year-end championships during this year’s marquee event, the Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo, set for Oct. 17-19 at the Stephens County Fair and Expo Center in Duncan. “Last year I didn’t make the (National) Finals, but I did make the circuit finals and the All American Finals,” he said, noting that the All American ProRodeo Series finale features the top contestants based on points from events included in that circuit. “Between the Prairie Circuit Finals, the All American Finals and the Ram National Circuit Finals, I won close to $30,000 last year. That’s still rodeoing for a living. As a cowboy, it all boils down to winning money. “For everybody that doesn’t rodeo to make the NFR, the circuit gives them a chance to win some good money. Especially with the Ram National Circuit Finals being in Oklahoma City, it’s really something I want to shoot for so I can make it there.” Graves has been there, qualifying for ProRodeo’s national championship event in the two ways possible – only the year-end champions and circuit finals-average champions in each event from each of the 12 circuits earns the right to compete each spring in Oklahoma City. Last year, Graves earned his ticket by winning the average title in Duncan. The key is finishing the season among the top 12 on the Prairie Circuit money list in order to play in Duncan. With just two weeks remaining in the circuit season, Graves is one of 10 contestants leading the race in the standings of his event. He is joined by bareback rider Caine Riddle of Vernon, Texas; header Nick Sartain of Dover, Okla.; heeler Billie Saebens of Nowata, Okla.; saddle bronc rider Joe Lufkin of Sallisaw, Okla.; tie-down roper Jerome Schneeberger of Ponca City, Okla.; steer roper Rocky Patterson of Pratt, Kan.; barrel racer Gretchen Benbenek of Aubrey, Texas; and bull rider Sage Kimzey of Strong City, Okla. “I will always rodeo around the circuit as long as I can rodeo,” Graves said. “We have good rodeos to go to, and it makes my life a little easier. Most of our rodeos are no more than six hours away. Last week we went to four rodeos, and I was home every night. I like that. “I’m pretty content with being a circuit cowboy.”

JONESBORO, Ark. – Any great sporting event needs a combination of superlatives in order to be successful: Great athletes and phenomenal action. That’s just what happens when Pete Carr and his staff of experts produce a rodeo, and it’s what fans have come to expect. The combination will be in plain view during the NEA District Fair and Rodeo, set for 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13-Saturday, Sept. 14, at the Arkansas State University Convocation Center in Jonesboro. “It’s nice to go to a rodeo and have really good horses, because you know the stock contractor is going to have that kind of caliber of animals,” said saddle bronc Jake Wright, a 2012 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo from Milford, Utah. “You know it’s going to be a riding contest instead of a drawing contest. It’s pretty sweet.” Wright knows first-hand just how sweet it is. He shared the bronc riding victory at the Lea County (N.M.) Fair and Rodeo in early August with his oldest brother, two-time world champion Cody Wright; both cowboys earned their share of the titles on Carr Pro Rodeo horses. Like all other cowboys who make their livings riding bucking beasts, the Wrights know they’ll have a fair chance to win any time they compete on horses owned by Carr Pro Rodeo or Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo. “That’s a lot of animals pooled together in one spot,” said Will Lowe, a three-time world champion bareback rider from Canyon, Texas. “You can put together whatever type of pen you want when you have that many horses, and it’s always going to be in the high 80s.” Carr made a name for himself with great animal athletes, then he upped the ante earlier this year when he acquired Pete Carr’s Classic. This year, he will produce 34 rodeos in 17 states. “I’m combining two of the best crews in rodeo to form one of the top rodeo companies in our industry,” said Pete Carr, the owner of the stock contracting firms. “I’m excited about the new opportunities that are ahead for the company. I want committees to know we have a lot to offer them. We’re going to have unprecedented resources for all the rodeos, which will benefit everyone involved: committees, sponsors, contestants and spectators.” That’s a big reason why Carr will be in Jonesboro for this year’s NEA District Fair and Rodeo, which is an entertainment festival for 16 counties in northeastern Arkansas. “Pete’s got a heck of a string put together,” said saddle bronc rider Wade Sundell, a four-time NFR qualifier from Boxholm, Iowa. “There are not a lot of people that can match him anymore.” Sundell has done awfully well on Carr animals this year. He won the rodeo in Claremore, Okla., by matching moves with Carr Pro Rodeo’s Social Call. He placed second in Guymon, Okla., on Carr Pro Rodeo Miss Congeniality; still, his biggest win of the season came when he won the $50,000 round at RodeoHouston on Pete Carr’s Classic’s Big Tex after a 90-point ride. “It’s awesome when you have a good horse underneath you, because you know something good is going to happen,” he said. But the animal is just half the equation; it takes a solid performance by the man on the beast to make for a winning score. That’s what fans will experience in Jonesboro.