Monthly Archives: August 2016

DODGE CITY, Kan. – Several things in his life have carried Chet Johnson away from the game he loves over the past few years. In 2014, his sister, Tracy, died unexpectedly, and the cowboy needed to be in Wyoming with family. Last year, a nagging injury kept him on the sidelines. For the saddle bronc rider with four qualifications to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, he longed for a return to “normalcy” of the sport: bucking horses, buddies and all-night drives. “A few years ago, my sister passed away, so I stayed at home a lot that year,” said Johnson, 35, of Douglas, Wyo. “Coming into this (possibly) being the third year of not being able to do much, I just really wanted to start riding good again, get in a groove.” He’s found it and showcased it Thursday night during the second performance of Dodge City Roundup Rodeo with an 84.5-point ride on Frontier Rodeo’s Griz for a share of the lead with traveling partner Clay Elliott of Nanton, Alberta. “They win a lot of money on that Frontier horse,” Johnson said of Griz. “He gets bucked quite a bit, but he’s always a money horse. He’s yours to screw up. He’s going to give you every chance there is and give you a chance to show off how you want to ride. He’s a lot of fun, and you can’t ask for anything more.” The past couple of years have been anything but fun. This season is different; he sits 19th in the world standings with $35,037 in earnings. He needs to finish the regular season among the top 15 to return to Las Vegas for the fifth time. “This year I took a different approach and got my knee fixed,” he said, noting that he competed in Billings, Mont., last fall, then opted for surgery; he returned to ProRodeo in February. “I got heeled up. My whole approach was just (to) just get on the good (horses) and just go to the rodeos I want to go to. “I’ve only been to 33 rodeos this year. It’s a good schedule for me, because it keeps me from getting sore, and I’m enjoying it. A lot of people are getting burned out now, and I’m getting geared up.” Bareback rider Evan Jayne of Marseille, France, is one of those who is feeling sluggish at this stage of the rodeo season. He is eighth in the standings with more than $57,000. “I’m just happy to be in the pack right now,” said Jayne, who last year became the first European-born cowboy to qualify for the NFR. “I need to secure another $15,000 to be really secure (for a return to the NFR).” He sits tied for the lead in bareback riding after his 83-point ride Thursday night on Frontier’s Short Night, matching the same score earned by Blake Smith on Wednesday. Jayne knows he will return to western Kansas for Sunday’s championship round, where he will have an opportunity to get closer to that magical dollar figure. “I’m a little tired of being on the road, and I’ve got a little one back home,” he said. “I’m ready to be back home with her. “The better I do at the rodeos right now, the faster I get to be in my little girl’s arms.” Those types of priorities are important, especially in a game that takes cowboys and cowgirls away from their families for weeks, even months, at a time. But there’s a passion in rodeo that is unmatched in other professional sports. Sometimes that passion is sitting atop bucking horses one night at a time and enjoying the ride. For Johnson, he’d like to earn the Roundup championship at least one time in his career. “It would be a dream come true,” he said. “Dodge City is one of those bucket-list type of rodeos, where everyone wants to win it. It’s got such a history to it, and it’s an icon in the sport. To put that notch on your belt is a huge one.” Both Jayne and Johnson will have that opportunity on Sunday night. Dodge City Roundup Rodeo Dodge City, Kan. Aug. 3-7 Bareback riding leaders: 1. Evan Jayne, on Fronteir Rodeo’s Short Night, and Blake Smith, on Harry Vold Rodeo’s Hot Valley, 83 points; 3. Jordan Pelton, 82; 4. Joel Schlegel  77; 5. George Gillespie, 75; 6. Kody Lamb, 73; 7. (tie) Colt Kitaif and Teddy Athan, 72; 9. Caine Riddle, 71; 10. Troy Vaira, 68; 11. Will Martin, 64; 12. Logan Patterson, 61. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Shane Frey, 4.2 seconds; 2. Kyle Whitaker, 4.3; 3. Trever Nelson, 4.5; 4. (tie) Aaron Vosler, Jacob Talley and Jace Melvin, 4.6; 7. Jake Johnson, 5.0; 8. (tie) Tooter Silver and Logan Gledhill, 5.3. Second round leaders: 1. Jacob Edler, 4.2 seconds; 2. Aaron Vosler, 4.3; 3. (tie) Jacob Talley, Kyle Whitaker, Dan Barner and Matt Reeves, 4.8; 7. Cody Doescher, 5.0; 8. John Franzen, 5.3. Average leaders: 1. Aaron Vosler, 8.9 seconds on two runs; 2. Kyle Whitaker, 9.1; 3. Jacob Talley, 9.4; 4. Shane Frey, 9.9; 5. Cody Doescher, 10.5; 6. J.D. Struxness, 11.1; 7. Jake Johnson, 12.1; 8. Cody Kroul, 12.5; 9. Trever Nelson, 12.6; 10. Tooter Silver, 13.2; 11. (tie) Jace Melvin and Tom Littell, 15.1. Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Matt Sherwood/Quinn Kesler, 4.7 seconds; 2. Colby Lovell/Travis Graves, 4.9; 3. Billy Bob Brown/Logan Medlin, 5.1; 4. Coleman Proctor/Billie Jack Saebens, 5.3; 5. (tie) Cale Markham/Cody Doescher, Kolton Schmidt/Shay Carroll, 5.6; 7. Nathan McWhorter/Dustin Davis, 5.7; 8. Garrett Tonozzi/Wyatt Cox, 5.8. Second round leaders: 1. Coleman Proctor/Billie Jack Saebens, 5.4 seconds; 2. Joshua Torres/Jonathan Torres, 5.8; 3. Kolton Schmidt/Shay Carroll, 6.3; 4. Cale Markham/Cody Doescher, 7.1; 5. Miles Baker/Dustin Searcy, 7.7; 6. Peyton Holliday/Clay Casper, 8.4; Nathan McWhorter/Dustin Davis, 11.4; 8. Matt Sherwood/Quinn Kesler, 11.8. Average leaders: 1. Coleman Proctor/Billie Jack Saebens, 10.7 seconds on two runs; 2. Kolton Schmidt/Shay Carroll, 11.9; 3. Cale Markham/Cody Doescher, 12.7; 4.  Continue Reading »

SIKESTON, Mo. – There is something magical that happens when a man goes face to face with a bull and comes away unscathed. It’s not exactly sleight of hand, but it’s inspiring to say the least. That’s the epitome of the men that are part of Bullfighters Only, which will feature two nights of freestyle bullfighting action Aug. 10-11 during the Sikeston Jaycee Boothill Rodeo at Art Saunders Arena. “Sikeston is a very unique setup,” said Weston Rutkowski, the No. 2 man on the Bullfighters Only tour standings. “The fans are right on top of you, and they are very knowledgeable about the bullfighting.” That’s true. The freestyle bullfights are not new to the fans in Sikeston. For years, it was part of a tour that ended nearly two decades ago. Bullfighting returned to the event two years ago, and this year is part of the BFO’s inaugural tour. Bullfighters Only has created a public demand for the sport, and it’s working. Sikeston is just one of many prestigious ProRodeos that is part of the BFO tour. “It’s crazy to think this is our actual first year and that we have so many events at these historic rodeos,” said Chuck Swisher of Dover, Okla. With scores based on a 100-point scale, men can earn up to 50 points per fight based on their ability to exhibit control and style while maneuvering around or over an animal; a bull can earn up to 50 points based on its quickness, aggression and willingness to stay with the bullfighter. In Sikeston, Rutkowski and Swisher are just two of five men who will be part of the competition. They will compete in two go-rounds, and payouts will be based on how well the bullfighters do in each round and in the two-fight aggregate. The man with the best two-bout cumulative score will be crowned the Sikeston BFO champion. “This will be my third year competing in it,” Swisher said. “They’ve had the bullfights before, but this is the first year it’s part of the BFO so it counts toward the standings.” Nobody understands that more than Rutkowski. Though he has one title under his belt this season, his consistency has paid off. Like all the other bullfighters in the BFO, he wants his name on the No. 1 line when the season concludes. “It’s very humbling to be able to work a rodeo that’s as prestigious, but as the cliché goes, hard work pays off,” said Rutkowski of Haskell, Texas. “For some reason, freestyle bullfighting wasn’t cool for a long time, but there were a handful of us who stayed with it. Now the fruits of our labor are paying off.” In fact, the men themselves were the guiding force behind the creation of Bullfighters Only. It was developed a little more than a year ago, and it has seen rapid growth. That’s been a good thing for the BFO and the world’s best bullfighters. “The really cool thing about freestyle bullfighting is that it’s just really simple to understand,” said Ross Hill of Muscle Shoals, Ala., who will be one of the five combatants in Sikeston. “It’s a game of cat and mouse, except the mouse weights a lot more than 20 pounds and can flat run over you. It’s easy to follow, and it’s a little more self-explanatory than some extreme events. “It’s man vs. beast. We’re the last of the gladiators. There aren’t a whole lot of sports out there where you can show your skill around a bull.” It’s a format that has been working all season long, and it’s expected to be quite the showcase in Sikeston. SIKESTON CONTESTANTS Weston Rutkowski Schell Apple Ross Hill Chuck Swisher Beau Schueth Cody Emerson

DODGE CITY, Kan. – Cody Doescher had planned to only compete in one event at Dodge City Roundup Rodeo this week. That changed a couple weeks ago for the all-around cowboy from Oklahoma City. When world champion heeler Steve Northcott opted to return to his Odessa, Texas, home, header Cale Markham of Vinita, Okla., was looking for a temporary partner. Enter Doescher, who was scheduled to compete only in steer wrestling this week. When Markham called, Doescher answered. “(My) dad was going to come up here and see me, so he brought my heel horse with him,” Doescher said. It worked out great Wednesday night during the opening performance at Roundup Arena. Markham and Doescher lead the opening go-round with a 5.6-second run on Wednesday morning. They followed that with a 7.1 in the second round; their two-run cumulative time of 12.7 seconds leads the average race and virtually secures their spot for Sunday’s championship round – the top 12 times and scores from the four preliminary performances advance to the short round. “I’ve made the short round here twice” in team roping, said Doescher, 26, who also sits fourth in the steer wrestling average. “Right now I’m making it back in two events. Hopefully the bulldogging will hold up and I can make it back in two. “Tonight we just went and caught one. We could’ve exposed ourselves a little more, but we decided to do the safe thing and just go catch.” Safe is the smart thing this early in the game. The ultimate goal in Dodge City is to make it back to the final round for a chance to win the championship. “It’s always good to make the short round,” he said. “There are less guys and more money. We were just fortunate to draw two pretty good steers.” Doescher has competed in ProRodeo for eight years and spent much of his time focused on team roping. He has turned his attention more toward steer wrestling in the past couple of years, and it’s paying off. In the Prairie Circuit – which consists primarily of contestants and events in Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska – he sits sixth in the all-around standings, eighth in heeling and 14th in steer wrestling. He would like to not only excel at the circuit level but carry that over toward qualifications to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. “Eventually I’m going to chase the all-around hard,” he said. “I’m trying to get my ducks in row with the business part of it. “My ultimate goal is to make the NFR in two events. I have gold buckle dreams, of course. I just don’t want to be forgettable.” Doescher is making it hard to forget in Dodge City. Dodge City Roundup Rodeo Dodge City, Kan. Aug. 3-7 Bareback riding leaders: 1. Blake Smith, 83 points on Harry Vold Rodeo’s Hot Valley; 2. Jordan Pelton, 82; 3. Joel Schlegel77; 4. George Gillespie, 75; 5. Caine Riddle, 71; 6. Troy Vaira, 68; 7. Will Martin, 64; no other qualified rides. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Kyle Whitaker, 4.3 seconds; 2. Trevor Nelson, 4.5; 3. (tie) Aaron Vosler and Jacob Talley, 4.6; 5. Cody Doescher, 5.4; 6. (tie) Kurt Goulding and J.D. Struxness, 5.5; 8. Tanner Brunner, 5.9. Second round leaders: 1. Jacob Edler, 4.2 seconds; 2. Aaron Vosler, 4.3; 3. (tie) Jacob Talley and Kyle Whitaker, 4.8; 5. Cody Doescher, 5.0; 6. J.D. Struxness, 5.6; 7. Tom Littell, 5.7; 8. Cody Devers, 6.3. Average leaders: 1. Aaron Vosler, 8.9 seconds on two runs; 2. Kyle Whitaker, 9.1; 3. Jacob Talley, 9.4; 4 Cody Doescher, 10.5; 5. J.D. Struxness, 11.1; 6. Cody Kroul, 12.5; 7. Trevor Nelson, 12.6; 8. Tom Littell, 15.1; 9. Joe Buffington, 21.5; 10. Cody Devers, 26.1; 11. Nick Guy, 44.8; no other qualified times. Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Cale Markham/Cody Doescher, 5.6 seconds; 2. Jake Pancost/Chase Boekhaus, 6.7; 3. Joshua Torres/Jonathan Torres, 7.3; 4. Chase Wiley/Ace Pearce, 9.2; 5. Andrew Ward/Reagan Ward, 11.2; 6. Payden Emmett/Justin Pruitt, 11.7; 7. J.D. Yates/Trey Yates, 12.3; 8. Casey Gattis/Kirt Jones, 12.6. Second round leaders: 1. Joshua Torres/Jonathan Torres, 5.8 seconds; 2. Cale Markham/Cody Doescher, 7.1; 3. Peyton Holliday/Clay Casper, 8.4; 4. J.D. Yates/Trey Yates, 20.1; no other qualified times. Average leaders: 1. Cale Markham/Cody Doescher, 12.7 seconds on two runs; 2. Joshua Torres/Jonathan Torres, 13.1; 3. J.D. Yates/Trey Yates, 32.3; 4. Jake Pancost/Chase Boekhaus, 6.7 seconds on one run; 5. Peyton Holliday/Clay Casper, 8.4; 6. Chase Wiley/Ace Pearce, 9.2; 7. Andrew Ward/Reagan Ward, 11.2; 8. Payden Emmett/Justin Pruitt, 11.7. Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Taos Muncy, 83.5 points on Harry Vold Rodeo’s Mountain Climber; 2. Zeke Thurston, 80.5; 3. Louie Brunson, 77; 4. Colt Gordon, 75; 5. (tie) Dalton Davis and Sam Spreadborough, 71; 7. Tyrel Larsen, 69; no other qualified rides. Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. Marcos Costa, 8.4 seconds; 2. Tylen Layton, 9.0; 3. Cheyenne Harper, 9.2; 4. Cory Solomon, 9.3; 5. (tie) Cade Swor and Riley Pruitt, 9.6; 8. L.D. Meier, 9.9; 8. David Moore, 10.0. Second round leaders: 1. Cory Solomon, 7.9 seconds; 2. (tie) Sterling Smith and RileyPruitt, 8.2; 4. William Whayne Jr., 8.4; 5. L.D. Meier, 9.4; 6. Dillon Holder, 9.6; 7. Marcos Costa, 10.5; 8. Ike Fontenot, 12.2. Average leaders: 1. Cory Solomon, 17.2 seconds on two runs; 2. Riley Pruitt, 17.8; 3. Marcos Costa, 18.9; 4. L.D. Meier, 19.3; 5. Cheyenne Harper, 24.3; 6. Sterling Smith, 27.8; 7. Dillon Sherrick, 29.5; 8. Paul David Tierney, 41.8. Barrel racing: First round leaders: 1. Paige Willis, 17.15 seconds; 2. Emily Miller, 17.21; 3. Jana Griemsman, 17.4; 4. Carol Waters, 17.45; 5. Kelly Schnaufer, 17.55; 6. Cierra Chapman, 17.50; 7. Jordan Bassett,17.75; 8. Edi Williams, 17.76; 9. (tie) Ashley Bauer and Katie Garen, 17.88. Second round leaders: 1. Edi Williams, 17.29 seconds; 2. Kelley Schnaufer, 17.30; 3. Carol Waters, 17.36; 4. Jana Griemsman, 17.39; 5. Katie Garen, 17.40; 6. Paige Willis, 17.45; 7. Tana Renick, 17.48; 8. (tie) Ashley Bauer and Jordan Bassett, 17.56; 10.  Continue Reading »

Steer roping First round: 1. Shay Good, 11.3 seconds, $1,802; 2. Landon McClaugherty, 11.9, $1,491; 3. Vin Fisher Jr., 12.0, $1,181; 4. Leo Campbell, 12.3, $870; 5. Roger Branch, 12.4, $559; 6. Jess Tierney, 12.6, $311. Second round: 1. Travis Mills, 9.2 seconds, $1,802; 2. J.P. Wickett, 9.6, $1,491; 3. Rocky Patterson, 10.1, $1,181; 4. Chet Herren, 10.7, $870; 5. K.W. Lauer, 10.9, $559; 6. Tom Smith, 11.1, $311. Third round: 1. J.P. Wickett, 9.8 seconds, $1,802; 2. (tie) Marty Jones and Jason Evans, 10.5, $1,336 each; 4. Chet Herren, 10.6, $870; 5. J. Tom Fisher, 10.7, $559; 6. Quay Howard, 11.2, $311. Average: 1. Chet Herren, 35.4 seconds on three head, $2,703; 2. Shay Good, 35.5, $2,237; 3. Rocky Patterson, 36.7, $1,771; 4. Bryce Davis, 42.4, $1,305; 5. JB Whatley, 43.6, $839; 6. Kelton McMillen, 48.1, $466.

DODGE CITY, Kan. – Nate Jestes has another reason to love Dodge City Roundup Rodeo. On Tuesday night, Jestes posted a 91-point score to win the Bullfighters Only stop in Dodge City and pushed himself back to the No. 1 spot in the BFO standings. “It felt awesome,” said Jestes of Douglas, Wyo. “I came and worked the bull riding (as a protection bullfighter), so I was feeling it in the legs a little bit toward the end of my (freestyle) bullfight. To come out here and win this event, especially against guys like Dusty Tuckness, Weston (Rutkowski) and Zach (Flatt), I’m truly blessed to do what I’m doing.” Jestes was the standings leader much of the season but was passed by Rutkowski a little more than a week ago. With his marking Tuesday, Jestes has the second highest score posted in Bullfighters Only’s inaugural season – Tuckness was 91.5 points to win Cody, Wyo., a month ago. The total score on a 100-point scale is based on up to 50 points for the bullfighter and 50 points for how well the bull performs. The Wyoming man knew he had a great opportunity even before his fight began, thanks in large part to one of the other combatants. “Dusty came up to me right before I fought, and he said, ‘Nate, you’ve got the one to win it on; go do your thing,’ ” Jestes said. “Right then and there I knew if I went out and performed and do what I do, I’d have a pretty good chance to win this deal.” Bullfighters Only was developed a little more than a year ago and has been playing in front of some of the biggest venues and most prestigious events in the game. Dodge City Roundup Rodeo is just one of a number of the top rodeos in the country that is featuring the BFO in 2016. “I think we’ve done a very good job of bringing the freestyle bullfighting world back to the mainstream,” Jestes said. It was a big hit in Dodge City on Tuesday night, and Jestes is glad. This is his second year to serve as a protection bullfighter, and he is excited to be the first champion of the Bullfighters Only event in Roundup history. “I came to this rodeo the first time last year, and it quickly became one of my favorites,” he said. “It’s an honor to be considered one of the best and to come here to Dodge City.” DODGE CITY RESULTS 1. Nate Jestes, 91 points 2. Dusty Tuckness, 87 3. Zach Flatt, 86 4. Weston Rutkowski, 79

DODGE CITY, Kan. – Derek Kolbaba is a man on a Wrangler National Finals Rodeo mission, even though he knows the odds are against him. “We’re a little far out (of the top 15), but I’m not going to quit going until the old lady sings,” said Kolbaba, a 20-year-old bull rider from Walla Walla, Wash. “Hopefully I can get enough money win this last month and try to play a little catch-up and get there.” He did his part Tuesday night with an 84-point ride on Frontier Rodeo’s Good Time Charlie to win the Xtreme Bulls tour stop in conjunction with Dodge City Roundup Rodeo. With the win, he pocketed $4,991 and moved up four spots to 30th in the world standings. “I knew he was going to be a good bull right there into my hand,” he said of the bull. It worked well for the young cowboy, who outlasted a field that included past world champions Sage Kimzey, Shane Proctor and Cody Teel. He returns to Dodge City for Friday’s performance of Roundup Rodeo. “Winning both the Xtreme and the rodeo is my goal for sure,” Kolbaba said. “That would mean a whole lot to me. For what little bit that I’ve been here, it’s a great town and a great rodeo. The fans get into it. My goal is to get my bull rode Friday and make it back to Sunday and just do the same there.” While Tuesday’s Xtreme Bulls event was specialized, the next four nights of rodeo will feature the preliminary rounds. Only the top 12 times and scores from Wednesday-Saturday’s performances make it to Sunday night’s championship round; that’s where the 2016 champions will be crowned. The Washington cowboy has been riding a hot streak this season. While he sits in the top 30 in the world standings in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, he is 10th in the PBR standings. Not often do cowboys cross over between the organizations, but it’s working for Kolbaba. “I think a lot of (that success) is just settling down and knowing what I need to do,” he said. “I’ve been going a little bit these last couple years. I’m just getting comfortable and focusing on what I need to do, and, praise God, it’s all working out. “Getting to come to these rodeos and riding against guys that have been to the NFR and that ride great, then still be able to get a little bit of success as well, means the world to me. This is definitely a dream come true.” Dodge City Roundup Xtreme Bulls Dodge City, Kan. Aug. 2, 2016 1. Derek Kolbaba, 84.5 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Good Time Charlie, $4,991; 2. (tie) Garrett Tribble, Chase Robbins and Markus Mariluch, 83, $2,828 each; 5. Brennon Eldred, 82, $1,165; 6. Jacob O’Mara, 81, $832; 7. (tie) Dalan Duncan and Dylan Vick, 78, $582 each.

LOVINGTON, N.M. – This vibrant county in the southeastern corner of the state is as diverse as any in New Mexico. The Lea County Fair and Rodeo will honor that during the exposition that runs Friday, Aug. 5-Saturday, Aug. 13, at the Lea County Fairgrounds in Lovington. From Mexican Heritage Night to kick-start the fair to the final night with a full-fledged Western experience, amazing things happen in the community of about 12,000 people. “Our Mexican Heritage Night is a big night for us,” said Corey Helton, chairman of the Lea County Fair Board. “A big demographic of this community is Hispanic, and we get a large turnout for that. It’s probably one of the biggest nights of the fair because there’s such a rich culture here.” It shows in the musical entertainment, Los Traviezos, La Marquinaria and Arrolladara. “We are going to have three separate concerts that night,” Helton said. “We also have our Hispanic Heritage Queen contest. It’s a big night for many people.” It’s just one of nine big nights in Lovington in August. From a world-class rodeo to the top-flight musical entertainment to the carnival, food and livestock shows, there is a reason the fair has been recognized as a regional showcase. The rodeo is a regular nominee for Large Outdoor Rodeo of the Year in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. With Xtreme Bulls on Tuesday, Aug. 9, there will be five nights of the best in the business competing for Lea County titles. In addition to the top-ranked contestants, the event also is home to the elite bucking stock from Pete Carr Pro Rodeo, the largest stock contractor in the PRCA and also a four-time nominee for Stock Contractor of the Year. “We’ve had some construction at the fairgrounds, trying to get it ready for the fair and rodeo,” Helton said. “We’ve reconfigured the bucking chutes to make everything go a little smoother.” The fair and rodeo’s concert series has always been smooth setting for fairgoers, and this year will feature six acts that are the perfect mix for folks in the region. From Jody Nix on Saturday, Aug. 6, to fight straight nights starting Tuesday, Aug. 9: William Clark Green, Matthew West, Troy Murph, Neal McCoy and Justin Moore. “We’ve got several nights of music that people will want to dance to,” Helton said. “But we also wanted to make sure everybody got to have the big music acts we’re all so used to at the Lea County Fair and Rodeo with Neal McCoy and Justin Moore. Those two acts are going to be a great way to close out our event.” The staple for the fair and rodeo has always been the livestock shows, and that continues a long-standing, multi-generational tradition in Lea County. But there’s much more for fairgoers, from the top-rated carnival to daily entertainment to a host of vendors and other treats. And because the entire exposition is underwritten by the Lea County Commission, admission prices are set perfectly for anyone across the region. That’s why it’s the premier county fair in New Mexico.