Monthly Archives: December 2016

LAS VEGAS – Steer wrestler J.D. Struxness is riding a Wrangler National Finals Rodeo momentum straight to the pay window. Struxness manhandled his steer to the ground in 3.8 seconds to win the fourth go-round Sunday night, just 24 hours after sharing the third-round win with Louisiana cowboy Tyler Waguespack. For the feat, Struxness earned $26,231 and pushed his NFR earnings to $65,212 in just four nights of work. With $149,464 earned this season, he sits third in the world standings with six nights left on the ProRodeo season, and he’s got the kind of roll needed for success in Las Vegas. “Just like last night, we got a good start, and the horse gave me a good go in there,” said Struxness, 22, of Appleton, Minn. “This pen (of steers) tries a little harder (than the other two), and that’s where the horsepower really starts to show. Having a horse that can catch up and give me a go like that makes a big difference in these pens.” That horse is Peso, a 13-year-old sorrel gelding that he just purchased this fall from Jon Ragatz and Stockton Graves, the latter of whom is Struxness’ rodeo coach at Northwestern Oklahoma State University. “I rodeoed on him two years ago, so I knew he would probably work pretty good out here,” he said. “He’s done outstanding so far.” Bulldogging is definitely a team effort. In addition to having a solid horse, Struxness also leans heavily on his hazer, Jacob Shofner, who helps keep the steer lined out for the wrestler to make the perfectly timed jump. Both men had a solid game plan for the animal based on what they saw out of the steer the first time he went during the opening go-round Thursday night. “Ty Erickson ended up missing him, so we came back this round and had an idea of what we needed to do,” Struxness said. “We both needed to get a good start so we could slick him up right there. We got him down the middle and made a good run on him.” With the win, the Minnesota cowboy will return to the South Point Casino and Spa for the nightly Montana Silversmiths Go-Round Buckle Presentation. “Anytime you can go to the South Point, it’s great because it means you’re getting paid,” he said. “I hope I have the momentum rolling in the right way now and can just keep doing it all week.”

1. Brennon Eldred, 86.5 points on the 4L & Diamond S bull House of Pain, $26,231; 2. Joe Frost, 85.5, $20,731; 3. Jordan Spears, 83.5, $15,654; 4. Shane Proctor, 75.5, $11,000; no other qualified rides.

1.Michele McLeod, 13.49 seconds, $23,231; 2. Sarah Rose McDonald, 13.56, $20,731; 3. Lisa Lockhart, 13.58, $15,653; 4. (tie) Jana Bean and Amberleigh Moore, 13.66, $8,885 each; 6. Mary Burger, 13.74, $4,231.

1. Marty Yates, 6.8 seconds, $26,231; 2. (tie) Tyson Durfey and Blaine Cox, 7.7, $18,192 each; 4. (tie) Marcos Costa and Hunter Herrin, 8.0, $8,885; 6. Cade Swor , 8.4, $4,231.

1. Ryder Wright, 85.5 points on Flying 5 Rodeo’s Sundance, $26,231; 2. Jake Wright, 84.5, $20,731; 3. (tie) Jake Watson and Allen Boore, 84, $13,327 each; 5. (tie) Zeke Thurston and Cody DeMoss, 83.5, $5,500 each.

1. Riley Minor/Brady Minor, 4.4 seconds, $26,231; 2. Erich Rogers/Cory Petska, 4.7, $20,731; 3. Luke Brown/Jake Long, $15,654; 4. Clay Smith/Paul Eaves, 5.1, $11,000; 5. Dustin Bird/Russell Cardoza, 9.3, $6,769; 6. (tie) Colby Lovell/Travis Graves and Levi Simpson/Jeremy Buhler, 9.4, $2,115 each.

1. J.D. Struxness, 3.8 seconds, $26,231; 2. (tie) Jason Thomas and Tyler Waguespack, 3.9. $18,192 each; 4. Ty Erickson, 4.0, $11,000; 5. Cody Cabral, 4.4, $6,769; 6. (tie) Nick Guy, Matt Reeves and Riley Duvall, 4.5, $1,410 each.

1. Jake Vold, 89.5 points on Flying U Rodeo’s Lil Red Hawk, $26,231; 2. (tie) Tim O’Connell and Wyatt Denny, 87, $18, 192 each; 4. (tie) Caleb Bennett and R.C. Landingham, 84.5, $8,885 eac; 6. (tie) Richmond Champion and Winn Ratliff, 83.5, $2,115 each.

Two more bullfighters qualify for next week’s BFO Las Vegas Championship LAS VEGAS – An unprecedented calm came over Daryl Thiessen on Saturday afternoon as he entered the bullfight arena. “Today before I nodded my head, that’s the calmest I’ve ever been before a bullfight,” said Thiessen of Elm Creek, Manitoba. “That’s the first bullfight I’ve done in a long time where I can tell you everything that happened in it; it’s usually a blur for me, but I can remember all the details.” He should. He matched moves with WAR Fighting Bulls’ Captain Hook for 80 points to win the first of two Bullfighters Only qualifiers. He was joined by Travis Gidley of Grandview, Texas, who scored 86.5 points while matching moves with WAR’s Punisher to win the second qualifier. Now they will move on to fight at the BFO Las Vegas Championship, which takes place Dec. 7-10 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Tickets are on sale now at HardRockHotel.com and AXS.com. “I busted him down really good to start with, and he kind of ran off,” Gidley said. “I got his attention again, and then I just stayed with him. “I felt really good about my bullfight. It just all clicked there.” Now both Thiessen and Gidley hope it clicks next week when they will be matched with the best freestyle bullfighters in the business during the BFO Las Vegas Championship, the richest freestyle bullfight in the sport’s history. “Making it to next week means so much to me,” Thiessen said. “Just being a Canadian in this deal, I want to show these kids that they can come compete with anyone in the world. I want nothing more than to finish the job this year.” Both men were in Las Vegas last December during the inaugural BFO event. Neither had the success they had hoped for 12 months ago, but they put in the work necessary to come out on top this weekend. “I wasn’t prepared last year, so this year I came back both mentally and physically prepared for it,” Gidley said. “It’s a great feeling to advance. I don’t really have a game plan for my fights; I just want to beat my bull. I just go with the flow and deal with what I’ve got in front of me. Yes, these are the best bullfighters in the world, but I’m competing against my bull.” That approach is the best tactic when an athlete is in the middle with a ferocious, aggressive animal that is bred for this type of fight. It takes a man who has a ton of self-confidence to come within an inch or two of flying hooves and pointed horns. “Everything just feels so good right now,” Thiessen said. “It just feels right this time. Before when I was here, my mind was blown. I was a guy from a small town in Canada, and I let the bright lights of Las Vegas get to me. It was overwhelming. “This year I’ve stayed focused on what I need to do and have continued to work out every day.” Now it’s time to transition it into the final four days at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. “My confidence was pretty good, but winning today helps my confidence going into next week,” Gidley said. “It felt really awesome to make those step-throughs and get around that bull. I came in prepared and put on a good bullfight.”

LAS VEGAS – The City of Lights has been good to Tanner Aus. Just a year removed from earning nearly $84,000 in Las Vegas, the Minnesota bronc buster is back to his winning ways at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. On Saturday night, Aus matched moves with C5 Rodeo’s Virgil for 88 points to share the third-round bareback riding victory with Clayton Biglow of Clements, Calif. “That horse has a reputation,” said Aus, 26, of Granite Falls, Minn. “All the horses out tonight have a reputation, because it’s the E Pen.” The “eliminator pen” features the hardest-to-ride bareback horses in the game, and Virgil was every bit of a handful as imagined. The Canadian horse was just recognized as the No. 2 bareback horse in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. For every jump and powerful kick the gray gelding gave, Aus remained in perfect rhythm. “The atmosphere in the locker room was amazing,” he said, noting that oftentimes the group of bareback riders remains stoic and concerned as they prepare to battle the best of the beasts. “We were cranking tunes, and everyone was just feeling the electricity. To be among a group of guys like that just feeds the fire. “I was ready; I was focused. Virgil, of course, put on an amazing performance. I was happy to stick with him.” Virgil was voted as the runner-up Bareback Horse of the Year in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, and he lived up to everything anyone expected. For every jump and powerful kick, Aus was able to remain in rhythm with the talented gray gelding. But he’s been pretty sticky all season, and he has already surpassed his 2015 earnings with seven of the richest nights remaining in the ProRodeo season. A year ago, the Minnesota cowboy earned more than $169,000. Thanks to the $59,712 he’s earned over three nights at the NFR, Aus has pushed his rising salary to $172,396. “It’s a confidence-booster, and hopefully it’ll carry me through the week,” he said. “We just rest up and look forward to the next one.” As he prepares for Sunday’s fourth round, Aus knows he must remain focused if he hopes to continue his success. But he wasn’t the only man from Minnesota to have success Saturday: J.D. Struxness of Appleton was 3.9 seconds to share the steer wrestling round title. Both men have known each other for a number of years, and together they pocketed nearly $47,000 in Round 3 alone. “We grew up only 45 minutes from each other,” Struxness said. “We started out wrestling and playing football. He was a little older, but we saw each other out there a lot, and we just got closer. Now we’re great friends, and our families are good friends. It’s great that we can have this kind of night together.” It must be something in the water, so it’s a good thing they’ve been drinking it.

LAS VEGAS – On his second run of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, J.D. Struxness let the steer escape his grasp. That happens in rodeo, and the Appleton, Minn., cowboy understands that it is part of the game. So is moving on rapidly from the highs and lows that come with the sport. He rebounded Saturday night with a 3.9-second steer wrestling run to share the third-round victory. “It’s a relief off my shoulders to win the round,” said Struxness, who won the college steer wrestling championship this past June and earned his first qualification to the NFR. “Everyone wants to get out here and get their first round win, and for me to do it in Round 3 is big. Now we just need to keep running at the rest of them.” He finished in a tie for fifth place in the opening round and has now earned $38,981 in just three nights in Vegas. He remains fourth in the world standings with $123,415. “My mindset coming in was to take a good start,” said Struxness, whose 3.9 was matched by Louisianan Tyler Waguespack. “I knew I had a good seer, so all I had to do was go out there and use him. It ended up working out in my favor.” He wasn’t the only Minnesota to have things work out well on Saturday night; Tanner Aus of Granite Falls earned a share of the bareback riding round victory with an 88-point ride. “I’m glad to hear J.D. won the round,” Aus said. “It’s amazing, and he works hard for it, too.” Like everyone who has ever competed in rodeo, Struxness has had gold buckle dreams. Though his no-time in the second round could affect his ultimate earnings, he still has seven chances to pocket as much cash as possible. “I’m not too worried about the world championship yet,” said Struxness, who is $25,773 behind Waguespack, the world standings leader. “I’m just taking it a round at a time and see how much money I can collect through the week.” In rodeo, dollars equal points, and the contestants in each event who finish the NFR with the most money earned in 2016 will be crowned world champions. But with go-rounds paying $26,231, Struxness can jump into the lead in one swift move Sunday night. “You just need to win whatever you can win, whether it’s first or sixth. You just need to make the best run you can make on your steer and see how it plays out in the end.” That’s the kind of focus it takes to win championships.

1. Shane Proctor, 91 points on Andrews Rodeo’s Midnight Blender,  $26,231; 2. Sage Kimzey, 87.5, $,20,731; no other qualified rides.

1. Lisa Lockhart, 13.72 seconds, $26,231; 2. Sherry Cervi, 13.73, $20,731; 3. Jackie Ganter, 13.74, $15,654; 4. (tie) Ivy Conrado and Amberleigh Moore, 13.79, $8,885 each; 6. Cayla Small, 13.82, $4,231.

1. (tie) Hunter Herrin and Cade Swor, 7.0 seconds, $23,481 each;  3. Matt Shiozawa, 7.1, $15,654; 4. Shane Hanchey, 7.4, $11,000; 5. Riley Pruitt, 7.9, $6,769; 6. Tyson Durfey, 8.3, $4,231.

1. Ryder Wright, 8.5 points on Powder River Rodeo Lipstick N Whiskey, $26,231; 2. (tie) Zeke Thurston and Rusty Wright, 85, $18,192 each; 4. Cody Demos, 84.5, $11,000; 5. (tie) Jesse Wright and Cody Wright, 84, $5,500 each.

1. (tie) Riley Minor/Brady Minor and Matt Sherwood/Quinn Kesler, 4.5 seconds, $23,481 each; 3. Tyler Wade/Dakota Kirchenschlager, 4.7, $15,654; 4. (tie) Luke Brown/Jake Long, 4.9, $8,885; 6. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 5.1, $4,231.

1. (tie) Tanner Aus, on C5 Rodeo’s Virgil, and Clayton Biglow, on Frontier Rodeo’s Delta Ship, 88 points, $23,481 each; 3. Caleb Bennett, 85.5, $15,654; 4. (tie) Jake Vold and Tim O’Connell, 83.5, $8,885 each; 6. (tie) J.R. Vezain and Winn Ratliff, 81, $2,115 each.

1. (tie) J.D. Struxness and Tyler Waguespack, 3.9 seconds, $23,481 each; 3. Billy Bugenig, 4.1, $15,654; 4. Matt Reeves, 4.2, $11,000; 5. (tie) Jason Thomas and Clayton Hass, 4.3, $5,500 each.

Lippincott, Rhoads win qualifiers to advance to BFO Las Vegas Championship LAS VEGAS – Tate Rhoads and Kyle Lippincott knew they needed to do something special during Friday’s Bullfighters Only qualifier if they were to advance to next week’s BFO Las Vegas Championship. They did. Both men started their fights at the Las Vegas Convention Center with flat-footed jumps. It paid off as Rhoads won Round 1 with an 84-point fight with WAR Fighting Bulls Wicked Ways; Lippincott was 83.5 in his bout with WAR’s War Machine. Now they will move on to fight at the BFO Las Vegas Championship, which takes place Dec. 7-10 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Tickets are on sale now at HardRockHotel.com and AXS.com. It will feature a $50,000 purse and also include two more qualifiers that will advance through competition that takes place at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at the Las Vegas Convention Center. “A couple of buddies told me to go big or go home,” said Rhoads of Bighorn, Mont. “I just wanted to get that flat-footed jump right out of there, and he ended up smoking me in the knee. I got up and continued the fight. I got a little barrel hop at the end and sold the fight the way I needed to.” It was a similar type fight for Lippincott, who cleared his jump cleanly, then ran into a little trouble midway through the bout. “When I flat-footed him, he blew by,” said Lippincott of Wilson, Okla., who had to clear a fence in order to avoid trouble. “I have a tendency of using that fence, and I trap myself for some reason. It ticked me off, and I knew I had to go back harder to make up for it.” Now he’ll be part of the first round of the tournament-style competition at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. “Last year I came in the qualifier round as well and made it to the last day before I got beat,” Lippincott said. “To be in the championship to be able to play with everybody else is everything. “My confidence has not been where it needed to be. Today it helped out, and my confidence is real high heading into the next round.” It takes high levels of self-worth to be successful in freestyle bullfighting, where men face athletic and aggressive animals that have been bred for this kind of competition. “It means the world to me to get this win,” Rhoads said. “My aunt and cousin were killed in a tragic car accident a couple weeks ago, and I wanted to come out here and do this for them. “It’s unreal that I get to do this, and I can’t even put it into words.” Part of it is just being part of the top freestyle bullfighting organization in the world. “There’s no other organization out there that’s growing freestyle bullfighting so fast,” he said. “It’s unreal to be out here and to be part of this.” That includes next weekend’s purse of $50,000, which helps make the BFO Las Vegas Championship the richest bullfight in the sport’s history. “Bullfighters Only has created a brand that allows guys to be showy and try to make freestyle bullfighting better,” Lippincott said. “Now we’re fighting for a certain title. That is something that’s special in the BFO.”

LAS VEGAS – Heading into Friday’s second round of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, Uncle Jerry had never been ridden. Garrett Smith changed that with an 87-point ride, good enough to tie for second place on the second night of ProRodeo’s grand championship, earning $18,192 in the process. “I didn’t know much about him,” Smith said of the Pete Carr Pro Rodeo bull. “I saw a couple videos, but everybody said that bull would fit me because he’s got a lot of up and down and going left, so it all worked out.” The 7-year-old yellow bull threw everything it could at the 21-year-old cowboy from Rexburg, Idaho, but Smith countered every move well. Making the qualifying eight-second marking also gave the young cowboy a boost as he prepares for the final eight nights of the rodeo season. “It’s nice to break the ice and get one rode, especially after last night and not doing all that great,” he said. “It’s nice to have tonight and get the ball rolling.” Like a good game of craps, having things rolling your way is vital in Vegas, but bull riders can’t stress about a bad beat. “You can’t worry about the last one,” Smith said. “You just thrive off of the good and forget about the bad. You’re going to learn something whether you buck off or stay on, so you just keep going, look forward and keep your head up. Your luck is going to turn around sometime.” It takes a little bit of luck to have success in rodeo, but it also takes tremendous skill and superb athleticism. Only the top 15 bull riders on the money list at the conclusion of the regular season advance to the NFR. In addition, the cowboys will face the best bulls in the game over the 10-night championship. There’s much for Smith to take in during his stay in the City of Lights. As a first-time qualifier, every aspect of his experience has been somewhat aw-inspiring. From standing on the back of the bright yellow bucking chutes to hearing the crowd of more than 17,000 scream after a qualified ride, his stay so far has been everything he expected. “It’s amazing,” he said. “This is literally what we’ve all dreamed of. Even through the grand entry and we’re all riding, it’s crazy. That’s one of the funnest things to do here is having all the bull riders that haven’t really rode a horse, and we all get on one and are hauling butt around the arena. “This place is a blast.” It’s also been profitable so far. He has moved up five spots to fifth in the world standings with $122,621. He trails the world standings leader – reigning two-time world champion Sage Kimzey – by more than $85,000. But with go-rounds paying more than $26,000 a night, that world championship is still in sight with just eight more nights in the ProRodeo season. “It’s still within reach, and that ride (Friday) made everything real and made everything seem possible,” Smith said. “Hopefully we can just stay on the roll, keep going and keep having fun.” Las Vegas is a great place to have fun, especially for rodeo’s brightest stars.

Bareback riding: 1. (tie) Tim O’Connell on Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo Betty Boob and Clayton Biglow on Rafter G Rodeo Ankle Biter, 85 points, $23,481; 3. (tie) Caleb Bennett and Ty Breuer, 83, $13,327 each; 5. Winn Ratliff, 82.5, $6,769; 6. Jake Brown, 79.5, $4,231. Steer wrestling: 1. Jason Thomas, 3.5  seconds, $26,231; 2. Matt Reeves, 3.8, $20,731; 3. Clayton Haas, 4.1, $15,654; 4. Dakota Eldridge, 4.6, $11,000; 5. Tyler Waguespack, 4.7, $6,769; 6. Nick Guy, 5.1, $1,410 each. Team roping: 1. Luke Brown/Jake Long, 4.0  seconds, $26,231; 2. Dustin Bird/Russell Cardoza, 4.2, $20.731; 3. Erich Rogers/Cory Petska, 4.3, $15,654 each; 4. Clay Smith/Paul Eaves, 4.4, $11,000 each; 5. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 4.8, $6,769; 6. Levi Simpson, 4.9, $4,231. Saddle bronc riding: 1. Ryder Wright, 86 points on Northcott Macza’s Get Smart, $26,231; 2. Sterling Crawley, 84, $20,731; 3. Heith DeMoss, 83.5, $15,654; 4. Jake Watson, 83, $11,000; 5. Jake Wright, 80.5, $6,769; 6. Jacobs Crawley, 80, $4,231. Tie-down roping: 1. Marcos Costa, 7.6 seconds, $26,231; 2. Cade Swor, 7.7, $20,731; 3. Ryle Smith, 7.8, $15,654; 4. Caleb Smidt, 8.0, $11,000; 5. (tie) Reese Reimer and Tyson Durfey, 8.3 , $5,500 each. Barrel racing: 1. Kimmie Wall, 13.79 seconds, $26,231; 2. Lisa Lockhart and Sherry Cervi, 13.8, $18,192  each; 4. Amberleigh Moore, 13.81, $11,000; 5. Sarah Rose McDonald, 13.88, $6,769; 6. Ivy Conrado, 13.9, $1,410 each. Bull riding: 1. Roscoe Jarboe, 88.5 points on Wayne Vold Rodeo’s Coopers Comet, $26,231; 2. Joe Frost and Garrett Smith, 87, $18,192; 4. Shane Proctor, 85.5, $11,000; No other qualified rides.

1. Marcos Costa, 7.6 seconds, $26,231; 2. Cade Swor, 7.7, $20,731; 3. Ryle Smith, 7.8, $15,654; 4. Caleb Smidt, 8.0, $11,000; 5. (tie) Reese Reimer and Tyson Durfey, 8.3 , $5,500 each.

LAS VEGAS – The last time Ty Breuer was matched with Pickett Rodeo’s Scarlet Fever, the cowboy’s only recollection was pain and numbness. “I got on him at the 10th round the last time I was here, and I had a broken elbow,” said Breuer, who matched moves with the horse for 83 points Friday night to finish in a tie for third place in the second go-round of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. “That was a long time ago, and I was just happy to have him again.” That ride marked the first time since the opening round of the 2013 NFR that Breuer had earned a paycheck at ProRodeo’s grand finale. This worth $13,327 and pushed the Mandan, N.D., cowboy’s season earnings to $94,445. “Last time I didn’t really have a chance to do anything on that horse,” said Breuer, who moved up four spots to eighth in the world standings. “This time I felt like I had a chance. I remember the last time that about four seconds into the ride, everything went numb. “This is a big confidence-booster for me. Last night I felt like I had the chance, and I kind of screwed it up. It just felt good tonight to get back and actually ride like I know I can.” Confidence is a major piece of the puzzle, especially at the NFR. With an $8.8 million purse paid out over 10 December nights, this is every cowboy’s chance to not only cash in but to move up the world standings. In rodeo, dollars equal points, and the contestants in each event with the most money at the conclusion of the NFR will be crowned world champions. “I still have to take it one horse at a time and remembering my basics,” he said. “I have to focus on that and see what happens. Last night I had a really nice horse, and I wasn’t even thinking about bareback riding. I was just thinking about everything else, and that horse got ahead of me. “That’s the way it goes sometimes.” Judges mark the rides based on the animal’s bucking motion and how the cowboy spurs in rhythm with the horse. When Breuer got behind, his half of the score was lower than he needed to place in the money. He made the changes necessary on Friday night and wants to keep it that way through the final eight rounds of the rodeo season. “There were a lot of horses out there that were harder to ride tonight, and I just got lucky and had a pretty nice one,” Breuer said. Sometimes that’s all it takes.

1. Luke Brown/Jake Long, 4.0  seconds, $26,231; 2. Dustin Bird/Russell Cardoza, 4.2, $20.731; 3. Erich Rogers/Cory Petska, 4.3, $15,654 each; 4. Clay Smith/Paul Eaves, 4.4, $11,000 each; 5. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 4.8, $6,769; 6. Levi Simpson, 4.9, $4,231.